Finding the Will of God

This is a deep and complex subject.  One that I am not qualified nor inclined to teach.  I'll let my pastors and Sunday School teachers figure that out.  I want to post some verses pertaining to God's guidance.

• James 1:5: "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and ^]without reproach, and it will be given to him."
• Psalm 32:8: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;I will counsel you with My eye upon you."
• Proverbs 6: 22, 23: "When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you;
  And when you awake, they will talk to you.³ For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light, And reproofs for discipline are the way of life

  Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
  2. Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
  3. Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
  4. Proverbs 6:23 Or law
  ."
• Proverbs 3: 5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight."

• Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 6:22 : Prov 3:23
  2. Proverbs 6:23 : Ps 19:8; 119:105
  Psalm 37:23: "The steps of a man are established by the Lord,And He delights in his way."
• Psalm 48:14: "For such is God, Our God forever and ever; He will guide us until death."
• Isaiah 30:21: "Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left."
• Isaiah 48:17: "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
  “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go."
• Isaiah 58:11: “And the Lord will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail."
   
  I think sometimes we don't take time to fellowship with the Lord about our decisions and His will for our lives. Other times we pray only and fail to do what He commands us in terms of taking action. It is a balance that can be hard to achieve.  I have been more guilty of doing things in my own flesh and know that approach isn't very productive. I don't want to fall off the other side of the balance beam where I "let go and let God."  There are certain things we must do in terms of His guiding us.  As for me, right now, I've been searching the Internet for jobs for two hours. I think I will spend some time in prayer using these verses as a guide.
   
   
   
  
  

Our New Homes

No I didn't move. However I am looking forward to my new home in heaven whenever I go there or Jesus comes back for His believers. Here is what we can look forward to based on Revelation 21: 1- 22:5

• No longer any sea.
• New Jerusalem is the location. Ready as a bride for her groom.
• God Himself will dwell among us.
• God will wipe away every tear.
• No longer any death, mourning, crying or pain.
• God will make all things new.
• It's already done. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.
• God will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.
• We are God's children and He our God.
• No cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderous, immoral persons, sorcerers and idolaters.
• God will be the glory of the New City.
• New Jerusalem will be brilliant surrounded by a great and high wall.
• Jasper, pure gold, precious stones are the building materials.
• Pearls so huge and pure will be the twelve gates.
• Streets of the city are pure gold.
• No temple for the Lord God and the Lamb are its temple.
• Kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
• There will be no night and its gates never close.
• Honor and glory of the nations will be brought into it.
• Nothing unclean shall ever come into it.
• Only residents are those whose names are recorded in the Book of Life.

Whatever is True

I was talking with a friend today about the world's wisdom.  She has COPD and had gone to a meeting of a group of people with similar diagnoses.  The leader showed a video about the end stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  It so disturbed my friend that she left the meeting early. As we talked I wondered about the wisdom of such a video and the motive behind it.  My friend was distraught for awhile thinking about what might come to her in time.  But we don't know for sure that will happen. She might pass away some other way like a sudden heart attack. Perhaps the rapture will occur.  Who knows but it certainly upset her to view the pain of such a death.  Even if she were to pass away from COPD she doesn't have grace today for tomorrow's battle.

I had a similar incident about a year ago. I was in meetings where movies were shown that were most unhelpful to my situation. I did the same as my friend, I walked out. I later took issue about the wisdom of showing such videos to the people involved. The more I thought about what happened to my friend today and me in the past, the more grateful I was for Philippians 4:8: " Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."  I am not saying we should stick our heads in the sand and pretend things aren't as they are.  I am saying we need not borrow trouble and think on things that are of good repute and excellent.

I use this verse as a screen for what I see and hear. It is a wonderful test of what we should allow into our hearts.  Oh to be faithful to obey it at all times. Sadly, I must admit I don't. I wonder how much grief might be spared me if I were to hold fast to this verse and obey it totally.  I'm grateful my friend was able to take every thought obedient to Jesus Christ quite quickly. It saved her a lot of unnecessary pain. We need not be ostriches but the Scripture says to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Andy the Anole

A few months ago a good friend of mine rescued an anole. He looks kind of like a baby lizard about the size of a large gecko. I think he was six or seven inches from head to tail.  One of her dogs had gotten to him. His back was injured and he was in bad shape.  He had scrapes and cuts particularly on his thighs and calves (not sure that is reptile anatomy but you know what I mean). She thought his back might be broken. My friend is an animal lover and has volumes of experience with exotic animals. So she took him in to nurse him back to health. Enter Wendy the skeptic. Frankly I thought he would live maybe another week and then pass on to lizard heaven. 

My friend gave me periodic updates.  I was amazed. She kept him in a glass aquarium in her front bathroom.  The little guy kept getting better. As bad as his wounds were I could have sworn he was history.  My friend persevered. The scars on his legs started to heal as he shed his old skin and new skin grew.  He was able to scurry a bit in the bottom of the aquarium but his legs dragged greatly. Most of the work was done by his front legs.  Time passed. My friend persevered.  His back got stronger.  He could move his back legs. Then he could scramble on the side of the aquarium and his little toes held him secure momentarily. He never gave up and neither did she.  She continued to feed him whatever anoles eat.  This past week she let him go back to his natural habitat.  He had gotten healed enough that it was the only humane thing to do.  Under her loving and protective care he was ready to move out into life again.

I can relate to Andy.  The past months God has cared for me as I rebound from a hard place. He has kindly and mercifully ministered to me in ways that have brought some wholeness. There is more to do because sanctification is progressive. I am more confident in Him than I was a year ago.  I am better able to trust Him and His Word. I am prayerfully a lot more gentle and less self righteous. Hopefully I am less self centered, fearful and depressed. Yep I can relate to old Andy.  I am grateful for the Lord whose name is Jehovah Rapha--the God Who heals. I think Andy may be a wee bit grateful too.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

A while back I read about Jesus' cursing the fig tree in Mark 11.  The account of Jesus’ curse on the fig tree has baffled many for a long time. It’s the only destructive miracle of Christ’s recorded. It seems to make Jesus appear petulant and unreasonable.  After all it wasn’t the season for figs. Why did Jesus react as He did?
            Some think the answer lies in the cycle of the fig tree. In the spring the tree sends out little bud followed by the growth of leaves.  Travelers could pluck these buds and eat them. They didn’t develop fully until fall. So because the buds weren’t present in the spring Christ cursed the tree. Once again the Bible makes sense upon further reflection. Indeed there is a clearly defined fig tree season.  However a few rare species bear fruit outside the norm.  So the test wasn’t the time of year but the appearance of leaves. Thus when Jesus saw the tree in full bloom He rightly expected fruit. But there was none.
            Jesus, the prophet used the tree as an object lesson. He denounced the hypocrisy.  The leaves were in full bloom but there was no fruit.  Israel made a superficial profession of faith but they lacked genuine fruit. What a lesson for Christians today!  One of the top reasons the world rejects Christ is because of the hypocrisy of professing believers. To fail to live our faith is to fail the Savior. We will continue to sin after we are saved no question.  We must be open about that fact. We must make every effort to be holy and blameless among the watching world. We can remember that God loves His own and when we fail, even horrendously so, there is forgiveness from the Father when we repent. It is much better not to fall in the first place.

Gospel of Mark--Christ as Servant

I've been reading through the Gospel of Mark in my quiet time. Mark’s Gospel is the shortest of the four.  It is straight forward and action packed.  The characters are colorfully described. The verbs are quick and certain.  The word “immediately” appears 42 times in the sixteen chapters.  The brevity and simplicity make this Gospel ideal for an introduction to the Christian faith for the new believer. It also is wonderfully suited to evangelize those who yet to believe. Often Bible translators in foreign counties pick Mark as the first book of the Bible to translate. Ninety percent of Mark’s Gospel is repeated by Matthew and Luke or both. 

 

Mark presents Jesus Christ as the Servant.  Mathew’s Gospel focuses on Jesus as King; Luke reveals Him as the Son of Man and John emphasizes Him as the Son of God.  Mark tells us throughout his writing that Jesus came to serve. He shows Jesus actively engaged in ministry. He heals the sick. He raises the dead. He delivers the demonized. He preaches and teaches. He is constantly ministers to the needy, lost and hurting around Him. As His disciples we are to do the same.  We are called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, body and soul and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

            Mark portrays Jesus as laying aside His divinity and His glory in heaven to assume the form of a bond Servant.  He perfectly obeyed His Father by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Mark demonstrates the humanity of Jesus Christ more clearly than the rest. We see here in this Gospel Christ’s human emotions, reactions and even some human limitations.  Jesus is pictured from His baptism and temptation by Satan in the wilderness in His steady march toward the suffering of the Cross and the glory of His Resurrection.

Mark’s Gospel is a glorious revelation of Jesus Christ as the Servant, the Son of Man and the Savior. When some of His disciples argued about who would be the greatest, Jesus rebuked them. A key passage  is found in Mark 10: 43 - 45: But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

He we find an overarching principle from the life of our Savior. Followers of Jesus Christ are called to glorify God by selfless service to others.. 

A Letter to a Graduate

I wrote the letter below to one of the high school graduates this May.

 I am so proud of all you high school and college graduates.  It has been a long road but one well worth the journey.  I pray you never take for granted your home school experience.  God gave a great grace to you who are reared and taught in true Christian homes.  I’ve loved getting to know you and your family better. It is a particularly sweet blessing to me. I am grateful for how your parents have protected you and poured out their lives into yours.  Again it is a reminder to be thankful to the Lord.  Some of us didn’t have such a blessing and our lives are all the more difficult because of it.

I pray that in the days to come you continue to hold God’s Word in high esteem.  The Bible is literally the Word of God,. No other book can genuinely claim to be written by the Holy Spirit.  Its truths resonate throughout the ages.  Cling to it especially when the world seeks to pound your head and heart with its lies.  Rely on it for your every need in all situations.  God is faithful and will never let you down.  You face a world of immense deception. Satan is called in the Holy Writ as the father of lies. Even his subtle distortion is deadly. Know His Word well and filter everything you hear or read through it.

Surround yourself with godly people of all ages.  Remember those seasoned by many years can teach you much. Your close peers should be people of excellence and good repute who know the Savior.  Don’t ever compromise for it is the devil’s playground Reach back to those younger than you and serve as a role model for them.  Disciple some in the doctrines of the faith and you will solidify your own.  You won’t be perfect but to invest into another’s life reaps much benefit.  Find a solid church and commit yourself to it wholeheartedly.  Again, there is no perfect church but cling to one where the Bible is taught, the sacraments administered and church discipline is practiced. God has called His people to body life and it is there that you will find protection, growth and service.  No believer survives without others to come alongside.

Last but foremost keep your passion for Jesus Christ ablaze.  Allow nothing to come between you and your Lord.  Strive to discover and do all that is required of you.  Cling to His Spirit in times of trial and temptation.  Cultivate an active and vibrant friendship—what grace to be a friend of God!  Seek Him as you travel through life.  There is no greater source of comfort, companionship and consolation than Jesus Himself.  Shun all that grieves Him. So live that the world hates you but God is pleased.  Cultivate godliness. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you.  There is no greater place to be than in the bull’s-eye of God’s obedience. Watch for the pitfalls of the flesh and the enemy.  The journey can be loaded with landmines.  Only Christ can guide you safely through.

I pray for you as you embark on the next step of life. God has a plan and a purpose for your life.  Do the next right thing as you go through everyday. Stay in His circle of blessing.  Reject the false and cling to what is good. May His countenance shine on your always.  In His grace, Wendy