Week 5 - Day 1 Reading the Psalms

Psalm 139:7–12 (ESV)

⁷  Where shall I go from your Spirit?

Or where shall I flee from your presence?

⁸  If I ascend to heaven, you are there!

If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

⁹  If I take the wings of the morning

and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

¹⁰  even there your hand shall lead me,

and your right hand shall hold me.

¹¹  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,

and the light about me be night,”

¹²  even the darkness is not dark to you;

the night is bright as the day,

for darkness is as light with you

Psalm 139 my favorite Psalm.  Early in my Christian walk, I was struggling with some self-image issues (image that, for those who know me).  My friend Christa Hunt told me to go home and read this Psalm.  It has been my favorite Psalm ever since.  If memory serves me correct and I think I feel asleep in my car in my parent's cul-de-sac while reading it.  It has 24 verses and almost off of them have all spoken to me in some way over the years.  My heart and soul has felt and/or needed these words on more than one occasion.  Case in point.  I read it tonight and next to v.2b (HCSB): "You understand my thoughts from far away" I wrote, "at least somebody does" in the margin of my Bible.  

As I read this passage in light of our DVD session for Week 5 I want to add something to what Dr. Guthrie said.  I do this quite a bit with the Psalm and it so good at putting things in perspective: I pray the Psalm and replace the Psalmists pronouns me, I, my, etc. with my name.  Example:  "Lord, you have searched Wes and known Wes.  You know when Wes sits down and when Wes stands up".  This is a great tool for to use in prayer, in worship, and for meditating on Scripture.

One last thing that I just noticed tonight.  It's not really related, but I find it interesting.  Notice the 1st verse ("Lord you have searched me and known me"), and the last verse ("Search me O God and see if there is any wicked way in me").  "God you have searched me and I want you to keep searching....." 

I'm out.

Week 4 - How the Law Fits into the Story

"You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to Me.  Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep my covenant, you will be my own possessions out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine, and you will My kingdom of priests and My holy nation."  I.E. - "I will be your God and you will by My people." Exodus 19.4-6.

There are a couple of things in the first lesson for this week, but I would like to concentrate only on the section regarding the Ten Commandments.  I'm probably going to butcher this thing, so you may have to grant me some liberty.  I could go on (and on and on) about this subject but I will try to keep it brief.

As some of you know I write software for a living.  When creating a new software package programmers are given specifications on what the software is supposed to do.  These "specs" are supposed to be in written form, but usually it a knowledge dump to from one brain to another.  It usually goes something like "I want to be able to pick a start date and end date and sell all of my Medicare customers which came in for a heart attack.  I want to know how long they were in the hospital.  I want to know how much money we got from Medicare.  I want to be able to slice and dice 432 different ways...blah blah.  We are given rules and parameters and all the "techy" stuff to make this run.  But somewhere I usually get to ask the question, "Okay, but what do you want it to look like?"  All of the information you want displayed may be correct, but if not displayed in a legible format, in a format you and your users understand - it is all for nothing.

When I look at the Ten Commandments that is what I see.  We not only see the table of contents for the rest of the Law, but we get "This is what our relationship is going to look like."  This is who we [God's people] will be.  When the world looks at Israel and her God, this is what they will see:
1 - A vertical relationship between God and His people
   - A people who only worship one God, the True God
   - They will not worship any idols (they will worship the Creator not His creations)
   - They will not misuse the name of the Lord their God
   - They will take a day of rest to focus on me, to gather together in my name
   - Great blessing will come from God is covenant kept (to many generations)
   - Great judgment will come from is covenant is not kept (to many generations)

2 - A horizontal relationship between God's people and humanity.  In other words, this is how they live out this covenant with their God
   - They will honor their mother and father (family)
   - Will not murder (Jesus took this further in Matthew 5)
   - Will not commit adultery  (Jesus took this further in Matthew 5)
   - Will not steal
   - Will not lie
   - Will be content with what God gives him and not covet the things of others.

Someone once said that believers should "Reflect back to God the glory that is due Him".  As long as the people of Israel stayed in covenant as did obey this commandments, they were going to be what I call "glory reflectors".

So lets fast forward to the 21st century.  We no longer are "under the Law", but isn't that what the world should see when they look at us?  Us "reflecting back to God the glory that is due Him"?  Not only in our relationship to Him (which we now have Christ constantly interceding for us;  we also have Christ's righteousness) but has we live out our Christian life in the world?

Obviously our salvation is no longer dependent on us keeping the Ten Commandments, but it is who we as followers of Christ are (or at least who we should be).  As we fellowship vertically with God; as He makes us more and more like Him; as our faith grows; as the vertical relationship grows stronger so does the horizontal expression of that relationship.

Well enough for now.  Its late.  I hope I didn't confuse anyone.  I've got some more stuff on the horizontal relationship and the vertical expression and how they work together, but another day.

"He became sin who know no sin so that we might become His righteousness." - 2 Cor 5.21 and the lyrics to Jesus Messiah

"When I call upon Your name the very atmosphere has to change" - lyrics to "Something Happens" which,   to quote my friend Audrey Wiley, wrecks my world every time I hear it.  In  a good way."  BTW.  It's hard to sing when you are trying to keep from squalling like a baby.....EVERY TIME

Wag is OUT!

Week 3 - Day 3 Seeing God as the Hero of the Stories

"If we are not careful, we can read the Bible as a self-help book, looking primarily for what is says to or about our lives...Its true that the Bible is relevant to use and should be applied to our lives but we can discover its true relevance only to the extent that we encounter God through Scripture."

WOW!  The Bible is first and foremost about God.  He is the hero.  Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac are key players in the Bible, but THE God of Abraham, THE God of Jacob, and THE God of Isaac is THE KEY player in the Bible.

A few years ago I was in a local Christian bookstore and walked by their Top Ten best sellers stand.  Almost all of the top 10 were some type of "Christian" self-help book.  I was floored.  Now I'm not trying to degrade any of those authors or readers of those book, but I could not help but think about how it appeared.  It sounded like a group of singers warming up - ME ME ME ME ME ME ME.

Yes, I understand God does care about us and wants to be our guide in this pilgrimage we call life.  His main instrument for doing that is His Word.  I cannot help but wonder, however, if we have forgotten that God is the hero.  We live for Him.  He IS the story.  So let's get to our two stories for today - Elijah and the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:20-40) and David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17).

1 - List three ways God is presented as the hero of this story.
- In v. 37 Elijah prayed and asked God to reveal Himself so that "these people will know that Yahweh is God".  God is the hero because of His awesome power in consuming the altar and everything around it

- In v. 39 "When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said 'Yahweh, He is God! Yahweh, He is God!"  God is the hero here because He used this event to lead Israel to repentance.  He could have, and rightfully so, used this as a time of judgment and consumed them with the altar.

- In v. 40 we see Elijah taking the opportunity to have the prophets of Baal destroyed.  I don't really know if this is necessarily a action that makes God the "hero" but it is worth noting how God feels about and deals with idols in the Old Testament.

2 - Write statements from verses 45-47 that make God the focus of the battle.
- v. 45 "...but I come against you in the name of Yahweh of Hosts, the God of Israel's armies - you have defied Him".  This wasn't David's battle.  This was God's battle.  Goliath was not mocking or challenging David, he was mocking God and His chosen people.  David was fighting God's battle in God's name.

- v. 46 "Then all the world will know that Israel has a God".  This is hanky waving time.  This was about letting the world know that Israel's God would not be mocked.  There was no giant large enough, no army strong enough, no nation strong enough to withstand the power of Israel's God - Yahweh of Hosts, the God of Israel's armies.

- v.47 "...the battle is the Lord's"

So God is the hero of these two stories - Elijah and David were just the instruments.  God should be the hero in our own life.  God stands in the center of the Old Testament story and He also stands in the center of your life story.  With that in mind think about this question raised by Dr. Guthrie:

3 -  How might you live differently this week if you consciously saw God at the center of you life story?
- Priorities would changed and my actions would change accordingly.
- I would pray, then pray again, then pray some more.   Every step, every decision would be a "what does God want me to do" moment.

Man this would be a great sermon!

In Christ,
Wag

Week 3 - Day 2 The Purpose and Details of the Old Testament Stories

"Put it down MOSES"...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC1W9rvqjvU

Another great lesson tonight.  But I guess you can't go wrong with Moses.

1 - Do you agree or disagree with this statement:

"The destiny of the word is determined less by the battles that are lost and won than by the stories it loves and believes in."

Personally I do not agree with that statement, but there is not denying there is some level of truth to that saying.  A person is shaped is by what he believes in (whether it is true or not).  He may win or lose a war but if he does not value the outcome of the war, its value it diminished.  If we believe stories we have heard/read about better days (or worse days) ahead, we are going to live our life according to the story, not the outcome of the battle.

2 - "...the skills you have gained over the years in reading and understanding stories can be put to work in reading the Old Testament".

True, with one HUGE exception.  These stories are true.  The recording of these stories in the Old Testament were inspired by God (2 Timothy 3.16).  A God who has given us the Holy Spirit who is here to help us understand the Word of God.  We must read these stories (and any other part of the Bible) under His guidance and direction.

Exodus 2-3

3 - What was the purpose of these stories about Moses?  What did you learn about him?

I think the purpose of these stories was to show us that God was with Moses from the beginning.  What some may see as abandonment by his mother was God's protection/providence of him.  His fleeing from Egypt and finding Midian was not a coincidence.  The burning bush.  These were all steps in God's plan to prepare Moses for delivering the Jews from Egypt.

4 - What characteristics about God are portrayed in this story?

- He is a promise (covenant) keeper.  T'he land he was about to give them was promised to Abraham.
- He hears and sees our oppression.  .- He is able and willing to deliver us from our "Pharaoh" IN HIS TIME not ours.  This is about God and His glory not ours
- He is "I AM" not "I WAS" or "I WILL BE" but "I AM"

5 - What does God value?

- Obedience.  The instructions given to Moses were detailed instructions.  If Moses followed them he would succeed.

- Patience/Trust.  He told Moses that this would fail the 1st time, but God would do His thing to convince Pharaoh.

6 - What was God's agenda at this point in the Old Testament?

Easy, to deliver His people out of bondage to the Egyptians into a land of milk and honey flowing.

So now the fun part.  Responding!  I gave you an acrostic on Tuesday (SPACEPETS) to help you understand some the items to looks for in an OT story (agenda, characteristic of God, etc).  This acrostic is also very helpful in applying Scripture to our life.  Go back to Week 1 - Listening, Understanding, and RESPONDING.  So let's walk through this.

Sin to Confess:  Impatience and lack of faith.  I know Moses didn't have a view of the big picture at this point, but we do have that now.  We know that God has a plan for us, I just can't wait sometimes nor can I understand and that causes me to doubt.  So what areas of you life are you impatient with?

Promise to Claim: God made a promise to Abraham and his descendants to give them a land of their own.  Now they are in slavery, but Sunday's a comin'.  God does fulfill His promise, just not always on our time table.  This could also be a Truth to Believe 

Example to Follow:  Be open to your "Burning Bush"

Something to Praise God for:  A God who sees our oppression and hears our cries for help.  A God who is able to deliver and is willing to deliver, just in His time not our own.

See you here, there, or in the air...just not at 114 and Story (inside joke)

Wag







.

Week 3 - Reading the stories of the Old Testament

Wow!  I have so much on my heart and mind as we enter this phase of our study.  As I said tonight, I love the Old Testament.  Although I do not nearly have the necessary knowledge to properly deal with it all, I do find it easier to read and apply than the New Testament.

As far as the stories go, its easy.  Do (or don't do) what the people in the story did.  Obviously not literally, but you get the idea.  Identify and apply the principles in the story to your own life.  I love reading the Psalms too.  Seems I can always relate to their prayers, songs, and emotions as they open up their hearts towards God.

I could go on, but I will refrain from doing so.  Just a handful of stuff from tonight and from the Leader's Guide to take into consideration when reading the Old Testament:

1 - The Old Testament has a rich perspective on who God is and who we are as people and as His people.  Studying God's Covenant relationship and interaction with Israel helps us understand what His desire is for our relationship with Him is.  Yet our carnal nature is constantly in the way, thus we need a Savior.

2 - See God as the main hero.  Each story in the Old Testament has several characters.  Antagonists and Protagonists, but God is the main player.   Ask yourself, "How is God revealing about Himself in this story?"  "What is God revealing about Himself in this story?".

3 - Despite a different Cultural Context (heard that somewhere before) these stories parallel our lives.  Dr. Bruce Waltke (the gray hair guy with the New Jersey accent in the video) puts it this way in the Leader's Guide:

"The stories often have at their core the struggles of people to believe God, to trust Him, and I think we have those struggles; so the stories ring true for us"

Take David and Goliath for example.  Who hasn't had a Goliath in their life.  A obstacle so big, mocking you and your faith on a daily basis, much too strong for you to conquer - nothing in your own natural abilities can overcome. Yet somehow and in someway, God gives you the strength, ability, smarts, etc to overcome and defeat that giant.  "In my weakness, He is made strong..."

4 - We must read the Old Testament Stories in Light of God's Grand Story.  Dr. Waltke continues:

"To appreciate the importance of these Old Testament stories, you have to see the whole Bible holistically.  The framework of the Bible is a historical framework.  The stories of the Old Testament lay a foundation for the grand developing story of the whole Bible.  So we will never understand the Old testament stories apart from their place in the developing story of the Bible."

One question to constantly ask yourself when trying to grasp the "Grand Story" in an O.T. story is "How does this story anticipate or lay the foundation for what God would eventually do through Christ?"  Theologians call this "Typology" [BIG WORD ALERT].  Old Testament stories are often (some would argue they are always) intended to be a typology of Christ - a glimpse into the life of Christ.

So take a second and see if you can find a typology of Christ in the story of David and Goliath.....

I'm out,

Wag

Week 2 - Day 2 Cultural Context

"Cultural context contains attitudes, patterns of behavior, or expressions of a particular society that affect our understanding of a passage."

 I'll be honest, I have always tried to take context into consideration before when reading/studying the Word.  But this one is new to me.  I'm not trying to question its worth, but I have don't have a lot to say on the matter.

Two statements made in our DVD presentation Tuesday have stuck out to me.  Dr. Guthrie uses the phrases: "Tune into the culture of the Bible" and "enter the world of the Bible".  Those actually do make sense to me.  There are several nuisances of the Bible that reflect the culture of that day.  Understanding the settings of the day can bring light to those.

The illustration used in our lesson today is a perfect example.  If you have been in church any amount of time you have probably heard the phrase "Take up your cross and follow me".  Ask anyone today what a cross is and at the very least you are going to get the answer, "its a religious symbol".  In Jesus' day it was the sign of a horrible, torturous death.

So Jesus telling someone to take you his cross and follow Me was more that just telling someone to leave everything behind and become my follower.  He wasn't preaching the prosperity gospel that's for sure, and this had to be clear to disciples.  They knew that the road would be harsh.  I guess the argument could be made that they may have "selective" hearing loss, but Jesus did paint the proper picture.

One of the discussion question for our next meeting is "How does this understanding of crucifixion help you understand the force of Jesus' words in Luke 9.23-24"?  Wow!  What an awesome thought!  I want to challenge you to spend some focus, quality time meditating on that question.  Try rephrasing the passage.  An example would be "...take up his cross [that torturous, painful, shameful death] daily and follow me."

Feel free to post your comments/questions here for other to think about before Tuesday.

Side note:  Please pray for my family and I as we help with Disciple Now at our church this weekend.  We have approx. 40 teenagers signed up to attend.  Starting with the Rock and Worship Show tomorrow night.  

Week 2 - Day 1 Historical Context

Historical context is defined as:

"The historical events in the biblical era, either events recorded in the pages of Scripture or events that form the backdrop for the biblical story."

In the Leaders Guide for our study, Dr. Guthrie interviews another seminary professor by the name of Andreas Kostenberger regarding reading the Bible in the context in which it was given.  He make several statements regarding the four contexts that we are going to cover this week.  When discussing Historical context, Dr. Kostenberger makes this statement regarding the importance of knowing the Historical context:  

"So we first need to understand God's message to the original recipients before we can understand the relevance of God's message for us today."

Dr. Kostenberger shares a great example that is a little lengthy for this post, but I will share with you as we meet next week.  So let's go ahead and get to our lesson for the day.

Amos 5.21-24.  Okay!  Admit it.  You had to look at the table of contents in the front of you Bible to find Amos?  Well, I didn't - I have a thumbed index bible.  Amos is part of what we call "Minor Prophets".  Any idea why they are called the Minor Prophets?  Because the authors where under the age of 18?.....[rim shot].  Thank you I'll be here all night.  Don't forget to tip you waiter.....but seriously.  They are referred to by that name because they are relative small (4 -5 chapters) compare to the Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc).

Similar to other minor prophets, God has called Amos to address God's people regarding a whole bunch of stuff going on that he isn't happy about.  Dr. Guthrie provides us a list on page 32.

Number 3 on the list is a rebuke from God for how the people are abusing and cheating the poor - Amos 8:4-6.  Number 4 is a theme that you will see repeated in other Minor Prophets as well - empty religion - see vs. 5:21-24 (our main passage for today).  You may want to read the first 2 chapters of Malachi as well to see the similarities.
  
 5.21-24 God is rebuking His people for the following reasons (all 4 apply):
1 - empty worship gatherings;
2 - meaningless offerings;
3 - empty worship music;
4 - the need for justice;
5 - the need for righteousness.

Question #1: How does your study of the historical context help you understand this passage? Will save this one for our next meeting.

Question #2: What guidelines for living did Amos provide for the Israelites in the last two lines in this passage?   Let justice and righteousness flow.

Question #3: How can believers practice justice and righteousness today in their church?  In their community?  Unfortunately, I think we are just like the world sometimes.  We honor people for all the wrong reasons and not honor them for all the wrong reasons.  We don't address certain sins for what they are (all in the name of not judging).  We have become tolerant.

Week 2 - Biblical Context

Yep!  Due to circumstances beyond our control we skipped a week (or two, lost count).  So let's start by reviewing our video from tonight.

Biblical context is "the circumstances that form the settings for a passage of Scripture by which that passage of Scripture can be rightly understood".  Fair enough!

I don't watch a lot of TV other than sports and cooking shows, but I will often catch something my wife is watching and begin to get interested.  "Who is he?  Why is he mad?  Who are they after? How did she die?....."  I need to know all the facts so that I can further enjoy the rest of the show/movie.  I need to know the "context" of the scene I am watching.

The same thing applies to the Bible.  Understanding as much of the circumstances behind a particular passage as possible helps us better comprehend the meaning and purpose of the passage.  Does that mean we have know all there is to know about 1st century Rome to understand the book of Romans?  Of course not.  But sometimes the more we know going in the more things make sense (thinking back to the movie scenario, I can still enjoy what's left of the movie, but how much clearer would things be had I tuned in from the beginning).

This is where a good tool set comes in.  Most study bibles and bible dictionaries have background information available for all the books of the Bible.  Most will give you a time period the book was written in, who the author was, and a brief historical background regarding the events and significant information of the time period - for example, my HCSB study bible usually has 4 - 5 pages of information.  Its well worth the extra 5 - 10 minutes spent reading these before reading Chapter 1, verse 1.

Another thing that will help with context is reading the Bible systematically (a.k.a, one book at a time).  Just like you can't start a novel in chapter 5 and understand the story, the same is true for most books of the Bible.    I'm more likely to understand Romans 5 having read Romans 1-4.  Just makes sense, right?

This week Dr. Guthrie leads us through four types of Biblical context - Historical, Cultural, Literary, and Theological.  We will discuss each one as the week progresses.

"The key is to have a posture toward God's Word by which His Word is changing us in our context rather than our molding the Word to our cultural tastes and values."  Andreas Kostenberger via Read the Bible for Life, George Guthrie. 

In Christ,

Wag

Listening to God - Part 3 Meditation

Psalm 1:1–2 (ESV) " 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."




Joshua 1:8 (ESV) "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. "




Psalm 63:5–7 (ESV) "My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy." 


So!  You want me to meditate?  Okay, where can I get one of those ugly turbans and give me a couple of weeks to limber up.  I haven't tried to sit Indian style in years.  And what is it we are looking for, "Perfect nothingness?  Isn't that the place just north of the Red River?"......


Relax. I don't think, (okay, I KNOW) that is not what God has in mind.  What he does have in mind, however,  is for us to slow down and take some time to "encounter the Living God" (do not be intimidated by yet another cheap imitation of something God has called us to do).  


Richard Foster in his book Celebration of Discipline states this fact:

"In the Old Testament there are 2 main Hebrew words used that convey the message of meditation and they are used over 50 times.  These words have various meanings: listening to God’s word, reflecting on God’s works...ruminating on God’s law, and more."

Listening?  I can do that, sort of.  Reflecting?  I can do that too.  But ruminating? I think I did that back it college once, but you can't prove it.  But it really is that simple.


Webster's defines "Meditation" has follows "to focus one's thoughts on; to reflect on or ponder over"; therefore, in its simplest, purest form "Christian Meditation" is to: 1) focus one's thoughts on God; 2) to reflect on or ponder over God.  Pretty simple, and where better to start than the Bible.  As we learn to "Read the Bible for Life", I think we should also learn how to "Meditate on the Bible for Life".  The latter will assist us in Listening, Understanding, and Responding to God's Word.  


More to follow the next few days, but I wanted to leave you with this.  George Mueller is one of my spiritual heroes.  This is a man who truly knew how to live by faith.  "Give us this DAY our DAILY bread" was a reality for him.  He says this about why we should meditate on God's word:

Through reading of the word of God, and especially through meditation on the word of God, the believer becomes more and more acquainted with the nature and character of God, and thus sees more and more, besides His holiness and justice, what a kind, loving, gracious, merciful, mighty, wise, and faithful Being He is, and, therefore, in poverty, affliction of body, bereavement in his family, difficulty in his service, want of a situation or employment, he will repose upon the ability of God to help him, because he has not only learned from His word that He is of almighty power and infinite wisdom, but he has also seen instance upon instance in the Holy Scriptures in which His almighty power and infinite wisdom have been actually exercised in helping and delivering His people; and he will repose upon the willingness of God to help him, because he has not only learned from the Scriptures what a kind, good, merciful, gracious, and faithful being God is, but because he has also seen in the word of God how, in a great variety of instances He has proved Himself to be so. And the consideration of this, if God has become known to us through prayer and meditation on His own word, will lead us, general at least, with a measure of confidence to rely upon Him: and thus the reading of the word of God, together with meditation on it, will be one especial means to strengthen our faith."  -  Müller, George (2009-10-04). Answers to Prayer From George Müller's Narratives (Kindle Locations 332-341). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition. 

  Wag out.

Listening to God - Part 2 "Hey world! Would you shut up for just a minute."

"And I wish You still spoke through burning bushes
And I wish You still wrote on blocks of stone
'Cause the sound of this world's deafening
And I'm having a hard time listening
And I wish Your will was still written on the wall."


That is the chorus to a song written by Todd Agnew called Written on the Wall.  View YouTube here.  Love music, but I'm not a song writer (although my buddy, Larry and I once wrote a song about an old person breaking out of nursing home...to the tune of Mansion on a Hilltop), but Agnew always writes songs I can relate to.  Its like he is reading my email.  First time I heard this lyric I'm like "Yep!  That's me.  God, just write on a 2 X 4 and smack me in the head with it."  


1 Kings 19.11-13 tells us about Elijah.  He was hiding in fear of his life in a cave in Horeb.  During a conversation with God, God sends strong winds, an earthquake, and a fire, but Elijah waited until he heard  God's voice - "a soft  whisper" (HCSB) - to respond. 


I know me personally I'm not into "soft whispers", I'm more of a blocks of stones, writing on the wall, 2 X 4 to the forehead type of person.  Just too much going on in my little min...oh look, something shiny..little mind to stop, focus and listen.  So how do we sort through the noise to find the whisper?  


For me its journaling.  I know, I know, something else to do.  "But what if someone else see its.  I'm not a writer."   And the list goes on and on and on, but I think journalling is valuable on several fronts, with one of those being "listening".  I know the doesn't make a lot sense but hear me out.  


For me it's a thought filter.  Before I write something down, I have to stop [I'm slowing down..ding ding], and think about [focus...ding ding ding] what I'm writing down.  First thought is down so I start thinking about subsequent stuff to write down (meditating...ding ding ding).  So I'm now listening to my mind and my heart...and so on...and so on.


Found this on the web and though I don't do it exactly like this, this may work for you or at least get you started...copied from http://www.gentle-stress-relief.com/support-files/how-to-listen-to-god.pdf

Write!

Here is the important key to the whole process. Write down everything that comes into your mind.   

Everything. Writing is simply a means of recording so that you can remember later. Don’t sort out or edit your thoughts at this point.

Don't say to yourself:

• This thought isn't important; This is just an ordinary thought; 
• This can't be guidance; This isn't nice; This can't be from God; 
• This is just me thinking..., etc.

Write down everything that passes through your mind: 

• Names of people; 
• Things to do; 
• Things to say; 
• Things that are wrong and need to be made right.

Write down everything:

• Good thoughts - bad thoughts;
• Comfortable thoughts - uncomfortable thoughts; 
• "Holy" thoughts - "unholy" thoughts; 
• Sensible thoughts - "crazy" thoughts.

Obviously things could get a little personal using this technique (which is good in some ways when dealing between your and God), and I realize some of the stuff you don't want in the wrong hands.  So write it down.  Copy the good stuff and file the other stuff in the 86 folder.  But I promise you this technique works (at least for me it does).


There are a couple of other reasons for journaling that I will not get into for now.  But give this a try for help in listening.


Wag out.

Listening to God - Part 1 of somewhere between 2 and infinity

We talked quite a bit about listening to God this evening, and some very pertinent questions were asked. As usual, most I did not have a good answer for, so I will try to get you guys some answers this week.  I found this, and though it does not answers your questions directly, I thought it was some good instruction nonetheless.  This comes from June Hunt, a well-known Christian counselor.

LISTENING TO GOD

      •      Listening to God requires a belief that God loves me and desires to communicate with me.

     “The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.’ ” (Jeremiah 31:3) 

      •      Listening to God requires consistent reading, studying and meditating on His living Word, the Bible.

      “My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

      •      Listening to God means regularly getting alone and giving Him my undivided attention.

      “He went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.” (Matthew 14:23)

      •      Listening to God is opening my heart and letting God point His finger of truth on the real me.

      “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.” (Psalm 139:23–24)

      •      Listening to God is listening carefully to others, realizing that God may be using them to communicate His personal message to me.

      “Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.” (Proverbs 13:10)

      •      Listening to God is recognizing the presence of the Holy Spirit within me and responding to His guidance for communicating with others.

      “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.” (John 14:26)

June Hunt, Biblical Counseling Keys on Communication: The Heart of the Matter (Dallas, TX: Hope For The Heart, 2008), 13.

Week 1 - Day 5 Be a Doer of the Word James 1.22-25 and Matthew 5 (various).

WOW!  The verses in Matthew 5 hit home with me this evening.  I personally am dealing with some issues that those verses struck a chord as they say.  Nothing new as far as insight goes, but just a gentle reminder on how to handle certain situations.  But on to the project at at hand:



James 1:22–25 (HCSB)

²² But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵ But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does _⌊good_⌋ works—this person will be blessed in what he does.  

How does James say the Word affects us when we hear and act on it?

v. 25 - "...this person will be blessed in what he does."  Sound familiar.  Psalm 1.3 - "...his leaf will not wither and everything he does will prosper.".  I know all of the "Prosperity Gospel" will jump all over these two verses, but I'm quite sure the prosperity James is talking about is not necessarily earthly prosperity.  I'm sure all of the Apostles who were martyred did not feel very "prosperous".  But I digress.

How often do you apply the Word of God in a concrete way in your life?

- Somewhere between occasionally and somewhat consistent

  

Describe a situation where you applied a specific Scripture in your life.  How did God's truth affect the outcome?

- A few months ago (pre-Thanksgiving) I had reached a place where I had little to no hope.  Trials, struggles, just kept hitting one after another.  They came in all shapes and sizes. Honestly at that time I had spent very little time in the Word.  But I did decide to get back into the Word and was led to 1 Peter 1.3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has caused us to be born again unto a living hope..."; and  v. 7 "so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;".  That passage helped my put things back into perspective and renewed my strength.

Read the following teachings of Jesus and write a specific way you can put each one into action:

• Matthew 5.16 - "“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
• I think maybe this is more than just "good works".   What about integrity?  As believers and followers of Christ we need to do things bigger, better, and faster than everyone else.  
• Ephesians 6.5-8 talks about being a good slave and working with a good attitude, etc.  What type of employee are you?  Yes, you stand for Christ, but do you work hard, do things the right way, with the right attitude?  If not, are you really glorifying God?
• I taught about kindness this morning in Children's ministry.  Does it glorify God if you don't do all the "Thou shall nots", but aren't kind to your neighbor?
• 
  
• Matthew 5.23,24 - "So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift."
• This is so me.  On both sides.  "I know I hurt their feelings, but that is their problem, not mine."  "But they hurt me first."  Personally I could give your a number of instances of this in my own life,but I will refrain from doing so in a public format.  Will be happy to talk about them in person or via email.  Let me know.  I'm almost an expert on this one.
• Matthew 5:39 - " But I tell you, don’t resist an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also." 
• By no means do I think that God wants us to continuously put our self in a position to be taken advantage of over and over, but its like mom always used to say "Kill 'em with kindness".
• While I was reading James 1.22-25 I went back a few verses and found this.  I think this fits right in with this verse:  James 1:19–20 " My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger,  for man’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. "
• Matthew 5.44 - see the previous two. 

Listen:  (List one thing that you have learned that will help you listen to God's Word)

The thing that has stuck out the most to me this week is this:  Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, the perfect environment "ain't" happening.  Regardless how hard you try, there are going to be distractions.  Several times this week I have tried to sneak into my office, but my beautiful daughter always manages to find me.  Worse yet, one or all of my three dogs manages to find me and all wanting attention.  The Basset Hound ("Smelley Belly") has figured out that if she flops herself on my Bible there isn't really much I can do.  I just have to re-group and move forwarded.  But it always works itself out.

Understand

- Not sure if it "grown in understanding", but I was reminded this week (through some other resources) that I can have all the knowledge and understanding there is to have, but if it does not cause me to grow spiritually and/or closer to Christ it means nothing.

- Also I have come to realize another benefit of reading systematically in your Quiet Time.  I previously believed this was important because "if you did not have something to read, you wouldn't read anything"; however, there is another reason.  Reading systematically for your Quiet Time helps you keep things in context, thus, making it easier to understand.  If it is easier to understand, it is easier to apply and respond accordingly.

Response:  The verses from Matthew took a huge chunk out of my "spiritual backside" this evening.  Dealing with some issues that I can't write about on this forum, but I will be happy to talk about in person or via email.    So I definitely have some responding to do this week. 

Forgive any grammar and/or spelling errors.  Its late and I am writing this without my glasses because I'm too lazy to get up and get them.

Wag out.

• 
  

Week 1 - Day 4 Benefits of Reading God's Word Part 2 Psalm 119.1-64

Not sure why but I couldn't quite get into the feel of this one today.  I love Psalm 119, but my heart was not in it today.  Strange, the Wagner women were out running errands so the place was quite (except for the canines).  Days like today are when we have to remind ourselves that not everyday in the Word in going to be a mountain top experience.  It is a discipline and sometimes we have to do it just because we know it is the right thing to do.

So for our session today we were to identify three things about the Psalmist and his feeling towards the Word; Benefits of Reading the Word, his Attitudes Towards the Word, and his Appeals to God regarding God's Word.  I will not list all that I found - some just became repetitive - but I will hit a few highlights.

Benefits
The one that stuck out the most for me was v. 7: "I will praise You with a sincere heart when I learn Your righteous judgments."  I know, for me, the more I grow in my walk with God and the more I learn of His ways the intensity in my praise and worship grows as well because it is based on truth not just emotion (please do not misinterpret me here...nothing wrong with emotion in praise and worship but truth just takes that emotion to a higher level).

Attitudes
"Then I can answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in Your word.  Never take the word of truth from my mouth, for I hope in Your judgments."  (vs. 42, 43).  We are constantly taunted by that "roaring lion" who is seeking whom he can devour.  He is no gentlemen and therefore he plays very dirty.  He knows what buttons to push to knock you on your backside and he will not hesitate to push them.  The Bible is one of weapons in our arsenal (Heb. 4.12 - "two-edged sword").  It reminds us of God's faithful love (Hebrew word is hesed - awesome word.  Google it sometime), it also reminds us that we are God's people, and I could go on and on but I think you get the idea.

"Your statues are the theme of my song during my earthly life." (v. 54).  Makes me think of a verse from my favorite hymn - There is a Fountain.  "Redeeming love shall be theme and shall be till I die" (side note:  Prestonwood Baptist Choir has a CD on hymns (Hymns) that have been modernized and their version of this one just might be my favorite).

Appeals
"Teach me, Lord, the meaning of Your statues, and I will keep them.  Help me understand Your instruction, and I will obey it and follow it with all my heart." (vs. 33,34).  All throughout this series (all of 1 week of it, HINT: and week 2), Dr. Guthrie talks about getting a good set of tools (Bible dictionary, Study Bible, etc), and trust me I share his opinion.  I have 3 different sets of Bible software, various Study Bibles in various translations, and the value of those can never be under estimated.  But eventually the meaning and understanding must come from God.  That is one of the reasons he sent us the Holy Spirit.  Praying and asking God for understanding and meaning and application is probably the most important part of reading the Bible.

Ask God for Understanding
And I did choose the verse before I saw the next question:  "Do you yearn and ask God for understanding as you read the Bible?"  My answer is probably about 25% of the time.          


Verse to memorize:
"I will praise You with a sincere heart when I learn Your righteous judgments." 

Preferred Translation:
Devotional Time: HCSB
Study: ESV and NASB

Off to make burgers for the Wagner Women

Week 1 - Day 3 Benefits of Reading God's Word Part I

Deuteronomy 6:1–12 (HCSB)

The Greatest Commandment

6 “This is the command—the statutes and ordinances—the Lord your God has instructed _⌊me_⌋ to teach you, so that you may follow _⌊them_⌋ in the land you are about to enter and possess. ² _⌊Do this_⌋ so that you may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life by keeping all His statutes and commands I am giving you, your son, and your grandson, and so that you may have a long life. ³ Listen, Israel, and be careful to follow _⌊them_⌋, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly, because Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised you a land flowing with milk and honey.

⁴ “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. ⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. ⁶ These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. ⁷ Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. ⁹ Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Remembering God through Obedience

¹⁰ “When the Lord your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He would give you—a _⌊land with_⌋ large and beautiful cities that you did not build, ¹¹ houses full of every good thing that you did not fill _⌊them with_⌋, wells dug that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant —and when you eat and are satisfied, ¹² be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.   

So why do we read the Word? Dr. Guthrie offer these 9 reasons:

1. To know the truth (and it will set you free...sorry had to throw that in);
2. To know God in a personal relationship;
3. To live well for God.  Living out His will express our love for Him;
4. To experience God's freedom, grace, peace, and hope;
5. It gives us joy;
6. To grow spiritually.  To help renew our minds (Romans 12.1-2);
7. To guard ourselves against sin and error;
8. To be built up as a Christian community;
9. To be able to minister to others (Christian and the lost).

If had to pick just 3, it would be, in this order, 2,1, and 9 (although I think if we concentrated on 2, the others would take care of themselves, but another blog for another day).

Which brings us to Deut. 6.1-12.  If you have been a church for any extended time you have definitely heard this one before, but we can not afford to overlook the significance of Moses' words.  Our workbook asks the following questions about this passage:

1) What is the relationship between loving God and living according to His ways?  The answer is fear (v. 2).  We do them out of reverence for our God.  The Bible definitely contains teaching about conditional promises, but our ultimate reason for obedience is love and reverence.

2) Why do you think it was so important for the people to be immersed in God's teaching as they entered the land?  I think the answer is in verse 12 "Be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of Egypt".  God was giving them a land full of milk and honey (flowing, that is where I'm going, Canaan land is just in sight...squirrel!) and things they had not worked for (wells the didn't dig, etc.).  During this time of prosperity it was going to be easy for them to forget who this land came from.  We see this pattern - God blesses Israel, Israel gets content and forgets God, God warns and ultimately removes His blessing from them causing various degrees of trials, Israel repents, and we start over.

3) How can Christians today keep the Word at the forefront of our lives as we interact with the world?  We have to find Heart Space for God and for His Word.  v. 6 - "These words I'm giving you today to be in your heart."  vs. 7-9 go on to talk about how passionately God wanted them to be towards His teachings.  Teach them to your children. Talk about them as you go out.  We HAVE TO, HAVE TO, HAVE TO make time.  Not just 5 minutes here or there, but dedicated, focused, heart felt time.

Quiet Times
If you have ever been to any time of new believers class you have been introduced to the Quiet Time.  The 5 things every Christian should do every morning at the crack of dawn.  Said an opening prayer?  Check!  Read   my chapter for the day?  Check!  Write it down?  Check!  Go over my prayer list?  Check!  Do it again tomorrow?  Maybe!

I do not mean to be disrespectful but a few years ago having a Quiet Time became like eating your vegetables  .  I know I should but are Brussell Sprouts really created by God?  I understood it was good for me, but it became like a religious duty and nothing else.  So I created what I call an "Encounter Time" - A deliberate time of solitude where you intentionally seek the presence of God through reading of Scripture, meditation, and/or prayer.


Okay, call it what you want, but the key is finding time to find God on a regular basis.  My prayer is that you MAKE time to do just that.  

Week 1 - Day 2 Parable of the Sower (Mark 4.1-20)

Mark 4:2–9 (HCSB)

² He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them: ³ “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. ⁴ As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it sprang up right away, since it didn’t have deep soil. ⁶ When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn’t have a root, it withered. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce a crop. ⁸ Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased 30, 60, and 100 times _⌊what was sown_⌋.” ⁹ Then He said, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!”

Mark 4:14–20 (HCSB)

¹⁴ The sower sows the word. ¹⁵ These are the ones along the path where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them. ¹⁶ And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble. ¹⁸ Others are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹ but the worries of this age, the seduction of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²⁰ But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word, welcome it, and produce a crop: 30, 60, and 100 times _⌊what was sown_⌋.”

How fertile is the soil of your heart?

A very popular parable taught by Jesus which speaks of the condition of man's heart towards God's Word (remember yesterday, the Psalmist talks about a happy man as one who delights in God's Word).  So in the infancy of this series let me re-emphasize the importance of determining what condition our hearts are in towards God's Word.  So which one are you:

1. Are you like the soil on the path?  A heart so hard and cold the Word never even has the least bit of chance; or,
2. Rocky Soil? Okay, this sounds good.  I'll give it a try.  But you no roots.  I tend to see this like youth coming home from camp who are really pumped up after camp - very zealous.  Two weeks later the emotion has died down so that zeal eventually dies; or, 
3. Thorny Soil?  I have a deep suspicion that is where most of us are.  Between jobs, kids, church responsibilities, money, etc.  Its easy to get distracted, worried, stressed, and "freaked out" and next thing you know the "Seed" has been choked out; or, 
4. Good Soil?  The one who Listens, Understands, and Responds to God's Word in his/her life.  The soil like the one by the tree near the river.  Bearing lots of fruit and never withering.

Honestly right now I feel like I'm personally somewhere between 3 and 4.  Sure my first reaction during a crisis is to have a meltdown, but I eventually come around and am able to kill the weeds and thorns and get back to the business.

Life Space and Heart Space.

Dr. Guthrie talks about these two issues quite a bit.  Life Space is simply making space in your life for God's Word.  Taking that 5, 10, 20 or so minutes and focusing on God and His Word.  Face it unless you live in a monastery, that is not easy to do. I guess life space could be seen as soils 2,3, & 4 above.

But what happens to the "seed" depends upon our "Heart Space".  We have to find room in our hearts to let the Word penetrate (Heb. 4.12) our heart and change us/mold us.  Let the seed produce 30, 60, and 100 fold. 

My prayer is that we can ask God what rocks and thorns are in our lives that need to cleaned out and thrown away.  This parable has always reminded my of a very popular Christian song from the 70's.  The Secret Place by Steve and Annie Chapman (always hated that song because I thought it was extremely corny).  The basis for the song is about letting God visits all of the rooms in our heart - except one.  The one that no one goes into - the SECRET PLACE.  Let me give you a little hint - that is where all the thorns are grown and where all the rocks hang out.......

Six Months from Now

Six months from now I would like to be so sensitive to the Bible that I hear God's Heart and not just His Word.  The best example I can think of is when your parents would always tell you "No"when it came time to do certain stuff.  You thought that their whole purpose in life was to keep you from having fun.  As you got older you began to understand why - they loved you and were attempting to keep you from getting hurt and//or in trouble.  You begin to see the "Heart" behind the "Words".  That's where I want to be.

Wag is out

Week 1 - Day 1 Psalm 1:1-3

"1 How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group mockers!
2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers."  (HCSB - copied from http://www.mystudybible.com)

So much stuff he to digest but we will stick to the plan for now:

1. Benefits
• Blessed - happy, joyful, etc.
• We will be like a tree with constant irrigation.  Which bears a lot of fruit ("spiritual growth")
• Whatever we do will prosper and our leaf will not wither.
• Does that mean we will all have tons of $$$ and be successful?
• Something to ponder - How does Biblical Prosperity different from worldly prosperity?
2. What is this man's attitude to God's instruction?
• He delights in it
• What does that look like?
• Obviously he "meditates" in it day and night
• But when you take delight in something you can't stop talking about it. You want to be around people who delight in that (golfers want to be around other golfers; hunters, fishermen, etc.)
• You share experiences
• I am reminded of a car commercial where a guy is reading the owner's manual to his new car. He obviously finds some new feature, so he grabs his wife who is doing her nails and hair and drags her outside to show her this new feature..she was less than impressed. But there was new disguising his "delight".
• Reading the Word should be a delight and not a drudgery. 
3. How can be active in Word.
• Meditate on it day and night 
• If you literally translate the Hebrew word for delight it means to murmur over and over.  Sometimes we have to read/hear something over and over before we finally get it.

My prayer for this passage is that I would become that tree that bears fruit. 

Week 1 - Introduction

So our 1st of 9 sessions is out of they way.  There was so much more I wanted to talk about last night, but I know we needed to get home and get kiddos (and adults) to bed.  Plus, at least for me, there is only so much info my little brain can take in at one time.  But I do want to take the chance to reiterate a couple of things from last night:

Listen, Understand, and Respond:

1. LISTEN:  Well, that takes the one thing I don't have - TIME.  
• Dr. Guthrie suggests 20 - 30 minutes a day, but I want to encourage you to start out slower if you have to. 5 - 10 minutes a day is a great place to start.  I completed Week 1, Day 1 lesson last night and it took about 10 minutes.
• Needs to be a place of solitude.  I like to thing of solitude as more than being alone.  It is being alone for a purpose.  In this case your purpose should be to focus on God and His Word (I have a sermon/lesson on that as well, but another day, another time perhaps).
2. UNDERSTANDING:  This issue is addressed in future weeks, so I won't jump the gun, but I a good set of study tools will assist you in this.
• Good Translation - sounds like we are okay there, but if anyone is interested all references in this series are HCSB.
• Good Study Bible - these provide tons of information including footnotes, backgrounds, etc.
• My personal favorites right now are the HCSB Study Bible and the ESV Study Bible.   They are a little pricey and their size is not very church friendly (but great for a workout).  An online HCSB Study Bible is available at http://mystudybible.com.
• Life Application Study Bible is very popular and available in a couple of translations.  Not familar with it, but I know they are everywhere
• Same with the NIV Study Bible
• Good Tool sets.
• Good Bible Dictionary and a Bible Commentary - many good ones are available online and are free - mystudybible.com and http://www.biblestudytools.com/ have several
3. Respond: will address later.

In Him,

WW