Resolving to Sow Mercy and Grace

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We are told in Galatians that we will reap what we sow. If we want to reap grace, we must sow it. If we want to receive mercy, we must sow mercy. In relation to this, let us resolve to show grace to those who may see things differently than we do. Let us also resolve to always be humbly open to correction. That does not mean we automatically change our position because some disagree with us, but let us remain open and check out their position to see if there is truth we need to receive.

 

Some of the worst divisions in the body of Christ are between those who agree on 99% but disagree on one thing and then divide over it. This is extremism—a root of deception. This root is often the result of immaturity, instability, or insecurity. Even so, I don’t consider myself wise enough to judge other people’s motives without clear evidence. If I had endured their life experiences, I might be in much worse shape than they are. Therefore, I resolve to sow grace and mercy whenever I can, while not compromising my own convictions without clear biblical evidence that I need to.

 

In Philippians 1:9-10, we have a basic truth required for discerning truth:

 

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;

 

We will not discern anything or anyone correctly without love. Love is the basis of “real knowledge,” and “all discernment.” More importantly than knowing someone’s life experiences, and judging from that, is having love for them. I may disagree with their doctrines or positions, but if I do not sincerely love them, I will not claim to understand why they believe as they do. Why is this important?

 

We are called to love our enemies. Giving others mercy and grace for believing the way they do, even while continuing to disagree with them, can help us love them. This is how we will come to a true understanding of them. “Understanding” comes from the term to “stand under” someone else’s position. We are called to make disciples of all nations, and we cannot disciple anyone we do not understand.

 

 

 

 

Beyond the Ritual

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“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

John 13: 34-35

 

Recently I attended a mass at the most beautiful church in Ravenna, Italy. My husband and I were in Ravenna on that particular Sunday morning when beautiful church bells began ringing in the distance. Although we are not Catholic, finding no Protestant churches in the vicinity, we finally decided that we would attend. This cathedral, Basilica of San Vitale, is one of the most important examples of early Christian Byzantine Art and a UNESCO World Heritage site. We wanted so much to see the mosaics and the interior of this beautiful cathedral. Drawn by the melodious bells we quickly scurried into the cathedral and promptly took a seat in a small block of wooden pews near the front of the altar. The cathedral was magnificent with mosaics covering high vaulted ceilings and every wall within the building. The mosaics were bold and vivid in color even though they dated back to the 5th century. Visions of angels and saints danced along the walls, and in the center of the highest part of the wall was the face of Christ. A processional arrived with a Priest carrying a magnificent golden cross at the front while a few others paraded behind him singing as they approached the altar. From a balcony above, beautiful music and singing filtered through the cathedral resonating about the vaulted ceilings. It was truly beautiful to behold! The entire mass was in Italian and was written in a program for each congregate. Since I speak French I was able to decipher much of what was being stated. In the message there was much reference to Spirito Santo, the Holy Spirit, and Gesu Cristo, Jesus Christ.

 

During the service I found myself looking about at the small intimate congregation seated in the old wooden pews, while continuously praying for each one of them. Very few in number and mostly elderly, they sat attentively and repeated obediently according to the program. Then suddenly it hit me, there was such a heaviness about the room. The majority of the people were neither smiling nor rejoicing during the entire service. Although everything appeared so holy and lovely to behold, where was the joy that comes from entering the presence of a holy omnipotent God? Was much of what was being stated just an exercise in repetition and rote? In fact, how often do we as believers, regardless of our church affiliation, make rote statements and declarations about our relationship with Christ the Father? Do we truly know the Christ to whom we speak? Doesn’t He say in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” ? Do we recognize His voice? Do we truly follow Him? Or do we ritually complete the daily devotionals, which have become so popular and then call it a day? Do we truly have a revelation of who Christ is and who He has called us to be? Imagine, if congregates in all the churches had a true revelation of Christ and the authority that they have through Him. Then the nations would be completely transformed by His power. Freedom would reign and the fullness of joy would be evident in everyone.

 

As Christians we sometimes set ourselves above people of other faiths who do not believe as we do. We have a tendency to criticize others for their beliefs and to mock their rituals and behaviors. In fact, we often intentionally avoid others who are different from us and segregate ourselves in familiar groups with beliefs likening our own. Sadly, almost 90% of Christians minster only to other Christians and usually those are within their own groups. Jesus, on the contrary, met with all kinds of people of all kinds of faiths. We are called to love one another. Giving others grace and mercy for believing the way they do, even if we do not agree with them, is a way of showing love to them. Avoidance limits our opportunity to share the truth of Christ, which leads to transformation.

 

When we accept Christ we are given a marvelous gift of His Spirit to open our eyes to the wonders of an omnipotent God. We have been given an incredible opportunity to make a difference for ourselves and for others for eternity. And yet, in our selfishness we limit ourselves, and in effect others, in our failure to love people and to know intimately our Lord and Savior. Charles Spurgeon ( 1834 – 1892) a British Baptist preacher, still known as the “Prince of Preachers”, stated that “The door of the Word only opens to the key of diligence.” We essentially need to pour our lives into submission to the Word of God. We need to hear His voice daily and intimately and to love people in spite of their differing beliefs. We need to continually grow in our prayer life, in listening to His voice, and in the manifestation of His gifts within us and through us. This type of shift will by no means happen in the natural realm. As selfish and indulgent creatures we are helpless to achieve this goal independently. However, by His grace, by His strength, by His divine intervention, we can offer ourselves up wholly unto Him, allowing Him to make a paradigm shift within us; thus, leading us to heights beyond our reasoning, to His realm and to His Kingdom glory!

 

 

Prayer Needs for Italy:

  • Please pray for Italians enslaved by tradition or disillusioned with religious systems to encounter the living Christ.
  • Please pray for the power of God to be revealed and to set free those lost in the darkness of occult, pagan, and New Age practices.
  • Please pray for nominal Christians throughout Italy to gain a true understanding of the gospel.

 

http://www.operationworld.org/ital

 

http://prayercast.com/italy.html

 

 

My Thoughts on Perspective

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In 2013, my husband and I traveled to both Israel and Jordan. While in Israel we had the opportunity to actually swim in the Dead Sea. It is so buoyant from the vast amount of salt deposits that you can actually float continuously in the water. Many believe that the Dead Sea is a dead thing, useless and without value. As you might expect, one’s first thoughts of the Dead Sea don’t exactly bring to mind wealth or abundant natural resources. In fact the name alone, the “Dead” Sea, would steer away most people from perceiving it to have any evident value at all. However, the Dead Sea’s unusual buoyancy might well suggest that the region is more than a pool of undrinkable water in the middle of a desert. In fact, in 1935 G.T.B. Davis wrote, “One is almost staggered by the computed wealth of the chemical salts of the Dead Sea. It is estimated that the potential value of the potash, bromine, and other chemical salts of its waters is four times the wealth of the United States”. With that revelation our perception of the Dead Sea now changes to an item of significant value. It is interesting isn’t it, the power of perception and its rapid shift when money or another’s influence is involved? Our core values and convictions mold our perception. If our core values and convictions are skewed with untruths, then our perceptions are not valid. We must first make sure that our core convictions are consistent with the truth that God has revealed to us in His Word. Reading the Bible requires that we change our perspective. Therefore, since man’s perspective will always be limited, we need God’s perspective in everything we do. As we pray for God’s perspective in our decision-making, our minds are enlightened with His revelation allowing us to see things more readily in His truth:

 

  • While we see a man struggling to find work to maintain his family, God sees a man sharpening his skills and strengthening his courage.
  • While we see a woman overwhelmed with stress and worry, God sees a confident, strong woman emerging from the ashes of tragedy and sorrow.
  • While we see a pitiful, helpless individual without an address or a phone number, God sees someone on the verge of beginning a new life.

 

I frequently ask myself, am I working from a position of man’s perspective or from God’s perspective? And then I pray that God will align my thinking to His thinking, and that His perspective will be my perspective; when I pray, when I read the Bible or when I disciple others. Only His perspective is without flaw. Only His perspective is the foundation of truth.

Radical

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Radical by David Platt

In Radical, David Platt challenges us to consider how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple, then invites us to believe and obey what we have heard. He encourages us to join in The Radical Experiment; a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how we live in a world that desperately needs the Good News of Jesus.Truly inspiring!

Small Beginnings

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“There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things.”

Dwight L. Moody

 

Although Bruce and I have been blessed with many opportunities to minister this year, I remember when God first planted a seed in my heart to pray for the nations. I stared at a large multicolored map of the world and was in awe of the massive opportunities for prophetic intercession. I suddenly realized how, empowered by the Holy Spirit, my prayers from the small living room in my home could actually affect a nation and its people. Suddenly, the Lord illuminated a tiny speck on the map, one of the smallest nations in the world. This was my prayer assignment. I was somewhat disappointed. I wanted to storm the heavens of pivotal nations in the earth, but the Lord gave me a small beginning. Today I pray readily for whatever nation God places on my heart and now God is actually allowing me to go forth to many of these small nations to share the message of the gospel. This year my husband, Bruce and I had opportunities to minister in Croatia, Slovenia, Malta, and Italy to name a few. God is so faithful and hears the heart cry of His people! He heard my heart’s cry! Praise His name! And why? Because he planted it there!

 

How about you? Are you in the day of small beginnings even now? What has God called you to do?

 

If you are in the day of small beginnings, take heart. The Lord is rejoicing to see the work begin and He who called you to the work is faithful to strengthen your hands to do it, faithful to send workers into the field he called you to, faithful to encourage you by His Spirit and with His Word, faithful to provide all of your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, and faithful to lead you into victory if you keep pressing toward the prize.

He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it (1 Thess. 5:23).

When the Impossible Becomes Logical

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As a teacher I have always been fascinated by the sciences. One day I was watching a large cluster of cumulus clouds floating in the sky. Over the years I’ve learned a great deal about these clouds. Fluffy, puffy, cumulus clouds are so very beautiful on a pretty spring day. As children I’m sure we’ve all experienced the fun of searching for shapes of people or animals hidden in these magnificent clouds.

 

Do you realize that just one of these medium sized cumulus clouds is equivalent to the weight of 80 elephants? Imagine 80 elephants suspended in the sky. Assuming the weight of one elephant is about 6 tons that means that one medium cumulus cloud weighs about 480 tons. The thought of 80 elephants suspended in the sky is truly mind-boggling! Furthermore, the water is not in elephant-sized pieces, it is in tiny, tiny particles, which float on the warmer air that’s rising below. Amazing! Isn’t it? So how many suspended elephants would be equivalent to one huge storm cloud? About 200,000. That’s right, 200,000 elephants suspended in the sky. In fact, the clouds in a single hurricane weigh more than all the elephants on the entire planet! Forty million elephants!

 

As a Christian seeing the power and majesty of God across the earth strengthens my belief that “with God nothing is impossible!” He is a God who makes the impossible logical! To this day the sight of fluffy, puffy, cumulus clouds brings a huge smile to my cheeks….

80 dangling elephants indeed!

 

Logical! Logical! Logical!

When the Body Rebels, His Spirit Prevails!

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Paul stated in Romans. “ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do…….For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. “ (Romans 7:15&18)

How well I understand that passage! Discipline, ugh, oh how the body rebels! Discipline is definitely not a natural behavior. I don’t perform it readily. It requires intentionality. However, discipline becomes merely legalism when we try to do it all on our own. There are times in my walk I feel the discipline slipping and the excuses brimming, shall we say! It manifests in those midnight desserts, missing days at the gym, or procrastination in areas where I know I shouldn’t. And eventually, in my frustration, I cry out as Paul did, “ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate doing I do…….For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” Paul knew that if he abandoned his dependency upon Christ and attempted to live the Christian life out of his own resources, He would never prevail. Although we can renew our minds through studying God’s word, we can never elevate our flesh to a place where it can fulfill God’s purpose in our lives in our own strength. When we lack understanding, personal weakness causes us to beat ourselves up, and hang our heads in shame. However, the Word states, “When I am weak, then I am strong.”( 2 Cor 12:10) Why? Because when I am weak then I yield myself to Him and He meets me there. Through His Spirit, strength abounds in me. And finally, that which I cannot do on my own, He does in and through me, simply because I am His daughter and I ask for His help…My Father loves me and sustains me and when my Body rebels, His Spirit prevails!

 

August 24, 2014

1) Gym √

2) Bible study √

3) Healthy breakfast √

4) Work √

 

Hindrances to Bible Interpretation

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Language, context and culture are significant in affecting our overall interpretation of scripture. Lets begin by using a cultural example.

If our cultural blind spots affect our reading of the Bible, then they may also affect our application of the Bible. The story of The Prodigal Son serves as a perfect example. Americans tend to treat the mention of the famine as an unnecessary part of the plot in this story. We may notice the mention of a famine and may even believe that it makes matters worse for the young son. However, since, he committed his sin, it goes without being said for us that the main issue in the story is his wastefulness, not the famine. This is evident from our traditional title for the story: the Parable of the Prodigal (“wasteful”) son. We apply the story as a lesson about willful rebellion and repentance. The boy is guilty of disrespecting his father and squandering his inheritance. He must now ask for forgiveness. However, many Christians in other parts of the world view the story differently. In cultures more familiar with famine, like Russia, readers consider the boy’s spending less important than the famine. The application of the story has less to do with willful rebellion and more to do with God’s faithfulness to deliver his people from hopeless situations. The boy’s problem is not that he is wasteful but that he is lost.(reference: E. Randolph Richards;Brandon J. O’Brien. Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible) This is not to suggest that one view is more right than another, but removing cultural blinders does help to expand our view and our overall understanding.

The following is a list of common Biblical misunderstandings attributed to language, context and culture. I pray that this list will provide Biblical insight and clarity to your study of the Bible:

 

1) Misunderstandings may occur in genealogical sequences in the use of the term father. If you ask me who my father is, I am very likely to identify one individual man. Father to an American is the person involved in conception. To the ancient Jew, father was any male blood relative who was of significant influence. In Matthew 1:1 the writer tells us “Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Does this mean that Jesus was the grandson of Abraham? Just reading the rest of the chapter tells you that this is not the case. A Jew regarded father to be a term that indicated lineage, but not necessarily the person involved in conception.

 

2) Individual words can have different meanings. The word for create (bara in Hebrew) was a word that could only be used in reference to God. When Genesis says “In the beginning, God created (bara) the heaven and the earth, “the significance is lost if one does not understand that the statement could only be used in reference to God. If it was an ordinary process that perhaps even man could do, the word that was used was asah (to make).

 

3) When Western readers hear Paul exhorting women to “dress modestly,” we automatically think in terms of sexual modesty. But most women in that culture would never wear immodest clothing. The context suggests that Paul is more likely concerned about economic modesty–that Christian women not flaunt their wealth through expensive clothes, braided hair and gold jewelry.

 

4) According to some cultures, readers might assume that Moses married “below himself” because his wife was a dark-skinned Cushite. Actually, Hebrews were the slave race, not the Cushites, who were highly respected. Aaron and Miriam probably thought Moses was being presumptuous by marrying above himself.

Prayers for our Children

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Father, Thank You for the gifts that our children are to us. You said they are rewards from the Lord. (Psalms 127:3-4)

 

We receive them today as gifts that have come from the Father of Lights with Whom there is no variation, no shadow cast by His turning. (James 1:17)

 

We receive them as good, faithful gifts from You. We call our children, “disciples,” “taught of the Lord,” that are “obedient to God’s will”, “of great peace,” and “undisturbed composure.” (Isaiah 54:13)

 

I pray today that You would contend with those that contend with our children, and bring safety and ease to them. (Isaiah 49:25)

 

I thank You, Father God, that their hearts are in Your Hand as a watercourse, and You turn them wither so ever way that You will. (Proverbs 21:1)

 

I thank You that You have promised that we would never be pale with fear or disappointment over our children’s degeneracy, but they would walk in the ways of virtue and piety, and we would rejoice in the God that causes them to do so. (Isaiah 29:22-23)

 

Father, bring our children back from the land of the enemy. We refrain our eyes from weeping and from tears, for we know our labor and prayer will be rewarded, and they will come again. (Jeremiah 31:16)

 

You’ve promised us, Father, that if we train our children in the way that they should go, that even when they are old they will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

 

Father, where we’ve had the ability to train them, or if we’ve raised our children without them knowing You, we thank You that it’s a new day, and a new time, and that You make all things new, and begin a work in our children that saves them from the destruction of the enemy. We call them from the north, the south, the east and the west. We say, “they return again from the land of the enemy,” and we thank You for Your hand upon our children. In Jesus’ Precious Name, Amen.

 

Prayers for Healing

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“I believe Lord, Help my unbelief!”

 

 

The following scriptures are a combination of NIV and Amplified Bible:

 

Proverbs 4:22 …for your Word is life to all those who attend to it and health and healing to all their flesh

 

Psalm 107: 20…He sent forth His Word and healed them.

As I pray your Word Lord, I pray that you will send it  forth to heal___________________

 

Psalm 103:2-3…Praise the Lord, O my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases

Please heal____________________

 

Romans 8:11…And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Father, I pray that the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead will quicken and restore__________________

 

Hebrews 4:12…For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow…

I pray that the Word of God which is alive and active, and full of  power will penetrate down to the deepest joints and marrow of ­­­­­­­­­­____________________

 

Isaiah 53: 4-5…Surely, He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,

 

1 Peter 2:24…Yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and  afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; and the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed…

Father I pray that by your stripes ___________is healed.

 

Luke 10:19…I have given you power to trample on snakes and scorpions, and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Father, your Word says we have been granted physical and mental ability over all the power that the enemy possesses, I take that authority now and command every symptom of sickness and disease that is named to bow to the name of Jesus and to heal __________________.