GodandMe2theMax

Spur like a cowboy...

Hebrews 10:24-25a  "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.   Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another..."

 

In my prayer time this morning, the Lord brought this verse to my mind.  It’s one I had memorized as a child, but He led me to pray this verse over my children.  As I did, I was impressed with one word --- spur.

 

Now, I may live in Texas, but I didn’t grow up here.  I’ve never had a pair of cowboy boots, not even at Halloween.  So most certainly, I’ve never had a pair of boots with spurs on them.  I was intrigued as I started to research this word and the context it's used in the verse.  www.TheFreeDictionary.com defines a spur as “a short spike or spiked wheel that attaches to the heel of a rider’s boot and is used to urge a horse forward.”    Yes, we all probably know what a spur is, especially all my Texan friends.  But in Hebrews 10, it’s not used as a noun.  It’s used as a verb.  It’s an action.  It means to urge; to incite; to stimulate; to provoke. 

 

Do you ever feel like sometimes you need a little kick in the pants to get yourself going?  I do all the time.  If my calendar is clear, the hardest part of my day sometimes is being motivated enough to just get in the shower.  I am, by nature, admitedly lazy.  But isn’t that what a spur does?  It motivates the horse to move in the direction the 'master' wants it to go.  And if we’re spurred on to move, what are we moving toward?  The verse says that we should be ‘spurred’ or ‘provoked’ to love and good deeds. 

 

Time out.  Let’s be clear.  Good deeds are a bi-product of God working in our life.  It’s only because of our faith in God and what Jesus did on the cross that we have salvation.  Our faith should produce good works.  That’s what this verse is talking about.  It’s not faith in good works, and because of my good works, I will have salvation.  That’s getting the cart before the horse!  Titus 3:8 says “and I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.  These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.”  I believe the Bible is explicitly clear.  Faith and trust in God comes first, then good works.  We have faith in Christ that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day.  We repent of our sins; He forgives us, and when we give control of our life to Him, good works are the natural bi-product.

 

Some of my friends who read this do not have a personal relationship with Christ.  They don’t understand why I’m always writing about God.  It's also very possible that some people reading this think that what I write should be kept in my ‘private life.’  But, I’m convicted this is not true.  I believe we should live our spiritual lives in public.  God doesn’t call me to be a closet Christian.  One of the purposes of this blog is to encourage others to go to the max with God.  Yes, it’s my spiritual journey…what God is teaching me, but I believe it’s an avenue to put this verse into action...to provoke and challenge others to walk this life of faith with me.

 

We all need to consider (think about; ponder) what we should do to spur one another (motivate another, cause another to move) toward love and good deeds.  We also can’t forget to fellowship with other Christians.  Let’s encourage one another!

 

So today, I don’t want spurs like a cowboy, but I do want “to spur” like a cowboy!  I want to have my faith in action so that I provoke and encourage others to do the same.  Are you with me?  Yee-haw!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Integrity...It's on my bucket list...

As I read about David this morning, a phrase jumped out at me in Psalm 78:72.  It was talking about David as he cared for his sheep and it says:  'he fed them according to the integrity of his heart.'  Integrity.  I know David had it at one time, then when he sinned with Bathsheba, he lost it.  He got tripped up by the devil, in a big way.  Yet, even with a black mark on his character, the Bible still refers to him as a 'man after God' own heart.' 

So this morning, I started to think about the word integrity.  I found some interesting definitions.  An undivided or unbroken completeness.  Steadfast adherence to a strict moral code.  The state of being unimpaired; soundness.  The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.

Probably like you, I care about what people think of me.  I admittedly am a people pleaser, but I usually will draw the line when pleasing people conflicts with what God is telling me to do.  I work hard to be consistent in my character, and integrity is something I want people to say that I have. 

But, have you ever had a time in your life where you have had to eat humble pie?  A time when everything you have worked for has come crashing down?  Earlier this year, I seemingly ruined in a split second my entire reputation with my daughter Amber's school.  (I will preface this by saying that I was on some major headache medicine, and it definitely altered my judgment, but I still had to take responsibility for my actions.) 

I confronted a teacher via email on what I thought were some inconsistencies in her grading.  Her response (from a medicated parent's point of view) was unacceptable.  Instead of guarding my reputation, praying about the next step, or just dropping ‘the battle’, what did I do?  I forwarded her email to another parent, who had the same problem with the teacher.  In it, I slammed the teacher and put some pretty negative labels on her.  By accident, that parent forwarded my email directly to the teacher with her own complaints in it, cc'ing me. 

When I opened my friend's email to the teacher and noticed what she had innocently done, can you imagine my devastation?  Not only was I confronted with my sin of being a talebearer, but I was hit in the face with the fact that my reputation was destroyed.  The damage had been done.  I couldn’t fix it.  I was broken.  I knew I had not only hurt my reputation by my actions, but more so, I knew I hurt the reputation of the One who I represent.

The principal got involved, and it was all a complete and utter mess, as Simon Cowell would say.  All I could do was admit I was wrong and ask for forgiveness.  I took responsibility for my actions, and I had to start from scratch on building my reputation again.  I could have blamed my actions on the medicine.  I could have tried to explain my irrational behavior.  But, when you blame the situation on something else, that’s not taking responsibility, and I knew that.

Integrity.  In a split second, I lost mine.  I acted in the flesh, and it all went downhill from there.  In hindsight, I know if I had been talking to God about the situation instead of my silly friend who is not well-versed in how to run e-mail programs, then I certainly would not have been in the situation I was in.

When you think of David, what’s one of the top stories that come into your mind?  Killing Goliath maybe ranks as the #1 answer if you ask a child.  But I dare say that most adults who know the life stories of David think first of his sin with Bathsheba.  In a split second, his public integrity was gone.  (Although we can reasonably argue that his integrity started to fade the moment he let the temptation of sin take root in his life!)

David buried the sin so deep and tried to cover it up in several ways.  You know, the more we try to hide our sin, the harder it is to admit it when we finally get ‘caught’?  I'm thinking "You da man!" is not what David wanted to hear from Nathan the prophet.  It took Nathan's finger pointing for David to confront his own sin.  He did finally ‘come clean.’  He prayed and asked for forgiveness.  He said “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”  Yet, the Bible still refers to David as a ‘man after God’s own heart.’  I am so thankful we have a God who forgives.  He is faithful.  All I have to do is ask  Him!  When I repent, like David, he washes me clean, and he restores me.

So how do I guard my reputation?  How do I build integrity in my life?  Look back to the definition.  Steadfast adherence to a strict moral code.  We have the moral code of ethics in God’s word.  We just have to study it…to internalize it!  That's just another reason why I am committed to memorizing a verse of Scripture each week.  Psalm 119 says "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee!"  

The state of being unimpaired.  I can have integrity by being unimpaired...by sin, medicine, and the influence of others.  How often do I let others influence my decisions in life instead of letting God lead me?  Probably more than I even realize.

And finally, the quality or condition of being whole or undivided.  The only way I can be ‘undivided’ is by not letting sin take root in my life.  It's only when I put my eyes on the goal and don't go to the left or to the right...just straight where He wants me to go...that I can truly serve God.

Psalm 26:1 says “Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in mine integrity.  I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide.”

No one is perfect.  We all make mistakes.  Having integrity doesn't mean you're without sin.  It’s how we confront the mistakes in our life that builds integrity.  When I trust God for decisions, even the simple every-day ones like e-mailing a teacher, I won’t slide.  (Proverbs 3:5-6)   It's then that I will have a single-hearted devotion. 

Integrity.  It's on my 'bucket list.'  How about you?

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Monday Memory Verse, Lamentations 3:22-24

For the last few Mondays, I've been posting a verse I'm committing to memory for the week.  God showed me that I needed to be more active in learning His word.  I haven't heard from any of my friends on this topic...are you learning with me?  I'm thinking you can't go wrong in memorizing the Bible, and I can sure use the encouragement of having a partner learn God's word with me!

This week God directed me to 3 verses, lumped together.

Lamentations 3:22-24  Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!  I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him!"

To really understand the context of verse 22, I think you have to read the whole chapter.  Jeremiah saw a ray of hope in all the sin and sorrow around him.  He said "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail."  Consumed.  I want to be consumed by God, but I'm thankful God doesn't consume me in the context this is talking about!  Because of His great love, there is no sin in my life that He will not forgive.  His love and mercy is greater than my sin.  And He chooses to forgive me time and time again instead of consuming me! 

They are new every morning...  How can God's mercy and faithfulness be new every morning?  The only way I can see it personally is if I'm having time with Him every morning.  Sure, they may be new, but how am I to know about it unless I personally experience it, every single day.  Each day not spent with God is a missed opportunity to see his faithfulness new and fresh. 

Great is your faithfulness...  I can't think of this phrase without thinking of the words to the old classic hymn. 

Great is Thy faithfulness!  Great is Thy faithfulness!  Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! 

Then I especially love the last part of one of the verses..it says:  strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Sometimes God lets us go through deserts of life.  We lose a job.  We lose a loved one.  We lose what we hold most dearest to us.  But in the deserts of life, you gotta remember that cactuses grow.  Sure, they're prickly and thorny on the outside, but on the inside, they have deep roots to soak up the water.  They endure the heat, yet they keep growing.  Somehow, they are able to soak up the water that is available to them, and they keep on growing!  How I want to be like a cactus and soak up the Living Water in the desert of life!

God is faithful - all the time - through the good and the bad.  I know this to be true.  If you were honest with yourself, you would admit it, too, even though it doesn't always feel like it.  Webster defines faithfulness as steadfast in affection or allegiance; firm in adherence to promises; given with strong assurance; binding.  That sure describes the God I know.  How about you?  He gives us exactly what we need, when we need it.  He never lies, and He never changes.  God gives us strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow!

The Lord is my portion, therefore will I wait for Him...  Now that's a tough one to say is true in my life.  Is Christ all I need?  Sure, the answer is yes.  But do I really live it and believe it?  That really puts life and my earthly wants/needs/greeds into perspective.  Sometimes it's easy to forget that God is all I need.  Sometimes it's easy to jump ahead of Him and His will out of panic from circumstances. But Jeremiah says he will wait for Him.  The KJV says "therefore will I hope in Him!"

I love Psalm 73:25-26  "Who do I have in heaven but You, God?  And there is none upon earth that I desire but You.  My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."  What a dynamic duo - God is my strength and my helping!

I'm challenged today to remember God's faithfulness and see how his compassions and mercies are new every morning.  I'm convicted that I need to allow Him to be my portion...my helping...to wait patiently for Him.  He really is all I need...sometimes I just need a slap in the face to remember that!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Free to forgive...

I think it's safe to say that we are who we are today, in part, because of our past.  Now, I'm not saying we are slaves to our past, but what happened to us throughout our lives has shaped us into the person we are today.  The decisions we make today are either because we've not broken free from our past or we make decisions to be the kind of person we are today because we don't want to be like we were in the past. 

I was challenged this morning in my quiet time to dialog with God.  Not just pray, but listen to what He has to say about my past, especially in the area of forgiveness.  Now, I am a confrontational person; I like to think it's a strength of mine.  I can't stand for conflict to take root in my life and not be resolved.  But this morning I asked God to show me if I needed to forgive anyone in my life, and if I needed to ask forgiveness of anyone.  I asked God to dig deep into what I've buried, deeper than I wanted to go.  Deeper than I've allowed my thoughts to visit in a long time.

God showed me a situation that happened long ago, and He convicted me that I have let it shape who I am today.  At this point, I can't go confront the person, he is no longer alive.  But, I can choose to forgive.  I can choose to no longer be gripped by the pain of the past.  I can choose to allow Christ to heal the scars in my life, and like a Potter, mold me into the creation He wants me to be.  (Isaiah 64:8)  I made the choice.

It doesn't matter how badly a person has hurt you.  When Jesus died on the cross, what were some of His last words? "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  When people hurt us, sometimes they have no idea how deep the wounds go.  Yet, Christ, in all His glory, came to earth and suffered a terrible death for you and me so we could have forgiveness.  Those wounds went pretty deep, wouldn't you say?  He still has the scars in his hands to prove it.  With that perspective, I'm convicted that there's nothing so bad in my past that I can't forgive the offender.  Jesus died for that person, too.

The Bible says to 'put off' bitterness.  It says in Matthew 6:12 that we should ask God to forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  Remember the parable in the Bible of the master who forgave the debts of his servant?  What did that servant do?  Instead of going to the people who owed him money and forgiving their debts, he went and tried to collect.  When we harbor bitterness, it's just like holding on to the debts that people owe us. 

God is telling me today that I have to make the choice to forgive, once and for all.  I can't do it without His help.  It's painful...to let go of those angry feelings, especially when I've held on to them for so long.  I'm still going to have the scars from the past, but it's only when I let go of the bitterness that God can move in and heal.  This morning, I've made the decision.  It's a done deal, and I'm not looking back. 

I am free to forgive!

I love this song by the Newsboys...I Am Free!

Through You the blind will see
Through You the mute will sing
Through You the dead will rise
Through You all hearts will praise
Through You the darkness flees
Through You my heart screams, I am free!

I am free to run
(I am free to run)
I am free to dance
(I am free to dance)
I am free to live for you
(I am free to live for you)
I am free
(I am free)

Chorus:
I am free
I am free
I am free to run
(I am free to run)
I am free to dance
(I am free to dance)
I am free to live for you
(I am free to live for you
I am free
(I am free)
Yes I am free

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Just like Jake...

Let me introduce you my sweet son Jacob.  Jacob is a determined guy, to say the least.  He gets an idea in his head, and once that idea has taken root in his brain, he won't let go of it.  Sometimes he's obsessed with the idea.  This quality in my son drives me crazy, at times.  He talks, and talks, and talks...about something that may likely never become a reality.  In some circumstances this determination is a strength.  In others, it can be his downfall.

Well, Jacob has gotten it into his head that there is going to be a race at school.  He doesn't know when.  He doesn't know where.  He just knows (or thinks) there is going to be a race amongst the boys, and he is determined to be ready.  He's been running with the Wii.  He's been running around the couches.  He tries to 'work out' at least once a day in preparation for that big day.  He wants to run.  And he wants to win.

Now, if you don't know Jacob, he's not exactly built like an athlete.  He is average height...and well, let's just say he's pretty skinny, no fat...but also not a lot of muscle.  Coordination is not one of his gifts.  But he's determined, and that's what he has going for him.

Jacob's obsession with 'being ready for the big race'  made me start to think about the Spiritual application of his actions.  The Bible says in Philippians 2:12 that we should "work out our salvation."  We should exercise our faith.  I'm sure you've heard it said that you've either just come out of a trial, in one now, or you're about to go into one.  Well, for me, I know that trial is right around the corner for our family.  No, I don't know what it is, but I know I have to be ready for whatever God has for us.  I believe oftentimes our reaction to trials is a reflection of the faith we have exercised.  If I am not exercising my faith now, in the good times, what will my faith be like later, when things get tough?

Hebrews 12:1 tells us to run with patience the race that is set before us and fix our eyes on Jesus - the ultimate finish line.  Running the race is a discipline.  It's not a sprint.  It's a marathon and then some!  Verse 2 then tells us Jesus set the example.  He had his eyes on the goal.  It says that for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross...  He went through the terrible death on the cross for the joy of the end product...defeating sin and death so that we might have life!  He had short term pain for a long term gain.  Isn't that what growing our faith does?  It gives us short term pain (through trials, sickness, death, etc) for a long term gain...depending on our choice of how to respond.

So for now, I just giggle inside at Jacob.  He's determined to be ready for 'the big race.'  He's been working out.  He's committed.  And if that race ever takes place, he's going to be ready.  No, he may not win the race, but I guarantee you he will finish it. 

And me, well, I'm determined to stay in the spiritual race.  To keep working out my salvation.  To exercise my faith and be ready to put it into action.  I want to be obsessed...with Jesus.  I love the chorus of Jesus Freak, by DC Talk:

What will people think when they hear that I'm a Jesus freak? 
What will people do when they find out it's true? 
I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak. 
There ain't no disguising the truth. 
I don't need to hide the truth!

I love it when God uses my children to teach me truths about Him.  Of course, I want to be more like Christ, but today, I want to be just like Jake, too!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

The perfect remedy...

Proverbs 18:10  The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous run into it, and they are safe.

I have some friends that are hurting so deeply in the pit of their soul right now.  They can't see God at work.  They are grieving.  Some are literally fighting for their life.  Others are struggling with deep depression.  why? Why?  WHY?... 

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 7:6 that God uses indivudals in our lives to comfort us, and when we allow ourselves to be used, God in turn comforts us.  It's times like this I realize that the only time I will be able to offer comforting words to my friends who are reaching out is if I know God and the Bible more.  Yes, it's a 'theme' of mine, as of late.  Know him more.  Dig deeper.  Memorize.  How else can I be the friend I need to be?  How else can I be a reflection of Him if I can't share His promises with others?

But what do you say to a teenager who just lost her mom and best friend?
What do you say to a friend who has been told she has less than a year to live?
What do you say to a friend whose husband isn't living for the Lord?
What do you say to a friend whose household is in utter distress due to finances?

I don't have the answers.  But I know someone who does.  Run to God.  When you feel like you're at the end of your rope and all hope is gone, don't give up.  Make a knot and hold on tight.  Don't let go.  God holds us with a two handed-grip. (John 10:28)  He promises He won't let go. 

Proverbs 18:10 says the "name" of the Lord is a strong tower.  What do we need when a storm is hitting?  A safe place to run.  That's exactly what God is, in so many ways.  All of life's answers are hid in Christ - Philippians 2:3.  Hid.  Sometimes we have to go looking for them...but He is the only one who can provide the answers!

I searched for an exhaustive list for the names of God and found the list below.  It is pretty incredible, to say the least.  How can anyone say that God is not the remedy for anything they might encounter in life!

*************

Used with permission, from http://www.smilegodlovesyou.org/names.html

THE NAMES OF GOD

OLD TESTAMENT NAMES FOR GOD

ELOHIM......Genesis 1:1, Psalm 19:1

meaning "God", a reference to God's power and might.

ADONAI......Malachi 1:6

meaning "Lord", a reference to the Lordship of God.

JEHOVAH--YAHWEH.....Genesis 2:4

a reference to God's divine salvation.

JEHOVAH-MACCADDESHEM.......Exodus 31:13

meaning "The Lord thy sanctifier"

JEHOVAH-ROHI......Psalm 23:1

meaning "The Lord my shepherd"

JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH.......Ezekiel 48:35

meaning "The Lord who is present"

JEHOVAH-RAPHA.........Exodus 15:26

meaning "The Lord our healer"

JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU......Jeremiah 23:6

meaning "The Lord our righteousness"

JEHOVAH-JIREH.........Genesis 22:13-14

meaning "The Lord will provide"

JEHOVAH-NISSI.........Exodus 17:15

meaning "The Lord our banner"

JEHOVAH-SHALOM........Judges 6:24

meaning "The Lord is peace"

JEHOVAH-SABBAOTH......Isaiah 6:1-3

meaning "The Lord of Hosts"

EL-ELYON..............Genesis 14:17-20,Isaiah 14:13-14

meaning "The most high God"

EL-ROI................Genesis 16:13

meaning "The strong one who sees"

EL-SHADDAI............Genesis 17:1,Psalm 91:1

meaning "The God of the mountains or God Almighty"

EL-OLAM...............Isaiah 40:28-31

meaning "The everlasting God"

MORE NAMES OF GOD

ABBA.............................Romans 8:15

ADVOCATE.........................I John 2:1 (kjv)

ALMIGHTY.........................Genesis 17:1

ALPHA............................Revelation 22:13

AMEN.............................Revelation 3:14

ANCIENT OF DAYS..................Daniel 7:9

ANOINTED ONE.....................Psalm 2:2

APOSTLE..........................Hebrews 3:1

ARM OF THE LORD..................Isaiah 53:1

AUTHOR OF LIFE...................Acts 3:15

AUTHOR OF OUR FAITH..............Hebrews 12:2

BEGINNING.........................Revelation 21:6

BLESSED & HOLY RULER..............1 Timothy 6:15

BRANCH............................Jeremiah 33:15

BREAD OF GOD......................John 6:33

BREAD OF LIFE.....................John 6:35

BRIDEGROOM........................Isaiah 62:56

BRIGHT MORNING STAR...............Revelation 22:16

CHIEF SHEPHERD.....................1 Peter 5:4

CHOSEN ONE.........................Isaiah 42:1

CHRIST.............................Matthew 22:42

CHRIST OF GOD......................Luke 9:20

CHRIST THE LORD....................Luke 2:11

CHRIST, SON OF LIVING GOD..........Matthew 16:16

COMFORTER..........................John 14:26(kjv)

COMMANDER..........................Isaiah 55:4

CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL...............Luke 2:25

CONSUMING FIRE......................Deut. 4:24, Heb. 12:29

CORNERSTONE.........................Isaiah 28:16

COUNSELOR...........................Isaiah 9:6

CREATOR.............................1 Peter 4:19

DELIVERER..............................Romans 11:26

DESIRED OF ALL NATIONS.................Haggai 2:7

DOOR...................................John 10:7(kjv)

END....................................Revelation 21:6

ETERNAL GOD............................Deut. 33:27

EVERLASTING FATHER.....................Isaiah 9:6

FAITHFUL & TRUE........................Revelation 19:11

FAITHFUL WITNESS.......................Revelation 1:5

FATHER.................................Matthew 6:9

FIRSTBORN (3)........................................Rom.8:29,Rev.1:5,Col.1:15

FIRSTFRUITS............................1 Cor.15:20-23

FOUNDATION.............................1 Cor. 3:11

FRIEND OF TAX COLLECTORS & SINNERS.....Matthew 11:19

GENTLE WHISPER.........................1 Kings 19:12

GIFT OF GOD............................John 4:10

GLORY OF THE LORD......................Isaiah 40:5

GOD....................................Genesis 1:1

GOD ALMIGHTY...........................Genesis 17:1

GOD OVER ALL...........................Romans 9:5

GOD WHO SEES ME........................Genesis 16:13

GOOD SHEPHERD..........................John 10:11

GREAT HIGH PRIEST......................Hebrews 4:14

GREAT SHEPHERD.........................Hebrews 13:20

GUIDE..................................Psalm 48:14

HEAD OF THE BODY.......................Colossians 1:18

HEAD OF THE CHURCH.....................Ephesians 5:23

HEIR OF ALL THINGS.....................Hebrews 1:2

HIGH PRIEST............................Hebrews 3:1

HIGH PRIEST FOREVER....................Hebrews 6:20

HOLY ONE...............................Acts 2:27

HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.....................Isaiah 49:7

HOLY SPIRIT............................John 15:26

HOPE...................................Titus 2:13

HORN OF SALVATION......................Luke 1:69

I AM....................................Exodus 3:14, John 8:58

IMAGE OF GOD............................2 Cor. 4:4

IMAGE OF HIS PERSON.....................Hebrews 1:3 (kjv)

IMMANUEL................................Isaiah 7:14

JEALOUS..............................Exodus 34:14 (kjv)

JEHOVAH..............................Psalm 83:18 (kjv)

JESUS................................Matthew 1:21

JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD................Romans 6:23

JUDGE................................Isaiah 33:22, Acts 10:42

KING.................................Zechariah 9:9

KING ETERNAL.........................1 Timothy 1:17

KING OF KINGS........................1 Timothy 6:15

KING OF THE AGES.....................Revelation 15:3

LAMB OF GOD...........................John 1:29

LAST ADAM.............................1 Cor. 15:45

LAWGIVER..............................Isaiah 33:22

LEADER................................Isaiah 55:4

LIFE..................................John 14:6

LIGHT OF THE WORLD....................John 8:12

LIKE AN EAGLE.........................Deut. 32:11

LILY OF THE VALLEYS...................Song 2:1

LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH............Revelation 5:5

LIVING STONE..........................1 Peter 2:4

LIVING WATER..........................John 4:10

LORD..................................John 13:13

LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.....................Revelation 15:3

LORD JESUS CHRIST.....................1 Cor. 15:57

LORD OF ALL...........................Acts 10:36

LORD OF GLORY ........................1 Cor. 2:8

LORD OF LORDS.........................1 Tim. 6:15

LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS..............Jeremiah 23:6

LOVE.................................1 John 4:8

MAN OF SORROWS.........................Isaiah 53:3

MASTER..................................Luke 5:5

MEDIATOR................................1 Timothy 2:5

MERCIFUL GOD............................Jeremiah 3:12

MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT................Malachi 3:1

MESSIAH................................. John 4:25

MIGHTY GOD...............................Isaiah 9:6

MIGHTY ONE...............................Isaiah 60:16

NAZARENE.................................Matthew 2:23

OFFSPRING OF DAVID.......................Revelation 22:16

OMEGA....................................Revelation 22:13

ONLY BEGOTTEN SON........................John 1:18(kjv)

OUR PASSOVER LAMB........................1 Cor. 5:7

OUR PEACE................................Ephesians 2:14

POTTER...................................Isaiah 64:8

POWER OF GOD.............................1 Cor. 1:24

PRINCE OF PEACE..........................Isaiah 9:6

PROPHET..................................Acts 3:22

PURIFIER.................................Malachi 3:3

RABBONI (TEACHER)........................John 20:16

RADIANCE OF GOD'S GLORY..................Heb.1:3

REDEEMER.................................Job 19:25

REFINER'S FIRE...........................Malachi 3:2

RESURRECTION.............................John 11:25

RIGHTEOUS ONE............................1 John 2:1

ROCK.....................................1 Cor.10:4

ROOT OF DAVID............................Rev. 22:16

ROSE OF SHARON...........................Song 2:1

RULER OF GOD'S CREATION..................Rev. 3:14

RULER OVER KINGS OF EARTH................Rev 1:5

RULER OVER ISRAEL........................Micah 5:2

SAVIOR...................................Luke 2:11

SCEPTER OUT OF ISRAEL....................Numbers 24:17

SEED.....................................Genesis 3:15

SERVANT..................................Isaiah 42:1

SHEPHERD OF OUR SOULS....................1Peter 2:25

SHIELD...................................Genesis 15:1

SON OF DAVID.............................Matthew 1:1

SON OF GOD...............................Matthew 27:54

SON OF MAN...............................Matthew 8:20

SON OF THE MOST HIGH.....................Luke 1:32

SOURCE...................................Hebrews 5:9

SPIRIT OF GOD............................Genesis 1:2

STAR OUT OF JACOB........................Numbers 24:17

STONE....................................1 Peter 2:8

SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.....................Malachi 4:2

TEACHER...................................John 13:13

TRUE LIGHT................................John 1:9

TRUE WITNESS..............................Revelation 3:14

TRUTH.....................................John 14:6

VINE......................................John 15:5

WAY........................................John 14:6

WISDOM OF GOD..............................1 Cor. 1:24

WITNESS....................................Isaiah 55:4

WONDERFUL..................................Isaiah 9:6

WORD.......................................John 1:1

WORD OF GOD................................Revelation 19:13

 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

A little less conversation, a little more action, please

I don't think Jesus would mind me quoting an Elvis Presley song and applying it to Him.  But this morning, I feel like He's saying "a little less conversation, a little more action, PLEASE!"  John 10:10  "Jesus came to earth so we could have life, and have it more abundantly."  He said "We are more than conquerers" which literally means 'super conquerors.'  Jesus said I am going to hit the mark...and beyond!

So how is that possible?  How do I have more abundant life?  Can I just say, "Lord, give me abundant life?"  And bam! I have it?  Obviously not.

But to 'live abundantly', I have to die.  Strange concept.  I must die to self.  I must die to what I want and live for what God wants.  What I forget sometimes is that the Bible says this is a daily action.  We must 'take up our cross daily and follow Him.'  I don't know about you, but I've been pretty guilty most of my life about not doing the 'daily' dying.  The Lord may deal with me about a particular area of my life, and I have this major catharsis with Him...times when I pour out all my emotions and strongholds and lay them at His feet.  The next day, I move on, continuing perhaps my 'walk' with Him, but forgetting that every single day I need to empty myself before Him.

I want to have abundant life.  Who doesn't, right?  Dictionary.com says the word 'abundant' means present in great quantity, more than adequate, well or richly supplied, and abounding.  So what exactly gives me this 'abundance' -- it's God.  He is more than adequate.  He richly supplies and when I truly allow Him, He is abounding in my life.  But just like a pitcher full of iced tea (and I pick that because I despise iced tea) I must empty the tea out so that the water, the Living Water can come in.  Would you drink from a pitcher of water a day old that had been sitting out on the counter?  I wouldn't.  I would empty it out and re-fill it before drinking.  For me, the 're-filling' it isn't necessarily the problem all the time.  It's the 'emptying out.'  It's the act of daily dying to self and emptying myself from what I want and asking Christ to come in and do with me what He wants. 

Just for sake of confusion, once you have made a commitment to Christ, it's a done deal.  If you have asked Him to forgive you of your sins, believed He died, was buried, and rose again on the cross, and you have put your faith and trust in Him, then you are assured of heaven.  What Christ did on the cross is sufficient.  But just asking Him to forgive you of your sins that one time does not equal living an abundant life in Christ.  That's what I'm talking about here. 

God loved me so much that HE GAVE...do I love Him enough to daily die to what I want and take up my cross and follow Him?

Strange, perhaps, that I'd be writing a blog about a little less conversation and a little more action. Does it seem like they shouldn't go together?  I hope you know that as I write, God is dealing with me on the daily act of pouring myself out so He can fill me and use me each day.  My prayer this morning is that my actions will speak much louder than my words.  I so desperately want to have an abundant life in Christ.

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Monday Memory Verse, Ecclesiastes 7:9

Monday sure seems to come quicker than any other day.  In some respect, I wish it didn't.  In others, it means I made it through another week, and that's always a good thing!

Last week, the Lord really impressed upon my heart that I need to be actively learning His Word.  I have been relying on the verses that I memorized growing up, but I need to "store up His commands within me."  When you 'store something up' you eventually run out, right?  When there's a threat of a bad storm here in Texas, it seems the grocery stores are raided with people "storing up" milk and bread.  But, eventually, what you've stored up runs out.  When that happens, you're left empty.  I was challenged with the fact that 'to store something up' is an active task, and I need to 'keep storing' so that I don't become spiritually empty.

Last week, I memorized:  Proverbs 1:33.  Whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.

This week's verse: Ecclesiastes 7:9  Don't be hasty in your spirit to be angry. for anger rests in the lap of fools.

I picked this verse because God has been showing me that I have a private anger problem.  No, I'm not a violent person who has the potential for mass murder.  In public, with my friends, and on my job, I somehow have the ability to stay calm and patient in distressng times without 'blowing up' at someone.  But at home, I want things now.  I want my kids to listen to me...now.  I want my husband to do something for me..now.   Sometimes the stress of work is carried over in my home, and I snap at the kids.  I over-react at the slightest thing.  I just lose it, to be honest.  This is something I'm asking God to correct in my life, and the first step is confronting the truth.  I have to be honest with myself, my friends, and most importantly, my God.

Look what the verse says: anger rests in the lap of fools.  Ouch!  To be called a 'fool' is a slap in the face!  I work hard to be 'an example of the believer' and that's the Beth that most people see.  But the Beth that appears at home sometimes is a much different person.  I don't want my husband and children to have any memory of their wife/mom as a 'fool' because of my temper.  We are all born with a sin nature and have a 'leniency' toward different sins, and this is one God has dealt with me about on and off my whole married life. 

God is a jealous God.  He wants all of me, even the parts of me that my friends don't see.  Especially the parts of me that my friends don't see and only my family does.  Will you pray Ecclesiastes 7:9 for me this week?  That I will not be hasty to be angry and that I will not be a fool in God's eyes?

I still have the offer out there...is anyone interested in being in an accountability group, to meet with me on a weekly basis, and learn God's word together.  I will find the time.  Let me know!  You know where to find me...

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

I want to be an Anti-Bacterial, Germ Repelling, Jesus Loving Sponge

January 15^th, 2010

 

I’m a sponge.  I’ve been one most of my adult life.  Now being a sponge isn’t always a bad thing.  A Twinkie is a sponge, right?  ...and they are pretty good!  When you’re surrounded by Godly people, soaking in what they have to offer, that is a good thing, too.  I love to hang out with people who love the Lord.  You can just sense it in the room, and it gives a great feeling.  Soaking in God’s glory is awesome, and trying to learn all you can about God, well, that's the best thing of all. 

 

But soaking up other people’s walk with the Lord and then calling it your own is when being a sponge turns bad.  I have been guilty of that at times more times then I want to admit.  I’m so blessed to have a Godly husband who has walked with the Lord every day I’ve known him.  He’s the spiritual leader in the house, and I must admit that I love letting him lead.  But in doing so, sometimes I’ve just been complacent and soaked up his spirituality for myself.

 

Did you know that kitchen sponges are the #1 source of germs in the whole entire house?  Why?  Those little crevices that make a sponge good for cleaning also make it a nice home for germs.  When you wipe up counters or dishes with a dirty sponge, it only transfers bacteria from one item to the other.  The Good Doctor’s Guide to Colds and Flu recommends you should “wet your sponge and then pop it in the microwave for two minutes to eliminate the germs that lurk inside the crevices.”

 

As I contemplated this whole idea of being a sponge, I started to make some parallels with life and the Christian walk.  If I sit too long without being cleaned, germs creep in.  Sometimes we are on cruise control with God, going through life at 55 mph, and we don’t take time to really confess sin in our life.  Sometimes it’s easier to just forget about that, because seeing your own faults is not a fun thing to do.  When the ‘germs’ get in, sometimes we don’t even realize it.  Life looks and feels the same as it always had, maybe even better.  But I’m reminded that just like the sponge, if I’m not “wrung out” and cleaned, I can be worthless.  Have you ever tried to do ministry when you knew your own life wasn’t right with God?  I have.  I’ve tried to go through the motions, hoping no one would notice.  When I do that, I become ineffective, just like a dirty sponge. 

 

How does a kitchen sponge get cleaned?  In the microwave….through major heat.  Those micro waves penetrate every inch of that sponge because it’s completely enveloped in the oven.  Sometimes the microwaves of life are trials that God allows us to go through to draw us closer to Him.  Sometimes the ‘heat’ is just facing yourself in the mirror and realizing you don’t know the person you’re looking at, then doing something about it.  In my life, it was just realizing I needed to do more for God and allow Him to do more through me.  He’s given me gifts that I wasn’t using, and I was becoming dirty, complacent, and full of germs…ineffective for Him.

 

The cool thing is that once a sponge has gone through ‘the purification process’ it is then ready once again to be used.  I’m sure glad God doesn’t throw us ‘sponges’ away when we get dirty.  When we ask Him, He cleans all our little crevices and allows us to be used once again for Him, at full capacity.

 

So like I said, being a sponge isn’t always a bad thing.  I pray you’ll soak up God’s wisdom and truths each day while at the same time getting rid of the germs that are starting to accumulate.  I know God is challenging me with this same thing...to be an anti-bacterial germ-repelling, Jesus loving sponge!

 

Psalm 119:9 – How shall a person cleanse his way? By putting God’s word into action.

 

Proverbs 16:2 – All the ways of man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weighs the spirits.

 

And I love that simple old song, "Clean Hands, Pure Heart"...those 4 words ring so true!

 

We bow our hearts. We bend our knees

O Spirit come make us humble.

We turn our eyes from evil things

O Lord we cast down our idols.

Give us clean hands; give us pure hearts.

Let us not lift our souls to another.

O God let us be a generations that seeks

That seeks your face, O God of Jacob

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Happiness or Joy?

January 14th, 2010

 

In our ABF class on Sunday, the question was posed – what’s the difference between happiness and joy?  Someone answered, ‘happiness’ is based on our reaction to what is ‘happening’ around us while joy goes much deeper then our circumstances.  Joy is that inner peace and strong confidence because of God’s work in our lives.  It’s something that starts on the inside and is evident to others on the outside.

 

Remember that old Sunday School song:  I have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart!  Where?  Down in my heart!  Where?  Down in my heart!  I have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart!  Where?  Down in my heart to stay!  And I’m so happy, so very happy, I have the love of Jesus in my heart.  And I’m so happy, so very happy, I have the love of Jesus in my heart!

 

I was reading in Philippians this morning.  It’s pretty clear that there’s a stark difference between happiness and joy.  You have to go no farther than the first chapter to see the first illustration of joy.  The heading in my Bible on Chapter 1 says:  “Joy in suffering.”  That kind of hits you between the eyes.  It’s easy to find joy in the Lord and for others to see it in you when things are going good.  But Paul sets the example for us that it’s still possible to have that joy when things are going bad.  He was in chains and in prison.  Yet, because he chose to have joy, it says in verse 13 of chapter 1 that “it became clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone that he was in chains for Christ.”  Paul showed that joy in his life overflowed when he put Spiritual matters first and set aside the physical matters.  His purpose for living was to advance the Gospel, and he knew God was sovereign in all circumstances. 

 

Verse 18 goes on to say Paul made a choice to rejoice!  “Yes, and I will continue to rejoice.”  I don’t think it was something that was automatic.  It was a conscious decision to wake up each morning and put his priorities in order.  He wasn’t on ‘auto pilot’ with God.  How is that possible?  Verse 19 says ‘through your prayers’ and the ‘help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.’  I am so reminded that not only do I need to make this same choice every day to choose joy, but I need to enlist prayer partners and friends who will lift me up before Father.  When I go on mission trips, I get a prayer team together.  When I have a need in my life, I ask friends to pray.  But I’m hit with the fact that I need a team of people praying for me every day so that I “conduct myself in a manner worth of the Gospel of Christ.” ---verse 27. 

 

Right now, I’m plugging along with seemingly not a care in this world, compared to many of my friends who are struggling with grief, finances, broken families, and so much more.  Things are good for me in just about every way.  Joy is a relatively easy choice…right now.  But I know there’s something right around the corner.  My prayer today is that I will remember Paul’s example during the hard times that are to come.  That I need to choose joy and that my focus will be not in the ‘immediate’ but on the ‘eternal.’

 

Will you pray for me and be on my team?  That I remain an example of Christ at work and take advantage of every opportunity to tell people about Him?  That I stay in His word and consistent in growing?  That God change me from the inside out and mold me to be what He wants me to be? 

 

From the Inside Out, by Hillsong

 

A thousand times I’ve failed

still your mercy remains.

And should I stumble again

I’m caught in your grace.

 

In my heart and my soul

Lord I give you control.

Consume me from the inside out.

Lord, let justice and praise
become my embrace

To love you from the inside out.

 

Your will above all else

my purpose remains.

The art of losing myself

in bringing You praise.

 

Everlasting!
Your light will shine when all else fades!

Never ending! 

Your glory goes beyond all fame!

 

And the cry of my heart

Is to bring you praise

From the inside out,

Lord, my soul cries out.

 

From the inside out,

Lord, my soul cries out!

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com