When You Feel Like Tearing Your Hair Out :/

It's been more than a month since I posted anything! Good grief! Well, I'd better get busy then. What am I talking about? Patience.

The last half-hour in my house has been completely chaotic. Crying, shouting, LOUD barking... mainly it's just noise. And noise. AND NOISE. I'm practically the only non-noisy person in my family (well- besides my parents.) So the constant uproar- such as right now, when my sibilings are all shouting) really gets on my nerves.

What do I need?

Patience.

I read a story once in which an elderly man advised a mother, "Never pray for patience!" When she asked "Why ever not?" He responded, "Because the Lord will give you lots of trials so you can learn patience!"

So, that was my two bits of wisdom. Well, no. I have one more thing to say.

When you feel like tearing your hair out because of the din, PRAY asking to keep your temper.

Well, everything is settling down. Now, at least. They're all playing 'the quiet game.' So I'll go and.... tear my hair out. :)

"It may be difficult to wait on the Lord, but it is worse to wish you had."

I found the quote of the title for this post and I was thinking about how true it is.
We have moved on from the subject of peace to the subject of patience. (Yes, we are going through the fruits of the Spirit for those of you who haven't caught on yet! ;) Anyway, I was thinking about how much it hurts when we don't wait for the Lord's will to be done and we take matters into our own hands. Think about it, Abraham and Sarah decided that Sarah could not have a child. Never mind God's promises. They decided since she was so old, that God's plan just could NOT work without their assistance. So, Abraham had a child through Hagar-- but this child was Ishmael, not Isaac. That is the cause of all the problems in the middle east today! Ishmael's descendants were the Arabs/Muslims (not to assume that all Arabs are Muslims I know there are quite a few who are not) who hated Isaacs descendants-- the Jews-- with burning passion. If Abraham and Sarah could have seen the result of their actions in hindsight, do you think they would still have gone against God's will? As we can see from this story, it hurts when we go against God's will. As Corrie Ten Boom once put it, "Hold everything in your hands lightly…otherwise it hurts when God has to pry your fingers open, to make you let it go…" Hold everything lightly. Shouldn't that include more than just our possessions? Shouldn't that also include our personal preferences, stubborness, and everything else? Shouldn't we sacrifice everything to wait for God since He sacrificed everything for us? He is WORTHY of our everything. He is worthy of more than we can give to Him. He is worthy of all our worship, for Him and Him alone we should be willing to sacrifice all impatience, all sin.... everything. Wait for the LORD's plans. They are always best.

Peace Interview

Here I am interviewing Rachel on the subject of peace.

Me: Rachel, what do you say about peace?

Rachel: Um... okay, talk about giving me short NOTICE!! In fact, really not short notice, no notice at all. Anyway, I would say that when we are right with God and people we are at peace.

Me: Hey, you just stole my thought!

Rachel: It was NOT your thought! LOL. jk. I'll share the credit with you, okay? okay, anyway, Haley just said that she doesn't know a girl that she thought she knew. Lol. That was so random. Anyway, I would say that people generally think of peace as a scenere backdrop on their daily lives. I heard a story of a young girl in Sunday School who was trying to think of the four first Fruits of the Spirit. She said, "Love, Joy, Peace... and, and," another girl shouted, "Peace and quiet!"
Ironically enough, this is how many people view peace. But there is something much more to peace. The Lord assures us in His word that we can have peace through Him, and only through Him. Psalm 23 assures us, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me, Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me." Even if we're going through a horribly dreadful time, we can still be comforted by this amazing, all-surpassing, all-consuming peace of our Heavenly Father. That's how powerful and awesome He is!! That's all I have to say about peace... is that okay?

Me: That's awesome! Thanks a lot! Here are some quotes I found on peace. What are your opinion of them? Quote #1: "Have peace in your heart, and thousands will be saved around you." -Seraphin of Sarov. What is your opinion on this, Rachel?

Rachel: Well, doing apologetics this year has helped me in responding to quotes. They have different questions based on different quotes. So... many times I'll end up agreeing with some part and disagreeing with another part of a quote. It would have to be that way with this one. First of all, I would agree that having peace in your heart is definitely an important thing for a Christian so that non-believers can see how God's power comforts us in weakness. But, then, I would have to disagree by saying that it takes more than simply having peace in your heart to lead someone to the Lord. There are so many other aspects. First of all, you must be able to have a good testimony in other ways besides simply being filled with peace. Also, in many cases you will need to answer questions that the other may have about your faith. And most importantly, Jesus Christ Himself must plant the seed of salvation that will flourish in the hearts of many.

Me: All right. Thank you very much! In parting, I'll quote another quotation; what do you all think about it? "Peace is not the absence of trouble. Peace is the presence of God."

Enemy of Joy

Below I said that Joy is not dependent on outward circumstances. This is true, but sometimes things can begin to ruin your joy. Listen to Paul's command in Philippians 4:4-7: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Worry is a big enemy of joy. How can you be joyful when you are not trusting and obeying God? Yes, worrying is a sin. When you indulge in this dubious "luxury", you are both disobeying and God and not trusting in him. Paul tells us, "DON'T Worry. God is near. Give your requests to the Lord. If you do so, God's peace will guard you."

Joy vs. Happiness

Wow, now Rachel is way ahead of me!!

Okay. Joy. What is it?

I think that probably the book in the Bible most concentrated on JOY is the book of Philippians. "Joy" and "Rejoice" are used over and over and over again.
When you think about this from an unbeliever's perspective, it's pretty confusing. Read this from 2 Corinthians 11:23b-28: "I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches."
It seems hard to believe that anyone could have gone through all (or, at the time, most of it) sit in prison, and write such a joy filled letter, doesn't it? Read it for yourself. Here are some quotes from Philippians: "Yes, and I will continue to rejoice..." "I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me." "Finally my brothers, rejoice in the Lord!" "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Non-believers shake their heads. How can a man be so happy while sitting in prison, being whipped, being shipwrecked, facing growing pressures, etc????
Answer: He most likely wasn't happy. HAPPY/JOY is the way most think of them. Nothing can be further from the truth. One can be joyful and not appear happy. You could describe them like this: Happiness comes from outside of you. Joy comes from inside of you.
In other words, Joy comes from God. Here are some of Paul's explanations of why he is joyful: "Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus may overflow on account of me." Phil. 1:25-26.
Paul's hope was in the Lord. "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."
Paul had "the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in his heart." Although his outward circumstances did not look good, it did not destroy his inward joy in Christ. Most people think of happiness and joy like this: HAPPY/JOY. They are wrong. Instead of HAPPY/JOY, it is HAPPY vs. JOY.

Happiness:
~often needs luxuries and comforts
~is dependant on outward circumstances
~disappears very easily
~cannot last

Joy:
~does not need luxuries and comforts
~is not depenent on outward circumstances
~does not disappear
~will last

Joy: Where can it be found?

"Men have pursued joy in every avenue imaginable. Some have successfully found it while others have not. Perhaps it would be easier to describe where joy cannot be found:

Not in Unbelief -- Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: "I wish I had never been born."
Not in Pleasure -- Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did. He wrote: "The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone."
Not in Money -- Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth."
Not in Position and Fame -- Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: "Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret."
Not in Military Glory -- Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, before he said, "There are no more worlds to conquer."

Where then is real joy found? -- the answer is simple, in Christ alone."

In Christ alone, my hope is found
He is light, my Strength, my Song...

Love will result in Obedience

I wanted to post one final thing on love before moving on to joy. (I know, I'm SEVERAL days behind) but anyway, we've been talking about love, and in my last post I said that love is one of the key marks of a believer. But this begs the question, what does true love look like? Fortunately for us, Jesus leaves no room for debate in the area. He clearly tells us in John 14:15, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Whoever obeys Jesus is the one who loves Him. I want to show you a poem that I read that makes the meaning of this about as clear as it can be. It's written by Joy Allison, and though it may seem a tad old-fashioned, it is a good reminder for us.

“I love you, Mother,” said little John;
Then, forgetting his work, his cap went on,
And he was off to the garden swing,
Leaving his mother the wood to bring.

“I love you, Mother,” said little Nell;
“I love you better than tongue can tell!”
Then she teased and pouted half the day,
Till Mother rejoiced when she went to play.

“I love you, Mother,” said little Fran;
“Today I’ll help you all I can.”
To the cradle then she did softly creep,
And rocked the baby till it fell asleep.

Then stepping softly, she took the broom
And swept the floor and dusted the room;
Busy and happy all day was she,
Helpful and cheerful as she could be.

“I love you, Mother,” again they said,
Three little children going to bed.
How do you think that Mother guessed
Which of them really loved her best?

How did the Mother know who had the greatest love for her? It was easily seen in the children's behavior.

Does our love for the Father and the Son show easily? I pray that mine does.

This challenged me to think of more ways that I could show my love for the God of the universe. I want to do something that challenges me and really shows my love. If you think of anything, I would greatly appreciate your comments!

I think that's a good way to end the section on "love." Hopefully we'll post again soon!

Love, the perfect gift, permanent virtue, and primary command

I'm really sorry it's been more than a week since I've posted!! Haley's way ahead of me when it comes to posting on here! We should be in the middle of the next subject but I'm just now FINALLY writing on 'love.' Here's my two cents. If that. God bless you!!

Someone that I once heard speaking said “love made the perfect gift, remains the permanent virtue, and became the primary command.” What does that mean?
~Love verb: to cherish
~Love noun: compassion, devotion
~Romans 5:8- But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
1. Love made the perfect gift because Christ died even though we were still sinners. God put all of our sins on Christ, and that was the perfect gift.
“And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.”
After that, the song sings “Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee, How great Thou art, how great Thou art.”
Love is a selfless act for someone because you are putting their needs ahead of your own interests.
Finally Love made the perfect gift, because Christ gave us everything. He made the ultimate sacrifice.


2. Love remains the permanent virtue.
~ 1 Corinthians 13:13- But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
The greatest of ANY virtue is love. It is the key mark of a true believer.


3. Love became the primary command.
~ John 13:34-35- “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciple, if you have love for one another.”
~ Micah 6:8- He hat shown thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Love is just, merciful, and humble. If we have love, we are obeying all the commandments found in Micah 6.
~ 1 Peter 4:6 “Above all, love each other deeply. Because love covers a great multitude of sins.”

So now we know what love is. Why do we need it? What is it for?
~ Matthew 25:35-40- “ ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’”
If we have the kind of love that God intended, it will show in our lives.

Perfect Love

1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails... 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

See the last verse? "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." We have looked at faith and hope,but now we look at the most important: love.

If you read the passage above, think about it. When is our love ever like that? When is it ever completely kind and perfectly patient? When does our love always protect, always trust, always hopes, and always perseveres? Our love is not a perfect love. So why does Paul write this passage?
Paul writes it mostly to show us what God's love is like. God's love is patient and kind. It does not envy or boast. It is not proud or rude. It keeps no record of love and is not easily angered. It rejoices with the truth.

For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son...

The Almighty, perfect God loves you with a love described in 1 Corinthians 13. Isn't that amazing?

For more on his love, read Hosea.

Jesus, I am Resting, Resting

The Bible says to put our hope in God/Jesus. That seems to tie in with this hymn which we sang during VBS last week: Jesus, I am resting resting. Because we have put our hope in Jesus, we can really rest in the joy of knowing who He is- we can rest in hope given to us by Him.
Another note on this song is what the VbS leader said about it: paraphrased, she said, "Say my husband isn't doing something I think he should be doing. I start to get upset. 'God, he isn't doing what you want him to.' No! If I'm resting in Jesus, I know that he has control over my husband. I rest in his peace."
I was really frustrated and upset recently and I remembered those words. I sang this hymn over and over and Over and OVER in my head, making myself calm down: Jesus is in control. I rest in who He is.

Jesus, I am resting, resting,
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
And Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by Thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.

Refrain

Jesus, I am resting, resting,
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.

Hope: Putting yourself in God's hands

During the Thirty Years' War in the 17th century, German pastor Paul Gerhardt and his family were forced to flee from their home. One night as they stayed in a small village inn, homeless and afraid, his wife broke down and cried openly in despair. To comfort her, Gerhardt reminded her of Scripture promises about God's provision and keeping. Then, going out to the garden to be alone, he too broke down and wept. He felt he had come to his darkest hour.
Soon afterward, Gerhardt felt the burden lifted and sensed anew the Lord's presence. Taking his pen, he wrote a hymn that has brought comfort to many. "Give to the winds thy fears; hope, and be undismayed; God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears; God shall lift up thy head. Through waves and clouds and storms He gently clears the way. Wait thou His time, so shall the night soon end in joyous day."
It is often in our darkest times that God makes His presence known most clearly. He uses our sufferings and troubles to show us that He is our only source of strength. And when we see this truth, like Pastor Gerhardt, we receive new hope. Are you facing a great trial? Take heart. Put yourself in God's hands. Wait for His timing. He will give you a "song in the night."
Our Daily Bread, May 7, 1992
And remember the words of the psalmist, Psalm 43:5 "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."

Faith: the What, the Why, the Possible, and the Comparison

What is it? Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Why must we have it? Hebrews 11:6: And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Even when things seem impossible.... Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. ²⁰Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, ²¹being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. ²²This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness. Romans 4:19-22

What is faith compared to? Hebrews 12:1-3: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Even if you can't see

Donner Atwood once told the story, “During the terrible days of the Blitz, a father, holding his small son by the hand, ran from a building that had been struck by a bomb. In the front yard was a shell hole. Seeking shelter as quickly as possible, the father jumped into the hole and held up his arms for his son to follow. Terrified, yet hearing his father's voice telling him to jump, the boy replied, "I can't see you!" The father, looking up against the sky tinted red by the burning buildings, called to the silhouette of his son, "But I can see you. Jump!" The boy jumped, because he trusted his father. The Christian faith enables us to face life or meet death, not because we can see, but with the certainty that we are seen; not that we know all the answers, but that we are known.” Faith is believing in that which you cannot see; trusting in that which you are unable to touch or glimpse. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is the core of things that we desire and long for, and the testimony of everything that is not visible for us right now. It continues in verse 6, “ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Everyone who comes to the Lord must believe that He exists; and not only that He exists, but also that He rewards everyone who earnestly seeks Him. Without this, without faith, we cannot be made right in God’s sight, for without faith it is impossible to please Him.
Think of how this passage continues. It goes on to talk about many “heroes of faith.” But four particular people mentioned here stand out. They are:
Noah
Abraham
Moses
Rahab.
Now these four people stand out to me because of the following reasons: It says here that Noah was “moved with holy fear.” He feared the LORD first, and fear of the LORD is holy. It says here that Abraham went where God called him to go, even though He did not know where He was going. This is perhaps the truest example of faith. He went where God led, even though He didn’t know where he was going. And this is what we should do, too. Then there was Moses. He chose to rather suffer afflictions as one of God’s people instead of living as the world. Finally, there was Rahab. She received God’s people in peace and had faith that their God would protect her. This is the faith by which she was saved. What I find interesting about all of these people is that none of them were portrayed as being perfect. Noah did not lead a holy life at some times, Abraham lied on several occasions about Sarah being his wife and committed other detestable sins, Moses murdered an Egyptian, and Rahab had a somewhat… checkered past. But it doesn’t matter how “great” they appeared to be. What matters is that they had FAITH in an incredible God who did work through their weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”
Just as the little boy who had to jump into his father’s arms, even though he couldn’t see his father, we sometimes are required to take leaps of faith into our heavenly Father’s arms. For without faith, it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6 says, “For without faith it is impossible to please Him…” Without faith in Him, we cannot please God. If we do not put our trust in Him alone, we cannot please God the Father. If we trust in God, put our faith in Him, and jump whenever He tells us, He will always catch us and never let us fall.

Faith: Walk the Talk!

Here are portions of a famous preacher’s talk on faith:
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that- and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
The preacher’s name was James. His lecture can also be found in the book of James, chapter 2: 14-26.
Summed up, James’ talk says this: faith without deeds is dead. He does not mean that you can achieve heaven by deeds, or that faith is composed of deeds. Instead he means that if your faith is not demonstrated through deeds, it is not real.
An interesting part of this passage- at least for me- is this part: “You believe that there is one God. Good! (sarcasm!) Even the demons believe that- and shudder.” Faith is not merely an intellectual belief in God. No. True faith is a commitment to God. And a commitment to God is demonstrated by doing what he desires.
Another interesting part of James’ talk is the passage about Abraham. “You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the alter? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did… you see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” Just think- what if Abraham’s “faith” was composed of, “Oh yeah, God, I know you’re there.” His faith was, “God, I will do whatever you tell me to do.”
There are two things to say as I sum up. One: Faith without deeds is dead. Two: faith is a commitment.
A challenge can be found in James’ words: Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.”

Why Katie Maple?

Hi! This is our first post in our new blog TOGETHER!!!! We, otherwise known as Haley and Rachel, wanted to start this blog so we could blog on different Biblical themes as a team. Haley is singing a strange song right now about togetherness. lol!!! Most of you (Haley speaking) are probably wondering WHY this blog is named Katie Maple. That's... a funny story. Rachel and I decided we wanted to write a few short stories similar to the "Mystery Sleuth" books- short mysteries that are solved through the Bible. We wanted to write these stories as a fun way for kids to learn about Bible verses for VBS. We decided to name our Scripture Sleuth Katie Maple. Haley (Rachel now speaking!) thought that it would be a good title for our blog, as it kind of sums up what we want this blog to be... a place that uses Scripture as an answer to every question. :) SO... we decided that on this blog we will post things related to our Biblical theme of the week. We will each write something on a Bible passage that talks about this theme. Our theme for this week is FAITH.
Signing off,
Rachel and Haley