The Savage Five

Sin causes us to avoid or even to be fearful of intimacy in relationships.  Our relationship with God is dependent upon our ability to face our fears and see our sin for what it is-- destructive and disruptive to true intimacy.   Sin produces avoidance behavior in our relationships.   Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray,  we've turned everyone to his own way.... When sin was first conceived in the garden , Adam and Eve turned to their own way.  They saw their own way as better than the confines of God's commands that were meant to protect their innocence. The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.  But the LORD God warned him, "You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden except — the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die."    Once they had disobeyed God, Adam and Eve tried to avoid being seen by God because of the  kn...

Sunday morning arrived with the fresh dew of what seemed like spring and as I made my breakfast I had every intention of reading the passage of scripture that I needed to review for the children's class that I would teach at the 11o'clock service. I missed my opportunity, as the morning progressed, without my permission, before I knew it there was no time left.   As I sat down for the first service lesson, my Pastor began to teach on the very passage of scripture that I had prepared for the children's class a few weeks prior.  I grinned as he announced the first scripture reference as Genesis 3:8-15 , the exact passage that I needed to review!   "Sin complicates and convelutes everything."   My lesson for that morning was on sin!  Humorously, it seems that every time that I teach the children's class on Sunday morning I am teaching on sin.  But God is His sovereign grace, sat me down to teach me and expand my understanding before teachi...

Death is an ugly part of life.  Lives are fragile and can be taken without notice.  How do we respond as believers to the need to share Christ with our unbelieving family members?  Do we put it off?  Thinking that we will always have another opportunity?   Paul exhorts us in Colossians 4:2-4 to continue to pray and ask others to pray. Continue steadfastly in prayer,  being watchful in it with thanksgiving.   At the same time, pray also for us,  that God may open to us a door for the word,  to declare the mystery of Christ,  on account of which I am in prison--  that I may make it clear,  which is how I ought to speak.   Before my husband was a Christian, I would ask anyone and everyone that I met that was a Christian to pray for him.  I would unabashedly ask the parents on the soccer field as soon as I found out that they were Christians, classmates, teachers, etc.  I literally asked anyo...

My 17 year old cat died over Thanksgiving weekend and although she lived a long full life she left a vacancy in our hearts.   The morning following my cat's death I had an unusual visitor on my pillow for the next two mornings.  My calico cat, who is young and healthy, laid on the top of my pillow purring.  I couldn't help but remember how my cats from my childhood would do the same thing and how if brought me so much comfort. I don't' know why I am always surprised when the Lord uses ordinary things to comfort us. Jesus himself said,   "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."   Jeremiah 31:13 Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,  and the young men and the old shall be merry.   I will turn their mourning into joy;  I will comfort them,  and give them gladness for sorrow.   2 Corinthians 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  the Father of mercies ...

Have you ever noticed all of the large rocks in a river or creek bed?  Water has the capability to move large rocks even boulders.  As the water flows over the rocks they become smooth due to erosion.  When a large amount of water flows through a river or creek it has the ability to overturn and displace these large obstructions. Much like a river bed our hearts accumulate large obstructions that hinder the flow of God's Spirit.  There are a variety of things that can ultimately hinder the movement of the Spirit of God in our lives.  There are also many things that can take up residence under these obstructions. I was walking through a creek bed with my youngest son this week looking for salamanders in a vernal pool.  A vernal pool is one in which the flow of water has stopped and little pockets or pools remain where animals can find refuge without being washed away.  Salamanders and other creatures like the spider I found, bank on this lack of m...

... UNLESS For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.    The scribes and Pharisees played the part of external righteousness.  Their appearance and behavior was aimed to please others and themselves so that they would gain approval, respect and control. But Jesus is saying that our righteousness must exceed or go beyond appearances. Jesus is saying that the reality of the kingdom must be present in the internal space of our hearts. What is happening on the inside of you?  Have you taken inventory of your heart lately?  Are you at rest or restless?  What are we thinking about?  How are you thinking of others?   All of these questions can give us insight into the domain of our hearts.  A domain is an area of territory owned or controlled by a ruler or government.  "The heart is the domain of the kingdom of God." Rande Greene  ...

On Sunday, my pastor taught from the Sermon on the Mount .   These messages reveal practical kingdom living and obedience to the King. He said that Jesus revealed kingdom righteousness as he spoke to his disciples and  a set of principles were brought to light that have the power to form an inward reality of the heart. As our minds are renewed by Jesus' teachings, our hearts are  conformed to a kingdom reality that resonates into a spiritual life reflective of the kingdom of God. Resonance is defined as: The quality in a sound of being deep, full and reverberating. That is kingdom living!  A life of depth and fullness in the presence of God that reverberates for all to hear!  Our lives should echo our King!  As we peer into His vastness, as someone peering into the grand canyon, we shout and our voice reverberates against His greatness!  We lean in and we get a sense of our smallness. Our lives are to be instruments, strung in tune with t...