Recently I have been convicted in my prayer life. I pray, converse with God, frequently throughout my day. There are so many ways I speak to Him and ask for His guidance, direction, grace, peace, as well as present needs for others as they come to mind or ask for prayer. However, I have been remiss in intentionally praying, by name, specifically, for people precious to me. Lord, forgive me for this!
I have people in my life that need specific prayer. I need to be purposefully praying for those I know and friends of friends who need prayer for felt needs, marriages, or grace in singleness, further spiritual growth and most importantly, for some, salvation. What about you? Are there those you can think of right now that you have 'forgotten' to take to our Father in prayer? May we be challenged together to be more purposeful in our prayer lives TODAY and in the days ahead.
Heavenly Father, give us your eyes to see our friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and strangers, as you see them. Keep us ever mindful of others. Most importantly, Father, convict us of our own sins so we do not hinder our communication with You. May we not neglect praising You for Your faithfulness to us, for Your gracious gift of salvation through Christ Jesus, for Your blessings and provisions, for healing and favor. Thank you, Lord, for these things. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who seeks to convict in areas of weakness that we may grow in grace toward a deeper relationship with You. Amen.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Timothy Class: Jesus, our Mediator
Recently I was asked to post about the Women's Class I'm teaching on 1 & 2 Timothy at my church. Since there are so many things to share, I'm going to try to focus on something specific each week to post here. In class on Sunday, Sept. 16th, we covered 1 Tim. 1:12-2:7. One thing that I LOVE from this passage is the reference of Jesus, as our mediator, in Ch. 2 v. 5-6.
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ; who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." 1 Timothy 2:5-6 (NKJV)
What does a mediator do? He makes intercession and serves as a 'go-between' with two or more parties. That's pretty clear and evident in the Scripture above. Maybe the bigger question is WHY do we need a mediator? One word. SIN.
Sadly, none of us is perfect. The Bible tells us all have fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) and that there is none righteous, NONE (Rom. 3:10...check out the cross references, esp. Ps. 14:1-3).
We, in our own efforts, cannot bridge the gap between sinful self and a Holy God. However, we have a beautiful savior in Jesus Christ, who was provided as a sacrifice by a loving God (Rom. 5:8). Jesus died a cruel death on a cross and arose again, conquering death, so that we could have a right relationship with our Creator and also have eternal life in Heaven.
It is clear in Timothy, and also echoed elsewhere in Scripture, that Jesus is our mediator. I particularly love the descriptions the book of Hebrews provides for Jesus as our Mediator. Here are a couple of verses:
"Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him (Jesus) seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." Heb. 7:25 (KJV)
"And for this cause He (Jesus) is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament (Old Testament Law, pre-Christ), they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." Heb. 9:15 (KJV)
As born again believers in Christ Jesus, we have direct communion with God because of Jesus' work on the cross. Barriers are removed, veils are torn in two (Matt. 27:51). We no longer need a priest or human mediator. God, in the flesh as Jesus, opened that way for us. Our challenge is to fully utilize our direct connection to God, His strength and power, for His glory in our daily lives. May you find great joy in these truths and the diligence to live daily for the Lord!
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ; who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." 1 Timothy 2:5-6 (NKJV)
What does a mediator do? He makes intercession and serves as a 'go-between' with two or more parties. That's pretty clear and evident in the Scripture above. Maybe the bigger question is WHY do we need a mediator? One word. SIN.
Sadly, none of us is perfect. The Bible tells us all have fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) and that there is none righteous, NONE (Rom. 3:10...check out the cross references, esp. Ps. 14:1-3).
We, in our own efforts, cannot bridge the gap between sinful self and a Holy God. However, we have a beautiful savior in Jesus Christ, who was provided as a sacrifice by a loving God (Rom. 5:8). Jesus died a cruel death on a cross and arose again, conquering death, so that we could have a right relationship with our Creator and also have eternal life in Heaven.
It is clear in Timothy, and also echoed elsewhere in Scripture, that Jesus is our mediator. I particularly love the descriptions the book of Hebrews provides for Jesus as our Mediator. Here are a couple of verses:
"Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him (Jesus) seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." Heb. 7:25 (KJV)
"And for this cause He (Jesus) is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament (Old Testament Law, pre-Christ), they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." Heb. 9:15 (KJV)
As born again believers in Christ Jesus, we have direct communion with God because of Jesus' work on the cross. Barriers are removed, veils are torn in two (Matt. 27:51). We no longer need a priest or human mediator. God, in the flesh as Jesus, opened that way for us. Our challenge is to fully utilize our direct connection to God, His strength and power, for His glory in our daily lives. May you find great joy in these truths and the diligence to live daily for the Lord!
Monday, September 17, 2012
My First "Interview"
An old friend from seminary, Kimberly, and I got together to catch up and share about Women's Ministry. She's been involved in writing and speaking a lot longer than I and I love hearing other people's take on ministry, ideas, etc. She's an avid writer and did a "Coffee Interview" with me, complete with pictures. So here's the finished result. Enjoy!
http://kd316.com/2012/09/17/coffee-with-stacy-rist/
(If this link is not 'active' when you view it, just copy & paste to your web browser to view.)
http://kd316.com/2012/09/17/coffee-with-stacy-rist/
(If this link is not 'active' when you view it, just copy & paste to your web browser to view.)
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Side-tracked in Sanctification
I attended a class last night at my church and during our reflection time this phrase came to me. Of course, I thought...Cool! Great title for my next post! :) so here goes:
First, let's clarify the term 'sanctification'. When we accept Jesus Christ (the Son) as our personal Lord and Savior, we become justified before holy, almighty God (the Father) in that instant. Sanctification is the process of continual spiritual growth, fostered by God, through the Holy Spirit. [It's so amazing how the three persons of the God-Head (i.e. The Trinity) are evident in this!] Simply stated...sanctification is the "spiritual journey" we continue on in our lives post-salvation.
Have you ever gotten lost driving? I know I do...a LOT. Those that know me can attest to the fact that I'm directionally challenged! Just as we may make a wrong turn driving, we may make choices that negatively redirect our spiritual route. Of course, as good Christians THAT never happens. Getting "side-tracked in sanctification" happens more than we would care to admit. But it happens and it happens to us all. Thankfully, there is GRACE for the side-tracked (even the off-tracked). God never gives up on us and we shouldn't give up on ourselves.
Sometimes we may feel so side-tracked we're not sure where God's path is any more. The easiest remedy to find God's path is to find God. It really is simple, but we tend to make it more complicated. Fortunately, He's not hard to find. So where IS God found?
First, God is found in the Bible...His Word. Have you gotten out of the habit of reading the Bible? Get back in it. Pick it up and read it. Daily. Diligently. It doesn't have to be extensive but it does need to be purposeful. For example, start with the book of John, read a chapter a day, or even a paragraph of verses. Begin in 1:1 and read some every day. Another option is to read a chapter of Proverbs a day. As Proverbs has 31 chapters, reading a chapter a day easily corresponds to each day of the month.
Secondly, God can be found in the midst of His believers. If you've gotten away from the regular attendance and fellowship of a Bible-believing (and preaching!) church, find one in your area and start back. Take a friend or neighbor so you'll have a buddy. Do not forsake the fellowship of the body of Christ and it's impact on our sanctification. The beautiful thing about God's grace is that no matter how little or far we may have been side-tracked, we can always get back ON track.
Finally, God can be found 24/7 by prayer. Prayer is simply talking to God. He is never too busy to listen and He earnestly desires to hear from us. More than that, He desires to speak to us through His Word, His church and through the Holy Spirit that resides in every born-again believer.
You now have some tools, a road map if you will, to return to your path of personal sanctification. Do not be discouraged when you get side-tracked again...we all do. Our journey is rarely easy. Many obstacles will be set up to prevent our progress by the enemy. Remember, Christ has triumphed! Dear Jesus, please give us the strength to walk in a manner worthy of Your calling. Here's to JOY in your journey, my friends!
First, let's clarify the term 'sanctification'. When we accept Jesus Christ (the Son) as our personal Lord and Savior, we become justified before holy, almighty God (the Father) in that instant. Sanctification is the process of continual spiritual growth, fostered by God, through the Holy Spirit. [It's so amazing how the three persons of the God-Head (i.e. The Trinity) are evident in this!] Simply stated...sanctification is the "spiritual journey" we continue on in our lives post-salvation.
Have you ever gotten lost driving? I know I do...a LOT. Those that know me can attest to the fact that I'm directionally challenged! Just as we may make a wrong turn driving, we may make choices that negatively redirect our spiritual route. Of course, as good Christians THAT never happens. Getting "side-tracked in sanctification" happens more than we would care to admit. But it happens and it happens to us all. Thankfully, there is GRACE for the side-tracked (even the off-tracked). God never gives up on us and we shouldn't give up on ourselves.
Sometimes we may feel so side-tracked we're not sure where God's path is any more. The easiest remedy to find God's path is to find God. It really is simple, but we tend to make it more complicated. Fortunately, He's not hard to find. So where IS God found?
First, God is found in the Bible...His Word. Have you gotten out of the habit of reading the Bible? Get back in it. Pick it up and read it. Daily. Diligently. It doesn't have to be extensive but it does need to be purposeful. For example, start with the book of John, read a chapter a day, or even a paragraph of verses. Begin in 1:1 and read some every day. Another option is to read a chapter of Proverbs a day. As Proverbs has 31 chapters, reading a chapter a day easily corresponds to each day of the month.
Secondly, God can be found in the midst of His believers. If you've gotten away from the regular attendance and fellowship of a Bible-believing (and preaching!) church, find one in your area and start back. Take a friend or neighbor so you'll have a buddy. Do not forsake the fellowship of the body of Christ and it's impact on our sanctification. The beautiful thing about God's grace is that no matter how little or far we may have been side-tracked, we can always get back ON track.
Finally, God can be found 24/7 by prayer. Prayer is simply talking to God. He is never too busy to listen and He earnestly desires to hear from us. More than that, He desires to speak to us through His Word, His church and through the Holy Spirit that resides in every born-again believer.
You now have some tools, a road map if you will, to return to your path of personal sanctification. Do not be discouraged when you get side-tracked again...we all do. Our journey is rarely easy. Many obstacles will be set up to prevent our progress by the enemy. Remember, Christ has triumphed! Dear Jesus, please give us the strength to walk in a manner worthy of Your calling. Here's to JOY in your journey, my friends!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Hiatus
For the past couple of years, I have felt as if my life has been in a state of "hiatus". I'm not sure why...but there are aspects of my life, such as blogging, that definitely fell by the wayside. As I look ahead, I hope to be more consistent in sharing God's Word, truths and lessons learned from it, and I'm sure there will be a mixture of random thoughts, ideas...maybe even recipes...thrown in for good measure!
If you too have experienced a life-hiatus, join me in getting back in the swing of things as we approach Fall. Changing seasons are always a good time to reflect and make changes in our lives as well. Here's to implementing life changes toward growing in Godliness with grace, diligence, and consistency.
If you too have experienced a life-hiatus, join me in getting back in the swing of things as we approach Fall. Changing seasons are always a good time to reflect and make changes in our lives as well. Here's to implementing life changes toward growing in Godliness with grace, diligence, and consistency.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)