How Do you Eat an Elephant? One bite at a time.

Personal Note:   This is my February newsletter.  Please subscribe to my monthly newsletter at TonyaAnn.com  

 LEARNING TO LOVE IT!

    The Bible is God's Word,  authoratative, infallible, completely trustworthy and the only Truth.  It is how God speaks to his people today.   Moses had a burning bush because he didn't have the written word of God.  We do.  Every Christian feels the need to read this Word and every Christian wants it to be more than a commandment.  It's just so long, and all those lists of names.   You read the Bible the same way you eat an elephant.  Take these ten bites to help you learn to love it!

   
1.   Timing can help or hinder.   Most christians are told to read the Bible first thing in the morning. This gives it priority in our daily schedule.  However, not all of us are morning people,  some have obligations first thing in the morning.   When are you most likely to enjoy the reading?  If reading the Word of God is a 'to-do' that you dread,  you won't grow in the Word or enjoy it.  Schedule a time that works for you, and stick to it! 

2. Location, Location, Location. Where do you sit when you read the Bible?    Find a comfortable place where your Bible is close and you won't be distracted by dirty dishes or laundry.   Frankly, I do well in my bed propped up with pillows after I've had my coffee and am fully awake.  It's a date with my Bible and I look forward to it.  I have a friend who lays in the floor.  Find your place.

3.  Pray before you read.  Thank the Lord that he loved you enough to speak to you.  Ask Him to let you see something new even in a familiar passage of scripture.  Anne Graham Lotz says to remember that the God of the Universe is speaking in his Word.  We are blessed that He wants to speak to us.  

4.  Enjoy the story.    Read the scripture like you would a novel.  Think of it as a story and see it in your mind as you read.  Imagine the real people you are reading about.  

5.  See Jesus in every book,  even the Old Testament.  Check out this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?=HmfFW0gPuyE  Tony Evans tells you who Jesus is in every book of the Bible.  Refer back to it as you read a specific book.  

6.  Motivation.   Why are you reading the Word? Be honest.  Are you checking off a to do list, reading out of guilt or a false sense of getting something from God (works based)  or to impress someone?   Ask God to give you a sincere love for His word.

7.  Habit Forming Let your reading become a habit.  And forget everything you think you know about establishing a habit.   James Clear (https://jamesclear.com/goals-systems)  says the way to reach a goal is to establish a system that will help you reach any goal,  not just this one.  Bites 1-6 are establishing a system.  

8.  Translations. Choose the right translation for YOU.  Not the most popular, the most downloaded,  the one your grandmother's pastor suggested.   They are different depending on your motivation for reading.  (March's newsletter will address translations with several expert quotes and notes)  

9.  Until then,  check out the resources on my website  TonyaAnn.com,  Gordon Fee's book How to Read the Bible for all It's Worth.   Which Translation should You Use? by Rick Hamlin  at  Guideposts.org    Ask some trusted friends which translation they read from in their personal devotions.  Confession,  I read from several depending on the book,  this year I'm reading the prophecies in The Message.

10.   Grace Give yourself grace. If you get behind, catch up when you can.  It's not about reading the Word on a timeline,  it's about hearing from God.  It's about learning to communicate with the King of Kings.   It's about loving hearing from Him.  He may be slowing down to hear a word just for you.   

            Learning to love it takes committment, practice and an open heart.   Are you ready to try?   Drop me an email. Or comment at TonyaAnn, Writer on facebook.  

Grace Redefined

   The word ‘grace’ is mentioned 170 times in the Bible. Devotions, sermons, and books abound about “grace.”  It’s a buzzword in the Christian community. Personally,  I’ve heard it my entire life. My  granddaughter’s middle name is Grace. Some of my most favorite songs are about grace. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeRHyY2I-PU)  and (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwBTkHyO1vs) I’m all about grace. But, I have no idea how to explain it. 

    The Greek translation of “grace” is graciousness. Dictionary.com says grace is a “manifestation of favor from a superior.”  Graciousness is the state of benevolence,  kindness. Biblical scholars say it is "unmerited favor.”  I am convinced that any grace that comes my way is completely unmerited. I’ve done nothing that could win my salvation and a home in Heaven. That I do get.

   However, over the past few months,  I saw,  with my own eyes,  Grace. In the lives of two women I do not know well but who shared their story. Neither of them used the word “grace” in their monologue,  but both caught my attention,  I’m not sure they realized what grace they were describing.

   One shared being raised in a home where the Bible, God and church were  a nonentity. As a teenager, she went to church with a friend just to get out of the house. There, she found a Savior, her life was changed and she’s in full time ministry today. How does that happen? How does that girl find a friend who is part of a Bible believing church that preaches Jesus? (There aren’t that many on the West Coast anymore). What are the chances that THAT girl continues to grow in the Lord? I know what Vegas would say. But,  God says,  I can keep you wherever I lead you. I’m God,  wherever you go. His Spirit keeps drawing THAT girl closer to Him despite her circumstances.   That’s Grace.

   The other woman shared growing up in a church that never asked her if she wanted to “accept Jesus.”  She thought her upbringing and rituals and traditions were her salvation. As a teenager, she went to a Bible Study. By her admission,  she can’t remember who invited her,  why she went or how it came about but there she was. The leader asked her if she wanted to accept Christ. How does that happen? Why does it happen to her out of all the girls in the world? Again,  why does she stick with it? Grace.

  By the way,  the Barna Research Group indicates that youth and teens aged 14-18 have only a 14% probability of accepting Christ. These women defied the odds.

  As long established,  raised on the pew, read the Bible through, die-hard  Christians,  we may take the gifts bestowed by Christ for granted. It’s easy to skim through that familiar passage of scripture. It’s easy to tune out yet another sermon on relationships. It’s easy to hear a word like grace and move on. I’m stopping today,  I’m thinking about grace and what it really means. I’m looking up “grace” scriptures and applying them to me and my life.

“ But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me-and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles;  yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. I Corinthians 15:10(NLT)  

Intimidation

 

    While I was writing Inside Story, I had more than one doubt about my ability to do this.  It was a daily question in my head,  “Who are you to hear from God?  You don’t have a MDiv,  you only took sixteen hours of Bible in college.  You don’t really know the Bible.  You always want to be the center of attention,  Pride,  that’s your sin.  You don’t ‘hear’ from God.  It’s serious business to say you heard from God,  people die from claiming that”  and on and on.   Intimidation was a daily battle. 

    Intimidation is of the enemy.  Intimidation is the nagging feeling that stops you from doing something. Even something God has called you to.    Intimidation is rampant in our world today.   Coming mostly in the form of verbal assault but also in some very real threats.  Losing your job, losing the  ability to eat in a restaurant, or travel.  Intimidation is tangible and it has been a tool of Satan throughout history. 

   In his book, Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby put intimidation into perspective for me.  “Don’t let anyone intimidate you about hearing from God”.   If I believe the Word of God, then,   “His sheep know His voice, He gives wisdom to those who ask,  He guides and directs when we acknowledge Him.”  It follows that I am capable of hearing from God.   Satan doesn’t care if I hear from God as long as I don’t act on anything he tells me. Personally or in ministry.  

   Intimidation is only successful to the self-centered life.  Remember Moses,  when God called him to free the Israelites from captivity?  His first response was “ME?”  And then he listed a litany of reasons he was not the man for the job.  He gave into intimidation.   None of us would suggest that Moses  from God had not heard from God in that situation,  yet we give into those same lies. 

   I don’t want to minimize the responsibility of claiming to hear from God.  It’s a dangerous thing and one must be absolutely positive that they have heard from God.  Which begs the question, “how do we know for sure”. 

   I’m going to continue exploring that prayerfully and through scripture, but I am sure of one thing:  it only happens within a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 

  Do you need settle step one before we move on?   Connect with me at TonyaAnn.com 

Inaugural Newsletter: News to be Used

 You can subscribe to my monthly newsletter at TonyaAnn.com  

What is keeping you from hearing from God today?

   

  Did you know that the Bible was not written in chapters and verses?  It was written as stories, letters and poetry.  The chapters and verses were added by translators following the trend of British and American authors who tended toward shorter paragraphs.  Translators also added these measurements to aid the reader in finding specific scripture.   Reading by genre encourages you to read the narratives the way the original writer intended. Reading in a different genre each week will give you fresh insight and keep your thoughts flowing. 
    It’s not too late to start reading the Bible through in 2022 with Inside Story (https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Story-52-Weeks-Word) 
Here are three easy steps to jump start you!

1. Order Inside Story: 52 weeks in the Word today.   Inside Story is undated so week one starts when you want it to be week one.
2. Download the free reading chart from TonyaAnn.com and chose your favorite color marker to keep track of your success.
3. Schedule 30 mins at the beginning and end of each week to allow time to understand the cultural atmosphere of the time and consider how the week’s reading relates to today.  Start any time now.

See below how you can win Gordon Fee’s book just by reading this newsletter.
 
     My blog is posted twice monthly,  the first and third Wednesday of the month at TonyaAnn, writer on Facebook and on my website at TonyaAnn.com.       

  Hey Colorado Peeps!  Come see me this  Saturday,  January 29 from noon to 3 pm at Books Are Awesome 11211 Dransfeldt Road  #101 in Parker.   Come visit this wonderful little indie bookstore with people who are happy to order your next read!
 
Drop a comment on my Facebook page,  TonyaAnn, Writer about this newsletter for a chance to win Gordon Fee’s book How to Read the Bible for all It’s Worth.  Some lucky subscriber will be randomly selected to win!


Address questions to info@tonyaann.com.  I might answer in an upcoming newsletter. 
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Circumstances

 

    Recently, my “circumstances”  had me down and out. The God who loves and sees me made sure I was at a specific place in my Experiencing God study by Henry Blackaby. He had already purposed the lesson I was to learn.

    Blackaby says  “A whole lot of wrong things can happen if you try to look at God from the middle of your circumstances.”  In the eye of the storm, we can’t understand what is happening and often can’t find the answers no matter how hard we pray. We can’t move forward in God’s will until we hear God speak. If he is silent, we must continue in the last thing we knew to do. Always prayer & Bible Study. Here is my take on Blackaby’s 7 steps when circumstances are confusing.

·       Decide right now,  before the crisis,  what you believe. Has he ever failed you? Has He always been faithful in every situation? His Word assures us that his love for us is unfailing, that He is for us, and He will never leave or forsake us.

·       Don’t try to figure it out. In a storm, you don’t look up into a whirling wind and measure windspeed and direction. (Meteorologists may but even they run for cover at some point).

·       Pray,  not just for the change in the circumstance, but ask God to give you his eyes to see a purpose in this time.

·       Wait,  the hardest one. Listen for the Spirit to speak to you  in prayer, from His Word and in the voices of His people

·       Follow God’s guidance as you temporarily adjust to the circumstances. Watch to see what he is doing not only in your life but the life of your friends & family. Sometimes the trial is not about you.

·       Do what God says to do. Whatever he tells you, do it and do it immediately.

·       Eventually you will understand His purpose as He works in and through you.

 

My friend, Amy Young,  wrote on her website  “we need to be anchored in Someone outside of our circumstances.”   As for me,  my circumstances lasted three full weeks, a couple of them resolved positively,  a few are still ongoing but less intense. I do not have the answers for why, how, or what the purpose was. I have made some adjustments to my thinking,  hid a few specific scriptures in my heart and planned for the next time Satan attacks in this area. I saw how they affected some loved ones and believe there’s a positive outcome in their lives as a result. That’s what growing in the Lord is all about. Mostly,  I am reassured that I am firmly anchored in Someone, not only outside the circumstances but above them.

Muhammad Ali & Me

    I’ve never understood the ‘sport’ of boxing. I can understand the desire to pummel someone with your fist but the risk of being pummeled far outweighs the joy of the former. Even more confusing is the audience excitement at the sight of flowing body fluids and swollen faces. Why doesn’t the beat up boxer just lie there,  down for the count,  at least it’ll be over.

     I was an unwilling participant when a phone call hurled me into the ring with the enemy of my soul. We’ve being going round and round for a few weeks now. For a time he landed punch after punch of fear, anxiety, heartache, depression, and hopelessness. I stumbled back onto my feet time after time, but exhaustion set in quickly. I was down for the count and not at all sad about it.

  In that moment,  the guy in my corner steps in. He pushes my opponent aside and gets in my face. Do not be afraid,  he repeats 365 times. Be strong and courageous he says 25  times. I am with you he tells me over three hundred times. And with those words ringing in my ear above all the din of the world arena,  he grabs my arm and pulls me up. I wish the next scene were limping out of the arena with his arm supporting me, but it isn’t. Instead he pulls me to my feet and propels me to the center of the ring where Satan awaits bouncing around on his feet ready for the next blow.

   An old gospel song reminds me,  “it’s a battlefield, brother, not a recreation room,  it’s a fight not a game.”   So back into the ring I go, and Satan pulls his best punch,  hopelessness,  this will never change certainly not for the better. This final blow,  the one he expects to bring me down,  can and will. I am  on the ropes with only one hope of survival. The one thing that will stop his final punch and throw him to the ground, my  only defense. I throw the only blow I have, ‘by the blood of the lamb and the word of (my) testimony.’    My return blows come from my mouth (no surprise there)  not my hands.

   Satan,  you have no power, Jesus took it from you on the cross (Hebrews 2:14-15)  The Word of God abides in me, and I can overcome you. (I John 2:14)  My steps are ordered of God (Psalm37:23)  and I have been made righteous by the blood of the lamb (Romans 5:17). You have come against me, but I come against you in the name of the Lord almighty(I Samuel 17:45)  No punch you throw at me can succeed,  your accusations are lies, I am defended by the God of the Universe and because of Him I will be victorious. (Isaiah 54:17). I have peace that you cannot steal because it is a gift from Jesus himself (John 14:27)  You don’t scare me because I have a spirit of power and my thoughts are captive to that spirit (2 Timothy 1:7,  2 Corinthians 10:5) 

    So,  I live to fight another day. “ I have told you this so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world.”  –Jesus (John 16:33 CEV)   

Christmas unwrapped

   With Christmas just 3 days away,  some faces are not radiant with happiness at the season. There are empty chairs around a festive table and one or more of those chairs will be empty at dinner. Some are tethered to their phone in hopes that today is the day the wayward child will call. Some already have the diagnosis that will impact the next year. Some,  fearful of a variant, will abandon visits. Some have no happy memories of Christmas past and thus have no hope for Christmas present. For far too many, Christmas is a season to endure.

   In 1990, Jack Hayford wrote in  Moments with Majesty   that Christmas can be “wrapped”. Wrapped in disappointment, hurt, loneliness, anxiety, or fear. He asks,  “How many varieties of death wrap a God-appointed celebration of life?” 

  The first Christmas was “wrapped.”  An unwed pregnant teenager traveling miles and miles with her betrothed, not the father and ending up in a barn full of animals and filth in full labor.  Joseph was going to Bethlehem to register, to be tracked and counted. The Israelites were under a repressive regime that threatened their religious freedom daily. Sound familiar?

     Remember that the prince of darkness did not easily relinquish his earthly dominion to this babe of Bethlehem. The entire story of the gospel records Satan’s efforts to stop this baby from his mission. Starting in a barn in Bethlehem.

   Today’s infant mortality rate is 2.9%   in a sterile, hospital environment with  the knowledge of a highly trained physician and the technology to literally stall death. During the Middle Ages, almost half of all babies born died. I have to wonder what chance  a baby and mother had in a barn on a cold winter night with a teenage boy attending?   When the baby thrived, a wicked king ordered the death of every Jewish boy under age 2 in yet, another effort to kill this baby before his time. Still unsuccessful, thirty years later,  this same enemy would approach this now grown baby and try again to thwart his life’s mission. Three years after that,  he would celebrate the physical death of the baby he had failed to destroy. But, three days later, the babe of Mary, the son of man and God would again prove his resiliency.

     If your Christmas is wrapped in pain, fear, disappointment, grief, heartache, or loss,  consider; as Hayford does, that “The one who sought to murder the babe of Bethlehem now seeks to ruin your celebration of His coming.” 

   Before you unwrap the presents this year,  unwrap Christmas. Celebrate the victory that began in a manger.