IT or HE?

A couple of months back, I wrote a post on the pronoun HE from Isaiah 40. We determined that the HE in verse 29 referred back to the One True Creator God of verses 9 and following.

Another pronoun situation popped up as part of my SS lesson to the 3^rd-5^th graders at my church. This one uses the pronoun IT and had my Juniors snickering, yet learning a very important lesson about in WHOM we place our trust and not in WHAT we place our trust.  We can learn so many lessons at the expense of the Children of Israel, can't we?…if we would learn those lessons!

In I Samuel 4 the Philistines had just attacked and defeated the Children of Israel. The Children of Israel, who had adopted the idols of their neighbors and continued to do evil in the sight of the Lord, were asking why God had forsaken them.  Then they had this bright idea (see verse 3)! Let’s go to Shiloh and get the Ark of the Covenant, “that IT may go with us and save us……….”  Catch that~the Children of Israel just said "IT will save us"~~~an object! Although the Ark of the Covenant was an important symbol that God had them build to use as a remembrance of His care and deliverance throughout their history, it was never intended to become an object of worship.

Well, as you continue reading through chapters 4-7 of 1 Samuel,  you will see that things didn’t go so well after all. The OBJECT of their worship did not bring any good luck or special blessings! In fact, according to the Philistines (and all the events that took place in their lives after stealing the Ark from the Israelites), it was a bad luck charm, and they did everything they could to get rid of it! 

But, The Children of Israel seemed to learn their lesson this time around. Notice 1 Samuel 7:8.  The Philistines were ready to attack Israel again. (One of my students caught this: “If the Philistines were so convinced that the Ark of the Covenant was bad luck for them why would they decide to attack the place that had it?!) It was all part of the ‘comedy’ of this SS lesson!

Meanwhile, back to the Children of Israel in 7:8...

The Philistines were ready to attack. Israel was scared, concerned, and worried. What did they do this time? Notice the pronoun they used this time around!  HE! They asked Samuel to cry out to God “that HE may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines…!”

Maybe it is time we learned that lesson too. We don’t need to be trusting in things, special objects, and/or places….We need to be trusting solely in the Lord our God. 

I will leave Psalm 20:7 as a final reminder…

 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember (trust) in the name of the Lord our God!

What ITs are you depending on for ‘good luck’ or special blessings? In what or whom are you placing your trust?  Let’s stop depending on ITS and starting trusting HIM.

Trusting in the Creator God,

Debbie

ll Moore - Jun 26, 2013 - comment -    

The Supreme Court has ruled on the much-awaited decisions on same-sex marriage. How should your church respond? The first way is by recognizing that marriage is not merely a public good, and it’s certainly not simply a “culture war” political issue. Marriage is a gospel mystery, the Scripture tells us, an icon of Christ and the church embedded in the creation (Eph 5:32). When marriage falters, the gospel is eclipsed. On the other hand, the conversation about marriage gives the church the opportunity to point to a different word, the mystery of Christ (Eph 3:4).

Download this fact sheet as a bulletin insert. (6 MB, PDF) Also available in Spanish. (4 MB)

WHAT THE RULINGS SAY

1. The Supreme Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. It was determined to deprive persons equal liberty protected by the Fifth Amendment.
2. The Supreme Court ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act means that same-sex couples who are legally married will be entitled to equal treatment under federal law.
3. The Supreme Court ruled that the defenders of California’s Proposition 8 did not have legal standing as private sponsors to appeal the federal decision to strike down the ballot.
4. The Supreme Court ruling on Proposition 8 means that same-sex marriage may be allowed to resume in the state of California.
5. These Supreme Court decisions mean that religious liberty challenges are soon to emerge in new and unprecedented ways.

WHAT HASN’T CHANGED

1. Jesus Christ is still alive, and ultimately will bend history toward his kingdom.
2. God, as Creator and Judge, determines the goal of human sexuality and the boundaries of marriage. The United States government, or any human state, didn’t create marriage, and can’t redefine it. The state can only recognize, or fail to recognize, what already exists: the one-flesh union that is the foundation of the family and every human civilization.
3. The Bible addresses all of us as sexual sinners (1 Cor 6:18). We do not stand in judgment over others, as though we were righteous and whole.
4. Our consciences and our churches are answerable to “another king, Jesus” (Acts 17:7) when it comes to matters of sexual morality and marital accountability. The First Amendment recognizes this free exercise of religion. Your congregation cannot be forced to perform same-sex marriages, to provide premarital or marital counseling to persons whose marriages you don’t recognize as biblical, or to jettison your membership requirements.

WHAT SHOULD YOUR CHURCH DO?

1. Teach your congregation to avoid anger, outrage, or despair. Jesus tells us marriage has existed as a male/female one-flesh union “from the beginning.” This means marriage is resilient, regardless of what cultures do to minimize it.
2. Love your gay and lesbian neighbors. They aren’t part of an evil conspiracy. They are, like all of us apart from Christ, seeking a way that seems best to them. Be kind, and respect all persons as image-bearers of God.
3. Preach and teach on the integrity of conjugal marriage. Don’t assume your people understand the gospel foundations of marriage. Take this opportunity to point to the formation of healthy, gospel-shaped marriage cultures within your congregation.
4. Repent of the ways our congregational cultures have downgraded marriage. If your church hasn’t addressed divorce, cohabitation, or fornication through proclamation and discipline, now is the time to repent and rework.
5. Make your marriage convictions clear in your confession of faith. If your church assumes a definition of marriage, your confession of faith is now irrelevant. Defend your religious liberty by making your congregational conviction clear in your statement of faith.
6. Make your marriage convictions clear in your church by-laws. Address what repentance and gospel fidelity looks like for those seeking membership, for those in good standing with your church, and for those who wish to be married in your church building or by the officers of your church.
7. Stop laissez-faire wedding policies. Your church building is not a public space and your church ministers aren’t justices of the peace. Make clear that you will marry, and host weddings, only for those who have accountability to the people of Christ and to the Word of God.

- See more at: http://erlc.com/article/your-church-and-the-same-sex-marriage-decisions#sthash.HV1ixMiP.dpuf

ll Moore - Jun 26, 2013 - comment -    

The Supreme Court has ruled on the much-awaited decisions on same-sex marriage. How should your church respond? The first way is by recognizing that marriage is not merely a public good, and it’s certainly not simply a “culture war” political issue. Marriage is a gospel mystery, the Scripture tells us, an icon of Christ and the church embedded in the creation (Eph 5:32). When marriage falters, the gospel is eclipsed. On the other hand, the conversation about marriage gives the church the opportunity to point to a different word, the mystery of Christ (Eph 3:4).

Download this fact sheet as a bulletin insert. (6 MB, PDF) Also available in Spanish. (4 MB)

WHAT THE RULINGS SAY

1. The Supreme Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. It was determined to deprive persons equal liberty protected by the Fifth Amendment.
2. The Supreme Court ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act means that same-sex couples who are legally married will be entitled to equal treatment under federal law.
3. The Supreme Court ruled that the defenders of California’s Proposition 8 did not have legal standing as private sponsors to appeal the federal decision to strike down the ballot.
4. The Supreme Court ruling on Proposition 8 means that same-sex marriage may be allowed to resume in the state of California.
5. These Supreme Court decisions mean that religious liberty challenges are soon to emerge in new and unprecedented ways.

WHAT HASN’T CHANGED

1. Jesus Christ is still alive, and ultimately will bend history toward his kingdom.
2. God, as Creator and Judge, determines the goal of human sexuality and the boundaries of marriage. The United States government, or any human state, didn’t create marriage, and can’t redefine it. The state can only recognize, or fail to recognize, what already exists: the one-flesh union that is the foundation of the family and every human civilization.
3. The Bible addresses all of us as sexual sinners (1 Cor 6:18). We do not stand in judgment over others, as though we were righteous and whole.
4. Our consciences and our churches are answerable to “another king, Jesus” (Acts 17:7) when it comes to matters of sexual morality and marital accountability. The First Amendment recognizes this free exercise of religion. Your congregation cannot be forced to perform same-sex marriages, to provide premarital or marital counseling to persons whose marriages you don’t recognize as biblical, or to jettison your membership requirements.

WHAT SHOULD YOUR CHURCH DO?

1. Teach your congregation to avoid anger, outrage, or despair. Jesus tells us marriage has existed as a male/female one-flesh union “from the beginning.” This means marriage is resilient, regardless of what cultures do to minimize it.
2. Love your gay and lesbian neighbors. They aren’t part of an evil conspiracy. They are, like all of us apart from Christ, seeking a way that seems best to them. Be kind, and respect all persons as image-bearers of God.
3. Preach and teach on the integrity of conjugal marriage. Don’t assume your people understand the gospel foundations of marriage. Take this opportunity to point to the formation of healthy, gospel-shaped marriage cultures within your congregation.
4. Repent of the ways our congregational cultures have downgraded marriage. If your church hasn’t addressed divorce, cohabitation, or fornication through proclamation and discipline, now is the time to repent and rework.
5. Make your marriage convictions clear in your confession of faith. If your church assumes a definition of marriage, your confession of faith is now irrelevant. Defend your religious liberty by making your congregational conviction clear in your statement of faith.
6. Make your marriage convictions clear in your church by-laws. Address what repentance and gospel fidelity looks like for those seeking membership, for those in good standing with your church, and for those who wish to be married in your church building or by the officers of your church.
7. Stop laissez-faire wedding policies. Your church building is not a public space and your church ministers aren’t justices of the peace. Make clear that you will marry, and host weddings, only for those who have accountability to the people of Christ and to the Word of God.

- See more at: http://erlc.com/article/your-church-and-the-same-sex-marriage-decisions#sthash.HV1ixMiP.dpuf

ll Moore - Jun 26, 2013 - comment -    

The Supreme Court has ruled on the much-awaited decisions on same-sex marriage. How should your church respond? The first way is by recognizing that marriage is not merely a public good, and it’s certainly not simply a “culture war” political issue. Marriage is a gospel mystery, the Scripture tells us, an icon of Christ and the church embedded in the creation (Eph 5:32). When marriage falters, the gospel is eclipsed. On the other hand, the conversation about marriage gives the church the opportunity to point to a different word, the mystery of Christ (Eph 3:4).

Download this fact sheet as a bulletin insert. (6 MB, PDF) Also available in Spanish. (4 MB)

WHAT THE RULINGS SAY

1. The Supreme Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. It was determined to deprive persons equal liberty protected by the Fifth Amendment.
2. The Supreme Court ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act means that same-sex couples who are legally married will be entitled to equal treatment under federal law.
3. The Supreme Court ruled that the defenders of California’s Proposition 8 did not have legal standing as private sponsors to appeal the federal decision to strike down the ballot.
4. The Supreme Court ruling on Proposition 8 means that same-sex marriage may be allowed to resume in the state of California.
5. These Supreme Court decisions mean that religious liberty challenges are soon to emerge in new and unprecedented ways.

WHAT HASN’T CHANGED

1. Jesus Christ is still alive, and ultimately will bend history toward his kingdom.
2. God, as Creator and Judge, determines the goal of human sexuality and the boundaries of marriage. The United States government, or any human state, didn’t create marriage, and can’t redefine it. The state can only recognize, or fail to recognize, what already exists: the one-flesh union that is the foundation of the family and every human civilization.
3. The Bible addresses all of us as sexual sinners (1 Cor 6:18). We do not stand in judgment over others, as though we were righteous and whole.
4. Our consciences and our churches are answerable to “another king, Jesus” (Acts 17:7) when it comes to matters of sexual morality and marital accountability. The First Amendment recognizes this free exercise of religion. Your congregation cannot be forced to perform same-sex marriages, to provide premarital or marital counseling to persons whose marriages you don’t recognize as biblical, or to jettison your membership requirements.

WHAT SHOULD YOUR CHURCH DO?

1. Teach your congregation to avoid anger, outrage, or despair. Jesus tells us marriage has existed as a male/female one-flesh union “from the beginning.” This means marriage is resilient, regardless of what cultures do to minimize it.
2. Love your gay and lesbian neighbors. They aren’t part of an evil conspiracy. They are, like all of us apart from Christ, seeking a way that seems best to them. Be kind, and respect all persons as image-bearers of God.
3. Preach and teach on the integrity of conjugal marriage. Don’t assume your people understand the gospel foundations of marriage. Take this opportunity to point to the formation of healthy, gospel-shaped marriage cultures within your congregation.
4. Repent of the ways our congregational cultures have downgraded marriage. If your church hasn’t addressed divorce, cohabitation, or fornication through proclamation and discipline, now is the time to repent and rework.
5. Make your marriage convictions clear in your confession of faith. If your church assumes a definition of marriage, your confession of faith is now irrelevant. Defend your religious liberty by making your congregational conviction clear in your statement of faith.
6. Make your marriage convictions clear in your church by-laws. Address what repentance and gospel fidelity looks like for those seeking membership, for those in good standing with your church, and for those who wish to be married in your church building or by the officers of your church.
7. Stop laissez-faire wedding policies. Your church building is not a public space and your church ministers aren’t justices of the peace. Make clear that you will marry, and host weddings, only for those who have accountability to the people of Christ and to the Word of God.

- See more at: http://erlc.com/article/your-church-and-the-same-sex-marriage-decisions#sthash.HV1ixMiP.dpuf

Finishing the Race

Sometimes when my husband speaks at church he says something that makes me think to myself, “That’s a LightThought topic!” Sometimes it may be one little phrase that strikes my ‘funny bone’ and makes me snicker, sometimes it may be a word study that makes me think, “That’s cool!”, and sometimes it may be a concept that just leaves me saying, “Wow”-(which seems to be my word for totally awed by God!).  Today I am going to share a couple of ‘cool’ thoughts from Hebrews 12:1-2.

I have gone back and researched this word on my own-you know-so I can say I have done my own research and not just plagiarize my husband’s work!

I’m going to personalize this for all of you runners out there (notice I said YOU and not US!).

Hebrews 12:1 starts out with the basics for runners~You dress in such a way as to not be entangled and impeded by coats, boots, heavy backpacks, etc.

As many times as I have heard devotions and sermons from this passage, I have never noticed the impact of the very last phrase~the race that is set before us.  In life we don’t get to choose 'the track' on which we want to run! When you set out to be a runner, you can decide which track or which race in which you wish to participate-the hilly one, the REAL hilly one, the flat one, the concrete one, the nature trail,... you can choose which distance-the 3K, the 5K, the mile, the marathon…and, you can choose when you wish to run the race…cold weather race, summertime race, morning race, evening race…it’s all up to you. But here it states that our life race is already set before us~~We don’t get to choose the conditions or the time!  

So how in the world does one prepare for such a race?  What if I were entered into a marathon through the hilly streets of San Francisco (without a race map) that was scheduled to take place at 2PM in the middle of August? Impossible right? 

But sometimes we are placed into life races that seem to create the same sort of odds~How can I do this?

Thus, verse 2~~Looking unto Jesus…(Remember, Philippians 4:13 states, "I can do (endure) all things through Christ who strengthens me".) 

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…. As mentioned earlier, I (and I am sure, you as well) have heard many lessons, devotions, and sermons on this passage which have pointed out (and rightly so) that because Jesus is the author and finisher of our salvation we can endure the race. But, let’s take this down to our day to day faith…

This is the ‘cool’ part. The word author can also be translated ‘pioneer’ or ‘trailblazer’.  Jesus has already run your race~He blazed the trail. And, He finishes it for us-or maybe I should say He finishes it WITH us! He has blazed the trail for us AND He has our back, so to speak, to make sure we finish.

This reminds me of an event that took place the very first year we took a group of college students to Costa Rica for a missions’ trip. On one of our sightseeing adventures we walked a LONG way on a very hilly nature trail. Beautiful as it was, I was beginning to wonder if I would make it! As I neared  the bridge to the gift shop/concession building (yes, I was at the tail end!), I noticed one of our sweet young college students waiting on the bridge. As I approached, he said, “Momma Debbie, I waited for you so you wouldn’t be the last to cross-and he held my arm as we walked across the bridge and into the air conditioned gift shop! That was about 8 years ago and still stands out as such a precious memory of that trip! (Yep, I just shed tears as I was writing this!)

That is the role Jesus wants to play as we walk or run through our life races! He created the trail just for us and is waiting at the finish line to help us across.

Look unto Jesus~the pioneer trailblazer of YOUR life race who is waiting at the bridge to help you cross the finish line…

Run with Endurance~~

Debbie

"Bloom Where You are Planted"

It’s planting time~finally! After an unusually wet and chilly (cold!) spring, it is beginning to look like spring planting can begin!!!

Farmers are sharing their excitement to finally be able to plant their crops (and warning of a late harvest).

Gardeners are sharing the same excitement. One local professional gardener commented on the news that he hired 17 people to make sure his strawberries were planted in that small window of time before the next round of rain came through.

Even homeowners who pride themselves in their flower gardens are excited to get in the dirt (mud?) and begin work on their landscaping.

Whether farmer, gardener, or landscaper (or even planting that one special plant in the planter on an apartment balcony), we clear the ground, carefully plant, and continue to water and cultivate our crops or flowers so that they can grow to their fullest potential!  I have a climbing vine with beautiful flowers. When it finally started to grow back this spring, I daily began wrapping the vines just right around the trellis-wanting it to grow ‘just right’.

So tell me-do we put the same thought and care into the weeds that find their way into our gardens?  My husband takes the weed-eater and whacks the plants that grow along the fence line~~but the weed-eater stays away from the landscape!

Now, let’s consider Psalm 1:3:

And he (those who have placed their trust in the creator God) shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,  that brings forth fruit in his season…

The Psalmist states that as believers who trust in the creator God we have been PLANTED by the rivers of water. We have been carefully placed in the best location to receive nourishment for growth. We have been lovingly planted and receive daily cultivating (which sometimes includes pruning!) and watering.  We are not just thrown to the wind to grow as uncared for weeds.

For this reason we can follow the old adage~BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED. God has placed you were he wants you in His landscape. He will keep the weed-eater away and will gently and lovingly cultivate you into a beautiful climbing flower…

Bloom where you are planted!

Debbie

Just Who is HE? ~~Isaiah 40:29

 Please forgive the small print, I really struggled with formatting this time around.

They sure keep writing and reading from becoming monotonous and repetitive!

Oh, I forgot, you shouldn’t use a pronoun without using its referent first! Let’s try again. Pronouns are so awesome. They sure keep writing and reading from becoming monotonous and repetitive. There~is that better?
 

I am actually stealing the idea of this entry from my husband’s Wednesday evening Bible lesson~ with my own little Light Thoughts, of course. I’m actually going to go about this like some TV shows, when you start at the end, go back to the beginning, then end at the end.

Let’s look at Isaiah 40:29. The verse starts with the pronoun ‘he’. But that is ok, because the Old Testament wasn’t written in verses, it was written in paragraphs. The preceding verses (section of the paragraph) explain clearly to whom the HE is referring. 

Let’s take a look at this HE who promises to strengthen and uphold.

Look all the way back to verse 9. The people being addressed (the Jews) find themselves in a seemingly hopeless situation. Isaiah sets out to remind them of their past and encourages them to stop and think about how they made it through previous circumstances. He encourages them to  

“BEHOLD YOUR GOD!”

Vs. 10 states, “Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule…He shall feed his flock like a shepherd he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in His bosom.

After proclaiming this ‘let me get your attention’ message, Isaiah then gives a quick, yet detailed list that clearly demonstrates who God is, what He has done, what He can do, where He stands in the scheme of things, how He ‘got’ to where He is (rhetorically, of course), and to whom He compares. Once that has all been cleared up, Isaiah concludes by saying (verse 29ff)  HE~~this God we have just exalted~HE gives power to the faint…

I would like to briefly list some of these aspects and characteristics to help you ‘see’ that this same God described in Isaiah 40 (and all of scripture, for that matter) is the same God that CAN strengthen and uphold YOU as promised in verses 29-31.

Verse 10              He comes with Power.

Verse 11              Like a good shepherd, He tends, carries, embraces, and leads His flock.

Verse 12              He measures the waters in the ‘hallow’ of His hand. The hallow of your hand is the deep part of your palm when you cup you hand~~before the water rolls onto the rest of your palm!

                            He measure space with the span of His hand (pinky to thumb)!

                            He gathers all the dust of the Earth in a measuring cup He can hold in His hand!

                            He weighs the mountains in His hands like a scale!

Note: Verse 12 makes it clear that HE is apart from Creation-not part of creation. Thus, He must be creator, not part of the created!

In verse 13-14 Isaiah has the people stop and think by asking a series of rhetorical questions.

                                Who counsels Him?

                                Who teaches Him right from wrong?

                                Where did He get his knowledge and understanding?

Verses 15-16 show what this world is like through God’s eyes.

                                The nations are as a drop in a bucket.

                                The nations are equal to dust on a scale.

                                He can pick up the islands and move them like Legos!

                               (Think of Legos all over the house! Such are the islands in the sight of God!)

                                Not even Lebanon has enough wood to adequately offer sacrifices!

Verses 18-20 demonstrate that the best crafted idols do not compare to the great and powerful God.

Verses 21-24 reiterate once more the greatness and power of the Creator God.

                                His throne sits ABOVE the Earth!

                                Humans are like grasshoppers!

                                The grandeur of space is but a tent where humans live! 

                                (Compare a tent to the grand descriptions of Heaven found in Revelation and                  throughout scripture!)

                                The ‘greatness’ of humans do not even take root in the grand scheme of things!

                                One breath from God can destroy man’s ‘greatness’ like a tornado!

If I were giving this speech, I can imagine my hands and arms waving feverishly as these descriptions increased in intensity! But, I think Isaiah winds down a bit and looks squarely into the eyes of the people as he pleads these last few words directly from God:

To Whom then will you liken Me, or shall I be equal?

Then, after a deep breath, and probably a few tears, Isaiah proclaims:

HE gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might, HE increases strength.

At your wit’s end? Completely overwhelmed? Feeling totally hopeless? 

The God described above is ready and waiting to pour out His strength and power.

BEHOLD YOUR GOD!

Debbie