I like Big Buts

June 6, 2011 in Daily Devotionals with 12 Comments

I just started reading Acts of the Apostles in my One Year Bible. Because I’m used to reading pretty quickly (I’m a writer, I do that), I’ve been challenged lately by my boyfriend Marc to take one book at a time. Although we are currently studying Exodus (more about that book on Wednesday), I wanted to share a few highlights of what I got from slower reading.

I LIKE BIG BUTS AND I CANNOT LIE

Acts 1:5-8, NLT:

“John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

That’s a big but. Normally I gloss over verses 5, 6, and 7 to get to the good part. Verse 8. I don’t even read the but part. I skip over that too.

YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER.

But why are we receiving power, I ask myself? Why do we need the Holy Spirit.

It’s like this. Say a child asks to go to Disneyland. You tell your child, “well we can’t afford it, but instead you can watch The Little Mermaid before daddy gets home.” Or something silly like that. Really, you’re giving the child the second option because that’s the only option they’re going to get. The butt-end or later part isn’t as good as the first.

HELLO?

The Holy Spirit is a pretty kick butt part of the deal if you ask me. I need the Holy Spirit daily. You need the Holy Spirit. It’s like what Jesus told Thomas, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me” (John 20:29, NLT).

Am I connecting with you here?

Wow.

I feel like I’m on to something new.

So this second part. The but. Comes after a loaded, but very powerful question. The disciples were asking Jesus the million dollar question. WHEN HAS THE TIME COME TO FREE ISRAEL AND RESTORE OUR KINGDOM? The earthly kingdom was never going to be restored. At least not in their lifetime, or the next, or the next-next-next-next-next-next-next. You get the picture. And yet.

Excuse me, but…

The Holy Spirit was enough. This alone should be enough to face the difficulties of this life. The unanswered questions. Your haunted, but not so distant past. Your scared future, and your unplanned present.

Take it from the Hall of Fame-ers in Hebrews 11:35b-38, NLT.

But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.

Excuse me, but don’t you mean but? Well, it’s pretty much the same conclusion.

God knows and has something far better in mind for us, and without this trial (fill in the blank or many) you won’t reach it. Whatever question you are striving for today, don’t be afraid of the pause. The but. Jesus knows and already gave you the Holy Spirit. So use His power. Use it wisely. And know that Jesus knows you’re still praying about that answer. Whether it happens in this life time or in your great-great-great-great-great-great-grand son or daugther’s lifetime…God. Is. Still. Faithful.

10 Tips to Renew YOUR Devotional Life

May 30, 2011 in Daily Devotionals with 7 Comments

1. BE A FOLLOWER. Disciple simply means follower. It’s not a spiritual term.

QUESTION: You follow people on Twitter and Facebook, so why not be mindful to follow God FIRST?

BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33, NIV).

2. DISCIPLINE TAKES TIME. Over the years I’ve discovered what works for me. Daily eVerses + Yearly devotionals + One Year Bible + journal/pen = a VERY happy Renee.

QUESTION: What have you found works best for you?

BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27, NLT).

3. IF YOU’RE BORED, GOD’S BORED. My friend Monique told me this phrase, and it’s always stuck with me. If you’re in the middle of reading your daily this & daily don’t be afraid to get creative. Try a new Bible translation, time of the day, or devotional book.

QUESTION: In the past what have you found most helpful in getting creative with changing up your devotional life with God?

BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts” (Exodus 31:1-3, NLT).

4. DON’T DO IT ALONE. We need community. We need people. We need help. See if one of your friends or family can keep you accountable to spend your time daily with God. If you don’t tell others, they won’t know to ask.

QUESTION: Write down the names of one or two people who help keep you accountable for reading the Word daily. If you can’t think of anyone, write down the name(s) of people who you will ask this week:

1. ______________________________________

2. ______________________________________

BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25, NLT).

5. ASK FOR HELP. Don’t be afraid to lean on your accountability partner for help. When trials come (and they will), God tangibly offers His support in the form of those who are made in His image (your friends and family).

QUESTION: Are you afraid to ask others for help?

BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: “Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening” (Acts 16:25, NLT).

6. KEEP WATCHING! Even when we’re asking others for support and encouragement—ultimately we need to take responsibility to stand watch and keep watching for the Lord to speak to us.

QUESTION: Where do you go to watch for the Lord? Write down at least three places including your room, the outdoors, private gardens, etc.

1. ______________________________________

2. ______________________________________

3. ______________________________________

BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: “I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint” (Habakkuk 2:1-2, NLT).

7. USE YOUR SENSES. I don’t know about you, but I love the taste of food. I like how it fills me up, tastes good, and gives me energy. The Bible is like that too. We taste and see that God is good by spending time daily in the Word, through prayer, and meeting with others.

QUESTION: How do you use your senses to connect with Jesus daily?

Sight – ________________________________________

Hearing – ______________________________________
Touch – _______________________________________

Smell – _______________________________________
Taste – _______________________________________

BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: “The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Jesus replied, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty’” (John 6:33, 35, NLT).

8. FIND YOUR PROMISE. It took me eleven months and twenty-six days to find my promise of healing from God. He told me specifically “In kindness He called me to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after I have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen me, and He will place me on a firm foundation” (1 Peter 5:10, NLT-emphasis mine).

QUESTION: What kind of promise from the Lord are you desperately searching for or have you already found one?

YOUR BIBLICAL EXAMPLE HERE: ___________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

9. MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE. If you can quote your favorite movie, you can memorize Scripture. Just sayin’.

QUESTION: When was the last time you memorized a favorite passage of Scripture?

BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do” (Joshua 1:8, NLT).

10. LIVING FOR ETERNITY. God has given us every spiritual gift we need for living a godly life (2 Peter 1:3, NLT). Don’t let Judgment day catch you by surprise. Live each day with for eternity. Add goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, affection, and love to your faith daily.

QUESTION: What attribute do you find most difficult and/or easy to live out loud?

BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13, NLT).

NEXT STEPS:

Purchase a copy of “Faithbook of Jesus: Connecting With Jesus Daily” on Amazon and subscribe to Daily Devotionals on Air 1.com and New Living Translation Daily Devotionals.

I need your help!

May 26, 2011 in Dating & Relationships with 0 Comments

God has been teaching me a lot about relationships lately. Not just because I finished writing and editing a relationships book for Harvest House, but also God’s gift that is Marc. Recently I wrote about change and how I moved back from San Diego. I am still processing all the things God has in store, but mostly I’ve learned to just have faith.

Last time I transitioned I took it personal and it drove me mad. I couldn’t see God’s hand at work, and I felt pretty embarrassed when He showed up STRONG on my behalf by selling out all 5,000 copies of Faithbook of Jesus.

This time?

Faith.

I have no idea when I might go to seminary. No idea how many more books I’ll write. All I know is my faith, hope, and love is found in Jesus Christ. But, enough about the preaching! :-P

HERE’S HOW I NEED YOUR HELP

I need to ask 20 more questions (yes they’re also loaded) on why relationships matter for the single person. Not just the dating kind. Could you help me think of questions to address. I’m looking for YOUR input on 20 different questions I should be addressing.

+Are there any questions relating to dating I should be asking?

+Any questions about relationships you’re clueless about?

+Any part of your story that you think would be helpful to my research!

Thanks again and sorry for the confusion!

Please send all your questions, stories, comments, of verses of comfort to renee@devotionaldiva.com.

Book Giveaway: Craving Grace

May 26, 2011 in On Writing with 9 Comments

[My review of Craving Grace by Lisa Velthouse] – It’s been a while since marked up a book like Plan B by Pete Wilson. There were many reasons why I connected with the author of Craving Grace, and here are just a few:

“Hi, I’m Lisa. I’m not eating these here sweets because I can’t stop being mad at God.” – Page 213

I love Lisa’s sheer honesty and the fact she was willing to do something about it. Called “The Honey Project”, she fasted from artificial sweets for six months and wrote about it!

“What I know now–what I didn’t know then–is that faith is not about my trying to close the distance between God and me by becoming better than I am, by trying to make the grade, or by working to please. It is not at all what I always thought it was–at least it doesn’t begin there. Faith begins in a nest full of weak and hungry failures, unable to fly for even a moment on our own, needing the constant shelter and warmth of a strong, soft wing. ‘He will cover you with his feathers,’ says one of the psalms. This is what God taught me during six months without sweets. He taught me how to fall, how to accept that I fail and need him totally. He taught me that faith is about grace, and grace is this God who is brooding.” – Page 28

Sometimes it takes giving up something to realize how empty life was in the first place. I love her brokenness and humility to admit her weaknesses. The day I read this in Craving Grace I had just read the same verse from Psalm 91 and it broke me. I wish all 20-somethings (okay everyone) could learn how to fall and fail.

“This is what I thought about: Since as far back as I could remember, a spiritual life had been central and meaningful to me. My entire history–friends, education, choices, behaviors, goals–had been an attempt to bring my life in line with what God had asked of me. The things I did were the things a Christian girl was supposed to do; the things I avoided were the things all the staunchest church ladies said you were wise to avoid…Yet in the midst of it, God seemed far off–miles away–and unfeeling. The heat that had once filled my relationship with him was escaping, like somebody had left a door open somewhere and it was getting drafty in here.” – Page 58-59

One of the reasons why I love Lisa is our similar upbringing. I was raised in a Conservative Baptist/Missionary household and everything I’ve done is for the same reasons. To do as I was told. To please my father. To please God. Yet sometimes in my wanderings I realize how impossible it really is and how desperately I need God’s grace.

“But I tend to look at myself and think, Good too. Good at following God more than most other folks. Good at holding my tongue for the most part. Good at being an example, especially when there’s a stage to stand on. Good at celibacy and virginity. Good at not needing forgiveness most days. Good at making up for my flaws and foibles…It says faith is something to be good at, a reason to excel. But the marrow of faith is not human achievement or moral behavior. It is not a status to be earned, and it is not a resume to be built. At the root of a life transformed by Christ, there is one this: my needing him absolutely, and knowing that I do.” – Page 184-185

When I left my job at Outreach Events, I realized the same thing. My achievements, moral behavior, status, and resume didn’t matter. Okay well maybe a little, but the ROOT? Man being exposed sucks. Now I’m starting to sound like a mad person. Oh wait. “Hi, my name is Renee and I’m mad at God…”

“For someone who is trying to hang her hat on good, grace feels almost humiliating at first” – Page 186

Yep. Sucks.

“Peter had learned he could no longer expect to perform flawlessly. He had seen agape in action, and he had also seen the total failure in himself. Peter understood his capacity and his limitations; he knew when he couldn’t offer more. He could never love like his rabbi did.” – Page 186

I felt this was the most significant portion from Craving Grace. The heart. Meat. And guts. When we are broken beyond what we can bear (or think we can), the sweetness of grace comes in and allows us to crave what’s real. His perfect love. But the most amazing thing ever–Jesus knows this–and asks us to follow Him anyway.

==

I couldn’t give a more hearty recommendation for a book filled with love, life, grace, faith, and stories of wonder. Not to mention the fact that Lisa is a freaking amazing author. Seriously. The words she uses puts me to shame. I can’t wait to meet her and happy to inform everyone that we’re going to be neighbors starting next week so expect a funny You Tube video (she doesn’t know this yet) or two! Ha!

Thanks to the amazing and fine folks at Tyndale, I am giving away THREE copies of Lisa Velthouse’s book, “Craving Grace.” Enter to win a copy by putting a comment on Twitter, Facebook, or on the blog! I’ll announce the winners by the end of the day.

*You can read Lisa’s review of Faithbook of Jesus today and enter to win one of three copies on her blog.

Affirming Our Worth

May 23, 2011 in Daily Devotionals with 2 Comments

[To Find Freedom in Christ] – “Understanding your identity in Christ is absolutely essential to your success at living the victorious Christian life! The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your true identity!” (From “Victory Over the Darkness” by Dr. Neil Anderson)

Every one to us need to be reaffirmed of our worth in Christ. This isn’t about positive self-talk or even new age mumbo jumbo. This is about taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5), not having a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and self-discipline (2 Tim. 1:7) because there is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear (1 Jn. 4:18).

Be encouraged today of your worth in Christ.

“Who am I?”

I am accepted…
John 1:12 – I am God’s child.
John 15:15 – I am Christ’s friend.
Rom. 5:1 – I have been justified.
1 Cor. 6:17 – I am unified with the Lord, and I am one spirit with Him.
1 Cor. 6:19, 20 – I have been bought with a price. I belong to God.
1 Cor. 12:27 – I am a member of Christ’s body.
Eph. 1:1 – I am a saint.
Eph. 1:5 – I have been adopted as God’s child.
Eph. 2:18 – I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit.
Col. 1:14 – I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.
Col. 2:10 – I am complete in Christ.

I am secure…
Rom. 8:1, 2 – I am free forever from condemnation.
Rom. 8:28 – I am assured that all things work together for good.
Rom. 8:31f – I am free from any condemning charges against me.
Rom. 8:35f – I cannot be separated from the love of God.
2 Cor. 1:21, 22 – I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God.
Col. 3:3 – I am hidden with Christ in God.
Phil. 1:6 – I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me will be perfected.
Phil. 3:20 – I am a citizen of heaven.
2 Tim. 1:7 – I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind.
Heb. 4:16 – I can find grace and mercy in time of need.
1 John 5:18 – I am born of God, and the evil one cannot touch me.

I am significant…
Matt. 5:13, 14 – I am the salt and light of the earth.
John 15:1, 5 – I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life.
John 15:16 – I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.
Acts 1:8 – I am a personal witness of Christ’s.
1 Cor. 3:16 – I am God’s temple.
2 Cor. 5:17f – I am a minister of reconciliation for God.
2 Cor. 6:1 – I am God’s co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9).
Eph. 2:6 – I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm.
Eph. 2:10 – I am God’s workmanship.
Eph. 3:12 – I may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Phil. 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

(From “Living Free in Christ” by Dr. Neil Anderson)

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