Snorting Scripture:

John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

This season of Lent has been an important time for me to learn to "remain" in Jesus.  Personally, I find that it's easy to make my way through life not realizing that I have pushed God into a little corner of my heart, going to visit Him during quiet times and Sunday mornings.

I forget the truth of this passage, the truth that I can do nothing apart from Him...until my life spins so out of control that I am desperate for God's hand to touch it.  I don't want to get to that point before I learn to turn my eyes to Jesus.  

A speaker that I heard yesterday said something that stuck with me.  She spoke of a dear friend who was going through some significant struggles in her life.  She asked her friend "How are you getting through this season in your life without going crazy?"  To which her friend simply replied: "I'm snorting scripture".

And she was.  It sounds kind of funny, but the reality is, if you're going to snort something....Scripture is the way to go.  Practically speaking, this woman was making sure to eat, breath, sleep, live God's word, because she knew it was the only way to remain in Him and allow His word to penetrate her life beyond her struggles.  She read throughout the day and when she didn't have the strength, she had others read it to her. 


This season of your life, whether struggle or victory, may God give you the motivation to soak up His presence and His Word.  May He give you the concentration to say no to distractions and say yes to Him.  May He give you the discipline to continually choose to remain in Him as you seek to find sanity and peace.
  
"Listen less to your own thoughts and more to God's thoughts."-- François Fénelon
 

Contentment Day 2: The Sting of Competition

Philippians 1:15-18 (Click here to read the entire chapter)

¹⁵ It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. ¹⁶ The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁷ The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. ¹⁸ But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Welcome to Day 2 of our study.  We’re studying the book of Philippians for the next 10 days toward Christmas, in an attempt to grasp the lessons learned by Paul on his journey toward living a content life.  Through this study may God grant us the ability to see past society’s obsession with commercialism and materialism.  From wanting more of things, to wanting more of Him. 

Our first day took a look at the confidence Paul had in Jesus Christ and how his life was founded in that stability.  Today, we look at something a little different- something we need to purge from our hearts and from our lives: Competition. 

This passage has always struck me as peculiar.  Paul is discussing those who preach the gospel out of rivalry rather than love- the very opposite of what the gospel stands for.  I never understood why anyone would share God’s word with others out of a selfish heart…until I grew up into a woman, and began to see the twinges of competition and selfishness in my own life.

It’s true, like it or not, you at some point in your life have struggled with the idea of competition and comparison with those around you.  We are all chronic victims of this terrible disease.  And it is this disease that will lead us directly into the pit of unhappiness. 

Whether competing toward “winning souls” and preaching the gospel like those Paul mentioned in this chapter, or competing for the highest scores, best physique, or popularity…comparing yourself with those around you will either lead to destruction & misery or vanity & pride.  There is always someone greater, wiser, and more beautiful than you - and there is always someone less than. 

The sting of competition is so deadly because it causes us to live our lives passively: out of reactions rather than actions.  And, ironic though it may be, reaction (by the very nature of the word) always comes in second.

God calls us to live our lives proactively, based on the individual calling He has given each one of us and the deliberate way He has made us.  He calls us to revel in who we are rather than rival at the lives of others. 

May you have the strength to close your eyes to the lives of others, and open your eyes to live the life God has given to you, to be present in it, and to be thankful for it.  Amen. 

Contentment Day 1: The Gift of Confidence

Philippians 1:6

…being confident of this: that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ.

Intro: [The book of Philippians is a beautiful letter written by the apostle Paul during his arrest in Rome as he awaited his trial.  The ironic thing about this book is that though he is in chains while writing, and after beatings and humiliation, the ongoing theme of this book can be summed up by one word: Joy.  

Paul was a man who had learned how to live a life of contentment- no matter the circumstances. 

As we dig into these words, I pray that his spirit of joy and peace will also saturate our lives, allowing us to take in our lives with contentment and satisfaction.]

In reading the book of Philippians, I’m struck by the many things Paul learned on his journey to contentment.  The reality of contentment is that it is just that: a journey.  It isn’t a magic potion or a miraculous gift.  Like Paul points out, it is a learned trait.  It’s a habit…and a habit of unhappiness in a person’s life can only be overcome by a habit of contentment.  

It seems to me that one step toward learning contentment is found in the concept of confidence.  Paul had an unwavering confidence that stemmed from outside of his-self.  He stood on the solid ground of what Christ could do in his life and in the life of others and nothing could shake that belief.  

No matter what he went through, or what others around him went through, Paul was sure that Christ would carry him through…He would finish what He began, there was no doubt about that in Paul’s mind.  And it makes sense.

I mean, after such a miraculous interaction with the power of Jesus Christ, Paul was changed in an instant.  That powerful moment ingrained in him a confidence that could not be moved.  

I want that kind of confidence.  I want to believe that no matter what is going on in my life, that I serve a God who will carry it to completion…and not just any kind of completion, but something that ends in good- because that is who God is.  

I want to believe with all my heart that God is able to complete even the most difficult of situations and bring me through to the end.  I want a confidence that stems outside of my own power and will- but that is grounded firmly in the knowledge of who Jesus is and what He has done and will do in my life.  

And why not?  Paul’s transformation is not any more miraculous than my own.  A blind woman who now can see.  A lost soul who was compassionately found.  A dying spirit that was rescued from the grave.  I have seen that God is good, and I have seen what He can do…so why is it so difficult some days to have confidence in what He WILL do in my life and in my situation?  

When our eyes our fixed on Him, when we are confident in what He can do…no situation or circumstance can take away our joy.   

This is why I believe that the first key to contentment is found in confidence in Christ.  Because in this, we lay down our power and our pride, we lay down our trust in ourselves, we lay down what we know to be true and what we can see with our eyes in the moment- and proclaim that Christ can and will complete all that is good in our lives. 

Be confident.  He who began a good work in your life WILL carry it to completion…so step out of the way, and let Him.  

May God grant you the gift of confidence in who He is this Christmas season. 

A 7 Day Tour Of Ephesians:

Dear Friends & Readers,

Let me begin with a thank you- and by saying that all of you have been very important fuel to my writing and I appreciate all the encouragement, comments, emails and interactions I have received as a result of your faithful readership.

But more than anything, this blog has been a source of accountability for me, as well as a gauge of my spiritual-life and the time I am spending in God's word.  You may have noticed busy weeks- with little to no posts.  There have been times of dryness, moments in the desert- where I have interacted with God out of duty rather than passion.  And there have been times overflowing with thoughts and ideas as I am interacting more deeply with God and His word.


This season, I have felt a calling to go deeper in my walk with God...and, naturally, to take this blog with me.  Anyone can read their bibles, but I want to take on the challenge of engaging and interacting with scripture on a very regular basis and encourage my readers to do so as well.

I have decided to listen to God's prompting and take a 7-day tour dedicated to a book of the bible. For seven days, I intend on posting solely from the book of Ephesians- challenging myself to interact with and soak in the many lessons to be learned from God's word and challenging myself to read the six chapters of this book over and over again.

I chose this book because it's original purpose was to encourage and strengthen the body of believers....which I believe is something that I ( and I assume the modern church at large) could use a huge dose of today. 

I am also challenging you to come along with me on this tour.  To get into your bibles every single day, to read the chapters over and over, to soak it in, allowing yourself to engage with and interact with God's words and His spirit in your day to day.  I am challenging you to read along with me everyday, reading the verses I have expanded on through these blog devotionals- but even more importantly: to allow yourself to glean lessons directly from God. 

May this seven day period ignite our desires to get into God's word...and not just take it for granted.  I wrote about this a few months ago in a post:

"You see, I, like many other middle-class, American, Christians...own about 6 bibles.  I have a study bible made of leather, my name inscribed with gold.  I have a couples devotional bible, also inscribed with my name.  I have a pocket bible, to carry in my purse in case I am traveling.  I have an online bible, to use while on my laptop sipping on a Starbucks cup of coffee.  And that's just to name a few.

I am sad to say it, but in my affluence and abundance I have lost something.  I have lost the passion for God's words.  The bible has become so common place in my life that I take it for granted day after day.   Don't get me wrong, I read my bible every day....but you see, that's just where my problem begins, I settle for that."

Let's not settle for simply that.  Let's take time in our lives to allow God's words to mold us and transform us.
So, if you're interested, tune in September 1st as we begin this seven day tour.  And let's encourage others to join us by passing along this link via twitter, face book, and email.  I'm excited to see what happens.

Will you join me?

On Falling In Love: Circumcision II

Matthew 22:37
Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'

John 14:15
"If you love me, you will obey what I command."

You might be wondering what in the world Falling in Love has to do with circumcision. Before you get carried away, let me try to explain.  A couple weeks ago I wrote a post about Freedom in Christ and commented on the topic of circumcision.  In that same post, I also discussed the tendency of Christians to become legalistic and rule-driven, rather than relationship-driven.  That post got some attention...and a desire from my readers to do a follow-up on the other end of that spectrum. 

And with these thoughts in mind, I am following up to that post out of fear of escorting readers to the other extreme of freedom.  You see, although I never want to come across as a legalistic, rule-based believer- at the end of the day I also not want to come across as a "do whatever the heck you want" kind of believer. 

So let me begin.  I typically don't pay much attention to Christian Radio.  Unless the song playing is by Hillsong United, I don't tend to give it too much thought.  But just the other day I was driving to work and this song caught my attention. 


Give me rules
I will break them
Give me lines
I will cross them
I need more than a truth to believe
I need a truth that lives, moves, and breathes
To sweep me off my feet
It ought to be

More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance
Caught up, called out
Come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling, oh
It's like I'm falling in love

Give me words
I'll misuse them
Obligations
I'll misplace them
'Cause all religion ever made of me
Was just a sinner with a stone tied to my feet
It never set me free
It's gotta be


There is something special about the words of this song by Jason Gray.  There is something special because it is emphasizing the importance of relationship.

And in my opinion, with relationship comes much bigger obligation than with rules.  Trust me, as a married woman, I know this to be a fact.  I have always viewed my the connection between relationship and responsibility in this fashion:

I love my husband.  And because I love him I do my best to do the things that he would appreciate.  I try to keep the house clean.  I bake him his favorite cookies.  I wash his clothes...and sometimes I even fold them.  I do these things and more because I am absolutely head over heels in love with him, and I want him to know this.  I have always thought about obedience to God's commands in this sense.  Purely, out of love.


Now, imagine if I came home from a long day of work to a list tacked on the wall of John's "Do's and Dont's".  Wash my clothes, iron my shirts, sweep the kitchen, weed the garden- and on and on and on.  In all honesty my first reaction would be: "REBEL!  Not doin' it.  No way, no how, no when.  Who does he think I am?"


The reaction would be entirely different...my heart would sink in following his rules rather than thrive in doing these things out of love.  In a sense, that miserable list would take away my joy.  And I guess, there lies the key in all that I am trying to say today: LOVE.  Relationship.  Rules and Responsibilities cannot stand apart from those things, or at the end of the day they are a "stone tied to my feet".  And nothing more.


It causes me to really examine my relationship with God....because the moment the relationship is weakened and is no longer watered by love (And believe it or not, it's only weakened because of me...God usually does his part to keep it strong, go figure) I sink into a dangerous path of do's and don'ts that take away my joy and cause the seed of rebellion to begin to take root in my heart.  It's a toxic seed.  A seed that can quickly seep into every part of my being. 


So at the end of the day, the law still has a part of the picture.  And a good part.  But for it to mean anything at all....it must be fueled by love.  It's more like Falling in Love than something to believe in. More like losing my heart, than giving my allegiance...It's like I'm falling in love.

To Sleep or Not To Sleep....On Time with God

Psalm 132:3-5
"I will not enter my house or go to my bed- I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."

You may have noticed the past couple of months my posts have been few and far between.  If I manage to post once a week lately, I've accomplished something.  Where as before, I had so many thoughts buzzing through my mind and emotions in my heart, lately, I have found myself struggling to find inspiration.


There is a reason for that.  Some would blame it on the fact that I have been working over-time lately.  Others would say that maybe it's because I am pregnant and have lost the energy that I once had.  While both of those things are true- the reality is, the busyness of my life has kept me away from the source of my inspiration: God.

I'll be completely honest- it's been a struggle lately to prioritize.  My husband and I are in a season of many transitions.  There seems to be so much to do during the day to prepare, and at the end of it all my earthly body cries out for one thing: SLEEP. 

I think that's why this passage strikes me to the core.  It's referring to the one human desire that we all long for and need.  Sleep.  But in this passage, the author has learned that though his natural desires may long for one thing, his spiritual desires must take precedence.  He learned to see his relationship with God with an intense desperation.  Something that could not be replaced or looked over.

Westernized Christianity makes this so difficult, doesn't it?  Our supernatural desires are covered up so easily by the natural ones...and there is never a loss for things that can replace our spiritual longings.  Our society thrives on giving us physical things to try and replace our spiritual needs.  Everything from our sexuality, to our stomachs finds a way to trump our relationship with God.

And we let them.  We let these things sneak into our lives and become our priority.  We let ourselves put God's word and His presence on the back burner, taking advantage of the love that we know will never leave us.

I am guilty of this, today.  I am guilty of allowing God to remain on hold until I was able to really "get things done".  There is a reason why I have lost my inspiration to post...I have no fuel.  And the most dangerous part of all, I have seen my spiritual starvation seep into other parts of my life as it has effected my attitude and my heart with the ones I love.

So, at the end of the day there is nothing more to say about this topic.  But, there is something to be done.  And I'm going to go do just that.

[For anyone that needs some ideas on where to start with a daily relationship with God, check out that link.  Also, there are some good links below:]

Daily Bread Scripture Reading and Reflection:
Crosswalk:
Oswald Chambers: 
Max Lucado Daily Devotion and Reading:

Don't Be Such A Sissy; Sharing the gospel with Boldness

Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes...

As we were walking into our apartment yesterday evening carrying our luggage from the weekend- we were greeted by our neighbors (the neighbors that blast their music starting at 8am, and always seem to have friends over), holding the door open for us as we entered our apartment complex.  Two young men, holding their cigarettes, taking a smoke break.  They asked us how our weekend was, and after a couple more words of small talk we said goodbye and went inside. 

But you know, I couldn't seem to get those young boys off my mind.  I wondered about them that evening...what did they do for a living?  Where they students?  Where they Christians?  Did they ever hear about Jesus and His love for them?

What I couldn't seem to get off my mind was that I let an opportunity to invest in someone's life completely pass.  They were so kind and polite to us...they were the ones who struck up a conversation....and for some reason, I was so preoccupied with my own life that I failed to live my life for others.  Ironically, that's the very thing Jesus calls us to do every day.
 
You know,  I've been thinking about the concept of silence in the body of believers.  I've realized that our silence as Christians can be chalked up to a couple things.  Sometimes we are self absorbed and distracted, sometimes we lack confidence, but sometimes....we're straight up ashamed.  Embarrassed.  Afraid.  We don't want to start the conversation out of fear of what others will think or what they may say.  We're such sissy's sometimes. 

It's so much easier to start up a conversation about the Lord at my Saturday morning ministry...where that's my "ministry"....but what about my neighbors? My coworkers?  My family?  My friends?  For some reason, it's easy to start up a chat about the game, the weather, even politics....but sharing the gospel...that kind of sharing strikes a whole new cord.

I've been practicing boldness in my life lately.  I've been practicing being still, and simply listening to the Spirit's leading in my life.  Once God's Spirit led me to pay for an old man in front of me in line at Walmart, another time It led me to confront a lady about her past and God's presence in her life even through her pain....but more recently, It's led me to talk to a young woman I met about Jesus- and invite her to church. 

She didn't say much and we parted ways.

A few weeks ago, I was sitting in my regular spot at church- and in walks the young woman, an anxious smile on her face- stepping into church for the first time in her life.  What a moment.  I was ecstatic and ashamed.  Ecstatic because she was there....ashamed because I didn't even consider that she might actually come.  We forget the power of the gospel.  That young woman has given her life to the Lord and has attended church ever since.  I am watching God powerfully at work in her life.  It's truly amazing. 

The gospel, which is the power of God to bring salvation to everyone who believes...there is power there....power that is far beyond us....power that we forget to tap into because of our own human frailty.

I want to do something for the boys downstairs.  I don't know what, yet....but I know I want to do something.  Maybe bake them a plate of cookies....maybe strike up a conversation and invite them to church...I have a couple ideas.

But one thing for sure, I want to take pride in the gospel.  I want to believe more and more in the power that is at work beyond my own humanity.  I want to be in tune to God's spirit, and take the opportunities He gives me to proclaim His gospel with boldness and confidence.  I want to have 100% trust that there is power in the words of God's truth....power that will touch lives, power that will move hearts, power that will bring salvation.

I own six Bibles, but who really cares?: On Delighting in Gods Word

Psalm 1:2
But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night...

I am re-reading one of the most incredible autobiographies ever written, called The Heavenly Man.  It is truly a remarkable story about a young Chinese man named Brother Yun, and his incredible journey of being used by God to spread Christianity and expand the Chinese underground church.

The first chapters of the book open with Brother Yun as a young child in his poverty stricken village.  As a new believer, he was desperate to own a bible, having never even seen a bible in his life as they were forbidden by the Chinese government.  For 100 days he fasted and prayed that God would give him a bible...and God miraculously granted his request [you'll have to read the book to find out how....it's incredible].

After Brother Yun got his bible, he spent every day from morning until evening completely devouring the words of God.  Having only received a third grade education, he read slowly, using a dictionary to help him along.  After he had gotten through the bible once, he decided he needed to memorize these powerful words, and began memorizing Gods word one chapter a day.

After 28 days, he had memorized Matthew chapters 1-28.  Shortly after, God called this young 16 year old boy to the villages of southern China to "preach".  Not even knowing what preaching was, he made his way to these villages, stood before hundreds of spiritually hungry Chinese men and women, and did what he knew how to do: recited the bible. 

It's amazing how many souls came to the Lord that year...hearing only God's words coming out of Brother Yun's mouth.  But even more amazing to me, is Brother Yun's passion for God's word.  His passion puts me to shame.

You see, I, like many other middle-class, American, Christians...own about 6 bibles.  I have a study bible made of leather, my name inscribed with gold.  I have a couples devotional bible, also inscribed with my name.  I have a pocket bible, to carry in my purse in case I am traveling.  I have an online bible, to use while on my laptop sipping on a Starbucks cup of coffee.  And that's just to name a few. 

I am sad to say it, but in my affluence and abundance I have lost something.  I have lost the passion for God's words.  The bible has become so common place in my life that I take it for granted day after day.   Don't get me wrong, I read my bible every day....but you see, that's just where my problem begins, I settle for that.

I check my daily bible reading off my list, find a little lesson....and move on to the next task. I have lost my passion.  I have lost the desire that cries out from the bottom of my heart to hear God's word, to be in His presence, to listen to His voice.  I no longer hunger and thirst after Him, desperate to hear what He has to say.  The sad thing is, I have lost something....maybe something I never had to begin with. 

It's disappointing when American Christians have so much on their minds that there is no room left for God's words.  Our minds are wasted with meaningless facts, song lyrics, sports statistics and random trivia.  And sadly, we make more and more room for these things while God's words slowly get's pushed back where it came from.  I don't want to settle for this kind of Christianity anymore.  I don't want to settle for six bibles and a lack of passion. 

I want to have a love for God's word that compels me to it day and night.  I want a desire so rich that I can't get it off my mind.  I want to delight in his laws with a delight that is rivaled by nothing else in my life. 

And to be honest, I suppose it begins with shutting off this little computer monitor, and getting into God's Word....so if you'll excuse me, it's time to get my priorities straight.