Throughout the years, I’ve found myself shifting from one method of scripture study to another. Sometimes I’ve studied entire whole passages. Other times I’ve researched a topic or phrase.
Currently, I’m in the midst of studying out a topic that seems to be ambiguous, partly because it is only mentioned once in the entire Bible. Determining if the instruction in this passage is cultural, required by all, or merely an account of what happened can be tricky.
So, I’m curious… how do you study the Bible? Are there any guidelines you use for interpreting and applying God’s word to your life?
Yesterday at The Journey, we felt led to make a change to the general path of our services and embarked on a prayer journey.
As a group we walked through thanksgiving, worship, repentance, meditation, intercession, supplication, and worship, again. It was an amazing venture. Some who were frequent travelers on this trip, loved praying with others once again. Others who were new to the sights along the prayer path, felt their hearts lift as God showed them a glimpse of what he has in store for them.
In my personal prayer journey, I am ready for more. I am sick of easy, breezy christianity, religious tradition and church culture expectations. I have never wished to live a normal life. I dread the common. I dream of an extreme relationship with my creator. I want the real deal: the raw presence of God in my life. Transparency and authenticity of spirit is what I long for. That I disappear and his grace shine in my place, is my prayer.
Last night was one of those times when God wakes me, stirs me, rips my heart, pours passion into the furthest corners of my soul, and revives me all over again. In this time of stretching, growth, and grace, I found this on Shane Vander Hart’s blog: John Piper speaking on the prosperity gospel.
There are certain times in one’s spiritual walk when you can sense the nearness of a shift in the wind. Almost as though it is a physical manifestation of the spirit, there is a definite awareness that God is about to make himself known in a completely new and fresh way. That is where we are at The Journey Church of Anchorage.
For the past year, Toby has been teaching about walking in the spirit, and being lead by God. One by one, people are grasping the idea that God desires a completely transparent and tangible relationship with us. It is in this pursuit that we are all purposing to begin this new year with a time of consecration.
Individually, we’re selecting times of prayer and fasting, and collectively we’re asking God to lead us as his kids and as a group of people hoping to find his presence in our lives. Already by Day Three, it’s amazing how God is stirring us to draw closer to him and opening our eyes to where he wants to take us.
Have you ever set aside time to specifically dedicate yourself to know God better? What happened when you did this?
The story of Noah is one that inspires and connects with many people in today’s time. Just as Noah’s world was filled with corruption and people wildly seeking their own desires, today’s culture and age is often marked by a high level of selfishness and sinful ideals.
The hope we find in Noah’s story, is that God looked through the mire and murky lives of humanity, seeking one individual who was strong enough to stand up for what he believed was pure and right. In finding Noah, God found a means in which to establish a line of connection between mankind and their Saviour. By providing Noah with specific, detailed instructions, God laid out a plan for rescuing man from themselves.
Undoubtedly, there was a sense of solitary purpose felt by Noah.His countrymen balked.His family questioned.His own heart wondered.But he knew that he had heard from his God, and he knew he was called to follow.Follow he did.
In our own lives, we are often challenged by situations that confront our ideals, our identity, and our purpose.The conflicting beliefs and events in our society provide opportunity to seek God’s provision, guidance, and promise in new and beautiful ways.Once we learn to seek him in the midst of our personal worlds, recognize his guidance, and follow his hand of protection and provision,we will see the rainbows of his promises in our own lives.
Thrilled. That is the best way to describe my reactions to some of the recent additions to my life in the last few days. I’ve been praying for God to continue pushing me and opening up doors for my life. As a result, in the last few weeks I’ve come into contact with some amazing women leaders. The inspiration and courage these women share is refreshing. With their encouragement at my back, in the next few months, I will continue to pursue my call in writing and women’s ministry. I can definitely see that God is on the move in my life.
This morning, as I sit nibbling on my granola before heading out to work, I’m overwhelmed by the sight of the sun glistening off the frost outside. More and more it appears as if summer is fighting its way back to the North. Its exciting to see the seasons change and observe the beauty in each.
It is amazing how God knows exactly when we need a fresh touch from him. A friend and I began talking last night about our lives and hunger to be in the exact place that we were designed to me. As we began to pray with each other, God swept in the room in a powerful and beautiful way; like only he can. Soon, the myriad of overwhelming situations melted away and was replaced by the peace that I’ve become so dependent upon.
There is nothing quite like spending time with God.
I recently heard an interview with Sir John Houghton, one of the world’s preeminent climatologists, regarding his thoughts on the conflict between faith in God and scientific reason. As a highly distinguished scientist, and former professor of atmospheric physics at Oxford University, he has given most of his career to studying global warming and encouraging the international community to address its tremendous impact on the globe. An unapologetic Christian, Houghton has voiced the belief that science and religion complement one another; an idea that unnerves the conservative and fundamentalist religious community.
In this highly intriguing interview with PBS’s Bill Moyer, Sir John Houghton shares his thoughts on creation, the Bible as a scientific book, and faith in God.
Recently, I had an explosive moment of revelation burst through my mind (a somewhat startling event). All of my life, I’ve been taught that worship with idols was wrong, due to the admonitions against it in the Ten Commandments. The simplified explanation for this was that when we create and worship an image of God, we steal from him by substituting God for an object.
However, I believe there is much more to it than this. According to scripture, we humans were designed to represent God, to live and breathe created in his image. When we allow an idol to take the position of depicting God, we steal from our own calling and privilege to reflect Christ.
So, how does this relate to the teachings that things other than statues can be idols in our lives? Perhaps when we allow our career, hobbies, people, or addictions to become more important than God, we allow them to signify our identity; when our identity should be found in Christ. In this reciprocal relationship with God, we have been chosen to reflect his image through our lives and in turn, we find our identity in him.
What an amazing gift and opportunity. Although I’ve always felt this was a non-issue for me, I’m purposed even more to live my life idol-free.
