Walked With God

"...Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God..." Gen. 6:8-9.
Noah is the second man said to have 'walked with God,' Enoch, Noah's great-grandfather being the first to have 'walked with God.' When I see them in heaven, I have questions for them!

Especially for Noah and what it was like to have such a building vision from the Lord. How long did it take you? What was it like working with pitch on the inside and outside of the ark? In all that time it took Noah to build the ark, did no one ever think, 'what if Noah is right?' Was there ever a doubt in man's thinking, maybe...? Noah, what was it like when God shut the door to the ark?

There was no room for wondering if this man of God was telling the truth because "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time." Gen. 6:5 For the man who walked with God, his thoughts and inclinations are toward the Lord and the vision He has given him, all the time.

What would God do through His Church in this twenty-first century that had such a clear vision of what God plans? We would see and understand, commit to the vision and never look back. No matter what the cost, it would be done because God had given the vision. We know a couple that continues to come from out of town to TRC because of the vision they see. The Holy Spirit draws them; they see and they know it's God. They take the vision back to where they came from, but the people would have to see the vision too.

Vision is a planting of the Lord. When the seed is in the heart, you know you can do whatever God has given you to do, to complete the vision. I want the vision to be so great that the world has to see and know that God is at work today in 2009. I want the world to know it's the love we feel for the lost that compels us to do whatever we have to do. This is no small thing that the Lord is doing in the community of Monroe, it's HUGE!!!

Is He telling you to walk in the Monroe Days parade for the first time? Children at TRC need you. Guest services need volunteers who will make visitors feel welcome. Be a part of the vision by attending a Reach Team, and then go on and teach one too! People with hospitality in their hearts are a welcome sight at the front door of the church. You could do that! Do you love to praise and worship the Lord? Go for an audition! If you're like me, you'd rather not do it on the platform, so praise with all your heart with us in the worship center. Maybe you would love making a favorite drink for your favorite people at the coffee bar? Has God encouraged you? Then tell of it!! Do you love to pray, then ask about being on the prayer team. You fit in the body of Christ, and He has a place for you.

We have Noah and many others who were faithful to the vision God gave. It's always a big, costly vision with eternal results. If Noah can do it in his day, so can we. Make room for God's vision in your life. Your life will be turned upside down in the best way. What is your part in the vision at TRC? God has blessed you with gifts that fit just right in the Church. Don't delay another day, don't repeat another excuse, just do what God has already promised He will help you do. Whatever that role is, you are God's builder.

BQOTD

These are the best quotes of the day from Pastor Jeff's message on Erased. I know you had your favorite quotes too, twitter or text your best ones this week and remember to give credit to who said it! Here it is:

* "The Bible reads us!"

* "The Bible is a love letter from the Father."

* "Drink and eat! It's not a buffet that we pick and choose what we want."

* "He has already spoken the direction, we don't have to ask, it's go!"

* "Honor the authority in your life."

* "Work hard, give hard."

* "Release what God has given you."

* "Set a brand new day by being a giver."

* "The Bible is a love letter to affirm us."

* "The Bible is tender and tough."

* "I want the whole counsel of God."

* " His word is your freedom, baby!"

* "The Bible keeps me from stumbling morally."

Go through your notes again, read all the scriptures and recognize anew the place the Bible has in our lives. I read the Bible, I study the Bible because I want to know the Lord. What He did, what He said, what He plans. I believe the Bible because it has the power to change us every time we spend time reading and prayerfully considering where we fit. When I read of our early mothers and fathers in the Bible, God is telling me to be of courage in this spiritual warfare we are in. When I am weak, the Bible assures me. As P. Jeff said, "this [the Bible] is rich!"

Psalms 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Thunder

Just read Psalms 18:13 and it clicked in a childhood memory for me. My brothers and I were spending the summer with Grandma and Grandpa at the farm in Rothsay, Minnesota and we were having one of those BIG thunder storms the mid-west is known for. Grandpa said, "Thunder is God's voice". Grandpa Amundson knew the Lord!!
When the thunder rolled over, it would shake the windows in the house. We were always relieved when the storm was overhead, because we knew it would be passing on to another county!

Walked With God

Wouldn't it be something to be known as a person of God who walked with Him? Those three words, "walked with God", are used to declare the kind of men that Enoch and Noah were. And only those two. Similar phrasing is used to describe others, like David, but these three words in one phrase were saved for two men in the Bible, both in the Old Testament.
The Hebrew word for walked is halak, meaning; behave continually, enter, exercise, forward, grow, lead, march, more and more, move self, be at the point, speedily, surely. The word 'halak' is from the root word, yalak. This word means to prosper, pursue and cause to run. A much deeper meaning than to be taking an occasional stroll with God, this is a constant walk with purpose. The kind that always has the goal in mind. Not just the goal, but also the love that compels us to walk with God. It's an enduring walk, the never-give-up walk.
Enoch was Noah's great-grandfather and because of his righteous walk, God "took him", that is, Enoch was translated to heaven without seeing death. The word Selah belongs here, pause and think of that! Think of the blessings to the generations because of the man Enoch. I think Enoch was fully aware in his evil time how important generations were (and are).
Enoch was a preacher and prophet to his generations. Just think, we have a record of what his prophesies were like in Jude 13-15!! There is very little else in scripture of this man, but when we know he walked with God, that's all we need in order to know what kind of man he was. Enoch's history can be found in Genesis 5:21-24.
Soon, the second part to the men who walked with God.

The Great Commission

One thing about our God, He knows how to challenge His people! With big stuff!! From the beginning laid out in the book of Genesis, it's one challenge after another. He's not a God who gives orders and then leaves us to figure it all out on our own; He gives us the blueprint in the manual, the Holy Bible.
The first big challenge He gives us when we become followers of Jesus is found in Matthew 10 and Matthew 28:16-20. GO ahead, take some time and read it all, it's very revealing.......
OK, now that you've done that, see where Jesus speaks to His disciples in Mt. 28:18-19, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven AND EARTH. Go therefore..." He pronounces victory even before we start!
As a new Christian in Alaska, the Great Commission was my big challenge. God had to help me overcome Norwegian culture to fulfill this challenge because talking openly and fully about something as personal as relationship with Jesus just wasn't done! Attend church, yes. Memorize Luther's Catecism and get confirmed, yes. Read the Bible and pray, yes. (We missed the part about the Great Commission!). The point is, when His revelation comes, we figure out we can do it. My first big challenge was my neighborhood, and in Spenard, Alaska it was all trailer court. Remember Rev. Iva Berry? She was the one who challenged me to overcome and "Go, Molly"! So, I did, one door after another, Bible in hand. It was very simple, "Hi, I'm your next door neighbor, Marlee Woods and I want to invite you to come to my church to see what Jesus is doing for people." There, I said it.
Did anyone come? NO, not one! But I kept after one especially. She never did come, but we had coffee together a few times. When the seed is given, God knows how to plant the seed and make it grow. I trust His word.
The challenge of the Great Commission is huge. It's the reason we are Christ followers. The last few days I've been praying and reading the story of God's great builder, Noah. What a beautiful word about God providing everything we need to do all He wants us to do. More study and praying to do, hope this week to publish the blog on Noah.
You can do this, I know you can. In Jesus name. He'll help you overcome all things. Even culture.

Large Love

Short and sweet. Luke 7:36-50. Pay close attention to all the details. Details are full of treasures. Woman comes to Jesus, burdened with large sin. Her heart has large repentance. She comes with her best offering. She is forgiven with the large love of the Savior.

His large love is ours.

Mentors 3

As I've thought about the blogs on mentors, it's been good to remember those people the Lord puts into our lives for His purpose. He sends those people at special times for specific reasons. I've even remembered those people from high school days who witnessed to me before I was saved. We are His ambassadors in this world, to the unsaved and to each other.
As the other two mentors, Helen Bolton was sent to our family for a purpose, and at the right time! We met Helen at the Nazarene church in Anchorage in the 6o's. She was one of those quiet people, but you knew the Lord had done a great work in her life. Helen had the qualities of the fruit of the Spirit in her life. She didn't say much, but when she did, there was a purpose. She became "auntie" to our growing family and she fit right in. She was the fun auntie who came along for the ride no matter what we were doing, whether it was helping around the house or camping with a family full of activity or quietly sitting around a campfire sharing life stories, Helen was there. One of my favorite pictures of Helen is when we were camping at Mt. McKinley, one of those cool summer Alaska days, always bring jackets when camping in Alaska!
Helen was not a complainer and if she thought she was hearing too much whining, she would let you know. We didn't know a whole lot about why she had begun attending our church, but we knew she had come from another church in town and she brought some pain with her. She was content to tell the Lord about that pain whatever it was, and we were content to love her just the way she was.
Helen was single when we knew her and she supported herself by cooking in restaurants. She really knew how to dress up caribou in the pan to hide most of the wild taste. She also had this late night indulgence when we camped called chile and cheese. Scrambled eggs, meat of your choice, onions, garlic, little bit of salsa, seasoning you feel like putting in (she did have this independent streak), diced green chilies and cheddar cheese. We still make it when we have a campfire.
One of my favorite attributes about Helen was her faithful heart. To the Lord first, to the Church, to friends. We never heard if she had any family, but I've always thought we were. When we are given loyal friends, they are a gift from the Lord. Cherish every one of them and count yourself blessed.
If these blogs have stirred something in you about mentors or mentoring, act on it soon. If you have a mentor, thank them today, if you don't have a mentor, pray and ask God for one and open your heart because He will answer your prayer.