It's time to wrap up 2010 and leave behind more of our natural spirit and look forward to 2011 with a renewed spirit. 2010 was the year of THE GRAND STORY and began with reading the Bible in 90 days, a perfect basis for what was to follow. I have a sense that the year was carefully planned by both God and His servant, Pastor Bill, especially as pertains to the OLAH service on Saturday nights.
Here, we had an opportunity to "experience" many founding aspects of ourspiritual journey at Lookout. A series on "Rocks" led into getting angry with God before we, one by one, marched down the aisle for the verdict: "GUILTY". Then followed the scarring of the masterpiece and Can't Forgive.Com. beautifully and profoundly redeemed by Sarah Sam's "Divine Justice". The last few weeks considered our roadblocks to true Spiritual renewal, the idols which, if we somehow give up, leads to true grief, something we wish to avoid at any cost.
Finally, at the Candlelight service a week ago, Pastor Bill nailed us all with his opening remarks,"I cannot know exactly why you may be here but I want you to know that you are welcome", recognizing that while many of us were there to celebrate, many might be experiencing heavy hearts. True to form, the "experience of Mary and Joseph" helped us realize that they were not only the lowest of the low but impacted us with our identifying with the same reality for ourselves. The "epiphany" occurred when out of these unbelieveable circumstances, the Light of the World was born and for the first time in over sixty years, I found new meaning in singing Joy To The World, where "heaven and nature" for a brief time, sing together in joyful harmony!
Thank you, Pastor, for a wonderful year of Spiritual Renewal!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Rocks II
This is the second commentary on the Can'tForgive.Com series which is slated to end on All Saint's Day. These reflections have been entitled "Rocks" and Pastor Bill threw around a few this last "Olah" service. I was so proud I had been faithful in completing the assignment, so I brought my rocks to show Pastor before the service. I had my Lava rock marked with an "S" for the rock I was carrying from my past employer and I had my wife's rock, the smooth, bu broken, river rock, approximately 3 lbs., labeled with an "E" for that person who had burned her badly. (There are stories which go with each of these of course, the Lava rock reminding me of Elihu-another story, and the broken, river rock which we'd decided stood for an individual, but after we thought about it,"Everybody"-yet another story).
As you recall, 'Olah' refers to burnt sacrifice and that's what this service was all about: scarring the masterpiece which is both ourselves and those around us. Pastor Bill lost no time in recognizing those who had brought rocks but he warned, "One person brought two rocks and we only want one". I had just gotten burned. He hadn't given me time to mention the second rock was for my wife and since we were "everyday missionaries" just like Adam and Eve, and I was helping her out, (just like Adam helped Eve, a lesson we still haven't learned). But the rocks kept flying around as his (pastor's) wife softly corrected him"it was the Pacific, not the Atlantic" and he covered himself immediately with "but it wraps around". At 'Olah' EVERYBODY gets burned! The point is, that even if we don't intend to hurt someone, we "unintentionaly do" scarring their sense of self-worth turning their invaluable Mona Lisa masterpiece, into a 'moaning Lisa' by committing a crime which can't ever be forgiven, except of course, by THE Rock.
Pastor Bill related a personal experience where a coffee waitress had so many crimes committed against her that she didn't value herself as a person at all, only a piece of property that tolerated crime after crime against her accepting this as her destiny. Of course, this is an old story, which began when Adam said, "She made me do it".
Next week, since all these crimes have been committed, we rebel! We become the plaintiff in a court of true justice where theplaintiff does not become the victim. We are taking our case before God Himself and we will have a workbook to sort it all out, simple step by simple step. I'm excited! I've been burned so many times and now I can have my say, just like Elihu in Job. Except, unlike Elihu, I'm learning, but have not yet become....to even comrehend, much less believe... in the miraculous, power of God. Thank you, Pastor, for a most invigorating journey!
As you recall, 'Olah' refers to burnt sacrifice and that's what this service was all about: scarring the masterpiece which is both ourselves and those around us. Pastor Bill lost no time in recognizing those who had brought rocks but he warned, "One person brought two rocks and we only want one". I had just gotten burned. He hadn't given me time to mention the second rock was for my wife and since we were "everyday missionaries" just like Adam and Eve, and I was helping her out, (just like Adam helped Eve, a lesson we still haven't learned). But the rocks kept flying around as his (pastor's) wife softly corrected him"it was the Pacific, not the Atlantic" and he covered himself immediately with "but it wraps around". At 'Olah' EVERYBODY gets burned! The point is, that even if we don't intend to hurt someone, we "unintentionaly do" scarring their sense of self-worth turning their invaluable Mona Lisa masterpiece, into a 'moaning Lisa' by committing a crime which can't ever be forgiven, except of course, by THE Rock.
Pastor Bill related a personal experience where a coffee waitress had so many crimes committed against her that she didn't value herself as a person at all, only a piece of property that tolerated crime after crime against her accepting this as her destiny. Of course, this is an old story, which began when Adam said, "She made me do it".
Next week, since all these crimes have been committed, we rebel! We become the plaintiff in a court of true justice where theplaintiff does not become the victim. We are taking our case before God Himself and we will have a workbook to sort it all out, simple step by simple step. I'm excited! I've been burned so many times and now I can have my say, just like Elihu in Job. Except, unlike Elihu, I'm learning, but have not yet become....to even comrehend, much less believe... in the miraculous, power of God. Thank you, Pastor, for a most invigorating journey!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Rocks
9/11/10...nine years after 9/11/01...there is a large rock on the alter; we are beginning a new series, on forgiveness. This is also connection "Sunday" so besides the "Olah", burnt offering, atmosphere with the candles, communion, offering chest, band and prayer tables, the sanctuary is surrounded with tables. There are tables to connect with ministries, education and spiritual activities.
Pastor Bill quickly begins our journey on understanding and participating in a forgiveness that takes us to the country beyond, that to which we have not previously been brave enough to travel. We have learned, of course, that forgiveness is turning the other cheek, but now we are confronted with several propositions and the idea that God does NOT turn the other cheek. He judges and disciplines, accordingly.
We also quickly learn that for us to forgive those circumstances, people or experiences which have scarred the masterpiece, which is ourselves and will always remain a scar throughout life, is to empower our own victimization. Wait a minute, we must pause to think about this: what I heard or understood, is that if we even "truly" forgive another, that we are all the more the victim (take the time to check out how Webster defines "victim"). Here is a good place also, to point out that the purpose of the "Olah" service is to disrupt.
I had a little trouble with this until I recalled the words of Robert Frost: "I'm going out to clean the pasture spring; it won't take long, I'm only going to clear the leaves away, and stop to watch the water clear, I may; it won't take long, you come too". Explaining, Frost said, "I like to rumple up people's minds and then stand back and watch them clear".
The assignment for the week is to find a rock, write the name or circumstance, which was the greatest crime ever committed against you, on the rock and place it somewhere where you will constantly be reminded of it throughout this series. The big rock on the stage reminds us first, of the rock, Jesus Christ, and if one can imagine what it would be like to carry this around all week, what would become of us. No wonder we must somehow discover a true forgivenss which can lift this burden. Now, the trick here, is to follow the assignment, otherwise the true change will not come over us. James reminds us, '"do not merely listen to the word, but do it" otherwise you will just merely continue on the journey from whence you came. RJ
Pastor Bill quickly begins our journey on understanding and participating in a forgiveness that takes us to the country beyond, that to which we have not previously been brave enough to travel. We have learned, of course, that forgiveness is turning the other cheek, but now we are confronted with several propositions and the idea that God does NOT turn the other cheek. He judges and disciplines, accordingly.
We also quickly learn that for us to forgive those circumstances, people or experiences which have scarred the masterpiece, which is ourselves and will always remain a scar throughout life, is to empower our own victimization. Wait a minute, we must pause to think about this: what I heard or understood, is that if we even "truly" forgive another, that we are all the more the victim (take the time to check out how Webster defines "victim"). Here is a good place also, to point out that the purpose of the "Olah" service is to disrupt.
I had a little trouble with this until I recalled the words of Robert Frost: "I'm going out to clean the pasture spring; it won't take long, I'm only going to clear the leaves away, and stop to watch the water clear, I may; it won't take long, you come too". Explaining, Frost said, "I like to rumple up people's minds and then stand back and watch them clear".
The assignment for the week is to find a rock, write the name or circumstance, which was the greatest crime ever committed against you, on the rock and place it somewhere where you will constantly be reminded of it throughout this series. The big rock on the stage reminds us first, of the rock, Jesus Christ, and if one can imagine what it would be like to carry this around all week, what would become of us. No wonder we must somehow discover a true forgivenss which can lift this burden. Now, the trick here, is to follow the assignment, otherwise the true change will not come over us. James reminds us, '"do not merely listen to the word, but do it" otherwise you will just merely continue on the journey from whence you came. RJ
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Leadership Building
May 7, 2010
Karen Cress,a Seventh Adventist Church trainer, has stated that "leadership is building relationships, period".
Several LMCC leaders and members met to pray about the church's financial circumstances. Importantly, the B90 project has proved to be a "God-send" in that now a rather large percentage of our current church has prepared itself for this urgent, financial reality, while it was yet, non-urgent. Informed with the broad knowledge we've acquired throught the Word, we can now get down to the serious business of first ansering the question, "We are a church, what are we becoming?" Without immediate, significant doing, we will not be a corporate, non-profit church but a scattered array of private individuals culturing "church" within themselves.
Pastor Bill spoke of this last week in his sermon. He stated he become depressed when he suddenly realized in seminary that after 30 years of being a christian, that he'd been a diest, not a theist. (He explains "diest" as experiencing God "out there" while a "theist" experiences God "living within".) As diests, it seems likely, as individual Christians to suddenly experience that same cold, dark, place, waiting to swallow us up in great depression, unless we become true theists. In which case, we would not depend on any building for "our" church, we'd be carrying it with us, "praying ceaselessly" throughout every day until the day the Lord calls us home, which may turn out to be ...today.
Of course, we'd have everything in order for those who were left; for us no church service would be longer necessary. We'd be gone. Oh, we might leave a mother, a wife, a child, some family, but if we'd been effective and responsible in our lives, they would all be "O.K.". Pause and think about it. This may be an opportunity for us to become "doors". Check out James 1 if you're ready to become proactive in church. Building relationships might first involve building one with your self, before joining together with one another to become a "church" where "two or more get together in My name".
B90 has prepared a significant core of LMCC for this very moment.
Karen Cress,a Seventh Adventist Church trainer, has stated that "leadership is building relationships, period".
Several LMCC leaders and members met to pray about the church's financial circumstances. Importantly, the B90 project has proved to be a "God-send" in that now a rather large percentage of our current church has prepared itself for this urgent, financial reality, while it was yet, non-urgent. Informed with the broad knowledge we've acquired throught the Word, we can now get down to the serious business of first ansering the question, "We are a church, what are we becoming?" Without immediate, significant doing, we will not be a corporate, non-profit church but a scattered array of private individuals culturing "church" within themselves.
Pastor Bill spoke of this last week in his sermon. He stated he become depressed when he suddenly realized in seminary that after 30 years of being a christian, that he'd been a diest, not a theist. (He explains "diest" as experiencing God "out there" while a "theist" experiences God "living within".) As diests, it seems likely, as individual Christians to suddenly experience that same cold, dark, place, waiting to swallow us up in great depression, unless we become true theists. In which case, we would not depend on any building for "our" church, we'd be carrying it with us, "praying ceaselessly" throughout every day until the day the Lord calls us home, which may turn out to be ...today.
Of course, we'd have everything in order for those who were left; for us no church service would be longer necessary. We'd be gone. Oh, we might leave a mother, a wife, a child, some family, but if we'd been effective and responsible in our lives, they would all be "O.K.". Pause and think about it. This may be an opportunity for us to become "doors". Check out James 1 if you're ready to become proactive in church. Building relationships might first involve building one with your self, before joining together with one another to become a "church" where "two or more get together in My name".
B90 has prepared a significant core of LMCC for this very moment.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Bible in 90 Days eighth week
Today finds us fast forwarding to the end of the Grand Story, completing our reading the entire Bible and seeing Transitions our Market Place ministry end and accomplish it's mission. This blog intended to maintain a link and fellowship among our sermons, Our Men's Bible study group who committed to B90 and Transitions, a career transition resource. Time has passed us by and we are at an end and perhaps a new beginning for Bible study and Transitions.
Therefore, we will summarize and contemplate "our next best step" as prompted in our B90 workbook. The workbook also summarizes what our B90 commitment was designed to do. The is found handily on the back cover and this is where we'll begin in four main areas:
1. A deeper RELATIONSHIP with God
2. A SENSE of accomplishment
3. A broader and more complete KNOWLEDGE of the Bible
4. A greater CONFIDENCE in navigating the Bible as well as our ability to apply what we've learned
On a personal note, my testimony is as follows:
1. I have developed a much greater relationship with God in my prayer life, both alone and with my wife. This is greatly enhancing our lives together, our spiritual renewal and our "everyday missionary" mission.
2. I felt I should have read the Bible many years ago and didn't. Now I have and its definitely created a sense of accomplishment of which fulfills me greatly.
3. While a long time Bible student, this experience has greatly and definitely improved the big picture. Mainly through seeing how God reveals Himself with His "instruments", us, who become aware of obstacles and failures. The New Testament takes on a new meaningfulness, especially at Easter when we again, experience God, but this time incarnate.
4. Spiritual renewal is a human dimension requiring study and meditation and value clarification and commitment in order to be effective. My confidence in becoming aware of my falleness has increased my ability to apply what I've become as a result of B90. A simple, personal story may serve to demonstrate:
Last week, the results of my bone density test revealed a problem in my left hip. This seemed to relate to my problems with sciatica which results in extreme leg cramps and pain at night. Since retiring, I've developed much more relief but early this week, I developed severe leg cramps which eject me out of bed and onto the stairs where I prop up my body on my elbows, grit my teeth and cry out in pain. I had lifted a heavy plant, which I knew I shouldn't do, and now I am paying the price.
My wife jumped out of bed and gave me water and a pill. But it wasn't in time to avoid the eight inch long knife that went into my right hip, twisted itself and put me again, in unbelieveable pain. I cried out, gripping the hand rail and trying to "presevere" as James admonished but I finally had to curse God. Immediately, Job jumped out at me and I realized I had failed the test. Still in pain, but now subsiding, I resolved to replace that reactive response with "God, please,please bless me!!! " in my affliction. I can't believe the pain Christ must have endured on the Cross. The lesson is, of course, that even under such duress, Job didn't cave in. I did. I have a long way to go but now I am taking a "next, best step".
The journey is to be continued. God bless you all!
Therefore, we will summarize and contemplate "our next best step" as prompted in our B90 workbook. The workbook also summarizes what our B90 commitment was designed to do. The is found handily on the back cover and this is where we'll begin in four main areas:
1. A deeper RELATIONSHIP with God
2. A SENSE of accomplishment
3. A broader and more complete KNOWLEDGE of the Bible
4. A greater CONFIDENCE in navigating the Bible as well as our ability to apply what we've learned
On a personal note, my testimony is as follows:
1. I have developed a much greater relationship with God in my prayer life, both alone and with my wife. This is greatly enhancing our lives together, our spiritual renewal and our "everyday missionary" mission.
2. I felt I should have read the Bible many years ago and didn't. Now I have and its definitely created a sense of accomplishment of which fulfills me greatly.
3. While a long time Bible student, this experience has greatly and definitely improved the big picture. Mainly through seeing how God reveals Himself with His "instruments", us, who become aware of obstacles and failures. The New Testament takes on a new meaningfulness, especially at Easter when we again, experience God, but this time incarnate.
4. Spiritual renewal is a human dimension requiring study and meditation and value clarification and commitment in order to be effective. My confidence in becoming aware of my falleness has increased my ability to apply what I've become as a result of B90. A simple, personal story may serve to demonstrate:
Last week, the results of my bone density test revealed a problem in my left hip. This seemed to relate to my problems with sciatica which results in extreme leg cramps and pain at night. Since retiring, I've developed much more relief but early this week, I developed severe leg cramps which eject me out of bed and onto the stairs where I prop up my body on my elbows, grit my teeth and cry out in pain. I had lifted a heavy plant, which I knew I shouldn't do, and now I am paying the price.
My wife jumped out of bed and gave me water and a pill. But it wasn't in time to avoid the eight inch long knife that went into my right hip, twisted itself and put me again, in unbelieveable pain. I cried out, gripping the hand rail and trying to "presevere" as James admonished but I finally had to curse God. Immediately, Job jumped out at me and I realized I had failed the test. Still in pain, but now subsiding, I resolved to replace that reactive response with "God, please,please bless me!!! " in my affliction. I can't believe the pain Christ must have endured on the Cross. The lesson is, of course, that even under such duress, Job didn't cave in. I did. I have a long way to go but now I am taking a "next, best step".
The journey is to be continued. God bless you all!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Eighth Week Bible in 90 Days
Well, we are excited about our spiritual renewal as we transition through the last phases of the Bible in 90 days mainly because most of us will have received a life-time ambition, doing just that. What a legacy!
What we have learned however, is the importance of humility and to become more humble. What we will become however, as a result of our commitment to this task, we may wish to pause and think about since we've learned God's chosen race just "didn't get it". Consequently, even though the Grand Story has led us to a new level of learning and understanding and we see how God revealed Himself in the Old Testament, how He appeared to the Phophets and how the Phophecy is now fulfilled with the New Testament, we have that realization that we should somehow change. Despite that fact, that now we are given the opportunity of Redemption, we still must believe and develop our Faith if we are to become righteous and produce righteous fruit.
Here is one perspective of what has been learned and how one can become closer to God in a new relatioship. We learned God is Righteous and this forms the foundation for following His commandments. Rightousness, Justice and Mercy pave the Way toward greater Faith. For us to become Righteous through Trust and Faith develops one's sense of Justice and Mercy.
Now, we have learned that to "love the Lord thy God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength" is the first and most important commandment. This, we must center and focus upon through concentrated learning and becoming. To Love God that much helps make sense of our'Olah, where we lay all our cares and "things" at the foot of the Cross. Based on this, we now can develop the capacity to "Love our neighbor as ourself" obeying, in the process, the original Ten Commandments.
The last most important learning is prayer: communicating with God on a daily, if not hourly basis, to learn His Will, ask for Forgiveness and offer our Thanks.
Upon completing our journey through the Bible, may our next best step be centering, focusing and concentrating on Jesus and The Father, to develop the habit which will truly change our human spirit into a more Holy Spirit. May God bless you all.
What we have learned however, is the importance of humility and to become more humble. What we will become however, as a result of our commitment to this task, we may wish to pause and think about since we've learned God's chosen race just "didn't get it". Consequently, even though the Grand Story has led us to a new level of learning and understanding and we see how God revealed Himself in the Old Testament, how He appeared to the Phophets and how the Phophecy is now fulfilled with the New Testament, we have that realization that we should somehow change. Despite that fact, that now we are given the opportunity of Redemption, we still must believe and develop our Faith if we are to become righteous and produce righteous fruit.
Here is one perspective of what has been learned and how one can become closer to God in a new relatioship. We learned God is Righteous and this forms the foundation for following His commandments. Rightousness, Justice and Mercy pave the Way toward greater Faith. For us to become Righteous through Trust and Faith develops one's sense of Justice and Mercy.
Now, we have learned that to "love the Lord thy God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength" is the first and most important commandment. This, we must center and focus upon through concentrated learning and becoming. To Love God that much helps make sense of our'Olah, where we lay all our cares and "things" at the foot of the Cross. Based on this, we now can develop the capacity to "Love our neighbor as ourself" obeying, in the process, the original Ten Commandments.
The last most important learning is prayer: communicating with God on a daily, if not hourly basis, to learn His Will, ask for Forgiveness and offer our Thanks.
Upon completing our journey through the Bible, may our next best step be centering, focusing and concentrating on Jesus and The Father, to develop the habit which will truly change our human spirit into a more Holy Spirit. May God bless you all.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Eighth Week Bible in 90 Days
"Ideal Womanhood"
Bill Senyard
March 21, 2010
'Olah service
We are reminded that 'Olah refers to burnt sacrifice and that Spiritual Renewal (growth) rises out of disruption. This was a disruptive service for many but especially the women who were primed to participate with the sermon. It is highly recommended that one listen to a tape of this service, available in the LMCC Bookstore.
Today's culture is unfair to women, since a woman's value and identity is judged by beauty, freedom from blemish,etc. but begs the question "where is your soul?" To answer this, we look at Biblical ideal characteristics of a woman, a more radical belief relying on their willingness to lay aside deceipt and instead honor God developing a greater sensitivity to the presence of God. Proverbs 31 gives these characteristics, which today, seem unattainable.
Several weeks ago, men were invited by God to participate in a redo: the Adam narrat5ive. Adam needed to "look" right instead of going to God, to become filled with the Spirit. Likewise, it is woman's task to redo the Eve narrative when she fell to temptation instead of asking God or deferring to Adam who was commanded to "rule and subue" thus covering his wife. Instead she trades her intimacy with God and Adam for an "illusion of control" and her attainment of glory for "feelings on a level with God". To help those women present to particate in "disruption" (for spiritual growth), they were invited to find another woman and tell their story. My wife could not do that and consequently was disrupted for being unable to know "what to do". I pointed out a nearby lady she could go visit with but she didn't go. Now, both of us had been "disrupted". The last week or so I had become aware that, like Adam, I hadn't "manned up" for my poor decisions. Now, my wife could have "submitted" to my suggestion of just going and visiting with another woman, but she couldn't. By the grace of God we were able to discuss our experience the next day. This is the way God worked: We had stopped for dinner before the 'Olah service and as I looked at her, a wave of emotion came over me and I told her how unbelieveable beautiful she was. She told me later that this was the first time in years that I had genuinely acknowledged her hair and how she looked in a loving, postitive way. God's hand was preparing me and I, unlike Adam, was preparing her for the 'Olah sacrifice she would experience that evening. I pray for our spiritual growth together. It is an unbelieveable journey, one of intimacy and redemption, a journey from man's natural spirit to God's holy spirit and it happened at Lookout after many, many years.
Bill Senyard
March 21, 2010
'Olah service
We are reminded that 'Olah refers to burnt sacrifice and that Spiritual Renewal (growth) rises out of disruption. This was a disruptive service for many but especially the women who were primed to participate with the sermon. It is highly recommended that one listen to a tape of this service, available in the LMCC Bookstore.
Today's culture is unfair to women, since a woman's value and identity is judged by beauty, freedom from blemish,etc. but begs the question "where is your soul?" To answer this, we look at Biblical ideal characteristics of a woman, a more radical belief relying on their willingness to lay aside deceipt and instead honor God developing a greater sensitivity to the presence of God. Proverbs 31 gives these characteristics, which today, seem unattainable.
Several weeks ago, men were invited by God to participate in a redo: the Adam narrat5ive. Adam needed to "look" right instead of going to God, to become filled with the Spirit. Likewise, it is woman's task to redo the Eve narrative when she fell to temptation instead of asking God or deferring to Adam who was commanded to "rule and subue" thus covering his wife. Instead she trades her intimacy with God and Adam for an "illusion of control" and her attainment of glory for "feelings on a level with God". To help those women present to particate in "disruption" (for spiritual growth), they were invited to find another woman and tell their story. My wife could not do that and consequently was disrupted for being unable to know "what to do". I pointed out a nearby lady she could go visit with but she didn't go. Now, both of us had been "disrupted". The last week or so I had become aware that, like Adam, I hadn't "manned up" for my poor decisions. Now, my wife could have "submitted" to my suggestion of just going and visiting with another woman, but she couldn't. By the grace of God we were able to discuss our experience the next day. This is the way God worked: We had stopped for dinner before the 'Olah service and as I looked at her, a wave of emotion came over me and I told her how unbelieveable beautiful she was. She told me later that this was the first time in years that I had genuinely acknowledged her hair and how she looked in a loving, postitive way. God's hand was preparing me and I, unlike Adam, was preparing her for the 'Olah sacrifice she would experience that evening. I pray for our spiritual growth together. It is an unbelieveable journey, one of intimacy and redemption, a journey from man's natural spirit to God's holy spirit and it happened at Lookout after many, many years.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Seventh week Bible in 90 days "It's Our Heart, Stupid"
Bill Senyard, March 14, 2010
We are entitling our 'Olah experience this week The Battle: HOLY
The battle is in our heart, the battle between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow. Our "Hebrew" heart, composed of mind, emotion and will experiences worldly sorrow through conscience, addictions, our sinful nature and ignorance. Godly sorrow is the sorrow that our heart is so offensive to God. We need to change! We sing "Open my eyes, that I may see" knowing that our heart must change BUT we can't. Slowly, we realize that the battle is one between our internal, sinful nature struggling to access an external power, that of the Holy Spirit which will change our heart.
Our NEW heart will replace repression, ignorance, singul nature and conscience with the Cross, God's Love for me, His Law written on our hearts and most importantly, His Holy Spirit in us. We can lay all our disruptive experience at the foot of the Cross and present our 'Olah burnt offering to Him, leaving only our humanity, but with a new, free, moral Spirit.
At the prayer table, my wife and I came to God's minister, Weston, and told him that our prayers we prayed last week had been answered. Our daughter and new granddaughter fought a brave battle and were victorious! Both were blessed by God's grace and are well. We now ask for a prayer of Thanksgiving! However, we experienced great pain in the process as our son-in-law asked that we NOT be there for the battle, for reasons we didn't understand. Recall last week we learned that 'Olah, our burnt sacrifice, worships the bitter pain of disruption. We had "failed the test" by showing up at the hospital unsummoned. My wife experienced great worldly sorrow. Weston pointed out that this was exactly what the sermon was about: asking forgiveness from our son-in-law, since our hearts were so offensive to God, in His great battle for our daughter's life. He asked us to do this verbally, out loud. This offering, burnt and humbled, was led by the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us as we verbally asked for forgiveness from our son-in-law. We prayed, took the bread and wind and lit two candles, one for our daughter and one for our baby granddaughter. We left our offering of Thanksgiving and the battle was over, our 'Olah, complete. Thank you, Lord!
We are entitling our 'Olah experience this week The Battle: HOLY
The battle is in our heart, the battle between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow. Our "Hebrew" heart, composed of mind, emotion and will experiences worldly sorrow through conscience, addictions, our sinful nature and ignorance. Godly sorrow is the sorrow that our heart is so offensive to God. We need to change! We sing "Open my eyes, that I may see" knowing that our heart must change BUT we can't. Slowly, we realize that the battle is one between our internal, sinful nature struggling to access an external power, that of the Holy Spirit which will change our heart.
Our NEW heart will replace repression, ignorance, singul nature and conscience with the Cross, God's Love for me, His Law written on our hearts and most importantly, His Holy Spirit in us. We can lay all our disruptive experience at the foot of the Cross and present our 'Olah burnt offering to Him, leaving only our humanity, but with a new, free, moral Spirit.
At the prayer table, my wife and I came to God's minister, Weston, and told him that our prayers we prayed last week had been answered. Our daughter and new granddaughter fought a brave battle and were victorious! Both were blessed by God's grace and are well. We now ask for a prayer of Thanksgiving! However, we experienced great pain in the process as our son-in-law asked that we NOT be there for the battle, for reasons we didn't understand. Recall last week we learned that 'Olah, our burnt sacrifice, worships the bitter pain of disruption. We had "failed the test" by showing up at the hospital unsummoned. My wife experienced great worldly sorrow. Weston pointed out that this was exactly what the sermon was about: asking forgiveness from our son-in-law, since our hearts were so offensive to God, in His great battle for our daughter's life. He asked us to do this verbally, out loud. This offering, burnt and humbled, was led by the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us as we verbally asked for forgiveness from our son-in-law. We prayed, took the bread and wind and lit two candles, one for our daughter and one for our baby granddaughter. We left our offering of Thanksgiving and the battle was over, our 'Olah, complete. Thank you, Lord!
Wisdom and Understanding 6th week Bible in 90 days
Bill Senyard March 6-7
Upon entering The Grand Story this week, we are told that we want 'Olah to be a disruptive service; our worship to be a burnt sacrifice and to worship whatever is the most disruptive. By spending time with the Holy Spirit for a disruptive experience, we gain wisdom. The following story attempts to describe allegorically, anti-wisdom and the paradox encountered in Proverbs 26:4,5 regarding knowledge and understanding.
Lady Wisdom stood at the gate and Wicked approached. He saw Her but wasn't interested. He only wanted to see what was inside the gate and if it weren't too epithumatic (of the flesh), he wouldn't be interested. Fool approached the gate and he, too, saw Lady Wisdom standing there and waiting by the gate, but he was on the way to folly and forgot about Wisdom. The Wise approached the gate, saw Lady Wisdom, and paused to think. She had disrupted his progress, the part of his spirit that was Holy, and he wondered if he should seek Her before he went through the gate. As he deliberated, he realized Lady Wisdom was the Way to the Almighty God and that She, was the only way. He stepped through the gate and immediately saw diverging paths; he understood that one was taken by Wicked and Fool, but that the other lead to God. He also understood that if he wanted God, Wisdom was the next, best step. He also understood that the key to understanding was Her accessibility, not just by following the rules but going beyond by choosing Her, for next time, She would be gone.
As Wise paused, he asked Lady Wisdom for Knowledge so that he might have wisdom. She answered, "To gain Truth of Knowledge, you must first meet my father, Holy, for Knowledge holds Understanding, the Paradox of both Good and Evil. To have true wisdom, one must become holy, for understanding must be handled with discipline, otherwise, wisdom will be strangled and I will disappear".
Wise then saw that prayer, asking his Holiness for wisdom, would free his natural spirit empowering him to make correct decisions; that, through faith, would create disciple of the Will. Now Wise was ready to take the next, best step.
Upon entering The Grand Story this week, we are told that we want 'Olah to be a disruptive service; our worship to be a burnt sacrifice and to worship whatever is the most disruptive. By spending time with the Holy Spirit for a disruptive experience, we gain wisdom. The following story attempts to describe allegorically, anti-wisdom and the paradox encountered in Proverbs 26:4,5 regarding knowledge and understanding.
Lady Wisdom stood at the gate and Wicked approached. He saw Her but wasn't interested. He only wanted to see what was inside the gate and if it weren't too epithumatic (of the flesh), he wouldn't be interested. Fool approached the gate and he, too, saw Lady Wisdom standing there and waiting by the gate, but he was on the way to folly and forgot about Wisdom. The Wise approached the gate, saw Lady Wisdom, and paused to think. She had disrupted his progress, the part of his spirit that was Holy, and he wondered if he should seek Her before he went through the gate. As he deliberated, he realized Lady Wisdom was the Way to the Almighty God and that She, was the only way. He stepped through the gate and immediately saw diverging paths; he understood that one was taken by Wicked and Fool, but that the other lead to God. He also understood that if he wanted God, Wisdom was the next, best step. He also understood that the key to understanding was Her accessibility, not just by following the rules but going beyond by choosing Her, for next time, She would be gone.
As Wise paused, he asked Lady Wisdom for Knowledge so that he might have wisdom. She answered, "To gain Truth of Knowledge, you must first meet my father, Holy, for Knowledge holds Understanding, the Paradox of both Good and Evil. To have true wisdom, one must become holy, for understanding must be handled with discipline, otherwise, wisdom will be strangled and I will disappear".
Wise then saw that prayer, asking his Holiness for wisdom, would free his natural spirit empowering him to make correct decisions; that, through faith, would create disciple of the Will. Now Wise was ready to take the next, best step.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Fifth Week Bible in 90 Days
As we began this week to renew our spirits by bible study and experiencing the Grand Story as presented by Adam Long during the "Olah" (burnt offering) service, we experienced both grief and joy. Stepping through the door in our church service into the Kingdom, we immediately encounter divergence of the path. One way, broad and well-traveled, points toward Epithumia (of the flesh) and the other path narrow, rocky and ascending up the mountain points to "Olah".
As we pause to think, deciding which way to go, we remembger from Sunday School, John the Baptist, a wild man coming out of the forest chanting, "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord". We sorrowfully remember the path not taken 38 years ago, upon the birth of our stillborn daughter. I chose to take the broad path to not have a funeral and that decision has been a bitter root between my wife and I ever since. This week, in indescribable sadness, we grieve with the young mother and father, who have met with the same circumstance but in true faith are lifting their loved one up to the Lord. We know that unending tears will bring them closer to the Father as they cope with their loss.
THE SERMON
Ted Cooper in our Bible in 90 Days video emphasized that we are either obstacles or instruments in our own, grand story. We say in the Psalms and Proverbs that Pride always goes before death but that Humility is the path to Righteousness. Adam, in the sermon entitled "What About the Pygmies?" asked, "Where is your heart?" He points out in Psalms 67, there are three markers of where one's heart should be: whatever decision we make should be for God's glory and that we will be blessed by this and that we should have a heart for all peoples, even the Pygmies, when we stand silently before God and listne to his voice. We learn of the unreached "people groups" everywhere in the world, who do not have enough of their own people knowing the Grand Story to even reach themselves. We see now that the flyer in our church bulletin on Project See,is where our own church youth missionaries can impact the world (and themselves) in spiritual transition.
BIBLE STUDY DISCUSSION
Jamie expressed frustration about certainty in knowing the voice of God and Rick pursued this with the question of just what, should we cultivate in understanding when God speaks to us. Some answers were found in John 10 and John 15 where we read about the "sheep, knowing their Master's voice and following Him through the gate and out into the pasture; or about the Vine, whose prunig of the branches produces righteous fruit by our abiding in Him and following His commandment "Love One Another". Considering this, in reflecting upon the Proverbs, we begin to gain wisdom in choosing the path of our story.
MY WIFE AND I'S PERSONAL 'OLAH
Feeling lead by some unknown hand, two of God's instruments made our way to the prayer station, where we asked a church elder to pray for Tara Das, a little girl in Bangladesh, whom we've supported for several years. Tara has asked us to pray for she and her family. She is the blessing of God in the memory of our own, little lost daughter. After our prayer, we took the sacraments, the reminder that Christ suffered and died for us to cleanse us of sin, the Redeemer of God's Grand Story. Then we turned to light three candles, one for our grand child born last week, another for a grandchild to be born next week, and one for Tara. In her last letter, Tara thanked us for the little journal, hand-carried by a MIssion of Mercy missionary to her, in which she loves to read the Bible verses on each page while she writes of her "memorable events". The offering receptacle stands next to the burning candles and there we placed our offering, the amount to provide Tara, our little pygmy, with education, food, clothes and medical care for a whole month.
We pray that our 'Olah, is pleasing to God and we feel that it is, as we are dwarfs no longer, but rather, stand tall on Christ's mountain where our song is, as Longfellow wrote, "Let us now be up and doing, with a heart for any fate; still pursuing, still achieving, learn to labor and...to wait".
As we pause to think, deciding which way to go, we remembger from Sunday School, John the Baptist, a wild man coming out of the forest chanting, "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord". We sorrowfully remember the path not taken 38 years ago, upon the birth of our stillborn daughter. I chose to take the broad path to not have a funeral and that decision has been a bitter root between my wife and I ever since. This week, in indescribable sadness, we grieve with the young mother and father, who have met with the same circumstance but in true faith are lifting their loved one up to the Lord. We know that unending tears will bring them closer to the Father as they cope with their loss.
THE SERMON
Ted Cooper in our Bible in 90 Days video emphasized that we are either obstacles or instruments in our own, grand story. We say in the Psalms and Proverbs that Pride always goes before death but that Humility is the path to Righteousness. Adam, in the sermon entitled "What About the Pygmies?" asked, "Where is your heart?" He points out in Psalms 67, there are three markers of where one's heart should be: whatever decision we make should be for God's glory and that we will be blessed by this and that we should have a heart for all peoples, even the Pygmies, when we stand silently before God and listne to his voice. We learn of the unreached "people groups" everywhere in the world, who do not have enough of their own people knowing the Grand Story to even reach themselves. We see now that the flyer in our church bulletin on Project See,is where our own church youth missionaries can impact the world (and themselves) in spiritual transition.
BIBLE STUDY DISCUSSION
Jamie expressed frustration about certainty in knowing the voice of God and Rick pursued this with the question of just what, should we cultivate in understanding when God speaks to us. Some answers were found in John 10 and John 15 where we read about the "sheep, knowing their Master's voice and following Him through the gate and out into the pasture; or about the Vine, whose prunig of the branches produces righteous fruit by our abiding in Him and following His commandment "Love One Another". Considering this, in reflecting upon the Proverbs, we begin to gain wisdom in choosing the path of our story.
MY WIFE AND I'S PERSONAL 'OLAH
Feeling lead by some unknown hand, two of God's instruments made our way to the prayer station, where we asked a church elder to pray for Tara Das, a little girl in Bangladesh, whom we've supported for several years. Tara has asked us to pray for she and her family. She is the blessing of God in the memory of our own, little lost daughter. After our prayer, we took the sacraments, the reminder that Christ suffered and died for us to cleanse us of sin, the Redeemer of God's Grand Story. Then we turned to light three candles, one for our grand child born last week, another for a grandchild to be born next week, and one for Tara. In her last letter, Tara thanked us for the little journal, hand-carried by a MIssion of Mercy missionary to her, in which she loves to read the Bible verses on each page while she writes of her "memorable events". The offering receptacle stands next to the burning candles and there we placed our offering, the amount to provide Tara, our little pygmy, with education, food, clothes and medical care for a whole month.
We pray that our 'Olah, is pleasing to God and we feel that it is, as we are dwarfs no longer, but rather, stand tall on Christ's mountain where our song is, as Longfellow wrote, "Let us now be up and doing, with a heart for any fate; still pursuing, still achieving, learn to labor and...to wait".
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
6th Week Continued
Welcome to the sixth week of transition in spiritual renewal! This week's sermon, God with us, gave an excellent overview of The Grand Story from the theme or perspective of God's abandonment, our resulting anger and frustration and finally redemption made possible by Christ's helping to fill our cup, which we pretend is full, but Why Can't We Just Come Clean? This sermon is available on the web or CD at the LMCC library and highly recommended!!! Meanwhile, at our Bible in 90 day study attended by Charles, Stan, Jamie and Ron, ably facilitated by Rick Adler, we discussed aspects of the video, taking care to understand the historical perspective of this week's reading taking place AFTER the exile. Ezra and Nehamiah worked to get the Israelite's back on track by re-establishing the foundation for the "Law" and then rebuilding the temple, all in an effort to cease the abandonment in the sermon. A major point is, no matter what decision the people made, God used it to work good, pursuant to his plan, The Grand Story! Exciting! Great things happening in Esther ( the origin of Purim, still celebrated today), Job(who was this man Elihu who got Job thinking a different perspective so he could finally listen to God speak) and the Psalms where yes, it seems God is on trial in our desparate search to know that God can be relied upon.
Now for Transitions, our Marketplace Ministry, now studying the personal assessment tool entitled "The Call". A perspective of daily, spiritual renewal was touched on last week as we centered on the activities of "study and meditation" and "value clarification and commitment". We are becoming aware of the results of Bible reading and reflection but are we in a process of clarifying our values and most importantly, if we have, have we definitely committed to them? For anyone wishing a powerful example of commitment,please request a quote from H.Murray which I can send to you. It is profound! To look at the big picture of personal renewal, one may wish to consider how the spiritual dimension of man relates to his physical, social-emotional and mental dimensions. Anyone of them is enhanced by renewing any or all of the others. Activities associated with the physical are nutrition, excercise and stress management; with social-emotional: service, empathy, intrinsic security and synergy and with mental: reading, visualizing,planning and writing. A balanced focused plan is required to keep this all on track for effectivenss, usefulness and peacefulness. More, later; in the meantime have a blessed week!
Now for Transitions, our Marketplace Ministry, now studying the personal assessment tool entitled "The Call". A perspective of daily, spiritual renewal was touched on last week as we centered on the activities of "study and meditation" and "value clarification and commitment". We are becoming aware of the results of Bible reading and reflection but are we in a process of clarifying our values and most importantly, if we have, have we definitely committed to them? For anyone wishing a powerful example of commitment,please request a quote from H.Murray which I can send to you. It is profound! To look at the big picture of personal renewal, one may wish to consider how the spiritual dimension of man relates to his physical, social-emotional and mental dimensions. Anyone of them is enhanced by renewing any or all of the others. Activities associated with the physical are nutrition, excercise and stress management; with social-emotional: service, empathy, intrinsic security and synergy and with mental: reading, visualizing,planning and writing. A balanced focused plan is required to keep this all on track for effectivenss, usefulness and peacefulness. More, later; in the meantime have a blessed week!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Fourth week Bible in 90 days
This last week Brian Newman gave a sermon on The GRAND STORY entitled "Even Job Had a Next Step" and related how Job had everything, lost everything and by suffering greatly, experienced through faith an intimacy with God when God told him to "brace yourself up like a man; I will question you and you will answer me." WoW! Job's next step was to "go on living" regardless of his suffering. In the end Job's faith was rewarded by the Lord and he was restored to twice his original state, a long ordeal for an innocent man to endure without knowing why. We see this same story being played out over and over again for the Israelites as the Kings who didn't forget God's commands prospered while those who strayed met disaster.
In our bible study video, following the instrument vs. obstacle theme, we saw David's problem developed from an abuse of power: David as the instrument ran into Bathsheba the obstacle and he forgot his values and lost the opportunity to build the Temple of the Lord, which fell to his son Soloman. Soloman's prayer, first for wisdom and then for God to come back and occupy the Temple for His Name was rewarded by giving God a foothold on earth and consequently, all nations were blessed. Charlie, Jack, Stan, Rick and Ron discussed how God's abandonment reflected Cain's main concern: he was no longer in the presence of God. Now, the high point of our discussion revealed that whereas the temple allowed God to dwell among his people in Old Testament times, today, we have become the temple in which God is to dwell. Now this really is a Grand Story!
This takes us to Transitions, where we left off last week with a quote regarding "commitment".
In Spiritual Renewal, we are asked to "study and meditate" and also to "clarify our values and commit" to them. Spiritual Renewal is a main dimension of an effective, useful and peaceful existence and by definately committing, the "moment we do, Providence moves as well".
This begins a transition which empowers our physical, mental and social-emotional selves, a great foundation for revival! May our prayer be for wisdom in committing to this task of continuing reading the Bible and magnifying God through the renewal of our souls. God bless!
In our bible study video, following the instrument vs. obstacle theme, we saw David's problem developed from an abuse of power: David as the instrument ran into Bathsheba the obstacle and he forgot his values and lost the opportunity to build the Temple of the Lord, which fell to his son Soloman. Soloman's prayer, first for wisdom and then for God to come back and occupy the Temple for His Name was rewarded by giving God a foothold on earth and consequently, all nations were blessed. Charlie, Jack, Stan, Rick and Ron discussed how God's abandonment reflected Cain's main concern: he was no longer in the presence of God. Now, the high point of our discussion revealed that whereas the temple allowed God to dwell among his people in Old Testament times, today, we have become the temple in which God is to dwell. Now this really is a Grand Story!
This takes us to Transitions, where we left off last week with a quote regarding "commitment".
In Spiritual Renewal, we are asked to "study and meditate" and also to "clarify our values and commit" to them. Spiritual Renewal is a main dimension of an effective, useful and peaceful existence and by definately committing, the "moment we do, Providence moves as well".
This begins a transition which empowers our physical, mental and social-emotional selves, a great foundation for revival! May our prayer be for wisdom in committing to this task of continuing reading the Bible and magnifying God through the renewal of our souls. God bless!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Third Week B90 Spiritual Renewal in transition
This week we've added a picture sent by John Moyer of pioneer rancher Ken Greene using his lariat to rope in a steer. We have three stories to rope in this week as we look at our 1) Bible study, 2)LMCC sermon and 3) Transitions, a ministry for those in job/career searches.
It was great to see Tom Merlo at our study this week as we looked at the workbook, listened to the video and had discussion. To begin we considered the good that may come from tragedy and unfortunate events such as befell Naomi and Ruth. In our video we learned that stories in Judges and Samual were stories about God and how He is in the process of revealing himself such as an enimies loss of courage when encountering God and that his faithfulness endures according to the covenants he's made. In discussion, Rick explained why the Israelites were prone to go to idol's or more local gods than the Master himself so as Jamie observed, "Be kind to the Israelites", we all have problems related to our native culture. Great discussion!
Our sermons on Entering the Grand Story beginning with 1)The Holy Impositon, 2)Mediator of Life and now 3) Prophecy of the Son recounts the theme of the original failure of man to not "man up" and now God's story recounts the curse (death) since we've been born unfaithful sons and daughters. The Prophecy of the Son is God's revelation that while some came close to his holiness, none were perfect and few really "got it" as presented in the second sermon. Ultimately, the prophecy of Christ's coming will result in finally, a son that is perfect, holy and dies for the sins of all who believe upon Him. This was a great sermon! God sent the "Spirit of His Son" meaning we are no longer a slave, but also an heir to God's kingdom!
Finally, Transitions is centering on "The Call" which is a personal assessment program developed by Focus on the Family and promises to help one encounter his/her own personality traits which gives one a better foundation in mapping a job search while maintaining Christian principles. This is key to not only understanding oneself but relating to our own spiritual transition in experiencing the Bible in 90 days. Quote for the day: "Countless ideas and (transitions) fail due to the ignorance of a basic, elementary truth: that the moment one definately commits himself, Providence moves also...". H. Murray
Thank you for your comments,keep committed and blessing are certain to follow!
It was great to see Tom Merlo at our study this week as we looked at the workbook, listened to the video and had discussion. To begin we considered the good that may come from tragedy and unfortunate events such as befell Naomi and Ruth. In our video we learned that stories in Judges and Samual were stories about God and how He is in the process of revealing himself such as an enimies loss of courage when encountering God and that his faithfulness endures according to the covenants he's made. In discussion, Rick explained why the Israelites were prone to go to idol's or more local gods than the Master himself so as Jamie observed, "Be kind to the Israelites", we all have problems related to our native culture. Great discussion!
Our sermons on Entering the Grand Story beginning with 1)The Holy Impositon, 2)Mediator of Life and now 3) Prophecy of the Son recounts the theme of the original failure of man to not "man up" and now God's story recounts the curse (death) since we've been born unfaithful sons and daughters. The Prophecy of the Son is God's revelation that while some came close to his holiness, none were perfect and few really "got it" as presented in the second sermon. Ultimately, the prophecy of Christ's coming will result in finally, a son that is perfect, holy and dies for the sins of all who believe upon Him. This was a great sermon! God sent the "Spirit of His Son" meaning we are no longer a slave, but also an heir to God's kingdom!
Finally, Transitions is centering on "The Call" which is a personal assessment program developed by Focus on the Family and promises to help one encounter his/her own personality traits which gives one a better foundation in mapping a job search while maintaining Christian principles. This is key to not only understanding oneself but relating to our own spiritual transition in experiencing the Bible in 90 days. Quote for the day: "Countless ideas and (transitions) fail due to the ignorance of a basic, elementary truth: that the moment one definately commits himself, Providence moves also...". H. Murray
Thank you for your comments,keep committed and blessing are certain to follow!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Spiritual Renewal Transitions-Second Week
Spiritual renewal requires "transitioning" from a previous spiritual being to a new awareness of spiritual well-being. In our reading the Bible, listening to sermons and participating in discussions centered aroundd reading the bible in 90 days we seem to be "automatically" transitioning into a new, exciting understanding. Perhaps one of the first realizations is that God created the world in six days and on the seventh day, He rested. In his commandments we learn He requires man to do the same: "do no regular work" the seventh day. On this day we are to "study and meditate" and "clarify our values and commit" to them. Therefore, let's look at our sermons, our bible study and discussion and finally Transitions, a market place ministry for those seeking transition from a lost job to a new one or just into a new vocation or calling. Please accept a commerical: Transitions is struggling to survive! Despite the fact that it is facilitated by a most worthy, effective and professional man of God, there are few taking advantage of this empowering ministry! We found this also in our Bible reading: that man had great opportunity but failed to take advantage of it, relying instead on "human nature" which was not the will of God and resulted in failure after failure. Check it out and thank you!
LOMCC Sermons
As some may remember, before Pastor Senyard became our pastor, we heard a sermon by Richard Case on the necessity of "going through the door" into the Kingdom of God.
This was followed with a sermon by Bill Senyard on "once through the door, a choice point appears with two paths: one, that of epithumia (lust of the flesh), the other, that of developing the mind of Christ. Current sermons paralleling our B90 are (and can be purchased in the bookstore) 1) Holy Imposition and 2)"Mediator of Life" where we are "Entering the Grand Story". The first sermon covered in week one is followed by one pointed directly at man, not woman. I must admit, I didn't get it(!) until this sermon! Falling into the category of Adam and most of those who follow, we tend to find an excuse for our failures or just blaming it on someone else. For certain, Moses got it and Judah got it by substituting themselves for whomever made the mistake or sinned, just like Christ did for us! Hence, the Mediator of Life in The Grand Story of the Bible is Christ, himself, who sacrificed himself for our sins.
Thank you, Bill!
Bible Study Discussion
One of the questions by Jamie was "I just don't feel that I understand the true meaningness of all the sacrifices the Israelites were required to do to provide, for example, an aroma pleasing to God". Discussion followed centering around "testing by God and punishment for sin and the redeeming by sacrifice to get their attention by hitting them economically, etc." For me, I didn't get it either but am much clearer on what a sacrifice is truly intended to accomplish since I'm enlighted by the sermon.
Transitions:
This week we did a personality assessment test to learn how we individually function in a 1)natural state, 2)a social state and 3)a logical state. The composite of these graphs reveal much about one's individual behavior under certain circumstances which can be quite beneficial in determine the best characteristics for certain occupations. More to follow this interesting revelation of oneself!
Again, comments are certainly welcome and in fact are necessary for even greater rewards of our spiritual renewal. May God bless you and keep you!
LOMCC Sermons
As some may remember, before Pastor Senyard became our pastor, we heard a sermon by Richard Case on the necessity of "going through the door" into the Kingdom of God.
This was followed with a sermon by Bill Senyard on "once through the door, a choice point appears with two paths: one, that of epithumia (lust of the flesh), the other, that of developing the mind of Christ. Current sermons paralleling our B90 are (and can be purchased in the bookstore) 1) Holy Imposition and 2)"Mediator of Life" where we are "Entering the Grand Story". The first sermon covered in week one is followed by one pointed directly at man, not woman. I must admit, I didn't get it(!) until this sermon! Falling into the category of Adam and most of those who follow, we tend to find an excuse for our failures or just blaming it on someone else. For certain, Moses got it and Judah got it by substituting themselves for whomever made the mistake or sinned, just like Christ did for us! Hence, the Mediator of Life in The Grand Story of the Bible is Christ, himself, who sacrificed himself for our sins.
Thank you, Bill!
Bible Study Discussion
One of the questions by Jamie was "I just don't feel that I understand the true meaningness of all the sacrifices the Israelites were required to do to provide, for example, an aroma pleasing to God". Discussion followed centering around "testing by God and punishment for sin and the redeeming by sacrifice to get their attention by hitting them economically, etc." For me, I didn't get it either but am much clearer on what a sacrifice is truly intended to accomplish since I'm enlighted by the sermon.
Transitions:
This week we did a personality assessment test to learn how we individually function in a 1)natural state, 2)a social state and 3)a logical state. The composite of these graphs reveal much about one's individual behavior under certain circumstances which can be quite beneficial in determine the best characteristics for certain occupations. More to follow this interesting revelation of oneself!
Again, comments are certainly welcome and in fact are necessary for even greater rewards of our spiritual renewal. May God bless you and keep you!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Spiritual Renewal Transitions
Welcome to Spiritual Renewal Transitions, a blog created to provide continuity and fellowship to the Market Place ministry,Transitions, and it's associated bible study group which has now undertaken THE BIBLE IN 90 DAYS reading commitment with Lookout Mountain Community Church. Since many of Transitions participants have "transitioned" into jobs and left the group, it is deemed important to solicit new participants due to the highly valuable service it provides for those in job or career transition. Likewise, those people involved in the Bible study group are now in jobs which doesn't allow participation and therefore this blog is intended to keep them connected in some way,if only for fellowhip. Since bible study now is following LMCC's track for the next 90 days, involving sermons and their website will enrich all. To summarize, Spiritual Renewal Transitions will take the "minutes" of what's going on in these three areas and briefly report them here.
To begin, we'll look at the participant's guide for the 90 day program and summarize the video and discussion. Associated sermons at Lookout will greatly enrich this process and we'll reference what's going on in Transitions as well. Join the effort and submit your comments or questions and we'll do our best to keep this simple, powerful and useful to all. May God bless you all!
FIRST WEEK
From the video we learn in Genesis, the big picture is God's plan to create a dwelling place for himself which amounts to building relationships with the people who will be in it. Bad choices (Adam) drives people out of God's presence and this represents man's greatest loss, God's presence. Thus began our exile and God is now going through a large scale plan to come again and be in relationship with us. We now follow two tracks 1. the track of sin (character of man) and 2. Track of blessing (God's character). Here it may be helpful to consider the correct principles that God is trying to establish with fallen man and the character man must overcome in order for the relationship between God and man to happen successfully. It is going to be a long journey. God's blessing is to make himself known to the world and this is through the covenant, the first of which is with Abraham. Now we see the obstacles to the covenant such as Sarah being barren, land ownership and flawed character of the people. Now, the Exodus begins and Abraham encounters the burning bush, plague, the Red Sea, eventually receiving the ten commandments from God. Here God's character reveals the law but also the promise: "I'm Holy and you are to be Holy".
Now, we listen to a sermon on HOLY IMPOSITION! This is a great sermon on God looking like the Star trek borg's coming in to subsume man to their/His service. But no so; fallen man lives with his idols but God says in the scripture "I Will" and "You will" in order to change the character of man and provide a suitable dwelling place for the Lord. The blessing comes with God's son Jesus, who by grace redeems man requiring only that they believe in HIm.
Back at the ranch however, with Abraham and Moses, the journey is going to get rough as God informs Moses how to build his Tabernacle and form the character necessary to reach the promised land of the Old Testament.
Now, Transitions, meeting be-monthly, is in the process of doing a self-assessment tool which does exactly what we're seeking spiritually: assess character so that we 1)Know ourselves, 2)know God and 3)Know the market in developing a career campaign.
Our spiritual renewal is based on study and meditation and value clarification and commitment. Spiritual renewal in Christ helps develop the character and principle-centered person in his everyday life both within and without.
Comments?
To begin, we'll look at the participant's guide for the 90 day program and summarize the video and discussion. Associated sermons at Lookout will greatly enrich this process and we'll reference what's going on in Transitions as well. Join the effort and submit your comments or questions and we'll do our best to keep this simple, powerful and useful to all. May God bless you all!
FIRST WEEK
From the video we learn in Genesis, the big picture is God's plan to create a dwelling place for himself which amounts to building relationships with the people who will be in it. Bad choices (Adam) drives people out of God's presence and this represents man's greatest loss, God's presence. Thus began our exile and God is now going through a large scale plan to come again and be in relationship with us. We now follow two tracks 1. the track of sin (character of man) and 2. Track of blessing (God's character). Here it may be helpful to consider the correct principles that God is trying to establish with fallen man and the character man must overcome in order for the relationship between God and man to happen successfully. It is going to be a long journey. God's blessing is to make himself known to the world and this is through the covenant, the first of which is with Abraham. Now we see the obstacles to the covenant such as Sarah being barren, land ownership and flawed character of the people. Now, the Exodus begins and Abraham encounters the burning bush, plague, the Red Sea, eventually receiving the ten commandments from God. Here God's character reveals the law but also the promise: "I'm Holy and you are to be Holy".
Now, we listen to a sermon on HOLY IMPOSITION! This is a great sermon on God looking like the Star trek borg's coming in to subsume man to their/His service. But no so; fallen man lives with his idols but God says in the scripture "I Will" and "You will" in order to change the character of man and provide a suitable dwelling place for the Lord. The blessing comes with God's son Jesus, who by grace redeems man requiring only that they believe in HIm.
Back at the ranch however, with Abraham and Moses, the journey is going to get rough as God informs Moses how to build his Tabernacle and form the character necessary to reach the promised land of the Old Testament.
Now, Transitions, meeting be-monthly, is in the process of doing a self-assessment tool which does exactly what we're seeking spiritually: assess character so that we 1)Know ourselves, 2)know God and 3)Know the market in developing a career campaign.
Our spiritual renewal is based on study and meditation and value clarification and commitment. Spiritual renewal in Christ helps develop the character and principle-centered person in his everyday life both within and without.
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