Break and Play 9-4-12

The world and its desires pass away, but the man

who does the will of God lives forever. 1Jn. 2:17

It’s football season once again. And whether or not you are a football fan, we all agree that the first secret of success on the football field is to break the huddle and play the game.

The secret to successful living is no different.

Simplified formula for team play: Get on the team, develop a strategic game plan with the Coach, “train” diligently with deliberate focus, then, wholeheartedly play the game as the Coach directs.

This formula is no different for the Believer.

Whether one’s “game” is:

• Tim Tebow, allowing God to use his talents on a high profile NFL platform;
• OR dear family friends recently adopting a girl from the sex traffic industry;
• OR investing in the real-life needs of a co-worker;
• OR sharing Jesus’ love with our airplane/bus seat mate;
• OR observing a need and filling it with whatever God has personally blessed us with….

…Each of us has a unique call on our life, intended by our Creator to be played out for His team, according to His game plan, in this game of life.

(~Played out, not hidden and protected in some kind of “holy huddle.”)

We are called to be in the world!
(Yet, we are not to be of the world. Remember, Jesus visited “shadowy” places not as a wild-haired partaker of darkness, but as a love-filled witness to the Light, and He calls us to do the same.)

~~And with regard to sharing the John 3:16 message, the coolest thing is this: “Success” is not measured in another’s response to the Message. No, success is measured in how well I obey God’s promptings to deliver His Message in word and deed. ~The “results” are God’s business, His deal; and thus, the “heat” is off us.

Playing “the game” this week for His glory! He’s coming soon.

Much love,

Shaun and Betsy

Whose team? 8-28-12

The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,

the world and all who live in it. Ps. 24:1

BUT for now,

The whole world is under the control of the Satan. 1Jn. 5:19

BUT one day soon,

Every knee will bend to God, and every tongue will confess…

Rom. 14:1; Phil. 2:11

Man was created amidst a cosmic battle, and was granted ‘freedom of choice’ from his first breath. Mankind quickly discovered the biblical fact that he is a slave to whatever masters him (2Pet. 2:19), when he believed the devil and fell from grace.

Let’s now get personal.

This cosmic battle still rages, and herein lies our two-prong struggle:

• Do I worship the created OR worship The Creator? (Rom. 1:25)
• Do I search for mastery OR search for The Master?  (1Cor. 9:25)

(FYI: The “created/mastery” can be good things like our children, nature, education and knowledge.)

QUESTIONS:

By my actions who or what is my master? …By the evidence of my life, whose team am I on?

Am I on God’s team or on the devil’s team?

To those on the Satan’s team, one day God will declare: “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” For “not everyone who calls out to Me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” Matt. 7:21; 23

To those on the Lord’s team, God will one day declare:

“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Master's happiness!” Matt. 25:21

Is this unfair or harsh?

Heaven is God’s house, and He gets to welcome in who He wants to live with Him.

Same with us; picture YOUR home. At your home, you get to choose who you invite in to stay with you in your home. And just because a ‘seemingly nice stranger’ knocks on your door and asks/demands to enter, does NOT mean you are unfair to say, “I am so sorry, but this is our home and we do not know you.”

Remember: The Lord is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Pet. 3:9

Resting in His amazing love this week, ~Shaun and Betsy

The Work 8-21-12

Be strong & courageous and do the work.

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God is with you.

 He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.  1 Chr. 28:20

Where is God’s temple (or dwelling) today? Metaphorically, in the Believer.

1 Cor. 3:16-17 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?... God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

1 Cor. 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, Whom you received from God?

What is “the work (s)”? Obedience to His promptings in and through all we do. (Col. 1:29)

God tells us in Eph. 2:10 and Matt. 5:16 that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, that He prepared in advance for us to do… And to let our light shine before men, so they will see our good works and glorify God.  

“Works” means our business, employment, undertaking, deed, anything accomplished by hand, art, industry or mind.

Jesus example:

The Father gave me these works (my teachings and my miracles) to accomplish, and they prove that He sent me… I brought glory to You here on earth by completing the work You gave me to do. Jn. 5:36; Jn. 17:4

How is the work to be completed? In obedience, through His wisdom and strength.

Jesus’ example:

Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray (Lk. 5:16).

Here, Jesus received His “work instructions” (as well as renewal and strength to continue carrying out God’s plan).

Rather than doing our own idea of labor for the Lord, let’s pray and ask Jesus to direct our work/service, and the renewal and strength to obediently carry “it” to completion.

When is “the work for the service of God’s temple” to be finished? When we are with Christ.

God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Phil. 1:6

"And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. Rev. 22:12

Time is short. May our lives faithfully carry out His work this week by allowing Him to work in and through us!

Much love,

Shaun and Betsy

True Change 8-6-12

“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see

and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—

makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.”

2 Cor. 3:18

We change our clothes.

(2 Sam. 12:20 “David arose, washed, anointed himself, and changed his apparel.”)

We change our facial expressions.

(Dan. 5:6 “The king's countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him.”)

We change our outward behavior.

(1 Sam. 21:13  “He changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane.”)

But only God can truly change a person.

We can give advice and fervently pray for a loved one, but in the end, whom we live for is an individual decision:

Choose God and to allow Him to have His way with our life.

“As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” 2 Sam. 2:21

OR

Choose “the temporary”, exchanging truth and glory for the world’s lies.

“People changed the truth of God into the lie, and their Glory for what does not profit.” Rom. 1:25; Jer. 2:11.

This life is hard, but true LIFE is found in no other.

Jesus’ grace and love are exceedingly abundant, and His divine power is everything we need for life and godliness.   (2 Pet. 1:3; 1 Tim. 1:14)

Choosing to live life for Him,

Shaun and Betsy

Building Friendship or Tearing it Down 7-31-12

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Eph. 4:30

Consider our personal relationship with God amidst the backdrop of sin in this life, and let’s honestly ask ourselves this question:  To which do I gravitate most consistently, breaking fellowship with Him or building friendship with Him?

Grieving is involved in both conditions, the question is:

Am I grieving God because of sin or am I grieving with God over sin?

Check out these situations and observe the difference:

1. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain. (Gen. 6:6) // They rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. (Is. 63:10)

~God grieves, man cares not for the condition of God’s heart, chooses to embrace sin, which results in broken fellowship and consequences. ... And God is then blamed.

2. Until the day Samuel died, Samuel mourned for Saul. And the LORD was grieved that He had made Saul king over Israel. (1Sam 15:35) // Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. (Jms. 4:9-10)

~God and believer grieve together over sin 
(personal sin or someone else’s) and 

together they foster a deeper friendship, followed by blessing, peace and joy.

Oh how God loves us.

   Do you think Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to live in us envies intensely? (Jms. 4:5)

“You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!” Ps. 139:13-18 

Choosing to live for Him this week,

Shaun and Betsy

Languages of Love 7-17-12

“Love one another.”

 Jn. 13:24; 15:12; Rom. 13:8; Th. 4:9; 1Pet. 1:22; 1Jn. 3:11&23, 4:7,11&12; 2 Jn. 1:5

Next to the first commandment to love our Lord with all of our being, Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Mk. 12:30-31

Who is our neighbor? According to Christ, our neighbor is any other human with whom we live or whom we chance to meet.

What does it mean to love another as oneself?  Love another according to the other’s “language” … as I desire to be loved according to my “language”.

Let’s use a ‘husband and wife’ example:

Imagine that Jane and John have just had an argument. Later, after having spent time with God and collecting their thoughts, J&J come together to seek forgiveness and reconciliation.

Things are still fragile between them so Jane buys John a gift of cologne as a sign of her love.

John receives the gift as a kind gesture, but thinks to himself, “I wish she knew that ‘gifts’ just don’t do it for me. If Jane ‘studied me’, like she did when we were dating, she would know that my love language is physical touch followed by words of affirmation.

…Me, I do ‘study’ Jane, and Jane’s ‘language of love’ is receiving gifts, followed by quality time. I want to love my wife in her language of love, so I buy her perfume and take her to coffee. In doing so, I love my wife according to her love language, loving her as I want to be loved.”

Do you see the difference? We can genuinely believe we are loving another as we desire to be loved, but be missing the love boat altogether!

…We can speak beautiful and loving English to our smiling neighbor, thinking that we are truly communing, and not realize that our neighbor only understands Spanish.

Help us Jesus! Help us to see the people around us through Your eyes and then love them accordingly. Amen.

In His unfathomable love,

Shaun and Betsy

Blessings are Ours 7-10-12

“Lay up treasure for yourself as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that you may take hold of the life that is truly life.” 1 Tim. 6:19

Numerous “near death” experiences describe fascinating accounts of heaven. One matching vision is particularly intriguing: In heaven there is an area with “warehouse after warehouse containing unclaimed blessings”.

If these heavenly “warehouse accounts” are true, what is their meaning?

We know from Eph. 1:3, Heb. 11:6 & Rom. 10:12 that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, HAS blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ, He rewards those who earnestly seek Him, and richly blesses all who call on Him.

Question: If God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ, then WHY are there unclaimed blessings, personal blessings uniquely purposed for each one of His kids?

1)    Lack of faith: I don’t fully believe and appropriate His promises to me because I don’t want to make the mental, emotional, spiritual and physical investment to truly get to know Him, choosing instead to believe the Accuser of my soul.

2)    Lack of obedience: At the end of the day, I think and do what I feel & sense is best.

3)    Refusal to “fight the good fight”: When the rubber of faith meets the road of this dark world, I am simply too worn-out to continually swim upstream. It’s much easier to go with the flow under a religious guise of “peace and love” than to allow God to manifest Himself in my mind, heart, words and actions moment to moment.

God tells us that He blesses those who take refuge in Him and fear Him, who make Him his trust, who have regard for the weak, whose strength is in the Lord, who have learned to acclaim God, in whose spirit is no deceit, who listen to Him and then walk in the light of His presence, who maintain justice and are generous, who take great delight in His commands and keep His statutes, who watch and wait daily at His doorway, who hunger and thirst for righteousness, who do NOT walk in the way of sinners or mockers or look to the proud, who love others as themselves, who persevere amidst life’s bumps, and who are merciful, who understand personal depravity and need for utter dependence upon God’s forgiveness, grace and mercy, who love God with all their mental, emotional, spiritual and physical being and wholeheartedly seek Him.

Wouldn’t it be tragic one day to find miraculous and amazing blessings that God uniquely designed specifically for us … that we simply chose not to take? We don’t have to.

As we bring all that we are to all that His is, we receive all that we need from all that He has.

May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless us. Ps. 115:15

Much love,

Shaun and Betsy