Monthly Archives: April 2011

Christian Living

Dissatisfied Contentment

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From my Pastor’s Sunday morning sermon I got the idea that there’s a great need for a bunch of dissatisfied contented Christians and I want to be one of them.

You read it right. Dissatisfied Contented Christians.

dis·sat·is·fied (ds-sts-fd)  adj.
Feeling or exhibiting a lack of contentment or satisfaction.
via dissatisfied – definition of dissatisfied by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia..

con·tent·ed (kn-tntd)  adj.
Satisfied with things as they are;
via contented – definition of contented by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

Even so, I stand by what I said.

What our society needs is an abundance of dissatisfied contented Christians.

Philippians 3: (New American Standard Bible)
13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
via Phil 3:13-14 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

Who would deny that if any servant of the Living God could rest on his laurels it would be the Apostle Paul? I mean just what did the man not do for the sake of the Gospel? Yet he never stopped wanting to know JESUS better, to love JESUS more and to tell more and more people the GOOD NEWS.

And yet at the same time that he was constantly reaching ahead to know, to love and to do, he was content. Let me show you what I mean.

Philippians 4: (New American Standard Bible)
11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
via Philippians 4:11-13 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

I would not argue with you that in this text Paul is speaking of food, clothing, lodging and the like but I submit to you that ‘in whatever circumstances’ means just what it says: whatever — physical, emotional, spiritual. And that even while Paul continuously looked forward, desiring and making provision to attain more and more knowledge and intimacy with God, at the same time he was content in his level of maturity at that moment because he knew  The HOLY SPIRIT would not cease to work on him from within and that he himself was determined to keep on cooperating in that holy process of progressing toward that high calling he had accepted from the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

And there is our example of a dissatisfied contented Christian. As Pastor Roy said (and I am paraphrasing) Paul was never satisfied to stay at his present level of maturity but he was always satisfied with JESUS and with what JESUS was doing within him.

It’s a worthy goal I think — to be a dissatisfied contented Christian.

Happy Monday, dear friends!

Blessed to bless,
Kathie

Christian Living, Guests, KWT Paraphrasing

Following So Far

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I’m so glad I attended Going Beyond Simulcast with Priscilla Shirer!

It will take me some time to digest and put into practice the concepts and precepts taught this weekend.

Priscilla gave us a five step procedure to effective Scripture assimilation that even the busiest person can get on board with because you choose one or two verses and you stay with those verses for  a few or several days. She calls it ‘The 5 P’s of Bible Study‘.

POSITION yourself to hear from God.
Locate a place, secure 5, 10, 15 minutes – whatever you can grab from the side of the bathtub (that is often Priscilla’s place she said.)

POUR over the passage and PARAPHRASE the major points.
Read the verse (or two). Then read it again.  And then again.  To pour over the verse means think about, turn it over this way and that — look at it. Really look at it. And while you are really looking at it PARAPHRASE it. Write it out in your own words what you think the verse is saying; what’s happening in it.
We looked at two verses while in session: Exodus 14:13 and 14. This is verse 13:

Exodus 14: (New American Standard Bible) 13 But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.
via Ex 14:13-14 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

And this is my paraphrase:
Moses was speaking to the people, telling them that God had said, Y’all don’t be afraid — I got this!

PULL out the spiritual principles.
From your paraphrase ask yourself what principles about God do you see and record them in a notebook, journal, etc.
What did I see in verse 13? That God is trustworthy. That He is mighty. That he speaks to His servants. That He cares. That He is able to take care of my stuff.

POSE the questions.
For verse 13 based upon the principles I saw and my paraphrase, I might ask: Am I trusting His Trustworthiness in this? Am I listening for Him to speak to me? I am His servant, am I acting like it?

PLAN your obedience and PIN down the date.
And then here is where the rubber meets the road when I say Today, I will trust. Today I will present myself as His servant and expect to hear from Him. Today I will obey.

And the next day you take the same verse or two and you ponder it some more. By then you have it written out on some index cards and it’s placed here and there so you can see it throughout your day so you can discuss it with ABBA as you wash dishes, put on your make up, wait for the red light to change to green — you’ll find places.

And there you have it . . . at least that’s they way I understood it.

Just examples . . . try it for yourself.

If there are other Attendees out there who happen upon this page and you’d like to share your gleanings from the simulcast — please, feel free. Your comments are welcome here. :)

Finish out this weekend in obedience — love to you all,
Kathie

Guests

So Far

2 Comments

I am just minutes home from the Going Beyond Simulcast with Priscilla Shirer.  Life Interrupted.

So far I have received three main points:
1.     Give God more credit than that!
2.     The Word deserves more commitment than I (we) have been giving it.
3.     God’s Power deserves more opportunity in my life than I have been experiencing.

What might I see if I’d just go with God on this right away instead of dragging my feet and wailing my arms?

Somebody in this world has got to be fully committed to The Word of God — it might as well be me.  How profound a statement is that?!

Sweet Dreams, my Friends,
Kathie