Month: January 2018

Progressive Dinners {1.27.18}

On By Leslie AnnIn Christian5 Comments

As I lay in bed last night before sleep, I began praising and thanking God. One praise was for the blessing of new relationships with other believers. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to meet with fellow Christians and discuss God’s Word and how He is working in our lives. I began thinking about the Bible study class I am in with a wonderful group of ladies. We meet for one hour each week during Sunday School. We have been meeting together for a few years now. As I was going back through our studies of the past year or so, I had to thank God for the journey He has taken us on. It seems like one study grew us right into another on a closer and more active walk with God. While I was praising God for that and His immense love, patience and grace, He put a thought into my head of progressive dinners. progressive dinner

Have you ever experienced a progressive dinner? You start out at someone’s home with maybe an appetizer. You eat, drink and get to know each other a little better. Then you move onto another home. Maybe this one is a salad or soup. You sit down with everyone and again, eat, drink and share life. Then after a bit, you move on again – to the main course this time. Same thing, you enjoy dinner, conversing with one another. Finally you end up the meeting at another home where dessert is served – the pièce de résistance– a sweet ending for the night. More conversation ensues and by the end of the night, you know much more about each other than when you started. You are fully satisfied from an evening well spent.

God showed me that just like my Bible study group’s journey, our Christian walk is kind of like a progressive dinner. We begin when we admit we are sinners in need of a savior. We believe in God, that His Word is truth, and accept the gift of salvation offered to all who put their trust in Jesus Christ. But, salvation is not the end of the journey, it is only the beginning. It’s like the appetizer. Then as we head on our journey down that narrow path, it’s kind of like when you are driving to the next home for your entrée or main course. Through the reading and teaching of God’s Word, fellowship, encouragement and accountability of other believers, we grow and become fully satisfied as if we had a delicious meal. All the time remembering that we are not on this journey alone. Others are walking with us toward our destination.  We reach heaven – the sweet ending to our journey, the dessert course so to speak. home in heavenHowever, this is not the end at all – it’s just the beginning of eternity. How sweet it is to be loved by Jesus!

Philippians 2:12-13 “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

At first I thought this “progressive dinner” term was kind of strange but then as I thought of all the references of bread, milk, etc. in scriptures, it’s not strange at all. Walking out our faith (salvation) is like life itself. As babies we begin on milk and then as we grow and mature, we eat more substantial food.

 Matthew 4:4 “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

 1 Peter 2:2-3 “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

 Hebrews 5:12-14 “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!  Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

 I will never view progressive dinners the same way again.  God has placed a feast in front of us. I want to enjoy the entire meal, the company I am journeying with and get to the sweet, sweet ending!

Slow Down – You Move Too Fast {1.24.18}

On By Leslie AnnIn Christian3 Comments

Does this title bring to your mind a song from the past? Does “Feelin’Groovy” sound familiar? This is what came to my mind the other day as I was reading. I love to read. I think I always have, ever since I learned how.reading little girl And I love to read a book that I can hold in my hand. That sounds pretty funny coming from a person who writes a blog that people read on-line. But, hey – I’m keeping it real. If I’m reading a novel, the bigger the better. Or better yet, a series of books. I like something I can really get my teeth into and rest a while. My Mom on the other hand likes small, short books she can get through quickly. We are all uniquely made in more ways than one.

When our kids were growing up I had little time to read but now that we’re empty nesters It’s a non-issue. Now my only problem is that I can get so lost in reading that nothing else gets done. Does the word dust bunny come to mind? So, I have to take breaks from reading and make myself focus on other things (like quilting for instance). Hobbies – aren’t they wonderful? [side note: I really do manage to get chores done too.]

One book I don’t take a break from though is the Bible. It’s a book you can really get your teeth into. It’s a book that can really get its teeth into you. It’s a book you can read and re-read and never get bored. You can find something new speaking to you each time. The problem for me is that I tend to go too fast. I am a fast reader but often I have to go back and reread something because it didn’t stick in my brain. reading womanThis was brought to my attention again the other day when I once more came across the term “meditation” in a book I am reading. We’ve all heard the word and sometimes we get a mental picture of someone in a yoga class closing their eyes, crossing their legs and chanting. That’s not what either the author of my book or God mean when they use the term. In my book, it says that Biblical meditation means taking a verse of the Bible and seriously pondering its meaning, thinking through what it means in our lives and situations today. It’s applying God’s truth to our lives and allowing Him to speak to us through it. Not only is it to meditate on His Word but to meditate on what He has done in our lives. How He has proved Himself faithful, over and over again, to all whose trust is in Him.

So, as we are at the beginning of a new year, I am committed to meditating on God’s Word and writing down truths He speaks to me. Prayer and reading go hand in hand. It’s a two-way communication with the creator of all, the I Am, The Lord. When I find myself moving too fast when reading, I’ll sing that song to myself and slow down. I pray that God shows you all a time when you can sit with Him and read His love letter to us all – the Bible. God Bless!

AGE – It’s only a Number {1.16.18}

On By Leslie AnnIn Christian3 Comments

Have you ever thought you (or someone else) was too young or too old? Too young to know, understand or do? Too old to dream, make a difference or contribute? I think that maybe we put entirely too much emphasis on age. As I began my annual journey of reading through the Bible this January, I was once again struck by the ages of people whom God used to effect change in the world – for His Glory and His Purpose. It doesn’t seem to matter to God what a person’s age in years is. It doesn’t seem to matter to God what station or situation in life in which a person lives. AGEGod uses all kinds of people in all ages, stations and situations in life. He chooses how to use each of us according to His plan for our lives and His working in our lives. He created us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. So, I ask myself…why would I ever doubt that God could do something for His Kingdom using me? I had a friend tell me once that if God can use a donkey, He can certainly use me. Don’t worry, I wasn’t offended by being categorized with a donkey. I got her message loud and clear and it has encouraged me many times over the years.

While I was thinking about this “age” thing, I started to remember all the different aged people God used to bring about His Will in His Time. Reminding myself that some of these things took many years. We are not very patient as a world today, are we? We are so used to immediate communication, gratification, etc. that we don’t like to wait for anything or anyone. But, some things just take time and we can trust that God knows the right time.

Here are few examples of young people God used for His purposes (in no particular order):

Boy Reading the holy bible·         John 6:8 (God used a little boy with 2 fish and 5 loaves to feed over 5,000 people – a lesson for His disciples and everyone else then and now)

·         1 Timothy 4:11-14 (Timothy, a young messenger of God)

·         2 Kings 22:1-2 (King Josiah – age 8! The scriptures say he was upright before the Lord)

·         David – a young shepherd boy who became King (and yes…that was a long time coming)

·         Samuel – a young boy dedicated to God and hearing from God in a special way

·         Joseph – his story and purpose took years to fulfill

·         Mary, Mother of Jesus – a teenager who bore the Christ Child

·         Esther – another teenager (an orphan who became queen and was used by God to save her people)

And what about old (or should I say elderly) people? Some seemed to begin their ministry at an age where nowadays we might think their usefulness was close to being over – NOT SO WITH GOD! He says in Psalm 92:14 “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.”Bible - old hands

·         Abraham and Sarah are great examples. Talk about having children late in life – this was really pushing it to the extreme. But remember, with GOD, nothing is impossible! After all, He is the creator. He can certainly recreate something any time He wants!

·         Moses – I love the story of Moses because we can see (with the benefit of scriptures) how his story unfolds from birth to end. He didn’t know the full impact of his life as he submitted to God. It’s in looking back through our lives that we see what God has done – even with us (broken vessels as we are).

·         Noah – This is a wonderful story of trusting in God when not only do you not see, you can’t even comprehend. Remember, it had never rained yet. He didn’t know how God would accomplish what He said, he couldn’t imagine it. He trusted anyway.

·         Joshua – God told him, “You are very old…” but there is still much to do and I want to do it through you.

·         Anna (the prophetess) – She was very old but worshipped God day and night with fasting and praying. God blessed her with seeing the Christ child – Jesus.

So, does age really matter?  Not to God. What matters to Him is whether we are fully committed and submitted to Him.age 2 Nothing is too small (no one is too young) and nothing is too large (no one is too old) to be used by God in a mighty way. The real question is…will we allow Him to guide, direct and use us for His glory and His kingdom? Or, do we just want to keep to ourselves until Jesus returns? It’s a serious question I must ask myself every day and maybe you should too.

I hope as you read scriptures you will notice the young and old God used and remember that He can use you too! If you have a dream that you think is well past or too far out of reach – pray about it. It just might be that God has given you that dream and is waiting for you step out in faith so He can fulfill it through you.

I will end with a couple of scriptures for us to ponder.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.”

Acts 2:17-18 “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”

It’s never too early or too late to be used by God. Let’s remember – nothing is impossible where God is concerned. Have a blessed day and don’t forget to be a blessing to someone else.

Out on a Limb {1.6.18}

On By Leslie AnnIn Christian2 Comments

Have you ever felt like you went “out on a limb”?

I know what I think of when I use or hear that phrase, but I wanted to look it up to see what the dictionary said. Here goes…

–          Difficult, awkward or vulnerable position; take a risk or act boldly and uncompromisingly

Yep, that’s what I thought.

There have been times in my past where I have gone “out on a limb” and wondered if I’d end up hanging myself so to speak. Other times I have gone “out on a limb” for someone else. One thing is for sure – you must be committed to it, whatever it is. Sometimes we do it simply because it’s the right thing to do. Sometimes we do it because someone asked us to or we want to help them. Sometimes we just act or speak too quickly and then regret it. Even been there?out on limb - cartoon

Recently I went “out on a limb” for God. We were having a house built and I felt very strongly that I should pray over the house but also write scriptures on the wall boards and floor as it was framed. So, I mentioned it to my husband and we both agreed that we should do that. I shared about it in a previous post that you can read by clicking here. We ended up with 29 scriptures throughout the house and I kept a listing of each one and where it was located. We felt good about that (pride?). We even got a few positive comments from people who were in and out during construction. However, I had not thought through the negative possibilities (at least they seem negative when they come at you). Look at the definition above one more time. It says boldly and uncompromisingly. No turning back. It/You are “out there” now.

While we had boldly identified ourselves with God and as followers of Jesus, we had no idea of the many times throughout this building process that we would be called upon to “walk the talk” or “walk the writings”. It seemed like if it could go wrong, it did. Don’t get me wrong, we love our new home but let’s just say that things did not go according to plan (or the plans as drawn up). Repeatedly we have had temptations to show either ourselves and our own inclinations (act ugly) or act Christ-like. I wish I could say that we always acted and reacted in a Christ-like manner, but I know we didn’t. Even if it was just among ourselves or our family members, we found ourselves frustrated and acting as such. I just hope our witness was not damaged and that God and Christ were somehow glorified in and through it all. We’re moved in but things still aren’t done so the challenges and temptations are still here. The good news is that we are very much aware of it. A lot of prayers have and are going up during this process and that’s always a good thing. out on limb-mark twain

So, as a warning to myself and all of you, the next time you go ““out on a limb””, expect to be challenged. The good news is that if we stay on the limb, attached to THE VINE, we’ll get through it and hopefully grow through it. Jesus says it best in John 15 (see below).

John 15:1-5 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”