Many have a desire for God, to see Him, or hear Him, in various ways: In the beauty of the desert and desert sky, in the hymns sung in church, in a loved one's smile, a baby's laugh. God is all over the place and there should be no problem with His appearing or His voice as they both are all around.
However, what I wonder about is does anyone see or hear Christ in me? It's not the first thing we might ask, or tell, another person. And sometimes I think I am so stuck in my individuality that God cannot find Himself in me! I know you're not supposed to put yourself down..we are after all created by the Master so I am not junk! But I am....me! And I do know how far from the "bar" I often fall!
This morning, from 2 Corinthians 2, the reading in The Message said, "We stand in Christ's presence when we speak; God looks us in the face. We get what we say straight from God and say it as honestly as we can." Paul, of course, is speaking to himself and others who take it upon themselves to alert the world of Jesus Christ, Savior and Messiah. Paul, filled with the Spirit of God, spoke always of the church and its duty to present God to the world.
Who we are and what we have to say is at all times to be a revealing of Who God Is.
Paul told us it was a huge responsibility, and I concur...with fear and trembling. No one is competent to take this on...... without the Spirit of God.
So, in all I do and in ways I do not yet know possible, I desire to reveal the presence of the Holy Spirit to those I meet and serve. Knowing that what makes me special is from God and the only reason I consider myself adequate for what God wants of me. I do so desire to be a revealer of Christ!! And I pray in my ordinariness that the Lord might make others wonder about what makes me tick and discover the One who is my Lord.
This I pray. I want you, too, to see Him and hear Him in everything around you, even in me...even if you never hear His name or see His face.
All for God's glory...JO
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
GOD SAYS, LISTEN AND KNOW!
I wonder if Job ever regretted all the things he said and did while being tested by the Devil. I think...yes, he must have. There was a lot of pride in and among his words to his friends, and also words which were spoken so that God would also know how he felt.
Have you ever experienced an "ah hah!"? Why on earth did I say that? What do I do now? "Do nothing..," might be the best answer. But me? I cannot let it rest as I feel when I have misused others, I need to make peace the best I can.
It's a rather long story and takes place about 2-3 years ago. We were going to church in a school which had been part of a new Church. The people who started the church were made up of folks from two other churches and a wonderful woman pastor with great vision. It was an exciting time. I loved making calls to visitors and encouraging then to return.
I was asked by the pastor to do an exciting new job and got busy learning it. Right away, I should have known something was not quite right when I was asked to help the pastor present the workings of the church to the leader's group and at the teaching session I was ignored. I never asked "why?"
Soon, there were other instances of not fitting in. Part of my new job was to visit the small groups and see how they were doing. That, too, was not received well by those I was visiting. But nothing was ever said to me, and I was truly in the dark. I was finally asked to quit. And there came a time of feeling I had failed and that others were glad I was gone.
We stayed in the church. I was hurt, sometimes angry, and decided to forget the past. On my own, I went ahead without permission and made banners, brought flowers for the altar, bought items for communion, started some Sunday morning Life Groups, and was ever present, not realizing that I was causing frustration to some and anger to others.
We finally left the church as it was way too far to drive for us oldtimers and it didn't become the church we had imagined it would become. We are happily ensconced at a church close by which has the expected church heirarchy and I do nothing without clearing it first with the powers that be.
Then, the last two days of journaling has given me a real kick in the pants!!!
Yesterday, Job spoke in chapter 34, verse 32 (from THE MESSAGE) "Teach me to see what I still don't see." and today's 1 Corinthians 8:7b, "Knowing isn't everything. If it becomes everything, some people end up as "Know-it-alls who treat others as Know-nothings."
I rest my case. Little did I know why I felt like I was around enemies when in reality, perhaps they saw me as the enemy. I have prayed in my journal yesterday and today. Yesterday's was answered today. Yesterday I asked that God would reveal
those things I still didn't understand. And today He revealed so much. He revealed the reverse side of my pain and showed me how I may have caused pain to many others by being overly enthusiastic and ambitious, and certainly, prideful, even in my hurt.
Paul may have at some time or another done just what I did--in common words, "took over." I say that beause he really KNEW when writing to Corinth, "Knowing isn't everything. If it becomes everything, some people end up as know-it-alls who treat others as know-nothings."
I am putting these journal entries into my blog so all will know how truly sorry I am. I have no excuse, no "Yah,but." I truly pray with hope and faith that I have learned my lesssons in pride, being overly enthusiastic, and insensitive to the feelings of others. Please forgive me.
In your service always, jo
Have you ever experienced an "ah hah!"? Why on earth did I say that? What do I do now? "Do nothing..," might be the best answer. But me? I cannot let it rest as I feel when I have misused others, I need to make peace the best I can.
It's a rather long story and takes place about 2-3 years ago. We were going to church in a school which had been part of a new Church. The people who started the church were made up of folks from two other churches and a wonderful woman pastor with great vision. It was an exciting time. I loved making calls to visitors and encouraging then to return.
I was asked by the pastor to do an exciting new job and got busy learning it. Right away, I should have known something was not quite right when I was asked to help the pastor present the workings of the church to the leader's group and at the teaching session I was ignored. I never asked "why?"
Soon, there were other instances of not fitting in. Part of my new job was to visit the small groups and see how they were doing. That, too, was not received well by those I was visiting. But nothing was ever said to me, and I was truly in the dark. I was finally asked to quit. And there came a time of feeling I had failed and that others were glad I was gone.
We stayed in the church. I was hurt, sometimes angry, and decided to forget the past. On my own, I went ahead without permission and made banners, brought flowers for the altar, bought items for communion, started some Sunday morning Life Groups, and was ever present, not realizing that I was causing frustration to some and anger to others.
We finally left the church as it was way too far to drive for us oldtimers and it didn't become the church we had imagined it would become. We are happily ensconced at a church close by which has the expected church heirarchy and I do nothing without clearing it first with the powers that be.
Then, the last two days of journaling has given me a real kick in the pants!!!
Yesterday, Job spoke in chapter 34, verse 32 (from THE MESSAGE) "Teach me to see what I still don't see." and today's 1 Corinthians 8:7b, "Knowing isn't everything. If it becomes everything, some people end up as "Know-it-alls who treat others as Know-nothings."
I rest my case. Little did I know why I felt like I was around enemies when in reality, perhaps they saw me as the enemy. I have prayed in my journal yesterday and today. Yesterday's was answered today. Yesterday I asked that God would reveal
those things I still didn't understand. And today He revealed so much. He revealed the reverse side of my pain and showed me how I may have caused pain to many others by being overly enthusiastic and ambitious, and certainly, prideful, even in my hurt.
Paul may have at some time or another done just what I did--in common words, "took over." I say that beause he really KNEW when writing to Corinth, "Knowing isn't everything. If it becomes everything, some people end up as know-it-alls who treat others as know-nothings."
I am putting these journal entries into my blog so all will know how truly sorry I am. I have no excuse, no "Yah,but." I truly pray with hope and faith that I have learned my lesssons in pride, being overly enthusiastic, and insensitive to the feelings of others. Please forgive me.
In your service always, jo
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