I fell that stirring...that precious stirring in my heart that the Lord does when He's at work writing a post on my heart.
I love this!
I'd so cherish your answers to this question:
Who is the greatest discipler that you've known?
Tell me all that you can about him or her.
Just mind dump for me, if you will.
Everything...every observation you've made of this person's life. How they live, or lived...how they ministered, to whom they were called.
Tell me...tell me, won't you?
Please.
I sit in great excitement, waiting to read your comments.
If you are so led, link this to other followers of Christ whom you know...I need those with spiritual eyes to comment for this post.
To send this to someone else, just click the little envelope at the bottom of the post and zip it to them via email.
I love you all so much!
I just can't wait to hear from you!
(P.S. I'm writing from Precept Ministries in Chattanooga today. I might just have to pick up a book from the bookstore and offer it as a giveaway. I think I'll do just that.)
I'm depending on ya'll!
More love,
Jes
Friday, May 21, 2010
Thursday, May 06, 2010
God's Wisdom
What I learned from the Word today was this:
The foolishness of God, and the weakness of God = the cross of Jesus Christ.
God's foolishness and God's weakness so far outweigh the wisdom and strength of man, that they are not even comparable.
Those who are perishing can never understand it through man's wisdom, and those who are being saved can only do so by the wisdom and grace of God, through Christ Jesus.
Jews asked for a sign, and Gentiles for wisdom, and God has given us both through the completed work of Jesus on the cross.
Thank You, Father. Thank You, Jesus.
I Corinthians 1
The foolishness of God, and the weakness of God = the cross of Jesus Christ.
God's foolishness and God's weakness so far outweigh the wisdom and strength of man, that they are not even comparable.
Those who are perishing can never understand it through man's wisdom, and those who are being saved can only do so by the wisdom and grace of God, through Christ Jesus.
Jews asked for a sign, and Gentiles for wisdom, and God has given us both through the completed work of Jesus on the cross.
Thank You, Father. Thank You, Jesus.
I Corinthians 1
Thursday, April 15, 2010
A Boy's First Exposure to Pornography
Statistics say that the average age of a boy's first exposure to pornography is 11.
I think because Caedmon is now running with a group of older boys, this has been on my mind quite a bit.
Just today, I was talking with him about how God would desire for him to handle the situation, should another boy ever offer for him to look at pictures of a woman without her clothes on.
I talked honestly with him about how the temptation would be strong, because the devil would be behind it. We talked about escape routes, and what he'd say to the boys, should this be offered to him.
Sadly, we even talked about how there might be fathers who profess to be Christians who keep these magazines in their homes.
I shared with him how hard it can be for those images to be removed from a young man's mind, and how it's only by God's grace that they are.
He's such a fighter for truth and righteousness, that kid. He was very clear about what he'd say and how he'd run from it.
I was quite proud of him.
He's only 9, you know. :)
We then proceeded to go about our day...homeschool PE, lunch, and a quick stop by a swap shop because I'm in desperate need of new kitchen chairs.
"New" is a relative term, you know.
We landed in this great little shop, full of fun antiques and gobs of beautiful milk glass. My sweet friend Marilena collects milk glass. I so wanted to spend every last penny I have to lavish her with some new pieces....and then I saw the prices!
I still love you, Mar, but don't be looking for a package. ;)
As we were walking out the door, Brennan just about barred herself against the entrance to the last room we'd be passing.
"Mommy! Mommy! Caedmon CAN NOT go in there!"
As I looked, I saw her...she must have been the spread for one of the original playboy magazines...spread out for all to see.
No dignity.
No modesty.
Just total and complete immorality, wearing nothing but an alluring smile.
My heart was instantly grieved that my little girl had seen this, and then quick as lightning I turned to Caedmon to tell him to walk away from that room.
"I've already seen it, Mom."
I kid you not, as I write this, I'm fighting tears.
He's only 9, you know.
I thought we had at least 2 more years!
THE STATISTICS TELL ME THAT WE DO !!!!!!!!!!
And then, the sad reminder that statistics are based on an average, and my heart breaks.
As we hurried to get out of the store, the owner stopped me...blocking my way to the exit.
"I'll sell ya that table and chairs out there for $200."
Funny how that number kept coming down, the longer I was in his store.
"No thank you. We're going to leave now," I said.
"Why, you didn't find anything?!"
"No, thank you. We're going to go now."
"There's gotta be something here you need!"
By now, I'm D-O-N-E!
"Actually, I'm quite grieved in my heart over something we just saw, and I want to leave."
"What?! What was it?"
"It was a picture of a woman without any clothes on, at eye level for my children, my son to see."
And without skipping a beat, this foul-smelling, alcohol dripping guy says to me, "Well, maybe you shouldn't bring him in her anymore."
It took all I had not to retort, "You can rest assured of that!"
"We're leaving now," I said...still trying to get to the door.
"Where is it? It's art!" says my new found enemy, without even the slightest hint of what he's referring to.
"It's the world we live in. It's everywhere. Ain't nothing wrong with it," he continues, still not moving his carcass from the doorway.
At this very minute, a woman walks through the door. She's clean and well kept and wants to know what this is all about.
"There pornography at eye level for my children, and we want to leave," I say..now raising my voice a bit in the hope that old man stinky will get out of my way so he can deal with his new customer.
Only thing is, she's not a customer...she's evidently his wife.
Now I've got 2 who are upset, but I'm finally able to work my way out the door with my precious cargo, and so I'm feeling like a caged bird who's been set free....I'm happy and we're leaving!
BUT IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT...he follows me out he door and to my van, still tossing his trash at me.
"He's gonna see worse than that on tv! That ain't pornography! Yack, yack, yack..."
"Get in the van, kids. GET IN THE VAN!"
I turn to the man, "I am done here! I am not talking about this with you! Leave us alone! I am DONE!"
I get in and shut the van door as he's still going at it. Finally, after I turn the engine on, he decides to go back into his store.
I had JUST been studying 2 Thessalonians 2 earlier in the day and so took that very moment to open up the Word with my kids, and read these verses to them...
7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
8Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
9that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
10and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
11For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,
12in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
While it grieves me still, that this happened, I praise God that I was RIGHT THERE with both of my children when it did. They were in my hip pocket, and I could IMMEDIATELY bathe the situation in the Word of Truth, and in prayer.
We all sat right there in the van and prayed for that man's salvation, and for the minds of both of my children...that God in His grace would cleanse their minds from what they'd seen.
We talked about how that man didn't have a love of the truth, and we numbered the ways in which he'd tried to call evil good.
1. it's art
2. he'll see worse than that on tv
3. by implication, there's nothing wrong with it
4. blame...just don't bring him in here....maybe you shouldn't come back
It was quite the object lesson.
And in my haste to bathe my children in the Word and in prayer, I hadn't yet moved my van.
Imagine my surprise when the man came back out of his store and started aggressively knocking on my window, fully expecting me to roll it down and engage with him again.
Yeah, I'll get right on that!
I looked up at the man, his shoulders braced in a stance of anger, and put my van into reverse...all the while he's still knocking on the window. I used my best tractor driving technique and backed that baby up, at the same time waving one arm at the guy to let him know by my body language, "THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! I WILL NOT BE ROLLING MY WINDOW DOWN! GOOD RIDDANCE!"
Caedmon, ever the thinker, said, "Mommy, maybe he was coming out to apologize."
"Maybe son, but very doubtful. There was no stance of humility in his approach, and he's full of alcohol. Remember Joseph? What did he do when someone tried to tempt him to sin?"
"He fled."
"That's right, honey...and we're going to flee, because your Momma is ready to sin!"
"Mommy, I'm scared. I'm scared he's going to hurt us."
"Oh baby, you don't need to worry about that! Your Momma would kick that old man's butt with two hands tied behind my back! I'd take him down so fast and so hard, he'd be crying for mercy! He has NO IDEA who he's messed with!"
Gulp!
OK, so I started out strong....like I said, I was DONE!
He's only 9, you know.
Love ya'll,
Jes
I think because Caedmon is now running with a group of older boys, this has been on my mind quite a bit.
Just today, I was talking with him about how God would desire for him to handle the situation, should another boy ever offer for him to look at pictures of a woman without her clothes on.
I talked honestly with him about how the temptation would be strong, because the devil would be behind it. We talked about escape routes, and what he'd say to the boys, should this be offered to him.
Sadly, we even talked about how there might be fathers who profess to be Christians who keep these magazines in their homes.
I shared with him how hard it can be for those images to be removed from a young man's mind, and how it's only by God's grace that they are.
He's such a fighter for truth and righteousness, that kid. He was very clear about what he'd say and how he'd run from it.
I was quite proud of him.
He's only 9, you know. :)
We then proceeded to go about our day...homeschool PE, lunch, and a quick stop by a swap shop because I'm in desperate need of new kitchen chairs.
"New" is a relative term, you know.
We landed in this great little shop, full of fun antiques and gobs of beautiful milk glass. My sweet friend Marilena collects milk glass. I so wanted to spend every last penny I have to lavish her with some new pieces....and then I saw the prices!
I still love you, Mar, but don't be looking for a package. ;)
As we were walking out the door, Brennan just about barred herself against the entrance to the last room we'd be passing.
"Mommy! Mommy! Caedmon CAN NOT go in there!"
As I looked, I saw her...she must have been the spread for one of the original playboy magazines...spread out for all to see.
No dignity.
No modesty.
Just total and complete immorality, wearing nothing but an alluring smile.
My heart was instantly grieved that my little girl had seen this, and then quick as lightning I turned to Caedmon to tell him to walk away from that room.
"I've already seen it, Mom."
I kid you not, as I write this, I'm fighting tears.
He's only 9, you know.
I thought we had at least 2 more years!
THE STATISTICS TELL ME THAT WE DO !!!!!!!!!!
And then, the sad reminder that statistics are based on an average, and my heart breaks.
As we hurried to get out of the store, the owner stopped me...blocking my way to the exit.
"I'll sell ya that table and chairs out there for $200."
Funny how that number kept coming down, the longer I was in his store.
"No thank you. We're going to leave now," I said.
"Why, you didn't find anything?!"
"No, thank you. We're going to go now."
"There's gotta be something here you need!"
By now, I'm D-O-N-E!
"Actually, I'm quite grieved in my heart over something we just saw, and I want to leave."
"What?! What was it?"
"It was a picture of a woman without any clothes on, at eye level for my children, my son to see."
And without skipping a beat, this foul-smelling, alcohol dripping guy says to me, "Well, maybe you shouldn't bring him in her anymore."
It took all I had not to retort, "You can rest assured of that!"
"We're leaving now," I said...still trying to get to the door.
"Where is it? It's art!" says my new found enemy, without even the slightest hint of what he's referring to.
"It's the world we live in. It's everywhere. Ain't nothing wrong with it," he continues, still not moving his carcass from the doorway.
At this very minute, a woman walks through the door. She's clean and well kept and wants to know what this is all about.
"There pornography at eye level for my children, and we want to leave," I say..now raising my voice a bit in the hope that old man stinky will get out of my way so he can deal with his new customer.
Only thing is, she's not a customer...she's evidently his wife.
Now I've got 2 who are upset, but I'm finally able to work my way out the door with my precious cargo, and so I'm feeling like a caged bird who's been set free....I'm happy and we're leaving!
BUT IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT...he follows me out he door and to my van, still tossing his trash at me.
"He's gonna see worse than that on tv! That ain't pornography! Yack, yack, yack..."
"Get in the van, kids. GET IN THE VAN!"
I turn to the man, "I am done here! I am not talking about this with you! Leave us alone! I am DONE!"
I get in and shut the van door as he's still going at it. Finally, after I turn the engine on, he decides to go back into his store.
I had JUST been studying 2 Thessalonians 2 earlier in the day and so took that very moment to open up the Word with my kids, and read these verses to them...
7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
8Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
9that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
10and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
11For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,
12in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
While it grieves me still, that this happened, I praise God that I was RIGHT THERE with both of my children when it did. They were in my hip pocket, and I could IMMEDIATELY bathe the situation in the Word of Truth, and in prayer.
We all sat right there in the van and prayed for that man's salvation, and for the minds of both of my children...that God in His grace would cleanse their minds from what they'd seen.
We talked about how that man didn't have a love of the truth, and we numbered the ways in which he'd tried to call evil good.
1. it's art
2. he'll see worse than that on tv
3. by implication, there's nothing wrong with it
4. blame...just don't bring him in here....maybe you shouldn't come back
It was quite the object lesson.
And in my haste to bathe my children in the Word and in prayer, I hadn't yet moved my van.
Imagine my surprise when the man came back out of his store and started aggressively knocking on my window, fully expecting me to roll it down and engage with him again.
Yeah, I'll get right on that!
I looked up at the man, his shoulders braced in a stance of anger, and put my van into reverse...all the while he's still knocking on the window. I used my best tractor driving technique and backed that baby up, at the same time waving one arm at the guy to let him know by my body language, "THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! I WILL NOT BE ROLLING MY WINDOW DOWN! GOOD RIDDANCE!"
Caedmon, ever the thinker, said, "Mommy, maybe he was coming out to apologize."
"Maybe son, but very doubtful. There was no stance of humility in his approach, and he's full of alcohol. Remember Joseph? What did he do when someone tried to tempt him to sin?"
"He fled."
"That's right, honey...and we're going to flee, because your Momma is ready to sin!"
"Mommy, I'm scared. I'm scared he's going to hurt us."
"Oh baby, you don't need to worry about that! Your Momma would kick that old man's butt with two hands tied behind my back! I'd take him down so fast and so hard, he'd be crying for mercy! He has NO IDEA who he's messed with!"
Gulp!
OK, so I started out strong....like I said, I was DONE!
He's only 9, you know.
Love ya'll,
Jes
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Update Time....
Hi Friends,
We have landed!!!
As I write this, I'm sitting the the lovely bay window in our new kitchen, with the reflection of a whole host of beautiful trees, glimmering in my computer screen. The trees are to my back.
What I'm looking at is a pile of things that need to be put away and an open pantry door (this time it's ME who forgot to close it...I was chomping on some honey....mmmmm).
I'm feeling easily 75% better here. Praise Jesus for that!
The humidity really does make a difference!
My children are absolutely beside themselves with excitement over being here. Last night in her prayers, Brennan said, "and God....thank You for moving us to Tennessee! We love it here! We all love it!"
Currently, there are 5 kids upstairs playing their hearts out. Who thought I'd be able to handle that?! When they get wild, I will send them to the basement. Who knew that basements were so cool?!
Hey...there they go right now. :)
Oops...change the number, now there are 6.
All boys, except for Brennan...she really holds her own.
I had a talk with the boys yesterday about how their role will always be to protect her, and that I expect that from each of them. I explained that they were to conduct themselves as gentlemen around her, and treat her as the sweet blessing that she is.
They got it.
The boys in this neighborhood are such kind and well mannered young men. Most of them come from Christian homes, and it shows in their behavior.
I love this!
The first day we were here, 4 of the boys came over to play and as they ran into the back yard and down to the creek, I heard Caedmon say, "C'mon guys...follow me, I'm the leader of the 5 Guy Gang!"
To which one of them immediately said, "You're not the leader! You're the new kid and you're younger than me! I'm the leader!"
Whoopie!
Just what he needs. I could've hugged that boy's neck!
I'm going to try to upload a picture of my view out of my kitchen window for you...if it posts here you'll know I was successful.
If you don't see it, you'll know that I'm getting ready for my husband to come home. ;)
I love this house! It truly is my dream home. There are so many things about it that I love, that I can't even begin to list them all, but I'll share a few:
We have a dedicated music room. Caedmon was in there today playing the trumpet, and Brennan was on the piano. love it!
We have a laundry room. love it!
We can drink water straight from the tap. Wow! What a blessing that is! No more frantic midnight runs to the Circle K just to have water to drink the next day. love it!
The kids have a stream to play in, woods to explore, birds to watch, nature everywhere.
love it!
We are only 15 minutes from Precept Ministries. love it!
My kitchen doesn't open to the family room anymore. I might be able to cook a dinner without burning it now! love it!
My bathtub is so big that the kids think it's more of a mini-swimming pool. love it!
We have plenty of room for guest to come and stay and they have their own bathroom, entrance and driveway. How cool is that for hosting people?! love it!
Much love to all of you tonight,
Jes
We have landed!!!
As I write this, I'm sitting the the lovely bay window in our new kitchen, with the reflection of a whole host of beautiful trees, glimmering in my computer screen. The trees are to my back.
What I'm looking at is a pile of things that need to be put away and an open pantry door (this time it's ME who forgot to close it...I was chomping on some honey....mmmmm).
I'm feeling easily 75% better here. Praise Jesus for that!
The humidity really does make a difference!
My children are absolutely beside themselves with excitement over being here. Last night in her prayers, Brennan said, "and God....thank You for moving us to Tennessee! We love it here! We all love it!"
Currently, there are 5 kids upstairs playing their hearts out. Who thought I'd be able to handle that?! When they get wild, I will send them to the basement. Who knew that basements were so cool?!
Hey...there they go right now. :)
Oops...change the number, now there are 6.
All boys, except for Brennan...she really holds her own.
I had a talk with the boys yesterday about how their role will always be to protect her, and that I expect that from each of them. I explained that they were to conduct themselves as gentlemen around her, and treat her as the sweet blessing that she is.
They got it.
The boys in this neighborhood are such kind and well mannered young men. Most of them come from Christian homes, and it shows in their behavior.
I love this!
The first day we were here, 4 of the boys came over to play and as they ran into the back yard and down to the creek, I heard Caedmon say, "C'mon guys...follow me, I'm the leader of the 5 Guy Gang!"
To which one of them immediately said, "You're not the leader! You're the new kid and you're younger than me! I'm the leader!"
Whoopie!
Just what he needs. I could've hugged that boy's neck!
I'm going to try to upload a picture of my view out of my kitchen window for you...if it posts here you'll know I was successful.
If you don't see it, you'll know that I'm getting ready for my husband to come home. ;)
I love this house! It truly is my dream home. There are so many things about it that I love, that I can't even begin to list them all, but I'll share a few:
We have a dedicated music room. Caedmon was in there today playing the trumpet, and Brennan was on the piano. love it!
We have a laundry room. love it!
We can drink water straight from the tap. Wow! What a blessing that is! No more frantic midnight runs to the Circle K just to have water to drink the next day. love it!
The kids have a stream to play in, woods to explore, birds to watch, nature everywhere.
love it!
We are only 15 minutes from Precept Ministries. love it!
My kitchen doesn't open to the family room anymore. I might be able to cook a dinner without burning it now! love it!
My bathtub is so big that the kids think it's more of a mini-swimming pool. love it!
We have plenty of room for guest to come and stay and they have their own bathroom, entrance and driveway. How cool is that for hosting people?! love it!
Much love to all of you tonight,
Jes
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The Devil in the Desert
Tonight is going to be full-on honesty time.
I've no doubt that I'll wake in the am and rush to my computer to re-read what I'm about to write, in fear that I've let myself go way too far...
But until the light of day shines, I'm going to write like a crazy woman.
I do hope you'll oblige me.
You know, writers who craft their prose in the dark of night, hunger for those comments to show up when the sun breaks over the horizon. :) My fairly lame literary attempt to beg you to converse with me.
So here's the truth of the matter. We know that the devil is alive and well, and on a rip-roar all the time. The Bible says that he comes to kill, steal, and destroy.
Period.
That's his mission.
Kill.
Steal.
Destroy.
Hmm.....aren't we pretty stupid if we live thinking, "You know, I'm just not going to think about him."
Yeah.
That terrifies him when we ignore him.
I don't think so.
I want you to know that I am just about convinced that he or one of his fallen angels, lives in the desert.
OK, so maybe I'm half kidding.
I tell you, we went to TN for a week, which turned into a week and 1/2 due to the snow that shut down the Atlanta airport. While we were there, I felt SUPER! I mean....great! I had 2 days that were tough, but on scale of comparison to being in AZ, I really was wonderful.
We get back to AZ and we're here all of 12 hours, and I begin to T-A-N-K.
It's so hard, you know. I LOVE my friends here in AZ. They are the best I've ever had...truly, wonderful friends.
Yet, I know that if I don't get out of the desert, I'm not soon going to get better.
Crazy.
I love Tennessee. It's beautiful, and our new home is a dream come true. I'm blown away by it, and by God's grace to save it just for us.
My dream, my heart prayer for a home was to have space where guests could come to stay, and have their own private bath and personal area in the basement.
That's exactly what God gave us, too! It's perfect for friends, or Precept leaders who want to come in for an event but can't afford a hotel. It's just PERFECT!
I truly love the house. I pray it will be a great blessing to many.
I pray that Ms. Shelly will be my first guest! I need to give that girl a hug!
Love ya'll.
Thanks for listening.
We'll be off of me tomorrow.
For today, I'm just struggling with my hatred of MS.
I do hate it, yet I gotta get past that, as God is using it to His glory....so I need to quit whining.
As I said, I'm ranting tonight....so I'm not going back to proof read, or I'll likely delete the whole post.
Looking forward:
I'm going to learn to sew.
Brennan and Caedmon are going to take horseback riding lessons in TN.
We're joining the YMCA. Oh, to be able to swim in the cold months!
I'm going to write more often.
Immediately forward:
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Love ya'll tonight!
Jes
I've no doubt that I'll wake in the am and rush to my computer to re-read what I'm about to write, in fear that I've let myself go way too far...
But until the light of day shines, I'm going to write like a crazy woman.
I do hope you'll oblige me.
You know, writers who craft their prose in the dark of night, hunger for those comments to show up when the sun breaks over the horizon. :) My fairly lame literary attempt to beg you to converse with me.
So here's the truth of the matter. We know that the devil is alive and well, and on a rip-roar all the time. The Bible says that he comes to kill, steal, and destroy.
Period.
That's his mission.
Kill.
Steal.
Destroy.
Hmm.....aren't we pretty stupid if we live thinking, "You know, I'm just not going to think about him."
Yeah.
That terrifies him when we ignore him.
I don't think so.
I want you to know that I am just about convinced that he or one of his fallen angels, lives in the desert.
OK, so maybe I'm half kidding.
I tell you, we went to TN for a week, which turned into a week and 1/2 due to the snow that shut down the Atlanta airport. While we were there, I felt SUPER! I mean....great! I had 2 days that were tough, but on scale of comparison to being in AZ, I really was wonderful.
We get back to AZ and we're here all of 12 hours, and I begin to T-A-N-K.
It's so hard, you know. I LOVE my friends here in AZ. They are the best I've ever had...truly, wonderful friends.
Yet, I know that if I don't get out of the desert, I'm not soon going to get better.
Crazy.
I love Tennessee. It's beautiful, and our new home is a dream come true. I'm blown away by it, and by God's grace to save it just for us.
My dream, my heart prayer for a home was to have space where guests could come to stay, and have their own private bath and personal area in the basement.
That's exactly what God gave us, too! It's perfect for friends, or Precept leaders who want to come in for an event but can't afford a hotel. It's just PERFECT!
I truly love the house. I pray it will be a great blessing to many.
I pray that Ms. Shelly will be my first guest! I need to give that girl a hug!
Love ya'll.
Thanks for listening.
We'll be off of me tomorrow.
For today, I'm just struggling with my hatred of MS.
I do hate it, yet I gotta get past that, as God is using it to His glory....so I need to quit whining.
As I said, I'm ranting tonight....so I'm not going back to proof read, or I'll likely delete the whole post.
Looking forward:
I'm going to learn to sew.
Brennan and Caedmon are going to take horseback riding lessons in TN.
We're joining the YMCA. Oh, to be able to swim in the cold months!
I'm going to write more often.
Immediately forward:
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Love ya'll tonight!
Jes
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Why Those Little Words at The Beginning of a Psalm are Important...
I shared with you a few days ago that we would find out who the author of the Psalm we're studying together (Psalm 77) is, and today is the day!
Do you know why we didn't find that out first? Why we didn't start our discussion there?
I have a really good reason for it....can you guess?
Because I didn't know!
See...I'm learning right along with you! And I'm excited too!
Often in the past when I've wanted to write and just gush out all I was learning, I couldn't because I knew that women in the class I was leading were reading my blog and I wanted them to dig out the goodies for themselves.
But I'm not leading a class right now!
So, will you be the class I get to study with for the time being?
This is so rich, ya'll!
What I learned from the Word today left me weeping.
IN PUBLIC!
I pray it will touch your heart too.
Let's pray, and then we're going to dig!
"Most High God,
We adore you. We thank you for your love for us, and for sending Jesus Christ as the complete and total payment for our sin debt. Father, I pray that if one person reading this right now does not know You through Christ Your Son, that they will stop all reading and bow before Him...that they will repent of their sins, turn from them to follow you, and accept Your free gift of grace through the sacrifice, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
Father for those who do know You, but may not know Your Word, or even where to begin, I pray that You'll bless their desire to know You through Your Word, and that You will lead us all by the power of Your Holy Spirit, Who indwells those who belong to You, both now and forevermore.
Dearest Lord, won't you please anoint this time as an offering before You...that as we all grow to know You more, we may in turn glorify You more. Please make that our heart's desire.
Thank you for loving us with an everlasting love.
We love you back!
AMEN!"
So, please open your Bibles to Psalm 77.
I realized that when I wrote the last post about our study of this Psalm, I committed some cardinal errors as a Precept leader.
1. We didn't start with finding out who wrote the Psalm, but we did at least try to discover his intentions, what he knew about God, and what was compelling him to write this Psalm.
2. I fired way too many questions at you. I confess, that's how my mind works when I'm studying the Word. Once it's time to get in front of a class and lead a discussion, I've pared my list of questions down by at least 3/4, or should I say, the Holy Spirit has.
So forgive me, I dearly hope that you weren't overwhelmed.
3. I forgot to talk with you about key words. Sorry....we'll get to that too, but today is going to be about who this Psalmist was.
I want to encourage you sweet friends, don't neglegt those first few words that are found at the top of many of the Psalms. They will tell you much more than you could have ever imagined.
Thus is the case with Asaph.
Are you game?
Will you do some homework?
It will be so worth it!
Ask God to pierce your heart. Tell Him you don't want to close your Bible until you've learned something about Him that is going to pierce your heart.
Then, stay in it until He does.
Chandy asked me recently how I get the "want to" to read my Bible. I'm paraphrasing her words, but you can find her exact comment by looking a few posts back.
The above is my answer. I just beg Him to make me so hungry for HIM through His Word, that I won't be able to stand it many days without my time with Him.
He is gracious. His Word beckons me. When I am battling not wanting to read it, I am reminded of where that comes from. It's certainly not my Awesome, loving Father who is trying to convince me not to spend time with Him.
Besides, I am the one who gets cheated when I avoid Him. ME.
Okay...so here's your assignment for the next day or two. When you start leaving me comments, then I'll know that you're digging in, and that I can post some more.
I just don't want to overwhelm you.
But, remember...we learn as we discuss, and that discussion can happen through comments. You learn one thing from the Word that maybe the rest of us didn't....then we all learn. :)
It's imperative that we know who Asaph was. Today we are going to focus on cross-references, as they will lead us to learning at least a little bit about his history.
Turn to 1 Chronicles 15. I want you to read this chapter, but I'm going to give you a little background. As in everything, God has an order. So it was with the Ark of the Covenant.
God's order dictated that only the Levites were to carry the ark of God, yet in 1 Chronicles 13, David had consulted with man, not God, and had taken almost a poll or a group consensus about going up and taking the ark of their God back.
But oops....in his zeal, he forgot about God's order...someone who was not a Levite was handling the ark, and none of them were carrying it as God's commandment to carry it had been, instead they carried it on a cart.
Oh, they were beside themselves with excitement! 1 Chronicles 13:8 "David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, even wtih songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals and with trumpets."
And then somebody died.
BUT WHY?!
Read verses 9-10.
And remember, God has order. He had ordained the Levites as priests to Him. That was a high orderly calling, and not even a King like David who loved God so much, was given permission to bypass God's order.
SO...fast forward a few chapters to 1 Chronicles 15.
David has decided to get the ark, has prepared a place for it, and pitched a tent for it.
And YAY for David....look at him laying it out in verse 2. See his change of heart throughout chapter 15. How is he treating the handling of the ark of God now?
OBEDIENCE!
Love that!
Don't miss his confession and humility in v. 13.
Now...it's your turn.
I want you to read 1 Chronicles 15:17 & 19; and all of chapter 16, and underline (in a color you'll remember for him), every time you see the name of Asaph.
Make yourself a brief list describing who he was. How important was his job?
Now...go back to chapter 15:25, 28, 29. How is Israel responding to having the ark of God with them, in the city of David?
Skip to 16, v.4 - there's a list here...do you see that the Levites were appointed by their King...but for what?
Number their responsibilities...
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Alright, now we're about home....see that semicolon at the end of 16:4?
WHAT comes next?
Underline that all important name we're researching....underline it in the rest of chapter 16.
AND DON'T MISS THE CRESCENDO THAT HAPPENS IN V. 7, and what results from it in verses 8-36.
Can you even IMAGINE?!
Your King asks you to pray, and out pours THAT!
You'll see Asaph a few more times in this chapter, so don't miss underlining his name.
It will be crucial to our "getting it" when we are back in Psalm 77.
But I will close with this, do your work, dig out the truth, be led by God's Spirit, and then take a day or two just to soak it all in.
What does it all mean about who Asaph was, and about why he would write a Psalm like the 77th Psalm?
Also, catch Jeduthun mentioned in 16:41...keep that in your memory, as we'll come back to him, too.
I want to encourage you that you can do this! You can learn God's Word for yourself. He is gracious, and He WILL teach you, if only you'll give Him the time He so longs for, He so deserves of you.
If you really want to go deep, mark any instances 0f the word God, along with any synonyms for God, in 1 Chronicles 16:7-36. You can either mark them right in your Bible, or go to blueletterbible.com and print off copies of the Scripture passages right there for free. Be sure to select the NASB version, if you want to be using the same version that I do.
Otherwise, I'd suggest the KJV or the ESV.
Make another list...
What did Asaph know about the LORD, to be able to pray a prayer like that?
Making a list here is pretty easy...
You just mark every instance of the word God, or synonyms for God, with a triangle. I use red.
Then you make a list of what you learned about God, similar to our list above. I'll give you an example:
16:7 ..on that day David first assigned Asaph and his relative to give thanks to the Lord.
Asaph prays:
v. 8 thanks are given to the LORD - all Israel is led in thanks to the LORD
v. 8 His name can be called upon
v.8 His deeds were to be made known among the people
You get the idea now. If you're confused, I'm here for you...just drop me an email and I'll help you any way I can. My email address is in the sidebar.
After you do your research on Asaph, our discussion of Psalm 77 is really going to be good!
But, don't be sneaky and hold your comments until that post.
Remember, I want to hear all about what God is doing in your heart through His Word.
I love you all so....I am BURSTING to tell you what God showed me through all of this today, but I want you to dig, dig, dig for yourselves first.
I Love Ya'll All the Way to TEXAS, which you do know was once it's own country, and might just be again one day. :)
Yee-haw!
I am some TIRED tonight...so I'm not proofreading. If I look foolish when I read it in the morning, I'll fix it then. :)
I trust ya'll love me too,
Jes
Do you know why we didn't find that out first? Why we didn't start our discussion there?
I have a really good reason for it....can you guess?
Because I didn't know!
See...I'm learning right along with you! And I'm excited too!
Often in the past when I've wanted to write and just gush out all I was learning, I couldn't because I knew that women in the class I was leading were reading my blog and I wanted them to dig out the goodies for themselves.
But I'm not leading a class right now!
So, will you be the class I get to study with for the time being?
This is so rich, ya'll!
What I learned from the Word today left me weeping.
IN PUBLIC!
I pray it will touch your heart too.
Let's pray, and then we're going to dig!
"Most High God,
We adore you. We thank you for your love for us, and for sending Jesus Christ as the complete and total payment for our sin debt. Father, I pray that if one person reading this right now does not know You through Christ Your Son, that they will stop all reading and bow before Him...that they will repent of their sins, turn from them to follow you, and accept Your free gift of grace through the sacrifice, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
Father for those who do know You, but may not know Your Word, or even where to begin, I pray that You'll bless their desire to know You through Your Word, and that You will lead us all by the power of Your Holy Spirit, Who indwells those who belong to You, both now and forevermore.
Dearest Lord, won't you please anoint this time as an offering before You...that as we all grow to know You more, we may in turn glorify You more. Please make that our heart's desire.
Thank you for loving us with an everlasting love.
We love you back!
AMEN!"
So, please open your Bibles to Psalm 77.
I realized that when I wrote the last post about our study of this Psalm, I committed some cardinal errors as a Precept leader.
1. We didn't start with finding out who wrote the Psalm, but we did at least try to discover his intentions, what he knew about God, and what was compelling him to write this Psalm.
2. I fired way too many questions at you. I confess, that's how my mind works when I'm studying the Word. Once it's time to get in front of a class and lead a discussion, I've pared my list of questions down by at least 3/4, or should I say, the Holy Spirit has.
So forgive me, I dearly hope that you weren't overwhelmed.
3. I forgot to talk with you about key words. Sorry....we'll get to that too, but today is going to be about who this Psalmist was.
I want to encourage you sweet friends, don't neglegt those first few words that are found at the top of many of the Psalms. They will tell you much more than you could have ever imagined.
Thus is the case with Asaph.
Are you game?
Will you do some homework?
It will be so worth it!
Ask God to pierce your heart. Tell Him you don't want to close your Bible until you've learned something about Him that is going to pierce your heart.
Then, stay in it until He does.
Chandy asked me recently how I get the "want to" to read my Bible. I'm paraphrasing her words, but you can find her exact comment by looking a few posts back.
The above is my answer. I just beg Him to make me so hungry for HIM through His Word, that I won't be able to stand it many days without my time with Him.
He is gracious. His Word beckons me. When I am battling not wanting to read it, I am reminded of where that comes from. It's certainly not my Awesome, loving Father who is trying to convince me not to spend time with Him.
Besides, I am the one who gets cheated when I avoid Him. ME.
Okay...so here's your assignment for the next day or two. When you start leaving me comments, then I'll know that you're digging in, and that I can post some more.
I just don't want to overwhelm you.
But, remember...we learn as we discuss, and that discussion can happen through comments. You learn one thing from the Word that maybe the rest of us didn't....then we all learn. :)
It's imperative that we know who Asaph was. Today we are going to focus on cross-references, as they will lead us to learning at least a little bit about his history.
Turn to 1 Chronicles 15. I want you to read this chapter, but I'm going to give you a little background. As in everything, God has an order. So it was with the Ark of the Covenant.
God's order dictated that only the Levites were to carry the ark of God, yet in 1 Chronicles 13, David had consulted with man, not God, and had taken almost a poll or a group consensus about going up and taking the ark of their God back.
But oops....in his zeal, he forgot about God's order...someone who was not a Levite was handling the ark, and none of them were carrying it as God's commandment to carry it had been, instead they carried it on a cart.
Oh, they were beside themselves with excitement! 1 Chronicles 13:8 "David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, even wtih songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals and with trumpets."
And then somebody died.
BUT WHY?!
Read verses 9-10.
And remember, God has order. He had ordained the Levites as priests to Him. That was a high orderly calling, and not even a King like David who loved God so much, was given permission to bypass God's order.
SO...fast forward a few chapters to 1 Chronicles 15.
David has decided to get the ark, has prepared a place for it, and pitched a tent for it.
And YAY for David....look at him laying it out in verse 2. See his change of heart throughout chapter 15. How is he treating the handling of the ark of God now?
OBEDIENCE!
Love that!
Don't miss his confession and humility in v. 13.
Now...it's your turn.
I want you to read 1 Chronicles 15:17 & 19; and all of chapter 16, and underline (in a color you'll remember for him), every time you see the name of Asaph.
Make yourself a brief list describing who he was. How important was his job?
Now...go back to chapter 15:25, 28, 29. How is Israel responding to having the ark of God with them, in the city of David?
Skip to 16, v.4 - there's a list here...do you see that the Levites were appointed by their King...but for what?
Number their responsibilities...
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Alright, now we're about home....see that semicolon at the end of 16:4?
WHAT comes next?
Underline that all important name we're researching....underline it in the rest of chapter 16.
AND DON'T MISS THE CRESCENDO THAT HAPPENS IN V. 7, and what results from it in verses 8-36.
Can you even IMAGINE?!
Your King asks you to pray, and out pours THAT!
You'll see Asaph a few more times in this chapter, so don't miss underlining his name.
It will be crucial to our "getting it" when we are back in Psalm 77.
But I will close with this, do your work, dig out the truth, be led by God's Spirit, and then take a day or two just to soak it all in.
What does it all mean about who Asaph was, and about why he would write a Psalm like the 77th Psalm?
Also, catch Jeduthun mentioned in 16:41...keep that in your memory, as we'll come back to him, too.
I want to encourage you that you can do this! You can learn God's Word for yourself. He is gracious, and He WILL teach you, if only you'll give Him the time He so longs for, He so deserves of you.
If you really want to go deep, mark any instances 0f the word God, along with any synonyms for God, in 1 Chronicles 16:7-36. You can either mark them right in your Bible, or go to blueletterbible.com and print off copies of the Scripture passages right there for free. Be sure to select the NASB version, if you want to be using the same version that I do.
Otherwise, I'd suggest the KJV or the ESV.
Make another list...
What did Asaph know about the LORD, to be able to pray a prayer like that?
Making a list here is pretty easy...
You just mark every instance of the word God, or synonyms for God, with a triangle. I use red.
Then you make a list of what you learned about God, similar to our list above. I'll give you an example:
16:7 ..on that day David first assigned Asaph and his relative to give thanks to the Lord.
Asaph prays:
v. 8 thanks are given to the LORD - all Israel is led in thanks to the LORD
v. 8 His name can be called upon
v.8 His deeds were to be made known among the people
You get the idea now. If you're confused, I'm here for you...just drop me an email and I'll help you any way I can. My email address is in the sidebar.
After you do your research on Asaph, our discussion of Psalm 77 is really going to be good!
But, don't be sneaky and hold your comments until that post.
Remember, I want to hear all about what God is doing in your heart through His Word.
I love you all so....I am BURSTING to tell you what God showed me through all of this today, but I want you to dig, dig, dig for yourselves first.
I Love Ya'll All the Way to TEXAS, which you do know was once it's own country, and might just be again one day. :)
Yee-haw!
I am some TIRED tonight...so I'm not proofreading. If I look foolish when I read it in the morning, I'll fix it then. :)
I trust ya'll love me too,
Jes
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Digging Into Psalm 77 - Questions & Comments Deeply Desired
| I have come to dearly love and appreciate the transparency of the Psalmists. I've always loved poetry, and I think of the Psalms as songs and poetry to God. Over the next few days, I'd like it so much if you'd come along with me as we dig this Psalm out. Remember, with inductive study, we aren't rushing right off to a commentary. If you'll play along with me, if you'll trust me, I promise that I'll tell you when the right time to dig into a commentary may be. If you're a colored pencil kinda person, grab them now, and print off a copy of this blog post. I'll share with you what words to mark, and goodness...you'll likely share a few with me too! We're just going to start with 3 verses today. Remember, before you ever open the Word of God, you want to pray and ask His Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth, as the book of John promises us that He will. I shared with the Jehovah's Witness ladies who have been coming to my door, that I never, ever study my Bible without asking for the leading of the Spirit of God, because my flesh is weak, and proud, and will lead me astray.... but the Spirit of my Loving God will never do that! Here we go... Psalm 77:1-3
|
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
How Will You Respond In the Day of Trouble?
OK, I'm inspired!
Time to dig back into the Word, folks.
You ready?
Ponder this Psalm with me today...we'll be digging into it together in the next day or two.
I encourage you to really study it. Ask questions. Reason through it. Make your lists.
Let's have a great "discussion" after my next post.
I love you all, and thank you so much for your encouragement to continue to write.
Your comments were precious, just like you are to me!
Jes
Psalm 77
Time to dig back into the Word, folks.
You ready?
Ponder this Psalm with me today...we'll be digging into it together in the next day or two.
I encourage you to really study it. Ask questions. Reason through it. Make your lists.
Let's have a great "discussion" after my next post.
I love you all, and thank you so much for your encouragement to continue to write.
Your comments were precious, just like you are to me!
Jes
Psalm 77
| My voice {rises} to God, and I will cry aloud; My voice {rises} to God, and He will hear me. | |
| In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; In the night my hand was stretched out without weariness; My soul refused to be comforted. | |
| {When} I remember God, then I am disturbed; {When} I sigh, then my spirit grows faint. Selah. | |
| You have held my eyelids {open;} I am so troubled that I cannot speak. | |
| I have considered the days of old, The years of long ago. | |
| I will remember my song in the night; I will meditate with my heart, And my spirit ponders: | |
| Will the Lord reject forever? And will He never be favorable again? | |
| Has His lovingkindness ceased forever? Has {His} promise come to an end forever? | |
| Has God forgotten to be gracious, Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah. | |
| Then I said, "It is my grief, That the right hand of the Most High has changed." | |
| I shall remember the deeds of the LORD; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. | |
| I will meditate on all Your work And muse on Your deeds. | |
| Your way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God? | |
| You are the God who works wonders; You have made known Your strength among the peoples. | |
| You have by Your power redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. | |
| The waters saw You, O God; The waters saw You, they were in anguish; The deeps also trembled. | |
| The clouds poured out water; The skies gave forth a sound; Your arrows flashed here and there. | |
| The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook. | |
| Your way was in the sea And Your paths in the mighty waters, And Your footprints may not be known. | |
| You led Your people like a flock By the hand of Moses and Aaron. Blue Letter Bible. "Book of Psalms 77 - (NASB - New American Standard Bible)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 2 Feb 2010. < http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Psa&c=77&t=NASB > New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Please visit their website at www.lockman.org. |
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