I just got done reading just the intro to the 6th chapter of Forgotten God...I couldn't go any further- even though it was extremely good and I cant wait to continue reading to see what all he has to say.. but I was afraid I wouldn't internalize it if I kept going and get too much info in my head.
This intro screams at my heart because I know I'm so so guilty of it but i don't know that I have ever heard it put this way before-
a little warning: i underlined almost the entire intro-yeah-its that heavy!
"And to expose our hearts to truth and consistently refuse or neglect to obey the impulses it arouses is to stymie the motions of life within us and, if persisted in, to grieve the Holy Spirit into silence." A.W. Tozer
"How many times have you heard someone say, "I just wish I knew God's will for my life?" (I'm soooooo guilty) "I know Ive longed for this before. But now I see it as a misguided way of thinking and talking" (Intrigued? you should be!)
"Few people in scripture received their life plan from God in advance. Consider Abraham, who was told to pack up his family and all his possessions and start walking. He didn't know where he was going. He didn't know if he would ever be back. He didn't know any of the details we consider vital-his destination, how long the venture would take, what the costs/rewards would be whether he'd receive a 401k or health insurance. GOD SAID TO GO AND HE WENT, AND THATS PRETTY MUCH ALL HE KNEW."
"I think a lot of need to forget about 'God's will for my life'. God cares more about our response to His Spirit's leading today, in this moment, than about what we intend to do next year. In fact, the decisions we make next year will be profoundly affected by the degree to which we submit to the Spirit right now, in today's decisions"
"Its much less demanding to think about God's will for your future than it is to ask Him what He wants you to do in the next ten minutes. Its safer to commit to following Him someday instead of this day"
"We forget that we were never promised a twenty-year plan of action; instead, God promises multiple times in Scripture never to leave or forsake us."
In a way this truth is encouraging and comforting to accept that God might not/most likely wont reveal our life plan to us... we can stop stressing over it- day to day trusting Him to lead us but the hard part in my opinion is asking what He wants each day, throughout the day and following and obeying. to be honest- it scares me more to ask 'what do You want me to do right now' when I've got a list in my head of things I need to get to in the next few minutes-such as paying some bills, finishing up an order, checking my mail... He gently reminded me that He is more important and those things can wait.. He always has my best interest in mind and if I sincerely want to walk intimately with Him and be used by Him then it calls for day to day, throughout the day seeking "who can I love for You today, or right now', 'what would You like me to do right now'
"My hope is that instead of searching for 'God's will for my life' each of us would learn to seek hard after 'the Spirit's leading in my life today.' May we learn to pray for an open and willing heart, to surrender to the Spirit's leading with that friend, child, spouse, circumstance, or decision in our lives right now."
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
A Real Relationship pt2
John 15 The Vine and the Branches story is my absolute favorite passage in the Bible. I could, need to, and should read it every single day! Francis Chan stopped in the middle of the chapter about having a Real Relationship and asked us to read John 14-16. Its such a powerful section... If i was really good at typing I would type it all out for you-especially chapter 15.. but maybe you can find a moment to go read it on your own and be blessed because of it.
"if you have received by faith the promise of the Holy Spirit, you are also His temple. As you drive your children to school. As you go to work every day. As you embark on a new, unknown season. As you go to school. As you face tragedy and pain. As you buy groceries. As you give of yourself in relationships. As you walk the dog. As you make decisions. As you live your life, the Holy Spirit is dwelling in you."
"Christ redeemed us from the curse we were under so that we could receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. The 'promised Spirit' is not a small promise. Jesus suffered a grueling death so that I could have the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit. How dare I take this for granted?"
"its not about having an impersonal guardian who looks over you. Its about having a parent, the best parent there ever was or will be."
"The Spirit speaks to our hearts, such as 'there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus'(Romans 8:1) and 'nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus'(Romans 8:39) and "He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins'(1 John 1:9) These are verses we could probably spout off, but often we need reminding of the power and veracity of them. And one of the Holy Spirit's roles is to do this reminding."
"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord." Jeremiah 29:13-14
"Ask the Holy Spirit to enable you to set everything else aside right now so that you can seek Him wholeheartedly. Tell God that you want intimacy with Him, no matter what, even if it necessitates suffering on your part. When this relationship with Him is as it should be, there is nothing more satisfying or meaningful"
I love the last comment about how there is nothing more satisfying then closeness with the Lord. I desire that so much! I want to walk through the day with Him and obey every prompting by the Spirit to love on others or share Him in some way... Its frustrating that at the end of the day I look back and about 10 minutes after I read my bible and a section of this book I got completely distracted and I have a hard time returning throughout the day. Im looking forward to the Fall and Aydin being in school part of the week and maybe just maybe I will have uninterrupted time with the Lord.
"if you have received by faith the promise of the Holy Spirit, you are also His temple. As you drive your children to school. As you go to work every day. As you embark on a new, unknown season. As you go to school. As you face tragedy and pain. As you buy groceries. As you give of yourself in relationships. As you walk the dog. As you make decisions. As you live your life, the Holy Spirit is dwelling in you."
"Christ redeemed us from the curse we were under so that we could receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. The 'promised Spirit' is not a small promise. Jesus suffered a grueling death so that I could have the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit. How dare I take this for granted?"
"its not about having an impersonal guardian who looks over you. Its about having a parent, the best parent there ever was or will be."
"The Spirit speaks to our hearts, such as 'there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus'(Romans 8:1) and 'nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus'(Romans 8:39) and "He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins'(1 John 1:9) These are verses we could probably spout off, but often we need reminding of the power and veracity of them. And one of the Holy Spirit's roles is to do this reminding."
"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord." Jeremiah 29:13-14
"Ask the Holy Spirit to enable you to set everything else aside right now so that you can seek Him wholeheartedly. Tell God that you want intimacy with Him, no matter what, even if it necessitates suffering on your part. When this relationship with Him is as it should be, there is nothing more satisfying or meaningful"
I love the last comment about how there is nothing more satisfying then closeness with the Lord. I desire that so much! I want to walk through the day with Him and obey every prompting by the Spirit to love on others or share Him in some way... Its frustrating that at the end of the day I look back and about 10 minutes after I read my bible and a section of this book I got completely distracted and I have a hard time returning throughout the day. Im looking forward to the Fall and Aydin being in school part of the week and maybe just maybe I will have uninterrupted time with the Lord.
A Real Relationship pt 1
I hope if you've been reading the last couple blog posts I may have convinced you to go out and buy the Forgotten God book for yourself... I am in no way able to explain fully and share enough of the book to get the real message across. God has used Francis Chan in amazing ways and sharing God's message in this book is one of them!
Chapter 5 is all about God's incredible, indescribable love for us and His desire to have a real relationship with us.
"theres nothing better than being absolutely sure that the most powerful Being in the universe adores you as His own child. This is precisely the confidence the Holy Spirit offers us."
"Though I do not believe God gives us His Spirit solely for our personal benefit, it undeniable that one of the greatest aspects of being in relationship with the Holy Spirit is the intimacy, security, and encouragement He brings us. It is when we can serve God as a beloved child rather than a stressed out, guilt ridden slave."
2 things Fancis Chan mentions that can get in the way of being intimate with God and the Holy Spirit is being too comfortable and life being too loud. both of which I know get in the way for me!
"it is those who put their lives at risk and suffer for the gospel (Phil 1:29) who will most often experience His being 'with you always, even to the end of the age' (Matthew 28:20)" "The Bible says that the Spirit comes through in situations where we would normally be afraid (Luke 12:11-12)"
Chan shares a story about some missionaries who were imprisoned and how they never felt closer to God then in that time and how they desire to go back to that! I can recall several times in my life when I was scared, doing what I knew God was wanting me to do even though it meant having no friends at one instance, no boyfriend for a period of time, and while I was in China as a missionary for the Summer- to name a few.. I felt closer and had a more intimate relationship with Christ during those times than any other- I was leaning solely on Him because He was all I had! Sadly being comfortable has a way of taking away that dependence on Him
"Our lack of intimacy often is due to our refusal to unplug and shut off communications from all others so we can be alone with Him" (Mark 1:35)
"I don't know exactly what it will look like for you to be still before the Lord. But I do know that no matter what your personality it is a spiritual discipline to be still, to listen, and to cut out the distraction and din of our world. And as we practice this stillness, this waiting, this being, it is then that we can experience deep intimacy and relationship with the Holy Spirit"
Chapter 5 is all about God's incredible, indescribable love for us and His desire to have a real relationship with us.
"theres nothing better than being absolutely sure that the most powerful Being in the universe adores you as His own child. This is precisely the confidence the Holy Spirit offers us."
"Though I do not believe God gives us His Spirit solely for our personal benefit, it undeniable that one of the greatest aspects of being in relationship with the Holy Spirit is the intimacy, security, and encouragement He brings us. It is when we can serve God as a beloved child rather than a stressed out, guilt ridden slave."
2 things Fancis Chan mentions that can get in the way of being intimate with God and the Holy Spirit is being too comfortable and life being too loud. both of which I know get in the way for me!
"it is those who put their lives at risk and suffer for the gospel (Phil 1:29) who will most often experience His being 'with you always, even to the end of the age' (Matthew 28:20)" "The Bible says that the Spirit comes through in situations where we would normally be afraid (Luke 12:11-12)"
Chan shares a story about some missionaries who were imprisoned and how they never felt closer to God then in that time and how they desire to go back to that! I can recall several times in my life when I was scared, doing what I knew God was wanting me to do even though it meant having no friends at one instance, no boyfriend for a period of time, and while I was in China as a missionary for the Summer- to name a few.. I felt closer and had a more intimate relationship with Christ during those times than any other- I was leaning solely on Him because He was all I had! Sadly being comfortable has a way of taking away that dependence on Him
"Our lack of intimacy often is due to our refusal to unplug and shut off communications from all others so we can be alone with Him" (Mark 1:35)
"I don't know exactly what it will look like for you to be still before the Lord. But I do know that no matter what your personality it is a spiritual discipline to be still, to listen, and to cut out the distraction and din of our world. And as we practice this stillness, this waiting, this being, it is then that we can experience deep intimacy and relationship with the Holy Spirit"
Friday, July 23, 2010
"Who do You want me to love for You today?"
This morning's blog post is from yesterday's reading and this mornings. It might be a little long but I hope you keep reading through the whole thing. Yesterday's was titled When the Spirit Leads. It mainly talked about how its not easy following the Spirit... "Often, walking with the Spirit is an uphill trudge through all sorts of distractions and difficulties. But while the path is winding and difficult, you are constantly moving in a particular direction, and that direction is set by the leading of the Spirit."
Not sure about you but that statement is so comforting to me... through being a Christian for majority of my life I have gone through long periods of time of being distracted and neglecting the Holy Spirit... and even in the times when Im striving I swear Im the most distracted person- I read these amazing books that the Spirit speaks so loudly to me about and Scripture that rings in my heart and then at the end of the day... I probably couldn't remember exactly what it was I learned that morning.
Later on in this section Francis Chan starts talking about Paul's letter in 1 Corinthians 13 (the Love chapter)
"In addition to becoming like Christ in His holiness, being led by the Spirit will result in becoming like Christ in His love."
"The Holy Spirit is the one who fills believers with God's love and the one who enables us to love one another"
Ephesians 3:16-19
"May we know this love hat surpasses knowledge-the mystery of this great love-by the strengthening power of the Spirit"
"and like our Savior, who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurt. We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things. It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and acts in and through us in ways that on our own we are not capable of. This is our purpose for living. This is our hope" 'And hope does not put us to shame, because God;s live has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:5
It seems through most chapters at the very end Francis Chan will use a specific person in history who lived out through the Holy Spirit. At the end of Chapter 4 he talked about Esther Ahn Kim who was imprisoned during WWII for not bowing down at shrines all over Korea and Japan. She ate rotten food in preparation for being in prison and memorized hundreds of chapters of the Bible since she wouldn't be able to read in prison.
"Her obedience to Christ only increased her ability to hear the voice of the Spirit, and consequently filled her with overwhelming love for the people she came in contact with."
"When she was eventually taken to prison, God used her in countless ways. One night a young Chinese woman convicted of killing her husband was brought in...It was this woman that God called Esther to love and reach out to. Esther held the woman's feet at night to warm them, even though the woman was covered in her own excrement. Though food rations were small, Esther gave up her portions for three days to this woman. Over time the Chinese woman began to respond, carrying on conversation and eventually accepting the good news of the gospel. The woman was later executed for her crime, but she went to her death alive in Christ."
"She was ready every day and every moment, asking God, "Who do You want me to love for You today?"
I teared up as I read the story of Esther this morning and I just kept asking God to help me ask that question daily, throughout the day, every moment. Since I do get distracted so easily with the silly day to day activities I need to hang the words off my head and in front of my face all day. To be honest- those words scare me as well... who will He have me love, how will He ask me to do so... But I pray as He shows me who that I will be joyfully obedient and rely on His love that He has filled me with because in and of myself I lack the love and concern for others...
Ill leave you with the quote again (if you have made it this far in reading this =)
"Who do You want me to love for You today?"
Not sure about you but that statement is so comforting to me... through being a Christian for majority of my life I have gone through long periods of time of being distracted and neglecting the Holy Spirit... and even in the times when Im striving I swear Im the most distracted person- I read these amazing books that the Spirit speaks so loudly to me about and Scripture that rings in my heart and then at the end of the day... I probably couldn't remember exactly what it was I learned that morning.
Later on in this section Francis Chan starts talking about Paul's letter in 1 Corinthians 13 (the Love chapter)
"In addition to becoming like Christ in His holiness, being led by the Spirit will result in becoming like Christ in His love."
"The Holy Spirit is the one who fills believers with God's love and the one who enables us to love one another"
Ephesians 3:16-19
"May we know this love hat surpasses knowledge-the mystery of this great love-by the strengthening power of the Spirit"
"and like our Savior, who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurt. We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things. It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and acts in and through us in ways that on our own we are not capable of. This is our purpose for living. This is our hope" 'And hope does not put us to shame, because God;s live has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:5
It seems through most chapters at the very end Francis Chan will use a specific person in history who lived out through the Holy Spirit. At the end of Chapter 4 he talked about Esther Ahn Kim who was imprisoned during WWII for not bowing down at shrines all over Korea and Japan. She ate rotten food in preparation for being in prison and memorized hundreds of chapters of the Bible since she wouldn't be able to read in prison.
"Her obedience to Christ only increased her ability to hear the voice of the Spirit, and consequently filled her with overwhelming love for the people she came in contact with."
"When she was eventually taken to prison, God used her in countless ways. One night a young Chinese woman convicted of killing her husband was brought in...It was this woman that God called Esther to love and reach out to. Esther held the woman's feet at night to warm them, even though the woman was covered in her own excrement. Though food rations were small, Esther gave up her portions for three days to this woman. Over time the Chinese woman began to respond, carrying on conversation and eventually accepting the good news of the gospel. The woman was later executed for her crime, but she went to her death alive in Christ."
"She was ready every day and every moment, asking God, "Who do You want me to love for You today?"
I teared up as I read the story of Esther this morning and I just kept asking God to help me ask that question daily, throughout the day, every moment. Since I do get distracted so easily with the silly day to day activities I need to hang the words off my head and in front of my face all day. To be honest- those words scare me as well... who will He have me love, how will He ask me to do so... But I pray as He shows me who that I will be joyfully obedient and rely on His love that He has filled me with because in and of myself I lack the love and concern for others...
Ill leave you with the quote again (if you have made it this far in reading this =)
"Who do You want me to love for You today?"
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Followers or Leaders?
I am almost always going through a book or a study during my personal time with the Lord because well that is the only way I can stay focused and go deeper than flipping through my bible reading random Scriptures... its just the way I work....
Right now our Sunday School class is going through the book 'Forgotten God' by Francis Chan. It is so good and is kicking my butt! Which is what is leading me to start this new blog. I wanted to post a quote on facebook but there was way too many quotes to share! My prayer is that I can share what Christ is teaching me personally and by sharing it through here it may speak to at least one other person as well... Im not sure how often I will post and what it will be about but I believe Im being obedient and praying this is helpful to you as much as it is me.
Im already on Chapter 4 and theres been so many other things in the previous chapters I wish I could go back and share with you but I think you all should go out and get this book... it is really challenging because Francis Chan just says it how it is... and in my opinion he is right on. The section from chapter 4 in today's study is titled 'Followers or Leaders?' Pretty much the entire blog post will just be quotes that I underlined as I was reading and praying this morning because theres nothing I can add to it.
"Desiring the Holy Spirit means we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. By definition, it is ridiculous to desire the Holy Spirit for our own purposes."
"the Spirit is not a passive power that we can wield as we choose. The SPIRIT IS GOD, a Being who requires that we submit ourselves to be led by Him. Do we really want to be led?"
"I honestly believe that most os us-while we might say we want to be led by the Spirit- are actually scared of this reality"
"the fact is God is calling. The Spirit is beckoning. The real question is will you follow? Will you listen"
"The truly startling thought is that by not submitting and totally trusting the Holy Spirit, I am not submitting to or trusting God. this is not a small matter."
The next quotes are about considering and thinking about if you are called to be Where God has you at this very moment. These questions and comments might be what hit me the hardest since I as Im sure many others believe we are where God wants us to be.
"Maybe you are called to be where you live-But If you say you are called to be in the place you are , a few questions need to be considered.-
What would your church (and the worldwide church) look like if everyone was as committed as you are? if everyone gave and served and prayed exactly like you, would the church be healthy and empowered? or would it be weak and listless?"
"Do I believe the church needs me like a body needs a mouth"
"As part of the Spirit's work through us for the 'common good' He empowers us to be His witnesses. If you are a teacher, have you thought about how you impact the students in your classes? if you are a coach, what sort of influence do you have on your team? What about other coaches you interact with?"
Big star next to this paragraph in my book- "If you are a businessperson, how do you conduct yourself towards your customers and co workers? Do they see a person who lives according to the Way of Jesus or someone who does business according to the capitalistic and self-centered standards, just like everyone else? If you are a stay at home mom, how are you forming your children into lovers of Jesus? How are you reaching out and ministering to the neighbors God has placed around you?" Can I say OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"He didn't call you there so you could settle in and live out your life in comfort and superficial peace. His purposes are not random or arbitrary. He has something for you to do. He placed us on this earth for purposes that He orchestrated long before we were born (Eph 2:8-10)"
"Do you believe you exist not for your own pleasure but to help people know the love of Jesus and to come fully alive in Him?"
Right now our Sunday School class is going through the book 'Forgotten God' by Francis Chan. It is so good and is kicking my butt! Which is what is leading me to start this new blog. I wanted to post a quote on facebook but there was way too many quotes to share! My prayer is that I can share what Christ is teaching me personally and by sharing it through here it may speak to at least one other person as well... Im not sure how often I will post and what it will be about but I believe Im being obedient and praying this is helpful to you as much as it is me.
Im already on Chapter 4 and theres been so many other things in the previous chapters I wish I could go back and share with you but I think you all should go out and get this book... it is really challenging because Francis Chan just says it how it is... and in my opinion he is right on. The section from chapter 4 in today's study is titled 'Followers or Leaders?' Pretty much the entire blog post will just be quotes that I underlined as I was reading and praying this morning because theres nothing I can add to it.
"Desiring the Holy Spirit means we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. By definition, it is ridiculous to desire the Holy Spirit for our own purposes."
"the Spirit is not a passive power that we can wield as we choose. The SPIRIT IS GOD, a Being who requires that we submit ourselves to be led by Him. Do we really want to be led?"
"I honestly believe that most os us-while we might say we want to be led by the Spirit- are actually scared of this reality"
"the fact is God is calling. The Spirit is beckoning. The real question is will you follow? Will you listen"
"The truly startling thought is that by not submitting and totally trusting the Holy Spirit, I am not submitting to or trusting God. this is not a small matter."
The next quotes are about considering and thinking about if you are called to be Where God has you at this very moment. These questions and comments might be what hit me the hardest since I as Im sure many others believe we are where God wants us to be.
"Maybe you are called to be where you live-But If you say you are called to be in the place you are , a few questions need to be considered.-
What would your church (and the worldwide church) look like if everyone was as committed as you are? if everyone gave and served and prayed exactly like you, would the church be healthy and empowered? or would it be weak and listless?"
"Do I believe the church needs me like a body needs a mouth"
"As part of the Spirit's work through us for the 'common good' He empowers us to be His witnesses. If you are a teacher, have you thought about how you impact the students in your classes? if you are a coach, what sort of influence do you have on your team? What about other coaches you interact with?"
Big star next to this paragraph in my book- "If you are a businessperson, how do you conduct yourself towards your customers and co workers? Do they see a person who lives according to the Way of Jesus or someone who does business according to the capitalistic and self-centered standards, just like everyone else? If you are a stay at home mom, how are you forming your children into lovers of Jesus? How are you reaching out and ministering to the neighbors God has placed around you?" Can I say OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"He didn't call you there so you could settle in and live out your life in comfort and superficial peace. His purposes are not random or arbitrary. He has something for you to do. He placed us on this earth for purposes that He orchestrated long before we were born (Eph 2:8-10)"
"Do you believe you exist not for your own pleasure but to help people know the love of Jesus and to come fully alive in Him?"
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