The pretty memes...

Let the word of God dwell in your RICHLY....Colossians 3:16

I didn't know that....did you?

Raise your hand if your preference is to live in bondage, surrounded by chaos and at the mercy of stress and strife every moment of every day in every situation.

Yea, me neither!

Peace, calm, joy and reasonable happiness are a much better, much nicer alternative.

But how to achieve such a state of being in the midst of a tumultuous, chaotic world?

In the book of Philippians chapter 4 we find this section of scripture, words which almost seem to mock us in this current world of upheaval and strife!

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

HOW?!?!  How are we to focus on noble, pure and lovely things when arguing and fighting surrounds us?  When every other person we encounter believes their version of how life should be lived is the right one, but it conflicts with all the others?  HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE A SENSE OF PEACE AND BALANCE?

The entirety of Philippians holds the key:
Phil 1 -
Prayer is the beginning of peace taking hold of our thoughts and feelings
1: 12 -
Trusting God with the outcomes of whatever situations we find ourselves in
1:19-27
recognizing that our lives are filled with hope and joy when Christ is our Savior, and that because we have Eternal Life in Him we have no fear of the future or of death itself
2: 1-11
That when we put our hope in Christ, we are free from trying to "make something of ourselves" - for He has already made the best something of us we can ever be - Sons and Daughters of the Living God - and that by lifting and loving and caring for others, we ourselves will be cared for by the Creator of all things
What peace, not to carry weight on our own shoulders, but to be carried!
16-
we can rejoice greatly with abandon when we hold onto His words of truth. They will sustain us, strengthen us and hold us up, even when we suffer for His sake.  For we know that the suffering, due to the misery of this world, lasts only a moment, but the JOY coming is everlasting!
3: 1-15
We are warned and aware of the dangers to avoid, and put no trust in our fleshly ability to overcome, but allow His mighty Holy Spirit to bring us to victory!  We are not there yet, but we know what our end will be; life eternal in the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
4-
When we live in unity with those who believe in Him and encourage one another in this walk of life, we discover that indeed, we have
PEACE that passes all understanding
HARMONY with our brothers and sisters in Christ
STRENGTH to overcome wicked perversity
JOY that cannot be extinguished
We turn over all things in prayer to God the Father, and receive with thankfulness His answers and our lives are ordered, calm, and a beacon of light to others that they, too, can bask in the safety of the harbor of Gods great love, grace and mercy!

Pick up the Book, read these great words and be motivated in your life today!

The Answer is NOT a Cliche'

Have you ever experienced a time when a thing that seemed to be accepted and understood by just about everyone else, you just couldn't agree with?  Somehow, the way you saw it, the way you heard it, it just wasn't as right and wonderful as everyone else seemed to think it was. 

That's how the very popular "WWJD?" movement struck me. (What Would Jesus Do?)  I tried to see it as everyone else did.  I do agree that we are supposed to be light and salt to the world.  We are supposed to strive to be like Jesus.  We certainly can't go wrong if we think about how Jesus would handle things and then try to handle them the same or in a similar manner.  

Except.....  except that we are not in the same circumstances or the same culture as Jesus when He walked the earth.  But that wasn't really the issue with this.  My biggest issue was "Yea, but Jesus is DIVINE in nature, and I am sinful in nature!"  His thoughts are so far above my ability to even think at all!  His ways are so far above my ability to grasp the enormity of them!  My issue wasn't trying to think about how Jesus would do things; my issue was about people with a sinful nature, trying to behave as if divine in nature. That they would eventually get so discouraged at failing to get it right that they would just GIVE UP ALL TOGETHER.  

My point of view is that we need all the encouragement we can get, and I'll take that encouragement every time.  But for it to be of lasting value that results in real growth that is sustainable and transforming it has to be of the Holy Spirit.  Our thinking isn't going to hit that mark on a regular basis. Taking into consideration that in spite of Paul's exhortation that the scriptures aren't of any "private" interpretation, the fact is that every one of us interprets for ourselves at some point in some way, what we "think" the stories we read in the bible mean and how we "think" they apply.  There's just no getting around that fact.  We've all got some things right, and we've all got some things wrong.  And none of us can truly say for absolute certain which is which.  It's all opinions.  This is why there are "all those denominations" by the way! One small doctrinal belief here, one divergent doctrinal belief there and a whole new religion is born! 

There is an answer.  It isn't a cliche' intended for bracelets and T-Shirts and necklaces and stickers and easy answers to tough questions.  It isn't a slogan or motto or mantra to chant.  

It's TRUTH.  Its the WAY.  Its LIFE.

It is a "HE" and His name is Jesus.  JESUS IS THE ANSWER.

No matter what the question, the dilemma, the problem or the issue.  Jesus is the answer in every form and fashion, without fail.  Every time.  All the time.  (John 1)

You need a word in due season?  JESUS IS THE WORD

You need a friend who understands?  JESUS IS YOUR CLOSEST and MOST LOYAL FRIEND

You need a whole new life or just some changes made?  JESUS IS LIFE

Whatever the need; the answer is JESUS.  He came in the form of a babe, fully divine and fully human NOT so that He could relate to us as human beings.  He already did relate. He has always related perfectly.  He created us.  He thought us up, not the other way around.  He understands us to the end that even the thoughts and intentions of our hearts are not hid from Him even though even we ourselves don't always understand ourselves! (Hebrew 4:12)

No, He didn't come as a baby so He could relate to us.  He came as a baby so WE would be able to relate to HIM!  So we would understand that He understands us, that He knows how hard it is to know what the right thing to do is and choose it each and every time.  He wanted us to be able to relate to Him so we would call on His name and trust in Him.

We are to let His Word dwell in us richly (Colossians 3:16).  

His word tells us to walk by faith and not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7)

When we call on His Name, we are Saved (Acts 2:21)

When we submit to Him and yield to His Holy Spirit, then we will walk in agreement, yoked together with the Creator of all Heaven and Earth, and find that no matter what we face, He is the Answer we need, want and can count on every time without fail.  It requires our submission and yielding and letting and walking and calling because He never barrels past our free will to choose.  We choose Him and discover we get EVERYTHING ELSE along with it!  

And that's not a cliche'.  That is the TRUTH because He is the TRUTH!  

Here's to a New Year filled with TRUTH, LIFE and the WAY for all of us both in this life and ETERNALLY.  

One Drop...One Ripple

We are but one drop in a vast ocean, how much affect can we truly have upon all the rest of the world?  It would seem extremely minimal at best as the ripple of our prayers and godly actions weakens as it widens.  But we can have great affect on the lives of those close to us, right?  Our prayers and our actions are direct, specific, engaged and powerful close up, aren't they?  Yes, and no.  Now I am fully aware that the bible teaches us to let your Yes be yes and no be no, and this might seem contradictory, but it isn't.  It's just more than what meets the immediate eye.

Acts 1:8 Jesus instructs His disciples (which we also are if He is our Lord) to be witnesses of Him in Judea (their immediate surroundings) Samaria (non-Jews, those slightly different than them in religious belief- like todays different denominations) and unto the UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE EARTH.  All of the disciples are to do this.  He wasn't simply talking about 1 or 2 of them, or just Paul when he would eventually join in or those "called to be missionaries" - EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE OF JESUS' DISCIPLES WAS EXPECTED TO FULFILL THIS MINISTRY CALL.

How could they possibly?  When we continue reading Acts, we discover that a great persecution took place and scattered most, but not all, of the disciples.  Many stayed right there in Jerusalem and were in complete obedience to Christ.  How?  By their prayers.  By the actions they took which affected others, which affected others, which affected others.......the ripple affect.  Yes, it did affect most directly those that were right there with them.  But no, those were not the only people affected.  And it wasn't JUST the evangelists/missionaries sent out that began to affect the whole earth!  Those prayers are powerful by the Spirit of the Living God and they go everywhere and into every heart He ordains them to.  Ephesians 2:10 tells us we are HIS WORKMANSHIP, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared BEFOREHAND that we should walk in them.  We can't be everywhere, but HE IS!  When He moves in your heart to pray - PRAY!  You are having extraordinary affect upon someone else's life through that prayer as powerful and direct and engaged as if they were right there praying with you!

So keep in mind at all times that the ripples are continuously moving outward and constantly having affect in some way upon all the earth while you bless and work with those closest to your heart and keep up your efforts to share the gift of salvation, the gift of Eternal Life through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.  One day the King will return for His people and what joy and rejoicing in the hearts of those who hear those coveted words "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!"

The peace that passes all understanding.  We write about it.  We pray about it.  We read about it.  We dream about it.  We yearn for it.  We talk about it.  We attempt to encourage one another with thoughts and admonitions concerning it, but do we really HAVE IT?

We can and do.  When you experience its affects you will never doubt or question it again.  It is a peace that passes all understanding.  It is inexplicable.  But it is not unattainable.  It isn't earned, bought or bargained for.  The Lord just gives it, and one day you are sitting in a quiet place perhaps, or in the midst of incredible crisis and you suddenly realize that although by all natural laws and reasoning you should be panicked, you should be upset - you aren't.  YOU ARE NOT IN THE LEAST BIT CONCERNED ABOUT CIRCUMSTANCES BUT INSTEAD YOU HAVE A QUIET SENSE OF PEACE AND HOPE AND ASSURANCE DEEP WITHIN YOU.

I cannot tell you the how or why, but I will share this with you.  I am in the midst of what would "normally" be a very difficult emotional and upsetting time with one of my children.  Heap onto that the stresses and strains of moving, major life changes occurring, major ministry changes coming and the natural order of life changes for a woman in her early 50's.

I should be a mess!  I sat down this morning and prayed, calmly, firmly and with faith.  And then it hit me in the most wonderful way:

I AM COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY AT PEACE IN MY HEART.

Thank you Lord!  I praise Your Holy Name and give you all the glory.  Thank you for the total peace that passes all my understanding but which I so desperately had need of.

I can only tell you this and pray it encourages you - Abandon yourself to the Lord.  It is a bit unnerving, taking that first step and sticking to that decision.  You will be thankful.  For He is Faithful.

And how is your week coming along?  I would LOVE to hear from you - leave a comment, send a prayer request or just say "hi!"

and may the God of all peace be gracious to you now and in every time of your need.
Pastor Marie