BereanNotes

Without What I’m Going Through September 22, 2011

(This is a re-post from a couple of years ago. It just seemed to me it needed to go out again)

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12 NIV)

Without what I’m going through, I might feel I know the warmth of Your embrace but not be able to share it with others.

Without what I’m going through, I wouldn’t know how really good You are or truly enjoy all the goodness you’ve shown me before now.

Without what I’m going through, I wouldn’t be able to comfort others and to truly empathize with them.

Without what I’m going through, I’d still think I had all the answers (or at least most of them) and wouldn’t be so open to Your molding me into the likeness of Christ.

Without what I’m going through, I wouldn’t be dependent on You, or still.

Without what I’m going through, the darkness wouldn’t have come, and Christ-in-me would not have shined like the sun.

Without what I’m going through, I wouldn’t grow stronger, have a stiffer backbone, or be able to face hardship at all.

Without what I’m going through, my hope would be shallow, my faith would seem weak, and love would seem impossible.

Without what I’m going through, my faith, which is more precious than gold, would never grow into all You’ve created it to be.

Sooo………..

Right in the middle of what I’m going through, I thank You, Almighty God……..

………for all that I’m going through……..

………because I’m not alone. You’re right here in this mess with me.

Terry

“Terry? Terry who??” May 31, 2011

When God called me to serve Him, my first response was, “Terry? Terry who??”

There are many reasons why God shouldn’t have called you and me. But, don’t worry …

We’re in good company.

Moses stuttered.

David’s armor didn’t fit.

John Mark was rejected by Paul.

Timothy had ulcers.

Hosea’s wife was a prostitute.

Amos’ only training was in the school of fig-tree pruning.

Jacob was a liar.

David had an affair.

Solomon was too rich … Jesus was too poor.

Abraham was too old … David was too young.

Peter was afraid of death … Lazarus was dead.

John was self-righteous.

Naomi was a widow.

Paul was a murderer … So was Moses.

Jonah ran from God.

Miriam was a gossip.

Gideon and Thomas both doubted.

Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal.

Elijah was burned out.

John the Baptist was a loudmouth.

Martha was a worry-wart.

Mary was lazy.

Samson had long hair.

Noah got drunk.

Did I mention that Moses had a short fuse?

So did Peter, Paul–well, lots of folks did.

God doesn’t require a job interview.  He doesn’t hire and fire like most bosses, because He’s more our Dad than our Boss.

He doesn’t look at financial gain or loss.  He’s not prejudiced or partial, not judging, grudging, sassy, or brassy, not deaf to our cry, not blind to our need.

As much as we try, God’s gifts are free.  We could do wonderful things for wonderful people and still not be …  Wonderful.

Satan says, “You’re not worthy.”

Jesus says, “So what?  I AM.”

Satan looks back and sees our mistakes.

God looks back and sees the cross.

He doesn’t calculate what you did in ’02.  It’s not even on the record.

Sure. There are lots of reasons why God shouldn’t have called us.  But, if we are in love with Him, if we hunger for Him more than our next breath, He’ll use us in spite of who we are, where we’ve been, or what we look like.

I pray that as Christians, we will step out of our limitations into the illimitable nature of who God is. Then our passion for God and our passion to communicate Him will make mince-meat of our limitations!

But, He said to me, ”My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Be strong and take courage, do not fear or be dismayed. For the Lord your God  will go with you & His light will show the way.

Regrets of yesterday & the fear of tomorrow are twin thieves that rob you of today.

7-UP’s April 16, 2011

This has been in my “Stuff” file forever – I don’t remember where I came across it.

Enjoy.

1. WAKE UP!!

Decide to have a good day. “This is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalms 118:24)

2. DRESS UP!!

The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

3. SHUT UP!!

Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. “He who guards his lips guards his soul.” (Proverbs 13:3)

4. STAND UP!!

..for what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything. “Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good…” (Galatians 6:9-10)

5. LOOK UP!!

…to the Lord. “I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

6. REACH UP!!

…for something higher. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

7. LIFT UP!!

…your Prayers. “Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING.” (Philippians 4:6)

Terry

I’m Fading……. April 14, 2011

Woah……

My world just faded a bit. My insulin shot this morning overwhelmed the skimpy breakfast I ate, and my blood sugar kinda dropped through the floor. It’s not a good feeling. You just sort of feel like you’re fading, almost to the point of fainting (if ignored, you pass out…….. or worse). Thankfully I stay prepared for this little eventuality, and a couple of fast acting glucose tablets perked me right up.

Dumb. Just plain dumb. I’ve been a diabetic for over a decade now. I know the drill….. the right kind of food, in the right amount, and spaced out over regular daily intervals. Come on, Terry. Could it be any easier?? And yet I still mess up.

This morning’s episode was different – the Lord spoke something into my spirit. I’ve been noticing lately that my faith-walk hasn’t been as fresh as I want it to be……I’ve been feeling a little faded.

Eureka, man!

Now…… What’s the drill?? The right kind of food…… that would be the Word of God, right? In the right amount……it’s not necessary to read a book in the Bible daily. Spread out over daily intervals….. I function best (and feel faded less) on a morning and evening kind of schedule. Ten or fifteen minutes in the morning and again in the evening, followed by some meditation on the short passage(s) I’ve just read. For me, prayer and praise generally follows.

And I don’t do it mechanically …… I do it because I love Jesus.

And I suppose the Holy Spirit is my glucose tablets……. He perks me right up!

No more skimpy breakfasts and….

NMF….. No More Fading.

Terry

Tell God March 31, 2011

Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one’s heart, its pleasures and its pains, to a dear friend. Tell Him your troubles, that He may comfort you; tell Him your joys, that He may sober them; tell Him your longings, that He may purify them; tell Him your dislikes, that He may help you conquer them; talk to Him of your temptations, that He may shield you from them: show Him the wounds of your heart, that He may heal them; lay bare your indifference to good, your depraved tastes for evil, your instability. Tell Him how self- love makes you unjust to others, how vanity tempts you to be insincere, how pride disguises you to yourself and others.

If you thus pour out all your weaknesses, needs, troubles, there will be no lack of what to say. You will never exhaust the subject. It is continually being renewed. People who have no secrets from each other never want for subjects of conversation. They do not weigh their words, for there is nothing to be held back; neither do they seek for something to say. They talk out of the abundance of the heart, without consideration they say just what they think. Blessed are they who attain to such familiar, unreserved intercourse with God.

François Fénelon (1651-1715)

The Holy Spirit March 27, 2011

Holy Spirit, you’re working….. It’s the first service at church. Phil is home sick. Kraig is in the pulpit, preaching/teaching from Phil’s notes. I’ve done it myself before. It ain’t easy.

But Holy Spirit, you’re here, and you’re in Kraig, and the Word is smacking on us……. I mean, on me. I love it! The Head of the church is always here. It’s His church, after all…..

Why wouldn’t the service today be special, as always??

Holy Spirit, keep working.

Cause……. every time you work, Jesus gets praised.

Terry

I want to know Christ……. March 25, 2011

I want to know Christ.

I don’t want to know more about Christ. I don’t want to know more about his personal history and culture. Don’t need any new facts about Christ.

I simply want to know Him.

I want to get closer to him than ever before. I want to know/experience the intimacies that are only discovered through close, constant contact. I’m not talking about some etheral, overly spiritualized, feel-good epipany, either.

I want to be like Christ. I want to know him in order to be Christ-like.

Frankly, I’m not even a little bit close.

And, while I know that I’m positionally holy in Jesus (through his sacrificial death on a Roman cross), I’ve come to understand that daily personal holiness is something I must progressively pursue. See Hebrews 12:14, NKJV.

Christlikeness. That’s what I’m after. I’m not sure, but I’m pretty sure it’s also after me.

Yup. I want to know Christ.

Terry

“Make it so.” December 3, 2010

“And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”  Luke 1:38 ESV

An angel appears with world changing news, for those who profess Jesus as Lord and Savior, but also in a very real, immediate sense, for Mary.

It is all too easy to gloss over this, but consider for a moment, what did Mary really say? Let’s unpack her response.

She said, “I understand my future husband can divorce me for being unfaithful, even though I wasn’t. I understand people in my town will think I am a woman who sleeps around, though I’m not. I understand nobody will believe me when I tell them this pregnancy is a miracle.”

“Lord, make it so.” 

This could not have been an easy response for Mary.

People were not going to look at her and exclaim, “What a godly woman!” No, they could mock her, and think and say bad things of her. Mary is a shining light of a simple yet confident faith. A faith that first says, “Whatever God wishes in my life He can do. I exist to bring Him glory and fulfill His purpose, not the other way around.

“……and, I am confident that He will work it all out for my good.”

“Lord, make it so.”     

What are some seemingly impossible circumstances where you just had to let God be God? 

Terry

O Jesus November 17, 2010

Jack November 11, 2010

My friend Jack went to heaven this past Saturday.

The doctors said that cancer took him, but I know different, and so should you.

You see, I know FOR A FACT that God Himself came and took Jack home. And while I definately have a question or two about the timing of it all (seems way too soon to me), I know that cancer takes no one out of God’s hand.

According to the the Bible Jack Smedley loved to read, study, and teach, no man (and no disease) can pluck us out of God’s hand.

NO WAY cancer got Jack.

God got Jack.

I really can’t say I’m happy about it, because I already miss Jack. And if I miss Jack, then how much more does Lillia and the girls and the entire family and a whole host of friends miss Jack…..

Here’s what I can say:  I’m extremely happy for Jack.

It’s only been a little over five days now that Jack has been in heaven. I can’t even begin to imagine the sights he has seen; the sounds he has heard; the songs he has sung……. Jack now lives in a place where every bite of food he eats stays with him, where there is no such thing as pain (not even the concept of it!), and where Jesus actually lives in the flesh.

All I can say is, Way to go, Jack!

Yep – my friend Jack went to heaven this past Saturday……..

Terry