Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
This is late because...I can't find my spiral notebook. I thought it was in my purse, as I pull it out at odd times to study, but...no. And I'm extremely frustrated. I sincerely hope it hasn't fallen out in some odd place; but it patently isn't in any of the places I rather thought it might be.
Of course we have been moving and shifting stuff around quite a bit in the last few weeks, so, well, it could be in an unaccustomed spot.
But I have picked out the last verse of the 2015 Siesta Scripture Memory Team challenge and have decided to go ahead and post and add it to the spiral as soon as I find it.
Gal 6: 9, NIV 84:
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Simple and familiar and yet...not something I've not really committed to memory.
But it is a verse that has been knocking around the edges of my spirit in the past few days, as 2015 is winding down and wrapping up and I'm starting to turn my thoughts to 2016...what is it going to be? If 2015 was a year of New Beginnings, what is going to be the theme of the new year?
What I keep hearing is 'growth'...the seed is planted, now it's time to push into it, keep at it, nurture and grow what began.
I'm not really sure what exactly that's going to look like, but it is something to ponder and pray over as we pause for the celebration of the holidays and the turning of the calendar to a new year.
But this is definitely a word to carry forward....Don't grow weary...don't give up.
Showing posts with label SSMT 2015. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SSMT 2015. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
SSMT # 21 - Col. 3:12
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
I pondered my verse for today...read a bit in Genesis, read a bit in Galatians, a bit in Ephesians, and ended up in Colossians, where I found another verse that struck a chord with me.
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. -- Col. 3:12
I'm probably not the only one who is appalled at the strident, combative, petty and downright ridiculous things that are being attributed to folks who call themselves Christians. I'll be honest, I wonder if some of that crazy stuff isn't being propagated purely by internet trolls just to provoke controversy and drama.
And yet, those folks are becoming the face of modern Christianity to many who live in areas where, to quote one person who posted on a craft-based discussion board, they've 'never actually met anyone who believes in the christian god.'
Yes. Right here in the United States. Never MET ANYONE who believes...so how would they know that the crazies, the trolls, the folks who live for controversy, are not a true representation of those who follow Christ?
Counterfeiting is a common strategy of warfare.
So, my beloved friend, what is our counter to that?
Colossians 3:12.
Remember, the opposite of holy is not evil...the opposite of holy is ordinary.
We are to be wise, yes. We are to be strong, yes. We are to be holy, yes. But we are also to be compassionate, kind, humble...all those other things that Christ was, even as He uncompromisingly stood for what God declared to be right and true.
If people recognized Christians by their likeness to Christ, and not by their rhetoric or indignant reactions to people who truly know no better...how much more impact would the good news of Christ have on those who do not even recognize the darkness in which they live?
Compassion. Kindness. Humility. Gentleness. Patience.
Oy. What if I leaned into Christ to develop those things in my life, instead of asking Him to grant me favor or answer prayers for provision or achievement or or or...
God, I confess that I am inherently selfish and short-sighted. I plan my life around my security and my comfort, when there are so many who have neither. Teach me, Lord, to show YOUR attributes, and take away the fear that shies away from them.
I pondered my verse for today...read a bit in Genesis, read a bit in Galatians, a bit in Ephesians, and ended up in Colossians, where I found another verse that struck a chord with me.
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. -- Col. 3:12
I'm probably not the only one who is appalled at the strident, combative, petty and downright ridiculous things that are being attributed to folks who call themselves Christians. I'll be honest, I wonder if some of that crazy stuff isn't being propagated purely by internet trolls just to provoke controversy and drama.
And yet, those folks are becoming the face of modern Christianity to many who live in areas where, to quote one person who posted on a craft-based discussion board, they've 'never actually met anyone who believes in the christian god.'
Yes. Right here in the United States. Never MET ANYONE who believes...so how would they know that the crazies, the trolls, the folks who live for controversy, are not a true representation of those who follow Christ?
Counterfeiting is a common strategy of warfare.
So, my beloved friend, what is our counter to that?
Colossians 3:12.
Remember, the opposite of holy is not evil...the opposite of holy is ordinary.
We are to be wise, yes. We are to be strong, yes. We are to be holy, yes. But we are also to be compassionate, kind, humble...all those other things that Christ was, even as He uncompromisingly stood for what God declared to be right and true.
If people recognized Christians by their likeness to Christ, and not by their rhetoric or indignant reactions to people who truly know no better...how much more impact would the good news of Christ have on those who do not even recognize the darkness in which they live?
Compassion. Kindness. Humility. Gentleness. Patience.
Oy. What if I leaned into Christ to develop those things in my life, instead of asking Him to grant me favor or answer prayers for provision or achievement or or or...
God, I confess that I am inherently selfish and short-sighted. I plan my life around my security and my comfort, when there are so many who have neither. Teach me, Lord, to show YOUR attributes, and take away the fear that shies away from them.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
SSMT Verse 20: Col. 4:5 - 6
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Yes, this one's two days late. And I wasn't going to blog about this week's verse...I didn't write up verse 19, being up to the ears in a mess...but the verse that presented itself for memorization this week struck such a chord that I just had to say a little about it....
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer every one. -- Colossians 4:5-6, NIV84
Now, I'm not going to repeat what is being stated vehemently by many folks.
And there is vehement declaration being made by two different...dare I say opposing...factions.
And, to be sure, both sides have merit in their positions.
Which means the right way is going to lie somewhere in the tension between the two extremes.
Be wise.
Make the most of every opportunity.
Present grace...seasoned with salt, to be sure, but grace nonetheless...in every answer.
With wisdom.
And that ain't gonna come by figuring anything out. That will only come from the Spirit of Wisdom.
Which is also the Spirit of Grace.
Grace with wisdom is not easy. It is not obvious. It is not...natural to the human spirit.
And I'm going to be pondering this in my own spirit, because I have to admit understanding it is beyond me. I don't know that I have the capability to walk it out. I probably don't.
But, with God...all things are possible.
Even speaking and acting on grace with wisdom.
Yes, this one's two days late. And I wasn't going to blog about this week's verse...I didn't write up verse 19, being up to the ears in a mess...but the verse that presented itself for memorization this week struck such a chord that I just had to say a little about it....
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer every one. -- Colossians 4:5-6, NIV84
Now, I'm not going to repeat what is being stated vehemently by many folks.
And there is vehement declaration being made by two different...dare I say opposing...factions.
And, to be sure, both sides have merit in their positions.
Which means the right way is going to lie somewhere in the tension between the two extremes.
Be wise.
Make the most of every opportunity.
Present grace...seasoned with salt, to be sure, but grace nonetheless...in every answer.
With wisdom.
And that ain't gonna come by figuring anything out. That will only come from the Spirit of Wisdom.
Which is also the Spirit of Grace.
Grace with wisdom is not easy. It is not obvious. It is not...natural to the human spirit.
And I'm going to be pondering this in my own spirit, because I have to admit understanding it is beyond me. I don't know that I have the capability to walk it out. I probably don't.
But, with God...all things are possible.
Even speaking and acting on grace with wisdom.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
SSMT Verse 18 - 2 Cor. 4:17-18
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
It always amazes me that the Apostle Paul, who would list out his sufferings later in this very book this way:
Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one [note: this was a prescribed punishment, so dictated because 40 lashes was deemed a fatal beating]. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea [note: this was written BEFORE Paul was sent to Rome and was shipwrecked off the coast of Malta]. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. -- 2 Cor 10:24 - 27.
would have a perspective on the hardships of life that challenges me today.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. -- 2 Cor 4:17-18, NIV84
If that was what Paul considered 'light and momentary troubles', then I am embarrassed by my petty whining and complaining.
And I need to remember that a little more often.
Beth has a great devo today on frustration...particularly regarding getting frustrated w/trying to commit scripture to memory; it's like she's been eavesdropping on my mental conversations with myself. If you've got time, go have a listen. :-)
It always amazes me that the Apostle Paul, who would list out his sufferings later in this very book this way:
Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one [note: this was a prescribed punishment, so dictated because 40 lashes was deemed a fatal beating]. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea [note: this was written BEFORE Paul was sent to Rome and was shipwrecked off the coast of Malta]. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. -- 2 Cor 10:24 - 27.
would have a perspective on the hardships of life that challenges me today.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. -- 2 Cor 4:17-18, NIV84
If that was what Paul considered 'light and momentary troubles', then I am embarrassed by my petty whining and complaining.
And I need to remember that a little more often.
Beth has a great devo today on frustration...particularly regarding getting frustrated w/trying to commit scripture to memory; it's like she's been eavesdropping on my mental conversations with myself. If you've got time, go have a listen. :-)
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
SSMT Verse 17 - 2 Chronicles 16:9a
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
I'm going to be one verse behind now, but that's ok.
Once again, I've pulled a verse from our lunch group to commit to memory. One I should've memorized by now, to be sure, but it struck me as particularly pertinent to this season.
Because the first part of the verse, which is what was listed on our study sheet, is a promise:
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (2 Chron. 16:9a, NIV 84)
And, I'll confess, I didn't go back and get the context of it as I considered it; that really had enough right there to give me pause.
He's looking for fully committed hearts.
Where in that is there room for 'I'm a Christian, but...'?
We have forgotten the origin of the term 'Christian'.
We have forgotten that it was originally a derogatory, marginalizing term meaning 'Little Christs', only not in a good sense. The New Testament authors never referred to themselves as Christians, although they did acknowledge that they would suffer in being called Christians. The closest equivalent phrase we would have today is 'Jesus Freak'.
How much sense would it make to stand up and say 'Yeah, I'm a Jesus Freak, but...' ? To claim radical commitment to following Jesus, and yet point out that one really isn't any different than the popular culture?
God is looking for people whose hearts are fully committed to HIM. When I read the whole verse in context, all that feel good about God looking for people to strengthen takes on a whole 'nuther concept, because it actually is part of a prophetic scolding. Asa, the king of Judah, had hired Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, and his army to come and fight with him against Baasha, king of Israel, who was blockading Judah. Asa and Ben-hadad had actually conquered several cities and ended the siege.
But Asa had not relied on God, and the prophet took him to task, reminding him of the time that he had been under attack by a large army and had been delivered by the hand of God and pointing out that now he would not be able to defeat Ben-hadad. The rest of verse 9 shows the consequences:
You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.
Asa aligned himself with an unbelieving nation in order to strengthen himself, when God was waiting to give him the strength necessary to not only conquer those who were against him but also to conquer the very pagans to whom he had paid tribute.
God says it's a foolish thing to align oneself with those who do not follow Him. For those who are fully committed to Him...no 'ifs', 'ands' OR 'buts'....there is strength.
I'm going to be one verse behind now, but that's ok.
Once again, I've pulled a verse from our lunch group to commit to memory. One I should've memorized by now, to be sure, but it struck me as particularly pertinent to this season.
Because the first part of the verse, which is what was listed on our study sheet, is a promise:
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (2 Chron. 16:9a, NIV 84)
And, I'll confess, I didn't go back and get the context of it as I considered it; that really had enough right there to give me pause.
He's looking for fully committed hearts.
Where in that is there room for 'I'm a Christian, but...'?
We have forgotten the origin of the term 'Christian'.
We have forgotten that it was originally a derogatory, marginalizing term meaning 'Little Christs', only not in a good sense. The New Testament authors never referred to themselves as Christians, although they did acknowledge that they would suffer in being called Christians. The closest equivalent phrase we would have today is 'Jesus Freak'.
How much sense would it make to stand up and say 'Yeah, I'm a Jesus Freak, but...' ? To claim radical commitment to following Jesus, and yet point out that one really isn't any different than the popular culture?
God is looking for people whose hearts are fully committed to HIM. When I read the whole verse in context, all that feel good about God looking for people to strengthen takes on a whole 'nuther concept, because it actually is part of a prophetic scolding. Asa, the king of Judah, had hired Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, and his army to come and fight with him against Baasha, king of Israel, who was blockading Judah. Asa and Ben-hadad had actually conquered several cities and ended the siege.
But Asa had not relied on God, and the prophet took him to task, reminding him of the time that he had been under attack by a large army and had been delivered by the hand of God and pointing out that now he would not be able to defeat Ben-hadad. The rest of verse 9 shows the consequences:
You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.
Asa aligned himself with an unbelieving nation in order to strengthen himself, when God was waiting to give him the strength necessary to not only conquer those who were against him but also to conquer the very pagans to whom he had paid tribute.
God says it's a foolish thing to align oneself with those who do not follow Him. For those who are fully committed to Him...no 'ifs', 'ands' OR 'buts'....there is strength.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
SSMT verse 16: Ps. 34:3
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Yeah, I know, I know. This is supposed to be verse 17 this week.
But we were on vacation on Aug. 15th; the instructions allow for two missed weeks. So I decided to cut myself some slack and not worry about making the post on 8/15.
So here's what's actually my 16th verse:
Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. - Ps. 34:3
We've started a lunchtime Bible Study at work; we are to choose a passage and journal about it. My passage this week was the first 3 verses in Ps. 34, but this verse kinda jumped out at me.
I've been doing a bit of songwriting this year; I gave myself a challenge to write a song a month. So far I've managed to come up with something...certainly not polished or even really developed beyond just the roughest basic plan..but something...for every month.
This verse struck me as the motivation behind the writing. It's to invite folks to come and join me in glorifying God.
Whether the songs ever make it out of my notebook onto anything else, it's still an invitation to come and glorify God.
Who knows? Maybe I'll craft some lyrics around Ps. 34... ;-)
Yeah, I know, I know. This is supposed to be verse 17 this week.
But we were on vacation on Aug. 15th; the instructions allow for two missed weeks. So I decided to cut myself some slack and not worry about making the post on 8/15.
So here's what's actually my 16th verse:
Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. - Ps. 34:3
We've started a lunchtime Bible Study at work; we are to choose a passage and journal about it. My passage this week was the first 3 verses in Ps. 34, but this verse kinda jumped out at me.
I've been doing a bit of songwriting this year; I gave myself a challenge to write a song a month. So far I've managed to come up with something...certainly not polished or even really developed beyond just the roughest basic plan..but something...for every month.
This verse struck me as the motivation behind the writing. It's to invite folks to come and join me in glorifying God.
Whether the songs ever make it out of my notebook onto anything else, it's still an invitation to come and glorify God.
Who knows? Maybe I'll craft some lyrics around Ps. 34... ;-)
Saturday, August 1, 2015
SSMT 2015 Verse 15 - Joel 3:14
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
And the calendar maintains its steady pace; time for the next Siesta Scripture Memory Team Text.
For several weeks now, this verse has been hammering around the corners of my consciousness...
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. -- Joel 3:14 NIV 84
Is it just me...or does anyone else have a sense of stakes rising, time passing, choices looming? I hear so much rhetoric that hurts my heart, because so many seem to have made decisions based on popular thought instead of truth...and so much spin is put on what is going on that no one can really say what truth is. Which is amazing...in this day and age of nearly instant information, there is so much flying around that it's almost impossible to tell what is true, what is exaggerated, what is covered up and downplayed and what is an outright fabrication.
Kind of like the old adage...a man who has one clock always knows what time it is. A man with two clocks is never sure.
Time to dig into what is True...and hold on for dear life. Because dear life may just be at stake.
And the calendar maintains its steady pace; time for the next Siesta Scripture Memory Team Text.
For several weeks now, this verse has been hammering around the corners of my consciousness...
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. -- Joel 3:14 NIV 84
Is it just me...or does anyone else have a sense of stakes rising, time passing, choices looming? I hear so much rhetoric that hurts my heart, because so many seem to have made decisions based on popular thought instead of truth...and so much spin is put on what is going on that no one can really say what truth is. Which is amazing...in this day and age of nearly instant information, there is so much flying around that it's almost impossible to tell what is true, what is exaggerated, what is covered up and downplayed and what is an outright fabrication.
Kind of like the old adage...a man who has one clock always knows what time it is. A man with two clocks is never sure.
Time to dig into what is True...and hold on for dear life. Because dear life may just be at stake.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Late Again: SSMT Verse 14: Ps. 121:7 - 8
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Sigh. SSMT Verse 15 was due yesterday...but Wednesdays are still crazy days, even without a class to teach at the moment. So...glad we get a little grace. ;-)
The last two verses of the psalm:
The LORD will keep you from all harm -- he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Ps. 121: 7 - 8 NIV 84
I've enjoyed studying one passage for the last couple of months; this one has reminded me that, even though the world around us has been going crazy, God is steadfast. He's got us covered in the midst of the insane and crazy.
Because He sees the end from the beginning and knows how it will all turn out.
Sigh. SSMT Verse 15 was due yesterday...but Wednesdays are still crazy days, even without a class to teach at the moment. So...glad we get a little grace. ;-)
The last two verses of the psalm:
The LORD will keep you from all harm -- he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Ps. 121: 7 - 8 NIV 84
I've enjoyed studying one passage for the last couple of months; this one has reminded me that, even though the world around us has been going crazy, God is steadfast. He's got us covered in the midst of the insane and crazy.
Because He sees the end from the beginning and knows how it will all turn out.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
SSMT Verse 13 - Ps. 121:5-6
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Insert expected exclamation of disbelief that it is July 1 already and time for the 13th Verse in the 2015 Siesta Scripture Memory Team assignment. (BTW, Beth is teaching today on the blog on her chosen verse...Gal. 6:1. Good stuff)
My journey through Psalms 121 brings me to verses 5 and 6:
The LORD watches over you -- The LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night. -- Ps 121:5-6 NIV84
I've always thought this was kind of an interesting concept...of course, the sun has potential to cause harm...blistering sunburn, dehydration, heat stroke, etc.; in contrast, the moon itself is rather harmless. I think the poetic language implies protection from the threat that comes under the cover of night.
Because God is the shade; the One who stands between the threat and the threatened to protect, cover and shield.
Just the idea of being in the shade is restful and restorative.
A good passage for July 1.
Insert expected exclamation of disbelief that it is July 1 already and time for the 13th Verse in the 2015 Siesta Scripture Memory Team assignment. (BTW, Beth is teaching today on the blog on her chosen verse...Gal. 6:1. Good stuff)
My journey through Psalms 121 brings me to verses 5 and 6:
The LORD watches over you -- The LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night. -- Ps 121:5-6 NIV84
I've always thought this was kind of an interesting concept...of course, the sun has potential to cause harm...blistering sunburn, dehydration, heat stroke, etc.; in contrast, the moon itself is rather harmless. I think the poetic language implies protection from the threat that comes under the cover of night.
Because God is the shade; the One who stands between the threat and the threatened to protect, cover and shield.
Just the idea of being in the shade is restful and restorative.
A good passage for July 1.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
SSMT 2015 - Verse 12: Ps 121:3-4
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
...and I'm a day late AGAIN for the next installment in the Siesta Scripture Memory Team for 2015. My, goodness, time is flying by so fast I'm losing track...
But I'm moving on to the next two verses of Ps . 121...
He will not let your foot slip -- He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep -- Ps 121:3-4 NIV 84
I wish, sometimes, that that verse said, 'He will not let your tongue slip'...oh, wouldn't that be wonderful! Not that I have goofed up there lately...but I have a meeting coming up and I would really like assurance that my tongue will not slip. But He's guarding my feet...it's up to me to guard my tongue.
Still. If He is guarding my feet, then I have to believe that this is the time and place that the meeting should happen. So if it's the right time and the right place...then I kinda have to trust that whatever He has put in me is the right thought for the moment.
All I have to do is make sure I don't wander off into what *I* think or feel. Omit opinion and stick to reality. Because truth is truth.
And He who guards my feet will not let me slip.
...and I'm a day late AGAIN for the next installment in the Siesta Scripture Memory Team for 2015. My, goodness, time is flying by so fast I'm losing track...
But I'm moving on to the next two verses of Ps . 121...
He will not let your foot slip -- He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep -- Ps 121:3-4 NIV 84
I wish, sometimes, that that verse said, 'He will not let your tongue slip'...oh, wouldn't that be wonderful! Not that I have goofed up there lately...but I have a meeting coming up and I would really like assurance that my tongue will not slip. But He's guarding my feet...it's up to me to guard my tongue.
Still. If He is guarding my feet, then I have to believe that this is the time and place that the meeting should happen. So if it's the right time and the right place...then I kinda have to trust that whatever He has put in me is the right thought for the moment.
All I have to do is make sure I don't wander off into what *I* think or feel. Omit opinion and stick to reality. Because truth is truth.
And He who guards my feet will not let me slip.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
SSMT 2015 - Verse 11 Ps. 121:1-2
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Well, I've commented before about how quickly the time is passing, often as I post the bi-weekly verse at the last minute on the due date. But June 1 blew right by me without even a nudge to remember to post my SSMT verse.
I've been mulling over memorizing a longer passage for a while; and I think I'm going to spend the next two or three months working on Ps. 121. It's one of my favorite psalms, and I think I've used one or two of the verses in the past. But I want to learn it all.
So, I'm going to take it two verses at a time, which means today's...or, really, yesterday's...SSMT verses are
I lift up my eyes to the hills -- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth -- Ps. 121: 1-2 NIV 84
I've heard verse 1 rendered as if the psalmist is looking for help to come from the hills, but that's not it. He looks at the hills, but he knows that all help comes from God who made those hills.
Well, I've commented before about how quickly the time is passing, often as I post the bi-weekly verse at the last minute on the due date. But June 1 blew right by me without even a nudge to remember to post my SSMT verse.
I've been mulling over memorizing a longer passage for a while; and I think I'm going to spend the next two or three months working on Ps. 121. It's one of my favorite psalms, and I think I've used one or two of the verses in the past. But I want to learn it all.
So, I'm going to take it two verses at a time, which means today's...or, really, yesterday's...SSMT verses are
I lift up my eyes to the hills -- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth -- Ps. 121: 1-2 NIV 84
I've heard verse 1 rendered as if the psalmist is looking for help to come from the hills, but that's not it. He looks at the hills, but he knows that all help comes from God who made those hills.
Friday, May 15, 2015
SSMT Verse 10 - Hab. 2:3
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Amid the focus on the new Bible study and a day trip out of town, the fact that today was the 15th nearly got by me.
Which means it's time to choose verse number 10 for the 2015 Siesta Scripture Memory Team.
I can't even tell you exactly why I'm picking today's verse, except that the last half of the verse seems especially encouraging to me right now:
For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it, it will certainly come and not delay -- Habakkuk 2:3, NIV 84
Amid the focus on the new Bible study and a day trip out of town, the fact that today was the 15th nearly got by me.
Which means it's time to choose verse number 10 for the 2015 Siesta Scripture Memory Team.
I can't even tell you exactly why I'm picking today's verse, except that the last half of the verse seems especially encouraging to me right now:
For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it, it will certainly come and not delay -- Habakkuk 2:3, NIV 84
Friday, May 1, 2015
SSMT Verse 9... Isaiah 46:4
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
May 1. So not...just not.
But that means it's time for the Siesta Scripture Memory Team Verse 9.
I decided earlier this week that I'd use the verse I found stuck in the back of my journal last Monday...
Is. 46:4 - 'Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.'
Then it occurred to me that I have selected back-to-back verses dealing with God continuing to use and care for His saints even when they might have passed what most would consider to be the prime of life.
I'm not aware of being in any kind of midlife crisis, but I suppose it could be there, lurking in my subconscious somewhere. Or maybe the Holy Spirit is just heading it off before it happens.
He's kinda cool like that.
May 1. So not...just not.
But that means it's time for the Siesta Scripture Memory Team Verse 9.
I decided earlier this week that I'd use the verse I found stuck in the back of my journal last Monday...
Is. 46:4 - 'Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.'
Then it occurred to me that I have selected back-to-back verses dealing with God continuing to use and care for His saints even when they might have passed what most would consider to be the prime of life.
I'm not aware of being in any kind of midlife crisis, but I suppose it could be there, lurking in my subconscious somewhere. Or maybe the Holy Spirit is just heading it off before it happens.
He's kinda cool like that.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
4-15-15 Hodgepodge and SSMT verse 8
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Things have been pretty serious around here of late; time for a little hodgepodge fun.
Joyce at From this Side of the Pond has come up with more fun questions for tax day...
Click here to see the linky fun:
1. Speaking of April 15th...what's the most 'taxing' thing you've done recently?
The past weekend's drive to Indiana for my father-in-law's birthday celebration. My Sweet Babboo had some work to do on his laptop, so I drove all day Thursday, a couple of hours on Friday and all day Sunday. He was working, the kids in the back were on headphones...it was a really quiet trip. As I like some conversation when I'm driving, it was kinda grueling to just...drive.... But he got his work done and I managed not to doze off so it's all good.
2. When did you last take a taxi somewhere and where was that somewhere?
I've never been inside an actual taxi; I think the closest thing was the hotel shuttle to the DFW airport the morning after the DIVE CREATIVE school wrapped up last October.
3. What's something you can do today that you couldn't do a year ago?
Spend Wednesday nights at home if I want. This time last year the girls' classes that I taught were still running; they were discontinued in August and, in some ways, I'm still having a hard time with it (just bein' honest). I know something new is coming but I haven't a clue what yet. But, you know, God is good, and I don't think it was coincidental that I read this on Beth Moore's blog on Monday:
'God will not leave us comfortless. He will not leave us alone. He will not leave us fruitless. He will either resurrect the dead or grow something brand new....Water it with your tears if you must but release your fears that nothing but nothingness is ahead for you. Is God your God? As sure as He is, new life is coming.'
That hit me right where I needed it.
4. How often is chicken (in some form or fashion) on your menu at home? Which of the following would you most like to see on your table tonight...a chicken salad sandwich, your mom's fried chicken, a Chick-fil-A meal, Cracker Barrel's chicken n' dumplings, a roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings, or 'hold the chicken, I'm a vegetarian'...?
I probably serve chicken in some form about half the time I actually cook a meal. Trying to be health conscious and all that...besides, the price of beef is just about out of reach. I'd really enjoy sitting down to a plate of my mom's fried chicken! With mashed potatoes and milk gravy and home canned green beans.... That would be a real treat!
5. What was your favorite television program when you were a kid? What characters do you remember the most?
I am not really sure what my favorite program was... I loved The Wonderful World of Disney on Sundays, Looney Tunes on Saturday mornings (Pussyfoot the black kitten was probably my favorite character; the Singing Frog was probably second...), I actually had a crush on Johnny Quest when I was about 6. And I'm old enough to remember reruns of The Mickey Mouse club...and Captain Kangaroo...
6. What was the last piece of 'art' you made?
Oy. I am so not an artist. But I made myself a pretty artistic omelet last week. :-)
7. What frustrates you most about the Internet?
Can't-live-without-it-but-it-has-consumed-life. The connection is wonderful. The connection is oppressive. Must find time to check (email, facebook, blog comments, etc etc etc). So cool to share with so many. So little time left for folks in real life. Love it...hate it...frustrating...
8. Insert your own random thought here.
Today is the due date for the Siesta Scripture Memory Team Verse #8...My pastor quoted a verse recently that I thought I should like to look up. So, today I chased it down, with the thought that it might make a good SSMT verse. When I read it with the verse following...well, it's another confirmation to me.
Ps. 92:13-14, NIV 84:
Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green
Things have been pretty serious around here of late; time for a little hodgepodge fun.
Joyce at From this Side of the Pond has come up with more fun questions for tax day...
Click here to see the linky fun:
1. Speaking of April 15th...what's the most 'taxing' thing you've done recently?
The past weekend's drive to Indiana for my father-in-law's birthday celebration. My Sweet Babboo had some work to do on his laptop, so I drove all day Thursday, a couple of hours on Friday and all day Sunday. He was working, the kids in the back were on headphones...it was a really quiet trip. As I like some conversation when I'm driving, it was kinda grueling to just...drive.... But he got his work done and I managed not to doze off so it's all good.
2. When did you last take a taxi somewhere and where was that somewhere?
I've never been inside an actual taxi; I think the closest thing was the hotel shuttle to the DFW airport the morning after the DIVE CREATIVE school wrapped up last October.
3. What's something you can do today that you couldn't do a year ago?
Spend Wednesday nights at home if I want. This time last year the girls' classes that I taught were still running; they were discontinued in August and, in some ways, I'm still having a hard time with it (just bein' honest). I know something new is coming but I haven't a clue what yet. But, you know, God is good, and I don't think it was coincidental that I read this on Beth Moore's blog on Monday:
'God will not leave us comfortless. He will not leave us alone. He will not leave us fruitless. He will either resurrect the dead or grow something brand new....Water it with your tears if you must but release your fears that nothing but nothingness is ahead for you. Is God your God? As sure as He is, new life is coming.'
That hit me right where I needed it.
4. How often is chicken (in some form or fashion) on your menu at home? Which of the following would you most like to see on your table tonight...a chicken salad sandwich, your mom's fried chicken, a Chick-fil-A meal, Cracker Barrel's chicken n' dumplings, a roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings, or 'hold the chicken, I'm a vegetarian'...?
I probably serve chicken in some form about half the time I actually cook a meal. Trying to be health conscious and all that...besides, the price of beef is just about out of reach. I'd really enjoy sitting down to a plate of my mom's fried chicken! With mashed potatoes and milk gravy and home canned green beans.... That would be a real treat!
5. What was your favorite television program when you were a kid? What characters do you remember the most?
I am not really sure what my favorite program was... I loved The Wonderful World of Disney on Sundays, Looney Tunes on Saturday mornings (Pussyfoot the black kitten was probably my favorite character; the Singing Frog was probably second...), I actually had a crush on Johnny Quest when I was about 6. And I'm old enough to remember reruns of The Mickey Mouse club...and Captain Kangaroo...
6. What was the last piece of 'art' you made?
Oy. I am so not an artist. But I made myself a pretty artistic omelet last week. :-)
7. What frustrates you most about the Internet?
Can't-live-without-it-but-it-has-consumed-life. The connection is wonderful. The connection is oppressive. Must find time to check (email, facebook, blog comments, etc etc etc). So cool to share with so many. So little time left for folks in real life. Love it...hate it...frustrating...
8. Insert your own random thought here.
Today is the due date for the Siesta Scripture Memory Team Verse #8...My pastor quoted a verse recently that I thought I should like to look up. So, today I chased it down, with the thought that it might make a good SSMT verse. When I read it with the verse following...well, it's another confirmation to me.
Ps. 92:13-14, NIV 84:
Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Set your eyes and follow....
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
(all scripture today from NIV 84)
Of all the narratives of what happened Holy Week, Mark gives us the closest thing to a daily breakdown. He describes morning and evening for the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the next day (where he records the cleansing of the temple), and the next day, which ends with the Olivet Discourse. Matthew records all of the teachings and discussion that happened during that time as if it all happened the day after the Triumpant Entry; Luke records that Jesus taught in the temple every day (19:47), but doesn't even attempt to organize the narrative into a timeline, preferring to say things like, One day as he was teaching.... John spends the least amount of time discussing the teaching in the temple that week...possibly because he had written his gospel years after the first three were circulating and felt that had been covered well enough...but he does end his very brief discussion by saying, When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
It is difficult to tell how long Jesus hid Himself...or if He hid Himself just from the crowd and his antagonists or if He went away into complete hiding from even His disciples. The last time reference is 'two days before Passover'; the next time reference we see is Matt. 26:17, On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread..., and we see the same reference in Mark 14:12. Two days are not specifically accounted for. My feeling is that He taught at least one more day after the Olivet Discourse, so that Luke's statement that He taught every day in the Temple has significance...'two days' hardly would make up 'every day', but He may very well have taught at least a bit on the last day before Passover. The incident John records, with the Greek Jews who want to see Jesus, seems to imply that His time is imminent:
Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!
Then a voice came from heaven, 'I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.' John 12:27-28.
I think the war between Jesus' divine nature and His humanity was already raging by the last day He appeared publicly...whether it was 2 days before Passover or the day before Passover. John is not narrating on a strict timeline; he makes a bit of commentary, then the last part of chapter 12 seems to be something Jesus would've said just before He hid Himself. I think it was His departing speech, spoken out of the grief He was carrying. I can see Him heading towards the exit, then turning one last time to the people, and speaking with great emotion.
Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." - John 12:44 -50
One last plea for the people to recognize Him...and then He left. He was done talking to the public.
As it happens to be April 1, and the next SSMT verse is due, I decided to chose a verse from today's reading, and I landed upon John 12:26:
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
Following Him has particular significance in this passage in which He is very determinedly heading to the cross. I can see an immediate application...the ones who served Him would follow Him, to the Garden, to the cross, to the tomb...because where He was, that's where His servant would be. Not many passed that immediate test.
How willing am I to follow Jesus wherever He goes? Whether He's leading me...or going because He must. How do I truly follow Him? How do I love praise from people more than praise from God? What is God calling me to do about it?
(all scripture today from NIV 84)
Of all the narratives of what happened Holy Week, Mark gives us the closest thing to a daily breakdown. He describes morning and evening for the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the next day (where he records the cleansing of the temple), and the next day, which ends with the Olivet Discourse. Matthew records all of the teachings and discussion that happened during that time as if it all happened the day after the Triumpant Entry; Luke records that Jesus taught in the temple every day (19:47), but doesn't even attempt to organize the narrative into a timeline, preferring to say things like, One day as he was teaching.... John spends the least amount of time discussing the teaching in the temple that week...possibly because he had written his gospel years after the first three were circulating and felt that had been covered well enough...but he does end his very brief discussion by saying, When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
It is difficult to tell how long Jesus hid Himself...or if He hid Himself just from the crowd and his antagonists or if He went away into complete hiding from even His disciples. The last time reference is 'two days before Passover'; the next time reference we see is Matt. 26:17, On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread..., and we see the same reference in Mark 14:12. Two days are not specifically accounted for. My feeling is that He taught at least one more day after the Olivet Discourse, so that Luke's statement that He taught every day in the Temple has significance...'two days' hardly would make up 'every day', but He may very well have taught at least a bit on the last day before Passover. The incident John records, with the Greek Jews who want to see Jesus, seems to imply that His time is imminent:
Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!
Then a voice came from heaven, 'I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.' John 12:27-28.
I think the war between Jesus' divine nature and His humanity was already raging by the last day He appeared publicly...whether it was 2 days before Passover or the day before Passover. John is not narrating on a strict timeline; he makes a bit of commentary, then the last part of chapter 12 seems to be something Jesus would've said just before He hid Himself. I think it was His departing speech, spoken out of the grief He was carrying. I can see Him heading towards the exit, then turning one last time to the people, and speaking with great emotion.
Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." - John 12:44 -50
One last plea for the people to recognize Him...and then He left. He was done talking to the public.
As it happens to be April 1, and the next SSMT verse is due, I decided to chose a verse from today's reading, and I landed upon John 12:26:
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
Following Him has particular significance in this passage in which He is very determinedly heading to the cross. I can see an immediate application...the ones who served Him would follow Him, to the Garden, to the cross, to the tomb...because where He was, that's where His servant would be. Not many passed that immediate test.
How willing am I to follow Jesus wherever He goes? Whether He's leading me...or going because He must. How do I truly follow Him? How do I love praise from people more than praise from God? What is God calling me to do about it?
Sunday, March 15, 2015
SSMT Verse 6 - Romans 8:26
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Having a deadline to choose a memory verse results in interesting verses to learn. Those SSMT deadlines seem to come around awfully fast, and I don't have a consistent strategy to use to pick the next verse. Sometimes it's one that has been speaking to me over a period of time or it's one that is in a recent teaching I've heard; in which case I've got the verse picked out ahead of time. But sometimes I just go Scripture-cruising looking for one that seems to be meaningful in the moment.
Today, I decided to find a verse that I haven't memorized yet, but probably should have.
The one that I came across that seemed to fit that category is Romans 8: 26 (NIV 84):
In the same way, the Spirit helps in our weakness. We do not know what to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
That is incredibly comforting to me. Yes, it's familiar and I've heard it over and over, but, you know, sometimes for the Word to get in you, you've gotta get it IN you.
It's in the spiral now.
Having a deadline to choose a memory verse results in interesting verses to learn. Those SSMT deadlines seem to come around awfully fast, and I don't have a consistent strategy to use to pick the next verse. Sometimes it's one that has been speaking to me over a period of time or it's one that is in a recent teaching I've heard; in which case I've got the verse picked out ahead of time. But sometimes I just go Scripture-cruising looking for one that seems to be meaningful in the moment.
Today, I decided to find a verse that I haven't memorized yet, but probably should have.
The one that I came across that seemed to fit that category is Romans 8: 26 (NIV 84):
In the same way, the Spirit helps in our weakness. We do not know what to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
That is incredibly comforting to me. Yes, it's familiar and I've heard it over and over, but, you know, sometimes for the Word to get in you, you've gotta get it IN you.
It's in the spiral now.
Sunday, March 1, 2015
SSMT Verse 5 - Col. 3:16
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
BOOM! March 1 !
I know March 1 is not the same as Mach 1, but I still feel like I got hit with the boom...Feb. surely went by at the speed of sound.
Tonight was our songwriter's life group meeting, and one of our leaders mentioned a verse that he felt really was 'our' verse...both instruction of what we were to do as individuals, and confirmation of what we do when we get together.
I thought it would be worth committing to memory. So it's appropriate for the Siesta Scripture Memory Team verse for today:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. -- Colossians 3:16 NIV 84
BOOM! March 1 !
I know March 1 is not the same as Mach 1, but I still feel like I got hit with the boom...Feb. surely went by at the speed of sound.
Tonight was our songwriter's life group meeting, and one of our leaders mentioned a verse that he felt really was 'our' verse...both instruction of what we were to do as individuals, and confirmation of what we do when we get together.
I thought it would be worth committing to memory. So it's appropriate for the Siesta Scripture Memory Team verse for today:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. -- Colossians 3:16 NIV 84
Sunday, February 15, 2015
SSMT 2015 Verse 4: Galatians 5:13
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Today's the day to select the 4th verse for the Siesta Scripture Memory Verse Team.
The first three verses of the year pretty well jumped out at me before I even got to posting day.
Today, though, I came to the computer with nothin'.
So, I did one of my "I got nothin' " drills...I picked up my Bible and I began to read.
First, I felt drawn to Hebrews...but I did a study in Hebrews in the tail end of 2013 and several of those verses were written in that spiral.
Then I thought about a verse that had ministered to me early last fall, so I read Revelation 2 and 3. It was a really good verse, but it wasn't really where I am at the moment.
I'm not even sure how I ended up in Galatians, but somehow I did. And the verse I found myself pondering was 5:13, in Paul's discussion of not being bound up by the requirements of the Law:
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
In the not-to-distant past, I read an advice column in the newspaper. The columnist published two letters, both from folks who indicated they were pastors, in response to a previous letter from a lady with a question about a marital issue. Both of those letters stated, in effect, that God wants us to be happy and she should not feel guilty if she left her husband. Now, she didn't indicate that there was any kind of abuse or infidelity...the implication was that marriage just wasn't living up to her expectations.
I was really, really grieved by the answers. Not just because the marriage was being trivialized, but because the two representatives of the church of the living God basically said that God's greatest desire for His people is for them to be 'happy'... and the implication that 'happy' is dependent upon our circumstances, so we are justified in manipulating our circumstances to achieve 'happy'.
How does that concept line up with Galatians 5:13? We are free of the obligation to the Law; we are not free of conforming to the nature of Christ. God's highest ideal is not that we achieve personal happiness; His ideal is stated in Romans 8:29...that his people are conformed to the image of Jesus. That's His idea of what is 'good' for us (see the previous verse...). Not that we are happy, healthy, prosperous, favored...but that we are true representatives of Jesus.
Who left everything glorious behind and took on the nature of a servant.
Who did not consider what HE wanted at all...always, it was what the Father wanted.
The 'sinful nature' has connotations of immorality, pleasure seeking, excessive indulgence...and, yes, it is those things, but really gross sin isn't the issue. More basically the 'sinful nature' is just that part of ourselves that wants what we want when we want it...it is the self-centered, what's-in-it-for-me inclination to put our opinions and our ideas above God's.
After all, that was what tripped up Eve...she decided she knew better than God. And that's been the essence of the 'sin nature' ever since.
So, yes, we are free of the requirements of the Law. Jesus fulfilled it. But not so we could spend our energy and our resources on ourselves...so we could be a representation of Him to people who would never know Him otherwise.
And, yeah, this makes me say 'ouch' too...
Today's the day to select the 4th verse for the Siesta Scripture Memory Verse Team.
The first three verses of the year pretty well jumped out at me before I even got to posting day.
Today, though, I came to the computer with nothin'.
So, I did one of my "I got nothin' " drills...I picked up my Bible and I began to read.
First, I felt drawn to Hebrews...but I did a study in Hebrews in the tail end of 2013 and several of those verses were written in that spiral.
Then I thought about a verse that had ministered to me early last fall, so I read Revelation 2 and 3. It was a really good verse, but it wasn't really where I am at the moment.
I'm not even sure how I ended up in Galatians, but somehow I did. And the verse I found myself pondering was 5:13, in Paul's discussion of not being bound up by the requirements of the Law:
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
In the not-to-distant past, I read an advice column in the newspaper. The columnist published two letters, both from folks who indicated they were pastors, in response to a previous letter from a lady with a question about a marital issue. Both of those letters stated, in effect, that God wants us to be happy and she should not feel guilty if she left her husband. Now, she didn't indicate that there was any kind of abuse or infidelity...the implication was that marriage just wasn't living up to her expectations.
I was really, really grieved by the answers. Not just because the marriage was being trivialized, but because the two representatives of the church of the living God basically said that God's greatest desire for His people is for them to be 'happy'... and the implication that 'happy' is dependent upon our circumstances, so we are justified in manipulating our circumstances to achieve 'happy'.
How does that concept line up with Galatians 5:13? We are free of the obligation to the Law; we are not free of conforming to the nature of Christ. God's highest ideal is not that we achieve personal happiness; His ideal is stated in Romans 8:29...that his people are conformed to the image of Jesus. That's His idea of what is 'good' for us (see the previous verse...). Not that we are happy, healthy, prosperous, favored...but that we are true representatives of Jesus.
Who left everything glorious behind and took on the nature of a servant.
Who did not consider what HE wanted at all...always, it was what the Father wanted.
The 'sinful nature' has connotations of immorality, pleasure seeking, excessive indulgence...and, yes, it is those things, but really gross sin isn't the issue. More basically the 'sinful nature' is just that part of ourselves that wants what we want when we want it...it is the self-centered, what's-in-it-for-me inclination to put our opinions and our ideas above God's.
After all, that was what tripped up Eve...she decided she knew better than God. And that's been the essence of the 'sin nature' ever since.
So, yes, we are free of the requirements of the Law. Jesus fulfilled it. But not so we could spend our energy and our resources on ourselves...so we could be a representation of Him to people who would never know Him otherwise.
And, yeah, this makes me say 'ouch' too...
Sunday, February 1, 2015
SSMT Verse 3
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
I almost missed this. Even though I exclaimed over it being Feb. 1 already as I posted today's choir wardrobe to the sewing blog, I still didn't think about it being the due date for the next memory verse selection.
But when I clicked on my feed burner to see any lastest posts, I got reminded. There was Mama Beth's post with her verse 3 exhortation.
I already knew what my verse would be. It's one that was mentioned in the last Elijah House discussion:
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. -- Zeph. 3:17 NIV 84
That's something I need to remind myself over and over...
I almost missed this. Even though I exclaimed over it being Feb. 1 already as I posted today's choir wardrobe to the sewing blog, I still didn't think about it being the due date for the next memory verse selection.
But when I clicked on my feed burner to see any lastest posts, I got reminded. There was Mama Beth's post with her verse 3 exhortation.
I already knew what my verse would be. It's one that was mentioned in the last Elijah House discussion:
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. -- Zeph. 3:17 NIV 84
That's something I need to remind myself over and over...
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Verse 2 - Isaiah 43:18 - 19 ...New Beginnings...
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
I knew what verse number two in the Siesta Scritpure Memory Team would be about 8 hours after I posted verse number one.
Now, granted, it was Jan.1, and lotsa folks were posting verses for the New Year on Facebook and blog posts and such, and this verse is definitely an 'it's a new year' kinda verse.
But for me, it jumped off the page every time I encountered it. Especially since I have heard over and over in my spirit that 2015 is a year of new beginnings.
I think I wrote it down in my spiral on January 2 or 3. This may actually be The Verse of the Year for me.
Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. - Is.43: 18-19 NIV84
I am claiming that verse for 2015...and I can't wait to see what the new thing is...
I knew what verse number two in the Siesta Scritpure Memory Team would be about 8 hours after I posted verse number one.
Now, granted, it was Jan.1, and lotsa folks were posting verses for the New Year on Facebook and blog posts and such, and this verse is definitely an 'it's a new year' kinda verse.
But for me, it jumped off the page every time I encountered it. Especially since I have heard over and over in my spirit that 2015 is a year of new beginnings.
I think I wrote it down in my spiral on January 2 or 3. This may actually be The Verse of the Year for me.
Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. - Is.43: 18-19 NIV84
I am claiming that verse for 2015...and I can't wait to see what the new thing is...
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