Salvation: I Tried So Hard!

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Jody Neufeld

[reprinted from January 19, 2010]

Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the Law of Moses.                  Acts 13:38-39 (NIV, emphasis mine)

Paul knew the Law. When I read through the Old Testament my eyes begin to cross as I read chapter after chapter of God’s laws, written to bring His children closer to Him. If I focus just on the commandments, as outlined in Exodus 20, I can create pages of lists that will come under those initial ten. Jesus reminds me that the Law began with “Do not kill” but He said “anger” is just as deadly a sin! (Matthew 5:21-22) Paul puts “jealousy” in the same line with “witchcraft”. (Galatians 5:19-21) It should be no shock that Paul states that trying to follow the Law is doomed to failure.

I have broken all Ten Commandments. The darkness of my sins had me blindly running through life. I tried drinking to anesthetize the pain, confusion, and weight of being totally overwhelmed by situations in which I had no solutions. I tried to fill my life with ambition and fill the hours of my day with anything that would keep my mind from acknowledging the Truth that kept popping up in my path. I was a mess!

When I finally – grudgingly – began to listen and read my Bible (because I saw the radical change in my children – they witnessed to me!), I decided, “Why not?” and began to fill my mind with God’s Words and not my own. Jesus massaged my hard-shelled, battered heart with His words of wisdom and love. And when the question was posed one night, “Will you dedicate your life to Jesus? Will you choose Him above everyone and everything else?” I could not stay in my seat. The One who loved me without any conditions was holding out His arms and He has been holding me ever since.

For me, Jesus’ love, the extravagance of it, came first. In my first Holy Week, after accepting that I needed Jesus, I must have cried 40 gallons of tears! I saw for the first time what Jesus did for me. I heard the weight of my sins fall on Him as He cried out, “My God, why have you left me?!!” He did it all for me.

Salvation through Jesus Christ is simple. I am the one who made it complicated for myself. Jesus had been waiting over 40 years for me to take His hand and make our relationship intimate and eternal. Now that is persistence and patience!

Yahweh is my light and my salvation.  Whom shall I fear?
Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers came at me to eat up my flesh, even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell.
Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear.
Though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident.
One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life, to see Yahweh’s beauty, and to inquire in his temple.      Psalm 27:1-4 (WEB)

Posted in Acts, Psalms | Comments Off on Salvation: I Tried So Hard!

Salvation: Fullness of the Sacrifice

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Jody Neufeld

[reprinted from January 18, 2010]  -Henry Neufeld

Stop being proud! Don’t you know how a little yeast can spread through the whole batch of dough? ?Get rid of the old yeast! Then you will be like fresh bread made without yeast, and that is what you are. Our Passover lamb is Christ, who has already been sacrificed.?  So don’t celebrate the festival by being evil and sinful, which is like serving bread made with yeast. Be pure and truthful and celebrate by using bread made without yeast.         1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (CEV)

This passage is one of those that compares Jesus, the Lamb of God, with the Passover lamb.  We often use this imagery as Christians, but do we take to heart what the imagery suggests about the sacrifice that was made for our redemption?

If we examine the context of this passage we see that Paul, in writing to the Corinthian church, is dealing with a case of terrible immorality.  Instead of dealing with the problem, repenting, and cleansing themselves—or being cleansed—of the evil, the Corinthian believers were proud.  Some of them, it seems, were celebrating their freedom, by behaving immorally.  Others were accepting this behavior and were even proud of it.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they congratulated themselves on how accepting they were.

But in using the illustration of the Passover in connection with our redemption, Paul points out some very important things about the sacrifice of Christ.

1.    The first Passover was a time of purification.  Only those who submitted themselves to God, and followed the directions for the Passover were spared from the hand of the destroyer.  In the same way, when we accept Christ as our savior, it is not merely an assent to a set of doctrinal statements.  It is not just a transaction that alters or wipes out a record.  It is an act of submission to God.  When we accept Christ, we say, “I’m not going to follow my agenda any more; I’m going to follow God’s as presented through Jesus Christ.”
2.    The first Passover was a time of liberation.  Many Christians live their entire lives at the point of accepting the sacrifice of Jesus for them.  Their Passover lamb has been sacrificed, but they don’t move on to the next step.  If the Israelites had behaved as we often do, they would have had a powerful Passover experience as their firstborn sons were saved from death, but then they would have gone on living in Egypt.  Next time you read the story of the Exodus, and you feel inclined to criticize the Israelites for their lack of faith at the sea, consider whether you yourself have even left Egypt and started the walk to the sea.  Has your congregation taken that step?  The liberating sacrifice has been offered.  Have you accepted it?
3.    The first Passover was a time of preparation.  The Israelites were told to be ready to leave at any time.  They were to have shoes on their feet and walking sticks in their hand.  Do we get our walking shoes on when we think of Jesus Christ, our sacrifice?  Is our time spent at the cross a time of preparation, or is it just a time of rest and relaxation?  It’s good to rest, but when we rest we prepare also for action.
4.    The first Passover was a time of celebration.  The Israelites were told to remember how God had liberated them in this ceremony every year.  They were to get together to worship and to commemorate this event.  They were to tell their children what God had done for them in the past.  They were to do all of this in the same attitude as at the original Passover.

When we think of the sacrifice of Jesus as our Passover lamb, we remind ourselves, that the Christian life is not a point in time.  Walking with Jesus is a journey—a lifetime journey.  We need to constantly purify ourselves, seek and accept God’s liberation, prepare for action, and celebrate the things that God has done for us.

As Paul was reminding the Corinthian believers in our passage today, it does matter how you live.  It does matter what we allow in our congregations.  We are witnessing to what the Lord has done for us.

Are we celebrating with leavened or unleavened bread?

 

 

Posted in 1 Corinthians | 1 Comment

The Greatest Will Always Be Love

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Jody Neufeld

What if I could speak all languages of humans and of angels?
If I did not love others, I would be nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
What if I could prophesy and understand all secrets and all knowledge?
And what if I had faith that moved mountains?
I would be nothing, unless I loved others.
What if I gave away all that I owned and let myself be burned alive?
I would gain nothing, unless I loved others.              1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (CEV)

Without love – active love – I am nothing. It is good for me to read familiar passages like this in a different version because it makes me slow down and think about what I am reading.

Languages, speaking in tongues, prophesy, great wisdom and knowledge, even great faith is nothing if I do not love? Paul didn’t think this up out of his own mind. He was speaking from what he knew from the Scriptures (in his case, the Old Testament) and what he had been told about Jesus. Yes, God did extraordinary things. He was Creator. Jesus was known to be about miracles, too, but it was love that is the river that runs throughout God’s relationship with His children. It is this love that has come to me. It is this love that flows through me. It is my primary task as an ambassedor of Jesus Christ to live that love and pass along that love to others.

Prayer. “Greater love has no one than to lay down his life for another.” (John 15:13) It is in praying for someone that I truly feel that my life is laid aside. I am standing in that Holy of Holies and I am stepping back so that the Father’s eyes are on another person. I am opening my heart to the Father that this person matters and in turn I see the great love that the Father has for this person, and for me as He listens and answers. Such intimacy!

Service. God has really been giving me an ongoing lesson about service to others and how important it is to Him. I am not in ministry that involves publishing books. We have over 50 books in our catalog now and most of them have something to say about serving others. Renee Crosby’s Soup Kitchen for the Soul and Dr. David Black’s The Jesus Paradigm may each have a very different focus but their foundation of their theology is Jesus’ example of servanthood. Whether feeding 5,000 or washing feet, Jesus did the basic and arguably the mundane that expressed His extravagant love to those to whom He came in contact. Thatis His legacy to me as a disciple.

Presence. Jesus spent 33 years here on earth. He could have fulfilled His mission in a much shorter time. But He wanted to give to us an example that shows us how important our presence is in the lives of others. For better or worse, my life leaves “footprints” on the life of every person I meet. Jesus’ example is one of grace (unconditional love) and mercy (unconditional forgiveness). It is encouragement that we need more of in the Church, more than prophets. Listening with a heart of compassion and wisdom.

Love. So simple and yet maybe the hardest concept and command from God for me to obey. Most of us have trust “issues” that hold us back. It is God who can show me how to love and who to love and when to love and where there is the need for love. Following Jesus’ footsteps I learn as I am in His presence.

In His Presence with Paul Wilbur 


Posted in 1 Corinthians | Comments Off on The Greatest Will Always Be Love

Better is One Day – Today

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Jody Neufeld

Lectionary text: 1 Samuel 3:1-20, Psalm 139, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, John 1:43-51

O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.
You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.       Psalm 139:1-10 (NLT)

I pray that your Monday is starting out with hope and peace. The statististics of this world tell us that most Mondays (or any other day) are not characterized with hope and peace. We live in a world that is difficult to navigate with my own knowledge and understanding. My reasoning cannot bring me through the troubled waters filled with questions that have no easy answers with just my own knowledge.

Each of the lectionary texts speaks to my heart and spirit about the “covering” that God provides in my life that loves me and disciplines me. 1 Samuel speaks to the blessings of a childlike faith that turns to my Father because I know that whatever He has to say to me is worth listening to. “Speak, Lord”. And yet I also know that theere are consequences to my actions and God is the only one who can judge me fairly so that I do grow closer to Him. 1 Corinthians reminds me that I am bought with a price. There has never been a higher cost than the one that Jesus paid for me. And then the passage in John’s gospel reminds me of the great gift that I have been given – and I can give it away – and yet have even more of God in my life because I freely give what I know about Him away.

Discouragement is like a cloud over what I can see in my life. It blocks out the sun (Jesus) that is and always will be in my life. It tries to tell me that my life does not have any “Son-” light in it. But God who is above any cloud in my life is there watching over me and speaking to me about how to step into the light once again. God knows that the cloud is only temporary. He knows that the light is still there even when I cannot see it.

Let us listen to the One who speaks only the truth to us. Yes, I live in this world but it does not have to dictate the reality of how I live in this world.

Father, fill me with Your truth. Guide me in your love and peace.

I hope this song encourages you today as it has encouraged me.
Better is One Day by Matt Redman (1995)


Posted in Psalms | Comments Off on Better is One Day – Today

Keep My Candle Trimmed and Burning

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Jody Neufeld

I praise you, LORD, for being my guide.
Even in the darkest night, your teachings fill my mind.      Psalm 16:7 (CEV)

God has not allowed me to leave my table with my little candle in front of me. I hope this doesn’t mean there is some really dark time about to visit me! It would be naïve of me to believe that I am going to live through the next 30+ years without some difficulties so I am grateful that God is faithful to bring me to a time with Him that is focused and intimate. God will always answer my questions but sometimes I must wait until this nighttime in order to hear His voice and what He is saying. When my life seems lonely, dark, and cold it is then that the truth seems so bright – a starburst into my mind.

I want God to show me His open door, His answer to my prayer. I pray. I ask. I wait. I pray some more. I ask some more. I wait some more. No answer. What if the answer is delayed? What if God says “No”? If God says, “I give you my grace and that is enough”, (2 Corinthians 12:9)what will I say? Will I be content?

When I am in that dark room of doubt or questions or pain, that scumbag, Satan, may tempt me to think that I will be in this dark place forever. He may try to convince me that I will be miserable forever. – Then I see God’s candle: Jesus my Hope and Promise for tomorrow. I remember that Jesus holds the Keys to death, to all that may try to bind me. My eyes may tell me I am alone. But my spirit reminds me that I am never alone.

Dear friends, don’t forget that for the Lord one day is the same as a thousand years, and a thousand years is the same as one day. The Lord isn’t slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.             2 Peter 3:8-9 (CEV)

God is less concerned about my circumstances and more about my character. I may struggle with this world but God is all about me being ready for what is coming next and lasts FOREVER. He is working in me not just around me. James said that I should consider it joy when I encounter trials (James 1:2) not if.

I need to keep God’s candle trimmed and ready so it burns well in my dark times. I do that spending time with Jesus. Asking His Spirit to speak to me through His Word, through musical worship, art worship, dance worship, prayer, and just being quiet. Yes, sitting in silence, choosing to be quiet is making the choice to allow God’s voice come through – teaching, comforting, encouraging, and loving.

Many years ago, I was honored to be a part of a choir that sang under the direction of a composer who had just completed an arrangement of aa song, Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning. His name was Andre J. Thomas*. I’ve never forgotten that song. It’s message still resonates in my spirit today. Turn up the volume on your player and LISTEN! to the voice of the Holy Spirit in this song.

*André J. Thomas, the Owen F. Sellers Professor of Music, is Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Choral Music Education at The Florida State University. A previous faculty member at the University of Texas, Austin, Dr. Thomas received his degrees from Friends University (B.A.), Northwestern University (M. M.), and the University of Illinois (D.M.A). He is in demand as a choral adjudicator, clinician, and director of Honor/All-State Choirs throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, New Zealand, and Australia.

Posted in 2 Peter, Devotional, Psalms | Comments Off on Keep My Candle Trimmed and Burning

The Price of Discipleship

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Jody Neufeld

[from January 26, 2010]

[Jesus said,] “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.”     Matthew 5:11 (NLT)

Here I am out on a limb today. Yesterday, I tried to be very clear that here in the United States, persecution does not exist. Today, I want to attempt to discuss what does exist for the Christian in our country and what does Jesus, by His example, tell us to do about it.

The Bible is clear that there is a war that continues to be waged in the spiritual realm (2 Corinthians 10). We live in a fallen world. We live in a world that does not look at situations and people with God’s eyes. It is eschewed, warped. And so the media has flooded the airways with information and shows that – lie. Some of the lies that are told (and there really isn’t enough space on my hard drive to list them all!):

– We human beings can not choose to live our lives celibate until marriage. We just can’t stop ourselves.

– Getting drunk is funny and cool. Alcohol and marijuana aren’t really dangerous.

– Parents are stupid and not worth a listen. Family and accountable friends are a drag on fun.

– Everybody lies so what is the big deal?

– Marriage is disposable. Living together is the same as marriage. Children will be “OK” with their mother and father changing partners every couple of years (or months).

Living my life in direct conflict with these lies will encourage those who believe the lies to respond with ridicule (mock) and more lies that pronounce that I am in some way evil in my stupidity and delusions. It is so important that I hear the truth about these people. And that is: I do not fight flesh and blood. And I fight, not with harsh words or eloquent debate, but instead with the example of Jesus Christ. It is so important that I take capture my thoughts and make them obedient to Jesus (2 Corinthians 10:5). It is so important that I follow Jesus in washing feet and feeding those who are hungry with whatever fish and bread that I have. It is so important that I be willing to touch those who are seen as unclean with the power of Jesus’ love.

Before I reach for the speck of sawdust in the eyes of a homosexual or an addict, let me open my own heart to the Holy Spirit’s surgical hand to removal that plank of criticism and condemnation. May God’s Spirit determine if I am humble and obedient or just a “white-washed tomb”.

In this world, I will be tripped and punched with hurtful words and rejection. Jesus said He came to heal my heart sickness and wounds. It is in our fellowship of Believers that we should find a place of healing and encouragement. It is there that we should find God’s divine care.

St. Francis of Assisi must have spent a lot of time with Jesus. I say this because he could not have offered this prayer in spite of the persecution and mocking in his life unless he was so filled with Jesus that he ‘leaked’ this prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.   Amen. (my emphasis)

Posted in Matthew | 1 Comment

The Persecuted

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Jody Neufeld

Jody note: This is reprinted from January 25, 2011. I have had a burdened in this week for the persecuted. I may not know their names, but God does. Let us pray for them.]

[Jesus said,] “God’s divine care is on those who are persecuted for standing up for their relationship with God. They will surely have a place in His Kingdom.”      Matthew 5:10 (my paraphrase)

I want to say from the beginning that I, personally, have never been persecuted for my faith in Jesus Christ. Yes, people have made fun of me. I have been ignored and disliked but never anything close to persecution.

For me, persecution describes the Holocaust, Jews and Gentiles alike who stood for God and went through horrific suffering and death because they would not deny who they were and to Whom they belonged. Persecution describes those in parts of Africa and Asia and the Middle East who live where belief in Yahweh and His Son, Jesus, have evoked hatred dating back to Isaac and Ishmael. ‘They’ say, “Jihad” means holy war. ‘They’ said “Crusades” were holy wars. How can hatred be holy?

It is the insidious virus that slides under my door to woo me away from my conversation with God (prayer), study of His Word, and worship that is my identifiable persecution. I am drawn in ten different directions with plenty of excuses as to why God is not the #1 priority in my life. I ‘wimp’ on peer pressure so that I do not come across “too holy” or as a “Jesus fanatic”, smiling at suggestive jokes around the workplace and shrugging my shoulders when people ask about my faith. I do not want to offend so I stand for nothing.

I believe everyone should go on a mission trip. Whether it is in the hills of Appalachia or in a more distant land in Central America or eastern Europe or Africa. It is in leaving my comfort zone that I learned what others continue to sacrifice daily to stand for God. Traveling 1-4 hours to worship on the Sabbath is normal. Meeting in secret in a home church that, for safety reasons, changes every week is normal. When a teacher comes to share about Jesus from America and you volunteer to translate his words for your friends and family, do not be surprised to run for your life from the local police. You may even be asked to renounce what you believe … or die.

Just like the martyrs of the first century Church, these followers of Jesus Christ are assured by Him that He has prepared a place for them. If I stand as a disciple of Jesus Christ, He will stand for me through all eternity. If I am ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of me (Luke 9:25-27). It was that point that brought me to my knees 15+ years ago. That night I said that I would face a firing squad and still kneel before Jesus in repentance. I haven’t changed my mind or lost my resolve. May Jesus find me faithful through plenty and persecution, just as He is faithful.

Posted in Matthew | Comments Off on The Persecuted

Keep My Candle Lit

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Jody Neufeld

There is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of one small candle.

These words were found inscribed on a small headstone after a devastating air raid in Great Britain during World War II. Can you picture sitting at your kitchen table with a small candle giving the only light? Maybe there is a power outage. Now think of that candle sybolizing faith. What does that small light of faith mean to you?

“If that’s how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will He do for you—you of little faith?” Luke 12:28 (HCSB)
The knowledge that Jesus knows me is both disconcerting and very comforting. He knows how much faith I have. He knows the weakness of me when I try to stand alone. Jesus’ words here tell me that the blessings that God pours out on me, wraps around me, and infuses into me is not based on the amount of my faith. I do not give to my little granddaughter based on her love or faith in me. The love that fills my heart for my grandson is not based on his love for me. How much more does my Father in heaven pour out on me because of His great love for me? My ‘candle’ of faith may be small but God sees it.

“But I can promise you this. If you had faith no larger than a mustard seed, you could tell this mountain to move from here to there. And it would. Everything would be possible for you.” Matthew 17:20 (CEV)
My ‘candle’ of faith may be small but it does give light. Jesus says that this tiny light can illuminate great truth. The amount of my faith during the illness and death of my young son was pretty small. I was a nurse and had a lot of “knowledge” about cancer. I knew the percentages. I told God that those numbers were going to be an ongoing battle for me. I needed help. I clung to His promise that with Him all things were possible (Matthew 19:26). I actually bought a box of mustard seeds so I could see how small they were. They are not much bigger than a period on this page. I knew I had that much faith. God took that faith and walked me through the victory. He is so faithful!

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. 1 Timothy 4:1 (NLT)
It is important that I realize that there are going to be “winds” from all directions who will try to “blow out” my candle of faith. I shouldn’t expect the obvious hurricanes that come from easily identified shysters who promote their self-help for their own pockets. No, these people will stand in pulpits and promote their own good news that God is there to bring them prosperity not to help the poor and widows and orphans but to raise themselves up. It is so important to build my candle of faith with “good wax” that will burn well, not smoke and fade out.

I believe one of the primary ways a candle of faith can be sabotaged is through isolation. It is so important that we keep connected through daily time with Jesus and time with fellow disciples who are to encourage and build each other up. I know from experience that it isn’t easy to find a group to study and pray with but if we ask God, He is faithful to answer. You may think your candle is small and insignificant. But in God’s Kingdom that light from your candle of faith may be the very light that helps to lead someone to meet Jesus. Ask Him to lead you to a small group that will keep your candle trimmed and burning.

Posted in 1 Timothy, Luke, Matthew | 1 Comment

God’s Glory in 2012

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Jody Neufeld

You too heard the word of truth in Christ, which is the good news of your salvation. You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit because you believed in Christ. The Holy Spirit is the down payment on our inheritance, which is applied toward our redemption as God’s own people, resulting in the honor of God’s glory.         Ephesians 1:13-14 (CEB)

My husband and I went to visit a friend* yesterday. He happens to be a pastor at a church a few miles away. He is a craftsman of the sermon but what always “hooks” me is that the message comes from his heart. And his heart is about people realizing the extraordinary gift from God of salvation in Jesus Christ and growing in that relationship into His disciple.

As I have meditated on my friend’s sermon passage, Ephesians 1:3-15, I read it in three different Bible versions. I wanted to absorb the deep meaning of the message. I have decided there is NO deep meaning. It’s about praise for God. It’s about thanksgiving for His extravagant love for us. He has loved us since before we existed. Henry said it best: “Can you take your favorite hymn/praise song and apply some deep theology?”.

My favorite praise song (right now!) is Indescriable by Chris Tomlin. I can weep and dance like I’m flying (in my mind, any way!) as I ‘see’ all the manifestations of my LORD. It is a love song from my heart and lips to God.

I am still resolving about what God wants me to commit to doing in my daily life in 2012. What are the “habits” that He wants me to adopt? In his sermon my friend gave these three suggestions:

  • Make it a habit to include Jesus in every part of your life.
  • Refuse to expect or accept any of the glory that belongs to God.
  • Make your relationship with God more important than everything and everybody.

Now these suggestions may seem obvious. But take a few minutes and think about incorporating them into your life.

Do I actively seek Jesus at the beginning of my week? Each day? Am I willing to “adjust” to His plan? This can be difficult when I think that I know the plan and the need for our business/ministry. Do I have the faith and trust in God that He does know best?

It can initially seem easy to say that I want God to get all the glory. And yet when I work hard, obediently, for months, even years and do not see any recognition or feel any pat on the back – I can begin to think that “Hey, God won’t miss that little bit of praise!”. God gets it all. There is no me sharing with God. He does the sharing of His glory when I meet with Him for eternity, when I am washed “whiter than snow”.

Henry and I said to each other before we were married that “God is #1 in my life. Period. And that will never change”. Being 2nd to God in Henry’s life is a pretty great position to be in. Do I also keep God before my children? Do I live my life such that my children know of God’s priority in my life?

2012 is off to a fast start. I want to consciously choose not to leave God behind. I want my life to be an act of worship (Romans 12). It is in praise that my life is encouraged and strengthened because I am focused on all that God has done, is doing, and will do because He loves His children. GLORY, LORD!

*Dr. Robert C. McKibben, senior pastor, Daphne United Methodist Church, Daphne, AL.

Posted in Ephesians | Comments Off on God’s Glory in 2012

How Great You Are!

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Jody Neufeld

Carl Gustav Boberg (1885)

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:

Refrain
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
Refrain

And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:
Refrain

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, My God, how great thou art!
Refrain

This week’s Lectionary texts have not left me all week. This hymn came to me last night as I was looking out my office window into the dark and the quiet. I looked up the history of the hymn and read the author may have been meditating on Psalm 8.

2012 is beginning like many of the years in my life. Naysayers who predicting terrible days ahead and others who think they have a plan to “turn it all around if we just ______”. Who are you listening to?

I personally do not think any of those big talkers really know what is going to happen in 2012. They can speak from history and trends and statistics but those who are truthful will admit that there are so many variables that make the future what it is – the future.

I am working on tuning my ears to what God has to say. I am focusing my attention on God’s promises. Does that mean that I am not living in reality? No, it means that I am choosing to live as Jesus did, in this world but not letting the world make my decisions for me. Why? Because I know the GREATNESS of my God.

This week I saw a series of pictures on CNN.com entitled “Our favorite travel snapshots”. If you missed this I hope you will take a few minutes to look at these pictures. There are some that will make you stop in wonder. Our Creator made all of that. And it is just a “bit” of what He has made. Go to the Hubble picture gallery if you want to see more.

And then there is the wondrous gift of His love and gift of eternity with Him that He made possible through Jesus. Yes, I can scarcely take that in! Every time I think about Jesus’ love, so huge to die for me, I tear up. I have hope no matter what may happen today or tomorrow or next month. My LORD and my GOD, how great You are!

Posted in Psalms | Comments Off on How Great You Are!