Who/What is Master of your life?

As I continue to look at the name of the Lord, Adonai,  I have learned that it means "lord" or "master". As I look at the word master I have to evaluate what that means. As far as Adonai, it is refers to our God as our personal Lord and Master. It completely depicts relationship. "The lordship of God means His total possession of me and my total submission to Him as Lord and Master." (Knowing God Through His Names", p 83) I am a slave to something or someone. 2 Peter 2:19 says "for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him." We are a slave to whatever has mastered us! Am I a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness? What have I allowed to master me? Confession time again! As I pondered this verse, I began to see that the Lord is not the Master of my life most of the time. I think I allow the computer or tv/movies or laziness to master me. I believe this is the same concept of having idols of the heart. Whatever or whoever we put above God and my time with Him is an idol of my heart. God says in Exodus, "You shall have no other gods before me". Although I have not literally built a "golden calf" as the Israelites did, I have allowed an idol to occupy my time and my thoughts. I have replaced God with things. Are they satisfying? No, only temporarily. I am seeking things to fill a need that is not going to fill it. It could be my husbands approval, friends approval, my kids approval that I seek to fill a need. These things more than likely will not always happen and when I don't receive approval like I think I should I am disappointed and let down. I should seek my sufficiency in the all sufficient one, the El Shaddai. He is the one who nourishes, supplies, and satisfies. I should seek to make Him Master of my life. If I do that I will not need to seek after other things to fill a need that He ultimately fill.

Lord, please help me to daily make you Master of my life. To seek you first above all things. To remain in You. I so desire to have the intimacy with you that you would speak with me "face to face as a man speaks with his friend". May I take captive those thoughts and make them obedient to you.

Upward Basketball and Cheerleading

We have Upward again. These are just a few photos. Paul is assistant coach for Jonathan's team and he also is a referee for other games. Abigail cheers and does a good job! Noah, Timothy, and I watch which is a little challenging because Noah wants to get on the court and play with the ball. It is a lot of fun! Timothy is not in to it too much. He's in the picture with his face covered with his shirt. Didn't want to get his picture taken.

Being a Servant

My friend, Mariel, has written and published a Women's Bible Study titled "Knowing God Through His Names". (Sorry Mariel I'm a little behind, but it's God's timing.) This lesson is on Who Is Adonai? The first thing we learn is that if He is our Adonai then He must me Master of our life and we are servant to Him. This is actually a beautiful picture. In Day 2 we start off looking at what the world view is of "great" and "powerful" versus Biblical view. As we see in Matthew 20:26-28 what the Bible's view of greatness is totally opposite of the world. Matthew reads, "...Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." This shows greatness as becoming a servant. V. 27 tells us to be first we have to be a servant. Then it ends up showing us that Jesus is an example for us. He didn't come to be served but instead to serve others and eventually giving his life for the payment of sin rescuing us from the wrath of God. So here is a question to ponder deeply-"are we looking for who we can serve, or are we looking to be served?" So confession time for me. This was a convicting question for me especially after the week I've had. The thought doesn't stop there. Mariel goes on to ask some questions for us to evaluate our hearts: "am I frustrated when I have to pick up my husband's socks for the tenth time today? Do I get short-tempered with my children when they interrupt my "me" time? Am I willing to joyfully cook a meal for a neighbor in need or serve in the church nursery, even though I don't "feel" like it? Do I live for "me"?" I wish I could say I was looking to be like Jesus and serve with a willing heart. Unfortunately, like my friend and probably many others, I often seek out to serve self rather than deny self. For me I find it easier to serve others more than my family. I think I'm more selfish when it comes to my family and serving them. This week really was an example of that. Here's how my week has been: during the previous weekend Noah, my 2 year old, began having a yucky, runny nose. On Monday after meeting with a friend, I was hanging out with Paul and Noah watching a little TV when all of a sudden I'm wearing vomit-nice soured milk and chocolate mixed with it. I thought maybe it was because he had too much cookie dough, but later in the evening he became sick again-thus the stomach bug has hit our family. I was up off and on all night. Then late Thursday night/early Friday morning Timothy gets sick. By this time now I'm really exhausted and just want to sleep. Now I'm keeping an eye on Noah hoping he is better and being close by for Timothy for the times he would get sick. So far I'm handling things ok. Not the total servants heart, but not totally into self yet. I'm still very tired though and really wanting to sleep. During all this time I'm not feeling so hot either; feeling very sick but not getting sick. Friday Timothy moped around and was out of it. You could really tell he was sick. Friday evening Abigail starts complaining about her stomach hurting. Oh no I thought. Of all the ones to get sick, I really don't want her to be sick because she whines a bit more. By now I've really had about all the whining I think I could handle from Noah. This week, also, Paul had the opportunity to help a gentleman out at his office, so he's been gone all day until bedtime and having to get up really early for the paper route. Now Abigail is sick and whining and I'm totally tired and wanting a vacation of peace and quiet. Now I'm looking at the thought of "when do I get a break". I now have no patience, and compassion went out the window when Abigail started complaining with her stomach hurting. So when I read this lesson today I was slapped in the face. I'm so into what I can get for me instead of serving my sick children and husband (who also is battling with some type of sickness). Definitely not a servants heart!!!

Then we see another beautiful example of servitude in Matthew 14:1-21. In verses 1-12 we see John the Baptist is beheaded. V. 13 & 14  says, "When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick." Jesus was trying to get away and be alone with God to deal with His grief and here comes the crowd. This crowd was full of people with needs-sick people, disabled people, dying people, possessed people. "Imagine the noise, the smells, and the depth of depravity closing in around Him, as His soul mourns for John. Jesus was fully man and fully God. He felt emotion, grief, and pain. He grew tired, weary, and hungry." (pg 93, Knowing God...) Verse 14 tells us that first Jesus had compassion on them and secondly he healed their sick. "In the midst of the deep needs of His own soul, He chose to deny self and serve others with compassion."(93)  Verse 15 & 16 tells us it was evening. The disciples wanted to send the people away so they could get food. What do we see Jesus do? Serve again! He fed the crowd. "Our Savior chooses to serve again. What a model for us! What a Master we serve that He denies Himself for our sakes, out of compassionate love." (93)

So how can I mimic Jesus' example of servitude in my own life as I live out my service to my Master Jesus? There are so many things in my heart that I have to work on. I'm so very thankful that Jesus is my example and shows me my own heart at just the time I need it. I pray that my heart would be to serve my family (and others) above myself no matter how I'm feeling at the time. Jesus had compassion; therefore I must show compassion. I need to become a servant like Christ.

(Thanks Mariel for being real and letting Jesus use you in so many ways and in so many lives! I love you dear friend!)

The Son is the radiance of God's glory

Hebrews 1:3 "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word."  I am working through a study on Hebrews, and I came across this verse from chapter 1. This particular section in the study book dealt with verse 3 and particularly the phrase "the Son is the radiance of God's glory". I want to share what I read:


"We see the sun by means of seeing the rays of the sun. They are the essence of the sun flowing out of the sun. The round ball of fire that we see in the sky is the sun streaming forth in its radiance. To say that Jesus is the radiance of God's glory is to say that Jesus relates to God the way the rays of sunlight relate to the sun. We see God the Father by seeing Jesus. Jesus is the radiance of God streaming down on us so we can see him and experience him and know him."

"The term 'God's glory' had deeper meaning for the original Hebrew recipients of this letter than it does for us today. These Hebrews remembered hearing about the glory cloud of God's presence that lit the sky and led the children of Israel in the desert. It was the tangible presence of God in their midst. And now the writer of Hebrews is saying that Jesus is the ultimate cloud of glory. In fact, Jesus is the fire of God's glory that will not burn or consume us. Jesus enables us to relate to the glory of God in human form."

"Standing in the Temple one day, Jesus said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life' (John 8:12). We live in a dark world, and perhaps there are circumstances in your life right now that would cause you to say that your world is very dark. Into the darkness of this world God sent his Son, Jesus, so that we could see and live in the radiance of his glory. Even now, Jesus is the only sure source of light for the dark places in our lives. He brings the radiant light of God's presence into our darkness."


My favorite part of this is the last paragraph. We do live in a dark world, and I have talked with friends lately who are in circumstances in their lives that would cause them to say the world is dark. But because God sent his Son we can see and live in the radiance of God's glory. I pray that my friends as well as myself will remember that Jesus is the only source of light for the dark places that in our lives. Jesus brings the radiant light of God's presence into our darkness. How encouraging and hopeful for us when we are walking in a dark time. We can walk through those dark times with joy and peace because of the radiance of God's glory.

My observations from Genesis 4

I have been reading in Genesis lately. I was reading chapter 4 which talks about Cain and Abel. The first part of the chapter deals with the offerings. We see that Abel kept flocks and Cain worked the soil. The Bible says that Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering, but Abel brought the fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. It is interesting to me that verse 3 starts out "in the course of time" (NIV). (Back to that point in a moment) Really it wasn't about the contrast between an offering of plant life and an offering of animal life. It was all about the heart issue. It is about a careless, thoughtless offering and a choice, generous offering. Hebrews 11:4 says "By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did...." It was the motivation and attitude of the heart. These are all-important and God looked with favor on Abel and his offering because of Abel's faith. What is our heart motivation and attitude when we offer up a sacrifice or when we serve? Do we do things by faith like Abel with a happy heart and willingness to serve and give of ourselves or do we do things out of routine or just because it needs to be done or it makes you "look good"? Do we do all things to glorify and honor God? What is the motivation for my serving and giving?

Now back to the point from verse 3. Do you think Cain started off giving with the right heart and over time grew weary and became bitter? I don't know. The commentary notes from MacArthur's Study Bible says for verses 4 & 5 "Abel's offering was acceptable, not just because it was an animal, nor just because it was the very best of what he had, nor even that it was the culmination of a zealous heart for God; but, because it was in every way obediently given according to what God must have revealed (though not recorded in Genesis). Cain, disdaining the divine instruction, just brought what he wanted to bring: some of his crop."  Verse 7 The Lord ask him (Cain): "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?" Obedience was the key here. But was he always bent toward disobedience or did he gradually become this way? At any rate, when you stop and think about the statement "in the course of time" or as the New King James says "And in the process of time it came to pass", what would be the ending to that statement for your life and heart? "In the course of time she/he grew stronger in their walk with the Lord" or "In the course of time she/he grew further away from God?"  Is Jesus all that you and I need? Do we live that out?

God is faithful!

What a week! I left the house this evening to run an errand. I was totally exhausted but needed to get out. As I'm riding down the road I began to think about how things have gone this week in my house. I have switched some things up for my kids as far as school and chores. I have been blown away at the response I have gotten from them this week. I was truly expecting whining, fussing, complaining, just awful, awful attitudes. Instead I received eager hearts. Don't get me wrong I have had a few small problems with the change, but for the most part they have truly cooperated with me. They have done an awesome job with their added chores, and I have been so blessed by them this week. As I continued dwelling on my week I was quickly reminded of some verses that were given to me for the week on God's faithfulness. So I want to share one with you tonight to remind you that God is faithful!! Lamentations (the small book between Jeremiah and Ezekiel) 3: 21-24 "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope. Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." I was just overwhelmed with peace and joy after dwelling on God's faithfulness to me this week!

No One Higher-Stand.wmv

The song I have had on my heart for a couple of weeks now. I samuel 2:2 "There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God."