Wisdom

"...open our eyes Lord, we want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch Him and say that we love Him..." 

What a great chorus, it is a song that Solomon might have sung.

1 Kings 3:9

"So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

Solomon begins his reign in desperation, having to fight for it, having to grasp at the kingship, it was anything but a smooth transition. 

Not a great beginning.

God appears to Solomon and asks what it is that Solomon would like to receive. Solomon could ask that his power be centralized; he could ask that God make sure he lives his whole life as king. He could ask that he live and rule for a long time. And it even seems that God is expecting the answer to be one of these.  But Solomon surprises us (and God?) by thinking beyond himself and asking for… and you know the story … wisdom.

Well ... not exactly. 

Solomon acknowledges that it is God who put him on the throne, and then asks God for an understanding mind to rule God’s people.

He asks to be able to discern between good and evil.  What Solomon is asking for are the skills he needs to be a good king. He is not asking for generic wisdom nor is he asking to be a philosopher.

I’ve heard it said that the difference between being smart and being wise described as follows ... Being smart is knowing the truth about something. Being wise is applying truth so that it affects the way you live.

Solomon was asking for knowledge. The knowledge he was asking for was to discern between good and evil.  But it is not enough just to know what is right and what is wrong. To truly live in wisdom, this needs to change the way he lives.

The honest truth is that we all have moments of doubt where we wonder if we are  prepared for the things that God has set before us.  What a challenge these three words present to us ~ wisdom, understanding and knowledge! 

Where would we be if we were to know and walk in the true meaning of these words! 

I'm just sayin' to allow the truth of God’s Word to fill you with faith, courage and revelation as you seek to know - wisdom, understanding and knowledge.

See you next time...

Kelly

Desire

"this is my desire to honor you...."

When you think of David, what is your first thought? 

Do you remember his triumph over the giant Goliath? 

Do you remember David as the man who committed adultery with Bathsheba? 

Do you remember his failures as a father? 

Do you remember Him as a humble shepherd?  

In Acts 13:22, Paul says that God looked at David as “a man after God’s Own heart!” God remembers David as a man who cared about the things that God cared about; who loved what God loved; hated what God hated; and whose heart beat in time with God’s.  

A Holy Desire – David’s wants the Ark returned as the center of worship and devotion in Israel. David was seeking to unify a divided nation with God as their true King once again.  David desired God’s presence, God’s blessing and God’s guidance.

A Honest Desire – David  was not after glory or power; he merely wanted to see God restored to His proper place as the Sovereign God of Israel.  He strongly desired that God would be glorified among the people of Israel.

A Humble Desire – David knew that neither he nor Israel would amount to anything without the presence and power of God.  He knew they did not possess the power or the ability to fend for themselves.  They needed God.... His presence and His power.  

We need a heart that beats for God, His power and His presence.  We need to learn that we can do nothing without God  (John 15:5).  We must have His presence and His power if we are going to serve Him; worship Him and carry out His will in our lives.  

May God grant us hearts that are hungry for Him; that we will not be satisfied until He comes in power and glory and transforms us into all we can be for Him.  

"Lord I give you my heart ... have your way in me."

That was David's desire ... I'm just sayin' that maybe it should be ours.

See ya next week...

Kelly

Chuck

Chuck, the goat, died of bloat! 

Chuck was our goat.  

Yep.  Chuck was a Miniature French Alpine goat.

One day Chuck got out and broke into the feed barn...poor ole' Chuck.

Bloat ...now there's an interesting word. (...and right about now you are saying ...and how is this going to make my day? ...) ...and  now you are saying...What is bloat?  ...and I am saying...bloat happens when livestock eat so much that the stomach expands and will not allow the lungs to inflate, in essence the animal suffocates.

I wonder if "bloat"  exists in the church...  I wonder if the disciples had any issues with bloat?  I wonder if we get a little .... well ...bloated...

Habakkuk 2:4 - The Message 

“Look at that man, bloated by self-importance — full of himself but soul-empty.
But the person in right standing before God through loyal and steady believing
    is fully alive, really alive." 

How is it that someone can know so much about Jesus and we never share that information with a lost person? 

Is it biblically correct to know about the Scriptures but never share that knowledge with other people?

Real Biblical Christianity is not an academic exercise; it is a living faith...it is faith living through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

I’m not opposed to the study of the Word of God, however there is a strange disconnect when someone is full of knowledge but never applies what they learn, and they never give what they know away.  

Do we become like a bloated goat...in danger of dying?

As Christians, we could take a lesson from Chuck...

For the most part the modern church has everything it needs to exist. We have have nice facilities in which to meet. We have skilled people, decent preaching and organizing for the work of the church.

Most churches have money they need to do the things they must. Many churches have all the people they want to fill up their pews and to do the jobs that need to be done around the church. 

But, I wonder if most churches are so bloated that we  lack what we need most: The power of God and the willingness to GIVE it away!

The scripture says -- "Freely you have received ...freely give!"

What if you and I ... what if our church was to say...

 “If you need God, we can help you get to Him. If your life is broken, we can show you how God can fix it. If your family is coming apart, we can show you how God can put it back together again. If you are lost, we can show you how to be saved.”

Yep ... you know the drill ... i'm Just Sayin'.

Kelly

Pillows

Pillows are like people ...they come in all shapes and sizes.  Do you remember when, no matter where you went, you had to take "your" pillow?  Some of you and you know who you are still take "your" pillow.

On occasion we travel and stay in a hotel.  On that hotel bed there are 3,000 pillows and none of them are right ... not one!  But if I have "my" pillow ...all will be o.k. for the night.

My pillow is like a brick, in fact, the colder the weather the harder my pillow becomes ...but...the minute my head hits the pillow it begins to "conform" to my head.  In the middle of the night, well you know ...the middle for me is like 11:00...  That time when you're tossing and turning, trying to find a comfortable spot and you reach us and flip your pillow over ...and ... then ...ahhhh .... the pillow conforms and all is again right in my world.

That word conforming is interesting isn't it and it leads to this question, “What’s required of us as Christians?" Are we supposed to conform...like our pillow?

Romans 12:2  (NIV)

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The standard, for all that we think, say or do, must become, “Is this consistent with Scripture?” -or-  “Is this what God wants?”

There are quite a few Christians, some churches and even denominations, that go along with worldly standards.   If we don’t accept the Bible as the authority, we have nothing that enables us to to stand against the pressure to conform to what the world sees as normal. 

If we stand on the truth of Scripture, we have a solid to resist the pressures of the world. 

If we do not stand on the truth of Scripture, then there is little reason not to go along with every popular movement and teaching.

This may take courage. It is hard to resist peer pressure and when we resist, it may lead to confrontation, to mocking and ridicule, to rejection and other consequences. 

2 Corinthians 10:3-6  (MSG)

...we don’t live or fight our battles that way —never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

During our ordinary lives, we tend to compartmentalize things, to put some things in a “church” category, some things in a “work” category, some things in a “home or life” category, and some things in a “recreation” category. 

But Scripture tells us to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to pray constantly. Everything we think and do should be dedicated to God. 

Colossians 3:1-2 (NIV)

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.

..and..

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) and praise

... fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We must conform ourselves to the image of God.  We need to feed ourselves with Scripture, prayer, study and praise. Our primary focus needs to be on the eternal things of God.

When we do, hopefully, we will help some of our  fellow Christians stand firm in their faith no matter what happens. We cannot do everything, but by the grace of God, what we can do, we will do.

Now...grab your pillow and take a nap!

...just sayin'...

Kelly