Obsession

And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. (Acts 26:10-11 NIV) (Emphasis mine)

Obsession is the word, or more accurately the idea it conveys, that I want to pull out here. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines obsession as a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling.

The phrase worded “obsession against them” in verse 11 is worded “being exceedingly mad against them” in the KJV Bible.
"Exceedingly" is from the Greek word perissōs meaning beyond measure, extraordinary. "Mad against" is from the Greek word emmainomai which means to rage against or to be exceedingly mad against. Emmainomai is made up from two Greek root words. En meaning in, by, with etc. and mainomai meaning to be mad, to rave: said of one who so speaks that he seems not to be in his right mind (from Thayer’s Lexicon).

Based upon the above, a more elaborate description of the idea conveyed by the word obsession is an exceedingly great and unhealthy preoccupation with, or against, someone or something. Its effects are that it inhibits clear thinking, hinders correct actions, distorts understanding, shipwrecks morality, derails justice, and stands against all righteousness. It is not only destructive, deceptive, and debilitating, but is also unhealthy mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Obsession is progressive and will carry one to the point of being excessively preoccupied with or against someone or something to the point of the exclusion of all other things. It will capture your mind, enflame your emotions, and consume your soul.

Paul said in Acts 26:11 “In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.” How far off course will we let our obsessions carry us? Each of us as an individual is responsible for who or what we give ourselves to. Paul’s obsession carried him to foreign places where he should have never gone to do what he should have never done.. Our obsessions will do the same to us.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col 3:1-3 NIV)

Look For Character

The following was written by another friend who makes a good point:

In a day when giftedness trumps character, let us pay careful attention to what God says in Matthew 7:15 "Don't be impressed with charisma; look for character..." (The Message) No amount of spin will ever change God's sovereign order. He cares just as much about our behavior as He does our message. What we do, is not any less important than what we say.

Randy and Paula White, founders and co-pastors of Without Walls International Church in Tampa… announced their pending divorce to the 23,000-member congregation on August 23, citing lives heading in different directions. (Christianity Today - October 2007)

“Lives headed in different directions,” come on, is that the best they could offer the 1000's of people who look to them for spiritual guidance. I do not doubt for a minute that more problems will surface later, but according to Christianity Today that’s what their faithful followers have to base this train wreck on for now.

It appears from Paula’s web site that her sky rocking career will not miss a beat as she travels around to promote her latest book entitled, You’re All That! Understand God’s Design For Your Life. I can’t help but ask: “You're all what?”

Are these people Biblically illiterate, or just stupid. To pretend that this kind of behavior is acceptable while jet-setting around, signing your latest book and holding conferences, is not just intolerable, it is mindless, and devoid of God-centered conviction.

If there is anything clear in Scripture, it is how much God values and holds dear to his heart the hallowed covenant between man and woman. Mark 10:5 says: "In the original creation, God made male and female to be together. Because of this, a man leaves father and mother, and in marriage he becomes one flesh with a woman—no longer two individuals, but forming a new unity. Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate His art by cutting them apart." (The Message)

May God impart to us today a new and profound reverence for what he loves and treasures. And may we all be reminded that "Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).

Striving together, to finish well
gary

Dancing With God

A friend sent me the following - I like it!

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word "Guidance", I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.

I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing because ...

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music and ..........................everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.

The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word "Guidance". When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i". ............ "God, "u" and "i"

God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.

May you abide in God, as God abides in you. May your heart trust in HIm so that you can dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.

And I Hope You Dance Your Whole Life With Him!

ONE DAY AT A TIME

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Mt 6:34)

I remember seeing a poster hanging on a wall one time that said I TRY TO TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME,BUT SOMETIMES SEVERAL DAYS ATTACK ME AT ONCE. (-- Author: LARA LATOURELLE). It brought a chuckle out of me because I sure could relate. As a matter of fact, there have been times in my life that would have been great if it had only been a few days attacking at once!

If you are like me, you probably try to settle tomorrow, or multiple tomorrows, today. We can get so caught up in that, that we have no peace, and miss out on what today had to offer us. According to Mt 6:34, we are not supposed to worry about tomorrow. Today has enough things going on all by itself without adding tomorrow to it. As a matter of fact, we are not wired to handle too much fretting without it having a negative effect upon us.

Notice that Mt 6:34 begins with therefore. That means that something was written before the verse that is the basis for this verse being true, or as one of my teachers used to say, “What is the therefore there for?” Let’s go all the way back to verse 25 of Mt 6 for the answer.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Mt 6:25-33)

Now that was a mouthful that basically says life has issues that are far more important than what we will eat, what we will wear, or where we will sleep. Life is not about those things. God takes care of the birds, He clothes the fields with flowers, and He says we are more important to Him than the birds, the fields, or the flowers. He goes on to say that worry cannot solve any of these problems, or add anything positive to our lives. God knows we need the necessities of life, but does not want us to live a life focused on those things, for that would be to model our lives after people who do not know God. The necessities of life would become our focus instead of God.

So what is God’s answer to the needs of life? But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Mt 6:33). God says that if we will put Him first, He will take care of everything else. But there is more to this, for we are really talking about life focus - what is our life focus, or the focus of our lives.

Did you ever put a piece of meat into your mouth, and as you began to chew, it got bigger and bigger? I’ve had it get so big that I’ve had to take half of it out and eat it in two bites instead of one. Well, these scriptures are kind of like that. As you look at them they get bigger and bigger. The more you see, the more you can see. As you may have noticed, verse 25 begins with therefore also. What is the therefore there for?

We have to go back to verses 19-24, which say: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money“.

To be worried about the necessities and pleasures of this life is to serve Money. Worry is a form of worship that sees money as the answer, the problem solver, the great fixer, the all in all. God says we cannot serve Him and Money. One or the other has to be our master, and the fruit of which we serve will be evident in our lives. Devotion to money and all it brings is idolatry. Worry is the proof of misplaced devotion, and those who drink at its well will suffer the consequences.

Devotion to God brings trust in Him and His promises, and looks to Him as Provider. If our life focus is God, His kingdom and His righteousness, then His promise says He will take care of us. The Amplified Bible words verse 33: But seek aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

Today, fulfill your daily obligations, be obedient to the Word and the Holy Spirit, join God in what you hear and see Him saying and doing, welcome what and who He brings into your life, be willing to drop your plans for His, and do not try to take on tomorrow while it is still today. Live for God today and live in today, not yesterday or tomorrow. If we will trust Him and be devoted to and serve Him, He will take care of yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows.

Jesus’ Peace

All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (Jn 14:25-27)

I think I can safely say that most of us would like to have peace, we would like to have great peace, all the time. Jesus has said that He has given us this peace, so how do we appropriate it into our lives?

First of all , through the Holy Spirit. If we belong to God, the Holy Spirit is within us, and Romans 14:27 says “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” This is a relationship that must be developed through time spend with God, through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor:13:14).

Also as we do this the fruit of the Holy Spirit will begin to develop and mature in our lives and “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Gal 5:22-23)

Secondly, through applying ourselves to the Word of God, and applying the Word of God to ourselves. Psalm 119:165 says “Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble.” This is not just reading the Word of God, but also letting it speak into our lives and change us and our behavior, being obedient to it, and speaking it over our lives and circumstances.

Thirdly through prayer. Philippians 4:4-7 says “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Fourthly, this is followed very quickly with what we choose to think about. Paul suggests in Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

And let’s not forget Isaiah 26:3 AMP “You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.

Fifthly, it take faith. Hebrews 11:65 says “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

If we think our faith is too small, the doing of these things will bring about increased faith, and it only takes faith the size of a mustard seed to get a mountain into the sea or to do the impossible. Jesus said in Matthew 17:20 “if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.] (Jn 14:27 AMP)

Intimacy With God

He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel (Ps 103:7)

The people of Israel were content to know God by what He did. Moses was not satisfied with that level of knowing. Moses wanted a more intimate relationship with God. He requested of Him “teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you”. God’s answer to Moses is the same as to any who request to know Him, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."

The choice is ours as to the depth of our relationship with God. Some have no interest in nor desire to know God. Some have a shallow knowledge Him, not being rooted and grounded in love, and fall away at any resistance. Some have lives crowded with worry, are attracted by the lure of wealth, or desire other things more than God and have an unfruitful acquaintance with Him. Some fully embrace God’s call, submit to the transforming power of His Word and His Spirit, are passionate about their relationship with God, and pursue Him.

As we begin to nurture our relationship with him we will hear the call to come away, to spend time with Him, in fellowship, worship, prayer, adoration and the Word. We will a enter into intimacy with Him.

God not only desires that our relationship with Him have first priority in our lives, He wants to have intimate communion with the believer. The Amplified Bible words Proverbs 3:32 as … His confidential communion and secret counsel are with the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him). (Prov 3:32)

A secrete life with God will empower a daily life lived for Him. Prov 3:32 in the NASB says "... He is intimate with the upright." God both desires and enables us to have an intimate relationship with Him, but we must spend time with Him for it to be developed.

One of my daughter’s projects for school this year was to make a notebook on the state of North Carolina. I was quite taken by the NC State Motto which is found at the bottom of the State Seal. It is Esse Quam Videri which is latin for “To be, rather than to seem”. I was quite taken with it.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia says of this motto: It is found in Cicero's essay "On Friendship" ("De amicitia", chapter 98). ("Virtute enim ipsa non tam multi praediti esse quam videri volunt." roughly "Many are not so endowed with virtue as they wish to seem.")

We do have a tendency to want to appear more virtuous than we really are, and for the sake of this post, we also, but not limited to, like to appear to be better, more spiritual, more in touch, more together, farther along, than we in actuality are.

God says we are play actors when we pretend to be something we are not. Actually, He uses a stronger word … hypocrite.

Dictionary.com defines a hypocrite as a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.

Mark 15:7-8 says: You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”

These folks were saying one thing but living another. Their mouths said one thing, but their hearts another. They said they were in allegiance with God, but their lives said they were in allegiance with another. Their mouths said they belonged to God, but their hearts belonged to another, and their lives proved it.

The oblivious message for us as Christians is don’t be a hypocrite, don’t put on an act, be sincere, be who you appear to be, be real, be in reality who you are in presentation, don’t be a pretender, a play actor. Our hearts, our affections, are to belong to God and are to be evidenced in our lives.