I love VBS, though I think it's for different reasons than most people.
Today is the last day of it at our church this year, and I'm so sad that it's over. We do ours from 9-12 in the morning Monday – Friday, and being that it is during typical business hours, we have an amazing number of workers. Our church has been averaging a little over 200 kids each day and 100 workers. That's a lot of dedication, and that's what I love best.
I see VBS, not as just an outreach and learning time for the children, but a time where the church body shines as it should. We get to see each other everyday for nearly a week, and thus become closer. The people are happy and cheerful. Perhaps it's because we feel we can act more child-like and not put on the “church-y” demeanor we usually do. I love seeing the elderly serving snacks and refreshments, the passion of the teachers, the energy of the recreation leaders, the dedication of the music leaders, the willingness of the youth to help where needed, and the humility of our pastoral staff (I'll post some proof/blackmail later!).
I love it all- and it makes me long for more! My heart aches, and wistfully I am reminded of the young church in Acts 2:46-47. “And every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.” That sounds like a really good VBS...
Vacation Bible School, to me, is tiny glimpse of what our heavenly worship with one another to our God will be. And by the way, the theme will be Paradise!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Please Pray
Today is a very big day.
There are several very important things going on in my life today as well of some of my closest friends. A family member will find out what stage of cancer they are in, as well as if there are other factors or illnesses to deal with. I have a friend who is making some major changes in her life, and today is a key day. Another friend's one year old son is having surgery. Yet, another friend is hoping to hear if she got a job she interviewed for and really needs. And, I just found out some disturbing news last night about one of my children as well.
There is nothing better to do today than pray. Will you please join me? God knows the details better than I, so just lay it all before Him.
Here are a few verses on prayer. There is nothing like praying the Word, by the power and encouragement of the Word.
Psalm 18:6 “I called to the Lord in my distress, and I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry reached His ear.”
Matthew 18:19-20 “Again I assure you: If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.”
Luke 18:1 “He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not become discouraged.”
2 Corinthians 1:11 “And you can join in helping with prayer for us, so that thanks may be given by many on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.”
James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful.”
Thank you all.
There are several very important things going on in my life today as well of some of my closest friends. A family member will find out what stage of cancer they are in, as well as if there are other factors or illnesses to deal with. I have a friend who is making some major changes in her life, and today is a key day. Another friend's one year old son is having surgery. Yet, another friend is hoping to hear if she got a job she interviewed for and really needs. And, I just found out some disturbing news last night about one of my children as well.
There is nothing better to do today than pray. Will you please join me? God knows the details better than I, so just lay it all before Him.
Here are a few verses on prayer. There is nothing like praying the Word, by the power and encouragement of the Word.
Psalm 18:6 “I called to the Lord in my distress, and I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry reached His ear.”
Matthew 18:19-20 “Again I assure you: If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.”
Luke 18:1 “He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not become discouraged.”
2 Corinthians 1:11 “And you can join in helping with prayer for us, so that thanks may be given by many on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.”
James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful.”
Thank you all.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Dreaming
Why do we ask children what they want to be when they grow up? Because they are good at dreaming and making long term goals. Now, I know adults do as well, but there is something special about the way in which children do it. My friend and I were talking about the difference, and agreed that it was because children are not jaded by reality and "can not"s. They are free to dream. They have no preconceived notions about how the world works and what is acceptable or expected. They are invincible.
As a child, I use to dream of being a truck driver. Don't laugh. Well, not too much. To me, truck drivers were people who saw the world. They traveled everywhere. That desire and dream for me to travel is still there. I have the feeling that one day it will be fulfilled, though not in the way I first imagined it.
What do we as adults do though, when the dreams we had as a child have been fulfilled, perhaps even completed, and we are left wondering, “Now what?” Well, we know that God knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11), and that His goal for us is not complete until we have breathed our last.
As I started thinking this over today, a few Scriptures came to mind.
“Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
Perhaps when we have fulfilled the goals set before us by the Lord, and we are still alive, it is time to rest and delight in Him. The amazing thing is that as we are focused solely on God, He begins to fill our heart with the desires that please Him, and make them our own. We then begin to have new dreams and goals, I think, as God plants those new desires in our hearts. Remember, He wants to give us the desires of our heart, so He'll put them there if we leave it open to Him. This most likely won't happen very quickly, so keep delighting in Him. You'll wake up one day and know.
It's really hard to get over being an adult. We know too much, to be honest. We don't have the bliss of ignorance. Some of the other verses that came to mind were Matthew 18:2-5. This is the passage where Jesus takes a small child and says that we must become like children, and welcome children. I believe it is also good to think of this in reference to our dreams and goals too. Believe me, it takes a child-like faith to dream as big as we know God can bless and use us!
Think about your aspirations today. Do they match up with what God is doing in your life? Are you still waiting with a child-like faith, or have you seen them completed? Read Matthew 18:2-5 and Philippians 3:12-14, then go over your dreams, or being planning them, with God today.
As a child, I use to dream of being a truck driver. Don't laugh. Well, not too much. To me, truck drivers were people who saw the world. They traveled everywhere. That desire and dream for me to travel is still there. I have the feeling that one day it will be fulfilled, though not in the way I first imagined it.
What do we as adults do though, when the dreams we had as a child have been fulfilled, perhaps even completed, and we are left wondering, “Now what?” Well, we know that God knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11), and that His goal for us is not complete until we have breathed our last.
As I started thinking this over today, a few Scriptures came to mind.
“Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
Perhaps when we have fulfilled the goals set before us by the Lord, and we are still alive, it is time to rest and delight in Him. The amazing thing is that as we are focused solely on God, He begins to fill our heart with the desires that please Him, and make them our own. We then begin to have new dreams and goals, I think, as God plants those new desires in our hearts. Remember, He wants to give us the desires of our heart, so He'll put them there if we leave it open to Him. This most likely won't happen very quickly, so keep delighting in Him. You'll wake up one day and know.
It's really hard to get over being an adult. We know too much, to be honest. We don't have the bliss of ignorance. Some of the other verses that came to mind were Matthew 18:2-5. This is the passage where Jesus takes a small child and says that we must become like children, and welcome children. I believe it is also good to think of this in reference to our dreams and goals too. Believe me, it takes a child-like faith to dream as big as we know God can bless and use us!
Think about your aspirations today. Do they match up with what God is doing in your life? Are you still waiting with a child-like faith, or have you seen them completed? Read Matthew 18:2-5 and Philippians 3:12-14, then go over your dreams, or being planning them, with God today.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
No Shadow
James 1:17 has been stuck in my head the last few days. Particularly the last portion of the verse. “Every generous act and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning.”
With Him, the Father of lights, there is no variation or shadow cast by turning... What an interesting thing to say. So, God is the essence of light and things that are right. And, if so, then no matter which way He turns or directs things, they are still perfect and right. They are in full light, and light exposes things. Let's take a look at this in a larger context...
James 1:16-18
“Don't be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. Every generous act and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be firstfruits of His creation.”
I believe some of the heresies of their time were saying that God never meant for Jesus to be killed on the cross, but that He used it to His advantage. That's NOT the way God works. “By His own choice...” did He allow the death of His Son for His perfect plan. I wonder if the reason James said that there could never be any variation or shadow cast by turning, is because no matter in which light you try to turn the Gospel by, in order for it to fit what you want to believe, you can't find a shadow to support it. It is pure light, and that light will expose any impurities you are trying to place on it. There is no darkness in the plan of salvation. It may look dark at times to us. We can't understand how God could allow that to be done to His own Son, or why Jesus willingly endured what He did for us, but it is all pure. It was all right.
Have you ever looked at a very bright light for too long? Our eyes begin to develop a dark spot on it. We can't focus on pure light with our human eyes without seeing a shadow that really isn't there. That's the same way it is with God. His light does not have any darkness in it though we may see it that way at times. We must have faith in Him that He remains pure light. That's where the encouragement of others comes in. They may not have developed the same “dark” areas we have when looking at God and can help guide us through them. We are to strengthen and encourage one another. That means there are times when you need to be strengthened, so accept it. That also mean there are times when you need to be the one encouraging others. Don't shirk the responsibility. They need you.
Where are you today? Do you need to see past the spots in your eyes, or help others through theirs?
With Him, the Father of lights, there is no variation or shadow cast by turning... What an interesting thing to say. So, God is the essence of light and things that are right. And, if so, then no matter which way He turns or directs things, they are still perfect and right. They are in full light, and light exposes things. Let's take a look at this in a larger context...
James 1:16-18
“Don't be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. Every generous act and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be firstfruits of His creation.”
I believe some of the heresies of their time were saying that God never meant for Jesus to be killed on the cross, but that He used it to His advantage. That's NOT the way God works. “By His own choice...” did He allow the death of His Son for His perfect plan. I wonder if the reason James said that there could never be any variation or shadow cast by turning, is because no matter in which light you try to turn the Gospel by, in order for it to fit what you want to believe, you can't find a shadow to support it. It is pure light, and that light will expose any impurities you are trying to place on it. There is no darkness in the plan of salvation. It may look dark at times to us. We can't understand how God could allow that to be done to His own Son, or why Jesus willingly endured what He did for us, but it is all pure. It was all right.
Have you ever looked at a very bright light for too long? Our eyes begin to develop a dark spot on it. We can't focus on pure light with our human eyes without seeing a shadow that really isn't there. That's the same way it is with God. His light does not have any darkness in it though we may see it that way at times. We must have faith in Him that He remains pure light. That's where the encouragement of others comes in. They may not have developed the same “dark” areas we have when looking at God and can help guide us through them. We are to strengthen and encourage one another. That means there are times when you need to be strengthened, so accept it. That also mean there are times when you need to be the one encouraging others. Don't shirk the responsibility. They need you.
Where are you today? Do you need to see past the spots in your eyes, or help others through theirs?
Monday, June 1, 2009
Bed
Kevin laughs at me because every once in a while when we are going to bed, I stretch out and snuggle down while softly saying, “Mmm... Bed.” I love bed. It just feels so good. I thank God for my soft mattress, clean sheets, and warm blankets. When I'm tired nothing feels better.
The last few nights though, as I laid down, I wondered what took me so long to get there. I love the feeling of relaxing and going to sleep. So, why do I continue to stay up later and later doing nothing very important most of the time. I keep putting off going to bed until I'm too tired to enjoy it. Why?
Then I wondered why I also keep putting off my quiet time with God. Oh, I talk to Him everyday and study often, I just don't get the down time with Him that I long for. Why? No good reason. Just busyness.
So, today I'm cutting this short. I'm going to spend some alone time with God and then enjoy going to bed. Why don't you do the same?
The last few nights though, as I laid down, I wondered what took me so long to get there. I love the feeling of relaxing and going to sleep. So, why do I continue to stay up later and later doing nothing very important most of the time. I keep putting off going to bed until I'm too tired to enjoy it. Why?
Then I wondered why I also keep putting off my quiet time with God. Oh, I talk to Him everyday and study often, I just don't get the down time with Him that I long for. Why? No good reason. Just busyness.
So, today I'm cutting this short. I'm going to spend some alone time with God and then enjoy going to bed. Why don't you do the same?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
The Lost
Have you ever sobbed for the lost? I'm not talking about for those you love who have not accepted the gift of salvation that Jesus offers us. I'm talking about ALL the lost. Have you ever been in a crowd of people, or driving down the road, and been suddenly burdened for their lost-ness? Not a tear or two rolling down the cheek either. I mean chest-heaving, gut-wrenching sobbing. It hasn't happened to me often, but it was very memorable. And painful. I can't imagine how heart-breaking it must be for Jesus.
It makes me think of John 11:33, 35. “When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, He was angry in His spirit and deeply moved.... Jesus wept.” It is believed that the reason Jesus wept here was not over the fact that just Lazarus had died, but over the sin's tyranny and death because of the strong meanings behind the word translated as angry. He was overcome with frustration, anger, and sadness from sins effects. That's what being lost is. Clinging to sin instead of Christ.
I want to challenge you today to ask, and allow, God to place that burden on your heart. It's so heavy that we can not live with it at all times and function I believe, but it is a very beneficial experience. It gave me a stronger drive and urgency to reach the lost. It helped me to love them as God would have me. It gave me a compassion for them I didn't know could exist.
It makes me think of John 11:33, 35. “When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, He was angry in His spirit and deeply moved.... Jesus wept.” It is believed that the reason Jesus wept here was not over the fact that just Lazarus had died, but over the sin's tyranny and death because of the strong meanings behind the word translated as angry. He was overcome with frustration, anger, and sadness from sins effects. That's what being lost is. Clinging to sin instead of Christ.
I want to challenge you today to ask, and allow, God to place that burden on your heart. It's so heavy that we can not live with it at all times and function I believe, but it is a very beneficial experience. It gave me a stronger drive and urgency to reach the lost. It helped me to love them as God would have me. It gave me a compassion for them I didn't know could exist.
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