What Do You See?

He did not pay attention.  His wife was unhappy . . . he knew that much . . . but he did not know why.  He had no idea how long it had been going on . . . he had not noticed . . . until she said she was done with their life together.  How could she be done when he really didn’t know what was wrong? 

How often do we miss what we need to see?

It is recorded in Acts 3: Peter and John were on the way to the temple to pray.  It was likely each time they went to the temple to pray, they walked by the begging man; however, they had been unaware of his presence.  But . . . they had experienced a radical shift in their life . . . when they received the Spirit of God . . . their perception changed . . . they were given eyes to see.  This time when they walked by the begging man . . . Peter and John saw him . . . and looked at him.  They saw his need for God . . . for the first time . . . and responded.

 But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, "Look at us!" Acts 3:4

 

Think about it.  Think about what is not seen in your life.  Perhaps the  miracle of seeing the begging man was as much of a miracle as the healing that the man experienced. 

 

What are we missing?

We can become so consumed with the stuff of life that we fail to recognize what really matters. 
What would happen if we ask God to give us eyes to see before we begin the day?  Would we see an individual's need for God . . . for healing . . . for something more in life?  
The Apostle Paul prayed for Christ followers to see more: I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his people, (Ephesians 1:18)

 

Stop . . . stop and  ask the Spirit of God to give you eyes to see.
Look . . . take time to see.
Listen . . . shut out the noise of the world and listen to the word of God.
Proceed with caution . . . live intentionally and purposefully . . . seeing what God wants you to see.
Respond.

Learning with you to KICK START the day . . . with eyes to see.

                                      Pastor Kerrie



 (written by Kerrie Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)
interactstudies/ ~ kpalmer@hillchurch.com ~Church on the Hill~700 N. Hill Rd.~McMinnv,lle, OR 97128~503.472.8476 ~www.hillchurch.com~Archives & Daily Subscription: go to http://kickstarttoday.blogspot.com/

A Different Kind of Day

My friend, a pastor of an inner city church, never met a stranger.  He continually invited people to participate in his church.  They were clothed and fed . . . but more than that . . .they were invited to do life together.   Some people live on the outside . . . but God invites us to something more . . . to enter into an engaged-ongoing-participating-active relationship with Him.

Luke, the author of Acts, wrote about a beggar. A man who had never walked . . . begged for his living outside of the temple . . . beside the gate where people entered to pray. 

He had never entered in: One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.  Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 
When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 
Peter looked straight at him, as did John.
Then Peter said, "Look at us!"
So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Acts 3:1-5

The beggar, who had never walked, positioned himself at the beautiful gate, where people entered into the temple.   It was an ordinary day for him.  He did the same thing he always did; however, this would be a different kind of day. It would be the kind of day that would change his life forever. 

God shifted the universe to put his plan into action..At 3 PM Peter and John were going to the temple, the time for evening prayer.  When the beggar saw them, he asked for money.  And they looked at the beggar.  Certainly, they saw more . . . the presence, power and peace of Christ.

The beggar was positioned at the gate of the temple, but did not enter in to experience the power of God.  Even so, God had something more for him. . . it was  different kind of day. 

Where are you positioned . . . outside . . . or have you entered into an engaged-ongoing-participating-active relationship with Him?  What more does God have for you?  

Choose to go beyond the gate . . . enter into a different kind of day in the presence of God . . . receive what God has for you through an authentic relationship..

Learning with you to KICK START the day . . . a different kind of day.

                                      Pastor Kerrie



 (written by Kerrie Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)
interactstudies/ ~ kpalmer@hillchurch.com ~Church on the Hill~700 N. Hill Rd.~McMinnv,lle, OR 97128~503.472.8476 ~www.hillchurch.com~Archives & Daily Subscription: go to http://kickstarttoday.blogspot.com/

Devoted

Along the way in the journey of life, I have encountered individuals who have extraordinary peace, contentment, and happiness from the inside-out . . . even in the worst of times. 
The thing is . . .  these also are the individuals who have experienced a spiritual drought . . . or something
     so challenging . . .
     so difficult . . . that nothing and nobody could help them find a portion of peace, contentment or happiness . . .
     so they turned to God and received a strength that was beyond their trial.  
What did they do?  
They learned to devote their attention to God rather than to the circumstance. 
The early church portrayed an intimate devotion to God.  Acts 2:37-47 paints the picture of a community of devoted followers to Christ.
How did they do it?  How did they stay devoted when life got tough . . . during trials . . . hardships . . . opposition . . . and even persecution?

The Apostle Paul said :

Keep alert,

stand firm in your faith,

be courageous, be strong.
Let all that you do be done in love.
(1 Corinthians 16:13, 14)

Meditate on these components of managing difficult times . . . the relentless daily decision to live devoted to God:
Keep alert: Be on the alert for things that distract and take our focus from God.

Stand firm in your faith: Keep the stance of faith regardless of difficulties, disappointments, and challenges of life.

Be courageous: Face circumstances with the firm conviction that God will never leave or forsake you . . . empowered through the Spirit.

Be strong: Respond  by surrendering the situation, worries, wants and needs to the guidance and direction of the Spirit.  Strength comes through total reliance on God.

Let all that you do be done in love: Allow the love of God to flow through you . . . even when someone is difficult to get along with . . . it is an incredible experience to love through the love of God.

Intentionally follow Christ. . . as a fully devoted follower.

Learning with you to KICK START the day . . . devoted to Christ.

                                      Pastor Kerrie

 (written by Kerrie Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)
interactstudies/ ~ kpalmer@hillchurch.com ~Church on the Hill~700 N. Hill Rd.~McMinnv,lle, OR 97128~503.472.8476 ~www.hillchurch.com~Archives & Daily Subscription: go to http://kickstarttoday.blogspot.com/

In Awe

My friend was lost . . . far away from what really mattered . . . in the darkness of night . . . alone in a jail cell.

The week before, he had visited a church and the pastor gave him a card with contact information.. 

A guard allowed him to call the pastor in the middle of the night.

The pastor came.

The talked . . . about the plan of hope and a future God had for him. The pastor invited him to accept the plan of God into his own life.

  A miracle occurred:
my friend experienced restoration
through new life in Christ.

There is a moment in time that we experience awe . . . when we understand that God is present, powerful, and at work in us. 

In the ancient days, . . . when the church began . . . all the people were in awe that God would work within one another to accomplish bringing hope and a future to humanity:  Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. Acts 2:43

Think on the phrase . . . filled with awe.  Are you filled with awe today?

The plan of God is incomprehensibly expansive.  God cares what we do with our life, creating and orchestrating the desires of our heart as an integral part of a plan of hope and a future for all of humanity.

God created human beings to have desires of the heart . . . interest and passion . . . a point of connection . . . to be aligned with His plan . . . guiding individuals through the Spirit to manage life, giving power to live beyond pressures and problems, and energy to participate in His work.

Seriously . . . why do we get so wrapped up in the details of circumstances, if, we believe God is continuously working on our behalf, putting plans of hope and a future ( see Jerremiah 29:11) into action?

Look beyond your circumstances.
Connect with God.
Enter into His plan today.
Be filled with awe.

Learning with you to KICK START the day . . . in awe.

                                      Pastor Kerrie

 (written by Kerrie Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)
interactstudies/ ~ kpalmer@hillchurch.com ~Church on the Hill~700 N. Hill Rd.~McMinnv,lle, OR 97128~503.472.8476 ~www.hillchurch.com~Archives & Daily Subscription: go to http://kickstarttoday.blogspot.com/

The Strength of Peace

One day they stopped experiencing life together.  It had become too much. 

Problems were out of control.  They were weighed down by the impossibilities. 

Christ came for all of humanity to experience peace . . . the healing power of God . . . which in the end makes us stronger . . . even when everything seems impossible.

   You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. (Acts 10:36)

The announcement of the good news of peace through Christ . . . a promise made to all of humanity. . .  is about receiving peace in the best of times . . . and . . . in the worst of times.  That said, it is a choice to receive the peace of Christ . . . an active peace that restores and changes who we are . . . with a quiet strength.

Peace does not necessarily change circumstances . . . but peace enables us to manage life . . . to  give up the burden of the impossibilities . . . and to be healed of the pressures that create chaos in every area of living.  The healing peace of Christ is not a temporary band-aide but rather makes us stronger than we were before the hardship of the impossibilities came into our life.

Stop . . . look . . . listen . . . surrender the weight of impossibilities. 

Receive the peace of Christ. . . Shalom. . . the peace of knowing His presence . . . love . . . mercy . . . understanding . . . and be strengthened.
Allow the peace of Christ to infiltrate every thought, attitude, word, and action today.
Meditate on the peace of Christ.
Saturate yourself in the peace of Christ and become strong.

Learning with you to KICK START the day . . . in the peace of Christ.

                                      Pastor Kerrie

 (written by Kerrie Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)
interactstudies/ ~ kpalmer@hillchurch.com ~Church on the Hill~700 N. Hill Rd.~McMinnv,lle, OR 97128~503.472.8476 ~www.hillchurch.com~Archives & Daily Subscription: go to http://kickstarttoday.blogspot.com/

A Strong Wind . . . Gale Force

Oregonians . . . true Oregonians . . . expect rain and wind storms.  There are occasions that high winds cause great damage, especially in the coastal region.   The high winds . . . at gale force . . .  knock out a good portion of the coast’s power, push trees over, scatter debris all over and create general chaos. 

It is unbelievable that wind in this era could create such chaos. Then again, let’s be honest . . . it doesn’t take much for daily living patterns to be thrown off. Life seems to be going well . . . one thing changes . . . chaos takes over . . . so much for schedules and order. . . nothing seems to go according to plans.

 Isn’t interesting that wind is used as imagery to describe the Spirit of God?

 When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them. (Acts 2:1-4)

The Holy Spirit came in a power so great that it was like a strong wind, gale force.  Lives were turned upside-down-inside-out.  Nothing would ever be the same.  The power  of the Spirit transformed the landscape of humanity. 

In his book, Luke included John the Baptist’s teaching about the transforming power of the Spirit of God:

But John intervened: "I'm baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He's going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned." (Luke 3:16)

Imagine sitting in the upper room.  You hear something . . . like  a strong wind . . . at gale force . . . and you receive the Spirit of God within you.  It was then  the revolution began . . . a revolution of power . . . that continues to this day.  

And . . .  the power of the Spirit enables you and I to make sense out of life . . . to understand that there is a plan . . . with empowerment to live out the plan with purpose and passion.

Learning with you to KICK START the day . . . in the power of the Spirit.

                                      Pastor Kerrie

 (written by Kerrie Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)
interactstudies/ ~ kpalmer@hillchurch.com ~Church on the Hill~700 N. Hill Rd.~McMinnv,lle, OR 97128~503.472.8476 ~www.hillchurch.com~Archives & Daily Subscription: go to http://kickstarttoday.blogspot.com/

Someone Lied

One individual accused them of doing what they did not do.  Their name was slandered; their money spent to protect themselves. They were overwhelmed and oppressed as their life came apart . . . because someone lied.

How do we manage times that are overwhelming and oppressive?  

   Study Exodus 1-14. In the ancient days, the people of God were oppressed and enslaved.  After a series of events, they were finally released from slavery.  Not long after the ex-slaves were on the road to freedom,  the oppressors chased  after them. 

The past was literally catching up with them. It was not what they planned.

And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. (Exodus 14:13)

 What does this mean for our life?

Do not be afraid: Refuse to be afraid. Consciously relax and trust God.
Stand still: Breathe. Be still  in awareness of the presence of God.
See the salvation of the Lord: Broaden your perspective. Look beyond the moment and believe God is in control.

The writer of Chronicles said it very similarly: You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem ' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you." 2 Chronicles 20:17

In other words  . . . There is a fight in life . . . but God will fight for us . . . for which we are to station ourselves as soldier would . . . stand and see the salvation of the Lord.

Learning with you to KICK START the day . . . stationed in the Lord.

                                      Pastor Kerrie

 (written by Kerrie Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)
interactstudies/ ~ kpalmer@hillchurch.com ~Church on the Hill~700 N. Hill Rd.~McMinnv,lle, OR 97128~503.472.8476 ~www.hillchurch.com~Archives & Daily Subscription: go to http://kickstarttoday.blogspot.com/