Author: Jessica R. Patch

Keep it Humble Part 5: A Little Something Called the Love Factor

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 
So let me ask you: Have you been
using the life applications each week and trying to keep it humble with each
verse we’ve traveled through? How hard has it been? Has it been a piece of
cake? Yes? Then you aren’t doing it. Ha!
 
This week, we’re camping on verse
13, but let’s recap.
 
“9 Let love be without
hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.10 Be kindly
affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to
one another;11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in
spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient
in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;” Romans 12:9-12 NKJV
 
Check it in the Message version. I love it.
 
“Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for
dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love
deeply; practice playing second fiddle.  Don’t burn out;
keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully
expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder.” Romans 12:9-12
If you want to catch up on the series so far, you can here:
 
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, 
 
Today, let’s jump into verse
13: “distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.” NKJV and
here it is in the Message: “Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.” 
 
Remember, this passage is about believers and how we treat
other Christians. I loved Monday’s YouTube video by Christy Nockels. They
(unbelievers) will know us (believers) by our love. Our love for who? Them but…
 
Jesus said in John 13, “Let me give you a new command: Love
one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how
everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you
have for each other.” (verses 34-35 MSG)
 
If we can’t love one another and be hospitable to our brothers
and sisters in Christ, how does that make us any different than any
non-believer in Christ? And I don’t just mean in our local body—I mean even
those who don’t agree with all your doctrine and say you are of the devil. Or
those who you think are of the devil lol! Can’t we all simply love Jesus and
get along?
 
But this isn’t about doctrine today. It’s about hospitality.
 
We have wonderful examples in the Old and New Testament. People
brought strangers into their homes and fed them, sometimes not realizing they
were entertaining angels. Now, I’m not saying drag every stranger in your home,
we have to use discernment and be safe. But I think we need to be open to the
leading of the Holy Spirit, in case he does have us pull over on the side of
the road or do the unusual.
 
The word hospitality in the Greek is philoxenia and it means love to strangers,
hospitality It comes from the root word philoxenos which means hospitable,
generous to guests
So maybe you don’t pull in every
person off the street, but does that mean you can’t pay for a stranger’s coffee
in front of you? Buy the meal for the table next to yours? The Message version
says, “be inventive in
hospitality.” 
 
How can
you get inventive?
 
What does it mean to distribute to the needs of the saints?
Well, who are the saints? Saints mean most holy thing.
 
Have you ever thought of yourself as a “most holy thing?”
 
Neither have I.
 
But if you believe in Christ, you are indeed a saint. A “most
holy thing” to the Lord. “ A most holy man or woman. I have a hard time looking
at myself as God does. He sees me through the pure and holy blood of Christ. I
see me as simply me. Flesh. Rags. A vapor in the wind. A struggler in so many
areas.
 
But I
am a saint. Most holy to God. Set apart. Precious. Worth dying for. Beloved. Beautiful.
 
And so
are you.
 
Funny but when we read the word “distribute” we think of
giving. However that Greek word is koinōneō and it doesn’t mean giving in the sense you may think it does. It means
to enter into fellowship, join one’s self to an associate, make one’s self a
sharer or partner
 
And to be given to it. Given,
meaning to pursue it eagerly. Ever heard of a small group? Church events that
are surrounded around fellowship and food? Spend time with other believers. It’s
important! We need each other.
 
“Now all who believed were
together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods,
and divided them among all, as anyone had need.”  Acts 2:44-45
Preachers should stop hammering tithing and teach
this! They didn’t give a tenth. They
gave all they had and used the money to help each other according to their
needs.
 
“So continuing daily with one
accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their
food with gladness and simplicity of heart,  praising
God and having favor with all the people.” Acts 2: 46-47
 
They ate together, laughed
together. Based on their common thread. A scarlet thread. Jesus 
Christ. Out of
gladness and joy. With praise.
 
They had favor with all people.
 
What was the result of this
unity? Of humbling themselves, giving of themselves sacrificially, centered by
the love of Christ?
“And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being
saved.” Acts 2:47
 
And they will know us by our love
for one another. Like the video sang this past Monday. The whole point of this life called Christianity is to glorify
God, to snatch souls from the fire and to show the world his love.
Hard to do when we’re at each
other’s throats and slinging messages of hate through the venue of freedom of
speech. I’ve seen saints more hateful on facebook than anywhere else. 
And I’ve
seen non-believers scoff and unfriend us. On facebook. And in their hearts.
 
I’ve known Christians who are the
stingiest, self-absorbed people on the planet.
 
I’ve been that Christian, too.
 
Wanna be humble? Love the saints.
Give to the saints. Give to the scoffers. Be eager to do it. 
 
Love with all you
got. Because at the end of the day, you aren’t taking a thing with you. And you
will stand before the King.
 
“For the Son of Man will come in
the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according
to his works.” Matthew 16:27
 
“Our only goal is to please God whether we live here
or there, because we must all stand before Christ to be
judged. Each of us will receive what we should get—good or bad—for the things
we did in the earthly body. 2 Corinthians 5:9-10
 
 
Life Application: This week make it your mission to do one thing to show hospitality to a saint. And then do one thing to show your love to an unbeliever. 
 
Prayer: Lord, thank you that we are holy to you. Set apart to bring you glory and honor. Give us the strength and supernatural ability to love, to be hospitable, to give. Open our hands to let it go so that you can fill it with every good thing spiritually. Let us reap our good deeds in the spiritual bank, in our hearts. In our relationship with you. Fill us with all joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen
 

 

Let’s get inventive together. How can we show
others our love? Let the creativity and ideas begin!

Be eager to…

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

…practice hospitality. To help those in need. How are you at being hospitable?

We’ll go deeper with this verse, in the context of humility, on Wednesday. The video below by Christy Nockels gives a hint to the lesson. Take a minute before you jump to the next blog on your list and worship! This is one of my all time favorite songs! 

What does hospitality mean to you? What does it look like?

Where In the World is JR Patch?

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Last Thursday, I started a new Friday blog series. Yes, that made total sense. You will understand by reading: I’d Rather Be... 

So…yeah, I’m living it up. Wanna come? Check it:

I’m boarding this ship, but I have
some hesitations. One being what if
the power went out from an engine
fire and the toilets stopped working, then
we all had to do our business in red
biohazard bags! And we got stuck
eating wilting vegetables. It happens.
I’ve been researching for my newest novel, a
first in a proposed series set on a cruise ship.
Yeah, I’m bringing the Love Boat back, J Patch style.
Note: This (or the Love Boat) was not the ship it happened on, so…
All Aboard! 
And here is our first port of call!
You really want to be here don’t you?
Let’s drop our bags and do a little
shopping in the public markets.
Yum! Nothing like fresh island fruit.
We must take a trip down Fig Tree Drive, experiencing
the sugar mills, and lovely churches. After all, how can you
not give God glory for this amazing display of beauty!
Oh by the way, the word fig here, means banana! So you won’t
actually spot any. 
This is just one of 365 beaches on this
caribbean island. I guess you’ve come to the
same conclusion as I have. A beach for
every day, baby! White sands. The taste of sea air and…
These delicious bad boys. Who doesn’t love
coconut? Okay, whatever your poison, it’s yours.
What book are you reading? I have my Kindle so I
have hundreds to choose from. But I’m going to
need some romance to go with the steel drums
and bongos. Yes? Let’s have one more drink, shall we?
We can visit Bird Island. For
some reason it makes me think of
Cliffors the Big Red dog. Birdwell
Island. But I don’t think we’ll see any
red dogs. Not here anyway.
What we will see is fine feathered friends,
which I happen to be terrified of! Birds
freak me out! Bring umbrellas, not for rain…
but you know, bird crap! Because if you’re standing
near me, prepare to run and be pooped on. By the birds.
Okay, we are so not getting in this kayak.
It’s going to stay ashore. Why? Because one, I don’t swim well
and I saw that YouTube of the shark knocking over a kayak or at
least working to. Teasing the poor guy who’d cut his finger fishing.
Who fishes in a kayak alone in the middle of the ocean anyway?
But, if we want to get adventerous, we can swim with the Stingrays
and experience some gorgeous coral reef at Stingray City.
They say it’s safe with knowledgable trainers.
Who knows? The ship wasn’t supposed to catch on fire either
But here we are peeing in plastic bags awaiting a park full of birds
anxious to poo on our heads.

But overall, don’t you want to come? Have you figured out where I am? 



Guess in the comments and I’ll share the answer on my facebook page later today! Have you liked my facebook page yet? Why not? Now’s your chance. If you leave your guess in the comments, you will be entered into a drawing to win the grand prize of a $10.00 Amazon card at the end of the month. Each Friday, I’ll post a new spot–so you have multiple chances to win.

Also if you share this on facebook or Tweet about it, you have another chance to win!

If you guess the right place (you must guess before I reveal it on my facebook page) you’ll be entered FOUR times on top of tweets and shares! 

Where in the world am I?
Where is one place you’d love to sail away to?

photo credits: freedigital photos:
artur84
artur 84
artur 84
artur 84 
davidcastillodominici
arztsamui

Keeping it Humble Part 4: Don’t Stop Believing

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 
Hey everyone, today we’re breaking down a tough verse, not
that they haven’t all been tough. Let’s recap what we’ve worked through so far:
 
“Let love be without
hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly
affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to
one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit,
serving the Lord;” Romans 12:9-11 NKJV
 
If you’re just joining our series on keeping it humble you
can catch up here:
 
Part 1
 
Part 2 
 
Part 3
 
Part 4
 
We’re tacking on verse 12 to our passage.
 
“…rejoicing
in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;”
 
Let’s dig into each phrase, breaking it down in the Greek for
a richer meaning, then apply it to ourselves in the context of humility.
 
Ready?
 
Rejoicing means to be exceedingly glad and to thrive or do
well.
 
In hope…what is the hope that we are to be exceedingly glad
about and thrive in?
 
The Greek word for hope is elpis and it means joyful
and confident expectation of eternal salvation; the author of hope, or he who
is its foundation
 
You and I have a reason to thrive and do well, we have a reason
to be exceedingly glad. The author of our hope has defeated death, hell, and
the grave. He has rescued us from eternal damnation. Our hope is forever
salvation and all the freedom that it brings. We have a firm foundation to rejoice
upon, it’s Jesus Christ!
 
And the reason this phrase comes first, I believe, is because
we need to remember first and foremost that we have something and Someone to
hope in.
 
Why?
 
Tribulations are coming. 
 
And it will require patience. It’s
during these times we need to remind ourselves to rejoice, to be glad, because
hope is not lost.
 
The word patient in
the Greek is hypomenō and it means to preserve: under misfortunes and trials
hold fast to one’s faith in Christ; to endure, bear bravely and calmly: ill
treatments
 
I’m reminded of David. He’d been anointed king in private
but instead of ascending to the throne, he served, humbly, a king who came to
despise him through jealous eyes. Many years David ran from Saul. He hid in caves.
He had no rest. And many of his Psalms were written during this time.
 
In Psalm
25 David pours out his heart: “Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
For I am
desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Bring me out of
my distresses! Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins. Consider
my enemies, for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred. Keep my
soul, and deliver me; Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You. Let
integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You.” Verses 16-21
 
I see
tribulation. And I also see while he shares his trouble with the Lord, he
trusts Him and ends here with the fact he will wait for God.
 
Will you?
 
The phrase
continuing steadfastly in prayer in the Greek is proskartereō and it means, to
persevere and not to faint; to show one’s self courageous for; to be steadfastly
attentive unto, to give unremitting care to a thing
 
Prayer
takes courage, doesn’t it? It means you believe you’re being heard by the
Almighty. It shows vulnerability and trust. Sometimes, we don’t see our prayers
answered right away. Sometimes after five, ten, fifteen years, we have yet to
see the pain taken away, the dreams fulfilled fill-in-the-blank.
 
And we get
tired. We grow faint. We stop praying. Maybe, just maybe, we stop believing.
Cue Don’t Stop Believing by Journey here. Susan Tuttle, my iTunes hit was just for
you.
 
We have to
travel back to that first phrase. Rejoice in hope. And you and I both know at
times, rejoicing has to be a choice. Especially when we’re experiencing
tribulation.
 
We can’t
give up praying.
 
Again, I’m
reminded of David. After he and Bathsheba committed adultery, their child died.
God had already told David this was going to happen. Yet, David fasted and wept
and prayed because he said in 2 Samuel 12:22, ‘Who can tell whether the Lord will
be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ “
 
It isn’t
over until it’s over. 
 
Yes, David’s son still died. And that’s a hard pill to
swallow, but God had just told David after he repented, that his sins would be
inked out. Forgiven. But with sin comes consequences (I am not saying that
children’s deaths are linked to sin. I’m talking about David’s personal case
here) and I like to see this as a picture of grace and mercy. Because that is
Who God is.
 
For one
man to live, a son had to die.
 
For you
and I to have the hope we do, a Son had to die.
 
 
Hezekiah
prayed to the Lord when he was sick. And God gave him fifteen years more on his
life.
 
We can’t
give up praying. We must persevere and be brave. Stay calm and trust God to do
the right thing, to allow the right things, even when they feel wrong to you and
I.
 
Prayer is
humbling. Especially when we’re in situations we can’t control. And I think it’s
fair to say we can’t control tribulations. When we rejoice in hope and meditate
on that hope, it is humbling. We can’t save ourselves. We can’t control every
single thing. We must be dependent on Someone else. And we have to be
vulnerable and trust.
 
Praying
continually keeps us low and brings God high. Rightfully where He belongs.
Rightfully where we belong.
 
“But,
beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a
thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack
concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward
us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:8-9
 
“If you
are trying hard to do good, no one can really hurt you. But even if you suffer
for doing right, you are blessed.
 
“Don’t be
afraid of what they fear;
    do not dread those things.” (reference: Isaiah
8:12–13)
 
But
respect Christ as the holy Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to answer
everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have, but answer in a
gentle way and with respect. Keep a clear conscience so that those who speak
evil of your good life in Christ will be made ashamed.  It is better to suffer for doing good than for
doing wrong if that is what God wants.  Christ himself suffered for sins once. He was
not guilty, but he suffered for those who are guilty to bring you to God. His
body was killed, but he was made alive in the spirit.” 1 Peter 3:13-18 NCV
 

 

 
Life Application: If you have given up praying for something, start again this week. Today! Make a conscious decision
to rejoice and when those around you ask why you can be exceedingly glad when
your life is falling apart at best and at the very least, you have some
annoyances going on, you can answer them and tell them about your hope. About
Who your foundation is built upon. Take time to pour your heart out to the Lord. Be
honest and vulnerable before Him. Trust Him to know best.
 
Prayer: Lord, we love you, honor you, trust you,
respect you. We rejoice and give thanks for the amazing rescue of our souls.
For taking our place, for becoming our sin and giving us a eternal hope. Thank
you for never leaving us or forsaking us, even when we feel alone and isolated
and destroyed. We know that we are not. We may be struck down, but never
destroyed. Lord, help us to grasp that things really do work together for good
to those who love you. Let us not grow bitter and see that as a platitude with no
power behind it, but as hope for our future. A good one. One that will indeed
prosper us. Lord, forgive us for dropping the ball in prayer regardless of our
reasons. And strengthen us to continue in it because, Lord, we truly never know
when you will show grace and mercy. And it is not over until it’s over. In Your
precious name, Jesus, Amen.
 
How can I pray for you
and with you? If you want to email me privately, go to my Connect page. Now, what
is one thing you can rejoice about today?
 
 photocredit: freedigitalphotos/BJWOK
photocredit:freedigitalphotos/jscreationzs
photocredit:freedigitalphotos/davidCastillodominici

It Takes Courage to…

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 

…to pray at all times. And it takes faith like a child. 

We’re going to unpack this verse in depth on Wednesday as we continue our series in humility based on Romans 12:9-21. Join me and isn’t this the sweetest picture you’ve ever seen? Feel free to pin it on your Pinterest page.

But now, take a few minutes to worship before moving on to your next blog post. The song gives us a hint into the lesson. Keep it classy i.e. humble!

What else does it take courage and childlike faith to do? 

Writers “Go There”—Entering the Vulnerable

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 Happy Friday ya’ll. Remember, in our imaginations we’re on a plane headed to Ireland! Check out yesterday’s post if you’re confused. Yeah, I blogged on Thursday.  I’d Rather Be… 

Because today, my friend, Wendy Paine Miller is in the house and she’s talking about writing, birthing babies (I said that in the tone of Prissy from Gone with the Wind!) and her debut novella, The Disappearing Key. Wendy, take it away!

I can’t say when it was that I realized several of my novels
depict scenes that revolve around labor. I know women care about such events
and I write women’s fiction, but the process of including births in my work
wasn’t intentional. It doesn’t work like that. At least not for me anyway.
I think these scenes kept showing up in my work because I
was writing into the pain. As a writer, I was “going there.”
I have three daughters.
And I lost two babies in between my second and third.
What’s weird is I rarely ever bring this up. It’s still
hard. Seven years later, speaking the word miscarriage still swells a sizeable
knot in my throat and the backs of my eyes sting with tears.
So why, you might be thinking, why go there?
I don’t really have a clear cut answer except to say it’s
what writers do. Whether it’s a part of the catharsis or a subconscious gut instinct
that women could sit around a table all night sharing labor stories, these scenes
keep finding a way into my work.
I also think it’s because we’re bonded by birth stories. They
are our badges of courage, our completed marathons, our tour de force, our
personal Mount Everest, our interlaced threads of womanhood stringing us all
together through vulnerability—by honest life-surging events as heartbreaking
or funny or remarkable as they come.
So I write about births, as I did in the first scene of my
debut novella, THE DISAPPEARING KEY.
I feel what my character’s feel, their loss becoming my loss, their joy—my joy.
I may not always agree with their choices or understand their reasoning, but
more than anything else as I writer I aim to experience with them vicariously,
without judgment, unencumbered and fully engaged with them moment by moment.
I step away after writing these scenes with a heightened
sense of empathy, a fueled curiosity, and a deepened sense of gratitude for the
ways women bolster and enliven one another in conversations that involve
childbirth.

Why do
you think women are so bonded by stories of birth? Have you experienced this is
the case in your experiences with women?

 Wendy
lives with her husband, their three girls, and a skunk-dodging Samoyed. She
feels

most alive when she’s laughing, speeding on a boat, reading, writing,
refurbishing furniture or taking risks. She’s authored ten novels and is
currently writing what she hopes will be your future book club pick.

Her work has been published in
numerous anthologies and online sites. Wendy graduated with a BA in English
from Wittenberg University, where she earned an Honor of Distinction for her
accrued knowledge of literature.
She’s represented by Rachelle
Gardner of Books & Such Literary Agency.

Visit http://thoughtsthatmove.blogspot.com/  or connect with Wendy on Facebook or Twitter
@wendypmiller

I’d Rather Be…

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 

 I know it’s Thursday, but I have guest post  scheduled tomorrow, thus my regularly scheduled blog post today. 

Let’s all pretend it’s Friday, shall we?

So, my birthday is Sunday and it’ll probably be a fairly normal day. One: My dad will be in town, so running off for a romantic getaway with my husband is out. Don’t think I haven’t thought about just leaving him with the kids and going anyway, but I only see him twice a year so…what kind of a crappy person do you think I am? The kind that thinks about leaving. Right–but I’m not, leaving that is. I did indeed think about it.

Instead, I’ll day dream of one place I’d love to go. While there are many this is just one. Let’s go there together, shall we? In our imaginations that is. I can’t be sure I’d want to travel to this place with you. Unless, you were paying as a birthday gift and in that case, “Let’s go! I love you! BFFs 4Ever!”

 
Ireland
 

 

 
 
 

 

 
I want to visit this castle and explore it at
night with only a candle. Uh, hello, I’m
not totally crazy, I have my cell phone
flashlight for back up. But how fun would that
be? Yes. Lots of fun. And if you’re buying,
you’re invited.
 

I want to stand at this window and 
brush my hair–here’s where I get confused
because I either want to gasp as I see a sea monster, 
which can’t be Nessie because that’s Scotland. (We
could pretend this is Scotland) or I want the whole
Rapunzel scene except I don’t want some big
burly dude climing up my hair. That seems
rather painful and by the time
he made it to the top, I’d have a headache and he’d say,
“Are you serious? That’s so cliche. And you’re a writer. tsk tsk.”
And we’d get in an argument about, well, you know. Also,
this man would have to be my husband or we have another
set of issues and this is a fairytale not women’s fiction. 
Point is. I want to look out of this
window.

 

I’d like to sleep in this bed, as long as someone hasn’t
you know…died in it and the sheets are clean. I see a whole
Rumplestiltskin thing happenin with that spindle in the corner.
Are those like big riding boots beside it? They’re as tall as the bed!
And they’re facing the bed like an invisible dude is standing over it.
I just changed my mind. X the bed.

 

And I want to stand on these moors, or is it this moor…? Whichever and I want to see HeathCliff through the fog and I want him to look right at me and say, “If you ever looked at me once with what I know is in you, I would be your slave.” And I would take him up on it because that means someone else toting my luggage through the airport. And who doesn’t love Wuthering Heights? Or maybe I stand at the edge and think about jumping which plants me right into New Moon. HeathCliff or Edward Cullen? Well technically not Cullen because he’s off trying to kill himself in Italy–which is also on my list of places to travel. It’d be Jacob. I’m going with Wuthering Heights. Yeah, I know it’s not set in Ireland. This is my imagination!

 
So there you have it. What I wish I was doing on my birthday. And I had so much fun with this that I may do a Where in the World is JR Patch? on Fridays. Maybe you’ll have to guess or maybe I’ll tell you. Maybe I’ll actually work in some facts about the locations. Guess, I need to work out the details. But it sounds like fun and if not fun, blog fodder at the very least. 
 
 
Where is one place you’d like to visit and why? 
 
 

Keep it Humble Part 4: I Like to Move it!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 
How
did your last week’s challenge/life application go? Did you give honor to those
in high rank i.e. every believer? Was it difficult? I’d love for you to share
about that in the comments or email me privately.
 
This
week, we’re moving on. With two challenges under our belt, it’s time to step it
up. Literally. But if you’d like to catch up:
 
Keep it Humble Part 3
 
Let’s
look at Romans 12:11 “…not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit,
serving the Lord;” NKJV
 
The
verse before that is about showing genuine affection to our brothers and
sisters in Christ.
 
I
want to look at this verse in the KJV because I like the wording. Here it is:
“Not
slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;”
 
How
does this apply to us in the context of humility, in keeping it classy i.e.
humble?
 
Let’s
break down the words in the Greek and then put them together for richer meaning
and application:
 
Look
at the Greek word for slothful. Oknēros. It means, sluggish,
slothful, backward. Oknēros comes from the root word: okneō to
delay, hesitate
 
The
Bible has several things to say about being sluggish and slothful. Let’s peek
at just a few scriptures.
 
“And
they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land,
and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful
to go, and to enter to possess the land.” Judges 18:9
 
This
verse comes right off the end of the twelve spies getting a good look at the
land God promised to them. Promised Land. It was a place that flowed with
abundance and it was a gift God wanted them to have. They had work to do to get
it. They had to partner with God. Trust Him to go before and fight their
battles, but they were going to have to do a little sword raising themselves. We too have to raise our swords–the Word of God–to fight, but Jesus Christ has
gone before us!
 
Only
two out of the twelve wanted to go in. Joshua and Caleb. “Let us not
hesitate! Let us not delay! Let us not move backward, but go in and take what
rightfully belongs to us.”
 
You
and I have “land” to possess. Dreams to fulfill. Promises given to us
by God. Family members who need saved, reconciliation, freedom from sin,
weakness and addictions. Don’t delay. Don’t hesitate! Go in. Raise your
“sword” and possess what God has already given. ALREADY.
 
But
what does that word business mean? In the KJV, the word is diligence.
Not lagging in diligence.
 
 That word (business/diligence) in the Greek is
spoudē and it means earnestness in accomplishing, promoting, or
striving after anything; to give all diligence, interest one’s self most
earnestly
 
It
comes from the root word speudō which is probably strengthened by this
Greek word: pous, pronounced pooce, meaning a foot, both of men or
beast; often in the orient, one put his foot on vanquished; of disciples
listening to their teacher’s instruction are said to be at his feet
 
The
minute I read this phonetically and read the definition, I made a connection.
Have you?
 
In
essence, Stop pussy-footing around!

 
Donna Pyle, I think this is your cat! For real. 
 
 The definition of pussyfoot is “to
refrain from committing oneself; to avoid making a definite decision or stating
a definite opinion because of fear, doubt, etc.
 
Isn’t
that exactly what the Israelites did? Pussyfooted around and never got to see
their Promised Land, never had the chance to live out the God-given promise.
Fear. Doubt. Uh, yeah, giants lived in the land. But God is much bigger than a
giant. And He had already promised them. He is faithful to keep His word.
 
How
often have you missed out on God’s promises and blessing because of
pussyfooting around?
 
Let’s
look at one more example of being slothful/sluggish and then we’ll connect it
to staying humble, if you haven’t already.
 
“By
much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of
the hands the house droppeth through.” Ecclesiastes 10:18 KJV
 
Here
it is in an easier translation:
“Because
of laziness the building decays, and through idleness of hands
the house leaks.” NKJV
 
 Obviously if you don’t keep maintenance on
your home, it’s going to leak and decay.
 
But
what about your spiritual home? “Or do you not know that your body is the
temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not
your own?” NKJV 1 Corinthians 6:19
 
 
What
happens when you become slothful with that? Same thing. Prepare to decay and
leak if you aren’t caring daily for your home. Feed it. Part of maintaining a
healthy functioning home is renewing daily in the Word. We learn to imitate
Christ through His Word. We learn humility through knowing Him.
 
But
let’s go one step further and finish out Romans 12:11.
 
“…fervent
in spirit, serving the LORD.”
 
We’re
back to loving with zeal what is good. Remember the first part of this passage,
“abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.” Fervent means to
love with zeal what is good and serving the LORD, it means in a good sense, to
yield obedience; to be a slave, serve, do service; devoted to another to the
disregard of one’s own interests
 
When
we, as His disciples, sit at His feet (studying His Word), bank on Him asking
us to serve. Sometimes, it may seem like too much. Too hard. Too exhausting.
Too big. Giant-sized. We may entertain the idea of pussyfooting around, thanks
to fear and doubt and etc.
 
But
we are commanded to not be lazy, hesitant or to delay. We are to serve with
fervor–with zeal and love for what is good (and what God asks of us is always
good) and we are to serve the LORD in this manner. To yield to obedience,
devoted to Him and not our own interests. To think of others first.
 
And
this, my friends, will humble us. The fact that God wants us to fulfill our
destinies–that He’s even mapped out a wonderful destiny for each of us alone
should drop us to our knees in humility–He wants us to do incredible things
for others. It’s humbling.
 
 Love without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil and
cling to what is good. Give honor to those who have been bought with a price
and see them through the blood of Christ. And stop pussyfooting around, raise
your sword, slay giants. Don’t hesitate.
 
Move
it! Move it!
 
“Look,
the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the
Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be
discouraged.’” Deuteronomy 1:21
 
“And
the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not
leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8
 
Life Application: This week I challenge you to find ways to serve in your local body, to serve another believer in Christ. And I challenge you to spend time daily in your Word, in order to maintain your spiritual home. If God has been nudging you to obey in a certain area…move it! This week! Today!
 
Prayer: God, we love you. We thank you for gracing us daily with the opportunity to sit merciful at your feet to learn, to be filled with Holy Spirit as we search your treasure trove of scriptures and as he guides us into all truth. It is a privelege to daily serve you. Give us the strength, help us to cast off all fear and doubt–to settle into the peace of knowing that you go before us. You are faithful to accomplish everything that concerns us. You never leave us or forsake us. We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. May our hands never be idle, never lazy. But alert. Full of zeal, passion, and gratitude. And may we be humbled as we serve you wholly. In Jesus’ name, amen! 
 
Why
do you think serving others promotes humility?

PS I’m over at the amazing Married…with fiction blog today talking about my critiquing services and common mistakes I see. Come on over and say hi! And if you need someone to partner with you, see my critiquing/editing page!

 

Working Hard for the…

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

You immediately thought money, didn’t you? You know you did. 

Working hard for…the Lord! 

On Wednesday, we’ll unpack this verse using the KJV translation. Here it is for you to meditate on or post to your Pinterest board:

“…not slothful in business, fervent in spirit; serving the Lord…”

I’ve kept it short you so you can have a couple minutes to worship before moving on to your next blog post! I love this song by Kari Jobe. I love the lyrics even more.

Do you ever find yourself lagging in serving the Lord? Why do you think we lose our zeal? How do you think we can rekindle the fiery passion that used to burn?  The video below hints at our lesson on Wednesday and how to serve with zeal, not lagging. 



Faith Readers Group Review: My Stubborn Heart

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

How can you go wrong with a great romance novel, caramel apple spice cake and coffee? Exactly. You can’t. 

We kicked off the evening with prayer and dug into Becky Wade’s discussion questions. Some peeps might think romance is hokey and fluff, but I think this book led us to some of our more meatier discussions.

Topics like losing loved ones whether through illness, sudden tragedy and even suicide. We talked about how the hero in this book differed in the way he handled his wife’s death than the hero in the last book we read. 

We discussed our experiences of God telling us “no” to something we desperately wanted and what happened during the season of our life after than tough two-letter word.

We laughed and we choked up.

Out of 5 stars, My Stubborn Heart came in at 4.5! Here are few comments made about the story:

“I don’t normally like romance, but this heroine was funny in a quirky way, so I liked it.”

“I really like the older couple and their antics.”

“I don’t know the heroine thought there’s someone for everyone. I don’t believe that’s true.”

“I got so angry when the story didn’t go the way I thought it should. She finished well, but I liked how not only could the characters not see what God was doing, we couldn’t see what He i.e. the author was doing and I felt that frustration.”

(Jess here–there’s a lesson in that above statement. I don’t know if Becky Wade intentionally meant for that spiritual meaning to weave through the storyline, but God did.)

“I really liked the hero, he wasn’t the stereotypical jock.”

In response to that statement it was said: “Well anyone who will quit their career when it’s at its peak, doesn’t have an ego problem.”

Here’s a peek at My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade:

Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating
relationships, and in need of an adventure. When Kate’s grandmother asks
Kate to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house
she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance.

Yet, she discovers a different kind of project upon meeting
the man hired to renovate the house.  Matt Jarreau is attractive and
clearly wounded — hiding from people, from God, and from his past.  Kate
can’t help but set her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark and back
into the light… whether he likes it or not.
During her childhood in California, Becky frequently
produced homemade plays starring her sisters, friends, and cousins. These plays
almost always featured a heroine, a prince, and a love story with a happy
ending. She’s been a fan of all things romantic ever since.
Becky and her husband lived overseas in the Caribbean and
Australia before settling in Dallas, Texas. It was during her years abroad that
Becky’s passion for reading turned into a passion for writing. She published
three historical romances with Avon Books, then put her career on hold for
several years to care for her kids, then recently returned to writing sheerly
for the love of it. She felt led to move to the genre of contemporary Christian
romance and couldn’t be more thrilled with it.
These days Becky can be found failing but trying to keep up
with her housework, sweating at the gym, carting her kids around town, playing
tennis, hunched over her computer, eating chocolate, or collapsed on the sofa
watching TV with her husband.
Do you read romance novels (inspirational or otherwise)? 
Why or why not?