Greater Sinners?

We have family in the Rowlett, Texas, area, where recently, there has been an onslaught of bad weather.  It seems that as they are recovering from one nasty storm, another is biting at its heels.  Months after the devastation, one can still drive through the neighborhood, and see the results of the storms.

We also have a friend who suffered great personal losses last year.  While on a ministry trip, he received a call from a friend that his house was burning down.  That same season, he lost a very close relationship.  And then in the fall, he was thrown from a horse and broke his neck.

WHY?!

We all know people who have suffered great losses.  We all have.  But there are those who, it seems, have endured more than their “fair share.”

Again, I ask, “WHY?!”

When we hear of these things, we may also hear that little voice inside our head, or even a voice over the radio or internet, saying, “See!  Their sin is the problem.  This is the judgment of GAWD!” (Be sure to insert a sanctimonious, religious voice here!)  But be careful of listening to this voice of accusation.  After all, who is the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10)?

I think maybe, just maybe, STUFF HAPPENS.  Storms come.  Accidents happen.  People die.  It’s the way of life.

The year 1861 marked the beginning of the American Civil War; the Mendoza Earthquake, killing 12,000 people (The Mendoza Earthquake, 1861); the ongoing Taiping Rebellion, which claimed some 20 million lives (Taiping Rebellion, 2015); and the Platte Bridge Railroad Tragedy, killing 17-20 individuals (Platte Bridge Railroad Tragedy, 2016).

On September 8 of that same year, just days after the Railroad Tragedy, Charles Spurgeon delivered his sermon entitled, “Accidents, Not Punishments,” in which he stated,

Now, men and brethren, such things as these have always happened in all ages of the world. Think not that this is a new thing; do not dream, as some do, that this is the produce of an overwrought civilization, or of that modern and most wonderful discovery of steam. If the steam engine had never been known, and if the railway had never been constructed, there would have been sudden deaths and terrible accidents, not withstanding. In taking up the old records in which our ancestors wrote down their accidents and calamities, we find that the old stage coach yielded quite as heavy a booty to death as does the swiftly-rushing train … LET US TAKE HEED THAT WE DO NOT DRAW THE RASH AND HASTY CONCLUSION FROM TERRIBLE ACCIDENTS, THAT THOSE WHO SUFFER BY THEM SUFFER ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR SINS. (Spurgeon, 1861)

Jesus faced the same type of judgment-minded people (must’ve been ancestors of the ones to whom Spurgeon was preaching), recorded in Luke 13.  They reported to him, about certain Jews, whom Pilate had killed, and mixed their blood with the sacrificial lambs’ blood.  Answering this, as well as a recent accident involving 18 deaths when the Tower of Siloam fell, Jesus responded,

Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate?  I tell you, “No...” (Luke 13)

Accidents, war, death, natural disasters – these have been a part of our world since the beginning of time, and they will continue until the time that the last enemy is defeated (1 Cor. 15:26).

So what is our response, as Christ’s body, when these things happen?  First of all, DON’T JUDGE!  DO Encourage.  Do Support.  Do Listen.  Do Be Available.  Do Pray.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. (Phil. 2:3,4)

Peace,

Davina

Platte Bridge Railroad Tragedy. (2016, January 4). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platte_Bridge_Railroad_Tragedy

Spurgeon, C. (1861, September 8). C. H. Spurgeon:: Accidents, Not Punishments. Retrieved from Blue Letter Bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0408.cfm?a=986002

Taiping Rebellion. (2015, December 8). Retrieved from Encyclopedia Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/event/Taiping-Rebellion

The Mendoza Earthquake. (1861, June 30). Retrieved from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/1861/06/30/news/the-mendoza-earthquake.html

 

Ruts ... Revisited

I first posted "Ruts" in August of 2013.  Sometimes it's good to reflect on where we've been - not to worry or dwell on the past - just to reflect; after all, my own self is my only real competitor.  I only need to be better than I was yesterday!

There we were, the four of us, seated around a small contemporary table, in a bustling room filled with professionals, housewives, college kids, and our sales rep, Yazmin.

She really was quite the sales person.  In our two hours at the store, she pulled out all the stops to sell us the most, the latest, and the greatest equipment.  One such device was an iPad, which I had been “needing” because of its cool music apps & recording capabilities.

After much debate with myself, I heard these words come out of my mouth, “If I go ahead and get it, I won’t have any excuse to not spend time in the music room working on my music.”  Ah, the truth.  Sometimes it just flies right out before we realize, doesn’t it?

And isn’t that just the way it is?  Often we are more afraid of success than of failure.  We may be in a rut, but at least we KNOW the rut, and it’s more comfortable than the unknown.  The rut doesn’t require any hard work, any education, or any risk.  But the rut also holds no glory, no promise.

In whatever rut you find yourself, be encouraged.  Get up and get out!

Fast forward now to April 2016.  Have I really gained any ground musically?  Have I studied the art of worship?  Have I practiced to improve my abilities?  Or do I still struggle to get out of my own ruts?  Sad to say, I know what I need to do, and I have great intentions, but too often follow-through is non-existent.

To be transparent, a big part of MY problem is overloading my plate.  I know what I CAN do, and I love to be a help, a hero, the one with the answer, so I take on more than I should - more than I can put my best efforts into.  And it bites me in the rear!

So here's what I've learned to do.  DON'T JUMP IN to new endeavors ... Think about it, discuss it with a trusted friend, pray about it, then repeat!!

When we identify the problem, we are more than halfway to finding the answer!

What about you?  Are you accomplishing the dream that God's put in your heart?  If not, why not?  Do you overload?  Do you sabotage your own success?  Do you struggle with prioritizing?  Or is it something else?

I'd love to read your comments on this; I'd love to know how you're dealing with your setbacks, how you stay motivated.  What are your tactics for setting goals and priorities, and how do you readjust when things don't go as planned?

Thank you for reading, and for sharing! 


Peace,


Davina

Hello from West Texas!

Hello from West Texas, land of hot days and cold nights, Mesquite trees, and rattlesnakes!

Life in Abilene is great; it's wonderful to be on this leg of our adventure with Dad!  I think maybe, finally, I’ve learned to NOT say, “I’ve arrived!” (LOL!)  It IS ironic, though, that almost two years ago, we thought we were DONE with non-profit ministries – FINISHED!  Little did we know, that what Dad had in store for us, was more challenging, more stretching, more frustrating, and more fulfilling, than anything we'd done in the past!

Getting Ready for the Monthly Leading in Life Webinar

A typical day “at the office” is … well, is there such a thing?  We do everything from producing webinars, to running errands!  A picture is worth - you know the saying - so feel free to browse our ministry page, The Institute For Biblical Leadership, leave us a comment, and download a FREE teaching (one of my favorites is Making the Bitter Sweet, recorded just a couple of months ago).

Mark, Setting up our Home

When the work day is done, we enjoy going home to our little paradise, a 5^th wheel travel trailer and a couple of acres just outside of Clyde.  We are planning to build a “barndominium” here, with plenty room to host family and friends!

Our property just outside of Clyde, Texas

While we still miss our dear ones in East Texas, we have met some amazing new friends here.  It’s absolutely mind-boggling to me, just how God brings people together for His purpose, those with whom you have an instant connection and a mutually encouraging relationship!  Iron sharpens iron (Prov. 27:17).  Dad knew that we needed these precious people in our lives.

He always knows.

He always cares.

He always provides.

Thank you SO MUCH for reading my blog.  Soon I plan to start a focused blog of modern-day parables.  (I LOVE seeing the spiritual in the physical world!)  Also, I’m getting back to work on my first book, “They  Called Me Grace.”

Please pray for us, that God will increase our understanding of Him, as well as our influence in our world.  And pray for me, that I’ll stay FOCUSED and ENERGIZED!!

Thank you so much!

Peace,

Davina

GONE FISHING

I've been on a "fishing" expedition for a few weeks. Going through the New Testament looking for the "WHY." Why does God do what He does?

I found a lot of verses that say it's "for His glory," "So that we might become the righteousness of God," and so on...And these verses, in themselves, are PRICELESS!  But I was blown away when I found, what I believe, is THE BIG ONE!!!

"To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; SO THAT THE MANIFOLD WISDOM OF GOD MIGHT NOW BE MADE KNOWN THROUGH THE CHURCH TO THE RULERS AND THE AUTHORITIES IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Ephesians 3:8-11 NASB

Wow!

Talk about being a part of "something bigger than yourself!"  This is HUGE!!  God's divine plan is bigger than I am, bigger than my community, bigger than the whole human race!  It's to SHOW OFF to all the angels, demons, spirits, authorities, rules, powers - everyone and everything - WHO'S BOSS!

Yeah, that's MY DAD!

Peace - Davina

Conviction

I've always been one to question the status quo. It gets me in trouble sometimes. Oh well.

Was in a conversation last night, and was asked, "Don't you believe the Holy Spirit convicts people?" My first response was, "It's the kindness of God that leads us to repentance. Not conviction." (Rom. 2:4)

But this morning I started studying out the word "convict," "conviction," "convicted," etc. I found it once in KJV. John 8:9 - the story of the woman caught in adultery. After Jesus set the religious guys straight, they left, one at a time, each "convicted BY THEIR OWN CONSCIENCE."

Did the same search in NASB. It comes from the word ELEGCHO (same root word as used in Jn. 8:9) meaning "to refute, confute, find fault with, correct, punish."

John 16:8-11. Holy Spirit will CONVICT (CORRECT) the world concerning sin because they do not believe in Jesus. He will CONVICT (CORRECT) the world concerning righteousness because He was going to the Father and the disciples would no longer see Him. He will CONVICT (CORRECT) the world concerning judgment because the ruler of this world HAS BEEN judged. I've heard this passage explained lots of times, and I'm still don't completely "get it," but understanding that CONVICT also means CORRECT makes it more clear. The world has some erroneous views concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. Holy Spirit is CORRECTING those wrong views.

Jude 1:14-15. This is a prophecy of a time when the "Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly..." Same root word as the others. This, to me, sounds not like a "drawing" to God, but a time of punishment.

So do I believe the Holy Spirit CONVICTS people? No, I don't believe He makes us feel guilty or shamed. I believe it's His kindness that leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4).

Luke 19. Zaccheus was a scoundrel. Jesus said, "Come down - I'm eating with you today." It was His kindness that led Zaccheus to say, "I'm giving half of everything I own to the poor. And if I've defrauded anyone, I'll pay them back 4 times!" (I think this it's funny that he said "IF I've defrauded anyone ...")

The only people that Jesus was harsh towards were the religious stuffed shirts. His very presence - the love that exuded from Him - caused demons to fall before Him, sinners to repent, and religious people to become enraged.

Does God want us to quit sinning? YES!! Why? Because sin has consequences that hurt us, not because He, in His holiness, can't look at sin. Who was chasing whom in the garden when Adam sinned? Wasn't God, fully aware of what had happened, going out to walk with Adam, as always?

Your thoughts?

Ritz Crackers and Grace

Recently I opened a new package of toilet paper, and immediately realized that the holes in the rolls are bigger.  Now, that’s a new way of giving the consumer less bang for the buck, or at least it’s new to me.  I’m used to the rolls getting more narrow, and the Ritz cracker stacks getting shorter, but I hadn’t yet seen this one.  I wonder what they’ll come up with next.  Wouldn’t it be great if they spent their time trying to figure out how to give us MORE instead of less?

God does.  Consider GRACE.

“Where sin increased, GRACE abounded all the more!” - Rom. 5:21

“For by GRACE you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” – Eph. 2:8

“..the GRACE of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.” - 1 Ti. 1:14

“For God is able to make all GRACE abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” – 2 Cor. 9:8

“…My GRACE is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness…” – 2 Cor. 12:9

So next time you open a bag of chips that’s 90% air, or notice that your favorite shampoo is only 21 oz. instead of 24, pause & say a prayer of thanks that GRACE is never in short supply!

Consequences, Not Condemnation

Most of us are familiar with Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

So what does this verse mean, exactly?  Well, no condemnation, no fear of hell or eternal damnation, for those who are part of the body of Christ, those who have been baptized into Him by the Holy Spirit (not speaking of water, but spiritual baptism – see 1 Cor. 12:13).

Does this mean that we can all do whatever we want, and there will be no consequences?  Nope.  A consequence is a result of an action.  Remember Newton’s third law that we all learned in school?  For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.  Or in Bible-lingo, we reap what we sow.

How we live while we’re on this earth is largely a result of our own doing.  Yes, there are circumstances that are beyond our control, like where we were born, who our parents were, and so on.  But choices that we make can and do have natural results.

For example, how do we react when we’ve been wronged?  Studies have proven that unforgiveness leads to health problems, such as headaches, backaches, immunity problems, and even cancer.

What about drug abuse?  Some drugs have medicinal uses, but use can quickly turn to abuse and eventually bondage, even for the believer.

I could go on and on, about toxic thinking, overeating, strife, sexual misconduct and perversions, and so on.  But know this:

  1.  We have choices.

  2.  Actions have consequences.

So “let us press on to maturity” (Heb. 6:1).  Let’s take care of ourselves, and stop reaping the consequences of careless living.  Let’s start living the abundant life that Jesus paid for with His own life!

Peace - Davina