The Root

Thinking of the cycle of sin today all I could picture was this. The root of sin is when you do what you think is right.

Out of our brokenness comes the Deliverer. No matter where we find ourselves in this cycle, God is there ready to intervene. If it's the first time around the mulberry bush or the hundredth, He never leaves us or forsakes us. What ever lies you have been told or led to believe NOTHING can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. 

We have the promise of it in God's word, we have the final answer our hope which is found in Jesus.

Romans 8:38-39 - For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The key - Christ Jesus our LORD! LORDSHIP! 

God has made a way and this is an image of His Upper Story.

 

For us to stop and think of the pain and suffering Christ endured for us on the cross is overwhelming. Each one of us have experienced PAIN, SUFFERING & LOSS none of us are exempt. Little did the soldiers who mocked Jesus know the power that came when they placed the crown of thorns upon his head. - Matthew 27: 27-31 Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. 

I can't help but read this and think of the cycle of sin placed upon Christ's head the one who truly is the King of the Jews and Lord of our lives. Not to mention the staff they used to strike him on the head the same precious head which held the crown of thorns again and again (cycle). Psalm 23:4 gives us a promise - Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. The staff the soldiers used to strike him with is the promised staff that brings us comfort. WHEW... overwhelming! The things that Satan brings our way to destroy us are the very things God wants to use to redeem us.

What's our story? Who is lord of our life? Where have we been? What would our lives look like if we took what we have been through give it over to Christ and have Him redeem it for our good and His glory?

http://www.thecrossing.net/thestory.html

Just a click away to find your story in God's story!

Patterned Living

One of my favorite scriptures is Joshua 24:15, where he states, “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” What brought him to this stand? He is one of two Israelites that God delivered from slavery into the Promised Land, mind you with 40 years of wondering between the Exodus and the entry into the Promised Land. Whenever I think of this I can’t help but think of a song my piano teacher Mrs. Buck had me practice over and over for a recital “because you have such long fingers you can make it roll”. Years later after studying this story in scripture I can easily imagine Joshua singing this song not that I would now be able to accompany him by any means.

Exodus

This land is mine, God gave this land to me
This brave and ancient land to me
And when the morning sun reveals her hills and plain
Then I see a land where children can run free

So take my hand and walk this land with me
And walk this lovely land with me
Though I am just a man, when you are by my side
With the help of God, I know I can be strong

Though I am just a man, when you are by my side
With the help of God, I know I can be strong

To make this land our home
If I must fight, I'll fight to make this land our own
Until I die, this land is mine

(Artist: Andy Williams
Music written for 1960 film "Exodus" by Ernest Gold, who won an Oscar for the
score. Words added in 1961 by Pat "White Bucks" Boone as "This Land Is Mine."
Various versions charted in 1961 by Ferrante and Teicher (#2); Mantovani (#31);
Eddie Harris (jazz rendition, #36); Pat Boone (#64); and Edith Piaf (#116))

When I think of Joshua I think of someone with resolve, determined, dependent & faithful. How does a person develop those traits? Without GOD I think it’s impossible! Joshua was prepared and encouraged along his journey to be the leader God used to bring His people into the land He promised them. God’s will is for us to always posses the Promised Land, in order for us to reach it we must choose Whom to serve. Plain and simple we must choose God no matter what environment we find ourselves in.

The persons after whom we pattern ourselves will have a definite effect on us. A person committed to God provides the best model for us. When I think of a pattern I remember my Grandmother who was a great seamstress (she even made my wedding dress). Patterns are a delicate outline of something yet to be made. They give shape, size and instruction for the seamstress to pin to a material, cut out, mark and then sew together. Depending on who you are it can be confusing or frustrating to get the pattern laid out just right. How easy it is to get stuck (no pun intended) in the lower story. I’ve started many a project and got “stuck” in the lower story and never finished. Not my Grandma, if she were here today I would be sitting at her feet learning from her years of wisdom. You could describe what you wanted she would pull out a little note pad sketch out your description, take some measurements and next the next time you’d be over it would be hanging up ready for you to take home. She amazed me at her ability to sew and I always wondered how in the world she could do that. When you do something over and over again you learn what to do and what not to do. Hopefully you do if you pay any mind to it.

All of this brings me back to Joshua, he experienced the bondage that slavery brings, he experienced the plagues and God’s deliverance, he walked through the Red Sea on dry land. He was chosen to be one of the twelve spies sent out to explore the land of Canaan and one of two that returned with a favorable report. He lived and walked alongside the people of Israel amidst all the grumbling and wondering. He was chosen to be Moses assistant and was his constant shadow. Faithful - Patterned living at its best!

And yet God still had to tell him in Joshua 1:6 “Be strong and courageous” and then again in verse 7 “Be strong and very courageous”. We must be obedient not turning to the left or right but focused, obedient and determined to live life God’s way on God’s terms.

We might not have had the best patterns growing up. Nothing’s impossible with God! We might be the pattern no one else should follow. Nothing’s impossible with God! You might find yourself saying, I’ve done so much, I’ve been so unfaithful, I just didn’t know. Have HOPE, if you are reading this then it’s not too late. Make a choice today whom you will serve. Who’s it going to be? Self, others, stuff or the Almighty Living God? Make the right choice today and fall flat on your face tomorrow? I have one promise for you. God is there ask Him to help you back up and lead you to the place of promise He has for you. God is faithful! Seek Him above all else.

We have been graced with the patterned living of Christ. Whatever your pattern has been, whatever your life has looked like so far turn it over to God and receive the fullness of life Christ died to give you.

Choose this day Whom you will serve – serve Christ because he has served you!

Shema

http://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-the-Shema.html

Shema = to "hear" Check out the link above for some additional reading. I don't want to ruin it for you but encourage you to take one more step - dig in a little deeper.

The part that caught my attention "As we acknowledge His lordship, our response remains to "hear" Him, love Him with all our heart, soul and might, and love our neighbor as ourselves". There it is again that word "lordship" guess I need to be "hearing". 

Prior to starting The Story our church did a sermon series on the ABC's of Financial Freedom which I must say positioned us just where we needed to be as a church to receive fully what I know God has for us in our new series. Pastor Jerry spoke of it this last weekend God calls us to tithe not because God needs our money, the earth is His and everything in it. He doesn't need our money. It's all about LORDSHIP. Which warrants the question... who is Lord of lords and King of kings in your life? In my life?

God says it in, Numbers 15:41 - I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God. Are we letting the Creator of the whole universe be Lord of our lives? 

There is a battle raging for Lordship in our lives. God said, "I am the Lord your God" and ever since any number of things has tried to trump His spoken word, be it Satan or the frustrations of this world that we beat our fists in the air at or worse the good things of this life that we don't see as a lord. Anyone or thing that takes the place of Christ is lord of our lives. I pray we have eyes to see and ears to "hear" the One True God (see Deuteronomy 6:4-5). How many of us quickly go to Google for our answers and not God? Get your God goggles on! Matthew 6:33 - But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 

So many of us have heavy hearts for what happened in Boston yesterday or carry the weight of a job loss, loss of a family member, delay in an adoption...fill in the blank_______. You name it, life as we know it (the lower story) is hard BUT oh God is so good. Nothing takes Him from His throne in fact today as I was praying for an obstacle in our path I was reminded that even though we experience struggles in this life, some to the point of desperation God is on his throne and nothing comes as a surprise to Him. A good friend of mine shared something last week that I'd like to pass along to you. "The gift of desperation" when we become desperate for God great things will happen. Lord, give us eyes to see & ears to hear!

How can we best respond to the work Christ did on the cross? Be desperate for Him!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA7hIiYdDkg

Like me, I'm sure quite a few of you find yourself at place of new beginnings. My current location has brought me square in the middle of God's word. So grateful for our church who started the series The Story over a month ago. I'm in the habit of diving into God's word only to find myself busy and caught up in something else that presses in on me and gets me off the path I want to be on. This time around I'm choosing to press into God's word because frankly there's no better place to be. Another way to look at it - "under His wings" so now you know where the name of my Blog came from - at least for right now.

Before the first strike of the keyboard the coffee started to brew. Whatever the warm cup of yummy-ness is coffee or hot tea, I sure enjoy sitting down with a cup to read the Word somehow it warms my soul even the more. 

One thing I love about this sermon series  - we don't just hear The Story in church we can dig into it in our private study time and if willing join a small group where we can hash it out and hear from others how the Word is transforming their lives. After all isn't that what "doing life together" is all about? Transforming into the likeness of Christ! 

I would like to use this platform to share what God is doing in my life through this study and if you are willing to join along in the journey I would like to hear of what God is doing in your life. May we have joy in our journey!