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Monday, June 9, 2008

When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

I got in argument with my sister last Thursday evening. She said something that hurt my feelings and I pounced. As I began to rant, she lowered her voice and said, “I think you need to calm down. I really think you need to calm down.” Well, that only made me more furious. I tossed and turned all night and by sunrise had figured out exactly what I wanted to say to her!

As I pounded out my email the next morning, my husband sweetly called down the stairs, “Don’t email angry!” I ignored him. After a while, he came into the kitchen and just as I was getting ready to send my nasty letter out, he asked, “Would you like me to edit that for you?” I shoved my chair back from the table and went to the refrigerator for a bottled water. He quickly sat down at my laptop and began to rework the message. The truth is he cut most of it and softened the rest. We sent his version.

You are not going to believe this. A few minutes later when he left the room, I sat down to email my sister another letter. I just could not get over it! I had to give her a piece of my mind! Then all of a sudden, from over my shoulder, I heard my husband say, “Are you kidding me? You do not want to send that.”
“Yes, I do,”
I contended.
“No, you don’t,” he said.
“YES, I do.”
“Fine,” he shrugged, “but you’re making a big mistake.”

He went upstairs and I sat staring at the letter on my screen. I felt like sending the letter, but I have been misled by feelings before and so I paused. What was going to happen if I pushed SEND? What kind of memory was I going to be creating for the two of us? Was this the kind of letter Jesus would send to someone he loved?

I got up from the table, cleaned up the breakfast dishes, and folded a load of laundry. I kept glancing over at my computer screen. It only took a few minutes for me to realize, I did not want to send that letter. For just a moment, I considered saving it in my draft file in case I needed it later. But, I knew that was wrong too. I didn’t ever want to send my sister that letter. I sat back down at my computer and pushed CANCEL. Then I opened up the Real Life Web site and clicked on the daily Scripture reading.

You are not going to believe this. Here are the first eight verses of what I read that morning:

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.

James 1:19-26

Isn’t God hilarious? I laughed and cried over His gracious word. I bowed my head for a few minutes and squared everything up between us. Then I called my husband downstairs and read the passage aloud. We cracked up at how ridiculous I had been acting. We talked about how amazing God’s word is. God is so personal and generous with us! He is so patient and loving! I resolved one more time to live by his word; to open myself up to his correction and instruction; to give him control of my life.

Your Journey...

Now's your chance! What has God been teaching you as you've been reading His Word? It's important for us to share with and encourage each other as we travel along. Remember that we're not meant to do this alone, we're a family!

Write to us here and we'll post it below!

Monday, June 16, 2008

Christie says: The verse that I am going to meditate on today is the one that talked about living in the light and not in darkness. It said that if we think we are living in the light but hate a christian brother or sister, we are living in darkness. It also talks about not causing others to stumble. I know that there are areas in my life where darkness is having it's way. I also know that there are places of darkness that I am not even aware of. My prayer today is that God would show me those things and help me to work through them and also that he would give me the desire to work through them. Sometimes I see things that need work and don't feel like dealing with them.

I am so thankful to you, God, that you are so patient with me and that you are willing to put in the extra where I am lacking. You complete me and fulfill me!

POSTED BY CHRISTIE S. AT 7:13 AM

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Denise says: re: Lynelle's story - isn't that just like God!

Also, just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the Women's Retreat! Thank you to all those who had a hand in putting it together. It was the best retreat ever!

POSTED BY DENISE W. AT 7:43 AM

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Ric says: Hey Real Life!

I hope your Week is going well. I want to let you know about some new resources we've launched today for the furthermore page.

This new addition gives us some additional tools for studying the Bible and helps us know what to do as we read. There are also some extended tools for those who may be interested in how to approach passages that may be difficult to understand. Enjoy!

Enough about the site... a couple of things I noticed in today's reading (Acts 8:26-9).

First off, I think it's cool that the guy Philip talks to in the chariot is reading from Isaiah 53. (one of the passages we read a few days ago on our journey) It's amazing what Isaiah wrote over 500 years before Christ's death on the cross. Telling the future??? That's IMPOSSIBLE without God... for only he knows the future. (knowing what will take place is an idea that's so foreign to me that it's hard to wrap my brain around. I'm bound by time and space... I'm not God - big "duh" here.)

Another thing I remember is what we talked about on Sunday... Not only being a self-feeder, but bringing others along with you - just like Philip does here! That's what I want to do with my life. I desire to discover the amazing things of God together with my friends and make new ones along the way.

All in all, I'm really blessed to be journeying together with ya'll! Life is sooooo much richer when you're not going solo!

p.s. Did you notice Philip's mode of transportation at the end of chapter eight? Wow... that would be an incredible way to travel!

POSTED BY RIC G. AT 5:05 PM

Friday, May 30, 2008

Faith says: Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. Isaiah 53:4

This verse left me speechless. I have felt the weight of weaknesses and sorrows, and have experienced this weight lifted. My heart is now light. My mouth sings. My feet dance.

The knowledge that my Savior has done this for me, fills me with intense love and wonder. I cannot be quiet. The river of my joy cannot be held back.

There is a God strong enough and loving enough to carry it all. WOW!

POSTED BY FAITH G. AT 8:18 PM

Friday, May 30, 2008

Denise says: Perfect answer! Thank you, Cris! You made this absolutely clear to me!

POSTED BY DENISE W. AT 11:43 AM

Friday, May 30, 2008

Christie says: Well I missed the last two days of reading. I am a very routine person and so I try and do my reading and quiet time with God in the morning before the kids wake up. Set myself on the right track for the day. So let's just say if that routine gets changed, I usually don't remember to have my quiet time. I am so glad that God doesn't have that big ruler, ready to slap our hands if we miss our time with Him. He is so loving to us. I spent so much of my life feeling guilty if I didn't do my "devotions" but now it's that I don't want to miss out on what God has for me and also that He is my strength. I need Him to get through the day........and a little coffee helps too!

My one "take away" for today (as Lynelle says at Monday night group) from Isaiah 53 is just one little sentence that says, "....we turned our backs on Him and looked the other way." Although I wasn't around at the time of Jesus' trial and death I still choose in subtle ways to turn my back on Him and look the other way. I hate it that I do that but man, life has so many tempting things to offer. We live in a culture of "fine living" where everything has to be the best. I can easily get driven into home improvements, self-improvements, and things, things, things, all the while turning my back, even if just a little to this amazing thing that Christ did for us.

I lose my focus........I miss opportunities that are there before me..........I spend more time on things of the flesh and less on the things that matter for all eternity.

So is it wrong to want things and have things? I don't think so ........but is that my focus??? Am I willing to turn my back, put God off, to pursue things that moth and rust will destroy?

So for today I will be reminded of the high price that Christ paid for me and for everyone I see and will live to let that be my focus.

POSTED BY CHRISTIE S. AT 9:57 AM

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Cris says: Denise, Good question. "Is there an Old Testament scripture I can read to help me understand verse...."

The best and safest approach to understanding scripture is to interpret scripture with scripture. Most Bibles have carefully organized cross-reference systems in the margins of the text to help us quickly find related passages to help gain a wider perspective on what is being said.

Concerning the verse you mentioned: Matthew 17:10-13

Jesus is speaking about John the Baptist fulfilling the "prophetic role" of Elijah.

John the Baptist is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy in Malachi chapter 3. He was the messenger or prophet that was foretold of by God. John was not a resurrected or reincarnated Elijah, but he took Elijah's prophetic role. Notice in Mathew 9:14 that Jesus says, speaking of John, that "he is the Elijah who was to come".

Other places in the New Testament also help to bring clarity to this passage. Saying of John that he came in the “spirit and power” of Elijah. (Luke 1:17 and Matthew 11:14)

Also a note on reincarnation. One has to die to be reincarnated. Elijah was never separated from his body. He is one of two people noted in the bible that did not die. 2 Kings 2:11

A couple of Old Testament passages to consider:

See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty.

Malachi 3:1(NIV)

See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.

Malachi 4:5,6 (NIV)

More on Elijah: 1 Kings 17 - 2 Kings 2

I hope you find this answer helpful, and may God bless you with wisdom and understanding as you continue to seek Him!

POSTED BY CRIS M. AT 8:45 PM

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Denise says: I took Jeff's suggestion that he made on Sunday about making the Real Life page my home page for the internet. I think it will help me to remember to read the Word. God woke me up at 5:30 this morning to call me to be with him. I snuggled deeper in my blankets, but then thought, "Hey, if God is waking me up to spend some quiet time with him, maybe I should get up!"

It's a little hard to get quiet time around here these days because my son Andrew is home from the Army, and his friends are over and it's a little crazy...and I love it! But not so quiet!

Anyway, I do have a question.

Sometimes there are passages in the Bible that I just don't get...and I read one in today's reading... Here it is:

Then his disciples asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?” Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, but he wasn’t recognized, and they chose to abuse him. And in the same way they will also make the Son of Man suffer.” Then the disciples realized he was talking about John the Baptist.

Matthew 17:10-13

Having been a card-carrying member of the New Age for several years, this passage immediately makes me think of reincarnation. I understand the metaphorical meaning of the passage, but it sounds like Jesus is speaking more literally than that. Is there an Old Testament scripture I can read to help me understand verse 10 before I can understand the subsequent verses?

I know without a shadow of a doubt that reincarnation is a bogus belief...that we live on this earth but once, and, as believers in the One True and Living God and His Son Jesus, spend eternity in Heaven with him. Praise the Lord! I just want to understand this passage in it's context a little better. Thanks!

POSTED BY DENISE W. AT 6:24 AM

Monday, May 26, 2008

Christie says: At the end of Lynelle's entry for this week she asked us to think about how Scripture has helped us to know God better and it made me think of what Joyce Meyer said in the Battlefield of the Mind series that the Women's group is going through right now. She said that the Bible is like a mirror for us to look in, it helps us to see where we need to make changes, it helps us to identify things we were totally unaware of.

I have been in conversation with several different people lately about these very flaws that we all have that EVERYONE can see but us. I don't want to go my whole life being a certain way and not even knowing it. I have had many times in my life where I read something in the Bible and realized for the first time that a certain action or thought was wrong.

The Bible has helped me to see some of these things and be able to change them. We humans like to know what our boundaries are. We take comfort in knowing what God has for us. It gives us direction and purpose rather than just floundering around.

POSTED BY CHRISTIE S. AT 7:25 AM

Friday, May 23, 2008

Ric says: Hey Ken! Thanks for your question about how to interpret and understand the Bible. I'm one of the pastors here at Real Life and I'll try to be as helpful as I can with a reply.

Interpreting the Bible is our attempt at understanding what is being communicated. It's sad that people try and twist Scripture or make it say things to fit their evil and selfish agendas. Unfortunately it's been happening since the beginning. (see:Genesis 3)

It's also true that we are going to make some honest mistakes and will be biased from time to time. I think that all comes from the fact that we are imperfect people. The life of a Christ follower is about growing in our relationship with Jesus and being humble enough to let God correct our misconceptions!

Like with all communication, authors have a purpose and meaning behind what they are trying to communicate so here are a few things to keep in mind when interpreting Scripture.

First of all, we were intended to read the Bible in community. There are those of us that are reading this for the first time and others who are very familiar with the words. So we need to read this in community so that we don't get off track. That's why I like Life Groups where you can grow together, not only in relationship to others but in relationship to our great God. It's vital that we are not attempting to grow solo with God... frankly, it won't happen.

However, great groups of people can and have been VERY wrong. It's not enough to just talk about the Scriptures in groups without some foundational principles for studying them. This Sunday Jeff is going to be talking about how to study God's Word, giving us some tools for our journey.

On the subject of interpretation (discovering what the text means), I'd like to give you a few tools that I've found along the way that will work hand in hand with what Jeff's talking about this week.

• God has made the meaning of the Bible accessible to anyone. The basics of how to have a relationship with Jesus is very clear. God deeply desires for us to know Him and have a relationship with us... to change our lives! Does this mean we'll get it all right away... no, it'll take your entire life. But I think that's what a relationship is all about - it's not about "arriving". It's about growing along the journey.
• God is necessary for us to understand and apply Scripture. The message of the Bible can be comprehended by people who do not believe it, but the proper spiritual response that it calls for comes only through God's work on the inside as we read.
• Scripture doesn't contradict itself. The interpretation we come up with for a particular passage must be in harmony and consistent with the rest of Scripture.
• Scripture interprets itself. Each passage of Scripture is illuminated by other passages. So our interpretation of a particular passage should be compared with other Scriptures.
• When a passage is unclear... Unclear or ambiguous passages should be read and interpreted in light of clearer passages. If a passage is unclear and you don't understand it, that's okay. It's like what Lynelle said in her devotional... write it down! It may become clearer as you run into other passages.
• Every passage of Scripture has meaning and relevance for the believer. This is taken directly from our key passage. (2 Timothy 3:16,17) Some passages have more direct application while others are more indirect, but all scripture is profitable for the believer's growth.
• Each passage has unity, coherence, and purpose. The authors of Scripture wrote with specific purposes in mind, and used literary "strategies" to accomplish this. Looking for the larger structures of thought enables us to understand each one properly.
• We should not approach individual verses as self-contained units. Every verse fits within the logical sequence of an entire passage and must be understood in light of the whole. (take a step back from the individual tree and look at it in light of the entire forest)
• Each passage should be interpreted in light of the type of writing it is. There are many types of writing in the Scripture (poetry, story, prophesy, etc.) and each comes with its own rules of how to read it.
• Meaning is always conveyed in CONTEXT. Accurate interpretation is built on a thorough understanding of the entire context of a given passage. Context will determine the meaning of words and whether something is to be understood literally or figuratively.

God intends for us to live in a LIFE-LONG relationship with him. We're intelligent people but compared to God??? We're as smart as dirt. And yet, God still desires to reach out to us through His Word. He longs to walk with you every step of the way and help you understand who He is, why He came and what He'd like to do in and through you.

Thanks Ken, great question!

POSTED BY RIC G. AT 10:30 AM

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Ken says: What an amazing opportunity to study the Bible! Like Jeff, I find that I am interested in the history surrounding the Bible, as well as the spiritual significance of its contents.

I am interested in talking about how the Bible is misused by some people to justify wicked or selfish behavior. How can I make sure that my interpretation and understanding of the Bible is truly accurate and unbiased? My desire is to cut through the religious theories and doctrinal prejudice to determine what is the absolute, unaltered truth of God's Word.

POSTED BY KEN (LYNELLE'S HUSBAND) G. AT 6:33 PM

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Denise says: I am excited to embark on this journey through God's Word. It's great to have Lynelle Garrison as our captain. She is a person of great strength, spiritual depth and character. She is also one of the best speakers I have ever listened to. It's so wonderful to be in a church family where we get to discover and use our gifts...where the leadership of the church sees how valuable it is to encourage members of the body to find and use their gifts. God calls me to his side every morning. Sometimes I put him aside, and say, "I'll be right with you...in just a moment" and then before I know it, the day has passed and I didn't take the time to be with him.

So I am hoping that committing to this journey will help me get back on track. =)

POSTED BY DENISE W. AT 11:21 AM

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Christie says: I am really excited about this 30 day journey of reading God's Word and getting to hear Lynelle's journey. All my life I have gone through times of great discipline in reading the Bible and also times of great discipline in doing other things. I never intentionally avoid reading and spending time with God but I do allow other things to take over that time. I always benefit from spending time with God, even though sometimes the pieces don't all fit together right away. It's like gearing up for a big race. We are training and getting ourselves in shape, putting tools in our bag for when we need them, packing nourishment for our journey, and preparing for all the obstacles that come up in our life.

The greatest part is that we are doing it together, we are not running alone!

POSTED BY CHRISTIE S. AT 7:04 AM

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