Making Decisions

Recently I came across a book by pastor Kevin DeYoung that I just love. It's called Just Do Something or How to Make A Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Impressions, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing In The Sky, Etc. Isn't that great title? It's a short, powerful read (I read it in one sitting on a lazy spring afternoon) but it gives great advice. So, I ordered several copies of it and it is my gift to grads this spring. Oh, how I wish someone had handed a book like that to me at a pivotal moment like that in my life. But you know what? I'm still in those pivotal moments! I'm making decisions all the time about my kids' schooling, ministry opportunities, purchases, friendships, involvements, and any number of things. Additionally, I'm counseling my teenagers regarding how to make wise decisions and be confident that they're acting according to God's will. I would write a well-written, thoughtful review of this book, but that's already been done by Tim Challies here. I encourage you to go read the review, and if you get a chance, pick up the book.

This morning during my quiet time I happened upon something along these same lines that I wanted to share today. This is from John MacArthur's excellent book Truth Endures, which is a collection of his sermons from the past 40 years of his ministry. I highly enjoy this book. The sermon I read today was entitled "Making the Hard Decisions Easy." The sermon is found in its entirety here. (Isn't it amazing that such resources are available to us with just the click of a mouse? How I appreciate such ministries!) Here are his points for helping make decisions in a practical, God-honoring way. As he puts it, the ease or "E's" of making decisions:

• Expedience Will it be spiritually profitable? 1 Cor. 6:12 (Will my doing this enhance my spiritual life? Will it cultivate godliness?)

• Edification Will it build me up? 1 Cor. 10:23 (Will it strengthen me? Will it move me toward Christlikeness and toward greater spiritual maturity?)

• Excess Will it slow me down in the race? Heb. 12:1 (MacArthur says, "There are lots of types of bulk: legalism, ceremonialism, and needless waste of time suck your energy and foul up your priorities. So you need to ask yourself a simple question, 'Will it slow me down in the spiritual race: Anything that impinges my effectiveness in serving Christ I won't do.")

• Enslavement Will it bring me into bondage? 1 Cor. 6:12 ("We should never allow a non-moral thing to become our master.")

• Equivocation Will it hypocritically cover my sin? 1 Pet. 2:16 ("In other words, don't put a veil over your evil intent, be honest with yourself. Ask yourself, Is this really something that benefits me spiritually and is for my spiritual profit?... Or am I cloaking over my evil desire?")

• Encroachment Will it violate the Lordship of Christ in my life? Rom. 14 ("Ask yourself, Is this something I believe the Lord would want?... Don't train yourself to violate your conscience. Ask yourself the question: Will this violate my understanding of the lordship of Christ?)

• Example Will it help other Christians by its example? 1 Cor. 8:9-11
  

• Evangelism Will it lead others to Christ? (Will they see a difference in my life?)
  

• Emulation Will it be consistent with Christ's likeness? 1 John 2:6 (Would Jesus do it?)
  

• Exaltation Will it glorify God? 1 Cor. 10:31 (Will what I do exalt God? Will this lift up His holy name? Will this honor Him? Will this adorn the doctrine of God in my life? Will hHe be glorified and honored and praised as a result of this?)

We all have many decisions to make every day. Even every hour! These principles and books have helped me as I continue to endeavor to make each decision- big or small- honor God. It is so freeing! It is a journey, and He is so good. I hope these help you if you have some decisions to make in your life, or if someone you know is at a crossroads. God is so faithful to guide us.

Loaves and Fish, Days and Weeks

As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."

Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.

"Bring them here to me," he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. (Matthew 14:15-20 NIV)

~~~~~~~

As evening approached, I came to Jesus and said, "I don't remotely have enough time to get everything done this week. It's getting late. Please tell me which commitments to let go of! I know you brought these people and ministries into my life as a result of prayer, but it's obvious that I can't handle all of this. Can't someone else do it?"

Jesus replied, "The responsibilities I have ordained for you do not need to go away. You fulfill them."

"I have here only five weekdays and two weekend days," I answered.

"Bring them here to Me," He said. He directed me to sit at His feet. Taking the five weekdays and two weekend days, and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke them into moments. Then He gave them to me, and I gave them to my precious family as well as to the duties and ministries He has faithfully entrusted to me. Each obligation that week was fulfilled, each responsibility carried out with joy. And I found that I had some moments (and a little energy) left over!

Oh, what abundance we experience when we yield our moments and our days to the One Who spoke them into being! The touch of Jesus is all it takes to transform "meager" into "bountiful." Let's go before Him today, offering Him our loaves and fish-- the days and weeks that we clutch in our baskets, which so often don't seem like enough. He will take them, bless them, and make them enough to satisfy His perfect will... feeding and nourishing all- including us! When I relinquish all I have to Him, I can be certain that what He places back into my hands will be more than sufficient to accomplish His purposes.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

(Originally posted at the Internet Cafe, April 20, 2007)

Psalm 145 Day

Oh, today is one of my FAVORITE days! Psalm 145 day! Following my monthly plan of reading through the Psalms, I landed right where I needed to be today. Oh, how I have worn out this page in my Bible! I love, love, love it. I could write paragraphs on what each verse has come to mean to me over the years. And, during my "not-so-quiet" time this morning I had just the song to listen to . So today I just wanted to share these verses with you you and invite you to listen to one of my FAVORITE Travis Cottrell songs, based on this beautiful Psalm of praise. If you are where you can crank up the volume, crank it. And be blessed.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Psalm 145

A psalm of praise. Of David.

1 ^[a] I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.

2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.

4 One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.

5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works. ^[b]

6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.

7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

9 The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.

10 All you have made will praise you, O LORD;
your saints will extol you.

11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,

12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made. ^[c]

14 The LORD upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.

16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.

18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.

20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 145:1 Chapter 145 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which (including verse 13b) begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
2. Psalm 145:5 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint Masoretic Text On the glorious splendor of your majesty / and on your wonderful works I will meditate
3. Psalm 145:13 One manuscript of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text do not have the last two lines of verse 13.

Gloriously "Trapped"

Recently I came across this quiz and decided to see how long I could stay "trapped" in my own home. Trapped is a pretty strong word, however, as I am quite the homebody and would love a few days on end where I did not have to leave the house! The assumption is, I gather, that there would be some sort of natural disaster or Y2K-type event. Which, of course, I don't want. But, I would relish a few days at home! (My dog is now looking askance at me though, having read the quiz over my shoulder and seen himself listed as a potential "food source" by those who developed it. Don't worry Zacchaeus, you're safe.)


OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

So, how long do you think you could survive "trapped" in your own home? If you had no way to leave, would you feel trapped? I might relish it for a few days or a couple of weeks but... 70 days? What about 370 days? That's how long Noah was on the ark.

This was my reading from the Spurgeon Archive this morning. It is from the story of Noah and based on Genesis 7:16, "The Lord shut him in."

Was Noah "trapped" in the ark? He had no way to leave, so I guess we could see it as trapped, but in reality that was the safest place for him. I love the whole entry, but these words spoke to me so clearly through their imagery:

"Noah was so shut in that no evil could reach him. Floods did but lift him heavenward, and winds did but waft him on his way. Outside of the ark all was ruin, but inside all was rest and peace. Without Christ we perish, but in Christ Jesus there is perfect safety. Noah was so shut in that he could not even desire to come out, and those who are in Christ Jesus are in Him for ever. They shall go no more out for ever, for eternal faithfulness has shut them in, and infernal malice cannot drag them out."

Many people who are not Christians might view the Christian life as being "trapped," or "shut in." Too confining. Too narrow. Not open enough to new ideas. Too many "thou shalts" and "thou shalt nots." Too closed off from mainstream society. To be sure, humans have added to the Bible in ways that are legalistic and we need to guard against that. But, according to the Bible, it is through the narrow gate that we find salvation, ultimate safety and freedom. Outside the confines of the ark was where the destruction was.

I love how he says that Noah "could not even desire to come out, and those who are in Christ Jesus are in Him forever." What security! Earlier in the entry he points out that God had said to Noah, "Come into the ark." Come. Implying that He Himself was inside as well. You can't stand outside of something and tell someone "Come in." God Himself was with Noah, just as He is with us. So, we are "shut in" with Him. We are safe with Him, and anything that tries to get to us only pushes us heavenward.

I just loved these thoughts today. Whether we are in fact, homebound for a season or out and about wishing for more time at home, let us remember that if we are in Christ we are gloriously "shut in" with Him. We are safe!

Psalm 119 Day

Did you know that if you read 5 Psalms a day, you read through the book of Psalms each month? The technique I use, which I've discovered is quite popular, is to start with the Psalm which corresponds with the day of the month. Then, add 30 and read that one. Add 30 again, read that one... and so on. (This also sharpens your math skills - bonus!) Couple that with reading a Proverb a day (since there are 31 of those) and there's a built-in daily devotional, easy to remember!

According to that reading plan, today is Psalm 119 day. The l-o-n-g-e-s-t Psalm. 176 verses! Not only that, but it's 176 verses of the Psalmist extoling God's commands, promising to keep His statutes, reminding God how he has kept His law, thanking God for His precepts, and telling how he has committed them to his heart and memory. Depending on where I am in my "walk" at any given time and how closely I myself have been "delighting in" God's precepts, Psalm 119 is either a joy for me to read( as I nod my head in agreement) or hard for me to read as I think "Boy, I wish I could say that..." Do I truly "delight in" his statutes? (v. 16) Do I meditate on His precepts and regard His ways? (v. 15) Do I "not forget" His word? Have I "promised to keep" his words? (v. 57) And on and on. Each verse either confirms or convicts what is going on in my heart. As a result, I have found Psalm 119 to be an effective monthly "check up."

I would encourage you to take some time to read through Psalm 119 today. Even better would be to pray through Psalm 119:

If His laws and precepts are not "your delight," ask Him to fulfill His promise to "enlarge your heart." (v. 32)

If you've been struggling to keep His Word (or even to read it lately) pray verse 17-18:

"Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may behold
Wonderful things from Your law."

If it's hard for you to joyfully read His commands, because of your own disobedience, or because you are grieving over a certain situation, pray verse 28-29:

"My soul weeps because of grief;
Strengthen me according to Your word.
Remove the false way from me,
And graciously grant me Your law."

If it's hard to even focus on God's precepts lately because of earthly, temporal cares, pray verse 37:

"Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity,
And revive me in Your ways."

If you are currently in a time of trial or "affliction," thank Him for using it to bring you close to Him. Let this affliction cause you to turn to His perfect Word. You can pray verse 67-68:

"Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good and do good;
Teach me Your statutes."

I am reminded of the powerful words in 1 John 5:3~

"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments;
and His commandments are not burdensome."

His commands are NOT a burden. His commands, His precepts and guidelines lead to life and true freedom! For those of us in Christ, our "boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places" and we have a "delightful inheritance" because of it. (Psalm 16:6) Our loving God has given us His precepts for our good, and He gives us the grace to live according to them for His great glory.

Psalm 119 gives us 176 reminders that this is so.

Have a blessed day!

Thursday (Psalm) 13

Today is the 13th, so this morning found me in Psalm 13. I love this Psalm! It starts with a question... a phrase that I think I've uttered or at least thought many, many times. "How long, O Lord?" In other words, it begins with a lament. It's okay to do that, but I must make sure I'm not grumbling! I was reminded of words spoken by a very wise pastor: The difference between lamenting and grumbling is that grumbling calls God's character into question while a lament calls God's character into action. So, as with any lament in the Psalms, I read this one anticipating the Psalmist (in this case, David) calling God into action. It's not a grumble to ask God "How long?" as long as I keep my focus on his sovereignty, His mercy, His goodness.

John MacArthur's notes on this Psalm are excellent:
"Psalm 13 launches with an explosion of 4 "How longs?" indicating another lament is about to begin. But David will shift radically from turmoil to tranquility in the space of 6 short verses through 3 levels of attitude:

I. Below "Sea Level" Expressions of Despair (13:1,2)
II. "Sea Level" Expressions of Desires (13:3,4)
III. "Mountaintop" Level Expressions of Delight(13:5,6)"

As I read the above, I thought of it as "Below 'See' Level." There are levels of despair that we hold deep inside, and we rarely bring them out to be seen. Hidden stresses and fears the enemy (our own flesh!) keeps bringing against us. It's been years. Maybe we even secretly wonder if God even knows about it, even though we know He knows everything... I heard recently, "If you can share it, you can bear it." Share it with Him! He will help you bear it!

"How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever:
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long wil my enemy be exalted over me?"

Then we bring our deepest desires and struggles to "See Level:"

"Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: Enlighten my eyes,
Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Lest my enemy say,
'I have prevailed against him,'
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved."

We know our struggle is not with flesh and blood, we have a very real "unseen enemy" prowling like a lion, so there is a constant battle there. But so many times I need not look any further than the struggle I am having with my own sin nature. The enemy can take many forms. We must bring these battles above "see level" so they can be dealt with.

And finally, the "mountaintop." A place far above "see level." The place of victory. More than that- a place to thank Him in advance for future grace because you can celebrate His past faithfulness. On the mountaintop, all can be seen, most of all God's faithfulness can be put on glorious display.

"But I have trusted in Your mercy;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord
Because He has dealt bountifully with me."

I want to share with you one of the songs that shuffled into my "not-so-quiet time" this morning. This song really gets me going and puts it all into perspective. It's ALL His. Everything I brought to Him in prayer this morning and will bring before Him all throughout the day already belongs to Him. Praise You, Lord.

The Hem of His Garment

"And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak;
for she was saying to herself, "If I only touch His garment, I will get well." Matthew 9:20-21

"Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured." Mark 6:56

I love reading these passages. I love the imagery they bring to mind of people earnestly, desperately seeking to be near Jesus. I love how just a believing touch of the very hem of his robe was all it took to make someone whole in a particular area of suffering or sin. What a vivid picture of His power, love, and tenderness. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had that today? If Jesus Himself were going to be passing through my town today I would throw all else aside, grab my children (and probably the rest of my loved ones!) and run to where He would be. I even think I would push through the crowd and try to get a touch, just the smallest touch, of His garment.

We can do that today. We can do that everyday. We can do it throughout each day. In fact, it's happened to me. Perhaps it's happened to you, too. What a glorious moment that is! Have you ever been reading your Bible or devotional book (hopefully one that is steeped in Scripture), or been praying and felt an immediate change? An unexplainable peace? Or perhaps new, immediate clarity or conviction? That's it. That's the hem of His robe.

Amy Carmichael, in her book Thou Givest- They Gather ,says:

"We touch Him and all is changed.
What happens and who can tell how it happens?
We only know that something has passed from Him to us. For example:

• Courage to do the difficult task we feared.
• Patience to bear with that one particular trying person.
• Inner strength to go on when we were sure we could not.
• A sweet freshness in our spirit, complete inner happiness, deep-flowing peace."

She continues, "God's way of passing by, of letting His "hem" come near us, is to take some single word in His Book and make it breathe spirit and life to us. Then, relying upon that word-- meditating, feeding our soul on it-- we find it is suddenly possible to go from strength to strength."

There is nothing like it, is there? As we face the new challenges that await us each new week and each new day, we can choose, as Carmichael says, to "go on with God." He is always passing by. We have His Word, always there for us, ready to meet us wherever we are and carry us the next step, give us the next direction, help us in our struggles, convict us of our sin and point us to His cleansing, and reveal more to us about the nature and character of our great God.

Have you touched the hem of His robe today? Oh, how I hope you have. Let's push through the busy-ness and the pressing issues and get to the feet of Jesus.

Who Is Your King Uzziah?

This past weekend, we were privileged once again to worship at our "second church home," our African partner church. I always love going there, I wish it were closer... I'd go most Sundays, I think! I am always so blessed to be there with our precious brothers and sisters. This past Sunday was a little different, though, in that it was a memorial service for the father of one of our dear friends. It was a bittersweet day, as those services usually are, but the sweet part was so, so sweet. Not only were there tears shed and memories shared, but there was the added blessing of true celebration, African style! Never have I gone from crying to dancing so quickly. It's so good for the soul!

The message from Pastor Kwaku this weekend was so good, I wanted to share part of it with you. He spoke out of Isaiah 6:1,

"In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the LORD, sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple."

King Uzziah had reigned for over 50 years and it had been a prosperous time for Judah. The economy was good, there was a time of relative peace with Israel, there was the security that accompanies those times when things are going very well... and then the king died. Those who had looked to the king were hit hard, for he was gone. Pastor Kwaku asked a very powerful question, "Who is your King Uzziah?" I suppose that "who" could be a "what," too. To whom or what am I looking for security? I think it blew them away when King Uzziah died, maybe in much the same way as it hit everyone so hard when JFK died. "Now what are we going to do?"

What did Isaiah do? He went to the temple. He went into the presence of the Lord. He took it straight to God. He cried out to Him. And guess what, he saw Him. He not only saw Him, he saw where He is-- high and lifted up, exalted, on His throne, in His rightful place, sovereign over all that was taking place. Isaiah had been in the temple before, obviously. He had been serving the Lord. He "knew" the Lord. But after the king's death, God revealed Himself to Isaiah in a new way.

Are you in a time of loss? Maybe it's the loss of a person, a dream, or a change in circumstances. Anytime we lose someone or something significant to us, it can shake us. But, may those be times we can say:

"In the year of _____'s death, I saw the LORD sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted..."

In those times of loss, may we do what Isaiah did, go to the temple, going not only into the presence of the Lord but into the presence of His people. In those times of loss and change, God is ready to reveal His glory to us in powerful, new ways. And He will show us that He is right where He's always been: on His throne. We can receive His comfort, His cleansing, and go forth (as Isaiah did) in His power, forever changed.

The Dust of Rejection

"But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the Kingdom of God has come near." Luke 10:10-11

"The One who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me." Luke 10:16

These words made me stop in my tracks this morning after I read them. I realized how often I don't speak out for Christ, for truth, because of my fear of rejection. Oh, I hear others be bold, not just on a computer screen where I think we all feel a certain cyber-courage, but in real life situations, in social situations and sometimes even on mission trips. While I've had my nervy moments, I certainly wouldn't count myself among those who boldy, consistently speak out. And that frustrates me about myself. Today I asked God why. Why, at age 40, when I know where my security lies and I don't really think I've got anything to prove... why don't I just say what needs to be said more often? When too much O*prah-theology creeps into conversations in groups of women, when someone is obviously buying a lie of the enemy couched in the latest Christian fad, when some trite saying is spoken as truth, to which everyone else nods but inside I'm thinking "Chapter and verse... where is that?? Does that line up with Scripture?? I don't think so!" But, so often I sip my Diet Whatever and decide not to cause a stir. I don't want to hurt her feelings. I don't want to draw attention to myself. Besides, maybe I'm wrong... Yes, perhaps I'm mistaken... I'll go home later and look that verse up with my Greek lexicon or see what John Piper says, maybe I shouldn't speak too soon...

And then the moment's gone.

Yep. That's bold alright!

Why am I like that? I think I've still got the dust of rejection clinging to my sandals. I never shook it off. Over the years I've put myself "out there" (though the times are pretty few and far between, if I'm honest) but the rejections have happened. I can even go back to childhood and think of times I was subtly and not-so-subtly rejected- as all kids are at one time or another. There was dust to shake off and I didn't do it. I let it cling to me into my adolescent years, and apparently right into my forties. This morning I read Christ's words, "...the one who rejects you rejects Me..." Even as a child, if anyone rejected me, they were rejecting Him for He also said, "Whoever receives one child in My Name receives Me" Mark 9:37

I didn't really think much about it until today, but as I read those verses by God's grace I was convicted that I've been dragging rejection and its resulting insecurity around with me for years. It's not noticeable to everyone, because after all, it's just dust particles clinging to my spiritual sandals, but it's there.

And I think it's time to shake it off.

Diving Into The Word This Summer

I haven't posted a "Works-For -Me-Wednesday" in just forever, but after I typed this post I realized it was Wednesday and I was posting something that "works for me" so I decided to link it. Last week someone commented on my WFMW: Prayer Bible post from way back in December, so that shows me that sometimes when you're prompted to post something that works for you, it can help someone months later! (I know going back over some of the great tips from others that I've missed on some busy weeks... God knows just when I need to read them!)

Today I thought I'd post about something I've been doing this summer that has been refreshing to me. I have begun a new approach to Bible reading, and I just love it! In past years I've enjoyed my Daily Bible, and have loved how it helps me read the Bible through in a year. At times, due to schedules, traveling, and general craziness I get off "schedule" but usually I'm able to get caught up, and I've found that it was a marvelous way to see God's Word speaking directly to me- I would read something in August that profoundly effected me, something that was dated for June, but God knew I would need to read in August! So, the daily, through-the-year Bible was something God used for several years in my life to ground me in His Word and help me become acquainted with the whole counsel of Scripture.

A couple of years ago I read How to Get The Most From God's Word by John MacArthur. In that book, he outlined a Bible reading plan that really interested me. This spring, as I began my usual daily-Bible-reading-derailment during the weeks preceding our trip to China, I was reminded of the method MacArthur described, so I looked it up and decided to try his approach.

Old Testament: MacArthur says, "For the Old Testament, I suggest reading through all of it once a year in a narrative manner (from Genesis to Malachi, no skipping around.) ...the best way to read the Old Testament is straight through, like a story. Don't look for a presentation of systematic theology... simply read the Old Testament to see what it says, to hear the story it has to tell. You will see the unfolding of God's progressive revelation; and you will also discover foundations for New Testament truths that come later.... When you come to a passage you don't understand completely, don't let it bog you down. Put a question mark in the margin and move on. As you continue to read the Old Testament year by year, line upon line and precept upon precept, you will begin to erase the question marks." He breaks it down into about 3 chapters a day (15-20 minutes).

New Testament: MacArthur says of the New Testament, "I use a little different approach. I still keep the principle of repetition from Isaiah 28:9 (line upon line, precept upon precept) but with an important variation. Instead of reading through the entire New Testament from Matthew to Revelation, I read each book over and over for thirty days... The Bible has a flow and a context, especially the letters from Paul, James, and others. When somebody writes you a letter, you don't stop to read a nice line, then jump two pages to find another good thought. You read it through, to understand the flow of thought.... You break the longer books up and still use the same thirty-day system. For example, the Gospel of John has twenty-one chapters. Divide it into three sections of seven chapters each."

His book goes into greater depth about the benefit of such a plan and the discipline involved, and I highly recommend it. (In fact, when I originally read it I read big chunks of it to my kids, too.) This summer I began with Colossians, now I'm in 1 Peter, and I'll be going on to James in August. In my Old Testament readings I am in Ruth, and it has coincided with Nancy Leigh DeMoss's series on Ruth on Revive our Hearts. God is so faithful!

Another thing I have been doing, which has been fun, is to use the Inductive Study Approach as outlined in The New Inductive Study Bible. I first learned this method when I did a Precepts Bible study two years ago, and I love it. I get to color in my Bible! Each morning I get out my box of colored pencils and color-code and mark key words throughout the passages I'm reading. Mainly, I've been marking my New Testament readings, a new chapter as I read the entire book each day. I'm not marking the Old Testament passages, although I've begun marking Ruth as I'm lingering there listening to Revive Our Hearts. (There is a pretty good explanation of how to "mark" or observe passage in this method here.)

Here is a picture of one of my pages from 1 Peter, to show how I've marked it. (You can click on it to make it larger.)There is a list of suggested markings in the front of the Inductive Study Bible, and I have some that I've developed on my own to help me remember key concepts. Combining the methods I learned in Precepts with MacArthur's reading plan has been so beneficial for me.

Are there days I don't get to it? Sure! Are there days I don't read every single chapter in "the plan"? Absolutely! You know what? It doesn't matter! The key is, I'm in God's Word, soaking up His truths, reading them in context and prayerfully applying His profound Word to my life. It's not meant to be intimidating or rigid, but enjoyable, interesting, and relevant. There's no "wrong" way to mark passages, it's strictly what helps me to identify key words, phrases, themes, people, and lists. I'm enjoying it immensely, and since I always love hearing what Bible study methods work for other people, I thought I'd share it with you today. I'd love to know what you've found that works for you, too!

Visit Shannon to read more of what works for some of the smartest women on the web!

Do you worry?

I do. I didn't always, really, but in recent years it's become more of a problem for me. Actually, I think the fact that I never considered myself a "worrier," only worrying about small things, left a chink in my armor, a breach in the wall, and allowed fear and worry to become a greater problem in my life. An unguarded strength became a double weakness. Perhaps I was too confident or self-assured in certain areas, and I just didn't worry. Not anymore.

I've been getting caught up on some of my podcasts, and this morning I listened to an excellent talk given by Dr. Charles Swindoll at a Dallas Theological Seminary chapel service (from 4/17/07). He had some good words to say about worry.

1. Anxiety highlights the human viewpoint, strangling God's viewpoint. I begin to see statistics and trends instead of seeing things from God's perspective. This produces fear.

2. Anxiety chokes our ability to distinguish the incidental from the essential. (Matt. 6:33) This produces distraction.

3. Anxiety twists worries around our mind so that we cannot relax and we become unfruitful and impatient. It strangles what would otherwise be the fruit of the Spirit in my life. This produces unfruitfulness.

4. Anxiety syphons our energy and our joy, making us judgemental of others. This produces negativity.

He spoke from Luke 10:38-42, the story of Mary and Martha. He pointed out that there are more of us in the Martha category than the Mary. "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things." Does this describe you? It does me. Worried and bothered about so many things.

I worry when I add...

• more things to an already full schedule
• pressure by thinking "My image and reputation are involved in this."
• expectations to what hasn't happened

...and that makes me angry.

I worry when I subtract...

• God's presence from my crisis
• prayer from my day
• perspective from the moment of difficulty

...and that makes me doubt.

I worry when I multiply...

• my problems by inserting human solutions
• human solutions so rapidly that I miss the perspective
• my fears with imagination (What if.....? Maybe....)

...and that makes me afraid.

I worry when I divide...

• my life into the secular and the sacred
• my day into the Lord's part and my part

...and that makes me forget.

So, angry, doubting, afraid and forgetting, I feel a lot like Martha. I think we've all been there, some of us may find ourselves there today.

May we remember that He is at work right now! God says that "before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24

Heavenly Father, may I trust You for the things I have been worrying about and leave the results with You.

Feet Shod With The Gospel

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Romans 10:14-15

It is a time of preparation. I have never had a blog during my times of preparing for mission trips before, so I've never really written about what I do. With just over a week until our departure for China, I have been working all along on some of the "nuts and bolts" of what needs to be done- making lists, preparing materials for some of the work we will be doing, emailing the missionaries and team members. To be honest, I have not posted much about this at all, simply because I'm not sure what I should post. (I'm a bit nervous about posting about our work specifically, as I don't want to unwittingly post any information that might jeopardize what our missionaries on the ground there are doing.)

Generally speaking, I will be doing some training in the International Fellowship there that our missionaries are part of, as part of their Sunday School program. We will be having a Mexican food party for some teen "MK's" (missionary kids") who are are hard at work for the Lord, and could really use some Rotel dip and tacos! We will be speaking to college students in a university setting, as well as in a coffee house. We will be speaking and ministering in a house church. We will be visiting a Buddhist monastery and prayer walking the area. My daughter and the other teens on the team will be performing some puppet shows in schools. Mostly we will be on the ground and available to do whatever the Holy Spirit directs. It's an exciting time!

But, if I'm honest, it's also (for me) a time when fear and anxiety begins to settle upon me. I've always been a pretty "tightly wound" person, but I have been plagued with fear and worry to an unparalleled degree during our years of short term missions. Things I have never worried about before can become areas of paralyzing fear for me, and even manifest themselves physically. I have recognized this as a ploy of the enemy, and have (by God's grace) been able to press through and go anyway, but nevertheless it remains a battle, from the moment I commit to a trip, throughout my entire time on the field, and even weeks after I return. God has been unspeakably faithful to me and has used this to draw me closer to Himself, further my understanding of Him and strengthen me according to His Word.

Today, I thought I'd post about what I do to prepare for a mission trip spiritually. The weeks leading up to this trip have been incredibly busy for me in every area. Socially, we have had more than our usual amount of obligations. Our ministry work in Awana has been quite time consuming. We have lost a dear friend. We are trying to finish our school work. My son has a birthday 2 days before we leave. Our house is in disarray as we are still working to put it on the market. Busy, busy, busy. And, I believe that is no accident. The enemy would love it if I would get totally distracted with the "mechanics" of my life right now and neglect the spiritual preparation needed for this trip. This would leave me completely vulnerable and could render me useless in China. I must guard against that.

This week I'm sharpening "my sword." I have a thinline Bible that I travel with. It's not the Bible I usually use for church or study, but thinner and easier to carry in my backpack. Since it's not the one I always use, I find that I can't easily flip through it and find passages as quickly as I can in my other Bibles. This week, I am having my daily quiet times in my "travel Bible," reacquainting myself with it. How I loved pulling it off of the shelf! It was like seeing a dear friend and travel companion. It's got sand and dirt in the creases- sand from Mexico, dirt from Ghana. Business cards from China (with the cell phone numbers of our missionary friends) fell out as I opened it up. A quote from an African pastor is written on the front page, "The devil sometimes strikes when you are not at work. Let us not become complacent," it says. Good reminder. I have a small heart sticker stuck inside the front cover, a reminder of a devotional I did with the kids on our team one summer when I gave them all a sticker to remind us that according to 2 Chronicles 16:9, "the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." He sees my heart, He will strongly support me! What a promise! I must go boldly, clutching that promise.

Inside the back cover of this Bible I have Scripture references written for key Gospel passages. In my jet-lagged state, with the language barrier and the stress of being in another culture, sometimes it's hard to recall when I'm sharing with someone. I have found it a big help to have them written down and the scriptures highlighted. I also have the Roman Road scriptures listed in order on the first page of Romans with the corresponding verses highlighted. I have been reading back through these key passages and preaching the gospel to myself (which I wrote about here). Not only is this solidifying the Gospel in my heart and mind, it is causing me to operate in His power. The Gospel is power! What a covering!

Something else I have been doing, is praying through my 31 Days of Praise and 31 Days of Power books and highlighting Scriptures pertaining to God's attributes... His absolute goodness, sovereignty, love... There are moments of intense oppression on airplanes, layovers, late nights in my hotel room, and walking through heavily oppressed areas where I need those scriptures at my fingertips. Again, in the stress of the moment I might not be able to find these passages, but locating and marking some of them ahead of time and reading and meditating on them before I go is an immeasurable help. And this week I have been finding Scriptures I've marked and prayed through, that have been a lifeline for me in the past. God is using them to remind me of His past sufficiency and the promise of it in the days and weeks to come. He is so, so good.

So, this is a little of what I've been up to in my preparations. To those of you who are praying for us... thank you. I have tears in my eyes just now thinking about it. You have no idea what a lifeline those prayers are to me. No idea. Thank you, thank you. May the blessing return to you a hundred fold.

I'll post more of our preparations in the coming days. Have a blessed day!

Holy Ground

Good morning! Only a blogger would take a picture of breakfast. (Oh, wait, I take that back... maybe a desperate scrapbooker would... ;) Here are the wonderful Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins we had for breakfast this morning. Pull up a chair and share a muffin! I've got half-caff coffee, too.

Before the kids got up this morning I was reading in the book of Judges (where I am in my daily Bible reading.) This year I am using a wonderful resource to help with my understanding of the Old Testament, Edersheim's Bible History Old Testament. It has really helped me to connect events and get a better "grip" on the narrative of the Old Testament. Today after I finished my Bible reading on Gideon, I turned to see what Edersheim had to say. In the section discussing Gideon's asking for a second sign from the Lord ("a pledge of His presence" as Edersheim calls it) he says something that I think is absolutely profound:

"Those hours in the history of God's heroes, when, on the eve of a grand deed of the sublimest faith, the spirit wrestles with the flesh, are holy seasons, to which the superficial criticism of a glib profession, that has never borne the strain of utmost trial, cannot be applied without gross presumption. When in such hours the soul in its agony is seen to cast its burden upon the Lord, we feel that we stand on holy ground." (p. 362, emphasis added)

Have you found yourself in a wrestling match between spirit and flesh? Have you ever noticed how often those seasons come "on the eve of a grand deed of the sublimest faith?" Oh, how this spoke to me today. How my flesh would love to give way to fear, anxiety, insecurity, or selfishness... especially in the face of an opportunity to do something that would require immense faith.

So much has happened in our country, in our families, and in "blogland" in recent days. So many people are burdened. So many are standing on "holy ground," casting burdens before the cross onto our Lord in Whose strength alone we are able bear up. Are you on holy ground today? Take heart if you are. This is a "holy season." Jesus is near. He is drawing you near to Him. He longs to accomplish great things for His great name- and He must-for no other name is worthy, and there is no other name by which we may be saved.

Real Growth

"Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. "

Colossians 2:18-19, NASB

In my Bible reading this morning, I came across this passage from Paul's letter to the Colossians. I've been reading the book of Colossians every day, becoming increasingly familiar with Paul's wise words to the believers at Colossae and prayerfully heeding his words of warning. God must have known that the dangers they faced would be common to all believers, so He caused these words to be written by Paul instead of spoken in person, so we would still have them. I'm not glad for Paul's imprisonment, but I love how God sovereignly used it to transport His Word through Paul to us today.

What caught my attention this morning were the words, "...grows with a growth which is from God." That statement implies that there can be growth which is not from God. Not all things which aren't from God will wither and die right away. There can be a period of growth and fruit (albeit, bad fruit). The tares grow alongside the wheat. So how do I tell if the growth I'm experiencing is "from God?"

First, I must check to see that the teaching I am receiving is "holding fast to the head." The Head is Jesus Christ. I may have measureable growth in certain areas, but if what is feeding or teaching me does not acknowledge the lordship of Jesus Christ, it is not "growth which is from God." I don't want that kind of growth. That kind of growth, like a cancerous tumor, will grow and grow until it robs my mind and spirit of the healthy "nutrients" it needs. It's bondage.

I love this post of Terri's the other day, dealing with the book "The Secret" and other books like it. I encourage you to read it. (The post, not the book!) So many earthly teachers today, inflated without cause by their fleshly minds, are defrauding believers of their prize, their spiritual blessings in this life and in the life to come, by teaching what does not acknowledge Jesus Christ. I am burdened by what I see, and I know many of you are as well. Self abasement (false humility) angel worship, and grand visions characterized the false teachers in Colossae, and we do see those qualities present in the false teachings we see in mainstream media today. But I think they represent the types of teachers Paul is warning us about those who teach any persuasive, empty doctrine. If believers accept these teachings and put them into practice, they won't lose their salvation but they will be robbed of present and future spiritual blessings.

Just because it's growth doesn't mean it's from God. "Measurable" does not equal "meaningful." I want my growth to be real. I want it to be of God. I want my fruit to last. And I know you do, too. I pray that all of us would test our teachers and the teaching we're receiving to see if it is supported by the Head, Jesus Christ, Who holds all things together and (praise God!) holds us in the mighty grip of His grace.

Don't Lay Down Your Bible!

The current series on Revive Our Hearts is called "Walking Through Life's Deserts." (The series starts here. ) Today's episode was called "I Can't Do This!" The title caught my attention, because I have said those three words so many times, even in the past week!

Three women on the show today shared their stories of difficulties (some of which I can't imagine!) and discussed what sustained them during those times. This part really spoke to me today:

"It was such a shock in about my mid-30s when all of a sudden there were really tough things in my life that I didn't initiate or choose, but they were there. I had to walk through the process of coming to grips with who God was in the midst of Him allowing things in my life that I didn't choose.

I think at the beginning of that process in your life it's hard because you've never done it before. I think when you've seen God prove Himself faithful over the course of several things like that maybe you're a little quicker to recognize the hand of God in the midst of hurt or difficulty. So you surrender to it. You acknowledge who God is.

Then I think the thing of persevering and getting to God for hope means you can't lay down your Bible. There were moments in those years where the only time I felt okay was when I was sitting in my den with my Bible open having time to stay in the Word. If I got away from that, the circumstances were so hard that I would think, "God, I don't think I can live through this." But if I was sitting in the presence of God in His Word, it gave me encouragement and hope and perspective that I had to have.

If somebody says to me, "Well, yes, I'm surrendering to this. I’m getting to God." But they're not in the Word. They're not going to have what they need to be able to walk through that thing because that is the thing that brings us back to the point of truth.

Nancy: When you think of how God provided in the wilderness for the Israelites, He provided manna, water, protection, provision, His presence. All those things really are what we find in the presence of God and in the Word. That is our manna. That is our bread. That is our water. That's what sustains us in the desert."

Persevering and getting to God for help means you can't lay down your Bible...

Those words really resonated with me this morning. How prone I am in times of battle or seasons of stress to lay down the true Sword of God's Word, even momentarily, and begin wielding my wimpy sword of self-reliance. I loved this reminder today, and I needed it. The word "sword" has "w-o-r-d" in it. God's Word.

May I not lay it down, even for a second!

"Loosed" for the Lord's Purposes

"...and He said to them, "Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it.' and immediately he will send it here." Mark 11:2-3

I love this passage, especially as I came across it this week approaching Palm Sunday. The "colt" Christ is speaking of in the above passage is the donkey colt that He would be riding as He entered Jerusalem in His "triumphal entry." There are so many lessons to be learned from this pivotal moment. But, I keep coming back to the colt.

I have been carrying a bundle of notecards in my purse for the past few months. Some have scriptures on them, which I'm trying to memorize. Some have Greek words on them, from my (very) Elementary Greek curriculum that I'm slowly working through. One of the notecards that I regularly review has the word, "luo" written on it, in my best attempt at Greek script. The word "luo," as I have memorized, is Greek for "I loose." In the Greek scriptures I have memorized, this hasn't been a word. I haven't used it in any translations or sentences yet, but faithfully I have memorized this word. Luo. Got it.

Today as I read the above passage I "got it" on a little deeper level! The colt had to be "loosed," for "the Lord has need of it." Whoever owned the colt was not told exactly what the Lord would do with it, only that He the Lord needed it. What needed to be "loosed" was so that the Lord might use it for His glory. That particular colt carried our Lord to a chorus of "Hosannas," acknowledging Who He was. It's the same word used in the New Testament to describe when Lazarus needed to be "loosed" from his grave clothes after his resurrection. It's also the word used to describe the woman who was "loosed" from the evil spirits who had plagued her for over eighteen years. In these instances, involved being "loosed from" as well as being "loosed to."

What do I need to "loose" so that the person of Christ might be better displayed in my life? What do I need to be "loosed" - set free- from? The One who calls me, Who will use it for His glory, is the One who will do the enable the "loosing." Praise His name!

"Hosanna!

'Blessed is He who comes in the name

of the Lord!'

Blessed is the kingdom of our father David

That comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest!"
Mark 11:9-10

Within Arm's Reach

As usual, I sank down in the big, comfy chair in our living room this morning, my steaming cup of coffee on the table beside me, my open Bible in my lap, and my mind full of questions. Issues. Challenges. Worries. I sipped my coffee and brought it all to Him. I love my time in the mornings...so early... still dark. This time of day serves to magnify the reality of how I come to Him in my human-ness: foggy-minded, surrounded by darkness, alone, filled with questions.

I've been struggling with the issue of whether I trust God, really trust Him. If asked, I would be quick to say that I do. But that pesky emotion called "fear," those anxieties both big and small that surface in me throughout each day, testify to the truth that on some level, in some things, with some things... I must not really trust Him. So it was in front of that spiritual backdrop that I read a verse this morning that fell on me with a fresh relevance.

"And the LORD said to Moses, "Has the LORD's arm been shortened?"

Numbers 11:23

I just sort of stared at those words this morning. The NKJV rendering of the above verse asks (rhetorically, of course) if something has happened that has limited God's power. Have His power and might, which so often is what His "arm" represents, been altered in any way? The obvious answer is a resounding "No!" The Lord's arm has not been shortened by... the sickness of a loved one, a possible scary diagnosis for another, the chronic problem that has plagued my extended family for almost two decades, financial issues, marriage concerns for a dear friend, a burden for the lost... or anything else I brought to Him this morning. His arm is as long as ever. His power is as great as ever. None of this has surprised or shocked Him, none of it jarred Him off His throne or "shortened His arm." "God is not mocked." (Gal. 6:7) Neither is He shocked, nor is His world rocked. "Giving Him control" is simply aligning my view to what is already a reality: He is in control. He's never not been.

"Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?" Isaiah 50:2

"Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear." Isaiah 59:1

"And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm;" Deuteronomy 5:15

His arm is as long as it ever was: long enough to save, to reach, to extend His accomplishing hand to bring His will to pass in His creation and in His people, in my circumstances and of those I love... and long enough to draw us to Himself. I can trust Him. Praise You, Lord.

Mind Boggling

"God praying to God so that God would do God's will...

If this doesn't boggle your mind, you're not 'boggle-able' !"

John Piper preaching from Romans 8:25-27,

an excellent message found here.

God's Site Meter

Here are some questions I've been asking myself this week:

• If the Bible were a blog, would you be on God's site meter today?
• Would His site meter show that you were reading early in the morning? (first thing)
• Would it show multiple page loads?
• How many minutes of reading would it show?
• Do you read the posts, or just the comments? (His Word vs. books about His Word.)
• Are others who show up on His site meter showing you as the referring site? (In other words, are you linking others to His Word?)
• Would His site meter show just one brief check each day, or would it show that you refer to His Word multiple times throughout the day?
• Do you just lurk or actively comment (pray) as you read?
• Do the amount of times you show up on His site meter reflect a hunger for His Word?

God doesn't need a site meter, of course. He knows. And He doesn't need to know I've been reading His Word as some sort of "ego boost" for Himself. I need what He has to say more than anyone needs what I have to say. And although His Word is complete and unchanging, His Word is very much alive, active, and applicable to my ever-changing circumstances. In that sense there are "new posts" daily, and they are a lifeline like no other. He is the Ultimate Blogger.

Let's spike God's site meter today!

The True Me

How are you in times of great distress? Do you make your best choices? Say the most brilliant things? I know I don't. I can look back at moments of great grief or trauma in my life and I can't believe some of the things I've said, or didn't say. Some people have the gift of knowing just what to say at key, pivotal moments. I am not one of those people.

Neither was Peter. I always chuckle when I read how Peter interrupts Jesus' conversation with Moses and Elijah during that glorious moment on the Mount of Transfiguration. And, of course, he was the one who rashly cut off the servant's ear in the Garden of Gethsemane. Today I read with such heaviness in my heart for him as he denied even knowing Jesus. Repeatedly. And with cuss words.

After his denial of Christ, though, Matthew 26:75 records that Peter "went out and wept bitterly." John MacArthur's notes in my Bible this morning said something that I just love:

"The true Peter is seen not in his denial but in his repentance."

What a statement! A few years ago our teaching pastor pointed out that David's life, though filled with sin of every kind, was not characterized by sin, but rather characterized by brokenness and repentance. (And praise!) Sin is such a daily battle, isn't it? Praise God that our lives need not be characterized by our poor choices, bad decisions or rash words. But, the key is repentance. In the moment that Jesus made eye contact with Peter, he was brought to a place of brokenness and repentance. That's how he went from the Matt. 26 Peter to the bold, Spirit-filled Acts 4 Peter. The same can be true for me. I must make eye-contact with my Savior. Repentance is the key.

Even as Peter was in the midst of sinning against his Lord, Jesus was on His way to bear the punishment for it. I shared a few months ago a technique that I believe God gave me for prayer, to help me be thorough in my confession. It is based on the word "scars," because He bore those scars for me, and still bears them even as He sits at the right hand of the Father. I need to be reminded of this daily.

I know as I go throughout my day today I will sin, but oh how I pray that the true "me" will be seen in my repentance.