DEAR GOD...
Sometimes it is good to just write a dear God letter, kind of like what David did in the Psalms. This is mine for today. If you decide to write your own I would love to read it!
Dear God of the Universe, my Heavenly Father, I just want you to know how wonderful I think you are!
You are like royalty except more majestic than any kings or queens or ruling powers that have ever ruled. If I were to meet such reigning powers today, I would be in awe of such a historical day in my life. I would try to get a picture of me with such famous people and get autographs that would hold value because they were written with the hand of a powerful person. I would hang on to every word that was spoken, especially the words spoken to me. And then I would journal everything about my encounter and tell all my friends and family about my day.
And yet I was in the presence of the Almighty God today because I know His Son Jesus personally. Did I shiver with excitement and anticipation? Did I realize Heavenly Royalty wanted to speak with me today? Did I listen for His words and write them down and tell everyone how incredible it was to commune with the God who created everything, who designed a sacrificial plan so that I could become a part of His family?
Or was the Famous One too familiar in my mind, as though I have known Him so long and well that surely He has nothing more to teach me. Or perhaps to me He was not familiar enough and I failed to realize that He is not just a Deity who makes news and rules the universe and has no idea of who I am.
That Someone with such great fame and notoriety should know me better than my mother or spouse, that Someone who spends each and every day keeping the earth in orbit and rescuing lives should even know my name, let alone my pain or joys or needs--it is mind numbing.
And yet I can dismiss His presence in my life so quickly, like a light switch that I can turn on or off or like the fading of the sun when storm clouds roll in.
Oh Famous One, I beg you to remind me continually to rejoice in who you are and what you have done, to teach me of the depth and width of your love, and to compel me to declare your fame loudly from the rooftops until the day you let me see your face. Don't let me turn off the light switch. Don't let the storm clouds shroud my view of you.
Dear God of the Universe, my Heavenly Father, I want you to know how wonderful I think you are!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Son of Hamas--book review/a must read!
My head is swimming with all kinds of thoughts and emotions right now. I just finished reading a book that moved me to my core. Possibly because of past experiences, but primarily because it was a bird's eye view of the hand of God at work in the middle of chaos. Knowing that God has a greater plan, hearing about how He orchestrates details in the lives of even those who do not believe in Him yet, is what gives me hope for all the mess I see in the world and the hatred and sin that I see affecting the lives of people around me.
I have known a couple of Muslims in my life. One was never able to accept the real Jesus as God. The other embraced Jesus as her savior so fiercely that it put my own faith to shame. The cost to a Muslim calling Jesus their God is greater than anyone else I know. Declaration of faith means a loss of all family connections forever. They are viewed as dead by their families. And for some it is a literal death sentence, because their religion calls for the death of those who deny the Muslim faith and Allah. For any Muslim even considering Christianity, they must think long and hard about how their lives will change should they believe. It is a frightening and serious decision, so you know that when they declare Jesus as Lord that they believe it with every ounce of their being. My heart aches for these people, and those that become Christ followers have my deepest admiration as heroes of the faith, for they know they will face persecution and possible martyrdom.
The book I read is called Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef. He was a speaker at a recent youth conference I attended with my husband and sons. Mosab's father was one of the original founders of the terrorist group Hamas. His story challenged me to ask myself if I truly believe ALL the teachings of Jesus. Am I living as though I truly believe? It's message screamed through the pages asking me if I am 100% in or only half-heartedly and when it is convenient.
A story of mystery and confusion, this book tells how God pursues this man. He comes into contact with Christians who give him a Bible and as he reads it over the next 6 years, Jesus becomes alive to him in it's pages. The message of Jesus has an appeal that no other religion has offered. What challenges his thinking the most is when Jesus says we are to love our enemies. It is so contrary to the hatred he sees all around him that Mosab isn't even sure how to process this message, but he cries out, "God, the Creator, show me the truth. I'm confused. I'm lost. And I don't know which way to go." And God answers his prayer.
Since then he has declared his faith in Jesus publicly, he has been cut off from his family. He is a wanted man. He has sought safety in the United States. He has plans to continue to reach his people with truth. His plans carry danger as he wishes to expose lies. There is no doubt in my mind that the evil one wants to eliminate him, but it is also very clear that God's hand of protection has been on him and will not allow his life to be taken until his work here on earth is done. Please pray for this man as he continues to carry out God's work and as he grieves for his family and his people who are lost and blind. He has been responsible for saving many lives, literally, but I believe God still wants to use him to save souls. He needs the prayers of his brothers and sisters in Christ to carry out what still needs to be done in these volatile times. If you are interested in listening to him, he has some amazing clips on www.sonofhamas.com. The book is worth buying.
My head is swimming with all kinds of thoughts and emotions right now. I just finished reading a book that moved me to my core. Possibly because of past experiences, but primarily because it was a bird's eye view of the hand of God at work in the middle of chaos. Knowing that God has a greater plan, hearing about how He orchestrates details in the lives of even those who do not believe in Him yet, is what gives me hope for all the mess I see in the world and the hatred and sin that I see affecting the lives of people around me.
I have known a couple of Muslims in my life. One was never able to accept the real Jesus as God. The other embraced Jesus as her savior so fiercely that it put my own faith to shame. The cost to a Muslim calling Jesus their God is greater than anyone else I know. Declaration of faith means a loss of all family connections forever. They are viewed as dead by their families. And for some it is a literal death sentence, because their religion calls for the death of those who deny the Muslim faith and Allah. For any Muslim even considering Christianity, they must think long and hard about how their lives will change should they believe. It is a frightening and serious decision, so you know that when they declare Jesus as Lord that they believe it with every ounce of their being. My heart aches for these people, and those that become Christ followers have my deepest admiration as heroes of the faith, for they know they will face persecution and possible martyrdom.
The book I read is called Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef. He was a speaker at a recent youth conference I attended with my husband and sons. Mosab's father was one of the original founders of the terrorist group Hamas. His story challenged me to ask myself if I truly believe ALL the teachings of Jesus. Am I living as though I truly believe? It's message screamed through the pages asking me if I am 100% in or only half-heartedly and when it is convenient.
A story of mystery and confusion, this book tells how God pursues this man. He comes into contact with Christians who give him a Bible and as he reads it over the next 6 years, Jesus becomes alive to him in it's pages. The message of Jesus has an appeal that no other religion has offered. What challenges his thinking the most is when Jesus says we are to love our enemies. It is so contrary to the hatred he sees all around him that Mosab isn't even sure how to process this message, but he cries out, "God, the Creator, show me the truth. I'm confused. I'm lost. And I don't know which way to go." And God answers his prayer.
Since then he has declared his faith in Jesus publicly, he has been cut off from his family. He is a wanted man. He has sought safety in the United States. He has plans to continue to reach his people with truth. His plans carry danger as he wishes to expose lies. There is no doubt in my mind that the evil one wants to eliminate him, but it is also very clear that God's hand of protection has been on him and will not allow his life to be taken until his work here on earth is done. Please pray for this man as he continues to carry out God's work and as he grieves for his family and his people who are lost and blind. He has been responsible for saving many lives, literally, but I believe God still wants to use him to save souls. He needs the prayers of his brothers and sisters in Christ to carry out what still needs to be done in these volatile times. If you are interested in listening to him, he has some amazing clips on www.sonofhamas.com. The book is worth buying.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The Great Equalizer
Proverbs 8:13 I hate pride and arrogance.
Proverbs 11:2 Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 13:10 Pride leads to conflict.
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.
Proverbs 29:23 Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.
Daniel 4:37 He is able to humble the proud.
Pride--it is the great equalizer. It is what makes the murderer and thief the same as the person who tells little white lies or the person who harbors bitterness and anger in their heart. It causes jealousy and arguments and breaks relationships and hurts parents and children and husbands and wives alike. And yet few recognize it for what it is. Not many people take time to examine the motives of their heart. Most want to play the victim and blame everything wrong in their lives on someone else.
You have most likely identified those times when pride in someone else's life has wounded you. Every sin committed has an element of pride in it. And the wounds given to you are not acceptable in God's sight. Those who have wounded you will one day be judged if they don't repent and accept Jesus' payment for their sin.
But I am asking you to examine your own heart and motives today. What part have you played in wounding, how has pride prevented you from restoring relationships? What has kept you from stretching out your hand to help another in need? I don't know that you can identify pride without asking yourself if you have a need for Jesus' forgiveness in your life today. And you can only discover that when you line yourself up against the holiness of God.
When you read Isaiah 6:1-8 you get a little glimpse into the holiness of God when Isaiah, a prophet of God, says, "It's all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven's Armies."
When Isaiah was allowed to see God in all his glory he was shaken to the core. He realized he deserved to be destroyed forever because he was so far from being sinless.
How is it that we get so cocky? What gives us any confidence at all that we deserve anything from God? We deserve nothing! The Bible says all our good works are as filthy rags to Him. And yet we turn around to our siblings and friends and parents and children and co-workers and even people within the church and want to act like we are better than them. How dare we look at ourselves as righteous! It is only if I have faith that Jesus' blood paid for my sin that God says He can look on me as righteous. He let His Son trade His perfection for my sinfulness.
Knowing this requires a humility that can only come from God as well. In our human flesh, pride continually tries to sneak back in and make us think we deserve something. Only in humility will God ever be able to use us for His glory. Only in humility can we forgive and work out differences. Only in humility can we extend love to another sinner that needs to be saved by this amazing grace.
Please, today, don't forget where you came from. Don't forget what you could have been had you not met grace in the face of Jesus Christ. Don't let pride prevent you from experiencing all the blessings God wants to shower on you.
*******************
Proverbs 11:2 Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 13:10 Pride leads to conflict.
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.
Proverbs 29:23 Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.
Daniel 4:37 He is able to humble the proud.
Pride--it is the great equalizer. It is what makes the murderer and thief the same as the person who tells little white lies or the person who harbors bitterness and anger in their heart. It causes jealousy and arguments and breaks relationships and hurts parents and children and husbands and wives alike. And yet few recognize it for what it is. Not many people take time to examine the motives of their heart. Most want to play the victim and blame everything wrong in their lives on someone else.
You have most likely identified those times when pride in someone else's life has wounded you. Every sin committed has an element of pride in it. And the wounds given to you are not acceptable in God's sight. Those who have wounded you will one day be judged if they don't repent and accept Jesus' payment for their sin.
But I am asking you to examine your own heart and motives today. What part have you played in wounding, how has pride prevented you from restoring relationships? What has kept you from stretching out your hand to help another in need? I don't know that you can identify pride without asking yourself if you have a need for Jesus' forgiveness in your life today. And you can only discover that when you line yourself up against the holiness of God.
When you read Isaiah 6:1-8 you get a little glimpse into the holiness of God when Isaiah, a prophet of God, says, "It's all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven's Armies."
When Isaiah was allowed to see God in all his glory he was shaken to the core. He realized he deserved to be destroyed forever because he was so far from being sinless.
How is it that we get so cocky? What gives us any confidence at all that we deserve anything from God? We deserve nothing! The Bible says all our good works are as filthy rags to Him. And yet we turn around to our siblings and friends and parents and children and co-workers and even people within the church and want to act like we are better than them. How dare we look at ourselves as righteous! It is only if I have faith that Jesus' blood paid for my sin that God says He can look on me as righteous. He let His Son trade His perfection for my sinfulness.
Knowing this requires a humility that can only come from God as well. In our human flesh, pride continually tries to sneak back in and make us think we deserve something. Only in humility will God ever be able to use us for His glory. Only in humility can we forgive and work out differences. Only in humility can we extend love to another sinner that needs to be saved by this amazing grace.
Please, today, don't forget where you came from. Don't forget what you could have been had you not met grace in the face of Jesus Christ. Don't let pride prevent you from experiencing all the blessings God wants to shower on you.
*******************
Philippians 2:3-11
Don't be selfish: don't try to impress others. Be humble, THINKING OF OTHERS AS BETTER THAN YOURSELVES. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had:
Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross.
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)