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My God is…rewarding you – Proverbs 25:21-22

19 Aug

Proverbs 25:21-22 – If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat;i-love-my-enemies
and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink;
for you will heap coals of fire on their heads,
and the Lord will reward you.

If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat; and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink

Definition of enemy: “one that is antagonistic to another; especially: one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent”

Do you have any enemies? I pray that you don’t, but I would guess most of us could think of one or two people (maybe many) who would make our enemies list. You may have heard that someone was talking behind your back spreading lies. Someone may have given you the wrong time to be somewhere to thwart your day’s agenda. Someone may have given you the cold shoulder. It is really hard when someone is treating you poorly. You may feel mad, sad, hurt, insecure or dejected. Maybe you’re just tired of having to defend yourself at every turn. Feeling that way often leads us to say things and do things we would not usually do. We might even be embarrassed if someone saw how we treated those we consider enemies. Having enemies usually doesn’t bring out the best in us. But what does God want us to do?

Matthew 5:43-45 – Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven

When I was going through a situation where I felt like people were treating me wrongly (like an enemy), I did what many people would do. I talked with my mom. We talked about how I didn’t want to dislike them, be mean to them etc, but that I was hurt and frustrated that even though I was being (in my mind) kind and supportive, I was having unkind thoughts. My dear mom suggested even though it may be hard to feel unloved, I should pray for them. She said that praying for them would push out the negative thoughts about them and allow me to move towards loving them. It’s not exactly what I wanted to hear (she didn’t encourage me to go off on them or ok my coming to fisticuffs over it), She was right (yes, I said it – my mom was right).

For you will heap coals of fire on their heads
I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite parts of our verse for today is this section, “for you will heap coals of fire on their heads”. I am sure it’s probably not in the most Christian of ways either. I truly love the idea that being kind to those who don’t like you would be its own punishment for them. In most of the examples of enemies I listed, it was people wrongly attacking you, but truth be told we often have done something that is unkind as well (even unknowingly sometimes). They may feel they are the ones who are being attacked by you, and  being kind to them may lead to some sort of reconciliation or at least respite from the painful attacks. Truth is, besides heaping coals on their heads, I don’t want to detract from my God. I don’t want my petty differences to become something bigger that means people are watching to see how I’ll react to someone instead of growing in their faith or their relationships here on earth. I want them to not be surprised when I respond in love no matter what is being said. I would love for that to be the truth in my life.
The Lord will reward you
Now, I’m pretty sure that God is not going to reward me with winning the lottery for not being mean to my enemies, or even if I’m taking it all the way to being nice or loving my enemies. I think the reward for us is that we are able to reconcile with them. That we might be able to grow and learn about the forgiveness our Lord gives us. We might find we have more in common with our enemies than we would have ever imagined. If nothing else, we would get the joy of knowing that by reacting differently than the world expects, we have an opportunity to reflect the Glory of our Lord, and that is a great reward.
Are you loving your enemies?
 
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Posted by on August 19, 2013 in Matthew, My God is rewarding you, Proverbs, Uncategorized

 

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My God is…defending my cause Psalm 43:1

16 Aug

Psalm 43:1 – Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause Pupil being bullied in elementary school
against an ungodly people;
from those who are deceitful and unjust
deliver me!

Vindicate me, O God

My last blog post was about God vindicating His people. So you might wonder why I would choose a verse from scripture that also has God vindicating me. Well, I have been inspired by a blog post I read by Sharla Fritz called, “How to be a Hero: Defend Someone“. You’ll want to take a read of that, it really got me thinking about my dad. I don’t know if I have personally ever heard my dad say something bad about someone. I know he has, because he has confessed calling an ex-boyfriend of mine a jerk, but that’s pretty much the extent of it. He’s a believer in the “If you can’t say something nice…” wait, he’s not actually. My father doesn’t just refrain from saying mean things, he has told me he works at always finding something nice to say about people when their names are brought up and they’re not present. Sharla Fritz points out in her blog,

“Defending someone when they are not around is an act of heroism.  You are rescuing their reputation, you are saving their dignity. When you stand up for another person, you are protecting their character. A true ally will shield another’s good name. There is no shortage of people who are anxious to tear others down. Be the person who turns the conversation around.”

Defend my cause against an ungodly people

God is our great defender. We can trust that God will bring any falsehoods told about us to light, and that He will arm us with the words we need by the Holy Spirit.

Luke 12:11-12

11 When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how[a] you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.”

No matter who is accusing you, chastising or berating you, you can trust and pray for the Lord to show you the words to use. Every time people treat us badly, we’re given an opportunity to reflect God’s glory by responding differently than others might.

Being defensive

I don’t know about you, but I can be defensive. I don’t like to be wrong, and when someone points out one of my failures (or two or three), I’m more likely to point out ten of theirs. But it never pays off. Being defensive, trying to defend ourselves with human reasoning and logic deflate our argument. Say someone says you’re pig-headed, telling them five reasons you’re not, is…pig-headed. Our pride often gets in our way of being witnesses for God. When we’re able to defend others, see another’s position, humble ourselves, we’re able to show what is most important in our lives, God. Being defensive is a sure sign that your pride is involved and you can’t be putting God first, because at that moment you’re only thinking about how you’ve been wronged, misrepresented or mistreated. You’re thinking about yourself. But with humbleness and acceptance, turning to God and allowing Him to take the responsibility of defending us, we’re freed to show others love even when they don’t deserve it (do any of us ever truly deserve it?).

Lord, Help me to put my pride aside. Help me not to defend myself, but allow myself to be a witness to you in all circumstances. Help me not to put my pride first. Help me to think of Your will above my own. Help me to defend others and to only say nice things about people. Help me to refrain from being catty, unkind and boastful. Keep my thoughts pure and focused on you. Help me choose humility over pride. Forgive me when I fail. Amen.

Do you get defensive?

 
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Posted by on August 16, 2013 in My God is defending my cause, Psalm

 

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My God is…examining humankind Psalm 11:4

05 Jul

Psalm 11:4 – The Lord is in his holy temple;

Excuse me, Your God is Showing.

Excuse me, Your God is Showing.

the Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes behold, his gaze examines humankind.

It always feels like…somebody’s watching me

Unlike the creepiness expressed in Rockwell’s song, “Somebody’s Watching me“, this verse was David talking about the confidence he found in knowing his God knew what was going on. David was being encouraged by some to go on the move, because the enemy was close at hand. They wanted him to move away from the trouble instead of facing it head on.

I’ll be moving, I won’t be able to

When I was living in Missouri, I learned about Stephen Ministry, a group that trains to be a sort of peer counselor for those who need someone to talk to no matter what the reason. I had heard about Stephen Ministry long ago, because my Grandma Goldie was one once. When I learned more about it at my church, I thought that was something I might be interested in doing. You had to do 52 hours of training, and commit to a year of service as a Stephen Minister if you were going to sign up to be one. I thought perfect, we’ll be moving for my husband’s internship next year, maybe they would let me do the training even if I couldn’t serve. They graciously agreed. I did the training, and even started into the next year, knowing they wouldn’t assign anyone to me, because I would be moving soon. In the classes we had learned about closure. I was asked how I dealt with ending relationships that were not healthy or had run their course. I said, “I move”. My husband was in the Air Force, and we always knew when the next move was going to happen. We always had an end date for living somewhere. My husband was now out of the military, and he didn’t get placed in an internship that year. We had to stay another year. That meant I had to serve. I had one plan, but God had another. He knew what was going on, and how I needed to grow. He had been watching me.

His eyes behold, his gaze examines humankind

God looks on us from His throne, and knows what is going on in your life. He knows if you’re addicted to pills, food or alcohol. He knows if you verbally abuse your children when you’re alone with them. He knows if you’re struggling to get out of an abusive relationship. He knows if you’re working hard to turn your life around. He knows if you’re struggling with an illness. He knows if you’ve had a huge success at work. He knows, and He cares. He’s watching. He’s paying attention to what goes on in your life.

In our verses above, David tells those encouraging him to run that God’s eyes behold. David knew that the enemies he faced were not getting away with anything the Father in Heaven didn’t know about. God could see what was going on, and David was sure he didn’t need to turn around and run, because He had the Lord on his side. He had the one who could conquer the enemy on his side, and because God was already watching, examining what was going on, David was assured the Lord would work good on His behalf.

God is watching you, not in a big brother kind of way, but in a caring and concerned way. He knows what’s going on in your life. He wants you to be like David and trust Him to take care of it. Know that He’s got your back. He’s on your side. He knows what’s going on and is going to work it for good.

 

 
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Posted by on July 5, 2013 in My God is examining humankind, Psalm

 

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My God is…the protector of widows Psalm 68:4-5

17 Jun

Psalm 68:4-5 – 

Sing to God, sing praises to his name; a-grandma-looking-at-ocean
lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds
his name is the Lord –
be exultant before him.

Father of orphans and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.

I have a 50/50 chance

I have a 50/50 chance of becoming a widow. Actually it’s probably more than that, because my husband is 7 1/2 years my elder (any statisticians out there want to give me my odds?). With the probability being relatively high that I may one day become a widow, this verse means a lot to me.

Who loves me more than my husband?

I can’t think of anyone who would be quicker than my husband to come to my rescue. If I were in danger, if I were in pain, if my car broke down, my husband would be there (or make a true effort at least). He would be concerned about me. When you’re in a good strong marriage, you can rest assured that someone’s got your back. You and your spouse are a unit. You work together for your common good (in a perfect world). So what happens when your spouse isn’t able to help you?

If my husband had been there

When I had my initial MS attack, my husband was in the Middle East. It was a very scary time for me, but my husband wasn’t able to be the guy I lean on. So who did I lean on (besides my friend Kara)? I leaned on God. Not right away though. First I yelled at Him for being so inconsiderate as giving me a disease that can debilitate a person. I was frustrated and scared. But then I had a sort of “coming to Jesus moment”. I was crying in my kitchen over my newly diagnosed condition, and I prayed to God. I prayed something like, why did you do this to me? At first my prayer was gilded with anger, then acceptance, “Lord if I’m going to have this, make me strong so I can be a witness. If I need a walker, it’s going to be the most blinged out walker, a cheerful walker.” Then my prayer turned to peace. I felt as if God said to me directly, don’t worry about your earthly body. It’s temporary. One day you’ll be with me in heaven, and none of this will matter. Now of course I didn’t hear His voice, but I felt His answer. If my husband had been around, I may have relied on him instead of God, and I never would have experienced the peace I felt that day.

She’s got to have a man in her life

My grandma was an amazing woman of faith. She loved the Lord above all else. Her husband died when he was about 70. She was around 62. She died when she was 96. Sadly my grandma didn’t feel good as a widow. She always felt better if she had a man in her life. Someone to lean on. She craved the companionship a relationship brings. I don’t know if it was the era in which she was raised or the family in which she was raised, but I believe she felt her calling was to be a wife, a partner…a companion. I’m a lot like her. Since my dating years, I have not been out of a relationship for long. I often found approval through relationships.  I’m grateful I have the best husband now, but I pray that if one day I become a widow, that I will crave companionship with the Lord more than that of men. That I won’t feel that I need them, when I know who protects me.

Father of orphans and protector of widows

God protects those who can’t protect themselves. He protects the vulnerable. He looks out for the little guy. So whether you’re a widow or orphan right now, or someone who is emotionally or physically vulnerable, the Lord is your protector. Turn to Him. Trust Him. He loves you and will fill the gaps that you feel in your life. Read scripture and hear his words for you. Know that you have a Father in heaven who has your best interest at heart. Cling to His promises (like I cling to the promise of eternal life when I think about the debilitation that could come from MS). Know that in the end you will be with Him in heaven. He has your back, and will see you through to the end. Trust in Him.

Are you an orphan or a widow?

 
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Posted by on June 17, 2013 in My God is the protector of the widows, Psalm

 

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My God is…the One who sustains me Psalm 54

27 Mar

Psalm 54 – Relationship-conflict

Save me, O God, by your name;
vindicate me by your might.
 Hear my prayer, O God;
listen to the words of my mouth.

Arrogant foes are attacking me;
ruthless people are trying to kill me—
people without regard for God.

Surely God is my help;
the Lord is the one who sustains me.

Let evil recoil on those who slander me;
in your faithfulness destroy them.

I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you;
I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good.
You have delivered me from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

Arrogant foes are attacking me; ruthless people are trying to kill me—people without regard for God.

That’s never happened to you, right? You’ve never had anyone talk bad about you or tell people something that wasn’t true, have you? I’m guessing there are many who are reading this saying, “It has happened to me, and it’s happening right now!” Maybe it’s someone at work who is trying to make themselves look better than you. Maybe your friend is cutting you down to make herself look more important. Maybe someone is straight up lying about you. Does it sometimes seem that people are lying in wait to trip you up? They sometimes seem well-intentioned, but then “whammo” they complain about you to your peers or superiors. Or maybe you feel someone is trying to isolate you, and remove others from your life so that you’re dependent on them. These kind of attacks are really hard to take, aren’t they.

They may not be out to kill you, but they’re killing your spirit, because being misrepresented, lied about and manipulated is not good for the soul. These actions are often sadly performed by those professing to be Christians (full disclosure – I’m one of these people. I know that I have fallen short of treating others the way the Lord would treat them). But as painful as it is for me to admit I’m one of these people it’s even harder to hear that what I am doing shows disregard for God. And those who do this to you are disregarding God as well. They’re not following His command to love others as yourself. It’s all to easy to look out for “Numero Uno”. Oh wait. I guess that might be the problem, God should be “Numero Uno” in our lives, and when we replace Him with our own desires, we always get off track.

Surely God is my help.

How do you get through those horrible situations when people are on the attack, when the devil is on the attack and trying to distract you from your walk with God. Well, you’re not alone. God is your help. We need to lean on God in our tough situations and let Him handle them for us. Praying before we interact with those who trouble us, praying for opportunities to have healthy relationships with those who manipulate and to have the words to be firm but kind.

Definition of SUSTAIN

1: to give support or relief to
2: to supply with sustenance : nourish
4: to support the weight of : prop; also : to carry or withstand (a weight or pressure)
5: to buoy up <sustained by hope>
6a : to bear up under

 b : suffer, undergo <sustained heavy losses>
7a : to support as true, legal, or just
 b : to allow or admit as valid <the court sustained the motion>
8: to support by adequate proof : confirm <testimony that sustains our contention>
The Lord is the one who sustains me
Looking at the definition of sustain helps us to see the depth of the word that this scripture says God will do for us. He will give us support and relief. He will supply us with what we need to survive. He will help us persevere. When we can no longer stand under the strain, He will prop us up. He knows the truth, and testifies on our behalf. He gives us hope.
Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them.
When others slander and mistreat us, we can trust in God to administer His justice. It might not be in the time we want, but He’s got it under control. He is the one who will “Give them what they deserve”. We don’t have to think about revenge and restitution. We don’t have to think about anything but God.
I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good.
There is nothing sweeter than having these kinds of situations resolved. When people are no longer attacking us in such a direct manner, we can recognize God’s provision and protection. We praise His name for everything He has accomplished in our lives, and the way He has helped us to grow in our faith and maturity through these situations.
You have delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.
 
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Posted by on March 27, 2013 in My God is the one who sustains me, Psalm

 

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My God is…Kind Jeremiah 9:23-24

20 Mar

Jeremiah 9:23-24 – counting-fortune

This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches,
but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.

But let the one who boasts boast about this

I don’t know about you, but I was taught not to boast. Not that I did a lot that was worth boasting about. I never worked that hard really. I was a decent student, but I wasn’t super motivated. I can’t say that I’ve achieved a lot by the world’s standards even now. I have reduced my working hours so that I can remain at peace and have more patience with my teenage boys. It’s worked, and it’s a huge blessing, but as the world sees it, all I really did was reduce the amount of money that was coming in the door. My boys struggle with knowing that as well. Every now and then they ask if I could go back to work so we could have more money, but then I ask, “Do you want “mean mommy” back?” They quickly say no. They like it that I’m calmer now when they come home. I work from home, and often wanted them to be quiet when they came home so I could quickly finish working. So I would snap and be grumpy. Never mind they were coming into their home, not an office (as far as they were concerned).

I can boast:

Being home without a super large workload has allowed me more time for Bible study, devotions, writing my blog and spending time with people in prayer. I’m no saint. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still working on a lot of things, but having time to worship God on a daily basis has allowed me to get to know my Lord more.

But let the one who boasts boast about this: That they have the understanding to know me

One thing that is so amazing is how the Lord reveals Himself in scripture and through prayer. Spending even 5 minutes a day reading His word can make a difference in my outlook for the whole day. I’m excited about my faith, and the faith of others. I enjoy discovering God’s truths (sometimes for the first time, sometimes being reminded of old discoveries) with my sisters in Christ. Mostly I enjoy sharing the joy they have when they see the difference knowing the Lord is having on their reactions to unkindness, injustice and stress. As we journey with Christ through the scriptures, we’re led to know Him more and that changes a person. Knowing your creator and savior is powerful.

But let the one who boasts boast about this: that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth

So now I will boast. I boast in my Lord who loves me and who loves you. He shows us kindness through His grace, mercy and patience as we are being set free from the bondage of hate, addiction and abuse. He is patient, so that we might not be lost, but that instead we might know Him. That we would know that he is the one who exercises kindness. He’s the Lord, and He exercises justice – you can trust Him to handle the vengeance you want to take out on those who’ve hurt you. He is righteous, and is exercising righteousness through His Son Jesus Christ who gave us righteousness by dying on the cross so that we would not be left to our own failing attempts at righteousness. Instead we are free to strive for righteousness because He has already washed us clean from all our sin and failures.

Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches

All of these things are good, but we need to recognize the source of them. We can’t boast in our wisdom, because any wisdom we have is from the Lord. We can not boast in our strength, but we can boast in the Lord giving us strength. We can not boast in our riches, because they are a gift from God. These things are all temporary and do not amount to anything without faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus. With Him, these things can have purpose, meaning and value. But only in Christ to they have any value at all. Only if they point back to Him.

We can boast: in Christ.

 

 
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Posted by on March 20, 2013 in My God is Kind

 

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My God is…Lord Psalm 16:2

08 Feb

Psalm 16:2 – I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

Excuse me, Your God is Showing.

Excuse me, Your God is Showing.

I have no good apart from you.”

Let’s take a look at the word Lord:

1lord  noun \ˈlȯrd\ definition of LORD

1: one having power and authority over others:

a: a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due

b: one of whom a fee or estate is held in feudal tenure

c: an owner of land or other real property

d obsolete: the male head of a household

e:husband

f: one that has achieved mastery or that exercises leadership or great power in some area <a drug lord

2 capitalized: god
b: jesus

3: a man of rank or high position: as

a: a feudal tenant whose right or title comes directly from the king

b: a British nobleman: as
(1): baron 2a
(2): a hereditary peer of the rank of marquess, earl, or viscount
(3): the son of a duke or a marquess or the eldest son of an earl
(4): a bishop of the Church of England

c plural capitalized: house of lords

4—used as a British title: as

a —used as part of an official title <Lord Advocate> <LordMayor>

b —used informally in place of the full title for a marquess, earl, or viscount

c —used for a baron

d —used by courtesy before the name and surname of a younger son of a duke or a marquess

5: a person chosen to preside over a festival

One having power and authority over others

My God is Lord, and He has authority over me. He is the great authority. When you think about someone being the authority on a topic, it’s someone who has worked with something a long time or is the creator or that item. God is the authority on you. He created you, He knows you better than you know yourself. But I don’t think that’s the kind of thing it’s talking about here. God has the power and authority to make things happen. He can change things, if it’s His will. He can make things happen. Nothing can become greater than it’s creator, and so it is with God. He created us and is bigger, smarter and more than we’ll ever be. He is outside of all measurement.

A man of rank or high position
God by way of being God is in the ultimate high position. There is none that outrank Him. But sometimes in our lives, we don’t act like He is Lord. That He is the one with authority in our lives or even that we treat Him with honor. We are called to give God glory in all we do, but sometimes our selfish interests get in the way. Maybe we ignore the nudge from God to get up on a Sunday morning and attend worship. Maybe we don’t give the money back when we’re given too much in change. Maybe we focus more on pleasing our spouses or significant others instead of showing God that He is truly in the highest position in our heart. To put this idea in context, I’ve heard people say, “How would you prepare for a visit from the President of the United States?” Even if you don’t like the president in power, most likely you would still show him the respect the position holds, and maybe even be proud he came to see you. Now how do you prepare your heart and home for the One of Highest Position? What efforts do you make in your relationship with the Most Important? I don’t know about you, but it makes me think about some of my choices each day. If I could actually see God as residing in my heart and my home, physically, would I be doing anything differently? I’m guessing I would. Would you?

My Lord, My Master, My Father
How blessed are we that the one who is all-powerful, of the highest rank and position and holds all authority is also the one who adopted me into His family, so that I might benefit from the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I am not a slave, but a child of God, serving not out of duty, but out of love. May we be blessed with continuing faith in the God who is Lord of all.

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”

The second half of this verse says it all really. My value, my purpose and my spirit are nothing without the Lord. I am God’s child, and when left to my own devices, I am hopeless. I fail, I’m mean, I sin. With the Lord I am saved, purposeful, blessed, encouraging. When my focus isn’t on God, you can tell. It shows in my actions. I want my God to show. I want God to get the glory in my life. I want it to be obvious that there is something different in my life that gives my life meaning. Maybe next time I see someone doing good, I’ll say, “Your God is showing.”

Is your God showing?
 
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Posted by on February 8, 2013 in My God is Lord, Psalm

 

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My God is…Anointed Acts 10:37-38

09 Jan

Acts 10: 37-38 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the The Lord's Love is Lavished on usbaptism that John preached— how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power

Have you ever been anointed with oil? Our church does anointing with oil (a small cross on the forehead). Here is what they say about the anointing with oil.

“Anointing is not a sacrament like the Lord’s supper, but a physical sign accompanying prayer, much like incense used in the worship of the Israelites. In the ancient world, oil was used for medicinal purposes and for spiritual healing. The practice is described in James 5:14 (Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.), and Mark 6:13 (They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.). It marked a person as one set apart for God’s care.

The anointing of oil in Exodus 30:22-31 ( Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant calamus, 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil. Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil. Then use it to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.

“Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.) had a similar function, marking certain items as holy, dedicated to God, indicating that it is the Lord who heals, according to His will.

Definition of ANOINT

1: to smear or rub with oil or an oily substance
2a : to apply oil to as a sacred rite especially for consecration
 b : to choose by or as if by divine election; also : to designate as if by a ritual anointment <critics anointed the author as the bright new talent>
You know how I love definitions, so I wanted to look this word “anoint” up and see what kind of depth we could find to the meaning. I did not expect to see the word smear. Weird word smear. Right up there with moist, not my favorite words. When I read this definition, I was instantly reminded of the baptism scene in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. There isn’t anything said about the anointing of oil in the scene, but I think the concept of smearing on of oil is forever smeared in my brain.

http://www.movieweb.com/dvd/DV3Eg969ePHe63/the-baptism

to choose by or as if by divine election

So with the definitions above, it is probably the final definition that fits most with Jesus being anointed by God. I like the richness of having all of the definitions though, because the idea that Jesus got the Holy Spirit smeared on Him, makes me think that He had the power of the Holy Spirit lavished on Him. Not just a little, but a lot, all He needed.

We too are anointed

As believers, we have been lavished by God. Anointed in a sense. It reminds me of 1 John 3;1-3, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”

We are set apart to do good works in Him, to purify ourselves, but mostly to live focused on Him. Putting God at the center of all we do. I love the word lavished, it’s decadent really. It’s not just giving a little, it’s putting on more than is necessary. Have you ever put on lotion and tried to rub it in only to realize you have too much. You hope to find someone else to smear some on. That’s how God’s love (and anointing is). We get so much love and setting apart from God, that we want to spread it and share it with those around us. We’ve got too much love from the Lord not to share it. Smear someone with God’s love. (Still a weird word)

Have you smeared someone today?

 

 
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Posted by on January 9, 2013 in My God is Anointed

 

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My God is Sufficient 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

11 Dec

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect inJesushuggingcryinggirl weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

My grace is sufficient for you

Do you ever feel like all the bad stuff happens to you? Do you feel like everything would be perfect if you could just change that one thing? Paul could relate. He had a very close relationship with God, and had gone through a lot of hardship for the Gospel. These are things Paul felt he could justifiably boast about if he wanted to, but the Lord had also given Paul a thorn in his side. Something that reminded him of his humanity. We’re not sure what that thorn was, some say it was a stammer, others have their own ideas. What we do know is that it kept Paul humble. It kept him looking to God as the source of all goodness, and it was the way he was able to reach most people. It was through his weaknesses that the Lord used him.
For my power is made perfect in weakness
Have you ever noticed that the people you grow closest to are the ones with whom you’ve shared your innermost secrets. Those you have share your intimate, deep thoughts are the one’s with whom you bond the most. In our Bible study on Tuesday nights, you sometimes will have someone share something that you can tell is very painful for them. They share it, not because it was a great experience or that they come out sounding important or great, but because they learned about the Lord through their experience. When these kinds of stories, that show our weaknesses, are shared, others can identify. We have all felt weak, helpless and at the Lord’s mercy. Sharing how the Lord worked through those times binds us together as believers.
Boasting about your weakness
Boasting about your weakness is a very unusual thing in our society. Americans are taught to filter out the bad stuff and only tell the good (most of the time). We don’t like to sound weak, and we don’t like others to judge us, so we avoid telling them about our alcoholism, our struggle with obesity, our pain from the loss of our unborn child, the hurt we feel when being abused by those who are supposed to love us. We don’t like people to know that we don’t have it all together. We often see the mom with three beautifully dressed kids and think we want her life. What we don’t know is all the pain she feels because she is in a loveless marriage or the debt they’re incurring because of her overspending. We don’t know about what’s really going on with others, they’re trying to put their best foot forward, just as we are most of the time.
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.
How can we delight in these things? When we live our lives to bring God the glory, our weaknesses, the insults, hardships and difficulties are all opportunities for the world to see us respond differently than those who do not believe. We’re able to point our lives back to God, resting on His assurance to us that His grace, given to us by Jesus’ death on the cross, is sufficient for us. We can trust that all things will work for the good of them that love God (Romans 8:28), and that we will one day be with Him in heaven. This is our hope and our future. Spending eternity with our Lord who loves us and uses our weaknesses to draw others to Him and to increase the depths of our relationships with others.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
We are strong when we are weak, because when we are weak, we submit ourselves to the Lord’s will. We no longer are looking out for ourselves, but turn our eyes towards the Lord for our salvation in the moment and for eternity. And knowing where you’re going to be for eternity strengthens us and gives us hope. We are encouraged, strengthened and can persevere. We grow closer to others and the Lord through all of these humbling, weak moments.
Are you weak or strong?
 
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Posted by on December 11, 2012 in My God is Sufficient

 

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My God is…a God who knows 1 Samuel 2:3

04 Dec

 I Samuel 2:3 – “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God praying who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.”

Hannah’s Prayer – This verse is a segment of Hannah’s prayer. In 1 Samuel chapter 2, Hannah’s prayer gives us a glimpse into her heart. She is praying a prayer of thanks to the Lord for giving her Samuel. I find Hannah amazing. She prays and prays to the Lord for a Son, begging him, putting conditions on the request. Not conditions for God, but for her. If God gave her a son, she was going to give that son right back to God.

Promises to the Lord – How many of us when we’re desperate make promises to the Lord? We try to bargain with Him, but when we get what we want, it’s as if we’ve forgotten what we promised. We might say, “Lord, if I get that raise, I’ll give more to the church.” But when we get that raise, we go out and buy a boat instead of giving more to the Lord. Is it wrong to buy a boat, no, but when you’ve promised that money to the Lord, then it’s wrong. Hannah didn’t do that. She longed for a son, she wept for a son, and nothing. She prayed for a son, and when the Lord gave her that son, she kept her promise and gave him back to God for His service all of her son’s life. That couldn’t have been easy.

Don’t be boastful or arrogant – Hannah had been tormented by her rivals about the fact that she couldn’t have a child for her husband. She was angry, and they told her it would never happen. Her husband supported and encouraged her, but in this prayer, we see how she felt about what these ladies had been saying. She warned them that they shouldn’t be boastful or arrogant, because the Lord knows all. He knows the hearts of man and who is putting God first. These ladies were concerned about their own status, not on serving the Lord, and Hannah knew she was putting the Lord first. She trusted Him to do what is right. In the verses following our reading Hannah points out how God can turn things around. He can make the poor rich, and the rich poor. The Lord searches the heart and knows what is true.

Fix your eyes on Jesus – Keep your eyes focused on Christ. Turn from your past hurts, sins and pains and turn towards Christ, trusting that He knows your heart, your mind and your needs. Trust Him to take care of you like He took care of Hannah. He can turn things around.

Are things turning around?

Hannah’s Prayer

Then Hannah prayed and said:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.

“There is no one holy like the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

3 “Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the Lord is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.

“The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.

“The Lord brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.
The Lord sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.
He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.

“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.
He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.

“It is not by strength that one prevails;
those who oppose the Lord will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven;
the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

 
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Posted by on December 4, 2012 in 1 Samuel, My God is a God who Knows

 

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