Be.........

Be honest with yourself.
Be honest with your soul.
You are not fine.
You are not good.

Read Psalm 42 and 43.  The writers are beautifully aware of their need of the Lord.

Your soul is messy.
Every time you lie about where your soul is at, you are robbing God of His grace.

You need to open it up to the Lord and to His people.

Allow your soul to hope in God.

~ Jesse Schmidt, Harvest Rockford

There's power...

There's power in alignment with fellow believers at your former ministry.  You need to form alliances within your current church family. 

Stay connected. 

Galatians 2:1-10

Since I'm not sure how to add the audio recording of today's sermon....

Several years ago during a revival meeting message, the evangelist (and please don't ask me WHO the evangelist was because my brain cannot remember) prayed for our hearts to be stirred and shaken and changed.  I've never forgotten that prayer and when I take the time to remember to pray that way - it seems like GOD does something amazing to remind me that He's in control and I don't need to worry.

I currently have a tricky situation in my life that my best attempts to rectify the situation have just brought on more frustration.  

Today's message...the message that I asked the Lord to stir-me-up with was titled, "Love like God."  Pastor John's text was Luke 6:27-38.  It reads:
Love Your Enemies
27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others

37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” 

If Christ is raised from the dead, I am to love like God loves.
1. What?  Love our enemies with a committed love.  Committed love is a love without emotional attachment.  It's loving without anything in return.  It's love that works to benefit others.

2.  How?  How do I love my enemies?
     A. in action - do good
          Ex. David and Saul - I Samuel 24:8-22
     B. in speaking well of them
          James 2 - the power in my tongue:  to build up or destroy
          Jesus is saying (in Luke 6 passage) to not be passive.  Jesus says to bless and not curse.
          I Peter 2:23
      C. pray for those who mistreat you
          - This will internalize love and it will intensify it.
          Acts 7 - Stephen prayed for his enemies who were casting stones at him.

* For the sake of the Gospel, 

I need not fight for my rights.  

I represent Jesus Christ. *

       D. give to the taker.
            My treasure is in Heaven.
       E. leading - Luke 6 is about leading with love.  
            Do not expect love in return.
            Lead without expectation!!!

3. Why?  Why I should I love my enemy?
     Loving only friends and family is natural.  It's easy.  Loving your enemies is supernatural and is done only by an overflowing of God's love into my heart.  I am a channel of His love.

Do not ration love.  Pray for overflowing and abundant love.

The Holy Spirit's abundance of love ------>  ME! --------> My enemies and persecutors

Philippians 4:19, 20  When I love my enemies, God the Father gets the glory!!!

Resurrection Day: "If Christ be raised..."

Happy Resurrection Day!!!


Three things to consider "if Christ be raised..."
1. Jesus ~John 20
If Christ has been raised, He is the Son of God.

2. Lazarus ~ John 11:1-44
Martha is a perfect example of statements getting ahead of our hearts.  In one breath, she is telling Jesus that her brother is sick but she believes Jesus is the Son of God...and the next breath (or some 20ish verses later) at Lazarus' tomb, she is telling Jesus that her brother has been in the tomb for 4 days and he stinks.  Martha knew Jesus had power to make her brother well...but she had never witnessed Him raise anyone from the dead.

My statements (like Martha) get ahead of my heart.

3. Thomas ~ John 20:19-29
Thomas said he would never believe unless he could put his hands in Jesus' wounds.

I want the Resurrection to change my life!  

My Best Yes

Today I was afforded an opportunity to put in to practice the lessons learned from my Lysa TerKeurst study, The Best Yes.

I am involved in my church's ladies Bible study.  We meet on the first Monday of the month.

I, also, am involved in a book club that meets on the second Monday of the month.

Typically these two meetings do not collide. 

This month {hands making a grenade exploding motion} was not the case.

Last week Bible study got cancelled due to the ridiculous winter weather.  Cancelled and moved back 7 days....thus colliding with my book club.

Not only was there this but tonight my dear friend decided that she was ready to return to the gym thus commencing her return to working-out with your truly.  I must admit I have missed her terribly.  As stated by my bestie Sara, I am a social work-out kinda gal...and also very loyal.  Need someone to be committed to joining you at the gym, I'm your gal!

You see....all the way back in March, my other gym sidekick just up and left me at the gym alone.  Not even so much as "See ya.  I am outta here."  One day we were working-out and laughing and enjoying gabbing and the next BAM!!! she was gone.

The fact that I persevered and still went to the gym alone, says much about my dedication to working-out.

I digress.

So this friend wanted to resume working-out tonight...of ALL nights. 

Book club + the gym + Bible study...not to mention supper and running home to get my Bible study material.  I was completely stressed out by these three good things...and then it hit me...like a sucker punch to the stomach {which I have never felt and / or had to endure}.  I should practice my best yes.  What were the four areas to analyze this decision?  I paused and prayed and knew...I knew I had to say "No" to book club.  In the puzzle of my Monday, book club did not fit.

I am so thankful the Lord gifted Lysa TerKeurst to write practical & applicable Biblical truths in a way that they are easily understood and remembered.

Red Sea....

Today Pastor Jim filled in for Pastor B.  His lesson was regarding waiting...and what better example than the Children of Israel.  (We are so often like those crazies, are we not???)

Any-who....
Here was my ah-ha moment...Exodus 12:21....states that the Lord caused an easterly wind to blow throughout the night.  Common to the area was north/south winds.  Eastern winds would've proved God's reign and control over nature.  Second ~ I have missed the fact that this wind blew all through the night.  I don't know if I knew this and today I just spaced-out and forgot that I knew it....or if I always missed the overnight part.....(sigh).....it's hard to tell.

I love it when I read God's Word and something jumps off the page!!!

A Perfect Storm ~ January 22, 2012

Human Wisdom vs. Godly Wisdom

Pastor Bodwell's Sunday Evening Message ~ January 22, 2012

* * * Acts 27 * * *

1. Godly wisdom trumps human wisdom.  (verses 10 - 12)

"And said unto them, 'Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only with the lading and ship, but also of our lives.'  Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.  And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter, which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west."

* Patience vs. convenience

The people on the ship thought Paul's way was not accommodating and "fun."

* Patience vs. fear

Fear is an element of a trial.

* Others vs. self

They tried to save themselves.  They turned inward and became selfish instead of looking for the needs of others.

2. Godly wisdom considers conventional wisdom.

Don't forget:  God has allowed this nor'easter in your life!!!

3. When all hope is gone, trust God.  (verses 20 and 22)

"And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away...[Paul speaking] 'And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.'"

Desperate times call for us trust God!!!

4. There is a time for fasting and a time for thanksgiving; don't wait until the storm is over to be thankful...be thankful during the storm! (verses 33-36)

"And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meal, saying, 'This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.  Wherefore I pray you to take some meat; for this is for your health, for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.'  And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all, and when he had broken it, he began to eat.  Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat."

Pastor pointed out something that I had never considered.  They had been 14 days without food -- they were probably really weak.  If they were going to have to swim ashore, they would need strength for the duration of the storm.

God doesn't always answer

our prayer in the way we think He will. 

I Thessalonians 5:18, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

5. Trials are a time to be of good cheer.  (verses 22, 25, and 36)

"And now I exhort you to be of good cheer..." (v. 22)

"Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer..." (v. 25)

"Then were they all of good cheer..." (v. 36)

When all hope is gone, be of good cheer!  John 16:33, "These things have I spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

James 1:2-6, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." 

And lastly, Pastor warned us about taking counsel from individuals who can't handle nor'easters in their own life, just "survive" during trials & don't thrive, and from self-centered people.