JULY 13, 2017

“We were promised sufferings. They were part of the program. We were even told, 'Blessed are they that mourn,' and I accept it. I've got nothing that I hadn't bargained for. Of course it is different when the thing happens to oneself, not to others, and in reality, not imagination.” 
― C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

PSALM 10-12

1Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore;

those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.

2Everyone lies to their neighbor;

they flatter with their lips

but harbor deception in their hearts.(12:1-2)

ACTS 17:16-34

24“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’^b As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’^c

29“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

32When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33At that, Paul left the Council. 34Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

JOURNAL 

As Good as it Gets I love this movie. I don't know if it's just the tragic human stories juxtaposed with the crass sayings of Melvin (Jack Nicholson), or the fact that there exists such raw truth in the reality that life is hard and anything but "noodle salad". 

The Bible is also full of this reality. To consider my life in comparison I realize the truth of how precious and blessed I really am. Just simply because I have a brain, a functioning body, friends, family and community. The stark reality is that today...is as good as it gets. I have no idea what tomorrow will be...nor should I get consumed by it. But today...today is a gift. To miss this is to miss life, to miss God, to miss everything that matters. 

It also means that the world is a tough place and will always be a tough place. Deal with it...it isn't heaven...in fact we are to bring the spirit of Heaven to earth. We are to bring goodness into the raw, chaotic, unforgiving world. Today is "as good as it gets". If I am blessed to be here tomorrow...the same will be true. 

3“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

5Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

7Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

8Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

9Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

MATTHEW 5:4-12

JULY 12, 2017

“What makes life difficult is that the process of confronting and solving problems is a painful one. Problems, depending upon their nature, evoke in us frustration or grief or sadness or loneliness or guilt or regret or anger or fear or anxiety or anguish or despair. These are uncomfortable feelings, often very uncomfortable, often as painful as any kind of physical pain, sometimes equaling the very worst kind of physical pain. Indeed, it is because of the pain that events or conflicts engender in us all that we call them problems. And since life poses an endless series of problems, life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy."
― Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled

PSALM 7-9

9The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,

a stronghold in times of trouble.

10Those who know your name trust in you,

for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.(9:9-10)

ACTS 17:1-15

1When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. 4Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

5But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. 

JOURNAL 

 The Road Less Traveled has some really great truths. I have forgotten how many correspond to the idea that pushing through pain and problems with integrity is the key to living a life of joy.  His premises for living a great life are 1) Delay of Gratification, 2)Acceptance of Responsibility 3)Dedication to Truth 4) Balancing.  

When I consider all of these juxtaposed to scripture...I realize that they align perfectly. The Gospel is entirely about getting us to accept life as it exists, with all its problems and difficulties and to trust God to confront and tackle the problems that rise up every single day. In doing that we live a life that seeks to solve problems rather than avoid them. 

I find that some of the worst heartaches and mistakes were not when I faced a problem head on but rather when I in one way or another tried to avoid it, or go around it, or delay dealing with it. Yet I also know that some of the greatest joys were when I walked boldly into conflict and gave my best. Even when the outcome was not as I wanted, I still felt a sense of joy and accomplishment in facing what I feared. 

 3If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5for each one should carry their own load. 6Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

GALATIANS 6:3-9

JULY 11, 2017

“Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.” 
― Jalaluddin Rumi

PSALM 4-6

6Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”

Let the light of your face shine on us.

7Fill my heart with joy

when their grain and new wine abound.

8In peace I will lie down and sleep,

for you alone, Lord,

make me dwell in safety.(4:6-8)

ACTS 16:16-40

22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.(16:22-25)

JOURNAL 

David understands that true joy only comes from relationship with God. Paul and Silas are wrongly accused and then "beaten severely"...then they are praying and singing hymns to God from the center of a prison. Here is the evidence of a life changed. 

Falsely accused and then severely beaten and then in chains in a prison and they are singing?? The only way this happens is that the spirit of God is within them...this spirit gives them courage, power and joy in the midst of hell on earth. This proves that the root of joy is God. To seek it in anything else, is a delusional fantasy. True, life-changing joy is the love of God, living and growing in the life of man. 

I pray Father that this life and joy continue to bloom in my heart. I pray that the opportunities and sufferings in this life only become opportunities to share your power and love with others. I pray that I always am encouraged by your presence, not giving in to thoughts of despair or discouragement, but rather pushing through them in power and love. 

14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom every family^a in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

EPHESIANS 3:14-21

JULY 10, 2017

“Do ordinary things extraordinarily well.” 
― Gregg Harris

JOB 38-Psalm 3

7“Brace yourself like a man;

I will question you,

and you shall answer me.

8“Would you discredit my justice?

Would you condemn me to justify yourself?

9Do you have an arm like God’s,

and can your voice thunder like his?

10Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,

and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.

11Unleash the fury of your wrath,

look at all who are proud and bring them low,

12look at all who are proud and humble them,

crush the wicked where they stand.

13Bury them all in the dust together;

shroud their faces in the grave.

14Then I myself will admit to you

that your own right hand can save you.(40:7-14)

ACTS 15-16:15

1Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. (16:1-5)

JOURNAL 

I often find that very subtly this sense of arrogance creeps in my thoughts. It comes in the form of questioning God and not being grateful for the blessings of my life and my talents. It is so easy to slip into a frame of mind of discouragement. Reading through God's words to Job...reaffirms that I know very little and have very little power to do anything. However, infused with the power and love of God...everything changes.

In this part of Acts, Paul meets Timothy. The book of Timothy has been a great blessing for me, his letter to him in 2 Timothy has been a critical cornerstone in my faith. Thank you Father for all of you...for allowing me another day, for giving me life and responsibilities and talents. I will use these to serve you in living with joy, to have your "will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven."

6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.

2 TIMOTHY 1:6-9

JULY 7, 2017

“My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals are impossible.

All are of no value unless they are followed by action.” 
― Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World

JOB 35-37

11If they obey and serve him,

they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity

and their years in contentment.

12But if they do not listen,

they will perish by the sword^a

and die without knowledge.(36:11-12)

ACTS 14

8In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. 9He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

11When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15“Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. 16In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” 18Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

19Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

JOURNAL 

Jobs friend Elihu is convinced that the reward for obedience to God is prosperity and contentment. When I read of his friends response to his suffering, it is easy to see the ideology behind the prosperity gospel. Why would God not reward obedience with riches and a peaceful existence?

I think it goes back to the fact that this is not what we are made for. Human beings work best when working through problems and facing difficult circumstances. This is what calls out our strength, our love, our courage. This is what brings us to call out to God and lean into him. 

Reading this about Paul...we see him boldly preaching the Gospel and as a result being misunderstood and worshiped as a God. Then shortly after he is stoned and left for dead. So what does Paul do...gets up an walks right back into the city. 

This is faith...these are actions of a man that is consumed with bringing the Kingdom of God to earth. He has become an Outpost of Heaven...not for riches or comfort, but because this is the living out of his best self. 

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^a whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

JAMES 1:2-4