Blog with Debbie

Empty Bottle Moments

22 Aug 2010 12:00:00 GMT

What are you filled with? How do you occupy your time? Is your life so busy that you have forgotten what it feels like to have a moment of rest? Are you heavy laden with the burdens of this world? Matthew 11:28 says "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." And Psalm 107:9 says: "For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness."

So, how do we come to Jesus and receive His rest? How do we get to the point of truly longing for Him, being hungry for Him? Jesus said in Matthew 5:3: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." And in John 15:5, He said I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing."

We are filled up with the stuff of our life ? schedules, stresses, strife, and stuff, stuff and more stuff. Are we filled up with God? Do we let so many other things fill us up that there is no room for God in our lives? We must take the time to create "empty bottle moments". These are moments when we empty our life and our soul of everything so that God can fill us with His rest, His goodness, with satisfaction and meaning, rather than the pursuit of worthless stuff that makes up our lives.

How do we create "empty bottle moments"?

First, carve into your schedule a time to just "stop", even if it is just for 5 minutes. It can be at the beginning of your day, in the middle of the day, or at the end of the day. But, we all need these moments to just "stop".

Second, as you "stop", humble yourself before the LORD, empty yourself of self ? of self-confidence, of self-importance, of pre-occupation with the things of this world. Empty yourself of self. Confess to the Lord the things of this world that are causing you to feel "heavy laden". Confess to the Lord that without Him, you can do "nothing". Acknowledge the LORD as the only one who can bring satisfaction to your soul.

Third, after you have emptied yourself of self, ask the LORD to fill you with His goodness, His rest, His desires, His Fruit, His HOLY SPIRIT.

Fourth, then "pause" and "be quiet" and "listen". Read His Word ? the Psalms say much about living life with the Lord. Pray a Psalm to the Lord. Read from Proverbs ? meditate on God's wisdom. Desire to be filed with His Wisdom. Listen to what God has to say to you.

To create an "empty bottle moment" where you can be filled up with God and His Spirit and His Desires is crucial to the life of a believer. Because, without God, you can do nothing. NOTHING.

So, take time each day to create an "empty bottle moment". The value of these moments is worth more than anything this world offers.

Wallowing in the Mud

15 Aug 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Do we return to wallow in the mud after having been cleansed by the Lord? In 2 Peter 2:20, Peter tells us: "For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning." He compares it in verse 22 to "a sow, having washed, returning to her wallowing in the mire." In Psalm 40:2, the psalmist shares how the LORD "brought me out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock." Would the Psalmist consider returning to wallow in the mud?

Let's explore these passages in a practical way. First, what are the "pollutions of the world"? Galatians 5 19-21 tells us that these are the "works of the flesh" --- "adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries". And we are exposed to these pollutions everyday ? in the work place, at school, on the news, television programs, movies, books, magazines, and countless other encounters. Adultery and fornication are commonplace in our society and considered acceptable. Hatred and lack of forgiveness abound around us. Advertisements cause us to be jealous or envious of those who have what we don't have or may cause us to seek our own selfish ambitions, without considering the affect on others. It is all about "me, me and more of me". And within these "pollutions of the world", there is a lack of peace, a lack of contentment.

Ah, don't we long for peace and contentment!

But God provides an escape from the "pollutions of the world" through knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When we come to know Him, He washes our heart as clean as the freshly fallen snow and He provides an escape from the "pollutions of the world". However, it is easy, because of our sin nature, to be "again entangled in them and overcome" by them. If we are not on guard, we can so easily return to wallow in the mud of the "pollutions of the world". And Peter says, it is worse for us than it was before we originally escaped from the mud. And it makes sense ? a believer in the mud, knows they shouldn't be there, cannot really be happy in the mud. They know that the mud pies they are making are not the good food that God can give since they have tasted the good food of God. The believer wallowing in the mud is the most miserable of creatures.

So, the questions for us are:

How do we avoid becoming entangled in the "pollutions of the world" and thus avoid returning to wallowing in the mud?
If we do end up wallowing in the mud, how do we again escape that mud and once again taste the goodness of God?

First, look at the "pollutions" above --- are we spending time with people at work or school who are obsessed with the "pollutions" or are we spending time with God's people? Are we watching the news out of a sense of curiosity or are we watching and praying for our world? Do our hearts hurt for all the hurting people we hear about in the world? What televisions programs, movies, books and magazines do we choose to watch and read? Are we choosing the things of God or the "pollutions of the world"? Do we spend time in God's Word daily? Do we pray continually? How do we spend our time? Self-evaluation and prayer is essential in avoiding returning to wallow in the mud.

Second, if we end up in that mud, what do we do to escape? Go to God ? in fact run to God ? put on your hip boots and run to God. Don't just sit there and wallow. You have to do something. You have to make a choice for God and not self and the world. And when you do, as the Psalmist says, the LORD will bring you out of your muddy pit of despair and desolation, and set your feet upon a rock, Jesus Christ, and you will be secure. Peace and contentment can now take over your life as you praise God and thank Him that He hears your cries and He picks you up when you run to Him. So, pick up your feet, and run to God. Don't look back. Stay in His Word, Pray, and spend time with the people of God. Choose to keep your feet on THE rock, Jesus Christ!

Have you ever cried out "O LORD, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear"?

08 Aug 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Have you ever cried out "O LORD, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear"? Have you ever felt like God did not hear your prayers, did not see your suffering, that God was allowing the innocent to suffer and not coming to their rescue? Habakkuk felt that way when he cried out to the Lord. And what was the answer he received from the LORD? "The just shall live by his faith". Paul reiterates "the just shall live by faith" in Romans 1:17. The writer of Hebrews (10:37-38) expands on this thought saying: "For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him", and then follows with Hebrews 11, the Great Hall of Faith, listing Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets, and many unnamed individuals who suffered for the Lord. They were the just, walking in faith, suffering, and willing to do so because they knew that God was preparing a place for them in Heaven. Their eyes were focused on the eternal, rather than the temporal. And what about Habakkuk? Note how he ends his book with a hymn of faith in 3:17-19: "Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls ? Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills." May I sing Habakkuk's hymn of faith every day!!! Will you join with me?

But God!

31 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Yesterday, I was in court with my client, seeking what I thought was best for my client, yet, realizing it was most-likely a long shot. When the Judge ruled, my breath was taken away for a moment, because I knew that only God could make the heart of the Judge rule in our favor. Yes, I had prepared for court. I'd done my part. But God, He deserved the glory. There was no doubt in my heart and mind that God had made it happen. It was all in His time. I saw God in the midst of the courtroom. Yet, there are other times when I know God is working, that I totally miss Him. I fail to give Him the glory. I get wrapped up in what I am doing, what I am saying, what I want and when the answer comes, I take the glory because, after all, I worked hard, I gave it my all. What arrogance! Yesterday, I saw God. I saw His Sovereign work in the courtroom, in the heart of the Judge. Lord, do not let me forget!

Jesus would like your lunch.

25 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT

"There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish?So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost. Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten?" (John 6:9-13

Did you ever wonder what this lad was thinking when he was asked to share his food? He could have refused to share his lunch. He could have denied the call and invitation to share his food. Instead with his YES, he joined with Jesus, the disciples and the 5000 in witnessing and becoming part of a great miracle. If he had focused on his lunch instead of Jesus, He would have missed this amazing experience.

We can also say YES or NO to Jesus when He asks us to give Him what we have, our self, our time, our resources. It is so easy to become so focused on the "lunch" that we never say YES to the Savior. The little boy did not have much, but he had the materials of a miracle, just like Moses (when the Lord appeared to him in a burning bush), David (when a shepherd boy was chosen as King or when he used a small sling shot to kill a giant), and just like US (when we surrender what we have to Jesus).

When we surrender our lunch (our time, our resources, our self) to Jesus, there are unlimited possibilities with an unlimited God. When I think of this young lad, he inspires me to give God everything I am and everything I have ? to give God my lunch. It reminds me that God does his work best in the weaknesses of humanity. I am weak, yet HE is strong.

As I ponder this young lad, may I catch a vision of Jesus with unlimited possibilities as I submit ALL to Him. Our God is still in the miracle business. Respond to His Call, His Invitation to join with Him. I must not hold anything back from my great God, my Savior, my Anchor, my Light and my Life. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Why would I hold back?

I think I'll give Jesus my lunch.

Jesus is our caterer and He feeds us with good things.

18 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Have you ever thought of Jesus as your caterer, who feeds who with good things ? In Jesus, you are chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, loved, given an inheritance in heaven and the fruit of the Spirit. In Proverbs 8:19, it says: "My fruit is better than gold, yes, than find gold, and my revenue than choice silver." Jesus gives us the best of everything because we are His beloved children. In the love story of Solomon and the Shulamite, Solomon (a type of Christ) brings the Shulamite (the believer) to his banqueting table and provides a banner over the Shualamite of love. Such a beautiful picture of God's provision and love for us. So, if we are receiving the best and all good things, why do we search and partake of other food, wanting more and more? I Timothy 6:6-8 addresses our yearnings to not be content with the good things that God has given us, saying, "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content." What a wonderful word ? CONTENTMENT! So, as you go about the moments of your life, strive to look to Jesus, stay in His Word, feed on the good things He provide, and you will be content and experience a joy far beyond anything this world offers. Look to Jesus, your caterer, and feed on His food alone!!

Are you mixed among the peoples?

11 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT

This morning I have been reading from the book of Hosea. In Chapter 7, verse 8&9, it says "Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake unturned. Aliens have devoured his strength, but he does not know it; yes, gray hairs are here and there on him, yet he does not know it." The people of God were so mixed with the lifestyle of the unbelievers that you could not distinguish them. God describes them as a cake unturned. Imagine you are frying a pancake and you never turn it over to do both sides. Would it be fully cooked? What would it taste like? Gooey and uncooked, definitely not pleasing to the taste. It might even make you sick. Further, God says that the aliens (unbelievers) have devoured the strength of the people of God and they are aging, yet they are unaware of their condition. It is often the case as we become more entangled with the world and less and less connected to our God, that we fail to recognize our condition. Just as Samson (who was also entangled with the world) failed to recognize that the God's Spirit had left him which led to his torture and ultimate demise, we can be unaware of our condition when we allow ourselves to become entangled with the things of this earth that are temporary and forget the things of heaven, which are eternal. We lose our strength. We are unaware. We are disconnected from our God. If you read further in Chapter 7, God calls Ephraim "a silly dove, without sense." And God says He will bring them down, chastise them. So, when you find yourself mixed "among the peoples", run, return to the Lord, seek the Lord. Cry out to the Lord in true repentance. He will redeem you. He will give you the strength to run the race

Busy - take time to have fun!

03 Sep 2008 12:00:00 GMT

I've been noticing on facebook and as I talk to various ladies how busy we all are. It seems that busyness has become the norm. Maybe it is time to say "NO" to some things It might be helpful to make a list of all your daily responsibilities and then prioritize them to determine if something should "GO". Ephesians 5:15-16 says: "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." So, as you redeem the time (use time wisely), schedule out some unnecessary things, schedule in time to have fun at least once a week, and most of all, stay focused daily on the Lord. We need that daily time of rest with Him to give us the wisdom to redeem the time well.

Love in Jesus,
Debbie A

My Plan/God's Plan

17 Jun 2008 12:00:00 GMT

I was listening to a radio show this morning and one of the speaker's said, "Because God is good, my life didn't turn out as I planned." As I thought about his words, my heart agreed with him. When I look back at my life, it is clear that if life had gone according to my plan, it would not have been for my good. The twists and turns of my life that were not my plan and of which I often complained, turned out to be God's plan and his plans are good and for my good. It reminds me of Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." How true that is of my life -- God's plans are the only way to go. They are for my best and my good. When I drop the plans of man and submit to the God of the Universe, knowing He is good, I have a real hope and a future. So, along with the speaker on the radio I can say, "Because God is good, my life didn't turn out as I planned." Praise the Lord!

Love in Jesus, Debbie

Settling for a Hershey Kiss

15 Jun 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Our daily walk with the Lord should be a time of intimacy, both learning more and more about who God is and developing a passionate relationship with the Lord of the Universe, who longs to give us "every spiritual blessing in Christ". When we settle for a Sunday sermon and possibly Sunday School and neglect to regularly spend daily time with the Lord (both reading His Word and in prayer), are we just settling for a Hershey Kiss when we could have the entire chocolate factory? As a chocolate lover from almost birth, I'd rather have the entire chocolate factory. In the same way, as a child of the living God, my desire should be to pursue such a relationship with Him that I experience and know "every spriritual blessing in Christ"? Why don't you join with me and seek the Lord daily both in the Scripture and in prayer?

Love in Jesus, Debbie