Sunday, January 4, 2009
Just so you know...
Why is it that I have so many blogs? Even to this day, I post blogs on Facebook, Myspace, Xanga (seriously? is that even still there?), Blogger, and Wordpress. Now, honestly, the posts are all the same, because I copy and paste them to each blog. I wonder why it is that I keep doing that. Well, the reason is that different people read from different blogs I guess. Anyway, all of that rambling to remind everyone that my main "missions blog" which is what this started out as, is now at http://www.girl4god.wordpress.com. Maybe I'll post more randomness on here, maybe not. We shall see.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Error of Emotion
The other day I had the opportunity to attend a worship service focused on attracting teenagers to come and worship God. As the service started, and I stood back and watched, I soon realized something. The loud music, fog machines, lights were attractive to some of the students. They were singing, jumping and having fun, but I began having flashbacks from my junior high days.
See, when I was a teenager, I too went to some services of this kind. It was great. We would sing, and pray, and I always just felt so close to God. Sometimes we would cry, sometimes shout. Do not get me wrong. There are times, we can even see this in the Bible, where it is necessary to cry and shout to God. Yet, with these emotionally driven worship services, I came out with a very shallow faith.See, what I was learning through this was that being close to God was a feeling. I would be close to God during these emotionally charged services, and soon the feeling would fade. I would feel alone without this feeling and fight to get it back. This is not what the Christian life is about. Emotions and feelings come and go, and if we base our relationship with Christ on them, our created god will be as changing and fleeting as our emotions. The one and true God is not like that. He never changes. "For I the Lord do not change." Malachi 3:6
There is a danger in building your relationship with Christ on your emotions, and to teach young people to do so is greatly destructive. I am speaking as having been one of those teenagers that was taught that through such services. It took a long time for me to learn the difference between real worship and being emotional. Mark Dever says in his book The Deliberate Church, "Worship is not about pleasing people." That is so true, yet many people today do not remember this simple fact. Worship is for God. He is the only one worthy of worship, and when our "worship services" are focused on the emotional we are focusing on ourselves.
Do not get me wrong. I am not against emotions. God gave them to us for a reason. I am just concerned with emotional services that are giving us the wrong idea of what real worship is. If we go into the services to get emotional, we can. True worship may result in an emotional reaction, this is usually not a happy feeling though. Look at Isaiah when he saw the Lord and Him being worshiped. He said, "Woe is me!"Worship is not about how we feel. Worship is giving to God what He deserves, everything.
Psalm 29:2
Psalm 95:6
Psalm 96:9
Psalm 99:9
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!!!
See, when I was a teenager, I too went to some services of this kind. It was great. We would sing, and pray, and I always just felt so close to God. Sometimes we would cry, sometimes shout. Do not get me wrong. There are times, we can even see this in the Bible, where it is necessary to cry and shout to God. Yet, with these emotionally driven worship services, I came out with a very shallow faith.See, what I was learning through this was that being close to God was a feeling. I would be close to God during these emotionally charged services, and soon the feeling would fade. I would feel alone without this feeling and fight to get it back. This is not what the Christian life is about. Emotions and feelings come and go, and if we base our relationship with Christ on them, our created god will be as changing and fleeting as our emotions. The one and true God is not like that. He never changes. "For I the Lord do not change." Malachi 3:6
There is a danger in building your relationship with Christ on your emotions, and to teach young people to do so is greatly destructive. I am speaking as having been one of those teenagers that was taught that through such services. It took a long time for me to learn the difference between real worship and being emotional. Mark Dever says in his book The Deliberate Church, "Worship is not about pleasing people." That is so true, yet many people today do not remember this simple fact. Worship is for God. He is the only one worthy of worship, and when our "worship services" are focused on the emotional we are focusing on ourselves.
Do not get me wrong. I am not against emotions. God gave them to us for a reason. I am just concerned with emotional services that are giving us the wrong idea of what real worship is. If we go into the services to get emotional, we can. True worship may result in an emotional reaction, this is usually not a happy feeling though. Look at Isaiah when he saw the Lord and Him being worshiped. He said, "Woe is me!"Worship is not about how we feel. Worship is giving to God what He deserves, everything.
Psalm 29:2
Psalm 95:6
Psalm 96:9
Psalm 99:9
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!!!
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Lessons Learned from Easy Mac
I am convinced that Easy Mac might be one of the greatest inventions…ever. In four easy steps you have a delicious cup of hot, cheesy goodness.
Step 1: Take off the plastic cover/lid
Step 2: Fill with Water
Step 3: Microwave for 3 minutes and thirty seconds
Step 4: Stir in cheese
All that’s left to do is eat and enjoy!!!!
The other day I got to my apartment and decided I wanted some yummyness. So, I grabbed my bowl of easy mac, took off the lid, put it in the microwave and started cooking it. I headed to my computer,(I had been multi-tasking, which I have a problem of doing. Example: on the computer, watching tv, listening to music, and reading for homework, all at the same time.)as I sat there for about two minutes it suddenly dawned on me. I skipped step 2. I screamed, jumped up and ran to the microwave.
Sure enough, I had some seriously burnt noodles in a melting bowl.
Greatly disappointed at my lack of paying attention to what I was doing, and that I had just wasted a precious Easy Mac bowl, I grabbed another one to try again. This time, I carefully did steps 1,2, and 3. When it came time for step 4. I had a problem. I could not get the cheese packet opened. I soon became angry. This reaction was not the best, because my anger caused me to tear the cheese packet open, spilling the cheese on my counter. It was at this time I cried out, “All I wanted was some Mac and Cheese! Is there something wrong with that?” My roommate replied, “Yes.”
I salvaged what was left in the package and stirred it in to complete my dish. Somehow, it didn’t taste as good that night.
I thought about this tragic night for awhile. If I had only taken my time, followed instructions… If I had only completed the 2nd step.
I was in such a hurry to get to steps 3 and 4, and then to eating. God reminded me that a lot of
times in my life I am in a hurry to get to the next step in my life. Or, maybe I’m in no hurry, and He is ready for me to move on. If I hurry, something is going to be messed up, wasted, and in the long run, I’ll probably have to wait longer for what I wanted. I need to wait on Him sometimes. (Psalms 27:14)
Other times I need to keep moving, when I like where I am at. It sounds completely absurd, but what if I never moved to step 3 in making my Easy Mac? I would never get to enjoy eating it. When we don’t take the steps that God has prepared for us, we are missing out on His blessings for us. (Proverbs 16:9 & 20:24)
So, wherever God has you now, waiting or moving to the next step. Don’t fight Him. Do it your own way, and you might end up with a cup of burnt noodles.
Step 1: Take off the plastic cover/lid
Step 2: Fill with Water
Step 3: Microwave for 3 minutes and thirty seconds
Step 4: Stir in cheese
All that’s left to do is eat and enjoy!!!!
The other day I got to my apartment and decided I wanted some yummyness. So, I grabbed my bowl of easy mac, took off the lid, put it in the microwave and started cooking it. I headed to my computer,(I had been multi-tasking, which I have a problem of doing. Example: on the computer, watching tv, listening to music, and reading for homework, all at the same time.)as I sat there for about two minutes it suddenly dawned on me. I skipped step 2. I screamed, jumped up and ran to the microwave.
Sure enough, I had some seriously burnt noodles in a melting bowl.
Greatly disappointed at my lack of paying attention to what I was doing, and that I had just wasted a precious Easy Mac bowl, I grabbed another one to try again. This time, I carefully did steps 1,2, and 3. When it came time for step 4. I had a problem. I could not get the cheese packet opened. I soon became angry. This reaction was not the best, because my anger caused me to tear the cheese packet open, spilling the cheese on my counter. It was at this time I cried out, “All I wanted was some Mac and Cheese! Is there something wrong with that?” My roommate replied, “Yes.”
I salvaged what was left in the package and stirred it in to complete my dish. Somehow, it didn’t taste as good that night.
I thought about this tragic night for awhile. If I had only taken my time, followed instructions… If I had only completed the 2nd step.
I was in such a hurry to get to steps 3 and 4, and then to eating. God reminded me that a lot of
times in my life I am in a hurry to get to the next step in my life. Or, maybe I’m in no hurry, and He is ready for me to move on. If I hurry, something is going to be messed up, wasted, and in the long run, I’ll probably have to wait longer for what I wanted. I need to wait on Him sometimes. (Psalms 27:14)
Other times I need to keep moving, when I like where I am at. It sounds completely absurd, but what if I never moved to step 3 in making my Easy Mac? I would never get to enjoy eating it. When we don’t take the steps that God has prepared for us, we are missing out on His blessings for us. (Proverbs 16:9 & 20:24)
So, wherever God has you now, waiting or moving to the next step. Don’t fight Him. Do it your own way, and you might end up with a cup of burnt noodles.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
I Love to Tell the Story
This morning in church we had somewhat of a missions emphasis. We sang an old hymn. Maybe you've heard it. It goes like this.
I love to tell the story of unseen things above,Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, because I know 'tis true;It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.
I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory, To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story; more wonderful it seems Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story, it did so much for me; And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.
I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory,To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story; 'tis pleasant to repeat what seems,Each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God's own holy Word.
I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory,To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,'Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.
I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory,To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.
As we started to sing, a quote that I once heard ran through my mind. "Christians don't tell lies, they go to church and sing them."I believe that most of the people in the congregation that were singing this song, were lying through their teeth. Go ahead and say I'm being harsh and judgemental, but I looked at myself too, and I knew that I was lying. Maybe by the time that we got to the last verse, there was more truth involved.
"I love to tell the story, to those who know it best."
That might be. It's easy to get up and teach Sunday School to a bunch of God-loving people. But I don't know a whole lot of people that love to tell the story of Jesus.
You know how I know that they don't love it? They aren't doing it. I'm not doing it.
We sing, "I love to tell the story." Then why don't we do it?"
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God's own holy Word."
Do we really get that? Some have NEVER HEARD. I'm not just talking about people from a tribe in Africa that no one has ever heard of. There are people right around you every day, living in this "Christian" land, where say, "In God we trust," that have NEVER HEARD about what Jesus Christ has done for them.
A phrase in the second verse kind of sums this up. Why should we love to tell the story? Why should we tell others?
"I love to tell the story, it did so much for me;And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee."
I love to tell the story of unseen things above,Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, because I know 'tis true;It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.
I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory, To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story; more wonderful it seems Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story, it did so much for me; And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.
I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory,To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story; 'tis pleasant to repeat what seems,Each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God's own holy Word.
I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory,To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,'Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.
I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory,To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.
As we started to sing, a quote that I once heard ran through my mind. "Christians don't tell lies, they go to church and sing them."I believe that most of the people in the congregation that were singing this song, were lying through their teeth. Go ahead and say I'm being harsh and judgemental, but I looked at myself too, and I knew that I was lying. Maybe by the time that we got to the last verse, there was more truth involved.
"I love to tell the story, to those who know it best."
That might be. It's easy to get up and teach Sunday School to a bunch of God-loving people. But I don't know a whole lot of people that love to tell the story of Jesus.
You know how I know that they don't love it? They aren't doing it. I'm not doing it.
We sing, "I love to tell the story." Then why don't we do it?"
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God's own holy Word."
Do we really get that? Some have NEVER HEARD. I'm not just talking about people from a tribe in Africa that no one has ever heard of. There are people right around you every day, living in this "Christian" land, where say, "In God we trust," that have NEVER HEARD about what Jesus Christ has done for them.
A phrase in the second verse kind of sums this up. Why should we love to tell the story? Why should we tell others?
"I love to tell the story, it did so much for me;And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee."
Monday, January 7, 2008
Knowing God
In My Utmost today Oswald Chambers asks the question, "We recceive His blessings and know His word, but do we know Him?"Of course we know some things about God, but do we know Him? So I did a quick word study in my Bible with the word "know."
While I came up with some great verses, the one that stood out the most was from Hosea. Chapter 6 verse 6 says that God would rather us know Him, than offer burnt sacrifices. Two verses before this it says, "Let us know; let us press on to Know the Lord."Let us press on to know the Lord.
Those are pretty strong words. You are not just going to know God. You have to work for it. So, I asked myself. What's the best way to get to know God, well any child in Sunday School could answer that one. "Read your Bible!" Then I asked well where is the best place in the Bible to learn about God, thinking about places that specifically speak about God's character. God reminded me that His character is in every part of the Bible. I just need to read it and ask, "What does this tell me about God?"
For fun I closed my Bible and randomly opened it up to a verse. I read it and then asked myself, "What does this tell me about God?" Obviously you need to read other verses around the verse for context, but I used this as a way to practice learning about God's character in verses that might not specifically say something like, "God is faithful."
It takes work to know God. Know God pleases Him. Am I willing to work for that, so I can please my Savior, so I can know Him?
While I came up with some great verses, the one that stood out the most was from Hosea. Chapter 6 verse 6 says that God would rather us know Him, than offer burnt sacrifices. Two verses before this it says, "Let us know; let us press on to Know the Lord."Let us press on to know the Lord.
Those are pretty strong words. You are not just going to know God. You have to work for it. So, I asked myself. What's the best way to get to know God, well any child in Sunday School could answer that one. "Read your Bible!" Then I asked well where is the best place in the Bible to learn about God, thinking about places that specifically speak about God's character. God reminded me that His character is in every part of the Bible. I just need to read it and ask, "What does this tell me about God?"
For fun I closed my Bible and randomly opened it up to a verse. I read it and then asked myself, "What does this tell me about God?" Obviously you need to read other verses around the verse for context, but I used this as a way to practice learning about God's character in verses that might not specifically say something like, "God is faithful."
It takes work to know God. Know God pleases Him. Am I willing to work for that, so I can please my Savior, so I can know Him?
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