Can I Surrender Enough To Test God???

This week's lesson is, "Putting God to the test!" Sounds a bit frightening... doesn't it? Yet God himself in Malachi 3:10 asks the Israelites to "test him in this." (This) being tithing of all their goods. It is the only time that God asked his people to test him! It was required that the Israelites give a tenth of all their goods and most were not doing it....kinda like us...huh? Research has shown that most Christians are only giving about 2.5% of their income back to the Lord. I can only imagine how much more mission work and ministry to the poor and hurting could be done if we all gave 10%. So...what if God asked US today to test him??!! How would you and I respond? Do we actually trust God enough to give him back the tenth or more of all he has blessed us with? Do we trust him to keep his promise that he will bless and provide for us as he has said?? Apparently most of us do not. I know I have struggled with this. Surrendering to God and not keeping "control" of MY situation is sometimes very diifficult for many of us. Both of the groups I am in right now are studying surrendering to God and trusting him to provide in ALL ways for us. I have listened as many in the groups talk of how hard it is for them to surrender and give up control. So many have trust issues with others and then God asks that they trust HIM, just through faith!!!! A tall order for many!!!! Love is an action! So how much do I really love God and others? I can always give without loving, but I cannot truly love without giving! So.....as I study this more, I am challenged to surrender more to a God of love and promises that DO NOT FAIL. I am going to take God at his word and "test him" in this. I will surrender back to God what is his and will consistently give God back his 10% and then trust God to do the rest. I am praying many of my church family will do the same. Not only monetarily, but with giving back of our talents and time that we have also been blessed with. What a difference we could all make if we would prioritize our lives more in the future and be the stewards God would like us to be!!!

Should I Build Larger Barns....Even On Facebook??? :)

For the next month in our small group and at church we are studying stewardship and "Becoming Rich Towards God." This week's lesson was based on the rich fool in Luke 12 that had such a HUGE amoount of crops that instead of giving it away, he decided to tear down his existing barns and just build larger ones to store ALL "HIS TREASURES!!" I had to laugh with my facebook buddies at worship this AM....as so many of us are currently in the process of building larger chicken coops and barns on farmville to store all that we have worked so hard to build up on these farms. :) Of course farmville is just a game we waste time each day. Yet, many of us are playing this same "game" in our daily lives. We get more and still want more! We want larger, we want bigger, we want MORE!!! We want to have the newest gadget, a larger house, a newer car, etc. We want to "look successful" for our peers. To do that we NEED these things!! We are much like the rich fool spoken of in Luke! I know I am! Jim Elliot has been quoted as saying, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." It is evident that this foolish rich man saw himself as the God of his own life. He felt it was ALL his, HE had the control. How many of us feel the same way much of the time? There was certainly nothing wrong with the man having so many possessions. The real issue with the rich fool was the USE of his wealth. His possessions SHOULD have been a means to a positive end and NEVER his joy and focus in life. Truth is ALL this STUFF we have is just temporary and God has provided us with the means, the abilities, ALL the blessings that we have. In the same chapter, Christ tells us not to worry about tomorrow also. Trust HIM!! God takes care of the birds and the fields......so why can WE not trust him to take care of us?? Why do we not trust the one who has blessed us with sooo much and loved us so much? Good question!!!????? Why do we worry.....why do we think WE control all we have??? Why we do fear loosing it and not saving ALL we have for a "rainy day???" As we were talking about this today, Anita asked me why we as Christians sometimes use this word of God and throttle others with it while WE think we are obeying it "to the letter???" We do this and we do that just like Christ said! We speak where we feel the Bible speaks and are silent where it is silent. We fuss over "little things" sometimes, even amoung ourselves, yet are we really following Christ's instructions to the letter??!! I have not! Christ goes on in this chapter to ask ME to sell my possessions and give to the poor. OOPS...did we forget that one??? Did we follow that one????!!! God has blessed me with so much and he has always provided for me, even during some rough years. Yes, I thank him daily, but do I really share what I have with those that have so much less....or do I feel that I EARNED this with all MY hard work? Is my focus truly on God and allowing him to USE me or am I more focused on the TV, my home or building my farms on facebook and yes....building a larger chicken coop in some silly game???? Well....the answer is that my focus is often on all the wrong things. Truth is this computer is temporary, my house, my jeep, my garden, my life....all temporary. I need to refocus my life alot more and do what Christ has asked me to do all along. Focus more on him....because WHERE my treasure is.....THERE is MY HEART!!!! I am a cardiac nurse...but one that must admit....MY heart is not always where it should be. :( Have a blessed week everyone, don't worry...be happy, and trust God to do the rest! :)

Important Women in Christ's Life

This week's lesson touched on many different women that touched the life of Christ and his ministry. We often hear about his disciples and how important they were in his ministry, but we don't hear as much about the women. Sometimes it is good to hear how important they were. Last week I talked about the woman at the well and her faith...but she was just one. All of these women were from very different backgrounds, but all had one very important trait in common.....a great faith in Christ and his mission. First there was Peter's mother-in-law who had a very high fever. Jesus merely touched her and her fever was gone and she immediately got up and served all the household. Now many of us mother's think this is a common thing for mother's...no rest for them, even when sick! :) But apparently all who witnessed this miracle were impressed and followed Christ after this. Then there was Mary Magdalene, Suzanna and Joanna. All bold women who followed Christ, believed in his ministry and financially supported him and the disciples during this time. We see later how Mary not only supported and followed Christ during his minstry, but she was there at the cross, at the tomb, and was the first to witness his resurrection. No doubt Mary was one VERY important lady in Christ's entire ministry here on Earth. We also studied about the woman who bathed Christ's feet with expensive perfume, washed them with her tears, and dried them with her hair. She was a lady who believed in all she heard about Christ and was humbled by her sins. Other's questioned why Jesus would allow such a woman to even touch him, yet he knew her heart of love and repentance. Again, Christ did not rebuke the sinner,instead he rebuked those who judged her. Then there was the lady who had been suufering from a bleeding disorder for 12 years!!! She was considered a social outcast and no doubt was extremely weakened by her condition. Her faith was sooo great, however, that she knew that if she merely touched Christ's garment, she would be healed....and she was. Have our lives been touched by Jesus in such a way? Have we been healed of issues we are suffering from?? What can I learn about faith from of all these woman?? What part does FAITH play in our lives today?? My own faith has been challenged on several occasions in my life. Yet, God has always been there for me and we ALL can believe his promises that he will always be. All we need to do is seek him as these ladies of his time did....then sit back and watch what he can do with our lives!! My God is MIGHTY!