I need your help in beginning a book project. The tentative title is I Can Do That. What is that? That is a time or event where God was present in your life. An easy one for me to remember was back in 1989. My sister Janet and her husband J. B. were praying for Karen and I. They were led of God to help us so they obeyed and I received this letter. "Dear Norm and Karen, We were praying for you and felt like God wanted us to send you this. Kind of weird! Love, Janet". Inside the envelope with the letter was a check for $153.51. Their letter had been sent to us on Thursday. That check matched to the penny ($153.51) the bill we had received on Friday. We had no way to pay the bill but God had already taken care of that.
I was talking to my friend, Burt Robinson at Annual Conference when he shared one of his stories. He was an All-American young man that grew up in church but arriving at college wasn't a Christian. He felt led to go to Bible study on campus but when he saw that the Geek Squad was in attendance he didn't go in. The next week he drifted by and this time saw a young man: a long-haired, Indian-looking guy named Erwin, standing outside at the door. "You going in?", Burt asked. "Yeah. You coming with me?", Erwin answered. Burt did go in and was saved and converted that night.
You can do that! You can pray for your family. You can stand at the door and go in to Bible study. Will you share your stories with me? I want you to be a contributor. Once you get started noticing how God is at work for you and through you you'll notice it more and more.
Burt is living proof of that. Burt was called into the ministry a few years after that life-changing night. The men in his first church wanted to give him a gift - send him to Promise Keepers in Colorado. He's like, I don't need to go there but they had gotten him the tickets so he went.
The first night they introduced the opening speaker: a short-haired, Indian-looking guy named Erwin Raphael McManus. Burt had another story to share!
Send your God-moments to me in the comment section or to reverendnorm@msn.com. Your story may be just the encouragement someone needs to notice what God is up to in their lives. You can do that!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
It's Thursday but Feels Like Monday
I returnd home from Annual Conference yesterday and I'm trying to catch up what didn't get done while I was gone. It feels like Monday. But, it is Thursday. So, I have one day to do five days of work.
Will I be alright? Yes, I will. Why? I only have today to live. I have to get Thursday's work done and I believe Monday through Wednesday will be covered.
I am making a choice. You must make this choice, too. Which takes precedence in my life? Which more aptly describes my outlook on the day: the devil is in the details or the Lord is in every little thing? Which is it? "Suddenly when I look around I no longer see anything but the tasks, problems and conflicts in my life." Or, is it as Mark 9: 8 says? "Suddenly when they looked around they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus."
Let's conduct ourselves today and everyday under the reality of Jesus' presence. I make that choice. Do you? We don't have to take matters into our own hands because that would be stealing from God. Trust Jesus. Ask him to open your eyes as he did the servant of Elisha long ago. (II Kings 6: 8-23)
It's Thursday but feels like Monday but either day, either way God is with us!
Will I be alright? Yes, I will. Why? I only have today to live. I have to get Thursday's work done and I believe Monday through Wednesday will be covered.
I am making a choice. You must make this choice, too. Which takes precedence in my life? Which more aptly describes my outlook on the day: the devil is in the details or the Lord is in every little thing? Which is it? "Suddenly when I look around I no longer see anything but the tasks, problems and conflicts in my life." Or, is it as Mark 9: 8 says? "Suddenly when they looked around they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus."
Let's conduct ourselves today and everyday under the reality of Jesus' presence. I make that choice. Do you? We don't have to take matters into our own hands because that would be stealing from God. Trust Jesus. Ask him to open your eyes as he did the servant of Elisha long ago. (II Kings 6: 8-23)
It's Thursday but feels like Monday but either day, either way God is with us!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
The Discretion of Bitterness
When bitterness prevails something has to give. Usually, it’s someone conveniently close to us at the time. With Cain, it was his brother Abel. With the young man yesterday involved in intervention, it was another person at the treatment facility. It doesn’t matter. Bitterness mandates you have no choice. That’s a lie but it’s your story and you’re sticking to it.
Bitterness begets bloodshed. Cain attacked his brother and slaughtered him. Jesus said we don’t have to be that obvious. “You have heard it said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder’ and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother (without cause) will be subject to judgment.” Perhaps our bitterness is more polite. Perhaps we kill those conveniently close to us by sabotaging their dreams, spreading rumors that destroy their reputation, or questioning the legitimacy of anything they do. Be careful. Bitterness is deadly no matter how discreetly it is applied. It is no consolation that the bleeding you cause is internal.
The discretion of bitterness is only in how quietly or loudly it leads you and others towards death. You have the power to choose the call of God over the compulsion of bitterness. God's grace is sufficient for you. I'd like to show you how true that is. You can see it for yourself. Order your autographed copy of Moving at the Speed of Grace: Discovering the Way God Always Works today. For helping us get ready for publication, the cost is only $10.00. Thanks.
Norman Ramsey Ministries, 805 Hutcheson Lane, South Hill, VA 23970 (540) 309-1776
Falling into Bitterness
Betrayal locks us into a self serving bias. Our bias holds up pretty well in this world. We can get along fairly well living to suit ourselves. But, when God steps in to reclaim the relationship that’s been lost, our bias won’t hold up. We know something’s wrong. We dare not admit we’re responsible in any way so to blame we must go. But, blame will not hold up. It doesn’t fit the facts. The fact is I have a say-so in what my life is like. If I fight against that fact I will grow bitter.
Again, God is asking questions, this time of Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But, if you do not what is right, sin is crouching at the door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” In bitterness there is a battle for mastery. Whose servant will you be – God’s or sin’s? On the A & E network’s program, Intervention, a young man wrestling with his anger and the addictions that arise out of it laments though he knows he is doing wrong, he is helpless to do anything about it. Even after he says yes to treatment and intervention, his anger causes him to be dismissed from the program. When bitterness prevails something has to give.
We'll find out tomorrow what happens when bitterness has its way. The path gets uglier. If you or the group you're part of needs a turn around out of bitterness, contact us. We'd like to help you get back on the pathway of grace. That's why we wrote the book Moving at the Speed of Grace.
Order today for only $10.00 and you will receive an autographed copy and help us be ready for publication. You can write to Norman Ramsey Ministries, 805 Hutcheson Lane, South Hill, VA 23970 or call me at (540) 309-1776. Thanks.
The Blame Game
When God calls us, our bias and self justification rings hollow and we are forced to move further down the path of sin. God asks, “Where are you?" And Adam responds in paranoid fear. God asks again, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” Does Adam come clean? Does he own up to his betrayal of God’s commandment? No, Adam blames God and objectifies Eve. “The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
Adam compounds his betrayal but he doesn’t see it. He wimps out again, blaming Eve. Eve blames the serpent. The curse comes. The partnership Eve and Adam was to share was fragmented and weakened. The fruitfulness that was to be the natural outcome of their relationship with God and with each other becomes a real pain and hard labor. They produce children and it is in their offspring where we see the rest of the pathway of sin unfold.
Stay tuned to see where the path of sin leads. It's not pretty.
Speaking of staying tuned you can order our music at http://musicforemmaus.com/html/store.html
You can also order an autographed copy of Moving at the Speed of Grace and help us get ready for publication! Thanks. Call me at (540) 309-1776. Tell your friends they can call me, too.
My Eyes!
Yesterday we learned that betrayal is the first step on the path of sin. It is the first step towards death for God's word had been spoken, loving words, "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You shall not eat from it, for in the day you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2: 16-17)
Adam chose rebellion over obedience, stubbornness over love and “the eyes of both of them were opened". (Genesis 3:7) They began to operate in what John Ortberg described as their own self serving bias. The scripture says the step of betrayal blinds our spiritual eyes so that we cannot see how to make up for what’s been lost. We’re naked and hearing the movement of God we tend to hide from it rather than step back into God’s presence. John 3: 19-20 shows the terrible danger in which this puts each person. “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”
We force ourselves into living within a “box”of deceiving ourselves and justifying our betrayal. This way of doing business is described in Leadership and Self Deception. You should read that book.
When God calls us, our bias and self justification rings hollow and we are forced to move further down the path of sin. I say 'forced' because failing to back up in repentance, acknowledge the blindness of our bias and the betrayal to which it's rooted, we will inevitably, forcefully, follow the path of sin. Where does it take us? We'll see tomorrow.
If you want to see where God will always take you, order our new book, Moving at the Speed of Grace. Today (unlike yesterday) I'll give you the address and phone number so you can let me know you want an autographed copy. Norman Ramsey Ministries, 805 Hutcheson Lane, South Hill, VA 23970. Phone # is (540) 309-1776. Thanks.
In the Beginning- Betrayal
In the beginning, “God created man in his own image”. God blessed them, the man and the woman, and commanded them to be fruitful and to rule over every living creature. This was their calling and God said, “It was very good.” But, when they were tempted by the serpent they both ignored and betrayed their calling, falling into sin. They had been given positions of authority under God to rule the earth, but they endeavored to establish their own authority. The woman, made to be a ‘helpmate’ acted independently of any communication between herself and God or between herself and her husband. Adam: whom God had given authority to have dominion over everything, wimped out. He stood idly by and then passively took a bite of the forbidden fruit. The fall occurs.
No love was demonstrated. No trust given. Why not ask the serpent to come back tomorrow after you’ve talked about it? What’s the rush? Where’s the patience? Do you believe God is unkind? Do you give the serpent, who boasts of greater knowledge, the benefit of your doubts rather than God? It's betrayal. Immediately, the first step towards death had been taken. “The eyes of both of them were opened.”
We've taken the same step. We've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and we know it. We're not quite living up to our full potential. Things don't work out like they should sometimes. This path is not the one we want to be on.
Jesus said, "Repent and believe for the Kingdom of God is near." Jump over to that kingdom. Acknowledge your betrayal and ask Jesus to take you back. He will and he'll do more than that. He will restore what betrayal has stolen. Jesus offers himself as an atonement for you and commands you now to turn to him, obey his voice, and receive the gift of life.
We at Norman Ramsey Ministries want to show you the path of life: the way God always takes when He is at work in our lives. One way is to order a copy of our book, Moving at the Speed of Grace! You can receive an autographed copy for only $10.00 and this will help us cover the cost of publication. Another way is to continue to read this blog. Tell your friends about us and may the grace and joy of Jesus be your unavoidable experience!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Why We Need to Know Our First Parents
Why do we need to get to know our first parents? Some might say, "I'm not going to make the same mistakes my parents did." I'm afraid you will if you don't learn from their mistakes. You will do even worse if you don't learn how to turn from their and your own mistakes.
So, that's why we need to know our first parents. The way sin worked in them is still the way sin works in us. The good news that you will see over and over again in this book is that God has provided us a way out of sin, a pathway of grace.
Put yourself in Adam and Eve’s shoes for a minute. Go back and read Genesis, chapters 3 & 4. Sin begins in betrayal. Sin is a breach in trust. That locks us into a self-serving bias.
Proverbs 3: 5-7 offers us a clear path for reconciling ourselves to God and the pathway of grace. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil.”
Repair the breach. Acknowledge the betrayal by hightailing it to God. Don’t lean to your own understanding. Don’t substantiate the temptation. “The woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom.”
Of course, this was true. The tree was good because God is good. That doesn’t make it your tree. I have peach trees and apple trees in my orchard at home. The fruit is good and tastes great. I live an hour away. Do I want everyone who admires the fruitfulness of my trees to have some? No, I’d prefer to eat it myself or, at the very least, be asked for permission.
Adam and Eve did none of this. They could have exerted a little faith in God during this temptation. “Serpent, what you say sounds pretty good. We’ll check it with God when we walk him this evening. Come back tomorrow or better yet, hang around until God gets here. We’ll give you a tour of the rest of the garden while we wait.”
Even after the sin occurred Adam and Eve could have moved in grace to begin in repentance with God. Instead, they hid themselves.
Don't you hide from the mistakes of the past or present. Turn from them. Learn how to go to God with them. Otherwise, we'll see in the next yourdailygrace you can either be making godspeed towards repentance or good speed downhill. The choice is yours.
So, that's why we need to know our first parents. The way sin worked in them is still the way sin works in us. The good news that you will see over and over again in this book is that God has provided us a way out of sin, a pathway of grace.
Put yourself in Adam and Eve’s shoes for a minute. Go back and read Genesis, chapters 3 & 4. Sin begins in betrayal. Sin is a breach in trust. That locks us into a self-serving bias.
Proverbs 3: 5-7 offers us a clear path for reconciling ourselves to God and the pathway of grace. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil.”
Repair the breach. Acknowledge the betrayal by hightailing it to God. Don’t lean to your own understanding. Don’t substantiate the temptation. “The woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom.”
Of course, this was true. The tree was good because God is good. That doesn’t make it your tree. I have peach trees and apple trees in my orchard at home. The fruit is good and tastes great. I live an hour away. Do I want everyone who admires the fruitfulness of my trees to have some? No, I’d prefer to eat it myself or, at the very least, be asked for permission.
Adam and Eve did none of this. They could have exerted a little faith in God during this temptation. “Serpent, what you say sounds pretty good. We’ll check it with God when we walk him this evening. Come back tomorrow or better yet, hang around until God gets here. We’ll give you a tour of the rest of the garden while we wait.”
Even after the sin occurred Adam and Eve could have moved in grace to begin in repentance with God. Instead, they hid themselves.
Don't you hide from the mistakes of the past or present. Turn from them. Learn how to go to God with them. Otherwise, we'll see in the next yourdailygrace you can either be making godspeed towards repentance or good speed downhill. The choice is yours.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Getting to Know Our First Parents Better
Proverbs 3 commands us to acknowledge God in all our ways. Adam when confronted with his trespass couldn’t acknowledge responsibility for it. Instead, he moved from bias to blame and said “The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
Blame won’t hold up. If you have eyes to see you could move to begin with God again in repentance. Adam could have leaned on God instead of Eve but Adam did not move quickly or hightail it to begin again with God. Adam moved quickly and immediately to blame.
Go a little further into the scripture. The next stage of sin unfolds. The curse has come. Cain and Abel bring a sacrifice to God. Cain’s sacrifice is of his own making.
He knows how to make it better – acceptable to God. Cain chooses being bitter over being better. God warns Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face down cast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But, if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to master you, but you must master it.”
Proverbs 3 promises God will warn us. God will give us a path of mastery in grace – a path of breakthrough. “God will direct our paths.”
Sin desires mastery over you. Bitterness will beget bloodshed in us as it did in Cain. That’s why Proverbs 3 calls us out of this cycle of violence when it says, “Be not wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil.” It’s not all about you or me. The world doesn’t revolve around us. When it does someone goes down. Bloodshed moves us to a breaking point of judgment.
What has happened to all of us? We have sinned and sin has brought death to our lives. Now, we didn’t stop breathing when we first sinned. No, we died to who we were created to be – living, breathing signs of grace.
We died to living a spirit filled life. We got rooted in expressing our lives with its point of origin in sin. It’s now time to get things turned around. It’s time to focus on God’s point of origin for us: Jesus.
Blame won’t hold up. If you have eyes to see you could move to begin with God again in repentance. Adam could have leaned on God instead of Eve but Adam did not move quickly or hightail it to begin again with God. Adam moved quickly and immediately to blame.
Go a little further into the scripture. The next stage of sin unfolds. The curse has come. Cain and Abel bring a sacrifice to God. Cain’s sacrifice is of his own making.
He knows how to make it better – acceptable to God. Cain chooses being bitter over being better. God warns Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face down cast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But, if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to master you, but you must master it.”
Proverbs 3 promises God will warn us. God will give us a path of mastery in grace – a path of breakthrough. “God will direct our paths.”
Sin desires mastery over you. Bitterness will beget bloodshed in us as it did in Cain. That’s why Proverbs 3 calls us out of this cycle of violence when it says, “Be not wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil.” It’s not all about you or me. The world doesn’t revolve around us. When it does someone goes down. Bloodshed moves us to a breaking point of judgment.
What has happened to all of us? We have sinned and sin has brought death to our lives. Now, we didn’t stop breathing when we first sinned. No, we died to who we were created to be – living, breathing signs of grace.
We died to living a spirit filled life. We got rooted in expressing our lives with its point of origin in sin. It’s now time to get things turned around. It’s time to focus on God’s point of origin for us: Jesus.
Let Me Introduce My Parents
My youngest son, Robert got engaged last week. Sarah, his fiance, said, "Yes" even though she had already met us- Robert's parents. It must be love!
I remember the first time Karen met my parents. I had brought her home to have dinner and to get acquainted. I was sure Karen was the one for me so I was praying that this introduction wouldn't dash my hopes for happily ever after.
Things were going rather well. We were enjoying a good meal and pleasant conversation when out of left field Mama asked me, "Norm, have you washed behind your ears?"
Why would a mother do such a thing to her son with his 'Hoped-For' sitting beside him? My Daddy's only response was an understated but astonished, "Betty". Karen's reaction? The mouthful of tea she had got spewed over Daddy as she tried not to laugh.
Thankfully, she still married me. It must have been love!
This week, I want to introduce you to our first parents: Adam and Eve. As we follow the pathway of sin they fell onto we will see "it must be love" - God's love that gives us the opportunity to change and redeem the life or lack of it we inherited from our parents. Join me each day and let me introduce my parents to you.
Grace and peace be yours,
Norman Ramsey
I remember the first time Karen met my parents. I had brought her home to have dinner and to get acquainted. I was sure Karen was the one for me so I was praying that this introduction wouldn't dash my hopes for happily ever after.
Things were going rather well. We were enjoying a good meal and pleasant conversation when out of left field Mama asked me, "Norm, have you washed behind your ears?"
Why would a mother do such a thing to her son with his 'Hoped-For' sitting beside him? My Daddy's only response was an understated but astonished, "Betty". Karen's reaction? The mouthful of tea she had got spewed over Daddy as she tried not to laugh.
Thankfully, she still married me. It must have been love!
This week, I want to introduce you to our first parents: Adam and Eve. As we follow the pathway of sin they fell onto we will see "it must be love" - God's love that gives us the opportunity to change and redeem the life or lack of it we inherited from our parents. Join me each day and let me introduce my parents to you.
Grace and peace be yours,
Norman Ramsey
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
