Heads up ladies!! We have a new blogger among us...please join me in welcoming my sister in the Lord, Karen Seiders to the True Woman blog!
Karen is going to be doing some book reviews for us. She will be taking over the Mondays that I recently abandoned, so feel free to start checking those out. The first one will, Lord willing, be going up this upcoming Monday.
I've also heard from a few people that they enjoy these book reviews, so I am planning to put a few up on Fridays. It won't be every Friday, but check every couple of weeks to see if one is there. I am going to try to have one for Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper up there next Friday. Jasmine is probably going to join us in this as well.
Hope you enjoy! Lord bless,
Nichole
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Respectable Sins - Part 2
Anxiety
Uh oh, you're all thinking right now, here it comes. Anxiety is a sin...we know already!! And I just want to take this opportunity to say yeah, I know too. And I'm still anxious all the time, usually without recognizing it as sin or calling it sin. So why is anxiety a sin? I mean, we're human right? Anxiety is an emotion; we live in a fallen world, for heavens sake, there is tons to be anxious about! Anxiety is a sin because it shows a distrust of God in our hearts and a lack of willingness to accept God's providence in our lives.
I had to confront this particular sin in my life a little over a year ago. I have a skin problem with my fingers. No one really knows whats going on with it, but I have some medicated lotion I have to use like crazy. Most of the time its under control and it just seems like I have really dry hands. But sometimes its really bad and my fingers get swollen and scabby and break open...you get the picture. Its gross. There have been several times when I haven't had use of my hands because of it. Once or twice this happened on a Sunday morning and I wasn't able to write on the whiteboard in class - I had to ask one of the kids to do it for me! Many times I scratched my fingers so hard that my hands were shaking from exhaustion; often times the only relief was to hold my hands under scalding water for a few minutes. Do you get the picture I'm trying to paint? This is not a pretty thing! My dad told me that he had had a similar experience when he was my age and that it happened when he was particularly anxious about something. He asked me if there was anything I was anxious about. I said no, but I thought about it. I thought and thought and thought and realized that I was an extremely anxious person! God showed me much grace and I have been battling this anxiety and winning over the last year. We serve a gracious Lord! And now I always have a very physical reminder whenever I loose trust in God...one that I can't ignore!
Not all of you (unfortunately?) have this same reminder though. Its harder to tell when you aren't trusting God. And that is all anxiety is. If we understood God for the Almighty, All-Knowing, Loving, Faithful, Sovereign God that He truly is, then we would never ever suffer from anxiety!! We wouldn't be able to!
Remind yourselves of God's promises. Learn them, memorize them, and meditate on them. Make them your own. Learn more about who God is. Read of His character, learn His works. Never brush off anxiety as unimportant or justifiable.
I have far to go in my fight...just ask my brother! On Saturdays, he and I work the same shift and I usually ride to work with him. I do this for three reasons. One, because it is dumb for us both to drive to the same place at the same time and then leave at the same time to drive back to the same place. Two, because I enjoy his company. Three, because it gives me a regular opportunity to display a trust in my God. Those of you who know me well know that I am pretty scared of being late. Its a big fear. I have a four minute commute to work and I almost always leave 20-25 minutes before I'm scheduled to start...just in case! Matt, on the other hand, leaves in enough time to arrive 2 minutes before he is scheduled! I'm sorry to say that almost every Saturday I get extremely anxious. I start nagging him and bugging him to leave. I'm impatient and frustrated on the walk to the car. It feels like hours instead of 2 seconds for him to throw a couple notebooks off the front passengers seat into the back of the car. The whole drive there I'm urging him to drive faster. My poor brother, I'm honestly surprised he still lets me drive with him!
The point? I am daily fighting anxiety. It is a huge struggle for me and is always rearing its ugly head in areas I never expected. Look for the anxiety in your own lives. Recognize it as sin...and fight it alongside me. May we all learn to trust our God so much that nothing in this world can daunt us!
Uh oh, you're all thinking right now, here it comes. Anxiety is a sin...we know already!! And I just want to take this opportunity to say yeah, I know too. And I'm still anxious all the time, usually without recognizing it as sin or calling it sin. So why is anxiety a sin? I mean, we're human right? Anxiety is an emotion; we live in a fallen world, for heavens sake, there is tons to be anxious about! Anxiety is a sin because it shows a distrust of God in our hearts and a lack of willingness to accept God's providence in our lives.
I had to confront this particular sin in my life a little over a year ago. I have a skin problem with my fingers. No one really knows whats going on with it, but I have some medicated lotion I have to use like crazy. Most of the time its under control and it just seems like I have really dry hands. But sometimes its really bad and my fingers get swollen and scabby and break open...you get the picture. Its gross. There have been several times when I haven't had use of my hands because of it. Once or twice this happened on a Sunday morning and I wasn't able to write on the whiteboard in class - I had to ask one of the kids to do it for me! Many times I scratched my fingers so hard that my hands were shaking from exhaustion; often times the only relief was to hold my hands under scalding water for a few minutes. Do you get the picture I'm trying to paint? This is not a pretty thing! My dad told me that he had had a similar experience when he was my age and that it happened when he was particularly anxious about something. He asked me if there was anything I was anxious about. I said no, but I thought about it. I thought and thought and thought and realized that I was an extremely anxious person! God showed me much grace and I have been battling this anxiety and winning over the last year. We serve a gracious Lord! And now I always have a very physical reminder whenever I loose trust in God...one that I can't ignore!
Not all of you (unfortunately?) have this same reminder though. Its harder to tell when you aren't trusting God. And that is all anxiety is. If we understood God for the Almighty, All-Knowing, Loving, Faithful, Sovereign God that He truly is, then we would never ever suffer from anxiety!! We wouldn't be able to!
Remind yourselves of God's promises. Learn them, memorize them, and meditate on them. Make them your own. Learn more about who God is. Read of His character, learn His works. Never brush off anxiety as unimportant or justifiable.
I have far to go in my fight...just ask my brother! On Saturdays, he and I work the same shift and I usually ride to work with him. I do this for three reasons. One, because it is dumb for us both to drive to the same place at the same time and then leave at the same time to drive back to the same place. Two, because I enjoy his company. Three, because it gives me a regular opportunity to display a trust in my God. Those of you who know me well know that I am pretty scared of being late. Its a big fear. I have a four minute commute to work and I almost always leave 20-25 minutes before I'm scheduled to start...just in case! Matt, on the other hand, leaves in enough time to arrive 2 minutes before he is scheduled! I'm sorry to say that almost every Saturday I get extremely anxious. I start nagging him and bugging him to leave. I'm impatient and frustrated on the walk to the car. It feels like hours instead of 2 seconds for him to throw a couple notebooks off the front passengers seat into the back of the car. The whole drive there I'm urging him to drive faster. My poor brother, I'm honestly surprised he still lets me drive with him!
The point? I am daily fighting anxiety. It is a huge struggle for me and is always rearing its ugly head in areas I never expected. Look for the anxiety in your own lives. Recognize it as sin...and fight it alongside me. May we all learn to trust our God so much that nothing in this world can daunt us!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Witty Wednesday
Okay hold on, hold on. I know this is an unprecedented move by me...posting on a wednesday??? But I found an absolutely hilarious post over at the girl talk blog that I thought I would steal for ours. :D Here you go, trust me it is worth the effort of clicking on a link. I almost fell off my chair laughing.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Making Disciples
Being on mission with God is something that has captivated our Church, and for that I am glad. This is something that as a family we are still working through. How does that look in our everyday existence? How purposeful are we being in ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ to those around us? Is the Gospel at the center of all we say and do?
As we are evaluating and making changes, repenting where it is necessary, spending time in purposeful prayer as we look at relationships we have, my own husband has reminded me and himself that the mission isn't merely to have relationships and gain converts, but to make disciples! Whoa! What a concept. A phrase he has been using to make it stick in our minds is "missional discipleship." This phrase is by no means original to him, but it has set some things right in my mind. This means that we cannot merely abandon fellowship and the One Anothers that God's word demands. It means we cannot abandon being equipped and equipping through preaching and teaching. It is, in fact still necessary to teach one to "obey all that is commanded." This takes time, sweat, tears, prayer, deep study and being discipled and taught ourselves! It means as our dear family and friends who do not love Jesus are with us, they see us with our Church family, they see how we interact, they hear the things we are being taught, they see how the way we parent, do our marriages, and make decisions are based on the Gospel - based on what we have been taught in the scripture - based on our doctrine. And, they learn with us, and as one comes to Christ, we teach and equip them. This does not happen without purposeful planning. It means one on one and it also means through classes and preaching where we are learning these things together and growing in unity.
I have some family who are new converts. It will be a sad day if as a Church we abandon helping them to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and throw them out into the world untaught and ill- equipped for any good work.
I know that is not the desire of our shepherds.
I hope and pray that as I live out life as a Sent One, I will remember that the great commision from the One who has been given all Authority and in Whose name we go, is: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I command you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
As we are evaluating and making changes, repenting where it is necessary, spending time in purposeful prayer as we look at relationships we have, my own husband has reminded me and himself that the mission isn't merely to have relationships and gain converts, but to make disciples! Whoa! What a concept. A phrase he has been using to make it stick in our minds is "missional discipleship." This phrase is by no means original to him, but it has set some things right in my mind. This means that we cannot merely abandon fellowship and the One Anothers that God's word demands. It means we cannot abandon being equipped and equipping through preaching and teaching. It is, in fact still necessary to teach one to "obey all that is commanded." This takes time, sweat, tears, prayer, deep study and being discipled and taught ourselves! It means as our dear family and friends who do not love Jesus are with us, they see us with our Church family, they see how we interact, they hear the things we are being taught, they see how the way we parent, do our marriages, and make decisions are based on the Gospel - based on what we have been taught in the scripture - based on our doctrine. And, they learn with us, and as one comes to Christ, we teach and equip them. This does not happen without purposeful planning. It means one on one and it also means through classes and preaching where we are learning these things together and growing in unity.
I have some family who are new converts. It will be a sad day if as a Church we abandon helping them to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and throw them out into the world untaught and ill- equipped for any good work.
I know that is not the desire of our shepherds.
I hope and pray that as I live out life as a Sent One, I will remember that the great commision from the One who has been given all Authority and in Whose name we go, is: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I command you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Respectable Sins - Part 1
Over the next few weeks we are going to discuss some of the more respectable sins in our lives. None of us - that I know of - have committed any of the really 'serious' sins such as adultery, murder, homosexuality, etc. However, many of us, myself included, have allowed various 'respectable' sins to continue on in our lives.
Pride
I believe that we can find pride at the root of all of the sin in our lives. Pride shows itself in a multitude of ways. Obviously, we can all think of situations where we can exercise a sinful pride. But what about when we exhibit moral self righteousness? What about when we look down at others who we feel are less moral than us? Do we recognize these situations as sin? How about when we show pride of our correct doctrine? We have better doctrine than that other guy, obviously we are the better Christian and he is simply to be looked down upon and dismissed. Does having better doctrine give us the right to be prideful? Or does it offer us an opportunity to give thanks to God for the grace He has shown in our lives?
Unthankfulness
There are times in all of our lives when it is difficult to find something - anything - to be thankful for. But it is necessary for us to be constantly giving thanks to God for the work that He has done and is still doing in our lives. Whenever we are unable to find true thankfulness to God in our hearts it is sin. We should pull back, look at our lives in the big picture rather than the here and now, rather than the specific situation that is going on right now, and we should thank God. The mercy and grace that He has shown us is impossible for us to ever comprehend. This fact alone makes our opportunities to show thankfulness unlimited.
Pride
I believe that we can find pride at the root of all of the sin in our lives. Pride shows itself in a multitude of ways. Obviously, we can all think of situations where we can exercise a sinful pride. But what about when we exhibit moral self righteousness? What about when we look down at others who we feel are less moral than us? Do we recognize these situations as sin? How about when we show pride of our correct doctrine? We have better doctrine than that other guy, obviously we are the better Christian and he is simply to be looked down upon and dismissed. Does having better doctrine give us the right to be prideful? Or does it offer us an opportunity to give thanks to God for the grace He has shown in our lives?
Unthankfulness
There are times in all of our lives when it is difficult to find something - anything - to be thankful for. But it is necessary for us to be constantly giving thanks to God for the work that He has done and is still doing in our lives. Whenever we are unable to find true thankfulness to God in our hearts it is sin. We should pull back, look at our lives in the big picture rather than the here and now, rather than the specific situation that is going on right now, and we should thank God. The mercy and grace that He has shown us is impossible for us to ever comprehend. This fact alone makes our opportunities to show thankfulness unlimited.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Witty Wednesdays
The Funeral Stone
Sam died. His will provided $30,000 for an elaborate funeral. As the last guests departed the affair, his wife Sarah turned to her oldest and dearest friend Jody and said, "Well, I'm sure Sam would be pleased".
"I'm sure you're right," replied Jody, who lowered her voice and leaned in close. "How much did this really cost?"
"All of it," said Sarah . "Thirty thousand."
"No!" Jody exclaimed. "I mean, it was very nice, but $30,000?"
Sarah answered, "The funeral was $6,500. I donated $500 to the church. The drinks, wine and snacks were another $500. The rest went for the Memorial Stone."
Jody computed quickly. "$22,500 for a Memorial Stone? My word, how big is it ?"
"Two and a half carats."
Sam died. His will provided $30,000 for an elaborate funeral. As the last guests departed the affair, his wife Sarah turned to her oldest and dearest friend Jody and said, "Well, I'm sure Sam would be pleased".
"I'm sure you're right," replied Jody, who lowered her voice and leaned in close. "How much did this really cost?"
"All of it," said Sarah . "Thirty thousand."
"No!" Jody exclaimed. "I mean, it was very nice, but $30,000?"
Sarah answered, "The funeral was $6,500. I donated $500 to the church. The drinks, wine and snacks were another $500. The rest went for the Memorial Stone."
Jody computed quickly. "$22,500 for a Memorial Stone? My word, how big is it ?"
"Two and a half carats."
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Psalm 42
Today as I went to the Psalms to pray, Psalm 42 is the one that spoke what my soul was longing to say. I fall so short in my desires and longings for God alone. I pray that the Spirit would ignite my heart daily and fan the flame continually by the fire of His word and as I meditate upon the work done on my behalf through His Son Jesus. I couldn't help but pray for the Lord to breathe life into my children and cause them to have deep longings for Him alone. Then, my thoughts were taken to my beloved church- the people I fellowship with and know are hurting and struggling. Then to those that I love who have no hope because they have no desire for Jesus. Oh, that they would long for Him and drink deeply from the Living Waters so that they would hunger and thirst no more.
Psalm 42
1As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You, O God.
2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and appear before God?
3My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
4These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me
For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
5Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence.
6O my God, my soul is in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
8The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.
9I will say to God my rock, "Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"
10As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me,
While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
11Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
Psalm 42
1As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You, O God.
2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and appear before God?
3My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
4These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me
For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
5Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence.
6O my God, my soul is in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
8The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.
9I will say to God my rock, "Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"
10As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me,
While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
11Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Man's Chief End...
...is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Now that we have established that we actually sin quite a bit more often than we are aware of, lets take it a step farther. What about when we aren't sinning? What about when we are simply living our day to day lives, driving to work, cooking a meal, changing a diaper, sweeping a floor?
We (human beings) were created for one main reason - to glorify God. Therefore, whenever we are not glorifying God, we are sinning. This even applies to the repetitive aspects of our lives, the things we do without even thinking. 1st Corinthians 10:31 reminds us that whatever we are doing - be it something as mindless as eating and drinking - we are to do it to the glory of God.
If you are anything like me, this makes the picture look a whole lot bleaker than it did last week. Everything I do is supposed to glorify God? Everything? Yes, everything. Brushing your teeth all the way up to raising your children and relating to your husband, all of it is to be done in a way that and for the purpose of glorifying God.
Lets consider this for a moment. We need to make sure that our actions are done in a way that glorifies God. If we are cooking dinner for our family, it can never be glorifying to God if we are impatient, frustrated, or grumbling. Our outward appearances must be glorifying to God.
At the same time, though, its not enough for our outward actions to be glorifying to God. They must be done for the purpose of glorifying Him. This is the sneakiest part of this concept because it is impossible for me to judge your intentions and it is impossible for you to judge my intentions.
Let us together consider what it means to glorify God in our lives, from the 'easy' stuff like reading, studying, and praying to the obeying of God's commandments all the way to the intentions of our heart. Let us strive to truly honor God in our thoughts, words, and actions.
Now that we have established that we actually sin quite a bit more often than we are aware of, lets take it a step farther. What about when we aren't sinning? What about when we are simply living our day to day lives, driving to work, cooking a meal, changing a diaper, sweeping a floor?
We (human beings) were created for one main reason - to glorify God. Therefore, whenever we are not glorifying God, we are sinning. This even applies to the repetitive aspects of our lives, the things we do without even thinking. 1st Corinthians 10:31 reminds us that whatever we are doing - be it something as mindless as eating and drinking - we are to do it to the glory of God.
If you are anything like me, this makes the picture look a whole lot bleaker than it did last week. Everything I do is supposed to glorify God? Everything? Yes, everything. Brushing your teeth all the way up to raising your children and relating to your husband, all of it is to be done in a way that and for the purpose of glorifying God.
Lets consider this for a moment. We need to make sure that our actions are done in a way that glorifies God. If we are cooking dinner for our family, it can never be glorifying to God if we are impatient, frustrated, or grumbling. Our outward appearances must be glorifying to God.
At the same time, though, its not enough for our outward actions to be glorifying to God. They must be done for the purpose of glorifying Him. This is the sneakiest part of this concept because it is impossible for me to judge your intentions and it is impossible for you to judge my intentions.
Let us together consider what it means to glorify God in our lives, from the 'easy' stuff like reading, studying, and praying to the obeying of God's commandments all the way to the intentions of our heart. Let us strive to truly honor God in our thoughts, words, and actions.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Reflection on the Don Whitney Conference
Last weekend, Don Whitney a former pastor and current professor at Southern Seminary came to speak at our Church. He has come every year for the past 6 years and has spoken on, Fellowship, The Disciplines of the Church, How to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, and of course The Spiritual Disciplines.
This year he started over with the personal spiritual disciplines, specifically, meditation on the Word and praying through scripture. Though I have heard him speak on this subject before and read his book multiple times, I believe for myself it was an encouragement and much needed refresher.
Dr. Whitney is right in that praying through scripture and meditation is simple and once you have done it, it is like riding a bike-easy to remember. I believe it was 6 years ago when he taught this the first time and it has been a discipline that is not hard to maintain unless I simply refuse to open up to a Psalm. It is not complex nor boring-"saying the same old things about the same old things", as is common apart from praying through the scripture. I have benefited much in praying this way and using Don's biblical meditation methods. In fact, as was pointed out at the conference, we can read, meditate and pray all at the same time. This makes it more of a blessing and less of a list of "duties". I have found for myself that when I am doing the disciplines in faith, believing the Holy Spirit is working in me through them, the disciplines are a delight to my soul rather then a dreaded duty.
I personally have benefited through the repetition of going through the Spiritual Disciplines book and conferences- I have yet to master every discipline and certainly need the reminders of the reason behind the disciplines- they are making me more like Jesus.
So, Dr. Whitney, I thank you for taking the time for the sake of the body of Christ at large to write and teach these things that have so benefited me in my walk with Jesus Christ. You have had a large impact on my family as a whole. You have been and continue to be an influence on my husband who has led me and our children in his passion for growing in godliness through the disciplines. I already see how God is working in my two older children as they are daily reading God's word and even the two that do not read yet open up their Bibles and "read" with the rest of the family. For all this I am grateful to God and thankful for the opportunity to sit under your teaching.
For those who were unable to attend the conference, here is a link to some of Don Whitney's helpful materials that he has made available on his website.
This year he started over with the personal spiritual disciplines, specifically, meditation on the Word and praying through scripture. Though I have heard him speak on this subject before and read his book multiple times, I believe for myself it was an encouragement and much needed refresher.
Dr. Whitney is right in that praying through scripture and meditation is simple and once you have done it, it is like riding a bike-easy to remember. I believe it was 6 years ago when he taught this the first time and it has been a discipline that is not hard to maintain unless I simply refuse to open up to a Psalm. It is not complex nor boring-"saying the same old things about the same old things", as is common apart from praying through the scripture. I have benefited much in praying this way and using Don's biblical meditation methods. In fact, as was pointed out at the conference, we can read, meditate and pray all at the same time. This makes it more of a blessing and less of a list of "duties". I have found for myself that when I am doing the disciplines in faith, believing the Holy Spirit is working in me through them, the disciplines are a delight to my soul rather then a dreaded duty.
I personally have benefited through the repetition of going through the Spiritual Disciplines book and conferences- I have yet to master every discipline and certainly need the reminders of the reason behind the disciplines- they are making me more like Jesus.
So, Dr. Whitney, I thank you for taking the time for the sake of the body of Christ at large to write and teach these things that have so benefited me in my walk with Jesus Christ. You have had a large impact on my family as a whole. You have been and continue to be an influence on my husband who has led me and our children in his passion for growing in godliness through the disciplines. I already see how God is working in my two older children as they are daily reading God's word and even the two that do not read yet open up their Bibles and "read" with the rest of the family. For all this I am grateful to God and thankful for the opportunity to sit under your teaching.
For those who were unable to attend the conference, here is a link to some of Don Whitney's helpful materials that he has made available on his website.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
What is Sin? Part 2
Last week we learned that, sure enough, we do all sin. Every single one of us, just like the Bible claimed. But seriously, you ask, do you really think we are that bad? I can think of fifty people right off the bat who are so much more of a sinner than I am!
Lets look closer at the first commandment. Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before me." This little verse is often overlooked by readers or combined together with the second commandment regarding idols. It is, however, its own commandment. I will argue that no other commandment can be broken unless this commandment has first been broken.
"You shall have no other gods before me." You shall love nothing more than God and care about nothing more than you care about God. Nothing. Not your husband, not your children, not your housework. Nothing.
Take a minute to consider how this would look practically worked out in your life. If you love God most, then you will never become impatient with your children. Instead, you will love God's command to show preference to others, to love others more than you love yourself, and to treat others as you want to be treated. Plus, you will think of the massive amount of perfect patience God has shown you and you will immediately recognize that whatever the children have done to you can never compare to what you have done to God.
If you love God most, you will never disrespect your husband. Instead, you will recognize God's command to submit to and respect your husband. You will rightly see your relationship with him as an image of how Christ interacts with his church and you will seek to act towards your husband as the church is to act towards Christ. You will understand that God has given you your husband - regardless of his spiritual condition - and that to disrespect him is to disrespect the One who gave him to you.
The second commandment refers to the making and worshiping of idols. It is easy to see how you are loving a god besides the true God in this commandment.
The third commandment talks about misusing the name of the Lord. What are some reasons we would misuse God's name? Perhaps you hear it misused all the time, and have become numb to it. You don't notice when people use it inappropriately and you don't notice when you use it in appropriately. I would say that you are loving comfort more than you are loving God in this situation. You are loving the opinions of man rather than the opinion of God when you choose to misuse His name
The fourth commandment tells us to keep the Sabbath day holy. Whenever a Jew chose to work on the Sabbath, what she was doing was blatantly declaring that she loved her work more than she loved her God. She was choosing housework over obedience. She was choosing dishes over meditation. She was choosing cooking over pleasing God.
The fifth commandment orders us to honor our parents. Therefore, if we choose not to show honor to our parents we are loving ourselves more than God. We are choosing to dishonor the guardians that God Himself picked out for us. Does this commandment apply even to bad parents? I would say yes. God did not qualify His commandment; He simply said to honor. This may mean that some of us will have to accept that our parents are going to mistreat us and take advantage of us. But if we love God most of all, obeying His commandment will be worth the struggle involved.
Does this make sense? I could keep going through the last five commandments, but I believe the point has been made. In other words, every time we speak out of anger, every time we are impatient, every time we gossip, what we are actually doing is loving an earthly god more than our Heavenly God. And God tells us in Exodus 20 that every time we do this, it is sin.
If you are anything like me, right now you are realizing that you sin a lot more than you are aware of. Unfortunately, the picture gets darker before it gets brighter. Join me next week to talk about 'man's chief end.'
Lets look closer at the first commandment. Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before me." This little verse is often overlooked by readers or combined together with the second commandment regarding idols. It is, however, its own commandment. I will argue that no other commandment can be broken unless this commandment has first been broken.
"You shall have no other gods before me." You shall love nothing more than God and care about nothing more than you care about God. Nothing. Not your husband, not your children, not your housework. Nothing.
Take a minute to consider how this would look practically worked out in your life. If you love God most, then you will never become impatient with your children. Instead, you will love God's command to show preference to others, to love others more than you love yourself, and to treat others as you want to be treated. Plus, you will think of the massive amount of perfect patience God has shown you and you will immediately recognize that whatever the children have done to you can never compare to what you have done to God.
If you love God most, you will never disrespect your husband. Instead, you will recognize God's command to submit to and respect your husband. You will rightly see your relationship with him as an image of how Christ interacts with his church and you will seek to act towards your husband as the church is to act towards Christ. You will understand that God has given you your husband - regardless of his spiritual condition - and that to disrespect him is to disrespect the One who gave him to you.
The second commandment refers to the making and worshiping of idols. It is easy to see how you are loving a god besides the true God in this commandment.
The third commandment talks about misusing the name of the Lord. What are some reasons we would misuse God's name? Perhaps you hear it misused all the time, and have become numb to it. You don't notice when people use it inappropriately and you don't notice when you use it in appropriately. I would say that you are loving comfort more than you are loving God in this situation. You are loving the opinions of man rather than the opinion of God when you choose to misuse His name
The fourth commandment tells us to keep the Sabbath day holy. Whenever a Jew chose to work on the Sabbath, what she was doing was blatantly declaring that she loved her work more than she loved her God. She was choosing housework over obedience. She was choosing dishes over meditation. She was choosing cooking over pleasing God.
The fifth commandment orders us to honor our parents. Therefore, if we choose not to show honor to our parents we are loving ourselves more than God. We are choosing to dishonor the guardians that God Himself picked out for us. Does this commandment apply even to bad parents? I would say yes. God did not qualify His commandment; He simply said to honor. This may mean that some of us will have to accept that our parents are going to mistreat us and take advantage of us. But if we love God most of all, obeying His commandment will be worth the struggle involved.
Does this make sense? I could keep going through the last five commandments, but I believe the point has been made. In other words, every time we speak out of anger, every time we are impatient, every time we gossip, what we are actually doing is loving an earthly god more than our Heavenly God. And God tells us in Exodus 20 that every time we do this, it is sin.
If you are anything like me, right now you are realizing that you sin a lot more than you are aware of. Unfortunately, the picture gets darker before it gets brighter. Join me next week to talk about 'man's chief end.'
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Witty Wednesdays
Just a Tap on the Shoulder
A passenger in a taxi leaned over to ask the driver a question and tapped him on the shoulder.
The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb, and stopped just inches from a large plate glass window.
For a few moments everything was silent in the cab, and then the still shaking driver said, "I'm sorry, but you scared the daylights out of me." The frightened passenger apologized to the driver and said he didn't realize a mere tap on the shoulder could frighten him so much.
The driver replied, "No, no, I'm sorry, it's entirely my fault. Today is my first day driving a cab .
.. . . I've been driving a hearse for the last 25 years."
A passenger in a taxi leaned over to ask the driver a question and tapped him on the shoulder.
The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb, and stopped just inches from a large plate glass window.
For a few moments everything was silent in the cab, and then the still shaking driver said, "I'm sorry, but you scared the daylights out of me." The frightened passenger apologized to the driver and said he didn't realize a mere tap on the shoulder could frighten him so much.
The driver replied, "No, no, I'm sorry, it's entirely my fault. Today is my first day driving a cab .
.. . . I've been driving a hearse for the last 25 years."
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
From Joe Thorn: Note to Self, Live
I wandered over to Joe Thorn's blog and found this short article that I think is well worth the few moments it takes to read:
Note to Self, Live.
He gives two things to consider. I am considering them.
God bless!
Note to Self, Live.
He gives two things to consider. I am considering them.
God bless!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Happy Monday Ladies!
I just wanted to let you all know that the last two weeks I have posted on Thursdays rather than on Mondays. I will probably be keeping this up over the next few weeks as the school year comes to an end. My weekends are becoming far to busy for me to prepare a blog worth reading for Monday morning :) So please come and read on Thursdays.
Also, I'm sure you all have noticed that the girls and I have been slipping a little lately in the Witty Wednesday department. Let me start out by saying that I have never once carried my fair share in this department! I am opening up Wednesdays to all of you. If you have any submissions you think are funny or amusing, please email them to myself or Jasmine or Betsy and we will post them.
nichole
I just wanted to let you all know that the last two weeks I have posted on Thursdays rather than on Mondays. I will probably be keeping this up over the next few weeks as the school year comes to an end. My weekends are becoming far to busy for me to prepare a blog worth reading for Monday morning :) So please come and read on Thursdays.
Also, I'm sure you all have noticed that the girls and I have been slipping a little lately in the Witty Wednesday department. Let me start out by saying that I have never once carried my fair share in this department! I am opening up Wednesdays to all of you. If you have any submissions you think are funny or amusing, please email them to myself or Jasmine or Betsy and we will post them.
nichole
Friday, May 1, 2009
Preview Weekend
As you all know, Ryan and I are moving our family (Lord willing) to Louisville Kentucky to go to Seminary at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. We went there this past weekend to attend the Fall Preview Conference. We were able to bring our boys with us which was fantastic. We had a great time! We met other couples (old and young) who were thinking of attending this fall. We met the teachers and deans of the school as well. We got more information about this coming fall semester and found out some exciting information about the diploma program that I would like to enroll in next year, as well. We saw God's hand in so many ways.
We also were able to check out some local churches and go house hunting. We think that we found the church we will be attending when we move, as well as the home we would like to buy. We got to explore the Louisville area and become more familiar with the city. For all this and more we are beyond thankful. We are so full of anticipation about the move and this new direction that God is taking us in, that we wanted to just stay there and jump right into it! However, we did have to check ourselves back into reality. We still have much to finish up here at home in Kenosha before we can fully pursue what we see very clearly as God calling us to SBTS in Louisville. So to that end I would ask that you all pray for us and share these prayer requests with your small groups as well so that they can pray for us.
First of all pray for us that God will provide financially for us and prepare the way for us to go down to Louisville. We need to finish up our house projects and find a good aggressive realtor. We need to sell our house for a really good price and as such we need the house to be appraised high as well. A realtor told us that the biggest problem that people are running into when selling their homes in this market is that even when the seller gets an accepted offer, often times the banks appraiser is appraising the homes much lower than the sellling cost and so people can't produce the funds for the house. Pray that God will work in all these situations and work out all the details. Pray that we will sell our house quickly and for a good price. Pray that we will have wisdom in deciding which house to buy down in Louisville. Please pray that God will save the house for us that He wants us to have. Pray that in all these things that we will stay focused on Christ and God's perfect love and provision for us and as such trust Him and follow Him by the Holy Spirit.
We also were able to check out some local churches and go house hunting. We think that we found the church we will be attending when we move, as well as the home we would like to buy. We got to explore the Louisville area and become more familiar with the city. For all this and more we are beyond thankful. We are so full of anticipation about the move and this new direction that God is taking us in, that we wanted to just stay there and jump right into it! However, we did have to check ourselves back into reality. We still have much to finish up here at home in Kenosha before we can fully pursue what we see very clearly as God calling us to SBTS in Louisville. So to that end I would ask that you all pray for us and share these prayer requests with your small groups as well so that they can pray for us.
First of all pray for us that God will provide financially for us and prepare the way for us to go down to Louisville. We need to finish up our house projects and find a good aggressive realtor. We need to sell our house for a really good price and as such we need the house to be appraised high as well. A realtor told us that the biggest problem that people are running into when selling their homes in this market is that even when the seller gets an accepted offer, often times the banks appraiser is appraising the homes much lower than the sellling cost and so people can't produce the funds for the house. Pray that God will work in all these situations and work out all the details. Pray that we will sell our house quickly and for a good price. Pray that we will have wisdom in deciding which house to buy down in Louisville. Please pray that God will save the house for us that He wants us to have. Pray that in all these things that we will stay focused on Christ and God's perfect love and provision for us and as such trust Him and follow Him by the Holy Spirit.
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