Are you Drop Dead or Proudly Possessing...Originally posted on Dawn's Dialogue (April 4th, 2012)

National US Marine Museum Vietnam Exhibit

Are you Drop Dead or Proudly Possessing? Say What?  As always, this blogger has question? Now, let’s have a story…Who doesn’t love a good story?

There once was a man named Ananias. He and his wife, Sapphira hatched a plan.

“Sapphira dear, let’s sell this piece of our property? But, we will keep a portion of the proceeds hidden for ourselves. I shall take the rest and lay it at the apostle’s feet.”

Sapphira sweetly replies, “Ok Ananias. Whatever you want, my adoring husband?”

Boy, I wouldn’t see it playing out that way in my home. But, that is another story for another day. Here is a little background for you. In Acts 4, people started selling their possessions and laying proceeds at the apostle’s feet. Therefore, this couple decided to do as the others in their community and sell a piece of their property. Yet, they also decided (yes ladies, they decided together) to hold back a portion of the proceeds and to lay the rest at the apostle’s feet.  (Go check the full story out in Acts 5)

Here is where things get interesting:

Upon laying this decided amount at the apostle’s feet,

Peter says, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds from the land…you have not lied to men but to God?”

After hearing these words, Ananias fell down & died!

His wife, Sapphira comes looking for him (my ESV version says after about 3 hours). 

Here is how it goes down for her:

“And Peter said to her, Tell me whether you sold the land for so much money.”

Sapphira responds, “Yes, for so much.”

But Peter says to her, “How is that you have agreed together (see ladies, TOGETHER) to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”

Sapphira stays true to her and Ananias’ plan, the result she’s dead too!

There are so many questions that swirl around in my head upon reading this but I will not bore you with them today. Instead, let’s look at what God gave me during my reading of this portion of scripture:

There are two types of people:

1.    Drop Dead

2.    Proudly Possessing

It never says, how much Ananias & Sapphira conspired to hold back. We need to come to the realization that if we hold anything back, even the tiniest portion it is a bad thing. It didn’t matter if Ananias had held back 1% or 90% the result would have been the same. Why? Because the action of holding back wasn’t their sin, their sin was in thinking they could hide it. Hence, DROP DEAD!

Does this mean we can hold back and it is okay as long as we don’t try to hide it? Uh…. No! 

When we walk around saying, “God knows that I struggle with letting go of my children, husband, insert whatever you fight God over” does not mean that we are okay because we are not being Ananias or Sapphira and attempting to hide it.

This is PROUDLY POSSESSING.  It is like false humility. Neither of them is good for us.

Proudly Possessing keeps God from having full reign in our lives. People who are proudly possessing are some of the same ones who cry that they don’t see God working through them like their friends.

So, we have come back to our original question:

Are you Drop Dead or Proudly Possessing?

***All pictures on this blog unless otherwise stated belong to Dew Photography***

Burning Bushes, Writing on the Wall & Fire From Heaven...Originally posted on "Dawn's Dialogue"

Ended a 7-day fast yesterday. Did I see a burning bush like Moses during this time? Or maybe writing on the wall such as in Daniel 5, any amazing sign or wonders? Nope! Disappointed? Yes, at first, but then as I spent time pondering yesterday God revealed the following. Sometimes, obedience is the reward.

The fast had been done as an act of obedience. The church, my family is currently attending called for a week of fasting and prayer. We were not required to participate, but asked to pray and see if God wanted us to partake. After praying, God led me to fast from my Kindle and other books (as I mentioned on my social sites…you can check them out: dawnwhitmore67 or @dawnwhitmore).

This would not be an easy thing…I am a reader. Books, doesn’t matter whether it is eBooks or traditional along with blogs. One day at a time became my mantra. Day one came and went. Truthfully, it was not difficult. Still, my mantra was one day at a time. However, to be truthful, pride had started to creep in a little bit. It wouldn’t stay long though. Day Two & Three were not so easy. I found myself realizing the multiple times throughout my day that I would normally be picking up my Kindle.  God’s grace brought me through those two days. The victory is His…not mine. The ending result became 7-days of fasting. Spending time with my Savior in His Word. This was not my success. On the contrary, it was God’s success. My obedience was not possible without Him.

My lesson, obedience is the reward.

Are you looking for signs & wonders? Burning bushes? Writing on the wall? Fire from heaven? Yes, my God can do all of these things and more. Still at times, we spend so much time and energy running after the next experience we miss the true gift…spending time with OUR LOVING ABBA FATHER.

Are you busy ‘chasing the experience’ or will you play a part in my lesson this week and enjoy time with ABBA DADDY today? 

Serving or Seeking (Originally posted on Dawn's Dialogue)....

The following blog was shared today on Dawn's Dialogue. College students can be overwhelmed easily. Especially, if they are not careful about keeping their focus on Jesus. Spring break brings warm weather and many possible distractions. Know that each of you are loved!

Have you ever had one of those weeks? Not bad, just one were you did a lot of pondering and thinking. That is what my week has been. It started on Monday when my part-time job ended, my Mom went to the ER on Thursday night, and my doctor told me on Friday surgery is a definite on my horizon.

Remember the part-time job ending part…that also means a possible end to my insurance. On a bright beautiful Saturday, I am thanking God for who He is and enjoying a John Hopkins (JHU) Men’s Lacrosse game provided by ESPNU. (Thanks to my Sweetie & the company he works for…)

My online bible study (A Confident Heart) gave me a “Pondering & Thinking “ list:

1. Am I spending all my time serving God or seeking God?
2. Am I bossing people around when I worry or bossing my heart to submit to God and His Plan for me?
3. The most poignant one to me: God not only wants to give me peace that surpasses understanding; He wants to surpass my need for understanding with promises that are bigger than any of my concerns.

Lets be honest, at times life is overwhelming. I have walked through a tough time and Jesus was with me each and every step. Even when I didn’t realize it He was there. There are days that I am still dealing with how my disobedience forced God to drastic measures, which hurt others. Yet, there is relief knowing that being where He wants me to be will be a blessing as we continue to walk this journey ahead of us. Will the journey be easy? Probably not, surgery is never fun…if you think it is fun you are either an aspiring medical professional or “a fry short of a happy meal”. 

However, currently I am at peace with whatever happens. I am sure there will be days that will “stink” but hopefully, they will be in the minority. This is possible if I can remember #3 in my list of “pondering & thinking” from this week.

Where are you this week? Are you busy serving God or seeking Him? Bossing people or bossing your heart? Or maybe forgetting that God is bigger than all our problems? It is okay, we are all there sometimes…but the real question is will you stay there?

"My heart is confident in you, O God;" Psalm 57:7a

Lessons in Enoch...Part Two

Cosner Corner Sunset Fredericksburg, VA

Photo Credit: Dawn Whitmore

Dew Photography

Upon researching Enoch, for my last blog, I learned the following things about Enoch. There are two referred to in Genesis. One was born to Cain in Genesis 4 (yep the one that killed his brother, Abel), he even named a city after his Enoch. However, he is not the one referred to in Hebrews. 

We find 'our' Enoch referred to in Hebrews in Genesis 5:18-24. 'Our' Enoch is also in the lineage of Adam but is a descendant of Adam’s son, Seth.

There are some things to note in Enoch’s life:

• ·      Enoch was born when his father was 162 years old and we thought Abraham was old when Isaac was born.
•       Enoch’s father lived another 800 years after Enoch was born. He died at the ripe age of 962.
• ·      Enoch had his first child Methuselah at the early biblical age (at least for this time period) of 65 years old.
•  Enoch walked with God for 300 years after fathering Methuselah.
•    At the age of 365, Enoch went for a walk with God and was no more.

 When 'our' Enoch was "taken away", as Hebrews describes, Enoch’s father was 527 years old. He didn’t die until he was 962 years old. Therefore, he lived another 435 years knowing that his son had been "taken away’". We aren’t told anything else…at least not that I can find. Can you imagine living another 435 years after such an event? Enoch’s son, Methuselah took after his granddad and lived to the ripe old age of 969. Methuselah had his Dad for 300 years and then lived another 669 years after his Dad was "taken away".  

All of this is intriguing to me; we consistently see the devastation that people live through each day in the news after a loved one disappears. Which is what happened to Enoch, he basically disappeared. 

It makes me wonder how did his family cope? The Scripture doesn’t reveal in Genesis 5 how they coped. Genesis 5 only shows that life went on by revealing more lineages. Don’t misunderstand me; I am not saying that people should forget their loved ones. I am only stating what is seen in Chapter 5 of Genesis. Furthermore, I firmly believe that Enoch’s family did not forget him. Enoch’s appearance in Hebrew’s Hall of Fame of Faith is definite proof that God did not forget Enoch.

Do you feel like God has forgotten you today? 

Are you a Coot?

Have you seen the above bird before? What is he? He is mistakenly referred to as a 'weird' duck on occasion. Nevertheless, this is not a 'weird' duck but an American Coot. The coot has the ability to live with ducks. While we lived in NC, it was a pleasure of mine to be able to take photos like the one above at Union Point Park. Our park had 4-5 coots that lived part of the year with the ducks. 

The coot is a waterfowl bird yet, not a duck. He has a triangular beak and non-webbed feet (chicken-like features). Yet, to watch him at the park, it becomes evident he thinks he belongs with the ducks. Is it because everyone likes the ducks and feeds them and he will be able to have a meal? Most people at the park treat him no different than the ducks. However, he and his siblings were the ones that I was attracted to the most.

God has been ruminating this simple devotional with the coot for multiple months. The ironic thing is as mentioned before "Simple does not equate to easy" (A line from the family movie, What If). The ability the coot has to be mistaken for a duck and blend in with them has several spiritual applications.  

1. Where am I being mistaken for something that I am not?

2. How often can I blend in & look no different than my surroundings?

Take time this week to ponder those questions. 

***Only the first picture was taken by me. The other picture belongs to Laura Meyers***

Sunday, June 12th…Nehemiah Introduction and Chapter 1: 1-7

 

We will learn in this chapter that Nehemiah was cupbearer to the King.

QUESTION: What is the significance of the cupbearer?

ANSWER: The cupbearer was actually someone with high rank. His position was to make sure the royal table, especially the King was not poisoned. Part of his job included, tasting the wine before serving to King to make sure it was safe for the King.

As we progress through Nehemiah, knowing he was the cupbearer and its significance will be important.

The author of Nehemiah is said to be Nehemiah and is written in 1st person account.

Vv 1-4: What has happened in Jerusalem?  It shows in verse 3 that Jerusalem is in ruins and the people are in distress.

QUESTION: What is Nehemiah’s response?

ANSWER: Verse 4 shows that Nehemiah weeps and mourns. He also fasts and prays.

Our class discussed how Nehemiah included himself and his sins in the prayer of repentance.

We will continue our new journey in Nehemiah on June 19th.

We will see that Nehemiah is a prayer warrior and what leadership he has as we continue.

Sign on church this weekend said, “Christ wants Warriors not Worriers”

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James 4:1-10...Sunday,April 24th, 2011...(Easter Sunday)

We finished last week with James discussing "righteousness being sown in peace by those who make peace." Remember God's peace is not merely the absence of conflict. God's peace is instead a wholeness and wealth that is expressed by a sense of contentment that is NOT dependent on circumstances.

QUESTION: What TWO reasons does James state for not receiving from God in Vv 5 & 6?

1. You do not ask GOD (please notice here it specifies asking God). We can't ask others and then wonder why we are not receiving. We must ask God!

2. We ask wrongly & with improper motives. The word "desire" or "pleasure" here is the source of the English word "hedonism"

QUESTION: What is hedonism?

Hedonism means to seek pleasure as the chief ultimate goal of life and NOTHING, NOT EVEN GOD, will be allowed to stand in the way of experiencing this self-sought pleasure. (Norma Becker)

These passions and desires for self-sought pleasure tempt us to believe we must control, possess, and obtain pleasure to have peace. We must understand this deceptive view leads to destruction & discontent.

The part many find hard to swallow here is this deceptive view is "spiritual unfaithfulness" to God. Therefore, this is why James calls us "adulterous people." See if we are focusing solely on ourselves and our self-sought pleasure then we are making me, myself and I more important than God. We are in essence saying we are God or whatever we are seeking is being idolized. Having an idol or seeing ourselves as God (even if we don't admit to this fact) is SPIRITUAL UNFAITHFULNESS.

Quick TRUE OR FALSE: The Scripture states, "God helps them who help themselves"

THIS IS FALSE. This is a world-built philosophy. When we try to walk in this false philosophy, we are actually trying to once again get God to cooperate with our plans. When He doesn't act or do what we feel should be done then we become angry towards God.

QUESTION: What do we need to do if we find ourselves falling into what James describes as "Being a friend of the world and an enemy of God"?

First, we must acknowledge God is not neutral about us and what we do. God created us with HIS BEST in mind. He loves us wholly & completely. He is passionate about His Will being completed in our lives.

Second, We must understand God is jealous over us, ready to protect us in all circumstances.

Third, God's grace shows up as opposition to the proud. He will oppose our efforts that do not show complete confidence and trust in Him.

Once we acknowledge these three things then God shows us in Vv 7-10 how to rectify the fact that we have become "a friend to the world and an enemy to God. The following are the steps to root out the sinful attitude of Pride:

• 1. Submit yourselves: Submission is not the same as obedience. It is when we submit our will to God that we are lead to obedience.
• Resist the devil
• Come near to God and He will come near to you: A wonderful assurance
• Wash/Cleanse your hands (Repentance for our prideful behavior)
• Purify your hearts: This is a step further than repentance it is the step of having purity of thoughts  & motives, which is accomplished by setting our heart's desires on God's desires
• Lament, Mourn & Weep (You are sadden cause your actions have saddened God)
• Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord (You are grateful for the forgiveness given to you)

In conclusion, we must understand sin leads to NOTHING good. When we attempt to have 'our way' there is always a destructive cost. We hurt others, ourselves & God. 

God's way not 'our way' can be fully trusted to receive from His loving hand the transforming work in our lives. We learned in Chapter 1, that God intends nothing less for us than to 'be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing' (verse 4) and 'to receive the crown of life, which God has promised for those who love Him' (verse 12). 

QUESTION: Knowing this why do we insist on "our way"? 

We will continue on journey in James Chapter 4 on May 1st. 

Sunday, April 17th...James 3:13-18...

Let's start with a quick refresher: Throughout James, we have been discussing how James is writing to a persecuted and scattered people. James has been focusing on how to live in the midst of tribulations and temptations.

We finished up last week on our discussion of the tongue. One aspect being that we must let God control our tongue in ALL circumstances.

As we delve into this week's lesson, James will show us how to handle struggles of life with WISDOM. However, we will see TRUE WISDOM only comes from God.

Let's start with a question: What is meant by "good conduct" or "good life" in verse 13 concerning one's works? It doesn't mean there is no trouble in this person's life but that their works are done in meekness.

This brings us to our next question: Does meekness or humble mean weakness?

According to Norma Becker (one of the lesson writer's used for this study), "Meekness or humble means "Strength under control." This is one whose strength comes from relying on God and not self. This person also relies on God for vindication and refuses to retaliate when insulted.

**Remember TRUE WISDOM comes from God. It is not just good advice, good ideas, or good morals**

God's Wisdom is real when it is in motion, However, this is more than giving to charity. Wisdom is from God in a person's life is shown by how he/she deals with family, friends, finances, spend free time and approaches life in general.

QUESTION: Who is guiding your life? Is it God's TRUE WISDOM or the world's wisdom?

Living in the meekness of God's TRUE WISDOM means we do not let our current circumstances tell us who we are and who we belong to....

James further instructs the wisdom of meekness doesn't exist in jealous and ambitious heart. Jealousy creates a wedge not only between us and others but also with God. We must come to the realization that the world's wisdom is actually anti-wisdom for there is NO TRUE WISDOM without God.


Anti-wisdom results in confusion and evil whereas, Godly Wisdom is (as stated in verse 17) pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy & grace fruits without hypocrisy or partiality.

Therefore, We want to walk away from today's lesson understanding this final thought:

"To be wise is to see that our present circumstances DO NOT tell the story of our real worth or limit our ability to receive full life from God"---(courtesy of Trinity Study Center lesson writer).