Closer

I am so glad that I signed up for the Beth Moore Bible study. I have felt stagnant in my walk with God lately. I haven't been finding joy in my bible reading, in my devotionals, in listening to Christian music. But now I am. I am really looking forward to these next 10 weeks of doing this study. I am excited to see what God will reveal to me and what He will do in my life during this time.

New Bible Study

I am thinking about going to a Beth Moore bible study on Tuesday evenings. It is "A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place. I haven't committed to it yet though. It starts this Tuesday. Sugar Pop and I haven't been in a small group since the first of the year and he does not want to join one right now because he is spending a lot of time at the church with the praise team. I would like to do something, but I have heard Beth Moore studies are pretty intense (and have homework!) and I am currently reading through the bible which takes a lot of my quiet time in the morning.

I must make a decision SOON!

Please comment.

Burning Coals

My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong you, but wait for God to punish them with his anger. It is written: "I will punish those who do wrong; I will repay them," says the Lord. But you should do this: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. Doing this will be like pouring burning coals on his head." Do not let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good. ~ Romans 12:19-21

I was able to share this verse with my niece a couple of days ago. She was questioning how to act towards some people who had shunned her that she was going to be seeing again. I probably like this verse too much...the thought of burning coals on the heads of my enemies makes me a little too happy. :)

Submission

And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body. As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. ~ Ephesians 5:21-33

I was asked to post this verse this morning and since I didn't come up with anything to blog about in my daily readings, I thought this would be good. So many times the verses about a wife submitting to her husband are taking out of context of this entire passage. Husbands are also called to love their wives as they love their own bodies - that is a LOT of love. And to love their wives as Christ loved the church - that is EVEN more love. I remember a pastor one time was preaching on this verse and he recalled a dialogue with a man.

Pastor: Do you love your wife the way Christ loved the church?
Man: Oh yes, I would die for my wife!
Pastor: Yes, but would you vacuum?

That has always stuck in my head. We can say we love someone enough to die for them and we probably do, but it is not often that we are called to literally sacrifice our life for that person. However, we can die to our selfish desires every day for them.

Here is a link to sermon on this passage (different pastor): To Listen. To Download. If those links don't work, visit here and look for "Getting a Handle on Love" on 1/6 & 1/7.

Prayers inspired by Genesis

If you do things well, I will accept you, but if you do not do them well, sin is ready to attack you. Sin wants you, but you must rule over it. Genesis 4:7

I don't have the power to rule over sin. I NEED God's power in me, to rule over sin.

Those who keep secrets from God keep their distance from God. Those who are honest with God draw near to God. (from Life Lesson sidebar)

Dear Lord, help me to always draw near to you, especially when I want to keep my distance.

Enoch walked with God. Genesis 5:24

Dear God, I want to walk with you!

Noah pleased the Lord. Genesis 6:8

Dear Lord, I want to please you!

Faithfulness to God remains vital, even if everyone around us marches to a different drumbeat. (from Life Lesson sidebar)

Dear God, help me to remain faithful to you, even when it means being different and not fitting in.