Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Heart - break

Life is crazy! Between taking care of 4 insane little children, doing schoolwork, and church ministry, I'm tired. It's not just the busyness, but all of it takes a lot out of me mentally and emotionally as well. When you are so busy, it seems like taking time to read your Bible is just one more thing on the to-do list. However, when I open up God's Word I find calm and peace, a sense of relaxation. The phrase "rest in the Lord" is real. When we give our time to God, He gives us rest. How? because we are reminded that He is really the one that does all the work. I don't have to rely on my abilities or strengths or how smart I am to make it through this life. All I have to rely on is God. I can give my heart a break by filling myself with the promises of God and renewing my Spirit each day. No matter how busy you are, make time to rest in God Word's and put your life back in perspective. 

Monday, June 22, 2009

What's your "-ology"?

There are so many belief systems and areas of study to choose from - mythology, scientology, you can even throw in there psychology, sociology, areas of science (most happen to end in -ology), and the list goes on and on. Society not only encourages us to accept all this "diversity" but also encourages and promotes us believing in it. So what is the problem with that? Why shouldn't Christians be accepting of diverse beliefs? All of these "-ologies" that I listed have one thing in common, they are all man-centered. They are based on the ideas and beliefs of men. They can be  called manology or humanology if you prefer. As Christians, it is vital that we have a firm foundation in our theology. Why? Because it is the only "-ology" that is not centered on man, but is centered on God! In fact "theo" means God. Theology is the study of God. Should this not be our main focus of study and belief? We pour so much time into studying the different "-ologies" that man has created, yet we are lacking in the area of study that matters the most. It is the most important, because it affects ALL other areas of our lives! Yes, it is good to read your Bible and you should do so daily, but did you know that you can study your Bible? It is not enough to just read through and hope we are getting something out of it. We need to have understanding of what the Bible is really saying and in order to that we need to spend time searching through Scripture studying background and context. You know what the best part is, you don't HAVE to go to school to do it! You can go to a school that will teach you how to study Scripture, but it's not required. God gave us the Holy Spirit for a reason, to help us to study His Word so that we may understand. Don't be lazy when it comes to learning about God, because He is the source of all knowledge! What better place to obtain wisdom than from the very source?