Are you a Sponge?

Phil. 2:12-13  Even as the Philippians were obeying in Paul's presence and even while he was away, they were growing.  They were learning, working and being followers of Christ by working out their salvation.  Let me be clear here.  Works will not save you!  Faith saves you and the works that flow out of that faith is what causes you to grow.  We could work all day, every day and no matter how good, how wonderful or how much of a blessing we are- without faith it doesn't matter.  All of those good deeds won't get you any where.  Faith in Christ.  Faith that believes He is who He says He is.  Faith that believes He can and will do what He says He will and can do.  AMAZING!  He loved you and me so very much that He was willing to go to the cross.  He would die a criminals death and be buried in a borrowed tomb and be raised again on the third day to ascend to the right hand of the Father.  Can you and I even come close to wrapping our tiny human minds around that?  Do you believe it? Do you understand it? If we have enough faith to believe that He did this for us- How can we not be busy about the Father's work.  How can we just sit by and act like a sponge. 
Let me explain.  A household sponge that soaks in all the water possible and is left to sit will start to smell and stink and eventually will get moldy and mildew.  On the other hand a sponge that is being used to fulfill it's purpose is filled with water, cleans and is rung out.  What comes out when it's squeezed is what it was filled with, cleaning water.
You and I are like this and we can be useful or we can be stale and stinky.  We can be the first sponge.  We can go to Bible Studies, Sunday School, Worship and we can soak it all in.  BUT we don't "do" anything with it.  We are just busy soaking.  After a while we are a  little hard hearted, a little bitter over someone or something and before long we are wallowing in our mold and mildew and we just reek.
OR we can be like the second.  We go- we listen- we pray and the we squeeze a little for service in the community or squeezed again for service within the church-squeezed again when finances are tight, kids are not obeying and what comes out is what we were just filled with at the last service or lesson.  Sweet, fragrant offerings.  The second sponge doesn't get stale and smell and stink. It's being used, poured out, cleaned and refilled.
My question-
Which sponge am I?
Which sponge are you?
For sure something to consider. Working out my salvation- Faith without works is dead.

3-D Part 3

OK, I hope you have been challenged. I hope you have been in His Word. Have you?  Let's get to this last little piece.  Go back to Acts 7:57-8:1
This is pretty short so I will type it out for you so you don't have to go back and forth to a link. 

"At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him.  Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.  While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."  Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.  And Saul was there giving approval to his death."

 

 

Did you catch it?  Did you see it?  Did you see who is on the side-lines?  Yes ma'am....Saul is standing there giving his approval and holding the coats of those doing this.  Oh my goodness!!!!  It's amazing to me to think of someone standing in the crowd watching something like this.  As I think about that I am convicted of the times that I have been a part of a conversation that was not uplifting of another or tearing someone down. The question is.....Did I say anything or get away from the situation.  Father forgive me! 

 

 

I praise the Lord for Saul who became Paul.  Showing me that the Lord can use even me.  Saul is tearing apart the church, putting men, women and children in prison UNTIL that wonderful face to face meeting on the Damascus road with Jesus.  Praise the Lord!!!!!  There is something about that face-to-face meeting with Jesus.  Precious, Powerful, Sweet. 

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed working through these verses as much as I have.  They are indeed powerful and something to pray and consider.  His Word is Powerful!!!!!  Dig In It!!!!!!!

 



3-D part 2

So we made it to the second part of this scripture in Acts.  Acts 7:54-8:1 is powerful.  That is the only adjective that I know to use.  We have Stephen who has just stood before the Sanhedrin and given them scripture and history.  He is living his life in 3-D with information, transformation and proclamation.  The crowd and court that has heard him speak the truth is furious and gnashed their teeth at him.  I can't imagine this happening but what an experience it must have been.  They proceed to take Stephen out of the city.  Scripture says that even as they are yelling and gnashing their teeth that Stephen is still speaking.  The circumstances around him have not stopped him.  He is still speaking and proclaiming.  He says, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." POWERFUL!!!!!  Even as he is saying this they are dragging him out of the city. 

For us, what would we do?  Would we continue to speak? Would we continue to proclaim Christ? Maybe we would quietly leave the room? Maybe we would even apologize for making someone angry?  It really makes me stop and think about what my response would have been.  What about yours?  Stephen never stopped. 

During the process of dragging Stephen out of the city he sees Christ "standing" at the right hand of God.  This is so rich.  Christ came as our High Priest. He came as the perfect sacrifice. He came to complete the work.  If we go back to the Old Testament we find that the priest were not allowed to be seated. The work was never complete. There was always sacrifices to be made.  When Christ came, He fulfilled those requirements.  He was The Sacrifice.  He SAT DOWN because the work was done.  Stephen is being stoned for his proclamation- his preaching of Christ.  Try and get that picture in your head.  Stephen is being stoned. He looks up and sees Christ standing to receive him. WOW!

Going on in the scripture it talks about they were stoning him that Stephen prayed for those stoning him.  This can be very difficult.  This can even hit a nerve or two.  Praying for those who hurt us.  Really?  ABSOLUTELY!!!!!  I have been there. I have done it. It is not easy but it can be done in His strength and power.  It not only has the power to change the person, but you and the circumstances as well.  Do you pray for your enemies or those who have hurt you?  What a challenge.  Let Him help you do it!!!!!

There is one more part that we will talk about tomorrow.  Don't worry, I didn't miss the by-stander in the scripture.  

Living 3-D

This week in our Sunday School lesson is about Stephen.  This is probably one of my favorite set of scriptures.  It's powerful on so many different levels.  At the same time so very simple.  My book talks about how Stephen lived in 3-D.  I had never thought about it this way but just love it.  It simply says..... "Stephen's testimony offers us a 3-D Christianity.  He shows us that following Jesus Christ involves three dimensions: information, transformation, and proclamation.  Stephen believed the good news about Christ (information), loved Christ (transformation), and preached Christ (proclamation).  Like wise, we have the opportunity to give our heads, hearts, and lips to the God who creates us and re-creates us."

So let's take a look at this.  If we go back to scripture and we look up in the book of Acts 6:5-7:60.  I am not going to post this entire passage but here is a link to Blue Letter Bible that might help if you need to link to it while we read and dig into the Word.

Acts 6:5-9 talks about Stephen and we see the first part of this 3-D living, he believed the good news about Christ (information).  He is described as full of Faith and of the Holy Spirit, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.  Stephen was someone who believed in who Christ was.  He had no reservations about Him.  He was a follower of Christ.

The second part of the 3-D talks about loving Christ (transformation).  You can't help but be transformed by the love of Christ.  Reading on in Acts 6:11-7:53 we see that Stephen is transformed.  His love for Christ is evident in his, what I would call, sermon.  He loves His Lord and will stand up for Him.  What power and confidence in the Lord.

The third part of the 3-D talks about preaching Christ (proclamation).  In these verses, Stephen stands and gives the scripture that those on the court.  They have heard it. They don't like it but they have heard it. He is bold. He is not sitting on the side lines and wondering what they are going to think about him when he is finished. He starts with Abraham and goes to present. He knows his history and his scripture. He doesn't back down. He stands firm.

So now, lets get a little personal.  This hit me square between the eyes as I was reading and studying this passage.  I have read this before. Like I said it is one of my favorites.  But looking at it in this light was new and fresh.  This 3-D is what I so desire.  I want all of it.  I have the "opportunity as it says to give my head, hearts and lips to the God who creates us and re-creates us".  What about you?  do you want to be a Stephen?  Do you want the "information", the "transformation", the "proclamation"?  I know I for sure do.  

For me, the key in this is his knowledge of the scripture and the history.  I want that so much.  I want scripture in my head and in my heart so that I can use my lips to share it.  I'm horrible at scripture memorization.  I can finish a verse. I can quote them but it's the "address" that escapes me.  I want to be able to give it so that I can turn and point to it. The other part of this is being in the Word.  I don't mean glancing over it and call it a quiet time.  I mean really digging and looking for those things that He has for me.  It's a powerful moment.  So, what about you.......Do you do well with scripture memorization? If you have to takes someone down "The Roman Road", could you do it? Do you know the address to many of the scriptures that we use? 

Tomorrow we will talk about the rest of this set of scripture.  It's just amazing!!!!!!

Be Quiet!!?? or Share Your Heart??!!

This past Sunday was one of THOSE Sundays.  I had read the Sunday School lesson and it had really sparked something in me.  It was several different feelings. It was disbelief. It was sadness. It was joy. It was just welling up in me and I couldn't stand it.  Well.......our poor Sunday School class heard it all. 

When it was over my sweet Hubby says.."Just share what you think" or something to that note.  I quickly told him to PLEASE elbow me, whisper in my ear or something to tell me to be quiet next time.  He said I was fine.  He was so sweet and supportive but I felt bad because I talked the entire time. It was about to explode and I let it explode in front of a bunch of people that hardly know us......

What got me like this........well, that would come from out Sunday School lesson.  I will type it out for you as a direct quote.  I realize that this person is a evolutionary biologist..  It still just rattled me. 

"In his book The God Delusion, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins emphatically states: "The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infantaicidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully." 

I read this and it totally had me feeling a load of different emotions.  The reason that this was even in the book was the first part of the lesson talking and asking if you find the Old Testament sometimes hard to believe or understand.  The question was posed in the class if we leaned more toward the Old Testament or the New Testament.  Of course my first response was Old Testament.  Of course others talked about the struggle reading through Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.  Yes, they are difficult.  Yes, there are laws upon law. Yes there are all kinds of people in the books.  This is a series done in BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) called "The Life of Moses".  It was one of those times in my life when I literally saw The Word come to life!  I looked for Jesus in every weeks lesson.  Guess what?  He was right there.  Did they miss it?  Yes!  Do we miss it? YES!!!!  The other part is that He provided a way for us to not have to go to The Tabernacle every day with the animal sacrifices, the blood stream flowing out of the tent, the daily rituals that were told.  Instead, I can go to my High Priest at any time.  Sitting in the quiet of my house. Sitting in the car rider line. Sewing on my machine.  He is there and I can be in His presence.  Makes me that much more grateful for living on this side of the cross!!!!

The quote saddened me.  First, he is not a believer.  Second that anyone could believe such about my Savior.  Thirdly, some Christians don't read the Old Testament with the excitement and enthusiasm.  Yes, He is a God of Order and without it, our world would be chaos.  Yes, we get frustrated with the Israelites because they are short tempered, they try to take a short cut, they do things 90%.  Guess what, you and I are just like them.  We do the same thing. 

What about you?
Where do you like to read, Old Testament or New Testament? 
Why do you read that part? 
What is your favorite book?
What is your favorite verse?
If you have one, what is your life verse?
If you have one, what is your verse for your children?
For sure something to think about.  Are you looking for Jesus?  He's here!!!!!!
For our sweet Sunday School Class.....thank you so much for letting me share my heart on Sunday!!!

His Word is Alive and Active

One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm_______(anything).  I was looking this morning and it just seemed to leap of the page so I will lead us in a look at Psalm 34:1-3 in just a minute.  Yesterday, I had Community Bible Study.  WHAT A BLESSING! I knew when I went that I was suppose to be there.  We had literally just moved here.  I had looked on line for a Bible Study Fellowship class and there are none to be found except down next to the gulf and that is TOO far to drive.  I heard about how they do this class and that was just what I needed. 
Another amazing fact is that I had just posted about wanting JUST Him and His word and not what He said to someone else.  I needed to hear from Him.  It was clear in just talking to the sweet woman that I met the first day.  Her comment was something like....."We have done other studies but there is just something about just scripture and and questions."  Ok, I was hearing this and just about to jump up and down realizing that He had put me here.  God is so very Good!!!!!!! 
I hope that what you are reading and learning here is really helping you.  I hope that you are studying for yourself.  Get into His word.  YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY!!!!!!

Let's get started. 
Psalm 34:1-3.....Yes, I'll type it out for you.......hahaha

vs1-I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
vs 2-My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
vs 3-Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.

I have highlighted some of the words that just leap on the page.  Another reason is the fact that they have these little tiny numbers in my Bible.  I have a Key Word Study Bible.  It is truly a treasure!!!  It has the Hebrew and Greek words in the back so that you can really dig into what you are reading.  It is just wonderful.  So, back to where we were. 

Extol- means to bless, praise, be blessed, to pray, to ask a blessing of.  We of course don't use the word extol in our everyday language and some don't even know what it means.  I know I didn't. 

Always- of course we know this one.  That is a given.  Here is means- duration, extension, continuance, continually, daily, at all times, without interupption......I'll let you chew on that for a few minutes!!!!!!

Lips- of course we get the physcial.  Here we take it a little farther---speech, testimony, external manifestation of an individual's character and disposition, whether good or bad. 

Soul- Life- breathe and be refreshed

Hear- give undivided attention, to understand what you have heard. to obey, give heed to

Glorify- Magnify- to make great and powerful.

Now you may ask why in the world would we go through all of that and the research and the reading and writing and digging.  Well, this is where it is all I can do to type this fast enough.  I get so very excited with the possiblity of sharing what scripture says..........

Let's look back at the scripture and put in some of the definitions that we have looked at........

I will give praise to the Lord at all times;
His praise will constantly, continually, daily, at all times, without interuption be in my speech, my testimony, a part of my character and disposition.
My life and breathe will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted give undivided attention to understand and listen and obey and rejoice.
Magnify and make Him great and powerful with me; let us exalt his name together.

DO YOU SEE?????  Can you contain yourself??!!!  I can't help but just want to shout.......His word is RICH!  His word is Powerful!!!!!!! 

May His Word Go Out Today!!!!

Are You Ready????

OK, so the other week we had time to sit and go through what my quiet time looked like and what yours might look like.  I am trusting that you have had some time to maybe get yourself to the place where you have what you need and what is going to benefit you. 
We were having some Internet difficulty so I wasn't able to post like I had wanted to but the Lord has fixed that problem so we must pick back up and keep this going.  I was thinking on what and where we should go for today.  I figure the best place is the beginning.  This is a set of scripture that is near and dear to my heart for so many reasons.  If my memory serves me right, this is one of the first scriptures that I learned how to do this 3 question approach.  The night that I learned this, the words literally leaped off the page.  At the same time, there was a group of women there and to hear them reading the same scripture and receive something so different yet from the same scripture and what the Lord had to say to them......it was amazing!!!!!!

John 15:5-8.....I'll even be nice and type it out for you.....
vs 5- "I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
vs 6- If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
vs7- If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
vs 8- This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

What does the scripture say? (Remember this is not for your English Teacher!)
He=vine, I=branches
Remain in him and him in me=bearing much fruit
Apart=nothing
Do not remain=branch thrown away/withers/such is picked up and thrown in fire and burned
Remain in him-His words remain in me=ask whatever you wish=done for you.
To the Father's glory=bear much fruit-showing yourselves as his disciples

What does it mean?  (No English Teacher)
He is the vine and I am the branches.
Remain in Him and Him in me, I will bear fruit
Apart from Him, I can do NOTHING
Don't remain we are like a withered branch that is thrown into the fire and burned
Remain in Him and His word remains in me, I can ask for whatever and it will be done.
To His glory that I will bear much fruit showing myself as a disciple.

What does it mean to me? (THIS IS PERSONAL)
I am going to be really bold and write out what it says to me.  This maybe totally different for you.  It could be the same or just similar.  My challenge for you is for you to read over it and then turn off your computer, iPad, iPhone, or whatever you are reading from and just spend time with an index card writing or a spiral notebook/journal writing.  Really listen and just let Him use it to speak to you.
This is what I would write........
He is my vine and I am the branches- am I in the Vine?  am I connected?  Am I bearing fruit?  Is my fruit His product that is a sweet aroma to Him or is it something I have tried to create on my own that is stinky and smelly?  Am I remaining in Him and am I allowing Him to remain in me 100% or do I have a little 10% over here that I can take care of? 
Do I realize that without Him I can do NOTHING!!!!  If I do manage to do something, does it have eternal worth or will it be burned up as a wilted and withered branch? 
If I remain in Him and He in me, I can ask for whatever I wish and it will be done for me.  The key is that if we are connected and He is in me and I am in Him, what I want is what He wants.  What does He want of me?  That is more important that anything else.
My fruit that I bear because He is in me and I am in Him, will be to His glory and not to mine.  Because I bear such fruit, I will show myself as His disciple.  Am I producing fruit as His disciple?  If so, what is it?  Is it a sweet smelling aroma to Him?


This was a brutally honest post in the 3rd question.  I pray that those of you that are taking the time to read and apply will be just be completely and totally honest with the Lord.  I'm not asking to see your "homework" but the Lord will.  What did you get out of it?  Is He speaking to you?  He longs for that relationship with all of us.  What are you doing to grow that relationship?  I pray that this is a start.  For those of you that have been doing this for years, PLEASE KEEP GOING AND GROWING!!!!!!  Please let me know how this ministers to you!!!!!!!!!!!

Bible Study

You have had a glimpse into what my time looks like. You have a list of instruments. You have a copy of His Word. So let's get started.

This is really simple and yet so very powerful.  I'll give you the outline of what you can use.  Then I'll give you an example of how to do it.  It's amazing to watch and see how something so simple can just simply change how you look at scripture and your time with Him.  This is not a time where I am worried about the red pen of the English Teacher.  I don't use complete sentences.  I write in abbreviations and fragments.  This is for me and my time. 

Let's get started.....

#1 What does it say? 
This is the easy part.  Do Not Make This Hard.  Literally list out on a piece of exactly what it says.  Don't change the words.  Write it just as it is written

#2 What does it mean? 
This is still easy and straight forward.  Main goal is to NOT ADD to His Word.  Write down what it means.  This does not require a Master of Theology Degree.  

#3 What does it say to me?
This is the the powerful part.  It's amazing to see how something so simple as these 3 questions could be.  Go  back and read over the sections that you just completed in question #2.  This is where it comes to life and the rubber meets the road.  This is application in the simplest form and it is just amazing.  Make it in the form of a question and then use it as a time of journaling.


Here is your sample..........

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whosoever believes in Him would have eternal life. 
John 3:16

#1- What does it say?
 God loved us so much.  He gave His One and Only Son.  Whosoever believes in Him=Eternal life.

#2-What does it mean?
 GOD LOVES ME!  He gave His Son. His One and Only. I believe=eternal life.

#3 What does it say to me? 
Can my mind comprehend that the God of this world loves me?
Do I understand He loves me so much that He was willing to send His Only Son?
Do I understand the sacrifice that He made for me?
Because of my belief of Him, I have eternal life.  Have I thanked Him for His love of me? 

Now I can take those questions from #3 and start journaling and answering the questions.  Praying while writing and really listen to what is flowing out of you pen and your heart.  The Lord can use it!!!  It's so simple but yet so very powerful. 

If you are looking for where to start.  Start in John, Luke or even Matthew.  Otherwise you can use the scripture that you are studying for a Bible Study or even Sunday School.

I would love for you to share.  Please share what you use.  Share if this is helpful!  I really want to hear from you.

Bible Study

I am one to admit first that I LOVE BIBLE STUDY!!!!!  I have some that I would do over and over and over.  I also have those women that have written studies that I have done that I would do again and again. Like most of us we all have those "Teachers" that we could listen to all of the time.  I just love being involved and helping get them started and seeing the women come and listen and get so very excited and walk away changed!  Some that I have heard and many of you I am sure have either heard them teach or read a book or even done one of their studies...
Beth Moore
Priscilla Schirer
Kay Warren
Kay Arthur
Patsy Clairmont
Anne Graham Lotz
and some personal ones.....
Marsha Judy
Joann Hampton
Suzanne Billips
Peggy Bouras
Natasha Robinson

Of course I could go on and on about them.  My most favorite are the ones from Bible Study Fellowship and Disciplers and those Marsha has written. For me there is a big difference. BSF, Disciplers and Marsha's studies are ones that what you have laid out in front of you is your questions and your Bible. That's all.  There is not anything else to read. You are not reading a commentary or what the Lord said to someone else. You are hearing Him directly to you.  HEAR ME CLEARLY!!!!  I LOVE ALL OF THESE OTHER BIBLE STUDIES AND THE TEACHERS!!!!!!!  At this point in my life and where I am, I am hungry for questions and scripture. It is a matter of preference and even your place in your Christian journey with the Lord. 
His word is rich.
His word is alive.
His word is active. 
Pick it up and read it!!!!!
It will change your life. 
I promise you that!

Maybe you are like me when I first started REALLY studying.  I had no clue how. I didn't know where to start. I didn't know what scripture to use or how to figure it out.  That is where Marsha came into the picture.  She patiently taught me.  I'm so grateful for her.  I want to start by giving you a couple of tools that I use.  THIS IS NOT WRITTEN IN STONE!  You have to do it for yourself.  What works for me may not work for you. Adjust it to fit you and your time with the Lord.  He will bless you!  He will meet you where you are I promise.  YES, if the other Bible studies work for you AND you are being changed...by all means stick with them.  They are very Godly women and I would go to any speaking engagement that I could.  This is just another tool. 

Tomorrow, I will post some of the tools that I use.  Then you can choose what would work for you.  Are you excited?
Are you ready to hear from Him?
Are you ready for a new journey?
Are you ready to experience Joy in your Journey with Him?
Join me tomorrow and lets see what He does.......