Choking on a digital diet

Check this out….things for you and your kids to do this summer–thanks, Haylee!!

2 Cor 12:8-10

The sermon this week concentrated on contentment–and that God’s grace is sufficient for all our struggles.  Paul actually said he delighted in (or was content with) his weaknesses–because in those weaknesses Christ’s strength would be seen and glorified.

Wow–I guess it’s such a human thing NOT to want struggles or change.  To just cruise along enjoying life.  Or cruise along having life stay the same…even if it is difficult.  Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t. 

I guess the humanness in me tries to avoid any painful situation, but Paul says that we should welcome these situations as a way to show Christ’s strength–we will know (and others around us will, too) that the struggles cannot be overcome without our risen Savior in the driver’s seat. Been thinking about whether or not I welcome challenges and struggles in my life.  I could easily say that I don’t.  But I have recently been wondering about why I don’t.

When is it that I grow in my faith?  Is it when I am cruising along in my own power and don’t really feel like I need God?  Or is it when I hit a situation or situations that make me realize I can’t go on without leaning on God–trusting him and his strength.

Are the difficulties I have enough to make me depend on God?  In the Old Testament, the Israelites had extreme difficulties…slavery was the worst. They listened to Him and God saved them from their slavery.  Yet it didn’t take long for them to forget His saving grace. They became discontent with what they had and started looking for other ways than listening to God to be happy.  I find myself to be so much of an Israelite at times.  God has sent his Son to save me from my sins, yet I am not content in the life he has given me. Sometimes I feel more content when I go back to my old ways, my old thoughts, my old habits–and forget about the new life that Christ has given me–just because it seems easier. In the long run, my old life had me on the path to Hell. Perhaps more enjoyable and easy now, but it only guarantees me an eternity of misery and permanent struggle.

The bottom line is: I can’t do it on my own.  So I guess some of the things I’ve been going through lately, the things that make me feel like I’m totally overwhelmed and can’t pull it off, are just opportunities to seek God and his strength. My weakness is what he wants–and he promises to make me stronger than I could ever be on my own if I just give all my stuff to Him.

Do you think Mark Driscoll is right in his interpretation of salvation?  This video clip is about 8 min–you can watch the entire sermon also.  http://youtu.be/XicnbW06fbk

 Pastor’s Page

April Fool?

 It was Tuesday morning and the phone rang – I answered it and following my usual greeting there was a pause before a cheerful voice said “Good morning Mr Simmons this is Lisa from Age Concern and how are you today?” I didn’t suspect anything as I often receive calls from organisations seeking support, so, I responded in like and said, “I’m very well thank you Lisa.” She then asked “How are you managing with your stairs these days?” And with great pastoral sensitivity I said “Is this some kind of joke?” Lisa laughed nervously and said “No Mr Simmons – but you are over 55 aren’t you?” “I certainly am not” I replied with indignant incredulity. (You didn’t know I suffered with that did you?!) “I’m very sorry” Lisa said “we’re just given the information here and then we make contact, it seems on this occasion that our information is incorrect”. “It certainly is” I responded, trying now to sound both youthful and authoritative! Wishing me a nice day she terminated the conversation.

This suspected “April fool” got me thinking about the origins of this strange tradition. Well it appears (having done my research!) that the custom began hundreds of years ago following a change of calendars. In 1582, Pope Gregory introduced a new calendar called the Gregorian calendar which we still use today. This new calendar was introduced because the old calendar (the Julian calendar) was ahead by ten days due to each year being a little too long. Gregory moved the new calendar forward by ten days. Britain didn’t accept the new calendar until 1752. In the old Julian calendar, New Year was celebrated from March 25th to April 1st. The first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar is January 1st. In France, people were forgetful and other people refused to accept the new calendar, so they still celebrated New Year on April 1st. Because of this other people would play tricks on them and call them ‘April Fools’. Hence this quirky little tradition was born.

~ Rev Mark Simmons 

I really had never thought of that before…Peter was always sticking his foot in his mouth about something, but that didn’t make him evil, right? — just less-than-tactful (I can relate).  Judas? well Judas was the utimate betrayer—worse than any Benedict Arnold could hope to be.  So how could they possibly be alike?

This video basically illustrated how both Judas and Peter betrayed Jesus.   There was some question in our household as to whether what Peter did in denying Jesus was betrayal (at least to the same degree), but I believe it was–in some ways perhaps it was worse, since he emphatically insisted he NEVER would do such a thing. In the reading I did, there was no mention of this denial NOT being some kind of betrayal.  So I will not beat that dead horse and for purposes of this post, we will assume they both betrayed Jesus.

They both showed remorse for their sin:

Matt 27: 3-4—When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders.  “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”   “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

Matt 26:69-75—Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.”Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

They both knew they did something gravely wrong. So what is the difference between the two men?  Why is one spending an eternity with Jesus while the other is in an eternity of fire and misery?

The video and most of the sermons I read spoke to the term repentance.  The Bible Dictionary gives this long but helpful definition of the term repentance.

There are three Greek words used in the New Testament to denote repentance. (1.) The verb _metamelomai_ is used of a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not necessarily a change of heart. This word is used with reference to the repentance of Judas (Matt. 27:3). (2.) Metanoeo, meaning to change one’s mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge. This verb, with (3) the cognate noun _metanoia_, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised. Evangelical repentance consists of (1) a true sense of one’s own guilt and sinfulness; (2) an apprehension of God’s mercy in Christ; (3) an actual hatred of sin (Ps. 119:128; Job 42:5, 6; 2 Cor. 7:10) and turning from it to God; and (4) a persistent endeavour after a holy life in a walking with God in the way of his commandments. The true penitent is conscious of guilt (Ps. 51:4, 9), of pollution (51:5, 7, 10), and of helplessness (51:11; 109:21, 22). Thus he apprehends himself to be just what God has always seen him to be and declares him to be. But repentance comprehends not only such a sense of sin, but also an apprehension of mercy, without which there can be no true repentance (Ps. 51:1; 130:4).

So Judas had a metamelomai remorse, which indicates no real heart change. I’m not sure of the original Greek, but surely Peter must’ve been referred to with metanoia remorse—or that of a changed heart that is turned away from sin and toward God.

Judas turned to the Pharisees and declared his remorse—Peter turned to Jesus.  Wow.  What a HUGE lesson that is.  Judas’ declaration that he screwed up was halfway there, but it didn’t result in the cleansing forgiveness from God that he needed for a restored heart.  Where did it lead for him?  You got it–death.  On the other hand, Peter’s remorse of an almost identical sin lead him to seek Jesus for forgiveness.  He drew closer to God and away from the things of this world.  Even after Jesus’ resurrection when he met the apostles on the shore, Peter was doubtful that he could ever escape his sin or be forgiven.  But Jesus is his Assurance—three times—for each time he denied Christ—”if you love me, feed my sheep.”  And Peter spent the rest of his days on Earth doing just that. His changed heart lead to a change in behavior.  A Servant’s Heart=Faith in Action.

That is the difference between Peter and Judas.  Who do you turn to in your remorse?  Do you hide?  Do you hope it will go away?  Or do you confess it to God (and others as necessary and directed in the Bible).  Sin injures, destroys, and kills—it killed Judas and destroys countless other relationships and lives every day. I hope you cry out in your remorse to the God of the Universe who will forgive you anything you’ve ever done—all you have to do is believe in his son Jesus—and He will keep you for eternity, too. ~



From  Character Study–Judas Compared to Peter:

The terrible thing about sin is, we can’t turn the clock back; we will have to face consequences when we deliberately deny the Lord or His Word. Once the deed has been done, it cannot be altered; you cannot take it back. But that doesn’t need to be the end of the story. Judas did it the wrong way—Matt. 27:4. He experienced deep sorrow and regret for what he did, but that did not address his real need of confession/repentance to the Lord. He confessed his sin to the wrong group and made restitution to his fellow culprits. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” He could have been forgiven if he had genuinely confessed and repented.
Peter, on the other hand, when he sinned went out and “wept bitterly” after he denied the Lord, but he continued to be with the disciples. He stayed in community, and received restoration from the Lord.

Some questions to ponder:

Perfect words today—I am feeling very unsettled—without going into detail, the “deceit” is really worry or concern over something about which I have no control.  Well, it’s a dilemma.  You know about those—should I or shouldn’t I?  Neither choice is something bad, but neither thing is particularly desirable.  I know I sound pretty cryptic…but I cannot reveal too much or I would break a confidence. 

The real deal here is that the enemy has gotten hold of my mind today—and I know it.  That is SOOO important.  Believing the deceptions the enemy feeds me is so easy—he is so crafty—the best at what he does, I’ll give him that.  And the only way to break free of the trap (or avoid it all together), is to know it has been set. 

This is the dialog in my head: “Why hasn’t so-and-so called me back?”  Well, surely there must be something wrong. ”Oh, no, they don’t have time to call.”  Well, if they contacted you about this in the first place, they would definitely have gotten back to you by now—there must be something wrong.  You need to call. ” If I call, I will be on the phone much too long, and I have many obligations I must meet today”  But if you are a good person….

Hmmm…..”Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”  Sound familiar?  Geez.  Who is this conversation with that I am having in my head?  Sure sounded benign enough…this is the same dialog that goes on all the time, right? Is it me talking to me? God talking to me?  On further analysis, would God be giving me a guilt trip?  Or am I really just getting the run-around from the enemy who is taking my mind off of pure, noble, praiseworthy, and good thoughts;  keeping me in a worry/guilt mode (SIN) and away from the things I need to be doing to be a good Christian, wife, and mother?  So often I find it difficult to tell whose voice I am hearing…because I know that God also challenges me.

In Nancy DeMoss’ book The Lies Women Believe, she says  “the TRUTH has the power to overcome every lie.  That is what the enemy does not want you to know.  As long as you believe his lies, he can keep you in bondage.  But once you know the Truth, and start believing and acting on it, the prison doors will swing open and you will be set free.

“There are moments when I feel beseiged with emotions or thoughts I know are not of God—angry, irrational, fearful, controlling, or resentful thoughts.  That is when I need to run to the Truth for refuge.”

She says she cries out to God for grace to act on what she knows to be true and time and time again she has been amazed at the power of Truth to calm her turbulent emotions and restore settledness and sanity to her confused thoughts.

Believing that you have a right to be angry, you can’t forgive, someone intended to hurt you, you can’t help the way you feel, are all lies that Satan perpetrates upon you.  Do you choose to nurse the grudge or will you battle the sin—in obedience to God?  No one FEELS like forgiving, or waving the white flag of surrender.  But, God promises that if we do, He will set our spirits free and our emotions will follow.  Freedom from bondage—Surrendered to the Truth.

My prayer is that God would reveal to me times that I am in bondage, when I am being deceived, or when God is challenging me—and when I need to stop listening to the wrong voices—and walk in obedience to Him. How about you?

So what does the Bible say about Fear?  people were sure afraid a lot in the Bible—even if you only counted when angels showed up!!  Seriously, God has a lot to say about Fear.  He expects we will have it.  I like this article by  Gary DeLashmutt, here is a small excerpt:

From http://www.xenos.org/teachings/topical/emotions/gary/emotions-3.htm: 

Do you know what the most often-repeated command in the Bible is? Not one of the 10 Commandments, but “Do not fear/be afraid.” And it’s not even close—God says this hundreds of times in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. I infer from the frequency of God’s counsel on this that this must be the most common human problem. Of course, God is not forbidding us to feel fear (that is involuntary); rather, he is commanding us not to succumb to our fears, live as slaves to our fears. Do you know the promise/reason God always attaches to this command? Not “. . . because I said so,” but “. . . for I am with you.” Our dangers may be real, and they may be bigger than we are–but they are not bigger than the God of the Bible. And if he is with us (ACCEPTANCE, ETERNAL LIFE, AVAILABLE), we need not succumb to our fears.

In the article he talks among other things, about the purposes for fear, sinful fear, faith in fearful situations, and fighting through your fears (focusing on God’s character, remembering God’s faithfulness).

Personally for me it goes back to what you let in to your mind.  You can’t totally bury your head in the sand and be oblivious to what goes on in the world.  In fact, God calls us to be compassionate and look for ways to help those in need around us—to do that, we have to be aware of what is going on in our world.  But, he also calls us to a Philippians 4:8 mindset. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”  Don’t let the garbage in—everything in this world is not lovely or admirable—given. But sensational journalism is something we can remove ourselves from—it is NOT part of the “lovely or admirable”  God wants us thinking on. C’mon—we know what is sensational, right??  If you don’t, that’s ok.  It appears that many people don’t—because they get so caught up in it and think it is reality.  But we need to start seeing repetitive scary news, gossip, etc for what it is—sensational.   We need to take reasonable precautions based on RELIABLE officials.  And definitely ignore gossip.  But most importantly, we need to pray and rely on God’s hand to care for us—He has given us the HUGEST promise ever—that He is with us.  Let’s count on that no matter what. No Fear.

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=G7D7NNNX

DS had a meltdown about something really minor, as usual—the escalation takes him to out-of-control in no time.  You’d think we’d learn what buttons NOT to push, but there are just times when you need to make things happen, have them get their chores done, whatever—and not let them have their way.  And really I never know exactly what day pushing the button might escalate the anger, and what day it might be ok.  That is the hard thing about raising a “rebellious/difficult” child.  And worse yet, we get sucked in to the “logic” he starts to use to justify his own actions—and continue to argue with him.  Perhaps we are too critical or demanding.  Not sure.  I feel guilty (which is exactly where he wants me) because he seems not to feel loved (even though caring discipline is far from that).  

Today, I think I had a breakthrough, though.  Well, at least it worked for today! I left the room.  Yep—just that easy.  Got up and did something else and ignored the tirade.  Now others might say, “how can you just let him continue to talk that way—or go on and on like that?”  Well, I guess, as long as he’s not cussing or throwing things…he’s just trying to wear me down, being annoying.  I went in to help the other DS who was complying with every bone in his body so he didn’t get the same grounding

At any rate, decided to do some studying up—my usual fare when I get stuck and don’t know what to do.  What does the Bible say about difficult kids?  I was pretty sure God didn’t want us to let our DS be rebellious!!  You know, spare the rod, spoil the child…anyway, found this article (below) with TONS of Biblical references about how to deal with my kid…it is great and really helped me realize that God gave us this child knowing that we could handle him—IF we were on our knees about him asking for wisdom.  And also that if we train him up in God’s ways he can be a high achieving successful adult that stays in His ways and serves the Lord.  A comforting thought since sometimes it feels like we are spinning our wheels with him.  Rebellion is his middle name—no matter what we ask him to do, he doesn’t want to do it.  I am praying (and you can pray too!) that with perseverence, Satan will not get a foothold, God’s ways will triumph, and this young man will grow up to be a warrior for Christ.

From http://www.gotquestions.org/rebellious-child.html

Question: “What does the Bible say to do with a rebellious child?”

Answer: The child who exhibits a rebellious streak may be doing so for a variety of reasons. Harsh, unloving, and critical parenting will nearly always result in rebellion of some sort. Even the most compliant child will rebel—inwardly or outwardly—against such treatment. Naturally, this type of parenting is to be avoided. In addition, a certain amount of rebellion against parents is natural in teenagers who are slowly pulling away from their families in the process of establishing lives and identities of their own.

Assuming that the rebellious child naturally possesses a strong-willed personality, he will be characterized by an inclination to test limits, an overriding desire for control, and a commitment to resisting all authority. In other words, rebellion is his middle name. In addition, these strong-willed, rebellious children are often very intelligent and can “figure out” situations with amazing speed, finding ways to take control of the circumstances and people around them. These kids can be, for their parents, an extremely trying and exhausting challenge.

Fortunately, it is also true that God has made children who and what they are. He loves them, and He has not left parents without resources to meet the challenge. There are biblical principles that address dealing with the rebellious, strong-willed child with grace. First, Proverbs 22:6 tells us to “train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not turn from it.” For all children, the way they should go is toward God. Teaching children in God’s Word is crucial for all children, who must understand who God is and how to best serve Him. With the strong-willed child, understanding what motivates him—the desire for control—will go a long way to helping him find his “way.” The rebellious child is one who must understand that he is not in charge of the world—God is—and that he simply must do things God’s way. This requires parents to be absolutely convinced of this truth and to live accordingly. A parent who is himself in rebellion against God will not be able to convince his child to be submissive.

Once it has been established that God is the One making the rules, parents must establish in the child’s mind that they are God’s instruments and will do anything and everything necessary to carry out God’s plan for their families. A rebellious child must be taught that God’s plan is for the parents to lead and the child to follow. There can be no weakness on this point. The strong-willed child can spot indecisiveness a mile away and will jump at the opportunity to fill the leadership vacuum and take control. The principle of submitting to authority is crucial for the strong-willed child. If submission is not learned in childhood, the future will be characterized by conflicts with all authority, including employers, police, law courts, and military leaders. Romans 13:1-5 is clear that the authorities over us are established by God, and we are to submit to them.

Also, a strong-willed child will only willingly comply with rules or laws when they make sense to him. Give him a solid reason for a rule, constantly reiterating the truth that we do things the way God wants them done and that the fact is not negotiable. Explain that God has given parents the responsibility to love and discipline their children and that to fail to do so would mean the parents are disobeying Him. Whenever possible, however, give the child opportunities to help make decisions so that he does not feel completely powerless. For example, going to church is not negotiable because God commands us to gather together with other believers (Hebrews 10:25), but children can have a say (within reason) in what they wear, where the family sits, etc. Give them projects in which they can give input like planning the family vacation.

Further, parenting must be done with consistency and patience. Parents must try not to raise their voices or raise their hands in anger or lose their tempers. This will give the strong-willed child the sense of control he/she longs for, and he/she will quickly figure out how to control you by frustrating you to the point of making you react emotionally. Physical discipline often fails with these kids because they enjoy pushing parents to the breaking point so much that they feel a little pain is a worthwhile price to pay. Parents of strong-willed kids often report the kid laughs at them while they are being spanked, so spanking might not be the best method of discipline with them. Perhaps nowhere in life are the Christian fruits of the Spirit of patience and self-control (Galatians 5:23) more needed than with the strong-willed/rebellious child.

No matter how exasperating parenting these children can be, parents can take comfort in God’s promise not to test us beyond our ability to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13). If God gives them a strong-willed child, parents can be sure He has not made a mistake and will provide the guidance and resources they need to do the job. Perhaps nowhere in the life of a parent do the words “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) have more meaning than with the strong-willed youngster. Parents of these children have to spend lots of their time on their knees before the Lord asking for wisdom, which He has promised to provide (James 1:5). Finally, there is comfort in the knowledge that strong-willed children who are trained well often grow up to be high-achieving, successful adults. Many rebellious children have turned into bold, committed Christians who use their considerable talents to serve the Lord they have come to love and respect through the efforts of their patient and diligent parents.

This book is teaching us (in a nutshell) how to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.  For some of us, this is harder than others!  This past Wednesday, Pastor asked us to tell something that brought us joy this week. I always love to hear the different answers people give. I had had a particularly joy-filled “easy” week so I had three things to add.

But, you know, it is interesting how things can turn around quickly, isn’t it?  Now I am having to use that book (and the VERY important verse behind it all) and it’s principles to chase away some not-so-lovely thoughts.

I had the opportunity to see and hear some high school kids at their solo-ensemble festival this weekend–what a special treat!  My son totally blew me away–I had no idea the kid had any singing ability like that…guess I’ve just been totally non-observant.  Then again, he doesn’t make it too obvious to anyone.  So that was a total present for me!  In two ensemble performances, his groups got superior grades for both…so great

Then I decided to go see the performance of a young girl from our church who plays flute.  She and I played a duet a couple of years ago–I’ve been hearing things about her awards here and there, but haven’t paid too much real attention to it. And she has only played in church once since we played together, so I rarely get to hear her.  Let me tell  you, “blown away” does not begin to describe the reaction or feeling I had when I heard her play.  She is in 10th grade–I never played like that by the time I graduated–after lesson upon lesson, hour upon hour of practice.  She has worked hard, but she is truly gifted.  

I think the word I am looking for is JOY.  I think.  I don’t think joy is an emotion.  I think Joy is a state of being. But I felt joy when I heard her play–kind of a feeling, you know, in the pit of your stomach…yet I was also transported elsewhere.  I was seeing her future, I was seeing my past.  The whole thing was so awesomely surreal. 

But there was also a dark side–seems like the Evil one always gets his hand in there somewhere.  Those thoughts of…what if…what if I’d have practiced more.  What if I’d have done college auditions–would I have been good enough to get in?  Now that I’ve heard her play, I am so inferior…what in the world do I think I am trying to do anyway?

Then I think to the passage Phil 4:8–and realize these thoughts are not from God…duh.  He is not saying these things to me.  He wouldn’t.  I need to replace them with good thoughts.  First of all, God had other things in mind for me.  I am exactly where he wants me. If I’d have done music try-outs and gotten into a music program, I’d never have met Sean, had 3 beautiful boys, etc, etc…Second, the skill I possess is my own and it is perfect for what I am doing to glorify God…I am very good at ad-libbing and “hearing” and playing harmony notes in songs given only a guitar tab.  That is not something just anyone can do.  Thirdly, I am a role model. Just by virtue of being in the band, people look at me this way whether they should or not. The way I choose to handle that is being seen by many and I can glorify God or let Him down…I pray I am glorifying Him!

So, do I have JOY in this situation?  I hope so–I sure had joy listening to a wonderful flute performance.  It also gave me a spiritual journey as well

Update: So, here’s the purpose of this post–it is NOT to bring on the compliments or make anyone feel like they need to lift me up.  It IS to help others realize that it is ok to go through times of doubt about your abilities, your calling, your path in life, or if God is speaking to you.  Often I  still wonder where God is leading me.  But over the last 5 years or so, I have been LISTENING to what He is saying to me. How the Spirit is leading me.  How He is guiding me.  I am much more able to determine God’s voice vs. some other voice in my head–and this is SO important.  I always used to wonder how I could know if God was speaking to me.  How will I know?  As I look back over my life, I am sure that the anxiety I had over playing my flute in front of others, for auditions, the insecurites–all that was just the Holy Spirit  leading me in another direction.  And turning another direction led me to THIS point in my life (and to all the others).  But none of it went to waste–did I become a concert flautist?  No.  Am I playing for a more important reason in God’s plan for me and others around me?  I believe so.  I just find it so amazing that I left my house Saturday morning with no intention of having a spiritual journey–I was just driving to a solo-ensemble festival to hear my kid sing…but God can take one performance by a talented young woman and turn that into a lesson in thanksgiving, appreciation, His work in my life, my role in others’ lives, and how I need to keep keeping-on for His glory–looking ahead, not back.