One great way to stay connected to our Bible is by getting out in nature and enjoying the God-breathed things that we have in our lives. It is amazing to me to think about people in Old Testament times and that many of the things in their nature we still have in ours. They looked upon skies, mountains, rivers, oceans, trees, and grasslands just as we do today.
I find the most peace when I am camping next to a lake and I can sit out under the stars and listen to the water lapping on the shore, the insects singing, and the birds chirping. I have also picked up a photography hobby and I love to shoot things in nature. It never fails that when I focus on a beautiful shot I think of God and how he shows us how awesome He is.
It is on my “to-do” list to go through my photos and to match some of them with scriptures that make me feel the same way the picture does. I did find a website that has just that, pictures of nature with scriptures included. Take a look at: http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/207135362fNqVgS if you would like to see.
Even if you are in the city and busy working take time when you are outside to look at a tree or plant and think of the nature gifts that God has given us.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Paul's Journey with biblestudyforkids.com
Linda Shanks, creator and head of Biblestudyforkids.com is a wonderful lady who has created a very detailed and fun program that is designed to help a person study the travels of Paul. It is a series of lessons that can teach and strengthen people from all walks of life.
Linda has been doing this curriculum with our church. There are activities for all ages. The children have coloring and activity pages and the adults have a detailed study of the scripture accounting Paul's tales. The study also does a really good job of going through what the lands that were traveled look like and who lives there today.
The reason for the creation of this series is Linda is taking a once in a lifetime trip later this month. She is traveling with Mark Moore and Mark Scott, both with Ozark Chritian College in Joplin, Missouri, to Turkey, Greece, and Italy to see first hand where Paul traveled and spread the news of Jesus.
It is going to be a wonderful trip and Linda plans on keeping a blog and streaming some video while she is there. I invite and encourage you to visit www.biblestudyforkids.com and follow the link on the left side of the page to enter the exciting world of Paul's travels.
Linda has been doing this curriculum with our church. There are activities for all ages. The children have coloring and activity pages and the adults have a detailed study of the scripture accounting Paul's tales. The study also does a really good job of going through what the lands that were traveled look like and who lives there today.
The reason for the creation of this series is Linda is taking a once in a lifetime trip later this month. She is traveling with Mark Moore and Mark Scott, both with Ozark Chritian College in Joplin, Missouri, to Turkey, Greece, and Italy to see first hand where Paul traveled and spread the news of Jesus.
It is going to be a wonderful trip and Linda plans on keeping a blog and streaming some video while she is there. I invite and encourage you to visit www.biblestudyforkids.com and follow the link on the left side of the page to enter the exciting world of Paul's travels.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Good Friday
This year the Easter cantata that we are singing at my church tells us in one of the pieces that, "He grew the tree that He knew would be used to make the Old Rugged Cross." What a powerful thing to think about. I don't know how many of you have children but imagine planning, before they were born, to sacrifice them when they turn 30. Now imagine 30 years before they were born planting the seed that would someday grow to be the cross your child would hang on. God's divine plan is something that we cannot ignore and His sacrifice often brings up painful emotions in us of inadequacy. It should and then we need to train ourselves to immediately turn to God with prayers of THANKSGIVING.
Picture a great chasm with the earth on one side and hell on the other. There is a bridge between the two places and Jesus is standing on the Earth side trying to get people to turn around. Every person who will get on that bridge has to push Jesus out of the way to do so. This is a perfect picture of how a person goes to hell. The gift of eternal life with Christ is free. Repent, be baptised, and spread the word. Those things may cost pride and cause self-reflection but there is no cost compared to the price that has already been paid for all of us. We just need to pray and accept the gift.
It is extremely important that we think today about the day Satan lost and Jesus won. The day that all of our repented sins were washed clean. Call on this sacrifice made for you and let it take over your thoughts.
Sunday we rejoice, Friday we mourn.
Picture a great chasm with the earth on one side and hell on the other. There is a bridge between the two places and Jesus is standing on the Earth side trying to get people to turn around. Every person who will get on that bridge has to push Jesus out of the way to do so. This is a perfect picture of how a person goes to hell. The gift of eternal life with Christ is free. Repent, be baptised, and spread the word. Those things may cost pride and cause self-reflection but there is no cost compared to the price that has already been paid for all of us. We just need to pray and accept the gift.
It is extremely important that we think today about the day Satan lost and Jesus won. The day that all of our repented sins were washed clean. Call on this sacrifice made for you and let it take over your thoughts.
Sunday we rejoice, Friday we mourn.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Making Connections in Behavior
I am always amazed when I hear people say that they don't read and/or believe the Bible because it has no relevance to their lives. I am constantly reminded that our God is timeless when I open the Word and read through scripture. I have no problem making continuous connections to my own life.
One of the most explicit examples of this connection is in Galatians where Paul is telling us that we need to live by the Spirit. He doesn't just leave it there but gives us very specific examples of what to do AND what not to do.
Galatians 5:16-26 - NIV (http://www.biblegateway.com)
Each of the things listed as fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) are things that are involved in our daily lives. I find the line following the list incredibly relevant, "Against such things there is no law." This is completely true of our government today. Our justice system is set up to protect and promote these fruit.
Paul also gives us a specific list of the things that will keep us away from God and therefore come between ourselves and heaven. He lists: "sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like." Although there are not laws against all of these things, they are seen as incorrect and bad in our society today. Impurity and debauchery (corruption) are thing that are running rampant. I find it interesting that dissensions and factions are on this list. I had never thought about the back-stabbing and clicks that form in our adolescence and sadly, sometimes in adulthood as being something that is listed as bad in the Bible. But there they are. Jealousy and selfishness are things that every person can work on.
I could spend months discussing the relevance of each of the things (good and bad) listed in this tiny passage out of The New Testament to the lives of Christians today. Whether you are someone who feels that reading the Bible is irrelevant to your life or someone who believes in the power of the Word I challenge you to spend a little time this week with this passage.
Are you gathering fruit? Building walls between you and God?
What good things to concentrate on each day.
One of the most explicit examples of this connection is in Galatians where Paul is telling us that we need to live by the Spirit. He doesn't just leave it there but gives us very specific examples of what to do AND what not to do.
Galatians 5:16-26 - NIV (http://www.biblegateway.com)
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Each of the things listed as fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) are things that are involved in our daily lives. I find the line following the list incredibly relevant, "Against such things there is no law." This is completely true of our government today. Our justice system is set up to protect and promote these fruit.
Paul also gives us a specific list of the things that will keep us away from God and therefore come between ourselves and heaven. He lists: "sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like." Although there are not laws against all of these things, they are seen as incorrect and bad in our society today. Impurity and debauchery (corruption) are thing that are running rampant. I find it interesting that dissensions and factions are on this list. I had never thought about the back-stabbing and clicks that form in our adolescence and sadly, sometimes in adulthood as being something that is listed as bad in the Bible. But there they are. Jealousy and selfishness are things that every person can work on.
I could spend months discussing the relevance of each of the things (good and bad) listed in this tiny passage out of The New Testament to the lives of Christians today. Whether you are someone who feels that reading the Bible is irrelevant to your life or someone who believes in the power of the Word I challenge you to spend a little time this week with this passage.
Are you gathering fruit? Building walls between you and God?
What good things to concentrate on each day.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Give it Up to God!!
Sitting in church a couple weeks ago I noticed in the announcements that the women's reading group/Bible study that I used to attend was starting a new book. It just so happens that due to some unexpected changes in my schedule that my schedule is newly free at the time that they meet. God shook me that day in church and I knew that I needed to go fellowship with these Christian women that I miss spending time with, even though my brain said, "You don't have time to add another thing."
I knew I would have a great time but what I didn't know was that it was the book that I needed to see just as much as the ladies.
The book we are studying is, "The Chosen Path of the Beatitudes" by Cliff Hulling. The book starts out with an introduction discussing that the beatitudes are not only a great list of guidelines for us to follow but a linear process that we should do in order. I had never thought about this before.
Before we start with the first, "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3), the author spends a couple chapters discussing things that can stand in the way to Christ and take our minds from where they need to be. So far we have only covered: love of the world, following bad Christian examples, and pride.
Each of these chapters has given me things to think about changing or praying about. It has also given me some fulfillment in knowing that even though I feel far away from God some days that He is with me and helping me to stand firm in my Christian life. I have only been back in this group two weeks and I know exactly why I was God-grabbed and lead to this book.
The whole moral of the story is to listen to God. He speaks when we are expecting it and more often when we are not. He leads us where we need to go even when we think we were supposed to be going in the other direction. Whether you feel certain or unsure, daily give up your life to our creator who sent his perfect sacrifice to save our souls. He will take you where you were meant to go.
Have a great day!
I knew I would have a great time but what I didn't know was that it was the book that I needed to see just as much as the ladies.
The book we are studying is, "The Chosen Path of the Beatitudes" by Cliff Hulling. The book starts out with an introduction discussing that the beatitudes are not only a great list of guidelines for us to follow but a linear process that we should do in order. I had never thought about this before.
Before we start with the first, "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3), the author spends a couple chapters discussing things that can stand in the way to Christ and take our minds from where they need to be. So far we have only covered: love of the world, following bad Christian examples, and pride.
Each of these chapters has given me things to think about changing or praying about. It has also given me some fulfillment in knowing that even though I feel far away from God some days that He is with me and helping me to stand firm in my Christian life. I have only been back in this group two weeks and I know exactly why I was God-grabbed and lead to this book.
The whole moral of the story is to listen to God. He speaks when we are expecting it and more often when we are not. He leads us where we need to go even when we think we were supposed to be going in the other direction. Whether you feel certain or unsure, daily give up your life to our creator who sent his perfect sacrifice to save our souls. He will take you where you were meant to go.
Have a great day!
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