The weather has been crazy lately. The weather forecasters have given up on predicting precipitation and say "wintry mix" instead of snow, sleet, rain, freezing rain or hail. Tonight after church, I was driving through Bremerton to finish a few errands and prepare for the coming week.
All around Bremerton were sunbreaks. Seattle literally glowed. New snow on Green Mountain reflected sunlight. But driving through Bremerton, I had to use my headlights. A dark, heavy cloud clung to the city limits. Cresting the hill that leads to my house, I was struck to pray for my city.
Tuesday I'm hosting a party for small group. Inviting extra friends because it's my birthday. Asking friends to prayerfully consider donating to Walk In The Light International. (We're raising money to build houses for teachers, an issue that would be near to my heart even if I wasn't planning to live there soon!)
Before the party, though, I hope to invite some of my neighbors over for dinner. I've been wanting to for awhile, but too busy. And, I don't want to knock on my neighbors' doors when its dark. :( Thanks to Daylight Savings time! Now, I can invite my neighborhood into my home.
In my mind, this is all connected as the fasting that pleases God. I'd been fasting one day a week to purify and prepare my heart for the big move to Burkina. Today's sermon, though, revealed some of the selfishness in my real motives. Instead of fasting food tomorrow, I'm going to hold myself accountable to actually invite my neighbors to dinner. I'm not saying this to sound spiritual, rather for a little extra accountability so I actually do it!
It's time for me to quit being scared of the darkness and live as a child of LIGHT.
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. -Isaiah 58:10 NIV
Sunday, March 18, 2012
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Ephesians 5
Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting – all of which are out of character – but rather thanksgiving. For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth – and find out what pleases the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. But all things being exposed by the light are made evident. For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says:
“Awake, O sleeper!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you!”
Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is. And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church – he himself being the savior of the body. But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, so that he may present the church to himself as glorious – not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great – but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
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