Add to Your Faith...

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith...". 2Peter 1:3-5
 

Long night spent sitting up in cramped quarters. What was I thinking? About half way in I began to think my traveling days were over. I had reached my limit of 'discomfort by choice'. And then there was a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. The 'hours to arrival' ticked down and anticipation of reaching my destination began to build.  You see, I got on this plane because I believed it would transport me to the place I wanted to go and even in the midst of exhaustion brought on by a long flight, a sleepless night and thoughts of "Are we there yet?" I never lost faith I would eventually find my way to the Arrival Gate.      

What is your definition of faith? Webster's defines faith as a firm belief in something for which there is no proof, complete trust, something that is believed with a strong conviction. It is something believed but not only that. Webster uses words in this definition such as firm, complete, strong when it comes to that belief.

In air travel you cannot 'sort of' get on the plane. One foot on land with the other in the air is just not going to work. You have to get completely on the aircraft to reach your destination. That is also the way with faith. You have to be 'all in' to get where arrive at the place God is taking you. 

There is however an element of faith that is also a continuous journey. When flying, there are always a few fellow passengers wrought with anxiety. They believe with certainty that this time may just be the time they will crash and burn. They pace the aisles or pop a sleeping pill just to get through. This may not be too far from the truth in how we treat our own lives. We get up each morning and tentatively set our feet in route to see if God's promises still apply to today's set of problems and worries. We struggle with the pain and discomfort as we wonder if this part of this trip through life will ever end. And then, as promised we see the glimmer of hope that God is indeed delivering us safely to our appointed destination.

     

I think that destination just might be a complete faith; one that firmly, completely and with strong conviction puts our confidence in God's word and his ways. I believe God is developing in us a habit in which we trust him on everything. He proves Himself over and over that there is nothing outside his power to bring the best possible outcome. As we go, we develop more and more assurance in Him with a confidence that He will do He says he can do. Each day that we plant our both feet firmly in that confidence will bring us closer to arriving at Complete Faith.

In Romans 4:18-19, Abraham is credited "against all hope...he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthen in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised." It goes on to say, "This is why 'it was credited to him righteousness."  These words 'it was credited to him righteousness' were not written for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him..." [Emphasis added.]  Righteousness. Now, that's a pretty great perk. Let your faith grow. Be 'all in' when it comes to trusting the Lord. You do not want to miss out on what God has for you.
     

As for me and future travel? I will continue. Living would not be as satisfying if not for the lessons God teaches through the sights and sounds of this great excursion called life.

     

 The Lord will indeed give what is good..." Psalms 85:12

You count on it!

Packing Light and Still Smelling Sweet

It's time. Packing must begin for my long awaited trip. For over a year, I have been anticipating touring through Greece and Italy to learn about the Biblical history of the region. But first, one by one the items required for the next two weeks need to find their way into my suitcase. There has been much debate about how much  is necessary to make this the trip successful.  We have been asked to travel light. For some this has been a daunting task. How much clothing is needed to get by and still smell good has been a huge concern among my traveling companions.

And then there is,  "What size suitcase, how much weight, the right adapters for hair driers and electronics, TSA regulations on liquids, and what the weather will be. Do I need to bring a coat or will a sweater do?

 Lots to consider so I have looked to the experience of an expert traveler to help us navigate the process. Rick Steves, author of Europe Through the Back Door, teaches people how to experience travel to its fullest and he says that a measure of a good traveler is how light he or she travels. He goes on to say, "After you enjoy the sweet mobility and freedom, you'll never go any other way." He breaks down what is necessary for travel as he urges his readers to bring only the essentials. For instance --When considering what to wear, don't pack anything you won't use multiple times on the trip and include only items that coordinate or can build on each other to create your wardrobe. Keep it simple.

Good advice. Travel is supposed to move us to a new level of understanding of the world around us by bringing new insight and perspective on life. By keeping it simple and bringing only the essentials it frees up our attention and energy to engage in the journey.

Life in general has a similar plan. After all, it, too, is a journey so we need to be careful not to restrict our movements by being burdened down by the non essentials. In 2 Peter 1 there is actually a packing list that can be applied to our 'spiritual suitcase' so that we can get the most out of traveling with God-

"His [God's] divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love."

This  step-by-step guide  revealed in this portion of Scripture teaches us how to pack for a successful  trek through life. God has kept it simple. Each idea builds on the last as we move through the list. And if these things, the first being faith, make it into the 'suitcase'  ..."they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ... [but] whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind...For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

   
Packing the 'travel' essentials makes us more effective, productive, selfless, and balanced. To top it all off, we " will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Pretty incredible promises indeed.

So when you hit the road of life remember to pack just the essentials.  Leave your head and hands and heart free to embrace the adventure. You will not want to miss a thing God has planned on your itinerary. And don't worry. God's 'packing plan' will leave you smelling sweet as well.
   
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:23

Consider the Ant?!

Ants!!! Again, they have taken over my kitchen. I spay and they simple change they route. Hard as it may seem, they are not driven by the single purpose of trying to drive me crazy but rather providing a storehouse for the future. Yet again, God takes a moment to point out yet another important illustration that He makes in Proverbs.

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” Proverbs 6:6-9

When applied to the eternal, this is just another example of the importance of hiding away God’s Word in our hearts so that we might have hope. Scripture cultivates hope through its encouragement as well as being “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man (or woman) of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16

And, just, as those pesky little creatures don’t take “no!” for an answer, we should practice the ways of the enduring little creature and let nothing get in the way of satisfying our own hunger for the Bible and it’s wisdom.

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4
 

So, consider the ant. Diligently and persistently store up for the future “…so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life…”

All that being said, here is the blog site. Considering the lesson on fellowship, I am looking forward to discussing Scripture with you’all. Our time we are physically together is limited so this will give us another outlet to continue our conversation. It should be fun to hear from everyone

Carry Them in Faith

"One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord's healing power was strongly with Jesus. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, but they couldn't reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, "Young man, your sins are forgiven..." Luke 5:17-20 (NLT)

My granddaughter is in the thick of teenage rebellion. In all outward signs she seems to be the typical moody 17 year-old, earbuds and all. But away from of our view she has slipped into a very dark alternate life of drug use and using means to get those drugs that no grandmother wants to think about. You can imagine the turmoil and heartbreak that has resulted knowing the horrible situation her choices have led her to.

The thing is, she doesn't see it. It doesn't seem horrible to her. She has been convinced by her desires and 'the ways of this world' that this is an acceptable way to live. After all, it's HER life and she can choose what to do with it. What she doesn't realize is that she has been paralyzed by the world's deceptive thinking. If she continues on this path her life will wind down to a stand still and she will find herself struggling just to maintain the moment.

So hard to know just what to do. It is so much easier to pray for God to heal an illness or provide a need. After all, these things are out of our control and in God's hands but this situation seems different. What do we do with this? We are convinced that because everyone has 'free will' and can choose what they wish there is not much that we can change . It leaves us watching as our loved one lays down on their 'mat of hopelessness' worrying and waiting until they are ready to look to the Lord for help.

I would like to suggest that is just not the case. We can follow the lead of these very good friends found in the passage from Luke and grab the corners of the mat and haul them to the feet of Jesus.

I love this picture. It gives me hope. It takes the power away from hopeless situation I see, empowers me with what I can do and shows me what God will do in turn. Because of the faith of these friends this man's sins were forgiven and the story goes on to tell us his body was healed as well. Did you see that? Jesus acted on the FRIEND's faith.

I have seen this in action over and over as the women of the Bible study I attend have carried their sisters to the feet of Jesus. Most have gone willingly but there are some who would have who fought us off except they were paralyzed. (Which means they have to go where we carry them.) Healing and restoration has happened and what's more? We have witnessed and recounted the stories bringing the hope to even more women. Yes sir-e! These are exciting times. Healing is happening. God is good.

"Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, "We have seen amazing things today!" " Luke 5:26

Please grab a corner of of granddaughter's mat and help me carry her to the feet of Jesus. I know that because of faith of others and the willingness to carry her to the feet of Jesus her sins will be forgiven, her body will be healed and to God's glory she will take up her own 'mat' sharing her story with other young women so they too can find hope in a God who loves them. We will see amazing things today!

Route 66: Light the Way

I love, Love, LOVE how “God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” in all things. [ Romans 8:28] Each lesson he showed me yesterday had a common theme of living a fully surrendered life. Even the songs at Bible study lent their words to reinforce the fact that my life is best lived in total obedience to my God. One thing that God has been showing me through this is, when you give yourself over to the idea you are going to follow the road ahead becomes smooth. I don't know what it is but I have a feeling is is we who place those rocks in our way when we question God's wisdom. Hmmm...

Today, our reading in Route 66 took us though the beginning of Jesus' teaching. Found in this group of verses is the teaching on salt and light. I really love his concept on both these things but it was light that God wanted me to consider at the moment. How do I know? This is the picture I received from a friend on Facebook this morning. Isn't it amazing? It gave me a picture of exactly what Jesus was saying in Matthew 5:14

 I saw some thing similar when flying to Seattle a few years back only there was quite a bit of cloud cover that night. It did not, however, block out the lights of the towns and cities I passed over. I could see their lights glowing through the mist. It was an equally beautiful sight. Just think, we are light in our families, neighborhoods and communities. Just as in this picture, we stand out and draw attention. When we gather there is more light but even separately we illuminate the dark spaces. It's a beautiful thing.

If I may, please let me give you one more thing to consider. How did you feel the last time the lights went out? Lost, fearful, uncertain? We need to embrace our roles as light in a world living in darkness. Let's draw attention to the One we draw power from. Plug into Him and SHINE your light!

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand,

and it gives light to everyone in the house."

 Matthew 5:14-15

[This incredible image of the Wilmington area at space as taken from the International Space Station. To see an incredible full video fly-over of the US at night, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ObnEpRccHM&feature=player_embedded#! ]

Route 66: Merit Badge

When I was a young girl I was privileged to be part of the Girl Scout program. My favorite part was earning the badges for all sorts of activities but it wasn't the experience I valued. It was the proof of completion that I really held dear. That little emblem that I had accomplished the assigned task was the so important to my young heart. There it was on my sash for all to see. It's award was the signal move on to earning the next patch to add to my collection.

In this morning's Route 66 reading through the Bible we started the New Testament. Matthew opens with a genealogy, a cliff note's version of the birth of the long awaited Savior and then we drop in on John the Baptizer doing just what he was born to do- preparing the way of the Lord. In the crowd he spots those troublesome religious leaders, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. These men were stellar in going through the motions of religious ritual and rule keeping. I'm sure their sashes had many merit badges to show for their efforts but John would not mince words with them about the important people they thought themselves to be. He called them what they were – a pack of poisonous vipers.

That seems so harsh in my estimation but John knew them and their hearts. God and his ways had become something that they added to the outside of themselves to look as though they had it going on on the inside as well but it just wasn't true. He told them, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” It wasn't the religious ceremony that was going to save them. It would be the change of heart, one that was fully surrendered to God and that would only be evident through the fruit of their lives.

We as a culture of Christians need to be careful not to operate in the same way as these religious men. We cannot just add Jesus as another of our life's achievements. We have to be fully in him and he must reside in the proper place as Lord over our lives. What we can add is fruit and everyone will recognize this fruit of God by its characteristics -

“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.”
Galatians 5:22-23

Verse 23 of Galatians ends with “Against such things there is no law.” There is no limit to how much you can do when it comes to producing fruit of the Spirit. If I must collect something for others to see why not it be acting in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. And one last thing, unlike that little girl of the past who just wanted to get through the task to earn the praise of accomplishment, I now savor each moment in each experience with the Lord. That's the true pay off.

"All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.
To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice."

Proverbs 21:3-4

Galatians: Joy: The Sparkle in Life

Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.  Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. Psalm 43:3-4

I along with my Bible study girlfriends are currently studying Galatians through a Beth Moore study called Living Beyond Yourself: Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit. And I am so...well, full of joy to be looking at the characteristic of  JOY this week.  Crazy I know, if I take into consideration all of the stress and turmoil life brings each day. But when we set our eyes on the Lord the struggle diminishes and the joy increases because we know that ultimately our sufferings are part to moving us  forward to that "hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 talks about. This shift in focus from ourselves onto God draws our attention to purpose of life's experiences but there is more to be seen. We begin to see something that is beautifully purposeful and the result is joy. It is exactly what is shown in the story of Paul and Silas of Acts 16:16-40 where their beating and imprisonment ends in the salvation of a whole family.

I would like to use one of my friends, Julia, for a moment here-- Julia has a knack for taking an ordinary even somewhat worn out pair of shoes and turns them into a sparkly expression of joy by embellishing them with crystals. She does beautiful work and her creations certainly grab your attention. I can't help but think that no matter where those shoes may take her, they have to give her some measure of joy when she happens to look down and catch their glimmer.  I think that is how God works in our lives, too. Life can be a drag, wearing us out and leaving us discontented and even hopeless but if we take time to glace at him even for a moment we will see the glimmer of his light. A sparkle of truth will catch our attention and we will be drawn in and reminded of the joy of living in His presence while walking out His will no matter where it takes us. Delight in the Lord and allow him to show you the joyful expression of his work in you. 

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything...for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
  James 1:2-4, Nehemiah 8:10