Bread & Wine

May 16, 2014October 21, 2014 / Jodie / Leave a comment

Matthew 26:20-29

20 When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table[a] with the twelve disciples.[b] 21 While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”

22 Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”

23 He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. 24 For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”

25 Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”

And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”

26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”

27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant[c] between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”

As the body of Christ, we periodically take communion together to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. His body was broken, His blood spilled out so that we, God’s children could once again walk with Him in His earthly Kingdom, as Adam and Eve once did, and worship Him for all eternity in His heavenly Kingdom. But that wasn’t all Jesus died for. During His ministry, He taught His disciples the two greatest commandments; love God and love others. He also told them, before He ascended into heaven, that their purpose on this earth was to make disciples.

Matthew 28:18-20

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

When we realize how much the Father loves us, we are compelled to love Him in return. Learning to love our neighbors as ourselves is often more of a challenge! Applying this love, however, by laying down our lives as a living sacrifice, is the most difficult task for us. It requires a daily surrendering of our desires, our wants, and our “entitlements” so that we can invest our time and talents in making more disciples.

Sadly, the body of Christ often gets this process backwards. After someone is saved from the fiery pits of hell, we often encourage them to join a ministry team, volunteer at an outreach event, or serve on Sunday morning. All of these are good things, but the greatest and first thing we should do is take these new disciples under our wing and teach them how to love God & love others. THEN, we should help them discover Gods specific purpose for their lives (which is making more disciples).

This process is lengthy. It requires an exorbitant amount of time, energy, grace and perseverance…most of which we, the church, are not willing to give. How our selfishness must grieve the Holy Spirit. How our stubbornness must break the Father’s heart. How our lack of sacrifice for others must pain the nail scarred hands of Jesus.

The next time we eat the bread and drink the wine, we should be willing to count the cost of what it truly means to be a Christian/disciple/follower of Jesus. Otherwise, we are in danger of becoming just like that other disciple -who betrayed Jesus.

Luke 9:23

23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

“The only aim of this life is that the Son of God may be manifested, and all dictation to God vanishes. Our Lord never dictated to His Father, and we are not here to dictate to God; we are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what He wants. When we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine to feed and nourish others.”

–Oswald Chambers

Wait

May 14, 2014October 21, 2014 / Jodie / 1 Comment

Isaiah 30:18-21

18 So the Lord must wait for you to come to him  so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God.  Blessed are those who wait for his help.

19 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,  you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help.  He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.

20 Though the Lord gave you adversity for food  and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you.  You will see your teacher with your own eyes.

21 Your own ears will hear him.  Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,”  whether to the right or to the left.

I will be the first to admit; I am not a very patient person. Time is often my enemy. I hate to waste it and I hate not knowing if what I’m doing with it is advantageous – or not.

Therefore, I am certain that my current wait time is another opportunity for the Lord to teach me His ways. Some days I’m an honor student, eager to hear His instruction and complete my assignments. Other days I’m a rebellious schoolgirl who would prefer to skip class and do what I want to do!

I, like many, have a dream. Mine is of a home, large enough for our family, our school and our ministry, with lots of land and moving water.

When Doug was laid off in 2010, I assumed the dream was dead. When he started contract work the next year, I began to hope again. When a permanent job offer came along the following year I began daydreaming about all the ways I, like Disney, could make all my dreams come true! After I devised a plan, I tried to convince Doug to buy into it- and when he didn’t immediately comply I began talking with our children about it! Control Freak? Ehem….. yes. Looking back over that season, I now realize that I was looking at my circumstances for the answer, instead of to the One who holds all the answers.

I’ve since repented for not coming to God for help, for being impatient regarding my wait time and for not trusting that HE will make my dream come true in HIS time, if this dream is HIS dream for me. I also apologized to my husband and our children for dragging them into my rebellion.

And so, in this current season, I continue to come to Him

And wait….

And feel His love and compassion

And wait…

And know that He is faithful

And wait…

And cry out for an answer

And wait….

And listen to His teachings

And wait…..

And one day, when it is time, He will say: “this is the way you should go…” And I will obey Him, whether its my dream- or not, because I love Him and I know that He will bless me when I surrender my life- and my dreams to Him.

Isaiah 30:22-26

22 Then you will destroy all your silver idols  and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags,  saying to them, “Good riddance!”

23 Then the Lord will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock. 24 The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind. 25 In that day, when your enemies are slaughtered and the towers fall, there will be streams of water flowing down every mountain and hill. 26 The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days in one! So it will be when the Lord begins to heal his people and cure the wounds he gave them.

Idols

May 12, 2014October 21, 2014 / Jodie / Leave a comment

Ezekiel 6

Again a message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, turn and face the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them. 3 Proclaim this message from the Sovereign Lord against the mountains of Israel. This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills and to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring war upon you, and I will smash your pagan shrines. 4 All your altars will be demolished, and your places of worship will be destroyed. I will kill your people in front of your idols.[a] 5 I will lay your corpses in front of your idols and scatter your bones around your altars. 6 Wherever you live there will be desolation, and I will destroy your pagan shrines. Your altars will be demolished, your idols will be smashed, your places of worship will be torn down, and all the religious objects you have made will be destroyed. 7 The place will be littered with corpses, and you will know that I alone am the Lord.

8 “But I will let a few of my people escape destruction, and they will be scattered among the nations of the world. 9 Then when they are exiled among the nations, they will remember me. They will recognize how hurt I am by their unfaithful hearts and lustful eyes that long for their idols. Then at last they will hate themselves for all their detestable sins. 10 They will know that I alone am the Lord and that I was serious when I said I would bring this calamity on them.

11 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Clap your hands in horror, and stamp your feet. Cry out because of all the detestable sins the people of Israel have committed. Now they are going to die from war and famine and disease. 12 Disease will strike down those who are far away in exile. War will destroy those who are nearby. And anyone who survives will be killed by famine. So at last I will spend my fury on them. 13 They will know that I am the Lord when their dead lie scattered among their idols and altars on every hill and mountain and under every green tree and every great shade tree—the places where they offered sacrifices to their idols. 14 I will crush them and make their cities desolate from the wilderness in the south to Riblah[b] in the north. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

At a glance, some of the Old Testament seems to portray only an angry, vengeful God. Upon further examination, however, and through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, these passages about God’s judgment illuminate His fierce love for His people. Our God is a jealous God. He created us for Himself. Therefore, He has every right to be angry when we turn our back on Him and devote our lives to the worship of idols.

The idols of today may look different than the carved images referenced in the book of Ezekiel. The heart behind them, however is still the same: rebellion against God through the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.

At a glance, my life may seem to portray only a perfectly devoted follower of Christ. Upon further examination, however, and through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, one would see that I too can be guilty of worshipping idols.

Each day I have a lengthy list of things to do as a:

Wife

Mother

Home-school Teacher

Marriage Mentor & Teacher

If I’m not submitted to the Lord in them, they will quickly become all consuming, and I will take ownership of every one. Refusing to acknowledge that GOD is the One who placed me in these roles for His purposes and His glory alone will confirm that my soul is worshipping these areas of service- or the people in whom I serve.

So, how do I continue to uncover any hidden idols in my heart?

1) Read God’s Word

2) Pray; asking the Holy Spirit to reveal any pagan shrines

Once God has identified the idols, I then have the choice to:

a) Continue worshipping them

This option will lead to death… not necessarily a physical death, but an emotional and/or spiritual death will occur in my relationship with God -and others. Left abandoned for too long, those relationships will begin to rot away until there is nothing but an empty life “littered with corpses…..”

b) Clap my hands in horror, stamp my feet and cry out to God to forgive me for these detestable sins!

This option will lead to life and freedom. God will destroy every shrine, and I will escape the destruction that was planned for me. And once again, I will know that HE alone is the Lord and HE alone is worthy of all honor and glory and praise.

Humble Yourself

May 12, 2014October 21, 2014 / Jodie / Leave a comment

James 4:4-10

4 You adulterers![a] Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?[b]6 But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say,

“God opposes the proud  but favors the humble.”[c]

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

There are several songs I remember singing as a teenager during youth group meetings at Glenkirk Presbyterian Church in Southern California. One chorus in particular keeps replaying through my mind because, I believe, it’s a principal that God wants to solidify in my heart.

“Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord….”

(echo) “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord….”

“Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord….”

(echo) “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord….”

“And He will raise you higher and higher and higher and higher…. And He will raise you higher and higher and higher and higher….”

I, like most of us, like being praised. It’s nice to be acknowledged for all the hard work I do for others. But that desire for recognition is pride…and when I seek that feeling of worthiness from man, woman, or child, God opposes me.

Consider the role of mother. From the moment of conception, the child within is on the take. In order to ensure its survival, the growing fetus needs to take up room inside our bodies to develop and take in nutrients to sustain life. After the child is born it continues to take our time, our energy, our talents – and sometimes even our minds! Motherhood is often a sacrificial, thank-less job.

Not until I became a mother did I realize the sacrifice my mother gave in order to give me life. Most of her efforts went unacknowledged and unappreciated until I was an adult.

Not until I became a Christ follower did I realize the sacrifice my Savior gave in order to give me eternal life in heaven -and life to the full on this earth. Most of His efforts when unacknowledged and unappreciated….. until I began learning how Jesus humbled himself in the sight of the Father over and over and over again. Never once did He seek the praises of man. Instead, He sought only to fulfill the will of the One who sent Him; to give his life as a sacrifice on behalf of those who didn’t deserve it. Yet, in the end, God raised His Son from the dead and lifted Him to the seat of honor, beside His throne.

In His grace and generosity, God promises to do the same for me. As I continue to crucify my flesh and humble myself in the sight of the Lord, He will lift me up in honor. Some of that honor will be for this world, but only to Advance His Kingdom and make His name great. Some will be reserved for the day that I stand before my Father’s throne. And in that moment, the only acknowledgement that will matter will be from the One who created me in my mother’s womb.

Dance Lessons

May 10, 2014October 21, 2014 / Jodie / 1 Comment

Psalm 37:23-24

23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of their lives.

24 Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

Last night I experienced my first couples dance class, along with 10 other people in our small group. While our instructor taught us the essentials of the waltz, fox trot and swing, I couldn’t help but see a few similarities between the dance lesson and some of the lessons I’ve learned about marriage:

Dance Lesson #1:

The man MUST take the lead- but he cannot force the woman to go where he wants. Instead, he should gently guide her where they need to go.

Marriage Lesson #1:

God designed the man to lead the woman- and their children. However, if the man tries to force his wife to go where HE wants, he may experience great resistance- and the relationship will not be life giving for either of them.

Dance Lesson #2:

The woman must have good tone (pressure) placed against her partners ‘saddle’ (area above the bicep, but below the shoulder), his hand that she holds, and his hand that is placed upon her back. If not, she will miss a step….. or get stepped on!

Marriage Lesson #2:

The woman must have good tone when she speaks to her husband. If her words are pushing him to go the way SHE wants, she will most likely get her toes (feelings) stepped on.

Dance Lesson #3:

If you don’t listen to the voice of the instructor you won’t know what to do! And, if you can’t hear the rhythm of the music, you won’t know when to begin the dance or be able to keep in time through the remainder of it.

Marriage Lesson #3:

If you don’t listen to the voice of THE Instructor, you will find yourself and your spouse on a dance floor you don’t belong. If you cannot hear the rhythm of the Holy Spirit you won’t be able to take the steps necessary to go where He wants you to go….in the right time.

Dance Lesson #4:

If you don’t trust your partner, you cannot dance.

Marriage Lesson #4:

If you don’t trust your spouse, you cannot be one.

As my husband and I circled the dance floor last night there were several occasions when my feet weren’t keeping up with the rhythm in my mind! Seeing my frustration, Doug whispered, “do you trust me?” “Yes,” I replied….then he gently led me back to where I needed to be- and we quickly resumed our dance.

We’ll be married 18 years on the 18^th of this month. I’m sure there are plenty more lessons to be learned about what it means to be husband and wife the way Our Instructor created us to be. Perhaps we need to sign up to take another dance class to find out what those are!?

HELP!

May 8, 2014October 21, 2014 / Jodie / Leave a comment

Isaiah 43:14-28

14 This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sakes I will send an army against Babylon,  forcing the Babylonians[a] to flee in those ships they are so proud of.

15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,  Israel’s Creator and King.

16 I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters,  making a dry path through the sea.

17 I called forth the mighty army of Egypt  with all its chariots and horses. I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned,  their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick.

18 “But forget all that—  it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.

19 For I am about to do something new.  See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness.  I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

20 The wild animals in the fields will thank me,  the jackals and owls, too,  for giving them water in the desert. Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland  so my chosen people can be refreshed.

21 I have made Israel for myself,  and they will someday honor me before the whole world.

22 “But, dear family of Jacob, you refuse to ask for my help.  You have grown tired of me, O Israel!

23 You have not brought me sheep or goats for burnt offerings.  You have not honored me with sacrifices, though I have not burdened and wearied you  with requests for grain offerings and frankincense.

24 You have not brought me fragrant calamus  or pleased me with the fat from sacrifices. Instead, you have burdened me with your sins  and wearied me with your faults.

25 “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake  and will never think of them again.

26 Let us review the situation together,  and you can present your case to prove your innocence.

27 From the very beginning, your first ancestor sinned against me;  all your leaders broke my laws.

28 That is why I have disgraced your priests;  I have decreed complete destruction[b] for Jacob  and shame for Israel.

When the river of life’s circumstances begins to rise over its banks and the fire of oppression threatens to burn me, I instinctively want to save myself from drowning and being consumed by the flames.

But my instincts lie…..for they are motived by the selfish desires within me.

Instead of choosing to bring God my burnt offerings and sacrifices I wear myself out doggy paddling in the river, clinging to every stray log that floats by to keep myself from going under. I grab my fire extinguisher and attack the flames, while simultaneously freaking out because the things I hold so dear are being destroyed!

How many times have I made God weary with all my faults, instead of trusting Him and His promises?

Isaiah 43:1-4

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.  O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.  I have called you by name; you are mine.

2 When you go through deep waters,  I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty,  you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression,  you will not be burned up;  the flames will not consume you.

3 For I am the Lord, your God,  the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;  I gave Ethiopia[a] and Seba in your place.

4 Others were given in exchange for you.  I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me.  You are honored, and I love you.

According to the prophet Isaiah, I need to listen to the Lord so I can know:

-God created me

-He has called me by name

-I do NOT need to be afraid!

-I am His

-I am precious to Him

-I am honored by Him

-He LOVES me!!!

And I need to trust that:

–He will be with me (in every river of difficulty and every fire of oppression)

–He will make rivers in the dry wasteland of my soul

–He will refresh me

But in order to know Him and trust Him, I must be still……& ask Him for HELP!

Psalm 46:10

10 “Be still, and know that I am God!  I will be honored by every nation.  I will be honored throughout the world.”

http://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/songdetail.aspx?iid=2013616

Divine Discipline

May 6, 2014October 21, 2014 / Jodie / Leave a comment

Hebrews 12:5-11

5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children?[a] He said, “My child,[b] don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,  and don’t give up when he corrects you.

6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”[c]

7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?[d]

10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

Confession #1: I really dislike having to discipline our children- especially now that they are older. When they were toddlers it was much easier for me to say “no!” and then pop their little hand or hiney if they disobeyed. Occasionally they would cry, but moments later, their tears would dry up and they’d be happy little children again, treating me like the GREATEST MOMMY IN THE WORLD!!!

As they’ve approached their formative and adolescent years their character has continued to be molded and refined by life experiences. Frequently, they are faced with the difficult task of choosing to assert their own will, or crucify their flesh, submitting to the authority of their parents. When they choose to succumb to their sinful nature & make a foolish decision, they suffer the consequences. Now, when punishment is handed out, I rarely get a quick cry and rapid re-instatement of MOM of the YEAR. Instead, I may receive the silent treatment or the angry eye or they may withdraw their affection from me for what feels like an eternity. Rejection from anyone is painful- but when it comes from the heart of your child, the negative feelings it evokes can sometimes be unbearable. Yet, Gods truth still stands, and if I love them, I must discipline them.

Proverbs 13:24

24 Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.

Confession #2: I really dislike being disciplined by God. As I reflect back on my toddler years in the Lord, He was gentle in His punishment; a little pop on the hand and a firm “no!” But as I’ve grown and attempted time and time again to assert my own will, I’ve often suffered greater consequences of my disobedience. None is more painful than the silent treatment that I have established between us as a result of my pride. When heaven is silent, I begin thinking…. “does He still love me?”

Confession #3: After 15 years of following Him, my mind is still trying to convince my heart that everything He does (or doesn’t do) is because He loves me with a supernatural, pure, righteous, death defying love. His blessings are a tangible evidence of it and so is His divine discipline.

And so, I must continue to crucify my flesh in order to submit to His authority over my life AND I must continue to love, train and discipline each of our children when they disobey. For I know, the plans He has for me- and them- are good and one day, there will be a peaceful harvest of right living in all of our lives!