1 Peter 2

Hope you are fabulous this New Year's Eve! Grateful for 2009, excited for 2010.
Here are my thoughts on chapter 2. Again we see the word "living". May we never, may I never, forget my God is alive! Jesus is alive. We are "chosen". Not because we are good, as my A Call to Grace book points out so well, we were sinners before we ever sinned. Not because we are weak and God likes to let us get beat up so we have to come to Him. He chose us because He loves us. He knows we are weak and He knows that in that weakness, if we allow Him, His strength can makes us strong. He will be glorified and honored. Lastly, and this was a tough one, honoring your bosses. Even the not nice ones. I am not talking about the ones who threaten you physically and emotionally. I mean the ones who are just rude jerks. Or insensitive. Or proud and take credit and quickly push blame. Not that we sit quietly and let them do whatever, but even in the disagreement we can honor them for the position they hold. I have failed at this many times. I am a right fighter.... for my rights or what I deem to be right or for someone else's rights...especially students. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge proponent of individual responsibility for learning. I think we do kids, especially high school kids, a HUGE disservice when we coddle them and baby them instead of holding them responsible for their actions, but I also believe in equality of opportunity. They should all be given the same chance. If the commit the same offense, they should receive the same punishment. Consistency in expectations and in discipline. One of my favorite lines form Remember the Titans is when the white coach is asking Denzel to back of the kids and Denzel replies something like " I may be a mean old cuss, but I am the same mean old cuss to each and every one of them." Yes please. Anyway, I have had bosses over the years I have disagreed with strongly and I did not always disagree with honor. At times I bad mouthed, I argued publicly, I sinned. So obviously I need to work on that one (even for my boss at the house).
Whew that turned into a mini soapbox.
Hope you have a safe New Year.
May Lord be gracious to you in 2010.
May He show Himself strong on your behalf and may you be drawn and wooed into a closer relationship with Jesus.
He loves you so. So do I.

1 PETER 1

Hi there. Remember me? I finally have some thoughts on chapter 1. My sister gave me a MacArthur Bible Commentary for Christmas and I whipped it out for this chapter. Of course, I only got up to the "Background and Setting" portion of the introduction, so none of this comes from that. I did find it interesting that according to the MBC, Peter's wife ministered with him AND (according to tradition) he had to watch her be crucified. Just some trivia.
1. Verse 3 talks about our "living hope". Just another reminder that my God, my Savior, my Comforter are all alive. Living, breathing, full of life. Full of emotion for me and for you. Attentive to my every moment, my every prayer, my every concern. In the words of the song, "He's alive! He's alive! He is risen from the dead and He's alive!"
2. Verse 5 - I am protected by the power of God through faith. The scripture in the NKJV says "kept" and then translates that into protected. Like a military guard. Armed and ready to protect me.
3. Verse 6- My redemption was not cheap. MY REDEMPTION WAS NOT CHEAP. Christ's death was the greatest price that could have been paid. Flip it around, in the eyes of God, I was worth the price. That is how much He values me, He values you, and He values this world. Regardless of what the world tries to tell you and me, we are not worthless. We are not of no value. We are worth the very blood of the One True Son of God. Every drop. Every lashing. Every mocking. Not because we are worthy, but because He deemed us worthy. His grace deemed us worthy.
I am still walking through "A Call to Grace". I should say working through because apparently grace is a tough one for me. I am not even really sure what part of it is hard for me, but we are walking and working it out together.
Hope you had a blessed Christmas.
Get those Bibles out and let's talk about Peter. More importantly, let's talk about Jesus Christ.

1 PETER

I am trying to read 1 Peter 1. Note the term trying. I can not get my head past the opening verse. So check back tomorrow. Maybe I will be around it by then.

ABOLISHED

I am on Day 5 of A Call to Grace. So far so good with no facebook. I actually found myself getting "lonely" on Saturday because I had not been on. Day 5 returns to the theme "become who you are". Nasser uses slavery as an example. After abolition, the slaves were free. However, many of them continued to believe they were still slaves. They had always been slaves and knew nothing else to be. They believed those that told them you will always be slaves. They did not walk in the freedom they were given. Nasser goes on the describe our lives like that. Once in Christ Jesus we are free. Many of us, though, continue to believe the lies of the enemy that we will never be more that what we were. We have always been that way, will always be that way and there is no way we are going to change. We refuse, subconsciously or not, to accept the new identity we have obtained through Christ Jesus.

The last line of the day says this,

"Through God's pardon, we no longer have to act like who we were. We can become who we are" (p. 33).


The person I was before Jesus, the sin I carried, it has been abolished. It is no more in the eyes of the Lord. I am free from that. Whether or not I walk in that is my choice. Sometimes I think we stay with who we "were" because it is "safe" for us. It actually may not be safe at all, but it is safe in the sense that we know what to expect. We know how it is going to play out. The future of this "new person" is anything but safe. Especially this new person who has now given her life to Christ, and that includes everything - reactions, emotions, words. It is scary not knowing how people will react to the new you. Will they even let you be the new you? Will you have to leave your old friends behind? Will your old friends allow you to change? Will your family? Will your husband and kids?
While the future is uncertain, it is there. It is worth walking towards. It can be full of hope and life.
The person I was before, she is abolished. She is no longer. To try to return to her is to return to death. There is nothing there to go back to. It is time for me to start believing in the identity I
have in Christ Jesus and become who I am.
What about you?

A CALL TO GRACE

Before we start our next book I wanted to share with you a book I am reading right now. It is written by David Nasser and is titled A Call to Grace (a 39 day look at how the grace-filled life is not about doing but about being...). My friend Lisa gave it to me years ago. We were supposed to go through it together, but stuff happened and we didn't. God's timing is perfect and I have picked it up again. It is a very interactive book. Questions, journaling, FASTING! Nasser asks the reader to fast from some "unnecessary daily activity". Facebook was on the chopping block. So for 2 days I have not logged onto facebook, and hopefully for 37 more I won't. I still get emails so if someone sends me a message that requires attention I can, but for the normal stuff I am not responding. It will 2010 before I log back on...w.o.w.
As someone who battles "being good enough" and "following all the rules" I am pretty sure this book is going to rock my world. I hope it does. I hope it draws me closer to the Lord and helps me cast off the "sin which so easily ensnares" me.(Hebrews 12:1 NKJV)
The first line of Day 1 really has me thinking. Four little words... Become who you are. Nasser says it is pretty much the point of the book. Become who you are in Christ Jesus. Become the person God has created you to be. Become the person He has called you to be. Become. Ever changing, alive, growing. Present tense. Now.
I am working on it. Becoming the wife I am created to be. Becoming the mama I am meant to be. Becoming the sister, friend, daughter, and woman God desires for me to be.
So, I will let you know occasionally how it goes.
Hope you have a great weekend. Fellowship with your church family. Don't have one...go find one.

JAMES 5

Anyone else find it ironic after yesterday's talk about the "mula", James 5 would open with a warning to "rich oppressors"?
Anyone?
Anyone?
Bueller?
Bueller?

1. DON'T BECOME A RICH OPPRESSOR!
2. Guard my mouth against grumbling (especially at home for me)
3. If I have a need... tell people. Prideful sin is what keeps me from doing so.
No... everything is great.
Oh sure... I got this....
Nope I am super...
If I have a need, tell them!
4. I have a responsibility to the Truth. However, that does not make me the Truth police. I don't get to or need to run around checking if everyone is living according to the Truth of God's Word, but if the Truth is compromised or challenged then I have a responsibility to speak out on that.

ASKING

I am going to stay on James 4 today. #1 from yesterday is still rolling around in my head. There have been things that I have asked for that I have not gotten. Now I know God knows all and there are things I ask for that would only hurt me. However, this phrase has me wondering if I have been asking for the wrong reasons. Searching my heart for the motivations as to why I was asking. Pride? Selfishness? Flesh serving reasons that I had hoped I had grown out of. Take money for instance. Like so many of you, times are tight. Partly due to my decision to stay home, partly due to factors out of my control. I have prayed and asked God for wisdom, for doors to be opened and closed, and honestly for money. Not so we can live lavishly, but so we can have some breathing room. Is that wrong? Is that selfish? Does it say more about me than I want it to? Or am I simply in a disciplining period where He is growing and maturing me. Maybe it is not even me. Maybe it is my kids getting used to the word "no" or maybe He is maturing my husband and we are along for the ride. Maybe they are going along this ride for me. I am not sure, but I am asking Him today. To reveal any wrong motives in me so that when I ask I may receive.

JAMES 4

Hope you had a great weekend. We will pick back up today in chapter 4 of James.
1. Verses 2 & 3 -..."Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." My question is are we wrong when we do ask for ourselves? Are we wrong when we ask for things we want and we desire? Or should we only be asking for things to bless others?
2. Can't have my feet in both camps. It is Christ or the world, can't play both sides. It is a choice in the big and the small things, every single day.
3. I only have today to make that choice.
4. If I know the right choice to make and I don't, either by default or on purpose, then it is sin. The decision separates me from God and my fellowship with Him.

#1 is a flipping around in my head a good deal. I am not sure what to do with that. Any thoughts?

JAMES 3 REPLAY

I went back to James 3 again last night and am going to throw out what I came up with.

1. Verse 13 " Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom."
I am thinking I need to be wise in the "works" that I do. There are lots of good things out there, but they may not be the wisest choice for me. Godly wisdom will point me to the works I am to do and recognizing that it is by God's design I am there should keep me humble.

2. Self -seeking & bitter envy = confusion and evil.
How true have I found this to be. Both in myself and in others. When I seek to serve myself, I do get confused and loose my way. I have been under others who were self-seeking and confusion was rampant under them as well.

3. Wisdom from above is full of good fruit. (vs. 17). What fruit do I have in my life? Am I being wise? Is it showing itself strong? Is it growing the good fruit?

Hope you have a great weekend. Be blessed. Go to church!

JAMES 3

I am going to have to re-read James 3. I read it a couple of times yesterday, but I feel there is more than what I am seeing. Yesterday, I got this-
1. When I become mature in Christ, I can bridle my whole body (mouth and all). By His strength and my willingness it can be done. My willingness is a big part. I know there have been times when I knew to keep my mouth shut, and forged ahead anyway. There have also been times when I needed to speak and fear kept me silent. Willingness to obey, regardless of the cost.

A side note, unity of the body is on my mind today. Not uniformity, but unity. That we can agree to disagree and still love and respect one another. Heavy on my heart today. What thoughts do you have on the topic?
Have a great Thursday!

JAMES 2

On a completely irrelevant note and totally a tad bit prideful, I was so pleased when watching this video from Priscilla Shirer where Kay Arthur was talking about Hebrews and I KNEW WHAT SHE WAS REFERRING TO. It completely made my day.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program.
James 2:
1. No partiality, to those I deem above me or below me.
2. Back the Smack (I have been waiting to type that)
Walk the Talk
Practice What You Preach

JAMES 1

Nothing like diving from the frying pan into the fire. From Hebrews to James. Here are some thoughts on James 1.
1. God does allow the testing of our faith....uhm see Job... and it matures me.
2. I cannot waiver between belief and unbelief. I will not survive, much less thrive, as a Christian if I do.
3. Temptation is from within. I make the final decision as to if I will sin or not.
4. Verse 26 - If I think if myself as religious and can't or don't bridle my tongue, I deceive myself and my religion is useless. W-O-W!
5. Part of my pure religion is to keep myself unspotted from the world. I am concerned about our generation and culture. It appears to me that we are willing to look a whole lot like the world to save the world, and somewhere in the mix, we all get lost.

Your turn.

HEBREWS 13

I have finished Hebrews. Here are some thoughts on chapter 13:
1. " I will never leave you or forsake you"
2. I can say the Lord is my helper!
3. PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE!

Hope you have joined in the reading. Next up... James. I have already read chapter 1 and oh what a blessing it is!

HEBREWS 12

Hope you are getting in there and reading along with me. Your insight is invaluable and encouraging. Chapter 12...
1. "lay aside" - I choose to put it away, to cast off the sin that entangles me. I CHOOSE.
2. I NEED to be trained, to be disciplined, to endure and run this race. Believe me I need it.
3. I need to stand up and walk in the path that is lit for me and you need to stand up and walk in the path that is lit for you.
4. My God is A-L-I-V-E!
5. God is going to get into everything I am. He is going to get in all my business, consume me totally before He is done. Praise His holy name for that! No part of me can be held secret from Him that he won't eventually deal with.

We will resume on Monday. Have a great weekend!

HEBREWS 11

I know Hebrews is a biggy in the rank of books. It is full of so much that you could go on forever about it, so please don't take my brevity as ignorance of the jewel that is Hebrews. I am just posting what speaks to me today. Honestly, I could go back and re-read these same chapters in six months and have completely different stuff jump out at me.

1. If I am going to come to God I MUST BELIEVE that He IS....
alive, faithful, just, caring, compassionate, patient, for my good, for His glory, and so on. I have to believe that He is all He says He is in His word.
2. I may not see the earthly reward. I may only see it far off, in my minds eye and the promises of scripture. I need to embrace the eternal, to know, accept, and delight in the fact that my reward, my praise, my accolades may not come to fruition in this life, but they will in the eternal one.
3. FAITH

All right, you are on deck...swing away!

HEBREWS 10

As I continue my random blogs on Hebrews, I am now into chapter 10. Here are a few things that spoke to me. I would love to hear what speaks to you from this book:)

1. The law can't make me (or you ) perfect.
2. The law is dead. Christ offers a new and LIVING way. (Not that we don't keep the law, but keeping the law, well see #1)
3.I am to draw near with a true heart. A heart full of the assurance my faith in Christ offers.
4. I am to NEVER think of Christ's death as a common thing, never taken for granted.
5. I am to endure. Not just survive, but pushing forward with a hopeful expectation. Not backing down, not cowering.

Looking forward to hearing from you. Be blessed today!