been awhile...
Now Playing: a good feeling by training for utopia

SaTiSfAcTiOn (originally sent 6/6/01)
Topic: actually 2001
matthew 5:6

blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

john 4:34

"my food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."


**** joy, pleasure, satisfaction, fulfillment - what brings these things about in me? doesn't it all come back around to motivation? can i truly echo Jesus' words or say with the psalmist "as the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. my soul thirsts for God for the living God...O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water"? (ps 42:1-2;63:1) or am i more like the "enemies of the cross of Christ" whose "god is their stomach...their mind is on earthly things" (ph 3:18-19) a "lover of pleasure rather than a lover of God" (2 tim 3:4)? consuming fire - consume me!

1 peter 4:1-2

therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. as a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

purity (originally sent 8/25/00)
Topic: actually 2000
john 2:13-17
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."

1 corinthians 3:16-17
Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

1 corinthians 6:19-20
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

how may i help you?
Topic: actually 2001
galatians 6:2-10

carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

each one should test his own actions. then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.

anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.

do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. a man reaps what he sows. the one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

**** just a whole bunch of good stuff - do you catch the theme of doing good and caring about others? why? well - as Christians it springs from our total realization that nothing that we do or have comes from us - we are BLESSED, folks - and we should live like it - how can you be a blessing to someone else today? if for no other reason than to please the Spirit and to be praise and honor to Jesus - show your gratitude by living it :-)

liar, liar
Topic: actually 2001
i john 2:3-6

we know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. the man who says, "i know him," but does not do what he commands is a LIAR, and the truth is not in him. but if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. this is how we know we are in him: whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

titus 3:1-5a

remind the people
* to be subject to rulers and authorities,
* to be obedient,
* to be ready to do whatever is good,
* to slander no one,
* to be peaceable
* and considerate,
* and to show true humility toward all men.

at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. we lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

BUT when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

***** hmmmm - continuing the hypocricy vs. reality theme - perhaps we should have 6 days of woes?????? (those of you who were at Bible study may laugh at that attempted humor...) i've also included some good verses from titus - if you haven't noticed, i like lists - it's a good thing to take each one individually and pray about that particular item and YOUR life - take the time to think about what each one means......

poor reflections...
Topic: actually 2001
john 3:16

for God SO LOVED the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.


**** fairly familiar verse, huh? let's look at a couple of other verses about God's love and what kind of people it was shown to - then we'll talk some more.....


romans 5:8

but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were STILL SINNERS, Christ died for us.

ephesians 2:4-5

but because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN TRANSGRESSIONS - it is by grace you have been saved.


*** we as Christ's disciples - his followers - called to be like Him - do we have this kind of love? or do we have a very conditional love?
let's think:
He forgave me - do i forgive others?
He became a servant for me - will i serve others? (with a good attitude)
He went out of his way because He so loved me - do i so love those around me that i am willing to go out of my way?
(oh, but they may not react in love, they may not appreciate me, thay may not show me respect - OF COURSE, they killed Jesus - did that stop him?)

i am convicted - my love is not what it should be - God, help me to love more like you do!!!!!!!!!!

matthew 22:37-39

Jesus replied, "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. this is the first and greatest commandment. and the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself.

a little clarity (entry 1a in today's daily verses)
Topic: actually 2001
***this stuff fits in perfectly with the thoughts from earlier

luke 6:32-36

if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? even 'sinners' love those who love them. and if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? even 'sinners' do that. and if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. BUT

* love your enemies,
* do good to them,
* and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.

then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

* be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

national day of prayer
Topic: actually 2001
today is the national day of prayer - take a few extra moments today to pray for our country!

2 chronicles 7:14 (a threefold promise - following a fourfold command!)

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then i will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

jeremiah 29:11-14

"for i know the plans i have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and i will listen to you. you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. i will be found by you," declares the Lord...

***many of us are familiar with the first verse here in jeremiah and love to claim that promise of God's wonderful plans for our lives - BUT do we keep reading - do we call and pray and seek (and is our seeking with all our hearts)? could it be that we don't know the plans - cause we aren't going to the master planner for them? He has them - we need to seek HIM!!

juxtaposition
Topic: actually 2001
psalm 139:23-24

search me, o God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
see if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

1 corinthians 4:1-5

so then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. i care very little if i am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, i do not even judge myself. my conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. it is the Lord who judges me. therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. at that time each will receive his praise from God.

psalm 139:23-24

search me, o God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
see if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

1 corinthians 4:12-13

we work hard with our own hands.
when we are cursed, we bless;
when we are persecuted, we endure it;
when we are slandered, we answer kindly.
up to this moment, we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.

philippians 2:5

your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

1 corinthians 4:20

for the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

matthew 23:2-3

the teachers of the law and the pharisees sit in moses' seat. so you must obey them and do everything they tell you. but do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

***"juxtaposition" - placing side by side for contrast or comparison

- God's ways and the world's ways are WAY different.

let it go, let it go
Topic: actually 2001
ephesians 4:26-27

in your anger, do not sin: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

hebrews 12:14-15

make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. see to it that no one misses the grace of God and that NO BITTER ROOT grows up to cause trouble and defile many.


*** i was reading a book by c.s. lewis yesterday and came across this quote "every one says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive..." WOW - what a powerful statement - and yet unforgiveness and holding onto things can give the devil a foothold!! it help that bitter root to grow up - causing TROUBLE - and does it hurt just me - NO - it "defiles many" - ephesians 5:1 instructs us to "be imitators of God" - so i'll close today with the question - what was our Lord Jesus' response to the terrible injustice and suffering he faced on the cross?

"Father, forgive them..."

**** bonus thought "love keeps no record of wrongs..." ( 1 cor 13:5)