i will eat meat
Now Playing: buddy holly by weezer

"when the LORD you God enlarges your territory, as He has promised you, and you say, 'i will eat meat,' because you crave meat, you may eat meat whenever you desire." deuteronomy 12:20

 ok - to be honest, when i first noticed this verse, i chuckled. really. just read it - kinda funny, huh?

but then i thought about it some more, and knowing that God doesn't just toss verses in scripture for laughs - i began to ask - why?

well, first i went and read the context. the chapter's about proper worship of God and doing it His way and in His place not "according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes." hmmmm...

think about it. when my life is centered around the proper worship of God, my desires are ok! God's not trying to make my life miserable. He just wants me properly focused. and when i am - I CAN *EAT MEAT* IF I WANT TO! (*fill in various desires*)

a couple other verses come to mind:

"delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart."  psalm 37:4

"but whoever has doubts is condemned if he eates, because his eating is not from faith. for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." romans 14:23

...God, keep me focused on You - YOUR WAY not mine - that my desires may spring from Your heart!

a dichotomy
Now Playing: a glass can only spill what it contains - mewithoutyou, b quiet interlude - david crowder, at the show - mxpx

blessed is the man who

• walks not in the counsel of the wicked
• nor stands in the way of sinners
• nor sits in the seat of scoffers

BUT

• his delight is in the law of the LORD,
• and on his law he meditates day and night.

psalm 1:1-2

DANGER!!!! if the second half (after the "but") does not describe me, i am probably slipping down that slope and becoming comfortable somewhere in the first half...

God, help me to DELIGHT!

not all about me
Now Playing: blessed be Your name - matt redman

he told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, 'send to joppa for simon who is called peter. he will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.' acts 11:13-14

peter is recalling the words of cornelius to him when he came to cornelius' house. as i thought about this verse, it struck me, "God's working in other places, too!" i know, i know - pretty obvious, huh? BUT too many times i forget that He is working in other places/people and not just in me, and it is so cool to see this example where God already had prepared the way for peter to bring the message.

Lord, help me to trust YOU to always be at work - to expect and look for it - and to not be selfish in my view of You!

 

where is my mind?
Now Playing: mat kearney - nothin' left to lose

Matthew 16:23 "But he turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a hinderance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.'"

what harsh words from Jesus to one of His closest followers! what would be His words to me? am i a hinderance to Christ??? oh God, how i pray not to be... what's a good check? is my mind set on the things of God or the things of men. what a dangerous snare! "let us fix our thoughts on Jesus..."

turnin' notions on their head
Now Playing: when i remember by blindside

Luke 22:24-27  "a dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. and he said to them, "the kings of the gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. but not so with you. rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. for who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? is it not the one who reclines at table? but i am among you as the one who serves."

in considering christian "leadership", it is important to remember that a lot of the world's ideas are turned upside down by Jesus, AND to keep in mind that the most key principle is that it is not so much "me as leader", but that it is "me as follower" of Jesus. THAT is how i lead.

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......