Don't Mind The Spillage - Psalm 23:5-6

I had an interesting day today. It started out with a considerable amount of discomfort in the form of a headache.  I have been having trouble with the top 2 or 3 vertebrae in my neck C1-C3 becoming compressed. That seems to translate into all kinds of nerve messages that if ignored, like when I am sleeping, will result in a whopper of a head pounder. So thats how my day started up at 5 AM and down on the floor taking ibu- and applying heat and pressure trying to get things to just chill out so I could have a normal day.  Not very good luck there I am afraid.

However, a trip to the local Chiro and some more sleep and I was feeling in pretty good shape. Albeit I had lost a day that will never come back around.  Later in the afternoon I had some errands that I needed to run before I had an acupuncture appt.  So while driving from home to destinations I began, slowly and almost imperceptibly at first, to feel my head and heart begin to fill. Somebody cut me off at an intersection and the normal refrain of "knucklehead!" got caught in my throat and instead I said nothing.  Weird.

I went to the stores I needed to visit and everyone I smiled at (well almost everyone) smiled back. That feeling of filling was back. I went to the local book store to wait for my appt time and drink a cup of tea and it came on me again. Big time.  I could feel the float in my heart moving up and up toward full.  My brain kept thinking about my wife, my kids, my God, my life, and up, up, up went the needle toward full.  This probably sounds weird I know.  The feeling was so inescapable now that I paid attention to its steady rise.  I was thinking, "You dummy, if people see you sitting here smiling like a loony they will likely call the cops".  Didn't care.

I got a text from my wife and I started smiling.  I got a text from my oldest son and I smiled some more. Sent them both a text in return and I was grinning like I was holding pocket aces with two showing from the Flop (sorry if that doesn't make sense - google the terms). Basically I was telegraphing that I was feeling good!!!  I got into my car and started driving to the Pins and Needles doctor and the feeling like a huge wave was washing over me.  I mean I wanted to shout or something.  About what you might ask?  About almost everything!

What I felt (and still do as I write this) is that my life has so little capacity to hold and contain the fullness of Gods blessings for me. Like that 5 pound bag I wrote about weeks ago, God is trying to cram 10 pounds of Joy and Peace and Faith and Love and Confidence into this 'Ol 5 pound bag and, well, He just cant seem to get it all in there. It just wants to overflow.

The 23rd Psalm is a staple that probably even non believers could quote at least part of. But to those who believe; it is a promise of the ever attentive God in our lives. He is always aware of us.  Where we are, what we are going through, what we need, and what we don't need.  He is our Shepherd and he knows us, each of us, by name and he calls us by name. We hear His Voice and we recognize OUR Shepherd and will answer and follow Him and not another.

There are some really awesome things going on in this scripture.  The Shepherd, the One who made everything, The God who is God over all other gods, The Creator who formed us in our mother's womb and numbered our parts, that same Shepherd is preparing for us a banquet table. Not in the back of some hall somewhere or inside a tent out of the sun and dust, but he is setting the table for US, in the presence of our enemies.  Right under the noses of the ones, and things, that vex us, that once bound us and desire to do so again. Smack dab in the front so that everyone can see.  Why would he do that? Let me suppose for a second.  I believe he does this so that everyone and everything that has our name on the most wanted list can see and know that we are watched over and provided for not by just anyone. No we are under the care of the One whom demons implored, "Jesus thou Son of God, are you here to torment us before the time". Torment in this sense sounds a lot like Water Boarding.  God does not play games. If being a Christian is anything, it is a serious calling.  Remember I was the one grinning so I'm not talking about stone faced, gloomy service to the King. I'm talking about a commitment for life. A burn the ships kind of commitment.  He ain't playin and we shouldn't be playin.

So the table is set and the banquet is spread and then the Shepherd pours Oil over our heads.  He anoints us with Oil.  Now there are not any direct parallels for what I am about to write other than like references and meanings for and of oil.   The word "anoint" is quite interesting.  One of its meanings is to be fat, become fat, grow fat, to become prosperous.  He is covering us with His blessing. Psalm 1 talks about the benefits and expected life of one who loves the Word and directs their steps according to its tenets and precepts. In verse 3 it says that the disciple of the Lord will be like a tree planted by a river (deep roots, healthy at all times of the year - drought proof) and WHATSOEVER HE DOES SHALL PROSPER.

Look I can see the corners of your mouth beginning to curl upwards in a smile. Go ahead and let go!  These are not just my promises (for me) they are His promises to Whomsoever Will. If all that were not enough the Shepherd begins to pour into our cup. Filling the bottom, then the sides, then crowning the brim and then, it begins to spill out and overflow. When does he stop pouring? Does it matter? I hope he never stops pouring!!! To me this says that the supply of refreshing is without end. Like the wedding at Cana, when the wine ran out the Masters mother instructed the servants to do whatever her son Jesus told them to do, and the  wedding feast continued with the best wine held in reserve.  If those jars had been emptied then I am certain that the servants would have filled them again with water and dipped out pitchers of wine.  God's supply is without end. He owns all the cattle on a thousand hills, and does not need our help with anything, but rather allows us to join Him in his labors to His praise and to our blessing.

So don't worry about that spillage from your cup. The Master is making sure that you have enough for the day and the day after that. He is trying to breath (or pour) into us confidence that we are not just barely getting by under His watchful eyes. No it is His great desire to pour out a blessing that we cannot contain.

Well my face is starting to hurt from smiling so long. I'm gonna call it a day now and go to sleep smiling.  If you don't think you have reason to smile and you know Jesus as Lord and Savior, you really need to get out a piece of paper and start the list of things that are a result of knowing Him.  Begin with taking your sin upon Himself and nailing the invoice for all our debts and infractions to His Cross. From there the rest should just begin to flow!  You have to know Him though.  Not just about Him but know Him.  You need to become a new creature in Him according to His plan that was laid out before the earth even had foundations.  Read Acts Chapter 2 as a starting place to see how it is that the path of salvation has been laid out for us!  God bless you!

Have Ye Learned Christ (A Small Group Discussion Guide) Eph 4:15-25

Ice Breaker: When did you learn to tie your shoes (how old) and who taught you?

Deut 5:1

Prov 1:1-10

Rom 11:33-36

2 Ptr 3:13-18

Eph 4:20 (15-25)

Have Ye Learned Christ (Eph 4:20)

Every day kids and adults learn very important things about the world, life and living. They will also learn some very unimportant things (or so they think) that they may never use again after they pass the final test. There are formal lessons being taught like spelling and math and the sciences, but there are informal lessons being taught as well. Lessons like patience, sharing, listening and respectfully debating or disagreeing.

Statistically

In fall 2010, nearly 49.4 million students will attend public elementary and secondary schools. An additional 5.8 million students are expected to attend private schools this fall.

Public school systems will employ about 3.3 million teachers this fall, Approximately 0.5 million teachers will be working in private schools this fall,

In 2008-09, there were about 99,000 public schools, 4,700 charter schools about 33,700 private schools offering kindergarten or higher grades .

In fall 2010, a record 19.1 million students are expected to attend the Nation’s 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities, an increase of about 3.8 million since fall 2000.

During the 2010-11 school year, colleges and universities are expected to award 798,000 associate’s degrees; 1,669,000 bachelor's degrees; 659,000 master's degrees; 96,500 first-professional degrees; and 69,600 doctor's degrees.

The Process

The process of teaching and learning is a little like mixing ingredients by precise measure in order to get a desired result. Too much or too little of an important ingredient, or leaving one out or replacing one with a lower quality substitute can and most likely will have a dramatic effect on the outcome of the learning process.

Even with all of this education and opportunity to learn some things are just not covered. Some things are learned long before a formal education begins and still other things seem to be known without having to learn them.

How did we learn to ride a bike (if we have)? How did we learn what HOT meant? How did we learn to be afraid? of spiders, or snakes, or flying monkeys? How did we learn what foods we liked and what foods we didnt like? How did we learn to tell the truth? How did we learn to lie? How did we learn that clover blossoms were sweet and that dandelion flowers were bitter? How did we learn to hold our breath when we put our head under water?

How do we learn what motivates us? Our children? How did we learn what kind of flowers are our wives or mothers favorites? How did we learn its better sometimes not to speak even though we have plenty to say? How did boys learn that its not right to hit girls? And girls learn that is not right to kick boys in the,,, to kick boys? How did we learn to think? How did we learn to question? How did we learn to learn?

Like we learned before a lot of lessons occur in the informal class room of life. Some of the ingredients are the same however even if we don’t recognize them. A subject (something we dont know) an expert or a teacher, an opportunity to be taught and a chance to test our learning and mastery of the subject.

The Bible is filled with references and instruction to learn about God, to be Instructed in His ways, and to have knowledge of His character and commandments. But how do we learn how to be Holy? How do we know how to bear the fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). How to shun evil and do right? How do we learn how to be like Jesus???

Questions:

• How do think life’s lessons are most effectively taught and learned?

• Do you always know when you are learning something or is it sometimes a surprise? Can you think of something you learned without intending or trying to learn?

• Some things appear simple until you examine them. How might we learn to “Pray the prayer of faith? Or how to Add to our Faith, Patience?

• What is God trying to teach you right now? Are you aware of what it is? How is the lesson going?

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Well You've Got PERSONALITY ------ Deut 31:1-11

Man 1959 was a very good year!! Alaska became our 49th State, Hawaii became our 50th state, gasoline was $0.25 a gallon, I was born (shameless self promotion I know), and an R&B singer named Lloyd Price recorded a song that for all the Boomers out there will stick in your head all day if you follow this link and listen to the song. The song was called "Personality" and honestly this could be sung as a church song with some minor tweaks.  Remember I warned you - this tune will burrow into your brain and it will take some real work to dislodge it.


So you are probably wondering what does Lloyd Price have to do with Deuteronomy 31:1-11? Well nothing really significant other than when I read this passage I find that its a lot about personalities and keeping them straight.  Answers.com says this about the definition of Personality:

1. The quality or condition of being a person.
2. The totality of qualities and traits, as of character or behavior, that are peculiar to a specific person.
3. The pattern of collective character, behavioral, temperamental, emotional, and mental traits of a person: Though their personalities differed, they got along as friends.
4. Distinctive qualities of a person, especially those distinguishing personal characteristics that make one socially appealing: won the election more on personality than on capability. 
5. 1. A person as the embodiment of distinctive traits of mind and behavior.
   2. A person of prominence or notoriety: television personalities.
6. An offensively personal remark. Often used in the plural: Let's not engage in personalities.
7. The distinctive characteristics of a place or situation: furnishings that give a room personality.

I think that it would be an reasonably undisputed fact that Moses was a man who had a "personality".  Particularly the Moses whom God called and talked with face to face.  He was an action oriented personality. He was a values or principle driven personality. He was a humble personality. He could be a rash personality. He was a responsible and accountable personality. He was a man with the personality of a leader.  Leaders, particularly AFFECTIVE leaders, are nearly always a "force of personality".  They use their combined character and traits to impact people and to move situations and circumstances in the direction that they need to be led.  The right combination of traits will cause people being led to gladly storm whatever gates the leader pointed out as needing to be stormed.  The Affective nature of their personality has a significant Effect on the ones being led. 

So Moses had a big personality.  That is definitely no revelation.  What struck me however was the way that this big personality leader was working to ensure that the people knew a few things before he faded away.  You really will need to read the entirety of the Exodus story and more to get to this point in Moses and Israels lives. It would be too much for me to cover all that ground for context and you would likely quit reading this thing before I could make a point (hopefully there is a point). If you want to get an overview of the story and the capacity of Moses personality  flip the page in your Bible and read the 32nd chapter of Deuteronomy (WOW). 

Let me cut to the chase now.  Moses is setting the stage for his departure. Its time as you will see soon and he wants to make sure that everyone has the right orientation about what is going to happen next.

1 And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel.2And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in : also the LORD hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

This man had led for a long time. They knew him and he knows them.  He tells them, "I'm old. In fact I am too old to do what needs done next AND beside that the Lord has told me You will not go over this Jordon"  There is a lot of leadership in just these two verses. He gathered all the people, so that the message would not be mis shared. It was important and everyone needed to know. He was honest with the people and more impressive, he was honest with himself (I am old and I cant do this). Lastly he was responsible and accountable - it was not necessary for people to know WHY God had told Moses he wouldn't be making the trip but he had to tell them that he wouldnt be going.  Its here that I start to get excited and instructed (even more than verses 1 and 2).

Moses tells them next that (and I am paraphrasing to make a point) 

• The Lord Thy God, He will go over before (or LEAD) thee
• He will destroy these nations in your way
• Dont worry you wont go without a man to lead who is led by God - Joshua is going to lead from the front - BUT
• The Lord shall do,,,,,
• The Lord shall give them up,,,,
• Be strong, courageous and not afraid because
• Its GOD that goes with you
• He will not fail you
• He will not forsake you
• Joshua, be strong and courageous and dont be afraid because you have a job to do
• and The Lord, He it is that goes before YOU
• He will be with YOU
• He will not fail YOU
• He will not forsake YOU
• So dont be afraid or broken down by the work ahead (dont be dismayed)

Now Moses is about done and he calls this last bit here a LAW. It is instruction and guidance, it is the direction that the people are to go. It is the mind set that they are to have. It is the Will of God for His People, so it is SO! 

God didnt want and doesnt want us to be influenced, and I mean eternally influenced by any other personality but His own.  The New Testament instruction to this fact are numerous - 

• Put on Christ, 
• Learn Christ, 
• New Creatures in Christ, 
• Follow me as I follow Christ, 
• Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ, 
• When Christ who is our life shall appear then we will appear with Him, 
• Looking Unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
• But we SEE JESUS
• Come and Follow Me (Jesus)
• Whatsoever things you do do all in the Name of Jesus
• Ask In my Name and it shall be given 
• Come unto ME ALL YOU
• I AM THAT I AM
• I AM THE WAY,THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE
• MARY, I AM THE RESURRECTION       (HALLELUJAH!!)
• HE WAS WOUNDED FOR OUR SINS
• THE CHASTISEMENT THAT PURCHASE OUR PEACE WAS PUT ON HIM
• BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED

I could go on and on but you get the point.  Jesus is the personality that we must follow and seek after. Its His leadership that will make us successful because only he can do what needs done, but we are to follow close to the Master and as we are led to lead others into and in the WAY.  

I have said this before and I believe it more and more and more. This Christian experience isnt about me. It never has been.  His plan and calling for my life is not about me. Its about HIS plan and HIS calling.  He and only He can save the world. My cleverness cannot do it. My empathy cant save anyone. My creativity cant rescue the one drowning in a sea of self hate and waves of sin and shame.  My "way with words" is simply vanity if I am not saying what He wants to be said and if I am obedient what can I claim other than I did what I was instructed to do. 

Its His plan. Its His power. Its His blood that paid the price and redeemed the hostages of sin and the enemy. Its His Words that hold the Fire Power to break walls and chains and to feed and provide Living Water.  Its to HIS NAME that everything under heaven and earth is subject.  Its in His Name that we are commanded AND empowered to go.  We go with and in the power of the King of Kings Word and in His Name!!!!!

I could bang that drum too, but you guys are all getting it.  If we get Jesus where he belongs in our lives, at the front, then everything else will by divine decree line up behind in the most effective and beneficial manner for us and for His purpose in our lives. 

God Bless you and Dont be afraid! Be Strong and have Courage, because it is the Lord Jesus that Goes before you and gives you His victories!!!

PS for my Booming friends here are the words of the song so you can sing along:

(YOU'VE GOT) PERSONALITY Lloyd Price - 1959

Oh-oh-over and over

I'll prove my love to you

Over and over, what more can I do 

Over and over, my friends say I'm a fool 

But oh-oh-over and over I'll be a fool for you 

'Cause you've got - (personality) 

Walk - (personality) talk - (personlity) 

Smile - (personality) charm - (personality) 

Love - (personality) 'Cause you got a great big heart 

Well over -and over 

I'll be a fool for you 

Well, well, well over and over 

What more can I do

What Do You Do When It's Dark? - Psalm 113:1-4

The other day we had a major electrical malfunction in our home. We had the 100 amp circuit breaker fail and out went all things electric.  With the early sunsets of the winter the house soon began to get darker and darker. I went to my tool box and pulled out my flashlight and went down into the basement to investigate and see if it was something that a DIY guy could do himself.  Not when I discovered it was the 100 amp main!  I dont mind 110v tickles too much but that 100 amp baby held the potential to make my wife a widow. We got an electrician to come over and in a fairly short time we had our problem fixed and we were back in business.

While we waited in the growing darkness though we did need some light to do the few things that we could do. We have a camping lantern that I dug out of storage and put a match the mantle and we had light.  Light enough anyway to read and to see each other. We drew close to the light and as a result, we drew close to each other.

The light of that lantern was a splash of brilliance against a canvas of darkness. If we wanted to we could take the light with us and we could see, but if we left the reach of that light our path and our vision became dimmer and less certain.  Thankfully the repairs were made before it became full-on night time. Not that we wouldn't have enjoyed huddling and cuddling around the light together, but the furnace was also not working and it has been pretty cold this winter.

This morning when I woke I didn't feel very good.  Not sick but not good. I don't know if that makes sense or not.  I read my Bible and thought about posting a blog but that feeling was keeping my motivation, mental capacity, and my spirit down.  When my wife (in the picture above) came downstairs to start her day she asked me if I was feeling well.  I told her that I didn't feel sick but that I didn't feel good.  She expressed a similar feeling.  Neither of us slept well. We both had troubling dreams throughout the night and we both had physical complaints.  I asked her if she would like me to pray for her and she said, "Let's pray for each other", and that is what we did.

I expected to be heard but I didn't expect the moving of the Spirit that took place. Like that day the lights went out we both needed light to be turned on to push away the darkness, gloominess, shadow that threatened the day.  As we prayed the Spirit inside us both caused us to go from looking parallel at each other and expressing our needs to our Healer, to gazing upward toward the Source of the Light that was pushing the shadows further and further away.  We found that we had gone from being requesters to worshipers.

I started the blog with a question, what do you do when its dark? The answer is pretty simple. You turn on a light!  In Psalms 113:1-4 the word PRAISE is used repeatedly as Halal. One of the shared meanings is to Shine and to Flash Forth Light.  The darkness that threatened our day would likely not have been a thick darkness that obscured everything. But there was a shadow being cast over us both and the shadow would likely have lengthened and diminished the possibilities of the day.  A long time back there was a song by Petra  that had a verse that said:
Sometimes a shadow, dark and cold
Lays like a mist across the road
But be encouraged by the sight
Where theres a shadow
Theres a light!

This is not a new thought, that Praise is the answer, but it is what we (Darla and I) enjoyed via the Grace of God and our life in Christ.  Having received the Spirit of adoption we have been made branches of the true Vine and grafted into the Olive tree, no longer strangers to the promises of God, but we are heirs and joint heirs with God.  I thank God that my sister Karen and brother-in law WeWoy (LeRoy) led me to the Masters feet.  Every joy, blessing, recovery, prosperity, and hope that I have today has roots that go back to the cross of Christ.  We may have many teachers in the Gospel, but we dont have many parents.  My sister and her husband are my mom and dad in the Gospel.  I have some stories for another day about how much my discipleship cost their family (they let me live under their roof for a year).  I know it was not easy for them or their kids. Nobody can make this trip on their own. We need the body of Christ!!

OK, I am beginning to wander so I am going close with this.  "Arise Shine!, for thy Light is Come: and the Glory of the Lord is Risen upon thee!"  If darkness or shadow is threatening your day, start a Raging Blaze of Praise!( hey that would look good on a t-shirt).  God Bless You!

Inside-Out - I Samuel 16:7, Galatians 5:9

I have recently lost a pretty fair amount of weight. Some of it was work but most of it was putting good things into my body instead of the things that my body said were good.  I had some clothes from a skinnier time that I have been able to recycle (no leisure suits, but Dockers) so I have not had to get a lot of new clothes.  I did buy some new sweaters for this winter and the really cool thing is that they are Mediums.  I hid or thought I was hiding under XL shirts and stretch waistbands, so a Medium felt really good.  The deal is though that until now, only Darla and I knew they were mediums. It would have been crazy to wear them with the tags out so people could see that the body this shirt was hanging on was a Medium.  Like I said kinda crazy but it still feels good to wear them even if I am the only one who knows what the tag says.

I Sam 16:7,  Galatians 5:9
This is a very familiar verse and story to many of you I am sure. It is a verse snatched from a very dramatic time in the history of Israel, when the God chosen king, Saul, was being rejected and his replacement was being positioned.  There is so much good everyday Christian instruction in this story that it would be a shame for anyone to not read it and become familiar with it.

Saul, the king, has made some terrible errors in judgment and it will cost him his throne and far away in a pasture is a shepherd boy watching his fathers flock and writing songs and singing to the Lord in the cool night air.  Looking up at the expanse of the heavens he is struck by the Majesty of the One True and Living God and he cannot help but sing praise to his Creator (a little embellishment on my part), "When I consider your heavens,,,,,, what is man that you are mindful of him?"

The verse in I Sam 16 is Gods instruction to the prophet to not let his eyes determine his reaction or attitude about the son of Jesse that he is being sent to anoint (man this is a good story, you have to read the whole thing). Samuel sees one of Jesse's sons and God heads him off at the pass and says I have rejected him already.  I think thats interesting because must have looked this young man over and made a determination regarding him that he was not the right man, or unfit for the call. Regardless the reason, he was looked at by God and rejected.

We people are very limited in our ability to assess a person without having some level of knowledge of them. Even then we know only what the other person is willing to reveal to us.  Con-artists are able to keep their true nature hidden until it is too late for the victim. Why is that? People want to believe certain things or are motivated by certain morals (compassion) or anti-morals (greed) and their desires in these areas predispose them to see things not as they are but as they want them to be.

God instructs the prophet that He (God) has done the assessment in a way that only He can do.  Even after David was king his prayer was for God to Search Me, Know Me, Try Me and SEE. David knew where the dark places would be in his life. They were not in his ruddy complexion or his athletic frame, they would be hidden from mans view but naked to the searching and knowing eye of the Lord. Make no mistake David was not only handsome, but he had a heart after Gods own heart, with similar desires, and interests and passions. We could read a bit further and find David committing sin that he compounded by his further sinning.  Did that mean that Davids heart was not rotten or that God held these lusts and murderous thoughts in His heart?  A resounding NO!  David was first and foremost a man, created in sin and shaped in iniquity.  He had the nature of his father Adam and his family tree included the murderer Cain (as does ours).  David was simply a man who had allowed God to place in him a faith in the Creator, a confidence in the Lord of Hosts, a hope for Mercy and Forgiveness from the only Wise and Just God and a love for the sheep.

Let me say just a very few words on a particular point. It would be an error to think that God does not care at all about our outside appearance.  There is too much instruction in both the old and new testaments regarding the need for proper and correct adornment and attire, down the the color of the thread to use. It would be an even longer blog if I chased that rabbit from here, but please dont infer from my writings that God is cool with anything and everything we might do, say or wear. God is Holy and we are called to be holy as He is Holy.  That should be enough to make us want to be right inside and out.

Now let me close this baby out.  Gods examination is a lot like a CT scan or an MRI. The inner most parts of  us are seen one tiny slice at a time.  Gods vision though can see the places that we know are there but are afraid or ashamed to speak of .  He can see the thing that we are holding on too and justifying our unforgiveness with or our vanity, pride and rebellion with.  All the words of our mouth are like sounding brass and tinkling cymbals and that includes our prayers, our worship and our teaching. IF, when the Great Physician brings to our attention a malignancy of heart we give Him permission to remove it and make us whole again, no one may know what a wondrous work He has done for us, but we know. And we know that He knows.  We have a rock solid everyday promise from the Word that says, "If any person be in Christ they are a new person, the old is gone and the new is come!  Davids prayer in Psalm 139 is a good one to begin any healing or cleaning that is needed.  Search Me, Know Me, Try Me and see if there is any pain or sorrow or idols in me  and then lead me in the way everlasting!  God Bless you.

** The underlined text in these blogs contains scripture and study references found at Biblestudytools.com