Get Up and Glow Pt. 8

   We have been talking about getting up and moving on in our lives in the midst of trials. In the last post we spoke about how getting up is possible because of the power of the Holy Spirit in us. But there is a second reason getting up is possible…

Getting up is possible because we have the promises of the Bible to guide us!

“Russell Kelso Carter (1849-1928) was a star athlete of a military academy and an excellent student academically, who went on to be a successful teacher and coach. He then spent several years as an ordained Methodist minister, after which he went to medical school. He spent the last of his professional years as a doctor of medicine. Carter was also a musician and songwriter. …

Although Carter was a professed Christian most of his life, it wasn’t until a crisis with his natural heart that he began to understand the reality and power of Bible promises. At age 30, his health was in critical condition and the physicians could do no more for him. Carter turned to God for help and healing.

He knelt and made a promise that healing or no, his life was finally and forever, fully consecrated to the service of the Lord. It was from that moment that the written Word of God became alive to Carter. He began to stand upon the promises of healing, determining to believe no matter what his physical condition, no matter how he felt. Over the course of the next several months his strength returned, and his heart was completely healed! Carter lived another healthy 49 years.

The hymn Carter had written several years before his healing miracle became more than words and music to him. Standing on the Promises became an integral part of his life.

Standing On the Promises

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.”  (the Story Behind the Song  by Connie Ruth Christiansen)

All the promises of the Bible are yours if you will only get up and line yourself up with them.

What Bible promise are you standing on right now?

Get Up and Glow Pt. 5

What follows is a brief excerpt from Pastor Wrinkle’s latest sermon…

Reader, I have got good news for you! We can stop worrying about our problem. God has arranged it so we can give them to Jesus by prayer. Once we have done that our problems are no longer our problems. They become Jesus’ problems. By this we are given the grace to move on!

Even as our problems become Jesus’ problems though  there are still  two things we must do to find freedom. We must get up and we must glow!

The Scripture in Isaiah says “Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the LORD rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you.” Isaiah 60:1,2 NLT

I love the Hebrew word for arise here: quwm-  to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up

a) (Qal)

1) to arise

2) to arise (hostile sense)

3) to arise, become powerful

4) to arise, come on the scene

5) to stand

a) to maintain oneself

b) to be established, be confirmed

c) to stand, endure

d) to be fixed

e) to be valid

f) to be proven

g) to be fulfilled

h) to persist

i) to be set, be fixed 

You do realize don’t you that the world is constantly trying to take our power. But the truth is we don’t have to let it! When the world knocks us down we can get back up.  We certainly can’t control what other people or circumstances do to us but we can control how we respond. We can choose to shrivel up and die or we can get up and live!

Which option are you choosing today? How can I pray for you?

Quote for the day

“Resting Instead of rushing. Working instead of worrying. This is a key to the slow, constant, intentional life.”- JE Lillie

Warm Summer by JE Lillie

 

 

Dance In the Rain (Rewrite)

I published “Dance In the Rain” on July 11, 2010. The blogs I read this week kept bringing pieces of this work back to memory. I hope the rewrite blesses you!

In the course of life I have learned that almost nothing remains the same. Life is a stormy mistress. If we are honest the stormy days outnumber the calm ones. In life, lightning strikes and lots of times in the same place. Life changes and right quick. Wink and tragedy comes on you unawares. Blink and blessed moments may pass you by. Usually tragedy and blessing are mixed together in fast-moving squalls that roar across the surfaces of our existence; But whether winking or blinking we have to learn to enjoy where we are at and stop waiting for the world to change in our favor.

There is a dish displayed on the bookcase in my office. Written in the center is this saying: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

We’ve all got “stuff” going on. You have money troubles. She may have a close friend who is dying. The guy in the corner over there is going through a divorce. But if we let those things take our focus, we miss opportunity to dance between the rain drops. And it’s the dancing that makes life on this planet tolerable. If you listen close enough the rain offers a good beat; So friend spend some time today dancing in the rain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ujj0FNxl8g&feature=related

Pastor Wrinkles: The New Year’s Resolution

New Year’s 2012 is finally upon us. If we were Mayan we would probably be setting our affairs in order and strapping ourselves in for the end of the world; Seeing that we are not, most of us are on this day writing, or at least thinking, of all the great things we resolve to accomplish before Jan. 1, 2013.

    Since I gave a few tips on surviving the last holiday I thought I might just “pastorally” mention a few things about making resolutions for the New Year:

1. Involve God – The Psalmist says “unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” Psalm 127:1.

May I just gently suggest that if you are making the same resolution you have been making for the last twelve years and failing at, maybe it’s time to start asking God if or how you should go about accomplishing it.

2. Write It Down –  and put it somewhere  you will see it all the time. If it’s not important enough to write down it’s probably not resolution material.

3. Break It Down –  To say, “My New Years resolution is to get healthy” is a wonderful thing. Leaving the resolution in that form though almost assures you will fail at your attempt. First you have to define the goal’s end. What does “healthy” look like? Then break it down into monthly goals. Then break it down further into daily goals.

4. Schedule – The first step to reaching goals is to make them manageable and intentional. Get a planner and every week schedule according to your goals. Resolutions need to find their way into your routine.

5. Pray For success Ask God to direct you toward your goal everyday.

6. Don’t Give Up – Set backs are going to come this year. You still live on Earth and the place ain’t perfect. But don’t worry God is and He will give you the victory you need!

7. Remember Pastor Wrinkles is cheering you on! 🙂

 Tell me some of your New Year’s Resolutions!

Postaday 2011 and What I Have Learned

      Dear readers,

      I am sorry I missed yesterday. I spent 18 hours in bed sleeping! Something got a hold of me and wouldn’t let go. I crashed. Anyway I am back today though I have to admit I am still a little pekid.

     I tend to look at life from the view-point of a student.I believe everything that happens has a purpose, a lesson to teach. When I took up the challenge to post every single day I knew it would teach me something about myself and about the world. I didn’t realize what it would bring out in me.

     Like most things in my life now blogging is on a schedule. A schedule I have been sort of unfaithful too. If I had been faithful to it my post for yesterday and today would have been done well before I succumbed to the plague. I have learned that God is calling me to a new level of discipline.

     I have also learned that I am given to perfectionism. Every time I woke up yesterday my first thought was “I should be blogging! Everyone’s going to hate me!” I know stupid…right? But not getting it right the first time really frosts me. That’s why I give up.

     I was really tempted this morning to give up the challenge and tell you all I was going back to posting three times a week; But then I thought, “No way! I am going to rise above this challenge and learn the lessons God has to teach me through postaday 2011.”

What lessons has God been teaching you?

Gotta Stand Pt. 10

     Today we are going to finish up our study in Ephesians Chapters 4 through 6. Paul writes:

     “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we  are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly placesTherefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

    We discussed yesterday how living for God was only possible through trusting God. It is God who truly changes our behavior not us. But behavior, important as it is,  is not the fix either. Good behavior doesn’t destroy storms. Only God can do that; But God will flow through our lives more and more as we begin to live right for Him, shutting down storms as He goes.

     As we live for God we have to take one more step if we want to stand through our storms effectively. We have to put on His armor. We have to call forth the supernatural power of God into our lives. We have to ask him for miracles. When the answers of man will not make the grade then the miracles of God are needed. The miracles of divine truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and rhema word are needed in our situations today. They will be needed even more in the days ahead.

So church what are we going to do? We’ve gotta stand!

Gotta Stand Pt. 9

     Yesterday we concluded with a question. “How do we begin to live right for God?”

       Practically: If I’m a thief how do I stop stealing? If I’m angry how do I calm down? If I lie every time I open my big yap how do I quit it?What if I’m a fornicator?A nag? Abusive? Frustrating? Lazy? A slave-driver? In short, how do I go about changing all the negative ca-ca that is in my life?

     Some people would tell you that true change will only come by trying really, really hard. It’s the old Franklin philosophy, “God helps those who help themselves”.

     Others will tell you. “You can’t do anything. It’s all God’s work. Just wait and one day you will magically be ‘poofed’ into goodness.”

    So which is it? Neither answer is completely correct. They are both extremes; And extremes usually hold a smidgen of the truth and a whole lot of hot air.

        Let’s  skip out on the book of Ephesians for a post and turn to another of Paul’s writings, Galatians. The church at Galatia was a church Ben F. would have liked, a real work hard  kind of church. They believed that salvation could only be achieved by accepting Jesus and then DOING  everything the Jewish law required.

     Paul writes, “Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? …. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? ” Gal 3:1-3 NLT

    Paul indicates that not only is forgiveness of sins God’s work, so is making a person perfect. Does that mean we sit around and wait for God to ‘poof’ us? No! Just as God has a work in helping us to live for Him, the Christian has a part to play as well.

    Paul continues to the Galatians, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. ” Gal: 5:16 NLT

    To the church in Rome he writes the same thing another way, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. ” Romans 12:1,2 NLT

 If we are to stand in victory, our part is to trust God and give ourselves to Him. God’s part is to work the change.

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Gotta Stand Pt.4

      Angela from Meetingintheclouds.wordpress.com had this to say in response to one of the posts in this series. “When I became a Christian my life changed COMPLETELY – (thankfully!)
_I_ didn’t change. I had no part in it. HE changed me: His life IN me changed me.”

     She brings out a powerful truth about life with her comment. We can all acknowledge the need to change certain things about our lives. But without Jesus actively working in our lives, lasting change is not possible. In the end what I will achieve in this life will be a reflection of His work in me not an evaluation of my work (Eph. 2:10). In short, I achieve more when I trust than when I strive.

     That said Paul gives us benchmarks to trust for in Ephesians chapter 4.

“don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil….. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”  Ephesians 4:26,27,29-32 NLT

             Paul encourages us to stop letting anger control our lives.  Specifically he lets us know that God would have us: stop swearing, stop being hard or cruel in our dealings, and stop complaining about people behind their backs even if what we have to say is true!  Instead we are to pray for the spirit of love, joy and kindness to reign over us.

     I am always amazed at how practical God can get with our lives.  Christianity is not some nebulous philosophy that leaves people doing whatever seems good to them. It’s a relationship with a Father who runs His household after a fashion He has established. He wants His world to be a certain way. He wants His people to live in harmony with that way even though it is not the current “way of the world”.

     With the whole world stacked against us, living Christian is not only difficult it’s impossible; That’s why Christ died. His death not only purchases us forgiveness but releases into us a new life that overcomes the world. John 16:33

    Going back to the anger thing, we live in an angry society that is constantly pushing us to react in rage. Our only ability to hold  peace comes from the fact that Jesus in us calms the storm when we turn our attentions away from this exacerbating world and look to Him who has overcome it.

Have you overcome anger? How did Jesus help you?

Gotta Stand Pt. 3

     As a gardener I am often called to take a plant from one location and move it to another. The task of transplanting is a necessary and painstaking ritual for the husbandman who wants to bring about a rich harvest.

     Simply put transplanting means taking a plant rooted in one place and causing it to take root in another. The danger of course is that in the process of transplanting the gardener runs the risk of harming the exposed root and losing his fruit or perhaps even the entire plant.    

     Paul paints us a picture of the Christian being transplanted and what the soil of our new life should produce in Ephesians Chapter 4.

“throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.  Ephesians 4:22-25NLT

     Paul says throwing off our old way of life means to stop being a deceiver.  Now we made the point yesterday that throwing off the old self or transplanting the roots of our lives starts with attitude and then leads to action. A problem with lying is rooted in a problem with fear. When we lie what we actually communicate is that we are afraid, if we tell the truth we will be hurt. The truth is, of course, sometimes we will be. But that doesn’t excuse lying. What God requires is that we address the world out of perfect love. As the Word says: ” There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” I John 4:18 KJV

     I saw an episode of “Bones” the other night. The characters were involved in a group that espoused “radical honesty”which is, “a tell the truth no matter what it does to the other person” policy. throughout the episode, people cavorted across the screen insulting and denigrating others in the name of “truth”. This is not what Paul was talking about.

     The Christian who seeks to come out of the soil of falsehood needs to be transplanted first in the soil of love not the soil of confession. If a Christian struggles with lying his first step is not to become a radical confessor but a radical lover of God and man. When love is established trust will bloom, fear will wither and lying will stop. Confession in this atmosphere becomes safe, wholesome and redeeming.

    If we are going to stand through the upcoming storms we must be transplanted in truth surrounded by the soil of love. Then we will bring forth a great harvest!

 Ask Jesus to transplant you in the soil of perfect love.