speech lessons

Exodus 4:12
12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

When God tells Moses to speak to Pharaoh and tell him, “Let my people go!” Moses has a million excuses. This is God’s response. He will be Moses’ speechwriter/ his Henry Higgins (remember “My Fair Lady?”).

As a preacher I wonder how much of what I say is actually from God? I’m not deliberately trying to fool with people, but obviously when God uses me, he uses a human who has his own knowledge of the facts, opinion, personality, passions and the rest. Thank God he can sort through all that.

You might be very good at serving others through your actions as a disciple of Jesus. How are learning to speak for God?

perspective

Genesis 39:2-4
2 The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant.

When God is in our lives other people do notice. When God is not in our lives people notice, too. But, don’t be too keen on using material success or positive influence or integrity or whatever good qualities as a total measure of your with-God-ness. Think of it this way.

Maybe someone is being totally blessed by God and yet they don’t appear to have strong favor from God. No great health, wealth, or influence. What we might be missing is this. What would their life have looked like without God? It might have been a real disaster. It all has to do with what you start with. For that individual, the changes might be remarkable.

Spend less time comparing yourself to others.

whose the boss?

Genesis 28:20-22
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God 22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."

God is so patient and understanding. Look at what Jacob is really saying here. “God if you do this, this, and this, then I will worship you and give offering.” Can you imagine trying to make a deal with God like he is supposed to do what you want because you worship him and give offering? How could Jacob be so naïve and arrogant?

O, yes, I forgot, that sounds a lot like me sometime…

Ask for forgiveness today for taking God for granted.

in dreams

Genesis 26:24-28
That night the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham."

When God appears to Isaac the Scripture says, “That night…”

In the context I assume Isaac is dreaming. When God appears while you are sleeping it is a dream and when he appears while you are awake it is called a vision. At least that is the way the Bible speaks of it. All I can say is, “WHOOAAA!!! Who am I LORD that you come to me directly? Next time, just send an angel.”

Although, it’s not as if an angel in the middle of the night is not going to scare the heaven into me either…

Have you heard the voice of God directly in a vision or dream? Has God ever sent you a sign?

matchmaker

Genesis 24:7
"The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father's household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring I will give this land'-he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there."

Here we see God works directly with Abraham. God steps in when God deems it necessary. Then we see God sends an angel to guide the servant of Abraham to find Isaac a wife. God creates angels before the creation of the universe, and one of their functions is to let us know God is with us. They can act as messengers, and in cases like finding a wife for Isaac, guides.

Pray for those who will marry this summer.

getting ready for vacation

Friends-

We are going on a family vacation blogfree. I will prepost next weeks daily thoughts and then be back up live on July 2.

Dana

distant

Genesis 4:16
So Cain left the Lord’s presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

After murdering Abel, Cain is banished by God, but not destroyed. He enters the land of Nod, East of Eden.

Where is East of Eden today? Anywhere where God is not present? Where would that be? Nowhere.

Anywhere where God appears absent? Where would that be? Could be anywhere. It depends on us.

God comes as Jesus and restores His Kingdom as we live in its midst and in His midst. We are invited to live in the new creation where God is always present.

When does God seem distant today?

God walk

Genesis 3:8
When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden.

Anthropomorphism- is the attribution of uniquely human characteristics and qualities to nonhuman beings, inanimate objects, or natural or supernatural phenomena.

God is non-physical being. Yet, the Bible describes God as walking around here. Is this just a myth the early God-believers made up in order to tell the beginning of the story of God and his people? Or is God awesome enough to take on these characteristics as God?

Good question.

When does God seem close today?

the importance of fathers

Are fathers simply throwaway DNA donors who come out of patriarchal exploitation?
Hardly-
a Father's Day message on the biblical view of father

stardust

Genesis 2:7
Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.

Though the Bible is not a science book, it is rather interesting that the creation of humans from dust is the way the Bible talks about it.

Fast forward to modern physics and space exploration where they are studying star dust. A recent NASA mission was actually dubbed, “Stardust.”

"We want to find out what this stuff is like," said Dr. Donald C. Brownlee of the University of Washington, the chief scientist of the mission. "It's the building block of planets and human bodies."

Indeed, Joni Mitchell sang it in “Woodstock,” “We are stardust…”

Pray for those involved in space exploration.

beginning

Genesis 1:26

26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

Notice God speaks of God’s self in the plural. In the Christian tradition, we see this as a clear indication of the Trinity. In the context it makes so much sense. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is enjoying abundant life together from eternity, and now wants to share this mutual self-giving love, encouragement, and joy with us. Somehow, even our care giving of the creatures of the earth will take part in this.

What can you do today to give yourself to God?

with God

For the last 24 weeks, I have commented on selected Bible verses on prayer, compiled in the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible. I will continue this practice with the topic of “The With-God Life.” Here is what the Spiritual Formation introduction says:

The With-God Life: The Bible is all about human life “with God” and how God has made this “with-God” life possible and will bring it to pass. The name Immanuel, meaning “God is with us,” is the title given to the one and only Redeemer, because it refers to God’s everlasting intent for human life- namely, that we should be in every aspect of a dwelling place of God.

Pray God makes himself present to you in more intentional ways.

amen

Revelation 22:21
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.

This is the last verse of the Bible and how appropriate that it ends in an, “Amen.” I like to think of the whole Bible as communication between God and people. This sounds similar to a definition of prayer. If we look at it this way, the Bible is a prayer. As we read it, cherish it, wrestle with it, and pray it, the Bible is source and foundation for everything else.

Amen

with angels

Light some incense or a scented candle as you pray today.

Revelation 8:4
The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, sent up before God from the angel's hand.

What an image this scene brings to mind. I like the phrase, “from the angel’s hand.” Angels, like all of us who love Jesus, pray to him. There is something exciting and comforting to know our prayers continue forever. This also means once they go out to God, they don’t die out. Let our prayers cover the world!

Pray for every specific continent today.

like incense

Revelation 5:8
And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

The Bible says our prayers are like “incense” that rises to God. I love this metaphor. Something fragrant and soothing slowing filling the air with an atmosphere out of the ordinary. If we use our imaginations we can envision ourselves covered in this prayer. We and all those others who pray in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Light some incense or a scented candle as you pray today.

wait

Jude 20
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.

Jude is addressing the same situation as Peter in Monday’s post. Jesus is coming. What do we do? Be built up in our faith and pray in the power of the Spirit.

Now, we may all be in different places in our lives, yet this teaching is the same for all. Pray.

Specifically ask the Holy Spirit to guide your prayers today.

end times

1Peter 4:7
The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.

When we consider the end times and the return of Jesus, it is always around the corner. It will either be the actual time, or we will die and enter into the heavenly dimensions. Either way and we are to be ready. Ready does not mean confused and anxious. Clear-minded and self-controlled sound so different.

Would that we could face all challenges of life in this way. We can as we focus on prayer which centers us like nothing else.

Pray for the coming of Jesus.

our garden

-the pornography industry is right in our own backyard
-gang violence is an all too real pox on our community
-we have been called for a time such as this
-God has placed us in charge of caring for His creation...His garden

marriage

1 Peter 3:7
Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.

Here the Bible is speaking of husbands honoring their wives. By doing so we follow God’s instruction. Honor your wife, husbands, because they deserve it and God wants it. Why else?

Apparently, the strength of God’s blessings are linked to our faithfulness. Not that God doesn’t bless the “just and the unjust,” as the Bible states, but there is certainly an emphasis of favor when God is honored. So, in this example, honoring our spouses is an important way to honor God.

Pray for marriages in your circles of friends today.

the Trinity

are you confused by the teaching of the Trinity?
don't be...listen to this

the poor

1 Tim 5:5
5The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.

The Bible has several examples of God’s focused attention on the needs of the poor. From the evidence in the Bible, and what we know historically, Joseph and Mary would be classified as, “working poor,” today. So, God himself comes into our world as poor and vulnerable. He understands and responds to the cries of his people.

Pray for the poor in your community.

God keeps his promises

don't underestimate the power of God to make wrong things right

always hope

1 Tim. 4:4-5

Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer.

These verses refer to the change in food laws for Jews who have become Christian. Foods aren’t prohibited any longer. I am not a huge fan of vegetables and so I would question that everything is good, but I eat them anyway!

We do well to remember that anything God created can be made good by his power. Even people who do evil and hate God. Through God and prayer, no one is beyond hope.

Who seems hopeless and needs prayer today?