From today's reading in the One Year Chronological Bible...
Genesis 22
1a Later on, God tested Abraham’s faith and obedience.
Abraham has already packed up his family and left the land of his forefathers to take up residence in the land promised to him & his descendents. Abraham has been faithful and obedient in believing that he would be the Father of a Great Nation even when he was 99 years old. Abraham has already been described as one whose faith was credited to him as righteousness, and he has already been described as a friend of God. Yet, in Genesis 22, we read that God was going to test Abraham’s faith and obedience. If Abraham was not immune to further tests from God, why should I think that I would be? I am certainly no Abraham! May I always pass the test, and may all who follow Christ do the same.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Impossible? No!
From today's reading of the One Year Chronological Bible:
Genesis 18
14a “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
God is speaking here to Abraham after Sarah has laughed at the news that she will bear a son to Abraham in one year. Abraham is 99 years old, and Sarah is approaching 90. Of course the answer to God’s question about Himself is, NO! Remember when an angel of the Lord told Mary that she would conceive a child, and that her cousin Elizabeth (long thought to have been barren) was pregnant? Luke 1:37 says, “For nothing is impossible with God.” God is not just in the baby business; God is in the business of doing the impossible. Nothing is too hard for the Lord, and if I am doing my best to follow Him, and His direction for my life…well He will take care of the obstacles and opportunities that present themselves along the way.
Be God's,
Scott
Genesis 18
14a “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
God is speaking here to Abraham after Sarah has laughed at the news that she will bear a son to Abraham in one year. Abraham is 99 years old, and Sarah is approaching 90. Of course the answer to God’s question about Himself is, NO! Remember when an angel of the Lord told Mary that she would conceive a child, and that her cousin Elizabeth (long thought to have been barren) was pregnant? Luke 1:37 says, “For nothing is impossible with God.” God is not just in the baby business; God is in the business of doing the impossible. Nothing is too hard for the Lord, and if I am doing my best to follow Him, and His direction for my life…well He will take care of the obstacles and opportunities that present themselves along the way.
Be God's,
Scott
Monday, January 5, 2009
Long Time, No Blog/My Responsibility
Nearly a year since I posted here. Whew, does time fly or what? I will *try* to be a little more frequent in my postings, and who knows, maybe someone will even notice. lol
I am reading the Chronological One Year Bible this year, just to mix up my daily devotional reading a bit. I've done the one year Bible reading plan each year for over a decade now, and decided to change things up a bit this year. From today's reading in Genesis 17 (New Living Translation), I saw this: 9 Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility." It has me thinking about my responsibility as a child of Abraham (spiritually). The New Covenant is summed up by Jesus when He said that we should love God with all we are and all we have AND we should love people the way God loves them (love your neighbor as yourself). My responsibility is live that way. It isn't easy, but it is my responsibility as a child of God. I often fail to live up to my responsibility, but it is my responsibility nonetheless.
May 2009 be one of accepting my responsibility, embracing it, and running headlong to Jesus with it. May this be the year that you do the same.
I am reading the Chronological One Year Bible this year, just to mix up my daily devotional reading a bit. I've done the one year Bible reading plan each year for over a decade now, and decided to change things up a bit this year. From today's reading in Genesis 17 (New Living Translation), I saw this: 9 Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility." It has me thinking about my responsibility as a child of Abraham (spiritually). The New Covenant is summed up by Jesus when He said that we should love God with all we are and all we have AND we should love people the way God loves them (love your neighbor as yourself). My responsibility is live that way. It isn't easy, but it is my responsibility as a child of God. I often fail to live up to my responsibility, but it is my responsibility nonetheless.
May 2009 be one of accepting my responsibility, embracing it, and running headlong to Jesus with it. May this be the year that you do the same.
Friday, January 25, 2008
A Holy, Loving God
Psalm 18:25-27 (NLT)
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.
26 To the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
27 You rescue the humble,
but you humiliate the proud.
I read this passage earlier in the week as part of my One Year Bible reading plan. These words have stuck in my head. God is a loving God, and most people like to dwell on that part of Who God is. God is also and foremost a Holy God. We generally like to sweep that part of Who God is under the rug. David wrote and sang this Psalm on the day he was rescued from his enemies and from Saul. David is praising God for Who He is.
God is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. God shows His integrity to those who live with integrity. To those who are pure, God is pure.
However, God is hostile to the wicked. Hostile! God does not tolerate wickedness in the name of keeping the peace, or of being politically correct. God is HOSTILE towards the wicked.
While God rescues the humble, He HUMILIATES the proud! Humiliates them!
There have been plenty of times in my life when God needed to humiliate me and to be hostile towards me. My desire is to have those days behind me, and to be pure in Christ. Just as my sins were washed away in the watery grave of baptism, may my life be awash with faithfulness, integrity, purity and humility.
Only then, can I have true fellowship with a Holy, Loving God.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.
26 To the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
27 You rescue the humble,
but you humiliate the proud.
I read this passage earlier in the week as part of my One Year Bible reading plan. These words have stuck in my head. God is a loving God, and most people like to dwell on that part of Who God is. God is also and foremost a Holy God. We generally like to sweep that part of Who God is under the rug. David wrote and sang this Psalm on the day he was rescued from his enemies and from Saul. David is praising God for Who He is.
God is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. God shows His integrity to those who live with integrity. To those who are pure, God is pure.
However, God is hostile to the wicked. Hostile! God does not tolerate wickedness in the name of keeping the peace, or of being politically correct. God is HOSTILE towards the wicked.
While God rescues the humble, He HUMILIATES the proud! Humiliates them!
There have been plenty of times in my life when God needed to humiliate me and to be hostile towards me. My desire is to have those days behind me, and to be pure in Christ. Just as my sins were washed away in the watery grave of baptism, may my life be awash with faithfulness, integrity, purity and humility.
Only then, can I have true fellowship with a Holy, Loving God.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Welcome to...
During our college age Bible study last night we were talking about the importance of service, and the opening question dealt with stores that impress us because of customer service. As we discussed this thought-provoker, we wanted to apply our ideas to the church setting. First impressions and friendly, smiling customer service is not just concerns for businesses, but needs to be a major concern for the church.
As we prepare to move into new facilities, we have the opportunity to make a great first impression on our community. Our building is beautiful. Our covered drive up and drop off area lends itself to "doormen" to open car doors and escort folks to the front door of the building.
At one point we were discussing eateries like Cici's Pizza, and Moe's Southwest Grill. One thing thee places have in common is a greeting for everyone who walks in the door: "Welcome to..." It is our desire to create an environment that welcomes all who walk through our doors at Vero Christian Church. To truly engender a welcoming environment, we need to remember that Jesus welcomes everyone. We need to treat others with all the love, care, and commitment that Jesus does. It cannot be a rote greeting with a fake smile, it must be a genuine Christ-centered, and Christ-powered love expressed through the members of Vero Christian Church.
I was greatly encouraged by the discussion and the enthusiasm expressed from our college age group. I look forward to seeing the practical application of that discussion, and the enthusiasm put into action.
As we prepare to move into new facilities, we have the opportunity to make a great first impression on our community. Our building is beautiful. Our covered drive up and drop off area lends itself to "doormen" to open car doors and escort folks to the front door of the building.
At one point we were discussing eateries like Cici's Pizza, and Moe's Southwest Grill. One thing thee places have in common is a greeting for everyone who walks in the door: "Welcome to..." It is our desire to create an environment that welcomes all who walk through our doors at Vero Christian Church. To truly engender a welcoming environment, we need to remember that Jesus welcomes everyone. We need to treat others with all the love, care, and commitment that Jesus does. It cannot be a rote greeting with a fake smile, it must be a genuine Christ-centered, and Christ-powered love expressed through the members of Vero Christian Church.
I was greatly encouraged by the discussion and the enthusiasm expressed from our college age group. I look forward to seeing the practical application of that discussion, and the enthusiasm put into action.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Fell off the edge of the planet
But, I am back. Over the past several months life has been crazy busy. the kind of crazy busy that can separate a man from his passion for the Word purely for the sake of the Word. Capital Stewardship Campaign, preparation for a move into our new church facilities, change in ministry focus to encompass the worship end of things, family upheavals, illness (Peggy had walking pneumonia, but is doing much better now), the Holidays, you name it.
However, I have done much better in my personal devotional time. For several years I sent out my daily devotional thoughts to a a privately maintained email list but stopped doing that nearly two years ago after someone took my thoughts out of context and put me in a bad spot with the elders of the church where I serve. Now, I keep those devo thoughts to myself. Of course the downside is that I don't have any accountability partners to keep me on track. 2007 was a year that was spotty at best with my daily devos, but 2008 is off to the start it needs to have.
As I type this while sitting on my couch this morning working at home because the Internet is down at the office, I am determined to not just take care of my personal devo time each day, but to post to this blog whether anyone reads it or not. Writing soothes my soul, and I need to soothe it more and more these days. If you stumbled upon these ramblings, I am sorry to put your through my thought processes today, but I hope to to more stimulating with each passing post this year. Join me for the ride God has planned out!
Be God's,
Scott
However, I have done much better in my personal devotional time. For several years I sent out my daily devotional thoughts to a a privately maintained email list but stopped doing that nearly two years ago after someone took my thoughts out of context and put me in a bad spot with the elders of the church where I serve. Now, I keep those devo thoughts to myself. Of course the downside is that I don't have any accountability partners to keep me on track. 2007 was a year that was spotty at best with my daily devos, but 2008 is off to the start it needs to have.
As I type this while sitting on my couch this morning working at home because the Internet is down at the office, I am determined to not just take care of my personal devo time each day, but to post to this blog whether anyone reads it or not. Writing soothes my soul, and I need to soothe it more and more these days. If you stumbled upon these ramblings, I am sorry to put your through my thought processes today, but I hope to to more stimulating with each passing post this year. Join me for the ride God has planned out!
Be God's,
Scott
Friday, August 31, 2007
7 more pages
I am nearly finsihed with my reading of Dan Gilliam's God Touches and have started reading Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People as part of a leadership series we are starting at VCC. I also have several other books in my stack of "must reads" but today, there won't be a lot of reading. I had an eye exam and got my pupils dilated, so everything is blury as I type this.
I find that my vision gets blury when I stay away from the Word of God for too long. I have been doing the One Year Bible as a dialy devotional reading plan for about a decade now, but lately, I have found myself having to "play catch up" because I have gotten away from that daily discipline. Making the adjustment to the end of summer, the start of a new school year, one in college and one as a senior in high school, blah, blah, blah. See? The excuses can roll off the tongue (or the keyboard in this case), but they are nothing more than excuses. Even with blurred vision from the pupil diation at St. Lucie Eyes Associates this morning, I can see that the excuses are nothing more than a futile attempt at rationalization.
It is my prayer that i stop with the excuses, and get focused back on my daily journey with Jesus! It is my prayer that because of my personal daily walk, I will be better able to bring others along on the journey of living for Jesus every day.
On my family blog I wrote the following for today, I'll let it speak for itself, and get down to the serious business of growing closer to Jesus today:
I had my annual eye exam this morning. s I type this, the words are very blury on the computer screen because my pupils were dialted as part of the examination. It will take a good portion of the day for my eyesight to return to "normal" which for me, means the need for a slight correction for distance, and a little correction for reading. Yes, bifocals have been a way of life for me for the past several years. Not that I HAVE to wear my glasses all the time, or even when I am reading, but they help.
As I contemplate the words of the gal who did much of my exam this morning, I can't help but think about the notion that people think if they wear their glasses that their eyesight will actually deteriorate and they will be more dependent upon those glasses. She said that the rality of the matter is that your brain gets used to being able to see better, and recognizes the difference when you don't wear them.
When I spend time daily in God's Word, my life really is more closely aligned to God's plan for my life. Oh, I can "get by" when I don't spend time in the Word every day, but I am only fooling myself into thinking that it is okay. Just like "getting by" without wearing my glasses may be okay, I can "get by" with the reading I do for lesson prep, sermons, etc. But that is not what is best for me.
Just as wearing my glasses helps me see clearly, spending time daily in the Word helps me stay focused on my relationship with Christ. I don't need an annual exam to see how I am doing in this regard, I just need to be held accountable for my personal daily devotion time each day. I have a couple of accountability partners to help me in that regard. Do you?
I find that my vision gets blury when I stay away from the Word of God for too long. I have been doing the One Year Bible as a dialy devotional reading plan for about a decade now, but lately, I have found myself having to "play catch up" because I have gotten away from that daily discipline. Making the adjustment to the end of summer, the start of a new school year, one in college and one as a senior in high school, blah, blah, blah. See? The excuses can roll off the tongue (or the keyboard in this case), but they are nothing more than excuses. Even with blurred vision from the pupil diation at St. Lucie Eyes Associates this morning, I can see that the excuses are nothing more than a futile attempt at rationalization.
It is my prayer that i stop with the excuses, and get focused back on my daily journey with Jesus! It is my prayer that because of my personal daily walk, I will be better able to bring others along on the journey of living for Jesus every day.
On my family blog I wrote the following for today, I'll let it speak for itself, and get down to the serious business of growing closer to Jesus today:
I had my annual eye exam this morning. s I type this, the words are very blury on the computer screen because my pupils were dialted as part of the examination. It will take a good portion of the day for my eyesight to return to "normal" which for me, means the need for a slight correction for distance, and a little correction for reading. Yes, bifocals have been a way of life for me for the past several years. Not that I HAVE to wear my glasses all the time, or even when I am reading, but they help.
As I contemplate the words of the gal who did much of my exam this morning, I can't help but think about the notion that people think if they wear their glasses that their eyesight will actually deteriorate and they will be more dependent upon those glasses. She said that the rality of the matter is that your brain gets used to being able to see better, and recognizes the difference when you don't wear them.
When I spend time daily in God's Word, my life really is more closely aligned to God's plan for my life. Oh, I can "get by" when I don't spend time in the Word every day, but I am only fooling myself into thinking that it is okay. Just like "getting by" without wearing my glasses may be okay, I can "get by" with the reading I do for lesson prep, sermons, etc. But that is not what is best for me.
Just as wearing my glasses helps me see clearly, spending time daily in the Word helps me stay focused on my relationship with Christ. I don't need an annual exam to see how I am doing in this regard, I just need to be held accountable for my personal daily devotion time each day. I have a couple of accountability partners to help me in that regard. Do you?
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