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Sketched IX Day 3 A New Work

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 5:1-11
Matthew 17:1-13
Isaiah 42:1-4
Galatians 2:18-21

Sketched IX, Day 3

It’s been nearly a week since Jesus taught us in detail about the cost of following Him, but the words still roll in my head, keeping me awake at night and popping up unbidden as we move through crowds ministering to them.

“Take up your cross and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34)

Death.
That’s all I can think about.

A cross signifies one thing, cruel death.
There is no way to escape torture when a cross is involved.
None.

Cross victims press against nail-pierced feet to slide their raw back upwards against shredded wood attempting to catch a breath as their wrists are nailed on either side, outstretched in agony. Eventually, exhaustion overtakes the condemned man and their futile exercise for oxygen is over, resulting in suffocation. It’s cruel, but it is the price to pay for those who dare break Roman law. I’ve seen it before, the crucifixion parade outside the city as thieves and murderers are led away for gruesome justice. It’s bloody and agonizing, the screams of men as naked flesh is grotesquely pierced, but it is effective in making its point: don’t run against Rome.

I shook my head again, attempting to clear the horrific scenes playing out in my mind. I just don’t understand! Why did Jesus tie these two ideas together, following Him and taking up a cross. It makes no sense! To follow, I must be alive. So, why must I also die? And not simply die, but die a cruel death.

Why does following Him cost so much?!

The turmoil inside me continues churning, never lessening, and I grab a fistful of olive branches in my frustration as I take one more step forward up the narrow, well-worn path on the side of Mount Tabor.

“Hey! Come on, Peter!” James’ indignant voice complains behind me as the olive branch swipes his face. “What’s wrong with you lately, man?”

I glance back, ruefully apologizing for the errant branch thrashing. Does James understand? I lift my eyes forward to catch John following closely to Jesus on the path ahead; the two are conversing, and then I hear John’s laughter ripple out. I grin in spite of my war inside, as John’s laughter invites everyone into its embrace. I can’t stop myself from wondering, does John understand? I furrow my brow and increase my pace, ignoring James’ question. Chest heaving and brow sweating, I catch up to John and Jesus at Tabor’s summit. A quip about my meaty muscles weighing me down compared to John’s lean, young frame is on my lips, but it dies instantly as I follow John’s aghast gaze.

Jesus! Jesus! He’s…

Suddenly, the brilliance of light envelopes everything in sight. The radiance is utterly beyond description as Jesus’ face shines like He swallowed the sun, His ordinary garments now aglow with uncanny light. James gasps and I follow his finger, seeing the unbelievable!

Moses and Elijah are here as well! I may not have everything figured out, but as Moses representing Law and Elijah representing Prophets stand here with Jesus, it’s all becoming clear! They are all the same! Law, Prophet, and Jesus!

Bursting with my revelation, I run unhindered towards the three men bathed in light. “Jesus! Jesus!” I shout. “Lord! It’s so good for us to be here! I’ve got it figured out! We will build three tents for you all and honor you all equally!” (Matthew 17:3-4, paraphrase)

Instantly, a thick, heavy cloud overshadows all of us, striking deep fear into our hearts. Moses and Elijah vanish. Terror-stricken, James, John, and myself are rendered immovable and speechless as a voice boomed, “This is my Son, the Chosen One, listen to Him.” (Luke 9:35)

Cowering and mute, the three of us fall face down in the heart-stopping glory of Yahweh’s voice. Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the cloud of glory vanished, replaced by natural Judean sunlight that makes me sweat again. Stuttering as I examine the common dirt clinging to Jesus’ feet and toenails before me, I realize I haven’t been breathing and gulp in air as Jesus reaches down to touch my shoulder. His voice, astounding in its common, ordinary sound, tenderly speaks, “Get up; don’t be afraid.” (Matthew 17:7)

With lightning-fast clarity, Jesus’ words prompt a memory of the very first time I followed Him. He had looked at me then too, my nets bursting with an enormous catch of fish flopping everywhere. Crowds had gathered and men were agape at the plunder I’d caught, but Jesus had His eyes fixed on mine, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be catching people.” (Luke 5:10)
And so my following began.

Death.
Don’t be afraid.
Follow.

Though it would cost me everything, even my very life and all the pleasures and materials I had once loved, I was to crucify those daily, torturously even, and be left in the wake of the life of Yahweh so I could follow Him freely, without any hindrance.

He knew.
He knew of my internal battle, and He was making me new in the midst of it.
He was showing me Who He was, as God of all.

For Him, no, in Him, I will crucify my old self, and live to follow Him daily in the newness of abundant life. Jesus, the Great I Am, was worth it.
He is the Beloved Son, the Only One worthy of my life.

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched IX Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched IX!

Nations Day 9 Religious Or Relationship?: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Religious Or Relationship!

The Questions

1) How does salt connect with disciples? (verse 13)

2) What connection do disciples have with light? (verse 14)

3) How are we like a city on a hill? (verses 14-16)

Matthew 5:13-16

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Original Intent

1) How does salt connect with disciples? (verse 13)
Salt. The shaker on our table is what we bring to mind, but in Jesus’ day, salt was a valuable commodity. It was sometimes even used to pay one’s salary. Jesus called the disciples salt because they were as important to the Gospel as salt was to the society. Have you ever eaten a French fry without salt? Just a little salt makes a world of difference! Consider the impact the disciples made on the world once they were anointed with God’s power through His Holy Spirit. Just twelve men initiated world-wide change as a result of God’s power! (Acts 2) As powerful as salt is, it can lose its savor if it is mixed with other additives. RealSalt.com says salt will never go bad, but common table salt has agents added which degrade over time causing the salt to lose its savor. Society in Jesus’ day and and now, is mixed with many sinful impurities. If Christ-followers were not careful, their lives would be overrun with the effects of sinful choices. This leads to a need for preservation! In ancient times, salt was added to prevent food from spoiling. When the disciples began spreading the Gospel, they were keeping the world from decaying without the Hope offered through Jesus’ offer of forgiveness. Salt can go both ways. If we allow society to rub off on us, we will lose our savor; but if we rub off on society, we hold out the life-giving freedom of Christ!

2) What connection do disciples have with light? (verse 14)
In Jesus’ day, the title, “Light of the World” had been given to certain rabbis and were referenced as lamps of the universe (Enduring Word). It must have sounded odd to hear Jesus say all of His disciples were the Light of the World, a title normally reserved for prestigious teachers. Charles Spurgeon says, the world “is dark, and gropes in midnight, and it cannot get light except it receives it through us.” Being God’s light to the world gives guidance. Isaiah spoke of it (Isaiah 9:2) and the apostle John also said, ‘The light shines in the darkness…” Light shows the way to God, the only way to God. The ancient world was no better than ours. Recall the culture in Ephesus where they served many gods and built temples to them. They “worshipped” these gods with sexual acts. Theirs was also a society of wealth and people aspiring to gain riches. Also, who could forget our history lessons about Nero and other ruthless leaders with their orgies, torture, and worse. The ancient world desperately needed a light to find their way to the One True God. Jesus was that light. And when He left earth, He told us to be His light, carrying it into the dark world.

3) How are we like a city on a hill? (verses 14-16)
A city on a hill is prominent and seen from a long distance. Jesus may have been using a nearby city of Safed as an analogy. It stands on a very eminent and conspicuous mountain and is seen far and near. Possibly, Jesus alluded to this city as an example of how it was not hidden but seen by all. Likewise, Jesus wanted people of His Kingdom to live visible lives that attracted attention, so their good works would bring praise to God. (Enduring Word)
Jesus spoke these words about salt and light following His teaching on the Beatitudes, which focused on showing us how to live Kingdom lives. It is not in doing good works that we are saved, but our good works come from God’s work through His Spirit in us. (Ephesians 2:8-10) When the Holy Spirit is guiding our lives, it is like a hand in a glove. We are the glove and “we live and move” by the direction of the Holy Spirit. Our actions are not so people will see us but rather that they will see the Light of Jesus and give glory to God. (Acts 17:27-28, John 3:21)

Everyday Application

1) How does salt connect with disciples? (verse 13)
How can you and I effectively season the world? By choosing to engage those around us with the hope of Christ! If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and allowed the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our lives, we HAVE Christ’s power in us to be salt to the world and we will WANT to season the world. If you don’t have the deep desire to be salt to the world, it would be wise to follow the apostle Paul’s teaching and examine your hearts “to see whether we are in the faith.” (2 Corinthians 13:5-6) Have you ever known a person who rubbed you the wrong way? Comparatively, have you known someone who always blesses a room when they enter? This is how we season the world. A preacher once asked, “If you record yourself, what would you see/hear?” This challenged me, and still does, to take special care in what I do and I say, making sure I’m surrendering myself to the Spirit’s power alive in me. (Ephesians 4:29-32) Showing love, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness is how believers share their Salt with the Earth. Let’s begin our days with King David’s prayer, ”Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, oh Lord. My Rock and my Redeemer.”

2) What connection do disciples have with light? (verse 14)
We are a “peculiar people”. (1 Peter:2-9, KJV) When others see a true Christian, they will notice something is different because we are marked by the light and love of God’s Spirit within us. (John 13:35) They will curiously want to know what makes us peculiar. Hopefully, they will want some of the joy we have because of Jesus. Peter wrote that being peculiar “calls us out of darkness into God’s Marvelous Light.” The Holy Spirit living in us is the Light who call others out of the pervading darkness. The apostle Paul said to “live by the Spirit…keep(ing) in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-25); the result is beautiful fruit in our lives! Paul also commands, “above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14) The Spirit’s fruit in our lives is what makes us peculiar to others. (Philippians 2:12-14) We may not really want to be peculiar because our light brings conviction of sin and people may react adversely. Thus, we may be tempted to hide the Light of Christ within us. But our world is still in darkness, desperately in need of light. Jesus came as that Light. He instructed the disciples to shine His light, and now, we must continue shining this light to the world. Do not hide your light but, as the Sunday School song goes, “let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!”

3) How are we like a city on a hill? (verses 14-16)
Our assignment is to be Light in this dark and broken world; opening ourselves up to allow our light from God shine through. I love the idea Christine shared in her Journey Study yesterday. She found places in the dark where she can be salt and light; book clubs, fitness groups, and places that aren’t necessarily Christian. This is how we truly can be a light on a hill. Think of your own culture, village, or city, where can you go to shine? Clarence L Haynes states at Crosswalk, “…the value of salt is not when it is in the shaker. Salt cannot season, preserve, disinfect… until it comes out of the shaker.” The famous pastor, Charles Spurgeon, quoted the venerable Bede in saying, “Christ Jesus brought the light of Deity into the poor lantern of our humanity, and then set it upon the candlestick of His church that the whole house of the world might be lit up.” I pray your local church is finding ways to be a light on a lampstand. If not, maybe it’s time for you and me to be the ones to start something. I believe others will follow, they just need someone to lead the way in living lives that shine with brilliance!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
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Catch up with Religious Or Relationship!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

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The GT Weekend! ~ Word Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) What was the last thing you ate? It’s a silly question, but what was your “why” for eating it? I know, crazy, right? But the answer might not be as easy as you think. Were you famished and ate the crusty piece of bread anyways? Were you stressed and ran for your secret stash? Maybe you were bored, or tired, anxious, or just available where food was present. Or, just perhaps, you were actually hungry and you intentionally chose to eat the specific foods you had specifically prepared for the purpose of nourishing and fueling your body. The everyday aspects of our normal lives provide a bit of a reflection into the spiritual realm. We regularly take in “food” to feed the soul-hunger inside each of us. Are we fueling love for Jesus and others by consciously considering, and preparing, what we take into our hearts? Are we slowing down enough to recognize when we are providing fodder for our insatiable pride, anger, or self-righteous indignation? What will you feast on today? And Why?

2) From a bush aflame with orange tongues of fire came a voice declaring His power, might, and complete authority over all. Period. I AM WHO I AM said the Lord God to a trembling, aging, forgotten shepherd. The bush bursting with heat from hungry flames, remained as green and unscathed as it had before the burning fire engulfed it. Authority over all. Period. Centuries later, a smattering of fishermen were caught on the waters in the midst of a storm. Waves sweeping over their craft, death imminent, and a solitary ghost-like shadow walking toward them, seemingly oblivious to the terror around them. Then, the voice, the same voice that had spoken ages before to the fearful shepherd, Moses, spoke again to paranoid sailors. IT IS I. Authority over all. Period. One greater than their storm had spoken, capturing their attention. The storm continued its rage. The flame continued its fury. But the Lord God held all authority, insisting that the forgotten and the bedraggled focus on the single most important Being. I AM. In the hush of now, as you quiet your heart in the presence of this very same God, consider, whose voice will you give your full attention?

3) Nothing can remain hidden when the brilliance of light is cast upon it. Shadows escape as all is instantly, relentlessly made known. Every crack in the windshield, every chip on our phone screens, every spot on the window pane. Nothing Hidden. But for the one who insists on running for shadows, forever fleeing the light, not wishing exposure, they not only miss out on truth, but also prevent themselves from dancing in freedom and forgiveness. Full exposure is terrifying because we all have secrets and shame we’d rather keep hidden away, forever unknown. Tossing aside your masks, what are the secret things you hide in your soul? On what does your shame hang? It’s easy to gloss over and say we have nothing, but then we only deceive ourselves. Sit with it; what hides in your corners, evading the Light of Jesus? Perhaps just as important, explore why you’re hiding it. Yesterday, Sara prayed for us, asking the Lord to give us eyes to really see. Eyes to see our sin, eyes to see Christ for who He is, and eyes to recognize that real life is found only in walking in the Light instead of hiding behind shadows. Where will you live and what will you choose to see?

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Exodus 3:13-15 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

When Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I tell them?”
14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.

Prayer Journal
All inclusive. No exceptions. “I AM WHO I AM” With this name you encompass all things, all time, all authority, and all rule; there is none like You. How dare we look up at You? How dare we breathe without Your permission? Yet, in the un-imaginable narrative of Moses’ life, You come to him, speaking Your Name over him, mysteriously calling him into Your work. You hold all rule, life and death are in Your hand, with Your breathe You formed the intricacies of blood vessels and microscopic cells, yet You, with the greatest of all humanity and dramatic, radical love, spoke. With unquestionable power, You made Yourself known, not only to Moses, not only to Israel, but with the birth of Your Son, God in the flesh, You made Yourself known to all peoples. Oh Lord, whom I have the privilege, to call my Savior, fix the focus of my heart upon the magnitude of Your incomprehensible love, oh great I AM.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

The GT Weekend! ~ Word Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

Journal Prompts
1) What was the last thing you said aloud? What were you wanting to convey? Was your message received in the way you intended? What was the position of your heart as you said those words? Did your heart come across? We want our words to carry meaning. We want our hearers to know us, to really understand us, and not reject us in response. Hold onto these thoughts as you consider what God wants us to hear and know about Himself through His words. What does He really want us to know about Him? The Word of Scripture is replete with His message for us. He wants us to hear, to know Him, to really understand Him, and then walk in acceptance of His heart for us. Sit with a passage of God’s Word today, read it again and again, praying for Him to show you His heart. What does He want you to know about Him? (we recommend one of the references from Monday’s Journey Study, “Do You Believe?”)

2) Joyful surrender. Endlessly generous. Unconditional love. Total surrender for another. It sounds beautiful, doesn’t it? For someone to love us like this? Do we dare hope it’s true? Pause for a minute and think of the relationships that whisper of these riches. Who is in your life who loves you so well? Name them and draw up specific ways you’ve experienced their lavish love. Turn the page and allow the faces pass before you who have epitomized the direct opposite of extravagant love. Hurt. Wound. Stinging bitterness. Grief. Loss. Turn the page again; how do you see yourself? Name the scenarios where you’ve demonstrated rich love and then those scenes where you’ve been the self-seeking, self-protecting miser. It’s so hard to consider being endlessly loving, isn’t it? Parts of our heart recoil and justifications raise their hands with arguments as to why you can’t possibly love endlessly. Praise God, Jesus relied on none of those justifications, instead choosing total surrender for us. How does this shape the scenes playing out in your everyday life?

3) Jesus spoke the same language as Nicodemus as He waded into the familiar passages of the Old Testament that Nic had known since childhood. But Jesus added depth, shifted the lens to bring brilliant color and clarity and brought new focus to words that had become rote. The same Jesus who met a man full of questions that incessantly demanded answers under the cover of a starry night, is the same Jesus who seeks you out in this moment. Already know the Savior as your own? Never crossed the line of faith? Have a million doubts? Feel so irredeemably far from the One you once called Shepherd? It doesn’t matter. It’s the very same Jesus, and He is ready to bring newness. Fresh understanding. Depth and brilliant color to the words and traditions and Scripture passages and relationships and everyday rhythms your familiarity has rendered rote. Will you surrender your all to the totality of all He’s holding out? What’s keeping you back? Don’t breeze past the question, let it sink in to the corners of your heart. Meet Him under your own night sky and hold open your heart.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from John 1:10-13 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, and yet the world did not recognize Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

Prayer Journal
You came to Your own, but they did not receive You. You, the God who created, the God who humbled Himself and left the glories of Heaven to walk the sod You crafted and breathe with the lungs Your own hands had fashioned. You, the God who shaped and loved and breathed into humanity, it was You human hearts rejected. It was me. Me who rejected You. I chose sin. I still choose sin. But, oh Lord Jesus, how gracious, merciful, and kind that You would speak Your words of life over me! I praise You for Your Spirit opening my eyes to see the ways I spurn You. May Your words stir in me, sing over me, and speak light, life, and truth over my errant heart. Cut me with Your words, keeping me soft to listening and responding to Your voice, and Yours alone.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Fervent Day 3 One Another

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Numbers 6:22-27
John 13:31-35
Romans 1:8-10
2 Corinthians 13:7-9
Ephesians 1:15-17

Fervent, Day 3

Truth?
Few things will highlight the holes in our own prayer lives like studying Paul’s prayers for the body of believers. It’s impossible to read Paul’s fervent, devoted prayers for the Church and miss the pure, undiluted love of God manifest in his heart. The staggering reality of Paul’s dramatic conversion from his former life as Saul, who persecuted the early church with vigor and violence, gives glory to the God of transformation. His Spirit-led words are saturated with God’s heart for every believer, and as I read through his prayers in preparation for this study, I was convicted that even on my best days, it is rare I have prayed with the kind of conviction and fervor Paul embodied.

Through every prayer, it is evident Paul considered each member of the body of Christ a gift to him, personally. In every passage, he thanked God for other believers. In fact, he even said he never stopped giving thanks for them. He was desperate to be with them. That kind of emotion and desire … to put it bluntly, it’s not of this world.

Think about Paul’s words in the first chapter of Romans. “God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about his Son—that I constantly mention you, always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you.” (Romans 1:9-10)

Beloved, is there anyone we “constantly mention” to God in prayer? Anyone we always ask Him to reunite with us? I mean, really think about it. Can we honestly say we feel the way he described about our literal family members? It’s culturally acceptable to joke about our in-laws, but when we hold the practice up against the light of love we see portrayed here, it all feels pretty crass, doesn’t it?

Furthermore, what do Paul’s intense prayers and care for his fellow believers show us about God? Paul did many incredible things to advance the Kingdom of God, but he could take no credit for the love and leadership he exhibited after his radical conversion. The pure, fervent love God gave Paul for the body of Christ was a heavenly gift designed to give glory to God and reveal His incredible power and majesty to the world.

Because God’s plan has always been family. 

He sees us, exactly as we are: rejected, flawed, sinful people. He knows every hidden intention, every secret and not-so-secret sin. And He wants us anyway. He calls each of us by name. And when we respond to Him, confess our sin and invite Him to be Lord of our lives, He does it and makes us part of His family. Sons and daughters. Co-heirs with Christ.

But not family in the broken, earthly way.

Family in the heavenly, knit-together-by-the-Holy-Spirit, grafted-together-in-the-Vine kind of way. Woven together with a love we are utterly incapable of generating. It is completely, undeniably beyond us. Paul’s prayers for the believers in the early Church left no question every member was vitally important, and sharing equally in the mission.

Over and over, Paul prayed his brothers and sisters in Christ would do no wrong.
That they would become spiritually mature, and for God to grant them wisdom and revelation.
That they would know the hope of Christ’s calling.
That they would keep growing in knowledge and discernment.
That they would have great endurance and patience.
That they would be joyful, pure and blameless, and filled with the fruit of righteousness.
That God would deal mercifully with them.

The conviction is strong, isn’t it? It is for me, too. I can’t remember the last time I prayed that a fellow believer would do no wrong. Have I prayed for their physical health? Absolutely. Have I prayed for their finances? Yes. Their family? Favor? Blessings? Yes, yes, yes. These prayers aren’t necessarily wrong, but do they have anything to do with spiritual health and calling?

When I see the example Paul gave us in his letters, I realize I haven’t taken on the full measure of my calling to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Maybe you haven’t, either.

So where do we go from here?

I’m going to take a page from Paul and issue a little encouragement and exhortation to us all, myself included.

Let’s ask God to fill us with His love for each other, and to give us a hunger to pray for one another. 

We are members of one body, through the Spirit of adoption, by which we cry “Abba, Father!”. (Romans 8:15) First, let’s confess we do not possess the ability to love one another the way Christ loved us. We have to be real about where we are, and we must invite the Holy Spirit to change our hearts and minds. Every one of us has a specific role to fill. We need each other, and we need to pray for one another!

Abba, You are the Maker of heaven and earth, and You have drawn me into Your family. I don’t fully understand what it is to love the way You love, but I want to know, Lord. Fill me with Your love for my brothers and sisters in Christ. I want to experience the kind of love Paul had for the believers in the early Church. Will You call Your Bride to life in this today? Jesus said the world would know we belong to You by our love. We can’t manufacture it; only in You will we ever fulfill His words. This day, my life, and everything I have are Yours. In Jesus’s name, amen.

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Questions 2 Day 3 All Roads

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 14
John 1:1-18 
Genesis 1
Romans 3:9-26

Questions 2, Day 3

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

These words, spoken by Jesus in John 14:6, are the foundation of Christianity. In this statement, Jesus disputes the arguments of many religions both in His time and ones to come. A non-Christian coworker told me, “All religions are basically the same. They all lead to heaven.” But is that really true? Do all the different roads of faith lead to that one coveted destination, heaven and eternal life with God?

In short, no. Let’s go back to John 14:6 and note the word choice. Jesus says He is the way, the truth, the life. He says we can only get to heaven and thus, God the Father, through Him. There is one road. And His name is Jesus.  

So, why is Jesus the road?

Well, let’s go back to the very beginning of the Bible, Genesis. The first verse, Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” No Jesus there, right?

But verse 26 (emphasis mine) says, “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.”
So God was not by Himself, but who was with Him?

John 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” To further identify this person, we look at verse 4, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” Remember John 14:6? Jesus said He is the life.

What about the light? Well, in John 8:12, Jesus tells us He is the light of the world. Now we’ve learned Jesus is the light, the life, and the Word who was with Father God at creation. 

But we know there had to be another present at creation, because Jesus speaks of Him later in John 14. He tells us of the Holy Spirit, whom He refers to as “another Counselor” (John 14:16) and “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17).

The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Holy Trinity. He is our counselor, who is also holy and divine. As the Spirit of Truth, he empowers us to live godly lives.

When we accept Jesus as the way, the truth and the life, Father God then sends us the Holy Spirit to help us live for Him and like Jesus.

This is important because many other religions are performance-based. In some, when you die, your “good deeds” are counted against your “bad deeds.” If the bad outweighs the good, you are reincarnated to “try again.” Others say that as you live each reincarnated life, you should become more humble and eventually you’ll earn salvation. In others, you have to stop desiring all things in order to stop suffering and earn enlightenment.

All these variations depend on you saving yourself.
It is your work and effort.
There is no helper like the Holy Spirit.
There is no Savior who sacrificed Himself to pay for your sins.
There is no Father God who loved you enough to make a way back to Him.
In every other religion, you are on your own, trying to figure out how to reach nirvana or enlightenment.

I don’t know about you, but this one life is quite enough. I don’t want a do-over, and certainly not an indefinite number of them. And as Christians we don’t need a do-over. Romans 3:10 tells us, “There is no one righteous, not even one.”
Thank God, hope is not lost because we do not need to manufacture our own righteousness. God already worked it out. John 1:14-16 explains that The Word (read: Jesus) came here to earth, dwelt among us, and gave us grace and truth.

Romans 3:22-26 gives us the details:
Every person sins and falls short of the glory of God.
The righteousness of God is given to us when we believe in Jesus Christ.
We are justified in God’s sight by God’s grace.
We receive God’s grace by the redeeming power of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross.
Our sins are eternally removed when we are justified by faith in Jesus.

We are saved, not by our own work, but by grace (Ephesians 2:8). We are never righteous, but righteousness becomes ours through Christ. It is Christ’s perfect righteousness that welcomes us to salvation. I’m so glad my entrance to eternal life is a one-time deal and it does not depend on my perfection! If it did, I’d never get in.

Speaking of heaven, we know we’ll see Jesus there. Romans 8:34 says, “Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.” No other religion teaches of being loved and cared for by God while we are here on earth. Jesus died for us, was resurrected, and went to be with God the Father. We will worship the fullness of the three-in-one God in heaven (Revelation 4:1-11). I look forward to offering praise in the very presence of God. I can’t wait to see His glory and be surrounded by His love. I hope you’ll join me!

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Follow Day 15 Lydia, Spaghetti, and Waffles

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 16:6-15, 40
Romans 12:1-21
Mark 8:34-38

Follow, Day 15

Men’s brains work like waffles; women’s work like spaghetti.

Have you heard this analogy? While I’ve never read the book in which it’s presented, I am very aware of the concept. Men are able to compartmentalize their thinking (waffles), whereas women have several thoughts moving at once that may be under, over, in-between, wrapped around, tied in knots, etc (spaghetti).

For example, when my husband asks what I’m thinking, I need to follow one specific noodle in my mind to figure out how it connected with what we were originally talking about. In other scenarios, I will bring up a topic from a previous conversation and he will acknowledge he hasn’t considered it since because he “tucked that thought in its waffle square.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure if my brain truly existed in the “waffle-sphere,” things would end badly. I’d tuck something away safely in a square and promptly forget about it forever. Or I would ineffectively label my squares and end up with a massive, jumbled laundry pile of sorts, one with random thoughts falling away like errant socks rolling down the sides and disappearing (is this where all the missing socks go?).

The more I imagined life with a waffle-mind, my thankfulness for how the Lord wired my brain grew. With these thoughts, I began writing this Journey Study and was surprised to encounter an entirely new and challenging perspective on our dear sister in the Bible, Lydia.

Lydia’s story graces only a few verses in Scripture, but a great deal about her can be inferred from those lines. If you already read the Acts passages at the start of this study, excellent! If not, take a minute to read now. (Acts 16:6-15, 40)

Paul encountered Lydia outside the city gates of Philippi, yet Lydia was introduced as being from the city of Thyatira. Looking at the map of Paul’s missionary journeys in the back of my Bible, I discovered Thyatira and Phillippi are not neighboring towns; Lydia was a traveler. 

Additionally, she was a seller of purple cloth, for which Thyatira was famous. Note the verse does not say she was married to a seller of purple cloth; no, Lydia was a business woman, defying social norms by actively working.

She is also described as God-fearing. Paul found Lydia and other women gathered in prayer outside of the city gates. These women were humble and determined enough to step outside the boundaries of the city (most definitely the physical ones, but perhaps the societal, economic, and emotional boundaries as well) in order to seek the Lord. Lydia’s presence was intentional as she denied her own convenient comfort. (Mark 8:34)

After Lydia is introduced, we are immediately told what she was doing: listening. Because she was actively engaged with Paul’s words, “the Lord opened her heart to respond.” (Acts 16:14) If I were to envision this scenario occurring today, it might look like a woman intentionally moving to a place where she can encounter the Lord. For me, that would mean leaving my phone in the other room, having my journal and a pen ready to write thoughts to and from the Lord, and time enough to be still and truly listen.

Lydia followed through on the Lord’s nudge to respond. Holding nothing back from the Lord, she and her household were baptized. Then, she served as hostess to Paul and his traveling companions on multiple occasions. She demonstrated hospitality, generosity, humility, focus, and faithfulness. (Romans 12:6)

Now, in a perfect example of my brain’s spaghetti-like wiring, let’s jump back to how Lydia’s example showed me two ways in which I am asking the Lord to help my “spaghetti-ness.” First, like Lydia, I’m learning I must carve out time to be with the Lord and listen. The compartments of church and my personal time with Him cannot be replaced by other things. Failing to prioritize those will be detrimental to myself and those the Lord is entrusting to me.

Second, I do compartmentalize some areas that I shouldn’t. The phrase “separation between church and state” is not a biblical concept, yet it aptly describes a pattern of distinct boundaries between Jesus and the rest of my life. Rather than existing in separate compartments, what I learn in church and during my quiet times MUST bleed over into the other facets of my life. I must blend my heart for the Lord with my work environment and ethic, my home life, and my time in community. This does not mean I have a “Honk if you love Jesus” bumper sticker on my cubicle, but it does mean that I live to be a light to those around me. 

Lydia took all she had and used it for the glory of the Lord.
As a result, her entire household met Jesus.

Paul and his companions were blessed, ministered to, and energized for their journeys.
The kingdom gained a hard-working evangelist with a broad sphere of influence.

Beloved, as we consider our lives, where might God be calling us to use what He’s already given us for His glory?

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Reveal Day 9 Sudden Peace: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Sudden Peace!

The Questions

1) What is the glory of the Lord? (verse 9)

2) How can we give glory to God like the angels did? (verse 14)

3) What do the angels mean with “peace on earth” when there are still so many struggles, trial, and war? (verse 14)

Luke 2:8-14

8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!

Original Intent

1) What is the glory of the Lord? (verse 9)
Defining the glory of the Lord is not easy to do! How do you define something with human language that is untouchable and belonging solely to the divine? Looking at the content of these verses (like the verb ‘shone’), the words ‘glory of the Lord’ may have been used to describe an incredibly bright light. It was so bright the shepherds were terrified of its presence. A similar event happened when the angel of the Lord rolled away the stone at Jesus’ resurrection and the soldiers “became as dead men” in the presence of such outstanding glory and light so radiant it was described as “lightning”. (Matthew 28:3-4) The light shining around the angels at Jesus’ resurrection and His birth was brighter than we can even begin to imagine. So great was this reflection of God’s righteous glory, it terrified witnesses!

2) How can we give glory to God like the angels did? (verse 14)
In verse 14, the angels deliver the shepherds their message of the Messiah’s arrival and they give glory to God in doing so. Looking at what we previously discovered about the glory of the Lord, it seems rather impossible at first glance to give ‘light’ back to God. This use of “glory”, though the same Greek word, means something a little different given the particular context. What does remain the same is the straight definition of glory in Greek which carries the idea of the highest pronouncement of what is good and holy. In essence, “glory” is the good righteous holiness of God on display for us to see and interact with. This makes a lot more sense when we hear the word ‘glory’ in the context of verse 14. The angel here tells us to give praise and honour unto God for He has sent His Son into the world to save us.

3) What do the angels mean with “peace on earth” when there are still so many struggles, trial, and war? (verse 14)
The shepherds, though cultural outcasts, were still acquainted with the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming Messiah and understood the implications of the angels’ message of “peace on earth”. In Isaiah 9:6 it is prophesied that Jesus would be known as the “Prince of Peace”. Isaiah also foretold that, while “the result of righteousness will be peace” (Isaiah 32:17), there would be “no peace for the wicked.” (Isaiah 48:22) Even these shepherds understood that, for God’s people, there would be peace because “the Lord blesses His people with peace” (Psalm 29:11). God had long ago laid the foundation of prophecies and His truth to be unfolded and later understood as the world welcomed the promised Messiah who would hold out salvation to all people, regardless of cultural status or difficult circumstance. Those who follow the Lord will have peace within them wherever they are, no matter the situation.

Everyday Application

1) What is the glory of the Lord? (verse 9)
While the glory of the Lord in today’s verses are referring to God’s brightness and His light, the word translated ‘glory’ is also used in Acts 22:11 in similar fashion. In this verse, Paul tells the story of his radical encounter with the risen Jesus. He describes seeing a bright light that instantly blinded him as he traveled to Damascus, intent on imprisoning and killing Christians. His intentions were fully against the Lord God, but he was left blind for three days from the glorious light of God. The King James Version reads, “And when I could not see for the glory of that light…” (emphasis mine). The Christian Standard Bible translates the Greek word “glory” directly into “brightness”. “Since I (Paul) couldn’t see because of the brightness of the light…” (emphasis mine) This closer study of the word “glory” and its intended meaning helps us understand the shepherds’ experience on that dark night. The lowly group of sheep herders witnessed an enormous bright light which itself reflected the character of God and they were forever changed. Just like Saul on the road to Damascus, the trajectory of his life was radically made new as he was renamed Paul and given a new mission. Has Jesus changed your life? Have you ever truly encountered His glory?

2) How can we give glory to God like the angels did? (verse 14)
In his gospel, John describes Jesus as being the Light of the world. In Colossians, Paul writes that Jesus is the “image of the invisible God”. (Colossians 1:15) The author of Hebrews says Jesus is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature.” (Hebrews 1:3) Jesus is God’s glory on display in human form for us to interact with and experience. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, His light becomes ours and we shine for Him. When we love like Jesus, when we worship Him in song, when we speak with kindness, show His compassion, and come alongside others as God has done for us, we are “giving glory to God”. We actually are giving His light back to Him because we are reflecting the Light He first gave us! Philippians 2:11 says, “every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. Confessing Jesus as Lord mirrors God’s glory back to Him. Paul also wrote that Jesus (and therefore God) is glorified by asking God through prayer to make us worthy of His calling and to fulfill our every desire to do good by His power (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12). So, by confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord, and by fulfilling God’s calling in faith, we give God glory!

3) What do the angels mean with “peace on earth” when there are still so many struggles, trial, and war? (verse 14)
Although the world can seem like a crazy place; when we have Jesus, we do have peace. Why? Because Jesus Himself brings the gift of peace. He tells us, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.” (John 14:27) He warns us that life will not be easy, and will be filled with sorrow and suffering, but to prepare us for the troubles to come, He gives us peace. (John 16:33) Paul writes, “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1) He even refers to God in Heaven as our “God of peace” (Romans 15:33; 16:20). Perfect peace is only found through Jesus Christ. Whenever we feel overwhelmed by the chaos and confusion in this world, we need to turn to Him who gave up His life for us, so we might have eternal life… and peace! Amen.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Worship VII Day 13 One Day

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 4:1-5
Romans 5:6-11
John 3:16-21
Revelation 22:6-20

Worship VII, Day 13

What a difference a day makes!

I remember the day I came face to face with the knowledge that I was hopelessly lost. Old Slew foot, the devil, had blinded my eyes to the light of Life found only in Jesus. He said, “You’re a good girl. You have nothing to worry about.” Even though my parents, and their parents, and their parents before them were all Christians,
I was still lost in the darkness of my sin.

The old evangelist preached hard that night. Was it his warning of hell and damnation or the fact that my grandfather had recently passed that got my attention? Maybe both. The Spirit of God was opening the eyes of my heart, and I was brought into His Light that day. I recognized I needed a Savior so, at an old-fashioned camp meeting, I walked the aisle and gave my heart and life to the Lord.
Oh, what a day when I came into the Light!

At the turn of the 20th century, another great evangelist, J. Wilbur Chapman, was also intently determined to preach the Gospel. Chapman served several pastorates before going into the evangelistic circuit. He preached with the legendary D. L. Moody at the 1893 World’s Fair before traveling with gospel singer, Charles Alexander. Their first campaign in Philadelphia saw 8,000 conversions followed by Boston and 7,000 recorded conversions. Chapman and Alexander continued having tent revivals all around the world for the next 10 years until his death in 1918. [Wholesomeword.org]

While Chapman will be forever known as a great evangelist, he also blessed the Church with many hymns like “Our Great Savior (Jesus, What a Friend of Sinners)”.  Perhaps he “gave the Christian world the greatest gospel content song of all time when he penned the words for “One Day.” [Truthful Words Biographies]

“One day when Heaven was filled with His praises.
One day when sin was a black as can be.
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my example is He.”

It was indeed a dark day when sin began running rampant and men turned from the living God to please themselves. Ever since that day in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), men and women have been impossibly lost in sin with no hope to save themselves. Until that one day when, at just the right time, God sent His angels to proclaim the miraculous, Jesus had come from Heaven to earth! (Luke 2:8-12) He came to the sinful and impossibly lost, born of a virgin to live fully as a man experiencing everything we experience, yet, living a sinless life because He was and is God Almighty. (1 Peter 2:20-25)

“Living He Loved me.”

How much God loves us! We are familiar with John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only Son…” But, even better, the darkness of our sin is chased away by His glorious light! (John 3:16-21)

Not only does He love us, but He came to provide our forgiveness before we even considered asking for it or being remorseful. (Romans 5:6-11) He loved, and forgave, while we were still deep in our sin.

“Dying He Saved me. Buried, He carried my sins far away.”

Yes, one day they arrested Jesus and falsely accused Him. That day, He took on our sin to pay our debt of punishment for that sin on a cruel cross.  He carried our sin upon Himself so it would no longer rule our lives. In Jesus, our sin has been removed “as far as the East is from the West.” (Psalm 103:12)

Our debt of sin has been erased! Gone! Forever Gone! Praise the Lord!
“He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations,
that was against us and opposed to us,
and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.”
(Colossians 2:14)

“Rising, He justified freely forever”

Even greater than taking on the punishment of death we deserved, after three days in the grave, He rose again, breaking the power of sin and death. On that day, He freed us forever from the slavery of sin. In Jesus, we can be both saved from our sin’s punishment and justified before a Righteous God! Jesus moves our status from “hopelessly sinful” to “just as if I’d never sinned!”. This doesn’t come automatically because we’re alive, faith is required. (Hebrews 11:6) Faith that places our full-weight trust in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross to pay for our sin. Do we believe what the Bible says about Jesus? If we accept His offer of salvation in genuine faith, we will live forever with Him in Heaven one day.

“It will be credited to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” (Romans 4:23-25)

“One day He’s coming, Oh Glorious day!”

Ah! Yes! One day! One day He is coming again for us!
When Christ ascended into Heaven, the angel come down with a promise that ONE DAY, He would return just as He had left in the clouds. (Acts 1:6-11) It will be a glorious day when he comes and sets up His kingdom.

And who can enter in?
“Those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
(Revelation 7:14)

I am ready for that Glorious day!
Are you?
Have you repented of your sin and asked to be free from the slavery of sin and its punishment of death? Make today your own “One Day” that changes everything!
What a difference a day makes!

“Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let anyone who hears, say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.”
(Revelation 22:17)

Author’s Note:
Though this hymn is over 100 years old, listen in to Casting Crowns for a remade version!

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