Saturday Conviction

6/22/13 Saturday Conviction came in the form of a question seen in a store window in St. Charles.

Cute cobblestone town---the question, not so cute?

"Have you prayed about it as much as you have talked about it?

Convicting is a better question descriptor on this Saturday in Missouri.

GROWing??

9/29/12 Today’s question is about growth.

How’s your spiritual growth? How does one measure his/her spiritual growth?

Monday’s (9/24) meditation verses (Colossians 1:9-14) give much fodder for querying.

I began in verse 10 asking hard questions? I know what the answers should be, but God….knows the truth.

Ask yourself these spiritual growth indicators, as I did. 

• “Is my walk worthy of the Lord?” 
• Am I pleasing Him? 
• Am I increasing in the knowledge of God?

If the answer to the last one is not a yes, then, according to the pithy punches of Pastor Cole, you might end up too trendy or too rigid and thus end up walking in spiritual circles.

If one doesn’t increase in the knowledge of God he becomes like a ½ baked spiritual casserole. (Huffman, 9/2/12) Not too appetizing is it?

May that thought and the thought of walking in spiritual circles drive each of us to spend more time with Him and in His word so that “growth” might occur.

Maintenance ???

9/15 12 Saturday’s have become a day for asking questions. No answers given, just questions to provoke thinking. Today’s question is, “Do you maintain a continual watchfulness over your heart?”  “Are there on-going thoughts for which you are ashamed?” (Psalm 19:14)

Oswald Chambers in 9/15 entry of My Utmost for His Highest asks the same type question. “Is there a thought in your heart about anyone that you would not like to be brought into the light?”

Unlike me, he also gives the answer. If so, “renounce” those thoughts immediately. That’s the maintenance required for one to live to the higher standard of God’s calling---of being our utmost for His highest. (My Utmost, 9/15)

Maintenance required. Always for our spiritual growth, maintenance is required.

Questions for Consideration

8/18/12 A recent newsletter from AnGel Ministries had me asking myself, “Do I really know and BELIEVE that God's power reaches it's peak when I am at my weakest point? If so, why would I ever “strive” or try to work things out in my own strength. I know in my weakness, He is strong. I know that in my head because II Corinthians 12:9 states it. But….does my lifestyle reflect it?

It’s easier for me to call upon the Lord for BIG things---like public speaking or pending projects that affect others. But does all include times when I just don’t want to do the ordinary dailies because I’m feeling tired or discouraged. Facing another sink full of dishes. Ironing clothes again---didn’t I just iron those? Somedays even answering the phone or emails can seem overwhelming.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Phi. 4:13) Do I believe the ALL part?

Today, I think I just want to crawl back in bed to consider my answers.*

How about you? How would you answer these questions?

*But God….kept me going and ministry to others just flowed again and again. It seems His power reached me at that weak point when I didn’t even ask.

Saturday Question

Okay, I know it’s Sunday. But…..I was too tired to post when I got home last night from a glorious “get-a-way” with girlfriends….but God has had me querying myself thru the week,  and a BIG question came forth for consideration.

Am I hammering homiletics?

Answer: Yes, sad to say, too often I do.

In other words, am I always just “preaching” at friends and family or am I living the “gospel life”? As all folks know, actions indeed speak louder than words. If I am just viewing others thru legalistic lens, the lifestyle I reflect would be more of hammering and very little of grace. “Hammering” might easily be construed as disdain rather than love. 

If God views me thru the love lens of grace, shouldn’t I extend that to others as well?

Answer: Yes. A resounding YES!  I need to testify in actions as well as words to the “good news of God’s grace.” (Acts: 20:24)

Saturating Saturdays

6/2/12 During my working years, Saturdays were routinely my time to soak up the scriptures---about the only “me” time I had. Nowadays, Saturdays have taken on a new slant with the same intent. Now I “mull” questions and see how scripture answers the questions or how I measure up with scripture in the “questioned” action? If latter part is negative, I look for the solution, i.e. God’s answer. Still requires some scripture saturation for me.

Past weeks’ sermons from Cole’s series on “The gravitational pull of small orbits” define small orbits as “any action or attitude, any intention or idea, that tilts our axis away from God----such that a vibrant spiritual life becomes unsustainable.”

It’s his way of metaphorically asking, “How do we get off kilter with God?”

Thus, this weeks questions:

• What’s pulling me off balance in my spiritual walk? 
• Which has greater pull in my life, self or God? 
• My small orbits seem to change? Does God ever change? 
• Am I dull toward God and excited toward everything else? 
• Is my spiritual life vibrant? 
• What eclipses God’s light from shining through me?

Answers to these questions for us, as well as the Israelites of days gone by, are found in the Old Testament book of Malachi. As Cole suggests, for those who have a book Bible (as opposed to an app) go to the first New Testament book of Matthew and hang a left.

Answers gleaned from rereading (taking heed and beholding) Malachi and my notes: 

• Self is my “biggest” small orbit. 
• God does NOT change (4:6) on the sinfulness of sin (chap. 2) and the graciousness of grace. (4:7)  
• Judgment of God is both punitive and purifying. Behold---“the Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing in his wings,” those wings that carry us to freedom and joy because we love God (4:2). 

Those who fear the Lord will love Him, serve Him and serve others. Now there’s a measuring stick for your spiritual life.

What's your & ?

5/26/12 Saturday’s question for mulling is just that----“What’s your & ?” How do others really see you? How do you wish others saw you?

Example: Dotsy: Retired educator/librarian & __________________.

What nouns would be used to fill in the blank? Would my ampersand “eventually” include anything spiritual? 

What about an adjective? Diligent Dotsy & _________Dotsy.
Would any aspects of the fruit of the spirit come to mind to those who know me best?

I can already imagine ampersands my family would include----and that’s not music to my ears. I would like words like gentle and caring to immediately come to mind but fear those words would be “down the list.”

Consider your own ampersand. The first words that come to mind about a person usually identify them by position (mother) or profession. Yet, it’s the words that follow the ampersand that reveal character. Our essence as perceived by others follows the ampersand. It’s what we’re presenting to the world. The light of our soul. That’s why one’s ampersand is important and worthy of consideration.

What’s your & ?

WEEKEND QUESTIONS

5/19/12 Librarians’ rule of thumb for alphabetic index filing is “nothing comes before something”. Ex. Jake’s Radio would precede Jake’s Radio Repair. Empty spaces are important. They have a purpose.

In today’s western culture, our society tends toward busy-ness---as if we need to fill all the spaces in our llives. A full schedule is what’s important. Is one’s own importance truly measured by a busy schedule?

Certainly in the Christian realm, one needs to carefully choose how he/she fills his/her schedule. To the “outside” world, stillness and quietness in the Lord’s Presence might look like nothing or a waste of “something” called time. Yet, that “so called” nothing space should precede all our scheduled “somethings”.  They have purpose---keeping all the rest of life in order.

In Mary and Martha’s story in Luke 10: 38-42, Martha, who is busy with lots of “somethings”, sees her sister, Mary, sitting at the Lord’s feet. Martha views  this inactivity as a space that should be filled with helping her. A nothing/space with no importance.  In response, Jesus says, “ Mary has chosen that which is needful.” Time with Him might appear as an empty space but it’s an important preface for all of life’s “somethings” that will follow.

Questions:

• What is needful in life?
•  Is there something I can clear from my schedule to allow me more time to sit in His Presence?
• Does it matter what others think if I choose to pull back and fill more of my empty spaces with Him?

Searchin’ & Seekin’….

5/12/12 ….answers to questions? On my “saturating Saturday”, several questions came to mind. Am I seeking “light”? Better yet, am I truly seeking the One who is the Light? Do I bend toward Him in such a way that others know that I’m seeking light---just like the tree in Ben’s park bends to seek the light? Am I “inclined” toward Him today? Does His light shine forth in my life?

 

Do others  Christians search for answers as they, too, seek the light?

FFTF 2 (aka Food for Thought Friday)

2/19/10 Whom would you choose to be chained to 24/7? Why did that person come to mind? How would you bide your time during your “imprisonment?” Would anyone you know choose you, if asked the same question?

My dear friend, who is also doing the Philippians study, and I discussed this question. In Philippians 2:12-14 it describes Paul’s time in chains. The palace/praetorian guard would have been with the prisoner, under house arrest, 24 hours a day. Paul speaks specifically of chains. Thus the question.

You might even ask yourself, what other things in my life am I “chained” to and how are they affecting me?