Friday, February 22, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoosier!
In an effort to train a dog before becoming entrenched, Lord willing, in vocational ministry, look who joined our family today!
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Puppy
Saturday, February 9, 2013
E100 5-Tower of Babel
So I didn't skip #4 (God's Covenant with Noah), I just wasn't paying attention and included it in my #3 (The Flood)
Genesis 11:1-9
So after God rescued Noah and his family, people began to replenish the earth. It makes sense that all of the people spoke the same language, that of Noah's family. Together they decided to build a great city, to make their name great, and to construct a tower to reach the heavens.
"One day, everyone was talking and they came up with an idea: 'Let's build ourselves a beautiful city to live in! It can be our home. And we'll be safe forever and ever.' Then they had another idea: 'And let's build a really tall tower to reach up to heaven!'
"'Yes!' they said. 'We'll say, 'Look at us up here!" And everyone will look up at us. And we'll look down on them. And then we'll know we are something. We'll be like God. We'll be famous and safe and happy and everything will be all right.'" (Jesus Storybook Bible)
Sounds a lot like me before God rscued me. Wanting to make a name for myself. Wanting to be seen as better than those around me. Wanting to prove that I could do life on my own. For me, happiness came in busyness; staying away frome home was priority #1 because home was not a happy place. I pursued athletics, academics, church attendance, maintaining a goody-two-shoes reputation, pretending to be confident, pretending we had a happy family, and boyfriend relationships.
But I was still empty.
Then God sent a rescuer. Not only did He provide for me eternal life, but He gave me a design for what my life should look like now--a way to please Him and bring glory to His name. God revealed to me that I had been building a tower in my own life.
"But God wasn't pleased with them. God could see what they were doing. They were trying to live without him, but God knew that wouldn't make them happy or safe or anything. If they kept on like this, they would only destroy themselves, and God loved them too much to let that happen. So he stopped their plans." -JSB
In scripture, we learn that God confused the languages of the people. In my life, mom and dad got divorced. There was no more pretending at least, but things didn't get easier. In some ways, it was worse. But God showed me very practically that living for myself would not be a good option. Not only would I not be able to earn my way to heaven, but I wouldn't even be able to earn true happiness in this life. My Junior year of high school, I chose Christ.
"You see, God knew, however high they reached,, however hard they tried, people could never get back to heaven by themselves. People didnt need a staircase; they needed a Rescuer. Because the way back to heaven wasn't a staircase; it was a Person.
People could never reach up to Heaven, so Heaven would have to come down to them.
And, one day, it would." -JSB
Genesis 11:1-9
So after God rescued Noah and his family, people began to replenish the earth. It makes sense that all of the people spoke the same language, that of Noah's family. Together they decided to build a great city, to make their name great, and to construct a tower to reach the heavens.
"One day, everyone was talking and they came up with an idea: 'Let's build ourselves a beautiful city to live in! It can be our home. And we'll be safe forever and ever.' Then they had another idea: 'And let's build a really tall tower to reach up to heaven!'
"'Yes!' they said. 'We'll say, 'Look at us up here!" And everyone will look up at us. And we'll look down on them. And then we'll know we are something. We'll be like God. We'll be famous and safe and happy and everything will be all right.'" (Jesus Storybook Bible)
Sounds a lot like me before God rscued me. Wanting to make a name for myself. Wanting to be seen as better than those around me. Wanting to prove that I could do life on my own. For me, happiness came in busyness; staying away frome home was priority #1 because home was not a happy place. I pursued athletics, academics, church attendance, maintaining a goody-two-shoes reputation, pretending to be confident, pretending we had a happy family, and boyfriend relationships.
But I was still empty.
Then God sent a rescuer. Not only did He provide for me eternal life, but He gave me a design for what my life should look like now--a way to please Him and bring glory to His name. God revealed to me that I had been building a tower in my own life.
"But God wasn't pleased with them. God could see what they were doing. They were trying to live without him, but God knew that wouldn't make them happy or safe or anything. If they kept on like this, they would only destroy themselves, and God loved them too much to let that happen. So he stopped their plans." -JSB
In scripture, we learn that God confused the languages of the people. In my life, mom and dad got divorced. There was no more pretending at least, but things didn't get easier. In some ways, it was worse. But God showed me very practically that living for myself would not be a good option. Not only would I not be able to earn my way to heaven, but I wouldn't even be able to earn true happiness in this life. My Junior year of high school, I chose Christ.
"You see, God knew, however high they reached,, however hard they tried, people could never get back to heaven by themselves. People didnt need a staircase; they needed a Rescuer. Because the way back to heaven wasn't a staircase; it was a Person.
People could never reach up to Heaven, so Heaven would have to come down to them.
And, one day, it would." -JSB
Labels:
e100
Thursday, February 7, 2013
E100 3-The Flood
This account is found in Genesis 6:5-7:24.
Yes, I believe that there really was a man named Noah. Noah lived in a time where most had forgotten about God. In fact, scripture tells us that "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." God was not in the thoughts of the people.
Being a just God, there must be judgment and penalty for sin. He can't just look the other way--in the same way that it would be outrageous for a judge in our court system to simply let a convicted serial killer walk free.
In this case, God wiped everyone out--except Noah and his family. For Noah, God promised He would rescue him, if Noah obeyed and did as God said.
"So Noah built an ark...
Noah's neighbors came out to watch...and point...and laugh, because they didn't believe Noah about the boat...or the storm...or needing to be rescued." -Jesus Storybook Bible
So Noah obeyed. God sent the rains and the floods for 40 days. God destroyed those who were disobedient. After the rain stopped, Noah's family was on the ark for over 100 more days (talk about cabin fever) before they found dry land.
The first thing Noah did was build an altar and sacrifice to God for his protection and provision. And the first thing God did was make another promise: He would never again destroy the earth with water. And as a sign of this promise or covenant, God put a rainbow in the sky.
"And there, in the clouds--just where the storm meets the sun--was a beautiful bow made of light.
It was a new beginning in God's world.
It wasn't long before everything went wrong again but God wasn't surprised, he knew this would happen. That's why before the beginning of time, he had another plan--a better plan. A plan not to destroy the world, but to rescue it--a plan not to destroy the world, but to rescue it--a plan to one day send his own Son, the Rescuer." (JSB)
Lord, make me a Noah. Help me to be faithful in a land that despises You and Your ways. Make me righteous and blameless. Help me to walk with You. Help me to lovingly show others their need for a rescuer when it's so easy to think we've got this life figured out. Thank you for staying true to your word and sending us perfect rescuer, a redeemer.
Yes, I believe that there really was a man named Noah. Noah lived in a time where most had forgotten about God. In fact, scripture tells us that "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." God was not in the thoughts of the people.
Being a just God, there must be judgment and penalty for sin. He can't just look the other way--in the same way that it would be outrageous for a judge in our court system to simply let a convicted serial killer walk free.
In this case, God wiped everyone out--except Noah and his family. For Noah, God promised He would rescue him, if Noah obeyed and did as God said.
"So Noah built an ark...
Noah's neighbors came out to watch...and point...and laugh, because they didn't believe Noah about the boat...or the storm...or needing to be rescued." -Jesus Storybook Bible
So Noah obeyed. God sent the rains and the floods for 40 days. God destroyed those who were disobedient. After the rain stopped, Noah's family was on the ark for over 100 more days (talk about cabin fever) before they found dry land.
The first thing Noah did was build an altar and sacrifice to God for his protection and provision. And the first thing God did was make another promise: He would never again destroy the earth with water. And as a sign of this promise or covenant, God put a rainbow in the sky.
"And there, in the clouds--just where the storm meets the sun--was a beautiful bow made of light.
It was a new beginning in God's world.
It wasn't long before everything went wrong again but God wasn't surprised, he knew this would happen. That's why before the beginning of time, he had another plan--a better plan. A plan not to destroy the world, but to rescue it--a plan not to destroy the world, but to rescue it--a plan to one day send his own Son, the Rescuer." (JSB)
Lord, make me a Noah. Help me to be faithful in a land that despises You and Your ways. Make me righteous and blameless. Help me to walk with You. Help me to lovingly show others their need for a rescuer when it's so easy to think we've got this life figured out. Thank you for staying true to your word and sending us perfect rescuer, a redeemer.
Labels:
e100
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
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