Goals...

There is a difference between trying harder to follow and obey God's will...

...and total abandonment to His will.

Quoted from Kim Binkley of Broken Arrow Church of Christ; Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
Guest speaker at our ladies retreat this year.

Something to think about.

Luke 18:8

..."However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"

Contradicting Scriptures?

I've heard a common thread of misunderstanding from certain people in the past who were struggling with the thought of Christianity. They had either heard or read bits of scriptures scattered through out the bible and felt it was all a big contradiction. Unfortunately these presumed inconsistencies seem to give them the permission they needed to drop their inquiries into Christianity. Joanna Weaver addresses Scriptures that seem to contradict each other so perfectly in her book "Having a Mary Spirit"...

Paul teaches that salvation comes solely by faith (Romans 3:22-26). Yet James said that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Paul tells us that our flesh has been crucified with Christ - Past tense! But then he urges us to "put to death the deeds of the body" (Romans 8:13, NKJV) on an ongoing basis.

So which one is it? you may ask. Which is true? Which one do I do?

The answer, I believe, is often... both. Both are true. And we must do both.

If your even more confused now here's an explanation that may help.

In eastern Montana, farmers and ranchers often plant trees as windbreaks. But in order for a young tree to survive the winter blasts as well as the summer heat of the prairie wind, the farmer has to stake off the tree. So he ties four strings to the trunk and then drives stakes deep in the ground at the four corners - east, west, north, and south. Then the wind can howl, but the little tree, held secure by the tension between the four strings, won't fall.

I believe God has built the same kind of four-cornered "holy tension" into His Word. Because we humans tend towards extremes, swinging to far in one direction and then veering way too far in the other, God wrote balance points into Scripture. Principles that appear contradictory at first glance, but - when followed - help us grow straight and tall, strong and deep.

As I continue to live the mystery of these scriptural paradoxes, I'm beginning to find they make perfect sense. More important, the very contradictions that stretch my mind are the ones that change me most deeply.

And isn't change the whole point?

~Joanna Weaver

Reconciliation

We recently had a great ladies bible class over the topic of reconciliation. It was just so good I wanted to share it here. All credit goes to God, and my friend Lori H. for researching and presenting this lesson.

Restoring Broken Relationships

We as Christians, are reconciled with God through Jesus. We know by this example, that if we have any relationships in our lives which need mending or reconciliation, we need to make this a priortiy.

• Romans 5:10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
• 2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation

Throughout scripture, God tells us we need to love one another, and of the importance of getting along together. Humility is an extremely important part of this.

• Philippians 2:1-5 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus

It is also a mark of spiritual maturity.

• 1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.
• Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Seven Biblical Steps to Restoring a Relationship

1. Talk to God before talking to the person...
   
   James 4:1-2 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.
   
   
2. Always take the initiative...
   
   Matthew 5:23-24 Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.
   
   Ephesians 4:26 In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry
   
   Can also hinder our relationship with the Lord...
   
   Proverbs 28:9 If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.
   
   
3. Sympathize with the other persons feelings - listen more than you speak...
   
   Philippians 2:1-5 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus
   
   Psalms 73:21-22 When my heart was embittered and I was pierced within, then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.
   
   Romans 15:2-3 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."
   
   
4. Confess your part of the conflict and ask for forgiveness...
   
   Matthew 7:5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
   
   1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
   
   
5. Respond with gentleness, not with anger...
   
   Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
   
   Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
   
   
6. Cooperate as much as possible...
   
   Romans 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
   
   
7. Emphasize RECONCILIATION not RESOLUTION...
   
   1 John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

If you have a relationship in your life which has a particular problem or needs restoring, begin praying about a solution, and approach that person this week and let God work with you toward a better relationship.

Humility is...

Humility is perfect quietness of heart.
It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me.
It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised.
It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble.

~Andrew Murray

Pride is a Cheater

My name is Pride. I am a cheater.
I cheat you of your God-given destiny...because
you demand your own way.

I cheat you of contentment...because
you "deserve better than this."

I cheat you of knowledge ...because
you already know it all.

I cheat you of healing...because
you're too full of me to forgive.

I cheat you of holiness...because
you refuse to admit when your wrong.

I cheat you of vision...because
you'd rather look in the mirror than out a window.

I cheat you of genuine friendship...because
nobody's going to know the real you.

I cheat you of love...because
real romance demands sacrifice.

I cheat you of greatness in Heaven...because
you refuse to wash another's feet on earth.

I cheat you of God's glory...because
I convince you to seek your own.

My name is Pride. I am a cheater.

You like me because you think I'm always looking out for you.

Untrue.

I'm looking to make a fool of you.

God has so much for you, I admit, but don't worry...
If you stick with me

You'll never know.

~ Beth Moore
Praying God's Word.

Cool Quote

"I am not a citizen of this world trying to get to heaven,
but a citizen of Heaven, trying to get through this world."

Author Unknown

Three Things

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -

1. Time
2. Words
3. Opportunity

Three things in life that can destroy a person -

1. Anger
2. Pride
3. Unforgiveness

Three things in life that you should never lose -

1. Faith
2. Hope
3. Integrity

Three things in life that are most valuable -

1. Love
2. Family & Friends
3. Kindness

Three things in life that are never certain -

1. Fortune
2. Success
3. Dreams

Three things that make a person -

1. Commitment
2. Sincerity
3. Hard Work

Three things that are truly constant -

1. Father
2. Son
3. Holy Spirit

I asked the Lord to bless you,
as I prayed for you today;
to guide you and protect you,
as you go along your way.
God's love is always with you,
God's promises are true.
And when you give God all your cares,
you know He'll see you through.

****************

Unknown Author
2007 Ladies Retreat
Anchorage Church of Christ

I saw Jesus

I saw Jesus last week.
He was wearing blue jeans and an old shirt.
He was up at the church building;
He was alone and working hard.
For just a minute,
He looked a little like on of our members.
But it was Jesus.
I could tell by his smile.

I saw Jesus last Sunday.
He was teaching a Bible class.
He didn't talk really loud or use long words,
but you could tell He believed what he said.
For just a minute,
He looked like my Sunday school teacher.
But it was Jesus.
I could tell by His loving voice.

I saw Jesus yesterday.
He was at the hospital
visiting a friend who was sick.
They prayed together quietly.
For just a minute,
He looked like brother Jones.
But it was Jesus.
I could tell by the tears in His eyes.

I saw Jesus this morning.
He was in my kitchen
making my breakfast
and fixing me a special lunch.
For just a minute,
He looked like my mom.
But it was Jesus.
I could feel the love from His heart.

I see Jesus everywhere,
taking food to the sick,
welcoming others to his home,
being friendly to a newcomer,
and for just a minute,
I think He's someone I know.
But it's always Jesus.
I can tell by the way He serves.

May someone see Jesus in you today.

Unknown Author
2007 Ladies Retreat
Anchorage Church of Christ

going to God with grief

Tonight my thoughts have been consumed with the grief of a friend. She poured her heart out to me tonight, and all I want to do is make her feel better.

But of course...

Nobody on earth can just fix grief.

I prayed, I read my bible, and I prayed some more for God to help me to reach out to her in a way that might somehow be helpful. I really wish I was better at this sort of thing but the truth is that this is just not my strong suit.

I decided I would google for scriptures connected with grief. But before I did, I had the strongest urge to hear a song. A song I have on my computer. The song is by Rascal Flats, who are not a Christian group, they just have good songs. The stranger thing is that the song "Stand" isn't one I ever intentionally pick at home, or in the car. Before tonight I didn't even know the name of the song, nor did I know the lyrics. Earlier today I heard the first few seconds play on someones myspace page before I went to another page and the song got cut off. I didn't pay attention to the words, but the tune lingered.

So I found it on my computer however many hours later and played it...

You feel like a candle in a hurricane
Just like a picture with a broken frame
Alone and helpless like you’ve lost your fight
But you’ll be alright, you’ll be alright
Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you’re made of
You might bend ‘til you break
Cause it’s all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you’ve had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand
Life’s like a novel with the end ripped out
The edge of canyon with only one way down
Take what you’re given before it’s gone
And start holdin’ on, keep holdin’ on
Every time you get up and get back in the race
One more small piece of you starts to fall into place

This song just struck me as one of those "your gonna make it" songs we tell ourselves in rough times. It seemed to have a bit of His touch to it as well. So I looked at a few of the other song lyrics on the same album and discovered a favorite of mine. It's called "He ain't the leavin kind". I always thought it was about a husband or boyfriend, but tonight I discover it's about God.

And there He goes, another grand slam hit outa the park. I am just amazed at the meaning these songs carry and the exact timing He delivers this.

And maybe by now your realizing I don't believe in coincidences.

**************************************

I found some scriptures after I heard the song.

I'm not the one grieving but they even gave me comfort...

The Father of mercies and the God of all consolation·consoles us in all our affliction.
~2 Corinthians 1:3,4

When Jesus saw her weeping...He was greatly disturbed in spirit...Jesus began to weep.
~John 11:33,35

They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles.
~Isaiah 40:31

******************************

And during all this someone left a comment on one of my posts tonight. It got me checking out some of the other posts at the top of the page I've written and I see my post about the Godwinks book. The post about all of us having to go through the valley. The post about just holding on and relying on God to get us through the other side, because he's right there with us. And to be watching for his "winks" of reassurance along the way.

I haven't even thought about that post or this blog in over a month.

And He delivers yet another relevant answer to my prayers.

*****************************

Talk about Godwinks. He heard my prayer and lead me straight to some great things to roll my mind around in. Some of this I may share with her, and some I may just keep in mind. I suppose He'll lead me through all that too.

But I'm convinced He's been sitting over my shoulders tonight.

Wow, I love Him.

****************************

I found all sorts of other scriptures I thought I would share. Keep in mind this is what I found in a few hours, including the song lyric detour. This of course means there are tons of other scriptures that would be helpful - if you find them, I would love you to share them with me.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. ~Psalm 147:3

Approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. ~Hebrews 4:16

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts ~Colossians 3:15

I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. ~Psalm 18:1-2

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge ~ Psalm 62:5-8

Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O Lord, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. ~ Psalm 36:5-7

Psalms 32:10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.

Psalms 103:16-18
the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children - with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

Jeremiah 3:19-21
"I myself said," 'How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.' I thought you would call me 'Father' and not turn away from following me. But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel," declares the LORD. A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the LORD their God.

Jeremiah 31:3
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

Hosea 11:1-11
"When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them. Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent? Swords will flash in their cities, will destroy the bars of their gates and put an end to their plans. My people are determined to turn from me. Even if they call to the Most High, he will by no means exalt them. "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man - the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath. They will follow the LORD; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west. They will come trembling like birds from Egypt, like doves from Assyria. I will settle them in their homes," declares the LORD.

When God Winks at You...

I'm reading a book called "When God Winks at You" by Squire Rushnell

It's a small book about how God communicates with us in our everyday lives. In both incredibile and small ways. I know I see it all the time, now. I never really had my eyes open to most of it before though - unless it was something huge.

The begining of the book had me anxious for it to get better and although I'm not through it yet, its turned out to be really uplifting. It's all been really good stories, no downers, all covering mostly happy moments for different people getting little messages from God. I would definitely recommend the book.

I just got to the 6th Chapter called "Winks on Unanswered Prayer", and in this chapter there's a section called "why me, why now". Times of true hardship. Times we don't always understand why we're going through troubles. Sometimes the reason becomes clear in the future, sometimes not. He actually writes a really touching true life example where we do get to see the reason for one of those hardships but what he wrote after that was what really connected with me...

We've all had the experience of looking heavenward and asking: "God, why me?"

Terrible things happen to everyone. Sooner or later, we all have to walk through the valley.

In the Bible, David never suggested we could go around the valley or over it. We all have to go through it.

But the nice thing about valleys is that there is an end to them. No matter how dark it seems, there's a time when it will end and you'll break into the sunshine. And that is the concept you need to hang on to - that there is an end to terrible times, to the feelings of loss of control and to the total absence of suitable remedies.

Valleys also have signposts. All along the way God provides winks of reassurance for you to see. Just like on the darkest interstate, a signpost every once in a while is a welcome message of reassurance - a reminder that your on track, to keep going.

The thing I liked about this little spot in the book most is that it reminded me God is with us through our hardships (which is a big comfort for me to hang onto). I'm not gonna even touch on why the hardships happen because I haven't stumbled upon that book yet, but it's a great reassurance to know that He is right there, with us and He's doing his best to send us special messages that He's loves us and hasn't left us alone. Even with all the needy souls he's tending to, he still has time to send us little messages each day.

Starstruck

Well, I've let myself get a bit to busy to have devotional time with the Lord lately. It's been a nagging thought in the back of my mind that I need to put some time aside each day for Him. And not just a few minutes but an hour or two - in the mornings would be best so I can start the day with Him. But really, at this point I'm not gonna be picky. I've been praying about it, but then I forget later when I maybe could do something about it.

This evening I had a whole list of things that I was getting done, things that needed done. Chugging right through it too. And I justified that it was OK to do (for tonight at least) over devotional time with Jesus because it's stuff for the Church that has to get done.

• I organize and run the church nursery - I had to print and laminate some stuff before Sunday because I don't know when I'll have time after today. It was suppose to be done 2 Sunday's ago.
  
• Our church is putting on the 2007 Statewide lectureship - I was asked to be the Organizing and Scheduling person - which entails I think a little bit of everything. I had to do some stuff for that this evening because I can't stand stacks of responsibility looming over me that is unfinished. That stuff ended up taking me over 3 hours to do alone.

Anyway, in the middle of my mad. rushed. progress...

*Boom*

The power goes out.

And I think "Oh you've got to be kidding me."

And so Marty and I light some candles and I think, "now what? I can't do any of this with out power." "I can't do Anything with out power!" I guess I was a bit frustrated too because I just wanted to get some of this done so bad... Even though the lectureship isn't happening until APRIL.

And then it hit me, "Maybe God is making time for my devotional." So I gathered a ton of candles around the couch, snuggled up and had my devo time with God through reading and prayer. It was just what I needed.

My mind had been racing and I had a million things to do. When I couldn't figure out how to make time, he did it for me. Just knowing he made time for me tonight, had (and still has) me starstruck.

And I have to add, it's a little rough at first but; reading by nothing but candle light is very romantic.

And no, not romantic in that way...

...more along the lines of dreamy and idealistic, yet in a simple kind of way.

Can't beat hanging with The Big Guy. Especially when He stops everything and sets an ambiance like none other; just to be with you.

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World

I've been reading a book recommended by a friend lately. Actually the book was part of a semester long study in our ladies class at church. Unfortunately they had 2 really good classes going at once so I only made it to the class on this book a few times. The teacher was gone once (maybe twice) in the class I was in, so I just floated over the the ladies class during those times and I think that is exactly what God had planned for me.

The teacher highlighted one part of this book one of those days I floated over, and I just haven't forgotten it in the 2 years since. The rest of the book is great, but I thought I would share a small portion of the book here, in hopes that someone else will be as intrigued as I was....

The book is called "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" by Joanna Weaver

This bit is taken from the middle of chapter 5....

Making Room For The Savior
Few things have whetted my hunger for God like the discipleship course I took back in 1987. While other people may struggle with worldly temptations, my struggle has always been in the area of spiritual disciplines. My devotional life has been haphazard at best. Because I hadn't developed the habit of a quiet time as a child, when the busyness of adulthood came, I found it difficult to find time alone with the Lord.

Some of you may be aghast at such a thought. Your devotional life runs like clockwork. You find it impossible to make it through the day with out time alone with God.

If that is true for you, may I tell you how blessed you are? It has taken me nearly twenty years to come to this discipline, and even then it has been a gift of grace, not an accomplishment of my own making.

Until I took the Navigator's 2:7 Course, I didn't even know what I was missing. There are many wonderful discipleship programs available, and I don't highlight this one for any reason except that it happened to be the one our church used. It gave me the discipleship tools I needed and some necessary accountability as well.

The class was wonderful. My spirit began to grow and thrive as the soil of my heart was tilled deep and fed by the Word of God. But then my Martha-like perfectionist tendencies kicked in, causing me to approach my devotional time as another duty to perform. I loved the feeling I got as I checked of chapters in my Bible reading and conquered another memory verse. To be honest, much of my motivation cam from my competitive nature. I wanted to be the star pupil, one of those disgusting teacher's pets.

Robert Boyd Munger's article "My Heart Christ's Home" changed all that. Through the simple analogy he suggested, I discovered what it meant to have a Mary heart toward God. Suddenly my eyes were open to what true devotion is.
It is not a duty. It is a delight.

It is not an exercise in piety. It is a privilege.

And it is not so much a visit as it is a homecoming.

"Without question one of the most remarkable Christian doctrines is that Jesus Christ Himself through the presence of the Holy Spirit will actually enter a heart, settle down and be at home there," Munger says. "[Jesus] came into the darkness of my heart and turned on a light. He built a fire in the cold hearth and banished the chill. He started music where there had been stillness and He filled the emptiness with His own loving, wonderful fellowship."

Munger goes on to tell how he showed Christ around the house of his heart, inviting him to "settle down here and be perfectly at home," welcoming him room by room. Together they visited the library of his mind - "a very small room with very thick walls." They peered into the dining room of his appetites and desires. They spent a little time in the workshop where his talents and skills were kept, and the rumpus room of "certain associations and friendships, activities and amusements." They even poked their heads into the hall closet filled with dead, rotting things he had managed to hoard.

As Munger described each room, they reflected my heart as well. But it was his depiction of the drawing room that would forever change the way I viewed my time with the Lord.


We walked next into the drawing room. This room was rather intimate and comfortable. I liked it. It had a fireplace, overstuffed chairs, a bookcase, sofa, and a quiet atmosphere.

He also seemed pleased with it. He said, "this is indeed a delightful room. Let us come here often. It is secluded and quiet and we can have fellowship together."
Well, naturally as a young Christian I was thrilled. I could not think of anything I would rather do than have a few minutes apart with Christ in the intimate comradeship.

He promised, "I will be here every morning early. Meet with Me here and we will start the day together." So, morning after morning, I would come downstairs to the drawing room and He would take a book of the Bible... open it and then we would read together. He would tell me of its riches and unfold to me its truths.... They were wonderful hours together. In fact, we called the drawing room the "withdrawing room." It was a period when we had our quiet time together.
But little by little, under the pressure of many responsibilities, this time began to be shortened... I began to miss a day now and then.... I would miss it two days in a row and often more.

I remember one morning when I was in a hurry... As I passed the drawing room, the door was ajar. Looking in I saw a fire in the fireplace and the Lord sitting there... "Blessed Master, forgive me. Have You been here all these mornings?"
"Yes," He said, "I told you I would be here every morning to meet with you." Then I was even more ashamed. He had been faithful in spite of my faithlessness. I asked His forgiveness and He readily forgave me...

He said "the trouble with you is this: You have been thinking of the quiet time, of the Bible study and prayer time, as a factor in your own spiritual progress, but you have forgotten that this hour means something to Me also."

What an amazing thought - that Christ wants to spend quality time with me. That he looks forward to our time together and misses me when I don't show up. Once that message started sinking into my heart, I started looking at my devotional time in a whole new way - not as a ritual, but as a relationship.
And a relationship doesn't just happen. It has to be nurtured, protected, and loved.

********************

This book isn't just centered around this idea but a passage out of Luke 10...

At the Home of Martha and Mary
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.

A justifiably busy woman vs. another woman who puts worship above everything else; and how there is a balance somewhere in all that (of course putting worship and devotion to God at the top of your list).

Highly recommended read.

My Heart Christ's Home

I moved this post over to my book review site. Click here if you'd like to see it.

Guidance

I just got this in an email, I thought it might be nice to share....

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw "G: I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".
"God, "u" and "i" dance."
God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

New Testament Reliability

I picked up the following from my church, The Valley Church of Christ. I've been meaning to post it for sometime now.

*********************************

The WORD on:
New Testament Reliability
You can know that the Bible is from God and is Accurate
(Written by Robert Kuenning, Minister)


This is part of a papyrus manuscript dating from about 200 AD.
It has the last line of Romans and the beginning of Hebrews.

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart"
Hebrews 4:12

Many know that the Bible is the perfect Word of God. They have long learned the power of its message and that it guides us into a renewed relationship with God and in a daily walk in Jesus Christ. They know by faith that the verses are true that tell us of the Bible's divine origin:

"All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."
2 Timothy 3:16-17

But there are many more who have not tasted the Word's delicious spiritual feast because of misinformation, doubt, or mistrust. Few realize how much confidence you can have in the Bible before you even have faith.

You see, behind the Bible is a mountain of evidence backing up its claims that it is God's Word and that we can have an accurate copy of the scriptures today. No other ancient writing comes anywhere close to having so much solid proof that its contents are true.

Accuracy and preservation isn't just important to those challenging the Bible. The way every believer, Bible student, Bible teacher, translator, researcher, ancient historian, archeologist and editor handles the Bible also hinges on the certainty of its truth. That's why there has been so much research in this subject and so many challenges to the Bibles truth.

Bibles today are translated directly from the original languages, Hebrew and Greek. The test is whether we have an accurate copy of each testament in its original language. Believer or not, you can KNOW that the Bible is accurate and reliable!

Here we will discuss the reliability of the New Testament (NT). Old Testament reliability is cover in another pamphlet like this one.

• New Testament Overview

• The 27 Books of the NT were written in the Greek language over a 50 year period from approximately 40 AD to 90 AD.
• The NT consists of Gospels (stories of Jesus' life), history, letters, and prophecy.
• Jesus promised his Apostles that the Holy Spirit would tell them what to teach:
  
  "but when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth" - John 16:13-14
  
  
• The NT mostly tells the story of Jesus and the beginnings of His church.
  
  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Jesus) - Matthew 28:19-20
  

• Layers of Evidences
  Here, are a few reasons that we can have absolute confidence in the New Testament:
  

• Huge Volume of Available NT Manuscripts There are nearly 25,000 ancient NT manuscripts!
• Greek ----------- 5,686
• Latin ------------ 10,000+
• Ethiopic --------- 2,000+
• Slavic ----------- 4,101
• Armenian ------- 2,587
• Syriac Pashetta - 350+
• Bohairic --------- 100
  
• Arabic ---------- 75
  
• Old Latin -------- 50
• Anglo Saxon ----- 7
• Gothic ----------- 6
• Sogdian ---------- 3
• Old Syriac ------- 2
• Persian ---------- 2
• Frankish --------- 1
  Total 24,970++

• This amazing number of existing ancient NT documents alone assures us that we can reconstruct the original with confidence!

• Consistency Across the Manuscripts - Even in so many documents, there are very few serious differences and none that effect a principle of faith or doctrine. Most Bibles today show them in the text.
• Dates of Manuscripts - The earliest manuscripts are very close to the dates the originals were written. The closest NT document was written less than 50 years after the original! We have nearly complete NTs that were copied less than 300 years from the originals. This is a very small gap and makes the NT unique in its documentary reliability.
• Wide Diversity of Language & Distribution - Beyond the 15 languages on the above list, we have early quotations from at least 8 more languages. Those 23 different versions and the obvious way that the early books were copied and scattered gives NT accuracy two wonderful boosts:
• One, the wide variety of languages allow scholars to compare and check those copies against the Greek for additional clarity and verification.
• Two, the wide distribution guarantees that no person or group could possibly have controlled or corrupted the overall NT.
• More NT Documentary Evidence
• Early Christian Writers - Throughout the early years of the church, Christians (mostly Elders) wrote a large number of letters and Bible lessons that contain a huge number of NT quotations. These documents date from ~90 AD and contain over 36,000 NT quotations! The entire NT could be recreated from these writings alone! This is an invaluable source in establishing accuracy and dating of the originals.
  
• Church Lectionaries - Early Churches began writing out Bible lessons for Sunday Services and Studies. Researchers have catalogued over 2,300 Lectionaries (There are many more to be studied.) dating from ~500 AD. They note that the NT could be recreated from them except for Revelation and Parts of Acts.
• The New Testament Canon - This is an important part of any NT study. The 'canon' is the list of which books should be in the NT.
• Trusted by the Early Christians - The very earliest Christians received the letters and Gospels from the Apostles. They knew the men and accepted that their teachings were from God. Jesus said it would be:
  
  "the Holy Spirit... will teach you all things, and bring your remembrance all that I said to you." - John 14:26-27 (Also John 16:12-15)
  
  The Apostles, themselves, taught that their words were not from man but from God through His Spirit.
  
  "For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; ... [the] things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit,"
  - 1 Corinthians 2:10-13
  
  These letters were trusted and tested and sent from church to church as scripture. Know this:
  The NT books were not trusted by the early church because they were put into a canon, they were put into a canon because they were trusted by the early church!
  This is an important point to remember and we do know what the early church trusted and used:
• Early Christian Writers (again) - Those same writers gave us a good early look at the canon. Those who wrote from 90 to 120 AD listed 20 of the 27 books (including all 4 Gospels)! And they included no other non-NT book! We know what books the very early church trusted and used.
• Even an Early False Teacher, Marcion, in 140 AD discussed 14 NT books and no others, as he argued against trusting the OT.
• The Non-NT Books being paraded today as "lost gospels" (etc.) were never seriously trusted or used by early Christians. The earliest didn't even exist until ~150 years after Jesus' death! With anti-Christian origins, ridiculous and fanciful stories, and unchristian doctrines, there is no serious challenge on their being omitted.

• Accuracy Check Through History - Only recently has the extreme accuracy of the details of the NT writings been made clear. Historians now conclude that the NT books had to be written before 100 AD (many before 70 AD) for them to contain the detailed facts that they have.
• Conclusion: - The evidence that the New Testament is accurate and reliable is enourmous:
  
• 25,000 Manuscripts!
• Copy with in 50 years of Original!
• 36,000 more quotations to 90 AD!
• NT Books we know were 1st Century.

You can trust todays Bible.

• For more on this subject try:
• The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, McDowell
• The New Testament Documents, Are they Reliable, Bruce
• Redating the New Testament, Robinson

Written by Robert Kuenning, Minister
Valley Church of Christ
P.O. Box 876401
Wasilla, AK 99654
(907) 745-3011

************************************

FYI:
Any study Bible will tell you the approxamate date each book of the Bible was written (along with it's purpose, author, to whom it was written, setting, etc.) but to make it easier, it's also listed below.

• Matthew ~ Probably between 60-65 AD
• Mark ~ Between 55-65 AD
• Luke ~ About 60 AD
• John ~ Probably 85-90 AD
• Acts ~ Between 63-70 AD
• Romans ~ About 57 AD
• 1 Corinthians ~ About 55
  
• 2 Corinthians ~ About 55-57 AD
• Galatians ~ About 49 AD
• Ephesians ~ About 60 AD
• Philippians ~ About 61 AD
• Colossians ~ About 60 AD
• 1 Thessalonians ~ About 51 AD
• 2 Thessalonians ~ About 51-52 AD (a few months after 1 Thessalonians)
• 1 Timothy ~ About 64 AD
• 2 Timothy ~ About 66 or 67 AD
• Titus ~ About 64 AD
• Philemon ~ About 60 AD
• Hebrews ~ Probably written before the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, because the religious sacrifices and ceremonies are reffered to in the book, but no mention is made of the temple's destruction.
• James ~ Probably 49 AD
• 1 Peter ~ About 62-64 AD
• 2 Peter ~ About 67 AD
• 1 John ~ Probably between 85 and 90 AD
• 2 John ~ Around 90 AD
• 3 John ~ About 90 AD
• Jude ~ About 65 AD
• Revelation ~ About 95 AD

And there you have it! :)

Old Testament Reliability

I picked up the following from my church, The Valley Church of Christ. I've been meaning to post it for sometime now.

*********************************

The WORD on:
Old Testament Reliability
You can know that the Bible is from God and is Accurate
(Written by Robert Kuenning, Minister)


This is a portion of Psalms 119 from the Dead Sea Scrolls. The arrow is pointing to God's Name "YHWH" in text.

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word.
With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.
Blessed are You, O LORD;
Teach me Your statutes.
Psalm 119:9-12

Old Testament Reliability

Many know that the Bible is the perfect Word of God. They have long learned the power of its message and that it guides us into a renewed relationship with God and in a daily walk in Jesus Christ. They know by faith that the verses are true that tell us of the Bible's divine origin:

"All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." ~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17

But there are many more who have not tasted the Word's delicious spiritual feast because of misinformation, doubt, or mistrust. Few realize how much confidence you can have in the Bible before you even have faith.

You see, behind the Bible is a mountain of evidence backing up its claims that it is God's Word and that we can have an accurate copy of the scriptures today. No other ancient writing comes anywhere close to having so much solid proof that its contents are true.

Accuracy and preservation isn't just important to those challenging the Bible. The way every believer, Bible student, Bible teacher, translator, researcher, ancient historian, archeologist and editor handles the Bible also hinges on the certainty of its truth. That's why there has been so much research in this subject and so many challenges to the Bibles truth.

Bibles today are translated directly from the original languages, Hebrew and Greek. The test is whether we have an accurate copy of each testament in its original language. Believer or not, you can KNOW that the Bible is accurate and reliable!

Here we will discuss the reliability of the Old Testament (OT). New Testament reliability is covered in another pamphlet like this one.

Old Testament Overview

• The 39 books of the OT were written over a 1200 year period from approximately 1600 BC to 400 BC.
• Starting with Moses, who wrote the first five books of the Bible, and ending with Ezra who wrote Chronicles, the OT had a wide range of writers. They all had God's inspiration and would have agreed with David's remark:

"The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue." ~ 2 Samuel 23:2

• The OT primarily tells the story of the Jewish people from roots to riches to ruin. It contains history, law, poetry, prophecy, and personal stories.
  

  "Your word is a lamp to my feet
  And a light to my path. ...
  Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word. ...
  And teach me Your ordinances.
  My life is continually in my hand," ~ Psalm 119:105-109

Layers of Evidences
Here, briefly are a few of the reasons that we can have absolute confidence in the accuracy of today's Old Testament:

• Exacting Jewish Scribes
• The OT was written and meticulously preserved in the original Hebrew language from the beginning through today. It was always considered sacred and therefore was very seriously guarded and copied with the utmost care.
• The sole responsibility of the Jewish Scribes was to know, maintain, protect, and, exactly preserve the books of the OT. The levels of care that they went through is astounding:
• The skin, ink, document size, and lines on the document were all clearly defined. The number, size, spacing, and length of lines and columns per skin were specified. The spacing of the letters, words, sections, and books and the point of ending books were to be exact.
• The dress and cleanliness of the scribe, condition of the book being copied , and the manner in which the name for God (YWHW) was written was all specifically ordered.
• When each book or section had been copied, the scribes would count and check the number of every verse, word, and letter of the manuscript. They even counted the times each letter occurred in each book, calculated the middle word and middle letter and checked the new with the old. Such detail seems extreme to us, but with this level of detail, we can know we have reliable manuscripts today.

• The Dead Sea Scrolls
• An amazing event occurred in 1947 with the beginning of the discovery of 931 ancient documents found in caves near the town of Qumran on the shores of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea Scrolls:
• Prove the OT Accurate
  The manuscripts of the Dead Sea Scrolls date to as old as 400 BC. The OT manuscripts found are 900 to 1100 years older than the most reliable available Hebrew OT manuscripts. When the Scrolls are compared to the newer manuscripts, they prove to be amazingly accurate, nearly identical. The few differences were mostly slips of the pen, spelling changes or word substitutions (over vs. above e.g.). The extreme accuracy of the newer documents puts to death the questions of the OT reliability based on time.
• Prove the cannon of the OT
  The Dead Sea Scrolls contained 223 OT manuscripts! Those 223 manuscripts include 38 of the 39 books of the OT! The one book missing is Esther, but other documents there refer to the story, so we know it was part of their culture.

• Non-Hebrew & Other Jewish Evidences
  The following ancient documents give tremendous support for the accuracy of the OT.
  
• The Septuagint (250 BC) is the translation of the OT into Greek. An important and powerful document, it not only gave the Jews their scriptures in the common language of the entire region, but gave non-Jews easier access to God's Word (Just in time to understand the context of Jesus' Ministry.).
• The Hexapla (240 AD) is a comparative Greek/Hebrew OT with versions in 6 columns created by the Christian elder Origen.
• The Samaritan Pentateuch (200 BC) is the Samaritan copy of the OT's first five books.
  
• Aramaic Targums (200 AD) are paraphrases of the scriptures kept by Jewish communities to aid in understanding the OT.
• The Mishna (200 AD) was the Law of Moses retold and explained.
• The Gemara (200 AD) was an Aramaic commentary on the Law of Moses.
• The Midrash (100 BC - 300 AD) are doctrinal studies of the Hebrew OT.

• Evidence from History and Archeology
  Substantial proof for the accuracy of the OT text comes through Archeology.
  One famous Archeologist said:
  

  "... categorically ... no archeological discovery has ever [contradicted] a Biblical reference. Scores of ... findings ... confirm in ... outline or detail the statements of the Bible."

  Kingdoms, Cities, Countries, Personal Names, Battles, Kings, Languages, Writings, Laws, Religious Practices, and even the use of words have proven to be correctly described in the OT. Time and again historians have thought that the OT was wrong concerning an event (etc.) only to have the Bible prove right when the facts were known.

• Prophecy in the OT has proven correct in every case expected. Hundreds of predictions have literally come true including those regarding: Edom, Tyre, Babylon, Persia, Nineveh, Israel, Greece, Jesus Christ, and many others.

• Conclusion: The evidence is overwhelming (And this is far from all the evidence.). You do not have to guess or hope, you can KNOW that the Old Testament we have is true & accurate

• For more on this subject, try:
  The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, McDowell
  Standing on the Rock, Boice
  Facts on Why You Can Believe the Bible, Ankergerg & Weldon
  On the Reliability of the Old Testament, Kitchen

By Robert Kuenning, Minister
If you have any questions or would like help in studying the Bible please call (907) 745-3011
Valley Church of Christ

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Gardening GOD'S Way

Plant three rows of Squash:
Squash Gossip
Squash Criticism
Squash Indifference

Plant three rows of Peas:
Purity
Patience
Perseverance

Plant four rows of Lettuce
Let us be Kind
Let us be Faithful
Let us be Obedient
Let us Love one another

No Garden is complete without Turnips:
Turn up for Service
Turn up for Meetings
Turn up to led a Helping Hand

To conclude our planting...

We must have Thyme:
Time for God
Time for Study
Time for Prayer

Water freely with Patience and Cultivate with Love. There is much fruit in Your Garden because you Reap what you Sow.

~ Author Unknown

Good Quotes I got in an email...

Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death...

God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts...

Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, and faith looks up...

A successful marriage isn't finding the right person; it's being the right person.