Welcome

Greetings,
I invite you to join discussions, it enhances the reading experience for everyone. Please share your thoughts, opinions and knowledge in a respectful manner. May we all learn something in our endeavor to educate our hearts and minds. I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
TC AVEY

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Tempted Like Me



Lately, I’m struggling to have Inner peace. 

I LONG for rest, but my soul is in turmoil.

I can’t seem to surrender these feelings of frustration, to trust in God’s timing, and I’m unsure why.
So I’m doing all I know to do:  I press into God’s Word.

At first my hearts cry was, “Show the answer. What am I supposed to do?”

When that was met with silence, my heart began saying, “What’s the next step? Just tell me what to do next.”

Finally I said, “Show me YOU.”

And God led me to Hebrews 4-5.

Verses on REST and BELIEF jumped out. 

Yes, Unbelief keeps me from entering the Rest provided for me in the Cross. I can REST because Christ did all the work. All I have to do is Believe in God’s promises.

That’s encouraging, but it didn’t quiet my soul. 

The waves crashed in as my heart cried for MORE.


God, show me more. I need more help.”

Then I began to mediate on the verses about Christ being tempted as we are…yet without sin.

He was tempted as I am now?

Tempted to be frustrated with God’s timing?
Tempted to vent to anyone who will listen?
Tempted to take matters into His own hands?
Tempted to run away and hide?
Tempted to be mad at God?
Tempted to lash out at the unfairness of life?
Tempted to fear He wasn’t enough?
Tempted to fear God was asking too much of Him?
Tempted to settle for “good” instead of God’s plan?
Tempted to be human?

I believe God’s Word to be true. Therefore, Christ must have been tempted with these types of emotions.

Though it’s not written as I just did, there are stories in the Bible we can look at and infer that Christ was tempted like you and I.

Examples:

1.        Christ was ready at a young age to begin His ministry, yet He wasn’t baptized until He was a grown man and THEN He began His short ministry. (Luke 2:41-52, Luke 3:21-22). That must have been frustrating. Being a child, full of wisdom, but not yet ready to step into the role He was created to fulfill. I wonder if He ever listened to the “Bible Scholars” of His day and pondered how they could be so wrong. As He left childhood, I wonder if He asked God “is now the time to start? People were being deceived. Shouldn’t He begin sooner rather than later? He knew the Word better than them. They needed Him. Why couldn’t He begin now?” Was Christ TEMPTED to rush God’s timing?

2.       I could give link after link of times Jesus was probably TEMPTED to lose his temper with the lack of faith in His disciples. They got scared of a storm and woke Him. They wanted to send crowds away to get food instead of trusting in Jesus to feed them. They couldn’t cast a demon out. A few wanted to sit on His right and left hand. You get the picture. Jesus was probably TEMPTED to act how we would when our patience is stretched thin. He might have even been TEMPTED to shout at them, to vent to someone, to throw up His hands and call it quits.


3.       Hours before His arrest, He asked three disciples (friends) to pray with Him, but they fell asleep. He was in agony and they fell asleep. (Matt 26:36-44) It would be easy for Him to think, “Some friends they are”. Christ may have been TEMPTED to be upset with them. To give into despair and feel utterly alone. He may have been TEMPTED to lash out at them…or God. Why would God want Him to face these last moments alone? Couldn’t He have just one friend for a little longer? His emotions were high. It would have been easy to let them go unchecked…just for a moment.

4.       As He prayed in the Garden, TEMPTATION to not trust God’s plan was there. He asked if there was possibly another way. He was willing to die, but the pain of it all was threatening to overwhelm Him. As I read His words, I try and put myself in His place. I would have been Tempted to run away. Tempted to think I wasn’t strong enough to accomplish what God asked. Tempted to think it might be better for the people if I stayed here longer. They still needed teaching. Didn’t their lack of faith prove that? Couldn’t the cross wait one more year? Healing the sick, preparing disciples were “good” things, couldn’t I do that longer and do the whole cross/sacrifice thing later?


Maybe all this is just me. But I can see ways Christ might have been tempted. 

Just like I am now. 

I don’t have to cave to temptations.

The sin that CAN follow temptation was nailed to the cross with Christ.

He was TEMPTED, but without sin. Yet, He took the punishment of sin, as if He were the one guilty and not me.

There’s liberty found in resting in the work of the Cross.

Christ did the ultimate work so I can enter His rest.

Rest, not just when I’m dead, but now.

I can rest from my struggles now as I enter boldly before Him and ask Him to help me with my current temptations. All I have to do is BELIEVE.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb 4:16 NKJV

I need God. 

I can’t settle this storm inside on my own.

But I have confidence and trust in the promises found in the Bible.

So I come boldly and seek the grace I need.





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Monday, January 27, 2014

Frantic or Faithful. What Your Actions Say About You.




In the last post I shared how I’m a DOER, not a WAITER.

I like ACTION. 

So when God says, “Wait.”, I often ask “Why?” 

Sorge says, “God was saying that a person of faith will not act hastily or out of desperation when the crisis is on. Faith means:  no frantic decisions in the face of crisis.”

Good advice.

It’s always better to sleep on something than to reply rashly. 

Time allows our emotions to cool off and new evidence to emerge.

It also gives God time to talk…and us to listen.

YET…

All too often, I rush full steam ahead, asking God to keep up.

It’s no wonder I’m usually frustrated. I’m acting completely contrary to how a Christian should.

Faith means I trust God when He says to “WAIT”.

Faith means I’m NOT God. I’m not even a little god.

I BELONG to God. I was purchased at a high price and I’m not my own. I’m HIS ambassador. (1 Cor 6:19-20, 2 Cor 5:20)

He didn’t save me just to watch me be tossed carelessly by the storms of life.

God cares about me (YOU).  He wants to see me (YOU) succeed. (Phil 1:6)

So when the crisis comes and I want to move quickly for resolution, God says, “CHILL OUT”.

I say, “But what about…”

God says, “I don’t care about XYZ, I care about YOU.”

“God can out-wait anybody. He just waits and waits, while the crisis looms larger and larger, and He waits some more. And then He waits until the crisis becomes an impossible predicament. And then He waits some more! Finally, when the remotest chance of escape is completely gone, God intervenes suddenly and miraculously.” 

God waits because He cares more about us than our current situation.

That’s not saying God doesn’t sometimes instantly answer our prayers and deliver us from whatever is coming against us. It does mean that God is STILL loving when He doesn’t immediately respond to our plight. 

He wants to make us more like Him and fire is the best way to purify us. Fire drives us to our knees. It brings us to the end of ourselves, and helps us to seek Him in new ways. It also shows how inadequate we are to meet life’s demands. No plans we have, no security we think we possess, no talents, or relationships outside of Christ, can do what He can.  

Only He is God.

He loves us.

He sent His son for us. (John 3:16-17)

Think about it this way:  IF we trust Him with our eternal salvation, why not trust Him with our current predicaments? (please tweet)

Various Assyrians (trials) will come against you in this life, no one is immune.

It’s tempting to rush ahead, to meet the enemy head on and ask God to bless our efforts.

But it’s smarter, it’s FAITH, to wait for God’s command to “GO”. 

The nation of Judah couldn’t see that God was for them: all they could see was that Assyria was against them.” 

Keep your eyes focused on God. It makes it easier to see the Assyrians (challenges) for what they are, opportunities for God’s name to be praised among the world (testimonies).

Join the Book club discussing, “The Fire of Delayed Answers” by Bob Sorge, by either grabbing a copy of the book and joining the weekly discussions and/or leaving a comment below. You can read more about this chapter from: Jason, Sarah, Dusty, Kari, Glynn,  and Joell.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Who Do You Rely On?



OUCH! OUCH! OUCH!

Chapter 10 of “The Fire of Delayed Answers” by Bob Sorge is like Kryptonite to a Type A personality (me).

Let me explain:

I’m a DOER, an ACHIEVER. I make plans and execute them. Setbacks don’t keep me down because I’ve prepared in advance. I have back-up plans FOR my back-up plans. 

What I’m saying is…I like CONTROL.

I like action.

Waiting is as foreign a concept to me as bathing is to a pig. 

What does this mean for my life?

It means I usually always accomplish what I set out to do…It also means a high level of energy is expended on things that don’t matter (like making back-up plans for my back-up plans), neglecting my health, putting off relaxation, being frustrated when others don’t move at my pace, and most importantly rushing ahead of God

I’m guilty of everything bad in this chapter.

I seek God’s counsel, but when He doesn’t answer fast enough, I move on to plan B.

Since I’m a problem solver, I assume God needs my help, so I push forward and ask God to bless my efforts instead of waiting on Him to move mountains. 

I “add sin to sin” by seeking advice from people other than God.

God says WAIT.

The world says to GO.

I usually choose to listen to the world.

That’s why 2013 was such a frustrating and painful year for me. 

It was a year of waiting upon God and leaning solely on Him. I was stripped of my pride, logic, confidence, and abilities. I was brought to the end of myself and my resources. I was humbled and it forced me to seek God in a new way. 

2014 has barely begun, and I am still WAITING.

But there’s something different.

Instead of being frustrated and broken by the wait, I have excitement bubbling. 

I feel as if I’m about to erupt with joy!

I’ve prayed BIG prayers and I know God is working, even if I haven’t been part of the decision making. 

Sorge says, “…as you prepare yourself to wait for God’s timing you know this: The greater the delay, the deeper the work.”

I already know my prayers won’t be answered how I’d like…they will be better!

Despite all this, it’s still tempting to go back to my old coping mechanisms

I struggle to control my emotions and to WAIT.

We’re all tempted in some way. This is one of mine.

But I’m tired of forfeiting God’s best because I want instant results.

They don’t realize that the delay of the provisions is part of God’s design for this particular season, and they actually short-circuit God’s purposes by turning to Egypt.” 

King Hezekiah turned to Egypt instead of God for protection. He used his “plan B” because he allowed fear to choke his faith when he saw the Assyrians coming. 

He forgot how awesome God is in the face of an attack. (1 John 4:4)

He allowed satan to use against him what God had intended for him. 

God wanted to bless Hezekiah but satan wanted Hezekiah to forfeit that blessing. 

Last week, I talked about how every decision we make either moves us closer to God or further away

God uses both good things and bad things to move us closer to His heart. But satan uses those same things to keep us from our Savior.

The choice of movement is up to you.

Do you trust yourself…or do you trust God?

Do you trust man…or do you trust God?

Will hard times move you closer to God…or further from His side?

Will good times move you closer to God…or further from His side?

Are you a Type A personality? If so, surrender doesn’t come easy, but it can come. God will help you…if you’ll let Him.

I have a long way to go, but I know God is faithful to complete what He began in me.

He’s faithful to complete it in you too…if you’ll let Him.

Join the Book club discussing, “The Fire of Delayed Answers” by Bob Sorge, by either grabbing a copy of the book and joining the weekly discussions and/or leaving a comment below. You can read more about this chapter from: Jason, Sarah, Dusty, Kari, Glynn,  and Joell. (possibly a few more people- sorry if I left you out. Please let me know so I can add you to the list.)