The Better part, week #4

 

This week's set of FB posts:

The Better part, day #22:

Php 4:17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.

I have been hearing a lot about gifts since that pastor said, "God wants the person before He wants the gift. " On a morning where I scolded myself for asking about a Better part verse before even saying, "Good morning, Lord!", I come across this verse. Putting the gift first is like saying, "Gimme the clanging cymbal!" After reading 1 Cor. 13. It makes the adventure just a job, and skips the part where the gift also needs to grow ME.

 

 

The Better part, Day #23:

Jer 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."

Jer 1:6 Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth."

Jer 1:7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.

Jer 1:8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD."

The part that touched my heart today: That God loves me the same today as He did the night before I was saved, and the same as He will on my deathbed. He loves me the same if I fulfill every bit of my potential in serving Him, and the same if I never make another step forward. His love is not about me; it's self-existent and self-sustaining. All part of changing this stubborn mindset from, "I need to do this", to "I WANT to do this."

 

 

The Better part, day# 24:

Isa 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.

The year that King Uzziah died wasn't very good for Israel. All the good he had done, making his nation strong, prosperous, and peaceful, was about to go down the tubes because of a sin of arrogance. And yet, as Isaiah learned, God was still on the throne. He was still in charge.

And today, He's still in charge.

 

 

The Better part, Day # 25:

Isa 28:10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little."

I have been... I don't know what exactly you would call it, lately. It seems that God has been teaching me a ton of stuff with a plan in mind, and to me, it seems like I should get it second-nature quick. But instead, my head is having a hard time taking it in. On a walk with Misty, it came to me: I'm like a guy in front of a massive pile of lumber, sheet rock, etc, holding a hammer and a hand saw, screaming, "God, why haven't I got this house built yet???" That's when Bible study paid off and I remembered this verse. Yes, He has a plan, and I need to take His time getting there.

 

 

The Better part, Day#26:

Luk 5:8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord."

Here is me and my struggle. I get so close to God, and all of the sudden, Satan's whispered fears remind me of my sinful condition. So instead of 'warning him away', like Peter did, I commit some sin seemingly to prove to both of us I'm not worthy. It's a LIE. This is what God is trying to hammer through my head, but I keep climbing back between the sin and the fear.

 

 

The Better part, day#27:

One end of the spectrum-

Isa 6:2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

Isa 6:3 And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"

Isa 6:4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.

The other end-

Psa 8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou perfected praise, because of thine enemies; that thou mightest put down the enemy and avenger.

Praise can be with the power of thunder, or with the laugh of a child. And they both shake the halls of Heaven the same.

 

The Better Part, day #28:

Mat 9:9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.

Mat 9:10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.

Mat 9:11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

Mat 9:12 But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

Mat 9:13 Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

Though I put the whole passage in for context, I have one major and one minor point to bring up from it. Major point: Matthew (Levi) immediately throws a party with his workmates to introduce them to Jesus. Jesus was more than content with Matthew's first ministry being to his own home and to his workmates.

Minor point- the Pharisees followed them there to pick nits. No matter what your ministry, there will always be trolls. Last night I scrolled past the live feed of David Jeremiah's Saturday service, and most of the live comments were focusing not on him, but on a troll who, like Judas, was complaining about "all the money he sucks in". I didn't get involved, for a very good reason: Satan sent the troll to distract from the Word, and he was winning. He didn't need my help to distract more. If you want to follow Him, don't get distracted by trolls.