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I read the NASB (New American Standard Bible). Why? Because a very important youth pastor gave me a copy of it when I first came to understand the reality of Jesus and what he did for me. It was actually this pastor's own Bible. He’d probably be happy to know that it has gone to good use. I ought to look him up!
The pages are written on and falling out so much so that I decided it was time to get a new Bible to take with me to church. I feared every week some loose pages would go flying down to the floor, slide under the pews out of my reach, never to be seen again. So recently I purchased a new Key Word Study Bible. What version? The NASB of course!
But that is not the only Bible I own, nor read. Actually, these past few years of Bible teaching have led me to realize the importance of studying the Bible from several translations, as its meaning is expanded significantly. There are many free websites that allow you to look at several versions of scripture at once. http://www.studylight.org and http://www.blueletterbible.org are two that I use.
Yesterday I ran across the verse 2 Corinthians 7:1 written in the New International Version. Since the NIV is not the version I read on a daily basis, the wording brought the message into a whole new light for me. Here it is:
“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
“Contaminates” got my attention. Did it you? What contaminates me? Contaminate by definition means to make impure, dirty, or unfit for use. Contamination is pollution.
Our neighbors on both sides have a pool. They do a great job of keeping their pools free from pollution and contaminates. They are able to enjoy them because they stay clean, fresh and fit for use.
My life is like those pools. I have to keep it free from unwanted things and ready for use. This verse reminded me to take a moment to examine the pool of my life. What’s in there, and what do I need to clean out so my life is fresher, more useful and more enjoyable?
Just like caring for a pool, caring for my body and spirit takes time and effort. But the refreshment that comes from enjoying a contaminate-free life is worth the effort!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
A Mixed Bag
Hello Friends of Prayerfully Penned!
My last post about the “Impending Doom of Christians” may have sounded like a loss, but it won me a spot as a regular blogger for EverydayChristian.com. I do hope you’ll stop by this website on occasion. I’ll be posting there at least twice a week. For those of you on the Feed Blitz list, I promise you will not be emailed all those posts! No worries! It is a separate site, unrelated to my blog list. I encourage you to check it out!
The title of my last post was purposely a little “over the top” to grab your attention. Certainly we Christians are not doomed. The post was in response to another Christian article, one I felt compelled to share with you. I find that I am prompted to write primarily on two occasions: 1) after reading the Word and receiving new revelation; and 2) after learning something new from another source that impacts my faith. Since I’m doing both daily, I find I am writing more and more, and having a grand time!
As a result, this blog has become a bit of a mix of devotional thoughts, book reviews and current cultural issues, and I do hope you will stay tuned! This particular blog is morphing into a more diverse collection of writings, and I pray it will continue to inspire and challenge you in your walk of faith. I want to thank those of you who have been with me for a while, and welcome those of you who are just tuning in. I am honored to think that God might use my limited writing skills to speak some word of truth or encouragement to you.
A Word for Today
Speaking of learning, boy did I learn something new today! I’ve written a full account which should be posted to EverydayChristian.com soon, but here’s a taste to whet your appetite.
At PowerLunch at Prestonwood Church today (my home church), I heard Author and Speaker, Brigitte Gabriel speak to an overflowing and captivated audience of hundreds, who burst to their feet in a standing ovation at the end. Raised in Lebanon, she and her family were Christians and came under attack by radical Islamic terrorists. Her childhood story was fascinating enough, but the majority of her entrancing speech was about the presence of radical Islam in America.
Gabriel founded the American Congress for Truth, or ACT, in order to raise the awareness level of our nation to the threat of radical Islam, and to fight for our national security. She is the New York Times Bestselling Author of Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America; and her latest release is They Must Be Stopped: Why We Must Defeat Radical Islam and How We Can Do It.
Paul E. Vallely, Major General U.S. Army (Ret.), said of her latest book: “This book gives dire warning of what is to come if the Western world does not take responsible action to protect its people. The United States is the primary target as Islamic radicalism attempts to spread its worldwide dominance.”
Gabriel encouraged today’s audience to look at the history of other nations for some lessons. She said, “Europe has become Eurabia.”
Many of you know that after much prayer I have adopted the label “Brighter Walk” for my ministry identity. It encapsulates many things, but one of which is the idea of intelligence. To walk as a Christian should include the use of our God-given minds for intelligent pursuits which will glorify Him. I pray you will join me on this journey. We need smart Christian leaders to guide our country through this historically significant time. I hope you will journey on to EverydayChristian.com and read more about radical Islam through the very intelligent eyes of Brigitte Gabriel.
My last post about the “Impending Doom of Christians” may have sounded like a loss, but it won me a spot as a regular blogger for EverydayChristian.com. I do hope you’ll stop by this website on occasion. I’ll be posting there at least twice a week. For those of you on the Feed Blitz list, I promise you will not be emailed all those posts! No worries! It is a separate site, unrelated to my blog list. I encourage you to check it out!
The title of my last post was purposely a little “over the top” to grab your attention. Certainly we Christians are not doomed. The post was in response to another Christian article, one I felt compelled to share with you. I find that I am prompted to write primarily on two occasions: 1) after reading the Word and receiving new revelation; and 2) after learning something new from another source that impacts my faith. Since I’m doing both daily, I find I am writing more and more, and having a grand time!
As a result, this blog has become a bit of a mix of devotional thoughts, book reviews and current cultural issues, and I do hope you will stay tuned! This particular blog is morphing into a more diverse collection of writings, and I pray it will continue to inspire and challenge you in your walk of faith. I want to thank those of you who have been with me for a while, and welcome those of you who are just tuning in. I am honored to think that God might use my limited writing skills to speak some word of truth or encouragement to you.
A Word for Today
Speaking of learning, boy did I learn something new today! I’ve written a full account which should be posted to EverydayChristian.com soon, but here’s a taste to whet your appetite.
At PowerLunch at Prestonwood Church today (my home church), I heard Author and Speaker, Brigitte Gabriel speak to an overflowing and captivated audience of hundreds, who burst to their feet in a standing ovation at the end. Raised in Lebanon, she and her family were Christians and came under attack by radical Islamic terrorists. Her childhood story was fascinating enough, but the majority of her entrancing speech was about the presence of radical Islam in America.
Gabriel founded the American Congress for Truth, or ACT, in order to raise the awareness level of our nation to the threat of radical Islam, and to fight for our national security. She is the New York Times Bestselling Author of Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America; and her latest release is They Must Be Stopped: Why We Must Defeat Radical Islam and How We Can Do It.
Paul E. Vallely, Major General U.S. Army (Ret.), said of her latest book: “This book gives dire warning of what is to come if the Western world does not take responsible action to protect its people. The United States is the primary target as Islamic radicalism attempts to spread its worldwide dominance.”
Gabriel encouraged today’s audience to look at the history of other nations for some lessons. She said, “Europe has become Eurabia.”
Many of you know that after much prayer I have adopted the label “Brighter Walk” for my ministry identity. It encapsulates many things, but one of which is the idea of intelligence. To walk as a Christian should include the use of our God-given minds for intelligent pursuits which will glorify Him. I pray you will join me on this journey. We need smart Christian leaders to guide our country through this historically significant time. I hope you will journey on to EverydayChristian.com and read more about radical Islam through the very intelligent eyes of Brigitte Gabriel.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Impending Doom for Christendom?
Do you consider yourself a Christian, a Believer, and/or an Evangelical? "Christianese" is rampant in our culture and perhaps to a fault. Like church denominations, religious labels can be counterproductive to the Church, dividing us like political party lines. Regardless of your answer, if you label yourself Christian, whatever the variety, your world is shaped to some degree by others who also claim the name. Understanding how your world is shaped is a key to successfully living out the purpose God had in mind for you when He placed you in it.
A recent article entitled The Coming Evangelical Collapse by Internet Monk Michael Spencer is fiercely stirring the religious pot in America. Since thousands and perhaps even millions of Americans of many faiths are discussing it, Evangelicals would be wise to take note and learn of their impending doom. Yet their act of learning, or rather their absence of, is one of the contributing factors to the Evangelicals’ grim diagnosis.
Spencer states, “Being against gay marriage and being rhetorically pro-life will not make up for the fact that massive majorities of Evangelicals can’t articulate the Gospel with any coherence.” Regarding evangelical youth, Spencer writes, “Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it.”
Spencer makes many valid arguments for his case, arguments that should inspire us to change. We need to recognize individually our personal weaknesses in living the Christian life and take action. We must admit that not only have we fallen short of the glory of God, we have fallen short of the plan of God for our new life in Christ. Spencer suggests that “we need new evangelicalism that learns from the past and listens more carefully to what God says about being His people….”
Yes, it is time for us to learn both the history of our faith and the wisdom of God. Assuredly it is time, too, for speaking up for the Judeo-Christian values upon which our country was founded, and time for fighting the battles for freedom of religion and religious speech. But if our zeal for our religion outweighs our zeal for our relationship with Christ, we have missed the point. Ultimately, such misplaced zeal may prove costly to the Church at large.
Surely we Evangelicals are long on lecturing and short on learning. But in seeking to add more intelligence to our primarily “emotion-driven” faith, we might choose as our first area of study – “How the World Has Impacted Our Zeal.” Where is your zeal placed today? Is it found in your church, your cause, your culture, or your Christ? History teaches us that when Christians unite their passion for Christ Himself, the Church Itself is saved.
A recent article entitled The Coming Evangelical Collapse by Internet Monk Michael Spencer is fiercely stirring the religious pot in America. Since thousands and perhaps even millions of Americans of many faiths are discussing it, Evangelicals would be wise to take note and learn of their impending doom. Yet their act of learning, or rather their absence of, is one of the contributing factors to the Evangelicals’ grim diagnosis.
Spencer states, “Being against gay marriage and being rhetorically pro-life will not make up for the fact that massive majorities of Evangelicals can’t articulate the Gospel with any coherence.” Regarding evangelical youth, Spencer writes, “Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it.”
Spencer makes many valid arguments for his case, arguments that should inspire us to change. We need to recognize individually our personal weaknesses in living the Christian life and take action. We must admit that not only have we fallen short of the glory of God, we have fallen short of the plan of God for our new life in Christ. Spencer suggests that “we need new evangelicalism that learns from the past and listens more carefully to what God says about being His people….”
Yes, it is time for us to learn both the history of our faith and the wisdom of God. Assuredly it is time, too, for speaking up for the Judeo-Christian values upon which our country was founded, and time for fighting the battles for freedom of religion and religious speech. But if our zeal for our religion outweighs our zeal for our relationship with Christ, we have missed the point. Ultimately, such misplaced zeal may prove costly to the Church at large.
Surely we Evangelicals are long on lecturing and short on learning. But in seeking to add more intelligence to our primarily “emotion-driven” faith, we might choose as our first area of study – “How the World Has Impacted Our Zeal.” Where is your zeal placed today? Is it found in your church, your cause, your culture, or your Christ? History teaches us that when Christians unite their passion for Christ Himself, the Church Itself is saved.
Friday, May 1, 2009
A Gift of Grace
What a gift we have received in the Lord Jesus Christ! Ephesians 2:8 tells us, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." God's grace granted us the faith to believe in Jesus Christ as our one and only Savior, giving us the only prerequisite necessary to eternal life with Him. By God's grace we are made able to believe, and by God's grace we are then saved through the gift of faith.
Both faith and grace are gifts of God in the myriad of gifts He generously distributes. Author Amy Clipston uses her amazing gift of storytelling to tell about a gracious gift of another kind in A Gift of Grace. Another book in the Amish Fiction genre, this story pulls at the heartstrings of belonging, beliefs, culture and values. Instant motherhood and a clash of cultures makes this new book a fun fiction read for the Christian fiction enthusiast, like my dear friend Glenda who can hardly put it down. Enjoyable and tender, this is sure to be a favorite for years to come.
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