The Psalms exhort us to speak of God, exalting His excellencies, proclaiming His wonders for all to hear.
Psalm 9:1 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Thy wonders.
Psalm 35:28 And my tongue shall declare Thy righteousness and Thy praise all day long.
Psalm 71:15 My mouth shall tell of Thy righteousness, and of Thy salvation all day long.
Psalm 96:2-3 Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
Psalm 145:6-7 And men shall speak of the power of Thine awesome acts; and I will tell of Thy greatness. They shall eagerly utter the memory of Thine abundant goodness, and shall shout joyfully of Thy righteousness.
Let's be faithful to eagerly proclaim God's greatness and the salvation that only He can give.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Telling it Like it is
What do you think of when you hear the word witnessing? It is easy to think of it as a planned activity, or even an event or program. I have been thinking about it quite a bit lately. Our church (Believers Fellowship) has declared the next 12 months The Year of the Gospel. I have been reading encouraging and challenging posts at Kelly's Korner.
I have also read about it in Luke. We see three examples of 'witnessing' that are definitely not a planned activity, event, or program. It is just people talking about what God has done in their lives. They simply tell what they know.
In Luke 2 angels appear to the shepherds in the fields, and the shepherds go to Bethlehem and see the newborn babe, the Savior, who is Christ the Lord. But they don't just experience it themselves; they talk about it to others. Verse 17 says, And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. Verse 20 says, And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. The shepherds were eager to speak out of all that they had seen and heard. We need to do the same.
Later in Luke 2 Mary and Joseph brought the child Jesus to the temple to fulfill the customs of the Law, and one of the people they encounter there is Anna. She gave thanks to God for this newborn Messiah, and she (v. 38) continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. We need to continue to speak of Him to those we come in contact with as well.
In Luke 8 Jesus heals a man who had been possessed by a legion of demons. This man wants to accompany Jesus, but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you. God had done great things for every Christian. We need to be faithful to speak of Him to others.
Let's pray for one another, that we would be be bold and faithful in following these examples.
I have also read about it in Luke. We see three examples of 'witnessing' that are definitely not a planned activity, event, or program. It is just people talking about what God has done in their lives. They simply tell what they know.
In Luke 2 angels appear to the shepherds in the fields, and the shepherds go to Bethlehem and see the newborn babe, the Savior, who is Christ the Lord. But they don't just experience it themselves; they talk about it to others. Verse 17 says, And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. Verse 20 says, And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. The shepherds were eager to speak out of all that they had seen and heard. We need to do the same.
Later in Luke 2 Mary and Joseph brought the child Jesus to the temple to fulfill the customs of the Law, and one of the people they encounter there is Anna. She gave thanks to God for this newborn Messiah, and she (v. 38) continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. We need to continue to speak of Him to those we come in contact with as well.
In Luke 8 Jesus heals a man who had been possessed by a legion of demons. This man wants to accompany Jesus, but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you. God had done great things for every Christian. We need to be faithful to speak of Him to others.
Let's pray for one another, that we would be be bold and faithful in following these examples.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Sense and Sensibility: Spiritual Life
We have been using Jane Austen's contrasting images of Sense and Sensibility to gain a better understanding of the first phrase in Titus 2:5, to be sensible (self-controlled, discreet), and to see how we can live this out in various areas of life.
How can we display this quality in our spiritual lives? It may seem like it doesn’t fit, or it would stifle our worship or fervency, but that’s not what God’s word says.
In 1 Corinthians 12-14 Paul addresses some problems in the Corinthian church regarding spiritual gifts and worship. His concluding statement in 14:40 says, But let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner.
In 1 Timothy 4:7 we are instructed: Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness
A woman of sense would be consistent in her practice of the spiritual disciplines, knowing how vital they are to her life. She has a plan for her Bible reading, perhaps journals or keeps a prayer notebook. Her church attendance is regular, and committed. She values the teaching of God’s Word and listens to it attentively. She shows a pattern of spiritual growth in her life.
A woman of sensibility at times will demonstrate a real intensity in her spiritual life. At other times, when she is discouraged or caught up with other pursuits, her walk with the Lord seems empty and shallow. At times like this, she might withdraw from any spiritual activities, until she feels close to the Lord again. Then she will read her Bible and pray, but perhaps with no plan or pattern. Her church attendance and involvement is erratic. She responds to music and teaching with great emotion, but often fails to put what she’s heard into practice.
James 4:8 says, Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
We must pursue our spiritual lives with discipline and consistency, when we feel particularly close to God, and even when we don’t.
This is really the key to displaying this quality in every area of life.
Carolyn Mahaney says, "One behavior, if diligently pursued, will promote self-control (NIV transation) in every area of your life…It is the daily practice of meeting with God…When we meet with God, we can find peace in the midst of trying circumstances, an eternal perspective where we have lost sight of the truth, and power to fight our battle against sin."
Being sensible, consistently demonstrating good judgment and appropriate restraint, is not a personality trait. It is a command from God for us, that we might act in a manner fitting for sound doctrine, and thus bring glory and honor to His Name.
But our personalities might more naturally be like one of the two sisters in Austen's story. So if you naturally tend to be the woman of sense, make sure you are acting not in your own strength, but in the power of the Spirit. Reach out to others with humility and compassion. If you tend to be more emotional and sensitive, pray that God would enable you to be obedient to Him. Seek to let truth lead you rather than your feelings.
It is my prayer that this quality, which is so important to God, would be a growing reality in all our lives.
How can we display this quality in our spiritual lives? It may seem like it doesn’t fit, or it would stifle our worship or fervency, but that’s not what God’s word says.
In 1 Corinthians 12-14 Paul addresses some problems in the Corinthian church regarding spiritual gifts and worship. His concluding statement in 14:40 says, But let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner.
In 1 Timothy 4:7 we are instructed: Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness
A woman of sense would be consistent in her practice of the spiritual disciplines, knowing how vital they are to her life. She has a plan for her Bible reading, perhaps journals or keeps a prayer notebook. Her church attendance is regular, and committed. She values the teaching of God’s Word and listens to it attentively. She shows a pattern of spiritual growth in her life.
A woman of sensibility at times will demonstrate a real intensity in her spiritual life. At other times, when she is discouraged or caught up with other pursuits, her walk with the Lord seems empty and shallow. At times like this, she might withdraw from any spiritual activities, until she feels close to the Lord again. Then she will read her Bible and pray, but perhaps with no plan or pattern. Her church attendance and involvement is erratic. She responds to music and teaching with great emotion, but often fails to put what she’s heard into practice.
James 4:8 says, Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
We must pursue our spiritual lives with discipline and consistency, when we feel particularly close to God, and even when we don’t.
This is really the key to displaying this quality in every area of life.
Carolyn Mahaney says, "One behavior, if diligently pursued, will promote self-control (NIV transation) in every area of your life…It is the daily practice of meeting with God…When we meet with God, we can find peace in the midst of trying circumstances, an eternal perspective where we have lost sight of the truth, and power to fight our battle against sin."
Being sensible, consistently demonstrating good judgment and appropriate restraint, is not a personality trait. It is a command from God for us, that we might act in a manner fitting for sound doctrine, and thus bring glory and honor to His Name.
But our personalities might more naturally be like one of the two sisters in Austen's story. So if you naturally tend to be the woman of sense, make sure you are acting not in your own strength, but in the power of the Spirit. Reach out to others with humility and compassion. If you tend to be more emotional and sensitive, pray that God would enable you to be obedient to Him. Seek to let truth lead you rather than your feelings.
It is my prayer that this quality, which is so important to God, would be a growing reality in all our lives.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Sense and Sensibility: The Heart
The Biblical heart if very different than modern American thinking. In the Bible, the heart is the core of the inner being. It includes our thinking, our emotions, our desires, our will.
Proverbs 4:23: Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.
2 Corinthians 10:5 exhorts us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Philippians 4:8: Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.
Miss Sense takes these commands very seriously. She is continually reining in her thoughts and emotions. When she has a thought or emotion that is not pleasing to the Lord, she puts that thought off, and instead puts on thoughts that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent, and praiseworthy. Or to put it another way—when the video starts playing in her mind, of hurt feelings, or worry, or discouragement, or anger, she hits the eject button. She refuses to let her mind dwell on those things. She takes those thoughts captive by examining them in light of God’s word. She guards her heart. Her emotions may be intense, but she strives to keep them under control.
Miss Sensibility is dominated by her thoughts and emotions. She lets them have free rein. She has quite a video collection, and she views them often. She plays that disc of her hurts over and over again. Every wrong done against her is reviewed, and rewound, and played in slow motion. Those anxious thoughts are fed by her imagination and allowed to build and grow. Her attitude of discouragement is examined and analyzed and cultivated, and prohibits her from carrying out the responsibilities in her life, which only makes her more discouraged. If anyone tries to correct her outlook, she moans, “You just don’t understand”. Her life is one big roller coaster, but she has no intention of getting off.
Ladies, this area of life is so important. Our hearts overflow into our words and actions, so we must take this seriously. Let’s be honest here. We as women are emotional creatures. This is something we all have to deal with.
In her book, Feminine Appeal, Carolyn Mahaney says, "We must understand that our feelings are not authoritative. Just because we feel something doesn’t make it true."
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones has said, "Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself".
We must stop listening to ourselves, and remind ourselves of the truth of God’s Word. We must be sensible.
Proverbs 4:23: Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.
2 Corinthians 10:5 exhorts us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Philippians 4:8: Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.
Miss Sense takes these commands very seriously. She is continually reining in her thoughts and emotions. When she has a thought or emotion that is not pleasing to the Lord, she puts that thought off, and instead puts on thoughts that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent, and praiseworthy. Or to put it another way—when the video starts playing in her mind, of hurt feelings, or worry, or discouragement, or anger, she hits the eject button. She refuses to let her mind dwell on those things. She takes those thoughts captive by examining them in light of God’s word. She guards her heart. Her emotions may be intense, but she strives to keep them under control.
Miss Sensibility is dominated by her thoughts and emotions. She lets them have free rein. She has quite a video collection, and she views them often. She plays that disc of her hurts over and over again. Every wrong done against her is reviewed, and rewound, and played in slow motion. Those anxious thoughts are fed by her imagination and allowed to build and grow. Her attitude of discouragement is examined and analyzed and cultivated, and prohibits her from carrying out the responsibilities in her life, which only makes her more discouraged. If anyone tries to correct her outlook, she moans, “You just don’t understand”. Her life is one big roller coaster, but she has no intention of getting off.
Ladies, this area of life is so important. Our hearts overflow into our words and actions, so we must take this seriously. Let’s be honest here. We as women are emotional creatures. This is something we all have to deal with.
In her book, Feminine Appeal, Carolyn Mahaney says, "We must understand that our feelings are not authoritative. Just because we feel something doesn’t make it true."
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones has said, "Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself".
We must stop listening to ourselves, and remind ourselves of the truth of God’s Word. We must be sensible.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Sense and Sensibility: Speech
Words are powerful--for good or evil, to build up or to tear down, to comfort or to criticize. So it is important that our speech is sensible.
The Bible has much to say about our speech. Luke 6:45 reminds us that our mouths speak from that which fills our hearts. So this is not only a tongue issue, it’s a heart issue. It’s definitely an area where God wants us to demonstrate self-control, to be sensible.
Being sensible in our speech is also what’s best for us.
Proverbs 21:23: He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from troubles.
What does sensible speech look like, or should we say sound like?
Ephesians 4:29: Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.
This verse would describe the pattern of speech for our woman of sense. Certainly she wouldn’t display perfection in this area, but this would characterize her overall manner of speaking.
She would be diligent to guard her tongue.
She would be careful about the timing of her speech.
She would seek to build others up with her words.
She would vigilantly avoid gossip, either giving it or receiving it.
Our woman of sensibility has a favorite verse regarding the tongue as well.
James 3:8: No one can tame the tongue...
So she doesn’t even try; her words flow freely. No one needs to wonder about her emotions; her words make them very clear. She eagerly enjoys the dainty morsels of gossips; she just can’t help herself.
Many verses in Proverbs contrast two opposing images; we could label them sense and sensibility.
Proverbs 10:19: When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable(sensibility), but he who restrains his lips is wise (sense).
Proverbs 12:18: There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of the sword (sensibility), but the tongue of the wise brings healing (sense).
Proverbs 15:1: A gentle answer turns away wrath (sense), but a harsh word stirs up anger (sensibility).
Proverbs 15:28: The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer (sense), but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things (sensibility).
God hears our words before we even say them, so let’s commit to speak in a way that will honor Him. We want to speak sensibly. What verse encourages you to speak sensibly? Please share it in a comment.
The Bible has much to say about our speech. Luke 6:45 reminds us that our mouths speak from that which fills our hearts. So this is not only a tongue issue, it’s a heart issue. It’s definitely an area where God wants us to demonstrate self-control, to be sensible.
Being sensible in our speech is also what’s best for us.
Proverbs 21:23: He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from troubles.
What does sensible speech look like, or should we say sound like?
Ephesians 4:29: Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.
This verse would describe the pattern of speech for our woman of sense. Certainly she wouldn’t display perfection in this area, but this would characterize her overall manner of speaking.
She would be diligent to guard her tongue.
She would be careful about the timing of her speech.
She would seek to build others up with her words.
She would vigilantly avoid gossip, either giving it or receiving it.
Our woman of sensibility has a favorite verse regarding the tongue as well.
James 3:8: No one can tame the tongue...
So she doesn’t even try; her words flow freely. No one needs to wonder about her emotions; her words make them very clear. She eagerly enjoys the dainty morsels of gossips; she just can’t help herself.
Many verses in Proverbs contrast two opposing images; we could label them sense and sensibility.
Proverbs 10:19: When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable(sensibility), but he who restrains his lips is wise (sense).
Proverbs 12:18: There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of the sword (sensibility), but the tongue of the wise brings healing (sense).
Proverbs 15:1: A gentle answer turns away wrath (sense), but a harsh word stirs up anger (sensibility).
Proverbs 15:28: The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer (sense), but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things (sensibility).
God hears our words before we even say them, so let’s commit to speak in a way that will honor Him. We want to speak sensibly. What verse encourages you to speak sensibly? Please share it in a comment.
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