Josh 22:1-5
22:1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,
2 And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you:
3 Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God.
4 And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan.
5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Iway annotcay eakspay igpay atinlay
I’m not kidding, I cannot speak pig latin.
The comedian, Bill Cosby said one time that the word “obey” was a fun word to say. He said it sounded like a pig latin word, “O-Bey”. He then went into a hilarious routine about the disobedience of his children.
The word “obey” is in the Bible 69 times. This does not include the other forms of the word such as “obedience”, etc. Obedience is very important in the structure of the Kingdom of God. It is, actually, a vital fiber in the well-woven fabric of every part of our lives. Obedience is important in the familial structure, in our public social order, & so forth, & so on. Obedience is inevitable. A person may say they do not believe in living a life of obedience. They may purport to be a free-spirit and thus they choose to not obey society’s rules. But they are still yet obedient. They are obedient to the rules of the “free-spirit”, which says, “Do not conform”. They are not obeying the rules of a certain aspect of society, but they are obedient all the same, just to a different set of rules! Romans 6:12 refers to sin that reigns in our bodies and how we may find ourselves obeying its evil desires. Oh, yes. We all obey, and we choose which rules we obey.
Throughout the Old Testament you’ll see the act of a sacrifice to be vital to God’s relationship with humanity. And yet, as important as a sacrifice is to God, his word says that obedience is better than sacrifice. (We obviously do not offer the blood of animals today, but we offer the sacrifice of praise!) The Bible tells us over & over to “obey the voice” of God. In general we do not have a problem with the concept of obeying the voice of God. (Unless we happen to be closely associated with Psychiatrists, then we’re concerned about ANY voices we may hear!) But in general, Christians have no problem with this foundational belief. It’s the other instructions of obedience that our society & sometimes even our own flesh struggle with. But the Bible instructs us to:
Obey the commandments of the Lord, (Deuteronomy 11:27)
Obey the truth (Romans 2:8)
Obey your parents (Ephesians 6:1)
Obey your employer (Colossians 3:22)
Obey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8)
Obey the written instruction of the Apostles (2 Thessalonians 3:14)
Obey government officials & the laws of the land (Titus 3:1)
Obey your spiritual leaders (Hebrews 13:17)
That’s a lot of pig latin: Obey! Obey! Obey!
The older we get, the harder obedience is! The definition is simple: to comply with or follow the commands, restrictions, wishes, or instructions.
It also means, to submit or conform in action to.
Simple, but hard… And quite necessary.
Do you know what the antonym of obedience is? Rebellion. And unfortunately, 1 Sam 15:23, lets us know just how strongly God feels about rebellion, “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. “ (Yikes!)
If we’re going to be blessed by God for our obedience, we’re going to have to take note of something important in our opening passage of scripture (Josh 22:1-5). These people were blessed not simply for their obedience to God, but because they had also obeyed both Moses AND Joshua. Obedience is a purposeful behavior that we conform to and God blesses us for doing so. There is no grey area with God. He blesses obedience & curses rebellion.
It may seem easier to learn to speak pig latin than to actually obey the authority figures God has placed in our lives; from our pastor, to our boss, to whoever else there may be. Whether you understand Pig-latten, or not, choose to “O-bey”.
essingblay omescay omfray obedienceway
Oh, forget it! I’m trying to say, “Blessing comes from obedience!”
You can listen to Soul Java in audio on your computer, or download it to your iPod player at iTunes, or other mp3 devices @ http://deneerichardson.com , and http://deneerichardson.podbean.com/.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Unity Equals Behavior
Eph 4:1-3
4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Listen to these 5 scenarios & answer these questions to discover your own level in “unity” within your local church.
1. The department you are involved in at church is going on a field trip to a state park. You’re not a nature lover; do you go with your department or stay home?
2. Your pastor is pulling on the congregation for more demonstrative worship; do you join the others in the aisle, or up front, or decide God knows the sincerity of your heart & remain worshipping at your seat?
3. You are a member of the outreach team and you’re going with them to pass out tracts in the park, do you ride with the group in the van, or take your own vehicle?
4. A leader in the pulpit has just announced something that causes a big bulk of people to show excitement by clapping, shouting, some are even standing; do you join the raucous even though you have no idea why they’re so happy, or do you sit back, staring in shock at all the crazy loons?
5. The department you are involved in at church is going on a field trip to ANOTHER state park. You’re STILL not a nature lover; do you go with your department or stay home?
If you are like me, you answered that you prefer to stay home, that God knows the sincerity of your heart, that your own vehicle is, in fact, a gift from God, and the crazy people acting all excited about, God knows what, can sure keep up the show, its entertaining! And you’re STILL allergic to nature, and the leader KNOWS you prefer AC, & tile… Come on!
I didn’t say I DID those things, I said its what I preferred. It is truly the opinion & thoughts that run through my head. As a matter of fact, the older I get the more I want my own way… But by being in a leadership position at my church I see the affect my desired behavior would have on a group, and I really feel the burn particularly when I am not the decision-maker of the group.
When Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus it was not happenstance that he used the word, “Endeavor” in connection with the word, “unity”.
Dictionary.com tells me that “Endeavor” means:
1. to exert oneself to do or effect something; make an effort; strive.
2. to attempt; try
3. a strenuous effort
When I see people cheering in a sports arena, there doesn’t seem to be any “exerting” going on, or “strenuous effort”. Team spirit seems so easy! But… Oh, yeah. I forgot that cheerleaders exist for a reason. Even game attendees need a little reminding to get their act “together”. You see, there is no “spirit of unity” until there is a BEHAVIOR of unity. You may smile with pride when someone says, “Your church has so much unity!” But if YOU, PERSONALLY have not been exhibiting a pattern of behavior consistent with unity, that compliment does not belong to you, neither can you soothe your conscience because you’re a “member” of said unified congregation.
Believe me when I say “I know the feeling…” I’d like to tell you how much I dislike riding with a group on a bus or van, but I’m not gonna take the time. I don’t even like carpooling with anyone but my family! Why? Because I feel the need to have the freedom to choose the restaurant that better suits my diet instead of some of the greasy spoons the group prefers. On & on I could go telling you my preferences that seem so out of tune with the group’s plan. But personal preference is NOT what unity built on. Unity is ALL about the opposite of “me & my needs”. The foundation of unity is described in verse 2 as being “lowly”, “meek”, and “longsuffering”. To really be “in unity” requires SERIOUS selflessness.
The real irritating part about unity for me is not being able to fully understand how it all works. Really, how can something like riding in the same vehicle be unity? Why does it matter? Why does it matter if I join in a cheer that I know nothing about? So, I’ve come to this conclusion; I can’t pinpoint exactly HOW it matters, I just know that somehow it does. And furthermore, the end result is worth the selfless acts of unifying myself. Because even though with my limited brainpower I don’t understand HOW it works, I know that the memories made on those trips when I’d preferred a different restaurant but chose to bite the bullet & ride on the bus are lifelong memories that outweigh what I was feeling at the time. Furthermore I feel a closeness & bond with those people because of the experience. I know that the times I’ve jumped up with the rest of the church clapping and howling in complete ignorance was actually fun and I found out later what I was cheering about! The end result of unity is always rewarding & even spiritually powerful!
Look at some examples in the Bible of stories showing how unity brought either rewarding or tragic results:
In Gen. 11:6, even God determined that HE HIMSELF could not stop a unified people from building a tower.
Because the 10 spies were so unified in their DOUBT God could not bring the children of Israel into their promised land, Numbers 13:32.
A jail with guards could not hold a unified Paul & Silas in Acts 16:26.
A starving Israel was saved by the unity of Jonathan & his armor bearer in 1 Sam. 14:6, 13.
Nothing of real substance can be done without unity. Your pastor needs you to unify. Your department needs you to unify. Your God needs you to unify. And don’t kid yourself, Unity equals behavior.
You can listen to Soul Java in audio on your computer, or download it to your iPod player at iTunes, or other mp3 devices @ http://deneerichardson.com , and http://deneerichardson.podbean.com/.
4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Listen to these 5 scenarios & answer these questions to discover your own level in “unity” within your local church.
1. The department you are involved in at church is going on a field trip to a state park. You’re not a nature lover; do you go with your department or stay home?
2. Your pastor is pulling on the congregation for more demonstrative worship; do you join the others in the aisle, or up front, or decide God knows the sincerity of your heart & remain worshipping at your seat?
3. You are a member of the outreach team and you’re going with them to pass out tracts in the park, do you ride with the group in the van, or take your own vehicle?
4. A leader in the pulpit has just announced something that causes a big bulk of people to show excitement by clapping, shouting, some are even standing; do you join the raucous even though you have no idea why they’re so happy, or do you sit back, staring in shock at all the crazy loons?
5. The department you are involved in at church is going on a field trip to ANOTHER state park. You’re STILL not a nature lover; do you go with your department or stay home?
If you are like me, you answered that you prefer to stay home, that God knows the sincerity of your heart, that your own vehicle is, in fact, a gift from God, and the crazy people acting all excited about, God knows what, can sure keep up the show, its entertaining! And you’re STILL allergic to nature, and the leader KNOWS you prefer AC, & tile… Come on!
I didn’t say I DID those things, I said its what I preferred. It is truly the opinion & thoughts that run through my head. As a matter of fact, the older I get the more I want my own way… But by being in a leadership position at my church I see the affect my desired behavior would have on a group, and I really feel the burn particularly when I am not the decision-maker of the group.
When Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus it was not happenstance that he used the word, “Endeavor” in connection with the word, “unity”.
Dictionary.com tells me that “Endeavor” means:
1. to exert oneself to do or effect something; make an effort; strive.
2. to attempt; try
3. a strenuous effort
When I see people cheering in a sports arena, there doesn’t seem to be any “exerting” going on, or “strenuous effort”. Team spirit seems so easy! But… Oh, yeah. I forgot that cheerleaders exist for a reason. Even game attendees need a little reminding to get their act “together”. You see, there is no “spirit of unity” until there is a BEHAVIOR of unity. You may smile with pride when someone says, “Your church has so much unity!” But if YOU, PERSONALLY have not been exhibiting a pattern of behavior consistent with unity, that compliment does not belong to you, neither can you soothe your conscience because you’re a “member” of said unified congregation.
Believe me when I say “I know the feeling…” I’d like to tell you how much I dislike riding with a group on a bus or van, but I’m not gonna take the time. I don’t even like carpooling with anyone but my family! Why? Because I feel the need to have the freedom to choose the restaurant that better suits my diet instead of some of the greasy spoons the group prefers. On & on I could go telling you my preferences that seem so out of tune with the group’s plan. But personal preference is NOT what unity built on. Unity is ALL about the opposite of “me & my needs”. The foundation of unity is described in verse 2 as being “lowly”, “meek”, and “longsuffering”. To really be “in unity” requires SERIOUS selflessness.
The real irritating part about unity for me is not being able to fully understand how it all works. Really, how can something like riding in the same vehicle be unity? Why does it matter? Why does it matter if I join in a cheer that I know nothing about? So, I’ve come to this conclusion; I can’t pinpoint exactly HOW it matters, I just know that somehow it does. And furthermore, the end result is worth the selfless acts of unifying myself. Because even though with my limited brainpower I don’t understand HOW it works, I know that the memories made on those trips when I’d preferred a different restaurant but chose to bite the bullet & ride on the bus are lifelong memories that outweigh what I was feeling at the time. Furthermore I feel a closeness & bond with those people because of the experience. I know that the times I’ve jumped up with the rest of the church clapping and howling in complete ignorance was actually fun and I found out later what I was cheering about! The end result of unity is always rewarding & even spiritually powerful!
Look at some examples in the Bible of stories showing how unity brought either rewarding or tragic results:
In Gen. 11:6, even God determined that HE HIMSELF could not stop a unified people from building a tower.
Because the 10 spies were so unified in their DOUBT God could not bring the children of Israel into their promised land, Numbers 13:32.
A jail with guards could not hold a unified Paul & Silas in Acts 16:26.
A starving Israel was saved by the unity of Jonathan & his armor bearer in 1 Sam. 14:6, 13.
Nothing of real substance can be done without unity. Your pastor needs you to unify. Your department needs you to unify. Your God needs you to unify. And don’t kid yourself, Unity equals behavior.
You can listen to Soul Java in audio on your computer, or download it to your iPod player at iTunes, or other mp3 devices @ http://deneerichardson.com , and http://deneerichardson.podbean.com/.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Mmmmmm, Good
Ex 35:25-26, KJV
25 And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.
26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair.
Ex 28:3-4, NIV
3 Tell all the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest.
1 Kings 4:29-30, KJV
29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
School is back in session! Our children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews are receiving knowledge into their little brains like a sponge takes up water. But knowledge is nothing if it is not accompanied by wisdom. Each and every one of us has the ability to have wisdom. Wisdom is not limited to the smart, the holy, the preacher, or any other. Wisdom is available for whoever will ask for it and live by it.
Usually I think of needing wisdom for decisions, and we do! But wisdom is more than simply making good choices. Here is Strong’s concordance definition: skilful, wisdom, wisely, wit.
Your ability to organize your home is wisdom. Your skill at sewing is wisdom. Your talent to write is wisdom. These “talents” aren’t merely genetic; they are gifts of God to be treasured. Glow when you’ve done a good job – you’ve just opened your present from God!
I’ll take it one step further: Its possible for you to be lacking in a specific area, utterly, totally can completely, NOT talented, but if there’s a need & you you seek God for “wisdom”, (or the skill) God can give you abilities that you were not born with. Then we should use our wisdom to live fulfilling lives, to bring up our children to seek after wisdom, to help others, to make the Kingdom of God grow...
A life full of wisdom is Mmmmmm, good.
You can listen to Soul Java in audio on your computer, or download it to your iPod player at iTunes, or other mp3 devices @ http://deneerichardson.com , and http://deneerichardson.podbean.com/.
25 And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.
26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair.
Ex 28:3-4, NIV
3 Tell all the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest.
1 Kings 4:29-30, KJV
29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
School is back in session! Our children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews are receiving knowledge into their little brains like a sponge takes up water. But knowledge is nothing if it is not accompanied by wisdom. Each and every one of us has the ability to have wisdom. Wisdom is not limited to the smart, the holy, the preacher, or any other. Wisdom is available for whoever will ask for it and live by it.
Usually I think of needing wisdom for decisions, and we do! But wisdom is more than simply making good choices. Here is Strong’s concordance definition: skilful, wisdom, wisely, wit.
Your ability to organize your home is wisdom. Your skill at sewing is wisdom. Your talent to write is wisdom. These “talents” aren’t merely genetic; they are gifts of God to be treasured. Glow when you’ve done a good job – you’ve just opened your present from God!
I’ll take it one step further: Its possible for you to be lacking in a specific area, utterly, totally can completely, NOT talented, but if there’s a need & you you seek God for “wisdom”, (or the skill) God can give you abilities that you were not born with. Then we should use our wisdom to live fulfilling lives, to bring up our children to seek after wisdom, to help others, to make the Kingdom of God grow...
A life full of wisdom is Mmmmmm, good.
You can listen to Soul Java in audio on your computer, or download it to your iPod player at iTunes, or other mp3 devices @ http://deneerichardson.com , and http://deneerichardson.podbean.com/.
What Are You Packing?
John 6:5-11
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"
10 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
NIV
One of the reasons I like homeschooling is that I don’t have to pack Morgan’s lunch everyday. A petty reason to homeschool indeed, and certainly not the only reason I do, but the fact remains that I do not like to pack lunches. There’s no sense in packing left-overs, the reason they’re left-overs is because my family didn’t like it in the first place! Then I pack “kid-friendly”, albeit chemical-full, prepared lunches. They like these, until they see some other kid’s lunch, instantly making theirs unsatisfactory. So, now a morning ritual that shouldn’t cause a second thought is suddenly a stressful “event”:
“Are the teacher’s going to approve of the nutritional content?”
“Will the other student’s ridicule my kid’s lunch?”
“Will other children find my child’s lunch trade-worthy?”
Alright, so I stress too much over my kid’s lunch! The point is that lunch is an “event” every morning for every mother with a child in school.
In our day of understanding salmonella poisoning, fish is the last thing we’d pack. But there was a day when a certain mom could think of nothing better to pack than fish and barley loaves. Perhaps the kid was a real eater. FIVE loaves and TWO fish?! Or maybe he didn’t eat so much, but perhaps she packed enough for him to share with a couple people nearby. Imagine her surprise that evening as she heard how SHE ended up feeding more than five thousand people! And we don’t even know her name.
I’ve got to pose this question to you today: What are you putting in your child’s basket? No, I’m not talking about food. I’m talking about what you are instilling in your child that God will use someday? Are you teaching your child the art of sharing? Are you teaching your child how to speak politely to strangers? Are you teaching your child submission to authority? These things may seem small and insignificant to you, just as that mother’s fish and bread must have seemed. And unfortunately, because they seem so small its real easy to a long time without making sure our children are functioning properly. But if you’ll do your best even on the “small” things you’ll find God using your child to accomplish big things thru your daily contributions into your child’s brain. What you put in your child’s basket today makes the possibilities of tomorrow amazing!
So, what are you packing?
You can listen to Soul Java in audio on your computer, or download it to your iPod player at iTunes, or other mp3 devices @ http://deneerichardson.com , and http://deneerichardson.podbean.com/.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"
10 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
NIV
One of the reasons I like homeschooling is that I don’t have to pack Morgan’s lunch everyday. A petty reason to homeschool indeed, and certainly not the only reason I do, but the fact remains that I do not like to pack lunches. There’s no sense in packing left-overs, the reason they’re left-overs is because my family didn’t like it in the first place! Then I pack “kid-friendly”, albeit chemical-full, prepared lunches. They like these, until they see some other kid’s lunch, instantly making theirs unsatisfactory. So, now a morning ritual that shouldn’t cause a second thought is suddenly a stressful “event”:
“Are the teacher’s going to approve of the nutritional content?”
“Will the other student’s ridicule my kid’s lunch?”
“Will other children find my child’s lunch trade-worthy?”
Alright, so I stress too much over my kid’s lunch! The point is that lunch is an “event” every morning for every mother with a child in school.
In our day of understanding salmonella poisoning, fish is the last thing we’d pack. But there was a day when a certain mom could think of nothing better to pack than fish and barley loaves. Perhaps the kid was a real eater. FIVE loaves and TWO fish?! Or maybe he didn’t eat so much, but perhaps she packed enough for him to share with a couple people nearby. Imagine her surprise that evening as she heard how SHE ended up feeding more than five thousand people! And we don’t even know her name.
I’ve got to pose this question to you today: What are you putting in your child’s basket? No, I’m not talking about food. I’m talking about what you are instilling in your child that God will use someday? Are you teaching your child the art of sharing? Are you teaching your child how to speak politely to strangers? Are you teaching your child submission to authority? These things may seem small and insignificant to you, just as that mother’s fish and bread must have seemed. And unfortunately, because they seem so small its real easy to a long time without making sure our children are functioning properly. But if you’ll do your best even on the “small” things you’ll find God using your child to accomplish big things thru your daily contributions into your child’s brain. What you put in your child’s basket today makes the possibilities of tomorrow amazing!
So, what are you packing?
You can listen to Soul Java in audio on your computer, or download it to your iPod player at iTunes, or other mp3 devices @ http://deneerichardson.com , and http://deneerichardson.podbean.com/.
Engage the Blade!
Matt 17:18-21
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
A wonderful friend of mine and my husband’s told us this story about his father recently:
After a couple of hours of mowing under the berating heat of the Florida sun and pressing humidity, his father came indoors for a rest. While lounging on his couch, covered in sweat, exhausted and cooling off with the A/C and a soda, a nagging sensation gave way to dawning realization - he had forgotten to engage the blade!
The disciples did everything they knew to do to deliver a young man of an evil spirit, yet to no avail. Jesus came on the scene and without breaking a sweat he rebuked the devil and it departed out of the boy! Jesus told them, “this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” The disciples simply had not learned to “engage the blade”!
Sometimes spanking your kids fifty times a day gets no results! Sometimes nothing, from begging to sweet-talking, can get your spouse’s attention! Sometimes the most creative Sunday school lesson doesn’t work! Sometimes the best choir song doesn’t “happen” in a service! Why? Perhaps we’ve not been praying, or, (gasp!) even fasting? Those who do not live a spiritual life will continue to face the results of fighting fire with fire – which is always, frustration. But for those who involve God in our lives, (& don’t forget, God is a spirit and can only come in contact with us by spiritual means) we can fight the fiery darts of this world with the power of “a rushing mighty wind” (Acts 2:2), or “rivers of living water” (John 7:38)!
Don’t continue to exhaust yourself with no results - engage the blade!
You can listen to Soul Java in audio on your computer, or download it to your iPod player at iTunes, or other mp3 devices @ http://deneerichardson.com , and http://deneerichardson.podbean.com/.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
A wonderful friend of mine and my husband’s told us this story about his father recently:
After a couple of hours of mowing under the berating heat of the Florida sun and pressing humidity, his father came indoors for a rest. While lounging on his couch, covered in sweat, exhausted and cooling off with the A/C and a soda, a nagging sensation gave way to dawning realization - he had forgotten to engage the blade!
The disciples did everything they knew to do to deliver a young man of an evil spirit, yet to no avail. Jesus came on the scene and without breaking a sweat he rebuked the devil and it departed out of the boy! Jesus told them, “this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” The disciples simply had not learned to “engage the blade”!
Sometimes spanking your kids fifty times a day gets no results! Sometimes nothing, from begging to sweet-talking, can get your spouse’s attention! Sometimes the most creative Sunday school lesson doesn’t work! Sometimes the best choir song doesn’t “happen” in a service! Why? Perhaps we’ve not been praying, or, (gasp!) even fasting? Those who do not live a spiritual life will continue to face the results of fighting fire with fire – which is always, frustration. But for those who involve God in our lives, (& don’t forget, God is a spirit and can only come in contact with us by spiritual means) we can fight the fiery darts of this world with the power of “a rushing mighty wind” (Acts 2:2), or “rivers of living water” (John 7:38)!
Don’t continue to exhaust yourself with no results - engage the blade!
You can listen to Soul Java in audio on your computer, or download it to your iPod player at iTunes, or other mp3 devices @ http://deneerichardson.com , and http://deneerichardson.podbean.com/.
Don't Cook, Cater!
Luke 10:38-42
38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Martha was likely a widow, the eldest sister, and she probably owned the house which is why it was her prerogative to invite Jesus into her home. Who knows what went thru her mind when she heard Jesus was coming thru Bethany? Who knows what household chores she had to push aside to rush out the door to catch up with him? Perhaps she had to push past friends and neighbors who wanted a minute of her time. I can only imagine what all it took to “receive him into her house”.
The word “cumbered” in verse 40 literally means “pulled away” and “pulled apart”. So Martha finally has HIM in her house but she gets so busy she feels “pulled away” from the excitement happening with Jesus. And she has so much to do she’s feeling “pulled apart”. I believe if she would have asked what He wanted, (catered to HIS needs) instead of doing what she thought was best (cooking for an army) He would have said, “I’d like nothing better than for you to sit right here by Mary.” As a matter of fact He did say that without her asking! Jesus said, “one thing is needful”. In other words He was saying, “I don’t need those things you’re driving yourself crazy over. I need YOU here with me.”
Here I am, sitting at my computer writing & recording. There you are possibly sitting at your computer reading this blog, or if you’re like me, your listening to this audio blog on your iPhone while you fold laundry, or run errands. Regardless, we can hardly relax in our multi-tasking world because we’ve got so much to do. Here we’ve worked so hard to have a godly home where Jesus feels welcome. We’ve got the Family Bible sitting out in the open. We tuck our children in bed with a prayer. We really have JESUS in our home but we’re so “cumbered”. We’re so pulled away from Jesus because we’re doing so many really good things! And we’re so busy & stressed by the good things that we feel like we’re being “pulled apart”; as they say, “coming apart at the seams.”
Let’s be responsible and take care of our families, our houses, our families education & growth, our commitment to our local church; but cater to Jesus’ needs first – and all He needs is for you to sit at His feet!
Hear the audio blog @: http://deneerichardson.com/#/audio-blog/4532364166
38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Martha was likely a widow, the eldest sister, and she probably owned the house which is why it was her prerogative to invite Jesus into her home. Who knows what went thru her mind when she heard Jesus was coming thru Bethany? Who knows what household chores she had to push aside to rush out the door to catch up with him? Perhaps she had to push past friends and neighbors who wanted a minute of her time. I can only imagine what all it took to “receive him into her house”.
The word “cumbered” in verse 40 literally means “pulled away” and “pulled apart”. So Martha finally has HIM in her house but she gets so busy she feels “pulled away” from the excitement happening with Jesus. And she has so much to do she’s feeling “pulled apart”. I believe if she would have asked what He wanted, (catered to HIS needs) instead of doing what she thought was best (cooking for an army) He would have said, “I’d like nothing better than for you to sit right here by Mary.” As a matter of fact He did say that without her asking! Jesus said, “one thing is needful”. In other words He was saying, “I don’t need those things you’re driving yourself crazy over. I need YOU here with me.”
Here I am, sitting at my computer writing & recording. There you are possibly sitting at your computer reading this blog, or if you’re like me, your listening to this audio blog on your iPhone while you fold laundry, or run errands. Regardless, we can hardly relax in our multi-tasking world because we’ve got so much to do. Here we’ve worked so hard to have a godly home where Jesus feels welcome. We’ve got the Family Bible sitting out in the open. We tuck our children in bed with a prayer. We really have JESUS in our home but we’re so “cumbered”. We’re so pulled away from Jesus because we’re doing so many really good things! And we’re so busy & stressed by the good things that we feel like we’re being “pulled apart”; as they say, “coming apart at the seams.”
Let’s be responsible and take care of our families, our houses, our families education & growth, our commitment to our local church; but cater to Jesus’ needs first – and all He needs is for you to sit at His feet!
Hear the audio blog @: http://deneerichardson.com/#/audio-blog/4532364166
Monday, July 27, 2009
Guilt, Be Gone!
I do a LOT of work for, about, with my church and sometimes I feel guilty about doing so much. The reason this has caused me some grief is that my church has a LOT of activities. As part of the leadership of the church I'm in a position to worry about "doing too much". Now, activities that have no "spiritual goal" behind them are no brainers; I Chuck 'em! But if I can point to an exact outcome that increases God's Kingdom I can’t see how I can give those up!
When I say I’m busy, I do mean BUSY! Besides the fact that I homeschool, blog, write & record music, (www.deneerichardson.com), have regular household duties, and so much more, I have a very intense church schedule.
For instance, starting with the 1st day of the week:
Sunday: morning worship service, choir practice, evening worship service
Tuesday: Bible study/worship service
Wednesday: Teach personal Bible studies, Orchestra
Thursday: ConnectPOINT @ the church
Saturday: Family prayer
PLUS, there are major events we (me & my fam) are heavily involved in:
Spring: Touch the Future, a ministers conference
Summer: two weeks of children's camps, Campmeeting, my girls' conference, Hadassah, Bible Quiz state & National finals, VBS, & more!
Fall: General Conference, Friend Day
Winter: THE HOLIDAYS!!! (We take advantage of this time of year to do a lot of personal evangelism.)
There are times of the year when I am fully, utterly, & completely exhausted and I worry about myself, my family, & my church. But here’s the thing; from my earliest days I had a hunger to not only hold the label of “Christian”, but to be a servant of God’s. As a child I would cry & tell God, “If you can use anything, you can use me.” As a teen I would sincerely tell God, “You can use me till you use me up.” My priorities have ALWAYS been to “seek first the kingdom of God & his righteousness.” Its what I watched my parents do, its what I saw the people I admired do, and its what I determined I was going to do! I’m not spinning my wheels on “cool stuff to do”! I am very deliberately determining what I want to accomplish and I am engaging myself in activities to reach those goals!
Do I get tired & stressed out? Of course I do! Did I feel guilty wondering if I’m ruining my health, my kids fun, my house’s cleanliness? Yes, I do…
…or rather “did” until I read this passage:
Mark 6:30; “…for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.”
I have been THIS busy! I completely understand this! And my guilt was washed away when I put it all together:
1. I am a Christian.
2. I seek to walk in Christ’s footsteps.
3. It is Christ-like to be “too busy” about God’s kingdom.
Jesus and his disciples weren’t “too busy” spending their time & energy playing video games, or watching TV, or even working their careers. (You’ll remember that Jesus & his disciples were carpenters, fishermen, accountants, etc.) If you’ll read the entire passage you’ll find them exerting themselves in two-by-two evangelism, teaching, travelling, etc. You’ll find them disconcerted by the news of John the Baptist’s beheading. THEN after they get back to Jesus and he decides they all need to take a well-deserved vacation… Wouldn’t you know it, but the crowds show up by the thousands and instead of a vacay they are back at work again! Jesus, just as tired as the rest of the disciples, couldn’t bring himself to relax just yet because he had an understanding of what it would take to accomplish his goal, and at this exhausting period of their lives Jesus performed the miracle of feeding five thousand with five loaves and two fish.
…THEN he took a break and got that much-needed rejuvenation! (You’ll have to read my other blogs to know how important I believe a vacation is.)
So, if my Master-Mentor, my Savior, my Jesus exhausted himself to the point of not being able to find time to do the basics of life, like, EAT; well, that’s exactly what I intend to do! Sure its tough to juggle it all; putting enough attention on my kids so I don’t win the whole world and lose my own children, or finding the time to clean my house. It can be hard to give some focus to my own health, education, and well-being. I will certainly do all these basic things, but I will not stop placing a high priority on the growth of God’s kingdom, even to the point of exhaustion! The fact that I worry about everyone’s health & well-being keeps me constantly evaluating the cause and effects of what I’m involved in and where it fits in the priorities of life. In the times of dealing with an overly-full schedule it seems like I’ll never get through that stressful period; when, in fact, life is but a vapor! This life goes by MUCH too quickly. And as I evaluate what’s on my schedule I will chuck those things that Jesus deemed less important. (Luke 9:60, “Let the dead bury the dead.” Matt 6:25, “Take no thought for food, drink, clothes…” Matt 19:29, “Forsake houses & family…” All of these in context with Matt 6:33, “seek ye first the kingdom of God… & all these things will be added to you.”) As for me and my house, with this new insight, I will recommit to stand on a decision I made a long time ago; I am a Christian and I will seek to do no less than Christ did.
Guilt, be gone!!!
Hear the audio blog at: http://deneerichardson.com/#/audio-blog/4532364166
When I say I’m busy, I do mean BUSY! Besides the fact that I homeschool, blog, write & record music, (www.deneerichardson.com), have regular household duties, and so much more, I have a very intense church schedule.
For instance, starting with the 1st day of the week:
Sunday: morning worship service, choir practice, evening worship service
Tuesday: Bible study/worship service
Wednesday: Teach personal Bible studies, Orchestra
Thursday: ConnectPOINT @ the church
Saturday: Family prayer
PLUS, there are major events we (me & my fam) are heavily involved in:
Spring: Touch the Future, a ministers conference
Summer: two weeks of children's camps, Campmeeting, my girls' conference, Hadassah, Bible Quiz state & National finals, VBS, & more!
Fall: General Conference, Friend Day
Winter: THE HOLIDAYS!!! (We take advantage of this time of year to do a lot of personal evangelism.)
There are times of the year when I am fully, utterly, & completely exhausted and I worry about myself, my family, & my church. But here’s the thing; from my earliest days I had a hunger to not only hold the label of “Christian”, but to be a servant of God’s. As a child I would cry & tell God, “If you can use anything, you can use me.” As a teen I would sincerely tell God, “You can use me till you use me up.” My priorities have ALWAYS been to “seek first the kingdom of God & his righteousness.” Its what I watched my parents do, its what I saw the people I admired do, and its what I determined I was going to do! I’m not spinning my wheels on “cool stuff to do”! I am very deliberately determining what I want to accomplish and I am engaging myself in activities to reach those goals!
Do I get tired & stressed out? Of course I do! Did I feel guilty wondering if I’m ruining my health, my kids fun, my house’s cleanliness? Yes, I do…
…or rather “did” until I read this passage:
Mark 6:30; “…for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.”
I have been THIS busy! I completely understand this! And my guilt was washed away when I put it all together:
1. I am a Christian.
2. I seek to walk in Christ’s footsteps.
3. It is Christ-like to be “too busy” about God’s kingdom.
Jesus and his disciples weren’t “too busy” spending their time & energy playing video games, or watching TV, or even working their careers. (You’ll remember that Jesus & his disciples were carpenters, fishermen, accountants, etc.) If you’ll read the entire passage you’ll find them exerting themselves in two-by-two evangelism, teaching, travelling, etc. You’ll find them disconcerted by the news of John the Baptist’s beheading. THEN after they get back to Jesus and he decides they all need to take a well-deserved vacation… Wouldn’t you know it, but the crowds show up by the thousands and instead of a vacay they are back at work again! Jesus, just as tired as the rest of the disciples, couldn’t bring himself to relax just yet because he had an understanding of what it would take to accomplish his goal, and at this exhausting period of their lives Jesus performed the miracle of feeding five thousand with five loaves and two fish.
…THEN he took a break and got that much-needed rejuvenation! (You’ll have to read my other blogs to know how important I believe a vacation is.)
So, if my Master-Mentor, my Savior, my Jesus exhausted himself to the point of not being able to find time to do the basics of life, like, EAT; well, that’s exactly what I intend to do! Sure its tough to juggle it all; putting enough attention on my kids so I don’t win the whole world and lose my own children, or finding the time to clean my house. It can be hard to give some focus to my own health, education, and well-being. I will certainly do all these basic things, but I will not stop placing a high priority on the growth of God’s kingdom, even to the point of exhaustion! The fact that I worry about everyone’s health & well-being keeps me constantly evaluating the cause and effects of what I’m involved in and where it fits in the priorities of life. In the times of dealing with an overly-full schedule it seems like I’ll never get through that stressful period; when, in fact, life is but a vapor! This life goes by MUCH too quickly. And as I evaluate what’s on my schedule I will chuck those things that Jesus deemed less important. (Luke 9:60, “Let the dead bury the dead.” Matt 6:25, “Take no thought for food, drink, clothes…” Matt 19:29, “Forsake houses & family…” All of these in context with Matt 6:33, “seek ye first the kingdom of God… & all these things will be added to you.”) As for me and my house, with this new insight, I will recommit to stand on a decision I made a long time ago; I am a Christian and I will seek to do no less than Christ did.
Guilt, be gone!!!
Hear the audio blog at: http://deneerichardson.com/#/audio-blog/4532364166
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