Knowing God

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said, “You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, neither is he served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things. He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ‘For in him we live, and move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’       Acts 17:22-28 (WEB)

I am originally from Missouri.  Some would say that my personality is typical of the state motto “Show me”!  I like things that I can quantify.  I like my desk organized. I dislike clutter. And I think God likes to mess with me on this!  It is very difficult for me to ‘just be’ and allow God to ‘drive the car’ or ‘steer the boat’. I like an outline with well defined goals and sublists on how to achieve the goals. (There are people laughing as they read this and there are some nodding in agreement and wondering what the problem could be!)

God gave me a brain and He gave me gifts. He has blessed me with organizational skills. He expect me to use the gifts He gives me. But sometimes I misuse the gifts. When I attempt to over-think and run ahead of His plan, then I am not where He wants me to be. Paul says to these people that they are very intelligent but they need to remember what they know – that they do not know everything, including not knowing a lot about God.

God understands (since He created me!) that I do not know all about my Creator. It is logical that the created does not know all about the Creator. And so He wants me to walk in faith.  God gives me promises; tells me truths. He tells me His grace is sufficient.  His love is everlasting. I should be joyful in hope.  How do I quantify those things?  How do I know when I have ‘enough’ so that I am prepared ‘just in case’? I don’t want to repeat ‘mistakes’ or go through bad times again. I want some kind of ‘God insurance’ (assurance?) that if I just pray enough, study enough, fast enough, serve enough, store up enough, that I will be ‘safe’.

God doesn’t promise that. He promises that He will always be there. He promises that He will not give me more than He can bring me through. The point is that I do not try to do it myself. God is there for me to reach. He is engaged in my life. He died for my life. Jesus is as close as I will allow Him to be.

It doesn’t matter where I’ve come from — only where I am going with God.  Today is a brand new day on the journey. 

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I Can Stand on this Rock!

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless Yahweh your God from everlasting to everlasting! Bessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise! You are Yahweh, even you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their army, the earth and all things that are on it, the seas and all that is in them, and you preserve them all. The army of heaven worships you.                                                        Nehemiah 9:5-6 (WEB)

There have been a lot of ‘fads’ in my life.  I wore my hair very straight (had to iron it!) and parted in the middle in college. I wore cropped tops and huge bell bottom pants. I did not wear platform shoes because I was already tall! I had some gigantic hoop earrings. I had boyfriends who had blue leisure suits. (YUK!) And then there were all the American idioms: Groovy, Way Out, Rad. All these important influences that made their way into my way of life have come and gone.  It is interesting to me how some are now returning (bell bottom pants and platform shoes!) — as if they were that great the first time around!

Scripture tells us that God is “everlasting”.  No flash in the pan is He! I could list the many, many things He has brought me through but when I think of it as a list right now, I feel depressed about all of it. But when I consider where I am now and where I have been, I feel the joy of the victory that God has given me! Without Him, I truly would have perished!

I can count on God.  He isn’t going any where.  He isn’t giving up on me. I have been shaking-my-fist angry at Him. He sat there and took it and then held out His arms to hold me. I have turned away from Him in despair and frustration. And seen The Prodigal play out in my own life. The Father stood watching for me to turn back around and when I got over my ‘mad’, trying to figure it ‘my way’ and turned around, He came running toward me with open arms.

And so I’ve made a decision not to give up on Him.  It is a conscious choice. Some might waver back and forth. Maybe God has brought me through all these events because He wanted me to exercise my spiritual muscles!?! In the times that we now live and those that seem to loom in the near future, it is a steadfast heart that will not be blown about, looking for a mountaintop to land. A steadfast heart will keep moving ahead each day, relying on Jesus for peace, for direction, for every step.

What else in my life can I say the same thing?  Nothing! Zip! Nada! Good choice.

Posted in Nehemiah | Leave a comment

All Creation

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

Praise Yahweh! Praise Yahweh from the heavens!

Praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels!

Praise him, all his army! Praise him, sun and moon!

Praise him, all you shining stars!

Praise him, you heavens of heavens, You waters that are above the heavens.

Let them praise the name of Yahweh, For he commanded, and they were created. He has also established them forever and ever.  He has made a decree which will not pass away.

Praise Yahweh from the earth, you great sea creatures, and all depths!

Lightning and hail, snow and clouds; stormy wind, fulfilling his word; mountains and all hills; fruit trees and all cedars; wild animals and all livestock; small creatures and flying birds; kings of the earth and all peoples; princes and all judges of the earth; both young men and maidens; old men and children: let them praise the name of Yahweh, for his name alone is exalted.

His glory is above the earth and the heavens.

He has lifted up the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near to him.

Praise Yahweh!     Psalm 148 (WEB)

A friend, who is a feature writer for our webzine, Bible Study Paths,  just sent me some pictures from her travels. They will be in the September edition of the webzine. There are some beautiful pictures of rivers, mountains, clouds, and the colors are indescribable.

I am struggling right now with keeping my eyes up on God. Sometimes the pit may seem deeper than it is and so the Light may seem farther away than it really is. The enemy and my flesh combine to deceive me on where I really am!

God has used my friend and the clouds, rain, even the neighborhood kittens to remind me that He has created it all and yet, as beautiful as it all is, He has named me … His child. I remember that Jesus said that the Father created the beautiful flowers and knows every sparrow but they are not His best creation. I am. You are.

Even when I look at the indescribable creation, I consider that God could have just created it all in black and white or just brown or just green. Look at the sky. Look at the trees. So many hues of color. Our Father is Creator of such beauty. There is a website that shows pictures taken with the Hubble Telescope.  Go to the site and click on “gallery”. Picture after picture of places beyond what I have listed so far. WOW!

God shows me again His faithfulness. He sees my struggle and sends so many people and brings His slideshow of love to lift me up. And then He speaks to my heart and reminds me of His promises. He shows me how to move forward.

Thank You, Lord. Thank You.

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On my Knees

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

A scribe came, and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.”

But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”         Matthew 8:19-22 (WEB)

I have wanted to write this devotion for some time. Every time I begin to write it, I find myself praying and weeping as I cry out to God to meet the needs of missionaries that I know.

All of us are called to be missionaries for Jesus Christ. Our commission is to go and make disciples and teach them His ways. So we are His witness in whatever we do and wherever we go.

Today, I bring our focus on those who have left their homes and gone to live among the people they have been called to serve. They are in the inner cities, the very poor of mountain regions, in foreign countries where they cannot publicly declare their faith or their intentions but they live their lives as a Light in darkness.

On Saturdays and Sundays, Turner Classic Movie and AMC channels often run World War II movies. Yes, most of them are flag-waving, John Wayne/Charlton Heston movies but somewhere in the script most of them ask a character the question: What are you doing to help the war effort? So I pose that to each one of us today: What are you doing to help the war effort? Do not be deceived or naive – We are at war! There is a fight for souls. It does not take an end times student to know that in the eternal time line we are more near to the end than Paul was! So if Paul says:

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.        1 Corinthians 15:58 (WEB)

… then we need to be laboring not sitting around!

Answer the call you’ve been ignoring. Do you really fear God more than man? Do you want to stand before God and explain why you ignored the urging of His Spirit to serve because it seemed too hard?

Step forward. Move toward the goal God has given. Increase your prayer as you increase your actions. God will open or close the path to confirm His plan for your life. He is faithful.

Most of us have been called to be part of the “support forces” in God’s Army. We are called to engage in battle on our knees. If you do not personally know missionaries to lift in prayer, send me an email and I will give you a name and location.

And while you are praying, do not forget to ask God where you should make an offering. God provides for His Army and He wants to bless us to be a part of His provision. Eat a piece of fruit for your meal and send that $10-15 to a mission.

Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God; who also sealed us, and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.     2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (WEB)

Posted in 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Matthew | Leave a comment

God’s Faithful Word

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

When I came to you, brothers, I didn’t come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith wouldn’t stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.              1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (WEB)

It’s been interesting to me that in times of great trial in my life when I’m ‘pressed but not crushed’ [2 Cor. 4] that I struggle to send out devotions.  I hear this ‘junk’ in my head that says “You don’t know the answers yourself — how can you suggest any truth to others?” I wish I could say that I hear that followed by a cackle of laughter easily identifying a red, fork-tailed serpent-like scumbag called satan but sometimes it’s a sweet soft voice!

Fortunately, further along in that same chapter is a word straight from God. Take some time and read on through verse 16.

God will give His wisdom without condition to those who love Him. He created me. God knows my limitations. He wants me to learn and grow.

The Holy Spirit knows the mind of God because He is God.  My spirit knows my true heart.  There is no deception in my spirit.  There is only deception in my soul — my emotions deceive me.  It is the joining of God’s spirit with mine that allows me to know the mind of Christ.  To know His plan and purpose for me.  To worship Him.

When I accepted that I needed a savior and accepted that Jesus was the only One, His Spirit came and lived in me. Since that day, His Spirit has been there to teach me, reminding me of His promises, and opening my spirit to recognize God when He speaks to me. And so the more time I spend with Him the more I will know when it is not Him.

Each devotion that I transcribe I write down for myself first. God is faithful to bring His wisdom, an unconditional gift, to me every day, many times a day when I take the time to listen. Then He says, “Pass it along” and so I do. God’s Word is for His children, wherever they may be, in whatever their circumstances. He is faithful. He is faith. Give Him the thanks and praise!

I will bless Yahweh at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth. My soul shall boast in Yahweh. The humble shall hear of it, and be glad. Oh magnify Yahweh with me. Let us exalt his name together. I sought Yahweh, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to him, and were radiant. Their faces shall never be covered with shame.      Psalm 34:1-5 (WEB)

Posted in 1 Corinthians, Psalms | Leave a comment

We are Fellow Workers

Posted on August 26, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work.     2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (WEB)

Reaping and Sowing.  Now there is a “Kingdom Principle”! I’m not a theologian but a “Kingdom Principle” to me is one that God has clearly spelled out throughout His Word and it is a “if this — then that” kind of statement.

So the first question is:  How much am I sowing? Yes, that starts with tithing and being faithful to that tithe.  It is being faithful to the tithe while at the same time being faithful to our responsibilities like rent/mortgage etc.  It is faith that more than occasionally defies logic and moves into God’s principle of reaping and sowing.  Am I also sowing into other people?  Financially but also in my time.  Am I sowing into fellowship and discipleship?  If I am seeking to live a life serving God, keeping the Sabbath, studying God’s Word, and spending time in daily prayer, then I believe I should be discipling!  “Oh, but Jody, I’m not a pastor or a Sunday School teacher or leader!”  Hogwash! That’s the enemy trying to deceive you into thinking that you are the one who is going to be doing all the discipling!!!  God is the One who disciples through His Holy Spirit! I am just the messenger!  Sometimes I am the messenger and the receiver!!!  There is someone out there that God wants you to disciple — a friend, a grandchild, — someone!  Ask Him and then — be obedient!!

The second question is: Am I reaping what I have sown? Sometimes that is not a pretty picture!  If you are reaping weeds, well, it’s time to start sowing some good fruit and flowers, isn’t it?  “Oh, great!  I’ve been sowing into _____ and into ____ church and now I can sit back and just reap the rewards!”  Uh…no. There is no retirement in this world. I am working along side of Jesus. He said that He was here to glorify the Father. There is the primary fruit of what I sow. Am I sowing seeds that will glorify the Father? If I am an encourager or a teacher, it’s about building up the Body so that more people see God in everything.

Who then is Apollos, and who is Paul, but servants through whom you believed; and each as the Lord gave to him? I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are the same, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers.     1 Corinthians 3:5-9 (WEB)

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Divine Home Design

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; …        Ephesians 3:14-17 (WEB)

When I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, the Redeemer of my life, He came to live in me.  His Holy Spirit became a part of me. What kind of accommodations am I offering to God? What does my home look like?

How about the ‘Kitchen’?  Do I “cook up” good stuff in my spirit, my soul?  Do I mix pleasing portions of personal Bible study, private and corporate worship, and private and corporate prayer? Do I store up items in my pantry that will never spoil or am I more concerned about having ‘name brand’, religious accessories that mean nothing to God who can see the truth of my heart?

What happens in my bedroom, including the closet?  What is my relationship with God?  I can be totally honest here because this is the place where NOBODY sees — except Him.  God will help me de-clutter the closet and sweep out the dust bunnies of my life. The secret sins that I think no one else knows – God will clean that out!

Not to be indelicate, but what about the bathroom?  Have my past sins that I have repented, and are covered by Jesus’ blood from the cross, truly been flushed away?  Or do I continue to revisit them and the stench affects every part of my home?  Nothing from this world can cover-up and set me free. Only the Blood. Nothing else is needed.

And finally, there is my front porch and yard.  Is it beautiful and fragrant with good fruit and flowers?  Or does it look deserted like no one lives there any more? Is my faith my life? Am I disciple of Jesus Christ 24/7? Do I have curb appeal that beckons people closer to ask about what makes me different? Am I prepared to share what produces the fruit in my life?

As I look around my physical dwelling place and consider how much time and effort I spend in keeping that ‘up’ and clean and repaired — how does that balance with the time and effort I put into my spiritual home where God lives!?!!

Just like any home designer, Jesus as a vision of what I can be. He wants to live inside of me and construct His home from the inside out. Jesus gives me free choice for many of the details of my life but He has also set an example of what will work well for me. He wants my life to be more extravagant (abundant) than I can imagine.

Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in Yahweh’s house forever.               Psalm 23:6 (WEB)

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School is Always in Session!

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

As they said these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be to you.” But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

He said to them, “Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. Luke 24:36-40 (WEB)

Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts.

See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. Psalm 139:23-24 (WEB)

Jesus is real. From a child born in a manger to this moment, risen from the dead and fully God, Jesus is touchable and real. He wanted the disciples, the Twelve and others, to know that He had truly risen from the dead.  And so He showed them the ugly wounds and they knew that He was the Jesus they had known for three years and yet, God.

As I read the gospels, I search for Jesus who is real in my life.  Who has been tempted as I have been tempted.  Who gets frustrated with people as I get frustrated with people.  Who is tired and needs solitude as I need solitude.  Jesus who needs to go off and have a heart-to-heart with His heavenly Father the way I do.  It is all there.  Every word.  But there is something more.  There is Jesus setting the example, showing me the way in all those situations, reacting in the way the Father wants me to react.  It is all there.  Every word. Each day as I study and spend time listening to my Teacher, Jesus, I learn something new.

And then God tests me.  A test evaluates what I know. But it also evaluates what I don’t know.  God tests me and finds the offensive way in me (sin — that’s what offends Him!) and then proceeds to go over again what I have not yet learned!  That leads me on His path.  The True Path.

In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:26 – 28 (WEB)

So that Geometry test I always hated to take, because I knew it was such a S-T-R-E-T-C-H for me, is like the test I am currently going through because God has searched my heart and sees that ‘offensive’ spot and is working it to my good. I have been called for His purpose!  I am sitting in my seat with my Bible open and my ears tuned in to the Teacher. I do not want to re-take the test! Like the best of teachers, Jesus will explain the lesson in many ways.

Give to me what you will, God.
How much you will, God.
When you will, God.
Send me wherever you will, God.
And deal with me in all things — as you will, God. Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471)

Posted in Luke, Psalms, Romans | Leave a comment

This Day

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 (NIV)

While this is a very familiar psalm, most of us have probably sang a song from this psalm, have you ever taken the time to read the verse in context with the rest of Psalm 118? The psalmist is speaking a paraphrase of Job’s words that though the LORD slay me – I will hope in Him (Job 13:15). It is a choice to receive what God has given for the day and be glad that He has given me the day!

It may be a difficult concept to consider that God has control over the good and the evil of this world. When I think of the events on September 11, 2001 or the death of my son on September 22, 2004, I want to say that satan caused those awful, painful things to happen. And, in truth, this is satan’s playground where he twists and spreads his evil, destructive seeds. But God is Creator of all and so has power over all, and so it must be that He does ultimately have the choke chain around satan! In Job we see that God allows satan to torment Job. God does not allow satan to kill him. God has the control. So what happened on 9/11? Did God get distracted and miss that satanic mischief and so could not stop it? Was God on vacation in the summer of 2004 and so did not get the message that James needed to be healed?

It may sound cliché to some but God’s ways (His sight, His understanding, His plans, His love, His judgment, His mercy) is not the same as mine. It may seem trite but it is true. My way of seeing events and seeing the fairness of this world cannot be compared to infinite God who holds oceans in His hand! There may have been a dozen other planes headed for other major cities that did not happen on that September 11th morning. There may be bombs, nuclear or ‘dirty’, that fail every week, because God hauls back on the choke chain and says, “No!” It may have been in satan’s mind to execute some horrible, painful, heinous death on James and God said, “No!” I don’t know.

As I was reading Psalm 118 (please take the time to do so today!), I was slipping some notes of my own life into the verses of the psalm. It is so easy to list the many difficulties and situations that cause worry. What if instead I got up in the morning and said, “Today is the day You created, Lord. I know You are here with me now. Walk with me through the day, Lord, and direct my steps, my words, and my thoughts.” And every night when I lay down I say, “Thank You, Lord, for the day” and list the blessings and, yes, the difficulties of the day, putting them in God’s hand (there’s room even with the oceans!) for His care and plan.

Peter said to give all my cares to God because He cares for me (1 Peter 5:7). He also said that God isn’t slow to keep His promises (2 Peter 3:9). But Peter said a lot more. He said that there would be suffering in my life just as Jesus suffered but there is also the promise of glory just as Jesus is glorified (1 Peter 4). He said that God is patient because He doesn’t want anyone to perish but to repent and receive His promise of eternal life (2 Peter 3).

Our LORD has our days in that hand of His. It is our choice on what we do with it. God gave us choice. I will rejoice and I will be glad in this day!

Posted in Psalms | 2 Comments

The Question and God’s Answer

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

He threw down the pieces of silver in the sanctuary, and departed. He went away and hanged himself.      Matthew 27:5 (WEB)

This week God has been speaking to me about death and dying. The subject could not be covered without including suicide. Too often Christian grief support groups/programs ignore or attempt to carefully step around the difficulties of this subject. Jesus did not avoid hard subjects so why should we if we are His ambassadors?

C. Michael Patton, theologian, recently wrote “Do People Who Commit Suicide Go To Hell?” on his blog. He expressed my views much better than I could repeat. I hope you will take a few minutes and read his blog that was done in answer to a question from a hurting soul. I smiled in agreement and with a lump in my throat as I read:

“Christ’s death is a once for all remedy to our damnation. Because of this grace and forgiveness we should live a life that is pleasing to him, but some of us won’t do so well. That is what makes grace so wonderful and radical—indeed, beyond belief.”

Paul told Timothy (1 Timothy 2) that the Father desires that all should come to know Him. His love and passion to have His children live forever and ever with Him is truly beyond our comprehension. Jesus died once for all. All of God’s children. All of the children’s sins. ALL. No sin too big. No forgotten sin too small. Jesus took them all and washed us with His blood so that we would have an eternal relationship with our Father and Creator. Whether I come to this saving knowledge early in my life or at the last moment, Jesus is Savior and has done it for me. Whether I have lived a good and moral life or led a most heinous life, I need Jesus to save me and He has done it!

Parents, siblings, friends, the ripple effect of suicide is devastating and can affect generations. We are God’s ambassadors and should be ready “in season and out” (2 Timothy 4) to give testimony to the extravagant love of God. Judgment is in His hands and there it must remain.

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