This week you have spent time considering the old patterns and the ominous presence that blocks your blessing. A few of you have taken the brave step of interacting here on the blog to help others see that we are all on this journey together. Today, let's close out the week by considering the low provisions that often block our blessing.
Joshua told the leaders of Israel to gather their provisions because in three days they would be crossing over the Jordan River. This group of Israelites were not willing to be Wilderness Wanderers any more. They were going to end up on the right side of the Jordan. We don't know all of the provisions they gathered, but we do see their response. They gathered what they had available and prepared for the battle ahead. This preparation was different from the preparation of their parents and grandparents. In the past, all Israel could do was think about what they didn't have. Not enough food. Not enough shelter. Not enough water. Not enough of anything actually. They remembered the plenty that the Egyptians had and forgot that even in Egypt Israel didn't have much to call their own. Their grumbling over what they didn't have cost them their blessing. Our grumbling over what we don't have costs us our blessing, as well. Why do we spend so much time looking at what others have and evaluating our usefulness based on those standards? Why do we underestimate the skills and provisions we have? In Sunday's message I mentioned the slow response of folks for Compassion 329. Since then, I have had a few reach out wanting to participate, yet we still need more help. Even now, folks have not been willing to say, "yes, I can help one month by teaching a 4H group how to cook a dish, sew a button, work with wood, can tomatoes, make jelly." I know we have folks with these skills, yet still so many are letting perceived low provision block their blessing. Who among us has the skill to organize? Could that skill be used to organize shelves for our new Compassion Center? Who among us can smile and greet someone in need? Who among us will make the move to the right side of the Jordan and remove the block to his or her blessing? What about you? What about today?
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In Sunday's message, I referenced the ominous presence that overshadows our lives. As a child, that presence was with me every night as I tried to fall asleep. Then, in many ways the presence still lurks trying to paralyze me with fear or uncertainty. What ominous presence exists for you? Would you spend some time today considering the possibility that a bigger than life presence could be blocking your blessing?
Let's start by reviewing those voices that speak to our self esteem and self confidence. How loudly do those voices speak in your mind? Let's move to that expectation of a parent, a teacher, a coach, or even a child that you are still trying to live up to. Could it be that even as an adult, you are driven by or hindered by the approval or disapproval of someone very important in your life or from your past? How about the ominous presence of God? Perhaps you grew up seeing God as someone who was always looking to catch you doing something wrong. Once caught, you would certainly be embarrassed, called out, or disciplined. Maybe you live in fear of disappointing God based on some perception you might have. How does the ominous presence of God affect you every day? What about the past? That addiction or mistake? The failed relationship? The financial loss? The ruined project? What from your past dogs you still? The ominous presence - whatever it is for you - blocks our blessing. The children of Israel in Joshua decided to turn that ominous presence into a source of power for good. God was on their side, and God is on your side. He wants you to inherit the fullness of His blessing. Would you spend some time today writing your thoughts or voicing your prayer specifically referencing the ominous presence in your life? Ask God to take that presence and turn it into good for His glory!!! When I was growing up, my mom and my Mamaw sewed many of their own clothes. Dresses, pant suits, aprons ... whatever they needed they could sew. They would trade patterns with friends and other family members who also sewed. As you can imagine, every person who used the same pattern got the same dress. Maybe a different color or a different size, but the dress was the same. Even today, if we were to pull out those patterns from the cedar chest, pin them to material, cut them out, and then sew the pieces together, we would get the same dress. Patterns always produce similar results.
As we read the wilderness journey of Israel in Exodus through Deuteronomy, we begin to notice patterns in their lives that held them back from inheriting the Promised Land. We heard in Sunday's message that old patterns of grumbling, fear, doubt, negativity, and living in the past kept Israel wandering the wilderness for forty years. Take some time and read Numbers 13-14. Make some notes in your journal about key findings you uncover. Take your time and meditate on the scripture, asking God to show you some truths that will help you find nourishment over the next couple of days. Now that you have made some notes from Numbers 13 and 14, do the same thing for Joshua 1. List some common phrases and ideas you discover. As you consider both of these passages, take some time for personal inquiry, recognizing that between the two passages, God's promises remained the same. God's person (Joshua/Moses) changed physically but had the same spiritual determination. The difference between the two passages is that God's people (Promised Land Israel) in Joshua 1 were physically and spiritually different. They were ready to get the taste of disobedience out of their mouth. To remove this taste, some old patterns had to break. For you to move forward in your walk with Christ, some old patterns need to break as well. Take some time as you ask yourself key questions about old patterns to make notes about patterns that keep you on the wrong side of the Jordan, wandering in the wilderness. What tendencies and cycles block you from advancing in your blessing? Write these in your journal, and then spend time praying over them, asking God for the wisdom and strength to break these patterns this week as you consider your role in your own spiritual journey, in spreading the gospel, and in Compassion 329. Have you ever wondered why the cook seldom comes to the table as hungry as everyone else? One day it dawned on me watching my Mamaw cook and then sit down to a meal. She never seemed to be as hungry as others gathered around the table, and on this particular day, I realized the reason for this crazy situation. Mamaw nibbled a lot while she cooked, tasting and seasoning, and of course, stirring. All of her nibbling made her almost full well before the true meal began. As a result, her food began to settle as she ate smaller portions. Then, when everyone else was filled with the plentiful feast, she was ready for a healthy portion of dessert. Others, just a small piece. Now I know the truth. The reason she was always ready for dessert immediately following the meal is because the main part of her meal happened an hour or so before.
I'm like Mamaw when it comes to my spiritual life. I do a lot of nibbling. A podcast here and there. A 20 minute message. A challenging quote. A quiet time rushing me into my day. I wonder if you nibble as well. Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Mathew 5:6). Hungering and thirsting for right standing with God paints quite a different picture from the nibbling that simply tides us over to the next snack. Too often, my commitment to a right standing with God is like deciding to get healthy and quit eating ice cream. I do it for a while, but then I start to miss the ice cream. I know that the spare tire around my middle won't go away without discipline, yet the allure of Gold Medal Ribbon, Rocky Road, or a Spanish Sundae pulls with greater intensity the more I resolve to stay away. Satan knows just how to get us full before we are satisfied. He soothes our hunger with relationships, with reading posts on social media, with random quotes and devotions that pop up from time to time. He fuels our hunger with politics, with press, with piety, and with petty arguments. In the end, we settle for tidbits of God rather than transformation from God. Or at least I do. Do you? Satan is a professional when it comes to tricking our spiritual hunger into feeling satisfied by the nibbling, tasting, and stirring that happens occasionally in our lives. We think that because we got small pieces of something healthy we must be well nourished. Jesus disagrees, and I desperately want to be on His side of spiritual health. Sunday in our worship gathering we talked about three keys to being satisfied, and this week I am trying to meditate on those and consider how to make them more of a reality in my life. The three keys were 1. Satisfy desire with substance - stop nibbling, and dig into the main dish - the living and active Word of God. 2. Seek perfection over pleasure - stop reading posts and press for agreement - instead look deep into the word for challenges to our current way of thinking - generational sin and biased can be changed if we will open our minds to what the Spirit teaches from His Truth. 3. Season truth with love - Spices make foods a lot more palatable - who eats a plain potato and really enjoys it? The seasoning of love can make truth more palatable to the world around us. Truth is essential for health, and love is essential for hearing. I pray that I will cease being bland and instead will be a pleasing tasting of Christ to those around me. Blessed - satisfied - those words sound ever so sweet. Are they possible? Jesus offers a resounding "YES." Hunger and thirst after righteousness, and you will be both blessed and satisfied. Amen. Here we are on the final day of our Run the Right Race with the Right Pace challenge. Hopefully you have been nourished by the Spirit this week as you engaged with Him on a daily basis to grow to be more like Christ. Would you take a moment and read Philippians 3:12-14? Then take your journal and make notes about what the Spirit draws to your attention.
Paul talked of pressing on to obtain the prize for which he was running. He pressed on, or reached far, to run in a manner that was worthy of his calling. How would you describe your race? Over the last week have you made an effort to cooperate with the Holy Spirit for your growth? Are you merely waiting to come back to the building before engaging with Christ again? Take some time and record your thoughts from the week in your journal. Perhaps you will be willing to share some of these thoughts when we return to a worship gathering in a few weeks. Running the right race with the right pace demands our full attention to the baggage we carry with us as we run. We will share more Sunday about the baggage we carry as human beings, but for now would you take some time to journal some thoughts in preparation for Sunday about the weights that you bear as you seek to follow Christ? For me, the weight of condemnation combined with the pressure of performance are two such weights. What about for you?
Welcome back. Today marks day three of our run the right race with the right pace engagement. This week we have been savoring and digesting the spiritual meal the Lord provided us Sunday morning. My prayer is that you have been challenged by what the Lord has been teaching you over the last few days. I certainly have. Monday, we took time to evaluate our position in the race. Have you started? Are you running? Where are you on the journey? Tuesday, we considered the importance of resting when necessary. Jesus found the chance to rest invaluable for Him as he connected with His Father to gain insight and energy for the steps ahead.
Today would you take some time to recognize those who have gone before you? Having come off the Memorial Day holiday, we understand the important of those who have gone before us and sacrificed themselves so that we could experience testimonies and witnesses surrounding faith. The word for “witnesses” in Hebrews 12:1 is the same word we get the word “martyrs” from. This reality reminds us of the sacrifice and leadership of men and women of faith from the past. Today would you go back and review Hebrews 11? Would you journal what you know of those who are mentioned? Would you look back in scripture for input about the lives of the men and women listed in Hebrews 11? Who are some more modern day “martyrs” who have influenced your life? What qualities of the lives of those who have gone before you would you like to model and reflect to the world around you? Hello there. Thanks for joining us today. Take a moment and listen to the 5 minute video clip below and then come back to the blog. Running the right race with the right pace involves some careful consideration. Consider these questions from the video and make some notes. Please share comments so we can engage together in preparation for returning to our church gathering.
1. Am I running the race? Do I have a relationship with Jesus Christ? Look up the following verses, and then spend time thinking about your initial experience with Christ. How did you come to know Him? What choice did you make when you experienced Him for the first time? John 3:16; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Romans 5:8; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 1:9 2. Am I following Him on the race? Luke 9:23 declares clearly, "... if anyone wold come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Are you daily following Christ? The question goes much deeper than asking about your morality. Are you daily following His ways, His teachings, His model, His compassion? Jesus invites us into an ongoing, active relationship with Him. What tools and resources are you using to help you engage in a daily relationship with Christ? 3. How would you explain to your children, your grandchildren, a friend, or a neighbor how he or she can have a relationship with Jesus (get into the race)? During this morning's message, I mentioned a mentor within my company who has been working with me on streamlining my efforts to make a difference in and among teams. During our conversation, he emphasized the importance of spending the majority of time and energy doing what you believe in and displaying the brand you want to be known by. This advice helps me manage my activities within my company, and I realize that this advice also can help me prioritize how I live the rest of my life.
Hebrews 12: 1 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us ...." People of faith have always had a race to run, and today people of faith still have a race to run. Weight binds us and sin embarrasses us. The collective race we are called to run requires cooperation with each other and with the Holy Spirit. Even as we participate together, we all must embrace the truth that God has carved out an individual race for us to run, as well. We learned together that the course of each individual race is determined by God's place, our place, and our pace. God's plan for each person who follows Him by faith is to bring glory to Him as we reflect His character for worldwide impact. How we participate in that mission depends on the places where we live, learn, work, and play. Would you take a moment and journal some thoughts about your place? Where do you live, learn, work, and play? How has God used you or others to reflect His character? What opportunities do you see for you to reflect His character for maximum impact? How much time and energy do yo spend displaying the name of Jesus to those around you? What adjustments will you make to ensure that you are known by the name of Christ above all else? Over the next five days, would you consider joining me here to further flesh out the ideas surrounding the pace we run the race? Remember that the pace we run determines the course we run. Running too slowly or too quickly increases the danger of our missing out on opportunities and pathways God might want us to embrace along the journey. Isaiah 40:28-31 certainly apply. "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; the shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." (ESV) |