Purpose
I haven't read Don't Waste Your Life but I'd like to. God has seemed to hand be bushel full of questions on purpose, focus, and leadership. The questions spur from what I feel like as a vigourously entropic life. I am often busy sometimes vigourously so but with no lasting product, fruit for the wind.
Perhaps this is part of the curse, that work would be hard, yeilding fruit with great difficulty. Straining after "success" from the ground, the man finds himself digging a hole in which he is to be buried. It's no wonder the Bible shows, and "civilization" for that matter, the tendancy for man to flee from the land, escaping into the strong arms of the city or seductive embrace of technology.
But "you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Cor. 15:58)"
In my prayers and meditations I was struck with the distinctive glory that God administrates to be displayed in the worklife of a believer. He gives everything a person needs to not just work but be a leader in work. He gives a purpose; He gives a calling for sincere full hearted work; He enables us with everything we need; and He gives a reward! But I will have to elaborate on that more next time.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
You are Beautiful - A Note to All Women
Ladies,
We live in a world of consumerism and we live in a society that posts supermodels and celebrities all over their magazines, television, and even newspapers. Too often young girls, young women and older women look at these covers and say to themselves “If only I….”
Our generation is full of “If only I…” statements. I am full of “If only I…” statements.
We fool ourselves if we truly think that losing 10-60pounds is going to fulfill our deepest longings for beauty because true beauty does not mean that we meet society’s standards. True Beauty begins at our core and if we can’t see how beautiful really are now, even when we lose the weight we won’t be able to see it then. We will always be judging and comparing ourselves to someone else and our accomplishments and joy will be as if they never existed.
So my challenges for you ladies today, look in the mirror and find something to be thankful for just as you are now.
Psalm 139:14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.Psalm 139:13-15 (in Context) Psalm 139 (Whole Chapter)
We live in a world of consumerism and we live in a society that posts supermodels and celebrities all over their magazines, television, and even newspapers. Too often young girls, young women and older women look at these covers and say to themselves “If only I….”
Our generation is full of “If only I…” statements. I am full of “If only I…” statements.
We fool ourselves if we truly think that losing 10-60pounds is going to fulfill our deepest longings for beauty because true beauty does not mean that we meet society’s standards. True Beauty begins at our core and if we can’t see how beautiful really are now, even when we lose the weight we won’t be able to see it then. We will always be judging and comparing ourselves to someone else and our accomplishments and joy will be as if they never existed.
So my challenges for you ladies today, look in the mirror and find something to be thankful for just as you are now.
Psalm 139:14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.Psalm 139:13-15 (in Context) Psalm 139 (Whole Chapter)
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
A Pattern of God's Glorious Dwelling
I understand more of what Jesus spoke of in John Chapter 14 /15 aptly summarized by this verse: "14:23-Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him."
I understand that this is not a completely new concept for God to express in His word. For centuries He promised, or performed, in consequence to obedience from faith, a glorious dwelling or abiding of His presence. Throughout John's gospel those who keep Christ's words are synonymous with those who truly believed. Those who received Christ for who He said He was, namely the Son of God, would also keep His word because they had first received / believed it. God's lavish response to love this obedient believer is by making His dwelling with them.
In Exodus chapter 40 a similar thing happens. Throughout the Chapter, Moses is said to have erected the tabernacle (literally "dwelling" or "tent") just as God had commanded Him. At the end of the chapter, following a triumphant statement that all was completed, "the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the (Z)glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle."(Ex. 40:34). It abided there day and night for the 40 years of wandering because of Moses' obedience, and the people's from previous chapters. Moses and the people God had moved (see Ex. 35:22) had believed God's commands to be weighty and true enough to perform in fullness. God responded with lavish love to have his Glorious presence in a cloud by day or pillar of fire by night.
Now there are some major differences to these to glorious dwellings of God, generally that the dwelling for believers is much more full than that of Old Testament. I may delve into that more later. But the pattern of belief and then God's dwelling presence is the same.
Many times I forget the rich undeserved joy of having God's presence with me. Sometimes I forget He is there altogether. I miss so much rich fellowship and miss the production of that fellowship--the fruit of the Spirit. My prayer the last few days has simply been to remember God and all of His works--all that I know at least. And in remembering to hold tightly to Him.
I understand that this is not a completely new concept for God to express in His word. For centuries He promised, or performed, in consequence to obedience from faith, a glorious dwelling or abiding of His presence. Throughout John's gospel those who keep Christ's words are synonymous with those who truly believed. Those who received Christ for who He said He was, namely the Son of God, would also keep His word because they had first received / believed it. God's lavish response to love this obedient believer is by making His dwelling with them.
In Exodus chapter 40 a similar thing happens. Throughout the Chapter, Moses is said to have erected the tabernacle (literally "dwelling" or "tent") just as God had commanded Him. At the end of the chapter, following a triumphant statement that all was completed, "the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the (Z)glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle."(Ex. 40:34). It abided there day and night for the 40 years of wandering because of Moses' obedience, and the people's from previous chapters. Moses and the people God had moved (see Ex. 35:22) had believed God's commands to be weighty and true enough to perform in fullness. God responded with lavish love to have his Glorious presence in a cloud by day or pillar of fire by night.
Now there are some major differences to these to glorious dwellings of God, generally that the dwelling for believers is much more full than that of Old Testament. I may delve into that more later. But the pattern of belief and then God's dwelling presence is the same.
Many times I forget the rich undeserved joy of having God's presence with me. Sometimes I forget He is there altogether. I miss so much rich fellowship and miss the production of that fellowship--the fruit of the Spirit. My prayer the last few days has simply been to remember God and all of His works--all that I know at least. And in remembering to hold tightly to Him.
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