"What's the Scoop on.....Hagar?"

On Tuesday in Woman’s Bible Study, I taught about Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant.  As you know, Abraham and Sarah’s lives are detailed in the pages of scripture.  Hagar, however, is just a blip on the radar screen of their lives. Yet her inclusion in scriptures points us to an aspect of God’s character that is truly wonderful. Our God is a God of mercy!

Before continuing please read the following passages:  Genesis 16 and Genesis 21:1-21. Here is a concise recap of Hagar’s story:  God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations but ten years later the promise had not been fulfilled. Sarah convinces Abraham to take Hagar as his wife so that they could have a child, using Hagar as a surrogate.  After Hagar becomes pregnant, her relationship with Sarah rapidly deteriorates.  As a result, Hagar flees to the desert where she is met by the Lord where He tells Hagar to return to Abraham and Sarah, which she does.  Hagar and Abraham’s son is born a short time later and he is named Ishmael as The Angel directed. Ten years later God appears to Abraham again and promises that he and Sarah will have a child of their own in one year. After their son Isaac is born Sarah sees Ishmael taunting Isaac. She demands that Hagar and Ishmael be cast out. This command is confirmed by God to Abraham.  As Hagar and Ishmael are wandering hopelessly in the desert, near death, The Angel of the Lord once again appears to Hagar.

Because God is merciful, He will meet us where we are.

Hagar’s circumstances were beyond her control.  She was a slave with no rights of her own, no freewill. She was someone else’s property. She had no choice but to obey Sarah and Abraham’s wishes. We might find ourselves in negative circumstances that were not our doing. Like Hagar, we may make choices that cause the situation to become worse but God’s mercy is bigger. The Angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar and interrupted her flight as she was running away from her problem. God may allow us to wander in the desert as well, to come to a place where we are at the end of our own resources. When we come to this place then we are ready to meet with God, listen to Him, and obey what He says.

Because God is merciful, He asks us questions.

Although God knew her answers, He takes the time to ask Hagar some questions. He wants her to consider what she is doing and why.  The angel didn’t accuse her. He asked her with kindness. In Genesis God appeared to Adam & Eve after they ate the fruit. He asked them questions, not for His sake but for theirs. God does this with us as well. He does not see us through the eyes of condemnation to place blame on us or put us on the defensive but because of His love and his mercy.  When God asks us a question we have to articulate an answer. By putting words to our thoughts it helps us see things more clearly. God wants us to consider the choices we are making and the paths we are taking.  When we see our situation more clearly, through His eyes, we are in a better place to take direction from Him.

Because God is merciful, He Sees Us & He Hears Us.

Throughout God’s Word there are numerous examples of people calling out to God and God answering.  There is something really special about both of Hagar’s encounters with God. She never called to Him; in fact it doesn’t even seem that she was seeking Him. It says in Isaiah 65:1, “ I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me.”  This is exactly what happened with Hagar. In Genesis 16:7a it says “and the angel of the LORD found her“.  He told Hagar to name her unborn son Ishmael which means ‘God has heard of your misery’. “You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,” (Psalm 19:17).

In Genesis 16:13  God says “She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen  the One who sees me.” Can you really imagine what this must have been like for her?  Hagar wasn’t anyone special, in a situation she did not choose for herself, the victim of someone else’s choices, mistreated, abused, not one single resource of her own. She spoke to and was known by the God who created the universe. He saw her tears, her pain, her aloneness. In the same way God sees us and He hears us.

Because God is merciful, He can’t help not being who He is.

In the very beginning of the passage we are told Hagar was a foreigner and a slave.  We also know that she was contemptuous of Sarah, disobeyed her, and ran away. Yet God appeared to her, rescued her, and greatly blessed her. God’s mercy wasn’t something that she earned because of good behavior.  His mercy was not about who she was or what she had done or didn’t do. Mercy flowed from the very character of who God is. “For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all .” Romans 11:3. That is the heart of our God.

I am encouraging you, if you are in a place of pain where you think no one sees, no one understands, and no one cares, that is a lie from Satan.  As Hagar was suffering she had no idea that He was watching and that He had compassion on her until He appeared to her later. Yet He was there every step of the way. 

We have something that Hagar did not.  We know that we have an intimate relationship with God if we can call Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  His Word to us is easily accessible.  We don’t have to wait for Him to appear to us to display His mercy.  As God was merciful to Hagar, we can know through the authority of His word that He is and will be merciful to us too. 

"The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works"  Psalm 145:9

Bible Memorization Project - The Sequel - Verse Four

Hello my darling memorization buddies;

Just thrilled that we have made it to our fourth verse together.  I can't tell you how curious I am with how you are doing.  If you are still tracking with us, I know that God is richly blessing you as you commit His Word into your heart.  If you have fallen behind, no worries, just pick right back up where you left and I am sure that God will help you complete the goal. 

In case,you have been getting frustrated with finding time to work on Bible Memorization , I thought I would pass on some of the ways that I work this discipline into a somewhat overloaded and at times frantic schedule.

Opportunities to memorize verses.
- as you wash dishes
- fold laundry
- wait on lines (this works well at the DMV)
- vacuuming (2 cats plus one dog = a great deal of time spent on this mindless task)

As I thought about this, I wondered is there any time that it would be inappropriate to be memorizing verses.  Are there certain types of situations where it would be clearly wrong to be focused on memorization rather then the task at hand. 

Situations where it would be inappropriate to memorize verses.
- the internet tells me that air traffic controllers have the number one job that demands the most amount of concentration.  It seem that it takes a great deal of focus to keep track of several planes that are ready to land at the same time.  I for one, especially if I am in one of those planes, would prefer for them to direct their full attention to what they are doing. 
- I also have learned that when taking Tai Kwon Do belt tests, that it takes extreme concentration to break a board with you bare hands.  So I guess that would be ok.
- I generally like to watch crime scene types of shows, and I always notice that when they are diffusing bombs, that it demands all of their focused attention.  They also usually sweat alot.  I am thinking that if you are called to diffuse a bomb, that would be a good excuse for you to skip memorization for a bit.
- Then of course, if you are called to perform emergency microsurgery that would probably be a good reason to redirect your focus as well.

So other then these four instances, I think that we are good to go.  You know I am just kidding you guys.  Obviously there are many more times that it would be inappropriate to be memorizing your scriptures, but the point is to try to think of ways that you can fit this much needed yet abundantly fruitful discipline into your life.  I think if you were to give it some thought, you would probably come up with many more opportunites then you thought you had. 

So it is that time.  Leave your verse in the comment below and I will start with mine.
"Love never gives up.  Love cares more for others than for self.  Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.  Love doesn't strut.  Doesn't have a swelled head."  1 Corinthians 13:4 MESSAGE

Love you guys.  It is such a joy co-memorizing with you in this project.


 

31 in 31

Hello Everyone:

I just wanted to jump on the blog this morning to let you know about the exciting program that God has lain on my heart for the month of March. We will be implementing a reading program called 31 in 31. We fondly subtitle it “Thirty-one days to a wiser you!” Anyone interested? We will be reading one chapter from the book of proverbs each day in the month of March. Since there are thirty-one chapters in proverbs and March has 31 days, we thought it was the prefect way to blend a bit of spiritual discipline with a relevant and tangible schedule. We believe that not only is this goal attainable but also carries with it a bit of a challenge.

So why will this project make us wiser? My Bible has a great explanation for us. “A proverb is a brief statement of a moral truth. The purpose of Proverbs is not simply to give advice, although many proverbs are very practical in their application. The deeper intention of the book is to shape godly character with divine wisdom. Behind Proverbs is the only wise God, the source of true wisdom.” (The NIV Worship Bible p.826) As we work our way through the chapters of Proverbs we will be unfolding the wisdom of God, wisdom that He wants us to embrace as we walk out His calling in our lives. I believe if you invest fully in this program all the way to its finish, you will have become a wiser woman of God.

The launch date for this reading program will be March 1st. Every Thursday we will put up a post where it will be your turn to tell us what God is speaking to you personally as you read through proverbs. The proverbial question (no pun intended) will be “How has God made you smarter this week?” You can share an insight, understanding, direction or just the verse that brought ministry to you. If you prefer, you could also answer that same question on facebook or maybe with a good friend over a cup of coffee. If that is the case, find yourself a buddy who will keep you on track. We picked Thursday because of the Thirty-one emphasis. Silly but it will help you remember.

We are praying that God really meets you during this one month of commitment. We know that He has extraordinary wisdom He wants to speak to you. I hope you join us!

Love you all so much!

"What's the Scoop on....Michal?"

This week in Bible study Arlene taught on Michal, a woman who fell victim to bitterness. We, like Michal, face circumstance in life that can also result in bitterness. Using Michal as an example, Arlene walked us through the anatomy of bitterness and brought us to a place where we could go to the Lord for the healing that some of us desperately need.

We are first introduced to Michal in 1 Samuel 18. She was the daughter of King Saul. At this time, even though David had no political power, Saul feared him. He knew God’s hand was upon David. “And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him” (1 Sam. 18:20-21a). Saul planned to use his daughter to facilitate David’s downfall.

A short time after Michal’s marriage, Saul attempted to kill David. Because of her love for him, Michal risks her own life to help David escape. After David is gone Saul marries Michal off to a man named Paltiel. Fast forward a few years….Saul is now dead and there is political unrest in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. David demands that Michal be returned to him, not out of love for her (at this point David has many other wives & children from these unions) but to help secure his place as king by marrying the daughter of the former king, Saul.

Life had not been easy for Michal. Both her father, and David the man that she loved, used her for their own selfish gain. It’s easy to imagine her heart in tatters. We see the fruit of this in 2 Sam. 6:16, “As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart”.

Arlene walked us through some questions about bitterness and used God’s word to address them:

How does the bible define bitterness?

“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” (Heb 12:15)

“Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.” (Deu. 29:18)

Arlene pointed out that the biblical bitterness is rooted in turning away for the Lord, God and turning to idols.

How does bitterness take root?

Learned behavior – Looking at Saul’s life we see that bitterness had taken hold of him. Michal would have seen this and learned it as a way of dealing with the pain of her circumstances.

Unmet expectations – This can happen primarily in three different ways.

1) Because of people – maybe we expected people to act a certain way or to fulfill a certain commitment and they let us down. We become bitter.

2) Because of circumstances – perhaps we have experienced a tough blow or setback in life where we have felt like if only that hadn’t happened our lives would be so much better and we get bitter.

3) Because of what we perceive about God – while God is true and faithful maybe we expected something from Him that He never promised for us and we feel like He let us down.

How does bitterness manifest itself? How do we recognize it?

It taints our perspective. Michal thought that the servant girls would see David’s behavior as she did.

Bitterness separates us from the family of God and from the joy of the Lord. We see this as Michael stayed upstairs as everyone else was downstairs celebrating.

It changes what we know about God. Michal was critical of the way that David experienced God.


Why do we need to address bitterness?

Bitterness will make its self known."Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." (Romans 3:14)

It defiles many. “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” (Heb. 12:15)

It grieves the Holy Spirit. “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” (Eph 4:30-31)

How do we deal with it?

Confess it. Looking back at Ephesians 4:31, it says ‘get rid’ of it. This isn’t something we can do apart from God. Arlene gave us an excellent visual of us holding on to bitterness with all we have as God tries to pry it from our fingers. Looking at Michal, in the natural she had every right to be bitter, as may we. But God knows this is going to hurt us and those around us. He needs us to offer it to Him with an open hand. Only then can He take it from us.

We need to ask for God’s grace. “Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah. So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?" Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.” (Ex. 15:22-25a). God can take what is bitter and make it sweet.

Time to wait for God’s perspective. “Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up” (Psalm 71:20).

From what we see in scripture, Michal’s heart never healed. It does not have to be the same for us. This past Tuesday was Valentine’s Day; Arlene’s message was entitled ‘How to mend a broken heart’. If your heart has been broken through the pain of unmet expectations, I ask you to prayerfully consider this message. Spend time with the Lord. Ask Him to reveal to you where bitterness has taken root. Confess it. Call out to the Lord for his grace. Allow God the time to work the healing. Don’t be discouraged if you feel it coming back – just keep giving it to God with an open hand. God is faithful. He will do it!.

“O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.“ (Psalm 130:7)

Happy Valentines Day!!!



Womens Bible Study February 14, 2012



“What’s the Scoop on……the Widow with the Two Coins?”

The woman that Annie taught about today is known to us as “the widow with the two coins”.  Although we do not know her name, I am certain that Jesus does. The little that we do know about her comes from Mark 12:41-44,  (the same account can be found in Luke 21:1-4). These few verses convey an important message that Jesus wants us to take to heart.

Our lesson today was centered on the above verses. However, while I was discussing this post with Arlene, she pointed out that the snapshot we see of the widow comes at the end of a long passage when Jesus is teaching in the temple courts.  Looking at what Jesus was teaching immediately before sharing His observations of the widow, will shed some additional light on its meaning.  Allow me to set the stage:  Jesus is in the temple teaching to a large crowd.  He is warning those listening about the teachers of the law.  He speaks about their propensity to live in a way that glorifies themselves rather than God: lives marked by pride, hypocrisy, and greed.   They exploit others for their own financial gain, even widows.  Jesus says in Mark 12:40, “They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely".

As if on queue, a widow approaches the place where the freewill offerings were collected.  What sets apart a freewill offering from the other offerings is that it is given through a willing spirit and a stirred heart.  “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).  As Jesus sits and watches, He sees many rich men donate large sums of money, drawing attention to themselves in the process. This poor widow then gives her offering of two small coins, which were worth practically nothing. “Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on” (Mark 12:43-44).

What a contrast!  First, we see the teachers of the law. One word can describe their actions: they took (remember, they devoured widows’ houses).  What does Jesus show us about the widow? She gave.  Not only did she give, but she freely gave all that she had!

Annie pointed out that there are many ways in which we can give.  What we freely offer to the Lord is not limited to finances. We can give of our time, our attention, our love, and ultimately, ourselves.  God is not looking for the quantity of our gifts, but the quality. The quality of our gifts is grounded in the heart with which we give.  God does not need our things.  He wants our hearts. Being able to give freely all that we have demonstrates our faith in Him and our love for Him.  The only thing that could have compelled the widow to give as she did was a pure love of the Lord. 

Annie made another important observation.  When the widow gave her all, she rose above mediocrity. She was not living where it was safe; where “all the bases were covered”.  She was living in a place where her dependence on God was everything.  Annie challenged us to do the same. God wants so much more for us.  He knows the blessings that come when we are able to live a life dependent upon Him and not on our own resources.  God will do His part but we have to choose to live by faith in Him.

One last point: the only one who noticed the widow was Jesus. He saw her heart.  His eyes were upon her.  No one may know the ways in which we give our all. We may compare what we can give to the others around us and feel insignificant. Rest assured, Jesus sees and Jesus knows.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”  1 Cor. 10:31

Bible Memorization Project - The Sequel - Verse Three

Hello Everyone;

Do you know what today is? It is time for the third installment in our verse memorization project. I find myself wondering how you’re doing. In fact, I compulsively want to know. Here’s why.

If I was to offer you a guaranteed 100 fold return on an investment, what would you do? If you are like me, you might be somewhat apprehensive but very curious. You would consider hearing more but not actually jump in with both feet. You might even think that it is too good to be true. Why is that? Probably because in the past we have, on more then one account, put our faith in something that didn’t deliver on its promises. While many offers in life are just that, too good to be true, there is one I am convinced is a slam dunk. How do I know this? Because it came from the very mouth of Jesus. Who by the way does not lie!

“Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”                                                   Luke 8:8

Did I pique your curiosity? Are you finding yourself wanting this seed? Are you getting ready to bolt to the nearest gardening store seeking to find some “Jesus seed”? Are you wondering what kind of seed Jesus was talking about?

“The seed is the word of God”               Luke 8:11

Now that we know what the seed is, one might be wondering but how do we sow it.

“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”
                                                         Luke 8:15

There is the recipe for your 100 fold blessing, you hear it and retain it (memorize it), water it with a little perseverance and Jesus guarantees a 100 times what you have sown. Anyone but me would like some of that?

Ladies, I can testify that this is indeed a promise that Jesus will keep. Several years ago I took to memorizing scripture as a spiritual discipline and I can say, with all certainty, that it has dramatically changed my life. My spiritual life has definitely catapulted to new levels because of it. As I committed to not only hearing and understanding the word but memorizing and never, ever, did I say never, giving up, I have seen Him meet me in extraordinary ways not only on the pages of scripture but on the hot pavement of life as well.

I am incredibly thrilled to see that you are willing to take Jesus up on His promise. Don’t give up! It will change you life. Of this I am certain.

So its time to leave your verses. Once again I will start with mine. Thank you so much for joining me in this project. You are such a joy to do this with.

Love you much!

“If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.”
             1 Corinthians 13:3 (MESSAGE)

"What's the Scoop on.....Martha?"

Without a doubt, the name ‘Martha’ conjures up a specific image in your mind.  Today in bible study Jan explored Martha ‘s encounter with Jesus as detailed in Luke 10:38-42. To some degree, this hits us all where we live.  As women in the 21^st century, how many of us are like Martha, distracted by our many tasks?

Jan began her teaching by pointing out that we are called by God to glorify and please Him. Like Martha, we all have tasks that must be done. As a mother or a wife we are called to take care of our husbands and children. God may have called us to care for aging parents. We have jobs. We serve at church. We serve each other. In fact, even as I write this, there is a small pop-up screen on the side of my computer, ‘Tasks – Linda’s List’.  There is no getting away from it.  God says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). There is a classic book written by Brother Lawrence, The Practice Of The Presence Of God. In his book Brother Lawrence encourages us how to better keep company with the Lord as we go about our day, doing what needs to be done. So yes, we have things that must be done. And, yes, we are able to glorify God as we do these things.

So where does this leave us as we explore Jesus’ visit to Martha’s and Mary’s home in Luke 10?  As we read this passage, we can picture Mary and Jesus at center stage, Mary intently listening to Jesus’ teachings, while in the background Martha is in a flurry of activity.  Based on traditional roles in society at that time, Martha wasn’t wrong in expecting Mary to help her serve.  In fact, for Mary to be sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to His teachings would have been unconventional.   Only men were afforded the privilege of sitting and learning under a rabbi. Yet Jesus says to Martha, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her “(Luke 10:41b-42).

What was the ‘better’ thing that Mary had chosen?  Jesus says this one thing is essential:  it is sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him and learning from Him. Mary was not doing anything for Jesus, she was not serving Him.  He was serving her!! It is written in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve”.  

We know that prayer is central to our relationship with God but ‘sitting at Jesus’ feet’ goes beyond a time of prayer. It means sitting with God’s Word to us…the bible.  As we read and study, not only do we learn more about Him, but we will hear His voice more clearly. We will be able to distinguish God’s voice  from  all the other ‘voices’ we hear in our lives.  

In all the things we have to do in our lives, I know we want God to be glorified. Before we can minister to and serve others in a way that will glorify Him we first have to allow Jesus the time to minister to us. He fills us first.  "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (Romans 15:5).  Jesus isn’t telling Martha (or us) this for His own sake.  He knows what is best for us.  According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism ‘man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever’.  In order to fully enjoy God, He knows we need to allow Him to minister to us. Everything else we do flows from this. 

“God never ceases to speak to us, but the noise of the world without and the tumult of our passions within bewilder us and prevent us from listening to him.”  François Fenelon