How to avoid 'ineffectiveness'

"...make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins."

2 Peter 1:5-9

(boldness added)

Not as eye-service, as people-pleasers

Ephesians 6:5-7:

"...obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man."

Extracting from Exodus

Exodus 2:23-25 – “During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel – and God knew.”

Yes, God SEES, and, God KNOWS.

Exodus 3:11, 4:10-12: “But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’

“… ‘Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent…’ Then the LORD said to him, ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.’”

More than who are we, let’s ask, WHO IS HE?

Exodus 14:14: “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.’”

Nice.

Out of the heart...

My sister was talking about focusing on the heart rather than the actions, and she made mention of someone thinking about actions (like pumping gas on Sundays) , and (perhaps that that person had been) church-taught certain stuff - like how to dress at church.

And, if I remember right, in the past, she had told me that I was focusing on how I want to be - the actions - rather than the change of heart.

Yes, indeed, we should focus on the heart rather than on the actions. The change of heart will result in the change of actions...

Thanks, sis, for the reminder.

Spontaneous Acts of Kindness

...are wonderful!!

Like today, my friend called me and asked me if I had read my Bible yesterday. Other than the Bible study I went to, it's possible that I may not have. When she came to class, she gave me a cookie(s), wrapped up in foil - as an incentive.

How thoughtful!!!!!

Thank you, friend, if you read this :)

Heart Struggle Tests

It's interesting to think that perhaps the reason for life/heart trials could be God trying to make us stronger through them, to bring us closer to Him through it. To think He cares enough about us and may be using those trials to glorify Him & develop our character & to bring us contentment though Him...

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)

God, please teach me to count my struggles as joy - please make me complete & content in Your will...

Que Sera Sera

from the Doris Day song on http://www.lyriczz.com/lyriczz.php?songid=12960:

When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother, what will I be
Will I be pretty, will I be rich
Here's what she said to me.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

When I was young, I fell in love
I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead
Will we have rainbows, day after day
Here's what my sweetheart said.

[...]

Now I have children of my own
They ask their mother, what will I be
Will I be handsome, will I be rich
I tell them tenderly.

[...]

"Never Underestimate My Jesus"

from a Relient K song from http://www.azlyrics.us/209163:

Am I at the point of no improvement?
What are the deaths I still dwell in?
I try to excel but I feel no movement
Can I be free of this unreleasable sin
[...]

CHORUS:
Never underestimate my Jesus
your tellin me that there's no hope
I’m tellin you your wrong
Never underestimate my Jesus
when the world around you crumbles
He will be strong [...]

I throw up my hands
oh the impossibilities
Frustrated and tired
Where do I go from here?
Now I’m searchin' for
The confidence I lost so willingly
Overcoming these obstacles
Is overcoming my fears
[...]

CHORUS

[...]
I think I can't
but I think you can
I think you can gather my insufficiencies and
place them in your hands
[...]

Guidance (Scripture)

"Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." (Psalm 143:8b)

"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!" (Psalm 143:10)

All for Jesus...

Matthew 25:37-40:

"Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'"

from http://www.christianlyricsonline.com/artists/brave-saint-saturn/under-bridges.html:

Yesterday while walking,
Beneath an overpass,
I saw the figure of Jesus,
Standing barefoot on broken glass.
His beard was graying,
The smell of urine filled the air,
Asking if I had some change,
Anything that I could spare.

Emaciated,
His shaking fists balled up,
Influenza and pneumonia,
Begging God to take his cup.
So different from his pictures,
Breathing air through yellowed tubes,
Jesus Christ, [...]
Can look right through you.

And all have hated,
Crucified and walked away,
The Savior of the prostitutes,
Drunkards, rapists, [...]

Under bridges,
With hands raised,
From the ghettos they praise his name.
Broke and crippled in the dark of night,
Raise your voices to Jesus Christ,
Hallelujah.

God provides...

He provided for Hagar and her son, He provided for Abraham, He can provide for you & I...

Hagar had been sent away, and, in the wilderness with Abraham's child, they ran out of water...She was upset and didn't want to see her child die. The angel of God tells Hagar He will make her son into a great nation (in Gen. 21:18). And when Hagar's eyes were opened, she saw a well of water (in vs. 19). And vs. 20 says that God was with her son. Hagar may've felt desperate, rejected, lonely, and scared...and yet, God provided...

Yes, indeed, God provides...

In Gen. 22, God tested Abraham, and told him to offer up his son Isaac as an offering...So Abraham headed out, and must have been mulling this over for 3 days as he was heading to Moriah where he was to make this sacrifice. Imagine the thoughts in his head...did he really think he'd actually sacrifice his son, and that he'd come back to life, or did he think God would provide a lamb before that point? Whatever the case, he knew God would provide. Was he nervous as he told his son that "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering" (in vs. 8)? Yet, again, God provided. And the angel of the LORD recognized that didn't withold his son from Him (vs. 12). And Abraham didn't have to sacrifice Isaac, in the end. Instead there was a ram that he was able to sacrifice. In vs. 14 it says that "Abraham called the name of that place, 'The LORD will provide'"...('provide' or 'will see'). And the angel of the LORD tells Abraham that because he did not withold his son, God would bless him (vs. 16-17).

God please help/make me to trust You will provide, and make me willing to sacrifice and not hold onto that which I should not hoard or dwell upon - be it thoughts, things, time, desires, or whatever... You will provide.

Not Forgotten

As the soft piano notes of Chris Rice's "Untitled Hymn" fall upon my ears, a vision floats in front of my eyes. A face full of joy, a gentle smile plays across her face as her tiny figure gracefully twirls on stage. She is wearing a long white gown that catches her moves with a suprising amount of dignity. She seems to be drinking in every word, feeling it with every beat of her heart.

Her name was Lauren Castanza. She went to my college. Two summers ago, she fell from a waterfall to her death. She was going to be a doctor, if I remember correctly. She was smart and incredibly outgoing. It seemed as though the whole campus knew her. Coming back to college after that summer was so strange. It felt like a light had gone out, and nobody could bring it back.

That last semester, she was in my suite a lot. She was really close with one of my suitemates, yet how many times did I notice her there in that next door room and not even stop to say hello?

I heard later that her faith was the most powerful and genuine faith that many had ever seen. I heard that she had commented to a friend how she never felt so close to God as she did that last semester, right before God took her home.

Was God preparing her to meet with him in just a few short weeks? It makes me shudder. In a good way, perhaps?

It's strange. All of her hopes and dreams. God knew from before that moment when she took her first breath...He knew that her last breath would be before those hopes and dreams would ever be realized. Lauren would never be a doctor. She applied to Grove City College. He knew she'd never graduate. But He did know that she would be an amazing witness for Him. He planned something infintely better than any of us could ever imagine.

And that song. When she danced, did she know how those words would come true for her?

...fall on Jesus, fall on Jesus, fall on Jesus...and live.

Yes, she fell. But she fell on Jesus, and she now lives with Him.

...with your final heartbeat, kiss the world goodbye, go in peace and laugh on glory's side... and fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus...and live.

I still remember her clutching her chest, bending over, and lightly tiptoeing backwards to capture the mood of that final verse. She danced this verse beautifully, causing tears to spring into everyone's eyes at her memorial service.

I didn't know Lauren well, though I wish I had. In fact, I don't even know if she knew my name. But I know I will never forget her. Christ was the One who made her shine. If only the same could be true of all of us...

"Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for Love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden’s lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain...so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby
Don’t be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk, sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain...then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can’t contain your joy inside...then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on glory’s side...and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!"

(post written by Kristin)

Faith finer than gold

Tonight my Bible study group started going through 1 Peter. Here is a snippet from the Scripture we studied:

"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith-more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:6-9)

One person pointed out the part that said "Though you have not seen him, you love him," and talked about the desire to call someone or something, when going through hard times. It is, indeed, likely oft the case when people automatically desire to draw close to humans in time of need, rather than instinctively pour out their hearts to a more seemingly intangible or more seemingly distant God. Of course God is near, but we can't see him, and these days at least most people don't audibly hear God's voice.

There IS something special about having faith in our God who we've not physically seen. In Jesus' conversation with Thomas in John 20:29b, Jesus says, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

And, another thought. 1 Peter 1:6 says "...though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials" ~

I like how it gives the time reference "for a little while" -- Really this "life is but a breath" (Ps. 39:5b). And only God knows when it is our last breath will be.

My sister mentioned a girl who danced in (and choreographed, I think) the song "Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus)" ...part of the song goes like this:

"And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on glory's side...and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!"

Anyway... that girl died. However, my sister had mentioned that she had been/felt really close to God in the time leading up to her death.

We just never know when it is our time to go. Even if we don't end up accomplishing anything big, even our faith can be a testament to others. Our faith is, indeed, "more precious than gold." In life, in death. And as believers we have "an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for" us (1 Peter 1:4). How precious is that.