Ribs, Anyone?

Genesis is often called "the book of firsts," so it makes sense for us to turn to Genesis to see what God had in mind when he invented marriage. In doing so, we're in good company; the Genesis account is quoted by both Jesus and the apostle Paul as the foundation for an understanding of Christian marriage.

In Genesis chapters 1 and 2 we read the account of Creation. God created all matter, light, and life and declared that everything he made was "very good." Then God made man in his own image, and we discover the first "not good" in Scripture: "The LORD God said, 'It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him'" (Genesis 2:18).

Commenting on this passage, Scott Stanley, in his book A Lasting Promise, makes a very interesting point. He notes that this "not good" in God's eyes "came before sin and even prior to the relationship of Adam and Eve." Says Stanley, "There was no sin, no fall, and there were no con­sequences of these. Still, it was not good for man to be alone. Why? Simply because God created us for relationships—with him, in marriage, and with others."

The Bible tells us that God paraded all the beasts and the birds before Adam to see what he would name them. But Adam was not impressed. Genesis 2:20 strikes me as funny: "So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found." Perhaps lonely Adam blushed at that point and said, "No thanks, that's not what I had in mind!"

I can imagine Adam chatting with God about his situation. "It's not that I'm ungrateful or have anything against animals," he says. "I just need someone who is like me but different. Someone who is sexy, sweet, submissive, and sensitive to all my needs. Someone who is beautiful but not bossy."
"You know, Adam," God responds, "something like that will cost you an arm and a leg."
To which Adam replies, "What could I get for a rib?"

Well, maybe that conversation never took place. But Doctor God did put Adam to sleep, took out one of his ribs, and closed him back up. Then God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of man and presented her to Adam. And in Eve—not anywhere else in creation—Adam found the fulfillment of his unmet needs.

Since God made Adam from the dust of the earth, it might seem logical that Eve would have: been made from dust too. But God had a better plan. By deciding to create Eve out of Adam's rib, he demonstrated two critical things: First, the woman is to walk beside the man, not in back of him or in front of him. This means that on the first day of marriage for the first couple, God debunked male chauvinism and liberal feminism in one swoop. These should be non-issues for Christians in covenant.

Second, by making Eve from Adam, God emphasized the closeness of the special relationship between husband and wife. Man completes woman and woman completes man. As Benjamin Franklin once said, "It is the man and woman united that makes the complete human being.. .together they are more likely to succeed in the world." The two are part of each other and belong to each other in an intimate companionship that is infinitely closer than all other relationships. I like the poetic description Robin Williams’ character gives in the movie Patch Adams: "So close that when your hand is on my chest, it is my hand. So close that when you close your eyes, I fall asleep."

As an old rabbi once said, "God chose a rib from Adam's side, not a bone from Adam's head that she would be over him, or a bone from his foot that she would be under him, but from his side that she would be next to him, from under his arm that he might protect her, and from next to his heart that he might love her." Pastor and author David Jeremiah sums it up this way: "The man is restless while he misses the rib that was taken out of his side. The woman is restless until she gets under man's arm from where she was taken. It is humbling to the woman to know that she was created for the man, but it is to her glory to know that she alone can com­plete him. Likewise it is humbling to the man to know that he is incom­plete without the woman, but it is to his glory to know that the woman was created for him."

Clearly, the Genesis account shows us that marriage, as designed by God, is a covenant of companionship in which two people become linked in body, soul, and mind. They become, as Genesis 2:24 says, "one flesh." They complete each other and give themselves to each other in a compan­ionship that fills the void in their lives and provides for ultimate happiness and fulfillment. It is the ultimate friendship.

Overcoming Failure

"Can He still feel the nails everytime I fail?"

What an interesting question. Does our failure drive the nails further in his hands? Does He turn away everytime we turn away from Him? Does He give up on us when its obvious we have given up on him?
Failure is the "state or condition of not meeting a desirable objective or task".

Peter found himself on a fishing boat in the Galilean sea, "But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary" (matt. 14:24). Galilee was a small and moody lake, 13 miles at its longest and 7 1/2 miles at its widest creating a vulenerability to the winds. Winter months being such storms every two weeks or so, churning the waters for two to three days at a time.
Peter and his fellow storm riders knew they were in trouble. Rain fell from the night sky in buckets, while lightining lit up the sky like fireworks on the 4th of July. They were left "in the middle of the sea, tossed by waves." Perhaps all we need to do is subsititute a couple of nouns to describe our own life:

In the middle of divorce, tossed by guilt
In the middle of debt, tossed about by creditors
In the middle of a recession, tossed about by stimulus packages and bailouts.

They spotted something coming out of the water. "'A ghost!' they said, crying out in terror" (v. 26). They had no idea Jesus would come to them this way. Neither do we. We expect to come in peace, in hymns, on Easter Sundays or quiet retreats. But it is in storms that he does his finest work, for it is in storms the he has our keenest attention. "Don't be afraid', he said. 'Take courage for I am here'" (v.27).

We cannot go where God is not. Love over your shoulder; that's God following you. Look into the storm; that's Christ coming toward you. Often time in our weakest moments we lose our focus, there fore leading to our failures in life.

Peter then challenges Jesus. "Lord, if it is you, commmand me to come to You on the water.' So he said, 'Come'. and when Petere had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus" (Matt. 14:28-29). What would happen next is where we often find the origin for people who use the phrases "keep your eyes on the prize", "keep your eyes on Jesus", etc.

For a few historic steps, Peter did what was thought to be impossible. He defied gravity; "he walked on the water to go to Jesus." "But when he (peter) saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, 'Lord, save me!'" Peter shifted his attention from Jesus and towards the storm, and when he did, he sank like a brick in a pond. "Give the storm waters more attention than the Storm Walker, and get ready to do the same."

Whether or not storms come, we cannot chose. But where we stare during the storm, that we can. It's like when you walk into a doctor's office and notices all his degrees, it is then we realize that we are in good hands. His call to courage is not a call to ignorance. We aren't to be oblivious to overwhelming challenges that life brings. We're to counterbalance them with long looks at God's accomplishments. "We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift awy from it" (Heb. 2:1). Do what it takes to keep your gaze on Jesus.

Ponder the testimonies of faithful Christians. Memorize scripture. Make a decision to set your hope on Him. Courage is ALWAYS a possibility.
C.S. Lewis once wrote:

"Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted,
in spite of your changing moods. For moods will change,
whatever view your reason takes. I know that by experience.
Now that I am a Christian I do have moods in which the whole thing looks
very improbable: but when I was an atheist I had moods in which
Christianity looked terribly probable. That is why Faith is such a necessary
virtue: unless you teach your moods "where they get off," you can never be
either a sound Christian or even a sound atheist, but just a creature dithering
to and for, with its beliefs really dependent on the weather and the state of its digestion"

Feed your fears, and your faith will starve.
Feed your Faith and your fears will.

Futhermore if you take your eyes off of the one who can truly help us be successful, we will sink just as Peter did. Cry out to Jesus, Abba Father, and he will lead you in the ways in which you should go.

God has hung his diplomas in the universe. Rainbows, sunsets, horizons, and star filled skies. His accomplishments are found in scriptures. His lesson is clear. He is the commander and pilot in every storm. Are you scared in yours? Stare at Him! Your Pilot has a call sign: I am here!

No Faith = Failure
Faith= Overcoming Challenges and Failure

Be Like Little Children.. Imitate

Children are a joy to be around, most days. They have a keen sense of imagination and humor. Children also can pick up on the vibes you are giving off that day. It is funny how if I show up for work not in the best of moods that sometimes the children try to cheer me up, or they get in moods that are uncharacteristic of their typical behavior. Mostly I have learned when working with children is that I have to watch everything I do. I have to choose my words wisely, choose my actions and motives carefully, and how I have to treat others as I would want the children to treat their peers. At times I find myself holding my tongue, or choosing to act in a different way because Children are watching. One thing I have noticed is that the children in my class want to be just like "Mr. Andrew". Sometimes it is frustrating because they mimmick my every move and my every word. However, I know that I am someone they respect, love, and look up to. So, one may ask, "Why is it so difficult to act in a way that you want your kiddos to act." Simply, I don't know. Everything I want for them, I should want for myself. I should want to treat my peers with respect, talk gently to those around, and lend a helping hand when one falls down. When I think of how children always imitate their parents, teachers, or sibilings, I think of a verse in Ephesians 5:1 that says, "Therefore be imitators of God, as dearly loved Children." Man, I use to HATE for my brother to do what I was doing. He always wanted to go with me to basketball games, football games, or wherever I may have been going. However, I thought I was too cool to drag my little brother along. On the other hand, I knew that he just wanted to be like his Big Brother and that should have made me feel proud. Yet, I left him at home on many occasions which I feel terrible about because all he wanted to do was hangout with his older brother. At the same time, we should all be like little childrn when it comes to walking in the footsteps of Jesus. We should be imitators of Christ on a daily basis. Unlike my brother, I can't just leave Jesus at home; he is always with us. He is at school, work, church, parties, sporting events... He is always there. Just as little children imitate those older than them, we should imitate Christ in our daily walk of life. In verse 2 of Ephesians 5 it says, "And walk in Love just Christ loved us and gave Himself for us." Even though I get annoyed sometimes with my kids imitating my every step, I still love them because it makes me feel good to know that they even want to be just like me. At the same time, I want to be just like Christ who loved everyone, who surrounded Himself with sinners despite all the hate that was hurled at Him. I would give my life for those kids because I love them. Christ gave His life for us, because He loved us and wants to see us with Him one day enjoying the pleasures of Heaven. If you do not gain anything from this blog, gain this one thing.... Be like little children, and imitate Christ in your daily walk because imitation is the highest form of flattery.

Prayer

Being raised in the Church of Christ, I have noticed several things that could be improved on. One is prayer. Have you ever noticed that all prayers almost are the same? "Guide, guard and direct us", that is a must in a C of C prayer. Or "ready recollection" is another. What happening to prayers coming from the heart? The ones where you are having a conversation with God, not a prepared statement that is used time and time again. Maybe it is a lack of prayer life outside of church, or maybe over the years being have heard these prayers and taken them to use as examples. I just do not think a scripted prayer is as effective as one who holds a conversation with God. Do I have any basis to rely on? No, but I do know that God asks us to "be joyful always, and pray continually" (I Thess. 5:16-17). If we have a good prayer life, it is going to come to us naturally whether we are in private, in front of the church, or wherever. "Is any of you in trouble? Let him pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise." (James 5:13). I am not going to really get into the specifics of prayer. It was just something that was on my mind. Strive to have a good prayer life, continually talk to God through prayers. He will hear, only if you speak. Speak from the heart and blessings will flow over you.

Signing off
Andrew

Face Your Giants!

It all began on a battlefield, and it all ends on a battlefield. Let me explain, we have all heard the story of David and Goliath. We have this scrawny little shepherd boy who wants to slay the giant Goliath. In the other corner stands Goliath, he is of Andre the Giant size, if you will. He towers over every little human being that stands before him. Goliath wears a scowl that would send any army running for the hills, and delievers challenges that no man can seem to face. Yet, this one little boy steps up to the plate and today David becomes a man. Who would have ever thought that David, of all people, would want to face this giant? What experience does he have slaying giants and being a giant killer? After all, he sents in fields every day playing his harp, watching over the sheep, and praying to the Lord. David has one thing that Goliath does not.

Every day we face giants. No, not of the physical kind but things that Satan throws in our path to deter us from looking to God. "He taunts you with bills you can’t pay, people you can’t please, habits you can’t break, failures you can’t forget, and a future you can’t face. But just like David, you can face your giant, even if you aren’t the strongest, the smartest, the best equipped, or the holiest." (Lucado, Facing Your Giants). No matter how we look at it, at least one thing is controlling what we do, how we do it, and how we act. Some of us try to just brush the issue to the side, but a giant will not simply be swept under a rug, and it will not just go away. We have to face it head on, look it in the face, and tell that Giant it will not rule our lives.
Back to David's story, No one was giving him a chance to defeat Goliath. He was the laughing stock of the town, because while everyone was running from Goliath, David was ready to face him head on. "When all the Israelite men saw Goliath, they retreated from him terrified" (I Samuel 17:24). David decided he would go tell King Saul that he would face this giant and save their land from any more persuction and embarrasment. While Saul laughed at him for his youthfulness, David listed his resume:

"Your servant has been tending his father's sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came

and carried off a lamb from the flock, I went after it, struck it down,

and rescued [the lamb] from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab

it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed lions and bears;

this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies

of the living God." Then David said, "The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the

lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine" (I Samuel 17:34-37).

Saul then gave David the blessing to enter into the battlefield and to fight Goliath. King Saul let David borrow his armor, however, David was not use to the armor and it was a bit too big for him. Therfore, he took his staff, went to the river, gathered 5 smooth stones, took his sling, and approached Goliath. (I Samuel 17:38-40)

Goliath began to mock David, for all he had was his youth and good looks. Goliath had strength, and a sizable advantage physically, but this is where David's advantage comes into play. "David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with a dagger, spear, and sword, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel's armies— you have defied Him."" (I Samuel 17:45).

David also delivered a promise that once Goliath was defeated, he would cut off his head and then everyone would know that the battle belongs to the Lord. David delievered on his promise as he sank one stone into the forehead of this Giant who had embarrassed and perscuted David's people for far too long.

If David can face his giants head on, why can't we? We have an advantage over every single one, just as David did. Our battles belong to the Lord, he will guide us to victory. Make the perscution stop. Instead of hearing your giant in the back of your head laughing at you, face him, defeat him, and laugh at him. Do not let the giant of failure bring up past failures, instead look to the future and learn from your mistakes. Do not be haunted by them. Giant of divorce, you will not rip through my home. It stops right here, my family will no longer suffer from your constant reminder of the pain that you brought to us. Instead, we will look ahead to the future GOD has layed before us. FACE AND DEFEAT YOUR GIANTS!
We have hope! God saw something in David that many others did not see. David stumbled more than he stood tall. He was defeated more than he was able to gain victory. David had an affair, a love child, and formed a plan to have someone killed. Yet God said David was a man after His own heart. If God can give David so many chances, he will give us the same opportunities to experience His love, if you will let Him. God will take over your battles if you allow him. Many of us have heard the voice of the giant, we know his name, we know what he looks like, and where he lives. For those of you who know the sound of a giant, David gives this reminder:

"Focus on giants—you stumble. Focus on God—your giants tumble."

(Lucado, Facing your Giants)

Let David's story inspire you to defeat the giants in your lives, and realize the battle belongs to the LORD.

Be the Change....

A song often comes on the radio. I know this is an older song, but keep reading. However, I already know that some of my readers do not like John Mayer, but just hear me out and see where I am going with this. As you may have guessed by now the song was "Waiting on the World to change." This got me thinking... Why wait on the world to change?? Why not be the change in the world that you want to see?? I am not sure that our mindset these days is that of someone who wants to change the world, but wants the world to change itself. Newsflash: If we sit back and allow the world to change.. It will change, but is it the change you want? It is the change of continued hatred, racism, violence, and other negative things. Not the change of more love, a sense of peace, or more happiness and joy. As a Christian, I feel as if it is my duty to be "The Change" in the world that I want to see.. If more of us develop this mentality we will begin to see things beginning to change. We can not just preach hope, love, and change. We have to exemplify change in ourselves before everything around us will change. We have to our show our love to others through our actions, words, and deed. We read in Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and praise your Father who is in Heaven." Last, be patient. Things will not happen in an instant, allow God to work through you and through those you minister to... I believe we can change the world one soul at a time, if we all decide to jump on board and Be the change that you want to see..