Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Our Helper for Living Passionately for Christ
1 Peter 2:9 (GNV) "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal Priesthood, an holy nation, a people set at liberty, that ye should show forth the virtues of him that hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light..." [1599 Geneva Bible]
I have had it on my heart for a
very long time--this subject of God’s call on my life, and the life of every
believer, to live a life of holiness and completely set apart for His purpose.
So many believers put their life, all that it’s consumed of, ahead of God’s
purpose for their life. We don’t know ultimately what God’s total plan is for
our lives, but if we study His Word, then we know many commands He gives us
that are already there…we simply aren't obeying them. If we can’t obey the
commands He has already given, why would He entrust us with the next phase of
His plan for us? We have to show we are at least faithful to do the things He
has already given us to do. He desires us to be His light in this dark world.
Do we desire that same thing? Today, I read from 1 Timothy and Galatians, to be
reminded by Paul how we can and should rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to
strengthen us, help us, comfort us….guide us through everything so that we can
be victorious even in perilous times. He has a lot to say in all of his
writings about the cost of discipleship, the price we pay to truly live for
Jesus, losing our lives for His sake.
1 Timothy 1:6-7 “For this reason
I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the
laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and
love and self-control.”
These verses reach me in more
than one way. Most people quote part of verse 7…”but God gave us not a spirit
of fear…”. You will hear that a lot. And, it’s true. My faith in God has taken
away my fear in man and many other “spirits”, I suppose we could say.
I also like to
focus on verse 6, though. It brings the entire section into a different
light, but it also encourages me in a different way:
1 Timothy 1:6 “For this reason I
remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the
laying on of my hands,”.
This encourages me to strive to
keep the flame alive in my heart, the flame that burns in me for Jesus. That
fire is a gift from God. Not every Christian you meet is full of passion or
zeal. This verse shows that Paul was reminding Timothy that he had this gift
and he needed to focus on it, to keep it alive and never let it die down. I
never want my fire to die down. Do you? Too many people let theirs die down
before it ever really gets going good. Some let theirs die down even after
their flame was burning for many years. It can happen. I pray, I mean I
actually pray, that this never happens to me. I want to stay strong and
faithful to the end. I already know that the troubles of life can cause a
person to become weak and, at times, go astray. I know that because it happened
to me. It happened to me when I was very young in my new faith and many trials
hit me at once. Once I stepped off the straight and narrow path, it was a
battle within me to get back into a right relationship with God. You see that I
didn't say it was hard to get back “into church”. No, there’s a difference in
those two actions. You can get back into the church building and still not be
the Church, at least, not a functioning member of the Body. That is a serious
mistake to believe that all is well because you attend church again. A right
relationship with God involves the inward relationship and communion restored
with Him, not the outward acts of trying to “be good” and following a strict
set of rules. The very rules you try to obey cannot be obeyed without the help
of the great Helper Himself! Why, you will know those true believers who have
daily fellowship with the Lord and love Him above all else because there are
certain signs, which I’m going to point out after I share what Paul says to
Timothy next…
1 Timothy 1: 8-14 “Therefore do not
be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share
in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us
to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and
grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now
has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who
abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for
which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I
suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am
convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to
me. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the
faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells
within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”
Now, there’s a lot of big
messages that could be expounded upon in this one paragraph, but focus on a few
small ones for now. Paul is urging Timothy, a young preacher, not to be ashamed
of the Gospel nor of him (Paul) as he was a prisoner for the reason of
preaching and teaching the message of Christ Jesus, as he was an apostle. He
tells Timothy that this Gospel message, this holy calling he has to preach it,
is the very reason why he suffers so greatly. And, he doesn't care about the
suffering! He understands that that is the price we pay when we serve God and
deliver the message of the Gospel to the world. Paul wouldn't and didn't back
down. He even held his own praise and worship sessions in jail, much to the
amazement of the guards and other prisoners, as well. He tells reminds Timothy,
in a way as if he warns him, that he, too, has this holy calling on his life.
Times were hard for Christians back then, especially the devout ones that liked
to share their testimony of the power of our Lord…and Paul certainly had a
great testimony. But, don’t think that they lived in such a different world
back then, because they really didn't. They preached the Gospel in a part of
the world where paganism had dominated for many years. They were the real deal
when it comes to worshiping false gods. Our trials now aren't all that
different though. In fact, in some sense, it may be worse. No, we aren't, in
America, being imprisoned simply because we say we are Christians. But, hasn't
it grown worse, in other ways? I don’t want to go into a whole separate topic,
but in this modern day world, there are so many more who have let that fire die
down in them. There’s a lot of temptation in our world now. The god of this
world has made it so easy and comfortable, even, to just walk away from your
true relationship with God. He has made it easy to say no to God’s calling or
to just become stubborn or deaf to the Spirit…not answering your call properly.
It’s hard to be a Christian because the flesh is weak, it wants to fit in and
be accepted. The flesh wants to look like the world and act like the world…or,
I could just say, the flesh wants to avoid saying “no” to many things it should
say no to. This spiritual battle, warfare, has been going on forever. It was a
battle when Paul was living and preaching and it’s a battle today. Back then,
they were killed because of their faith. Today, under normal circumstances, we
aren't killed because of our profession of faith. I consider it worse because
of those great numbers of ones who are professing Christians, but, by way of
their own life as their witness, continue to crucify Jesus and turn more people
away from the Church than being a Light in this dark world. I realize that
sounds harsh, but it’s not un-Biblical. People don’t like to hear the truth
about things, but even more don’t want to talk about it. Today, we do have many
gods that replace God. We have many false teachers that are so deceiving that
Christians are listening to them daily and buying out their books, replacing,
in large part, the Bible with the babbling of other books. We've bought into
lies that are so numerous that I’m not even going to get into it here. But….the
great news, the Truth….God is faithful to forgive us if we confess and turn
back to Him. How do we get back to the place we need to be and have the power
to live strong in the faith? Paul tells Timothy in the last part of that
paragraph….”13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from
me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who
dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”
Paul says to Timothy “Don’t be
ashamed of me or of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes, I’m a prisoner because of
my faithfulness in preaching this Gospel, but you need to share in this
suffering—suffering for Christ. This Word was entrusted to you to deliver to
the people who have been entrusted to you. BY THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO DWELLS WITHIN
US, GUARD THE GOOD DEPOSIT ENTRUSTED TO YOU.”
The characteristics that are
supposed to be obvious in the lives of Spirit-filled believers are
characteristics that are impossible to have without a source of power beyond
your human nature, the Holy Spirit. Christians live in defeat every day because
they don’t walk in the Spirit. Some believe they don’t need to seek the Spirit
constantly for help, guidance, or comfort. I’m not going to criticize you if
that’s what you believe. As for me, I believe what the Bible says, which is what
God says, about living in and walking in the Spirit. His Word combined with our
faith and the Holy Spirit can give us victory in areas of our lives where we
would otherwise remain defeated. It’s His power that gives us courage and power
to overcome the world. It’s not our own power. Paul knew how hard this life
was, he suffered more than most, or probably all, of us ever will. He never
forgot where he came from, where God brought him from…literally Jesus blinded
him and he was led out of darkness into Light. He never missed anything he lost
because he was so grateful for what he gained in Christ, and so sorrowful for
the life he lived before that Divine intervention. We need to remember often
what He has done for us so that our love doesn't “grow cold”. We have a great
mission field right here in our own homeland, but the workers are few. Let’s
rekindle the fire we once had and develop that love that we are called to have.
We can show God’s love every day if we will seek Him and walk in the Spirit
daily. The Holy Spirit who is promised to all true believers will guard your heart and
mind and empower you to live the holy, sanctified life we are called to live. I
never want to stop seeking after Him and having that hunger and thirst for Him.
Yes, there is a lot of loss
involved in complete surrender of your life to Christ once you have received
His salvation. What does it mean when Jesus says that we have to sacrifice
everything, lose our own life, in order to be worthy of being His disciple?
Well, it means you will give up all that you love that isn't Godly and you will
commit your life to His will. You will put Him first in your life, in a literal
way, not just in words. You will continue to grow more Christ-like and begin to
despise the things you once loved or accepted as good…and in doing that you
will lose even more things you hold precious—friends and even family. But,
though they ridicule and shun you, you keep moving forward with Christ, knowing
that losing relationships is just a price you pay—people prefer what’s evil
over what’s good. That’s why He said (I’m saying this in my own words, not
quoting directly) that you must hate all these relationships or you won’t be
worthy to be called His disciple. He knew this opposition would occur. He
didn't literally mean to hate your mother, father, wife, kids, and everyone
else. That word—hate—was used to emphasize strongly that you have to love Him
more than any other relationship or anything else in your life. If you can’t
love Him the most—truly, in your heart, because He knows the intentions of the
heart—then you won’t be able to fully commit to Him the way He commands you
to. The person who lived their life in
complete rebellion and then transforms into a devout saint of Jesus Christ…they
have a lot of chains to break, bondage to be freed from, ridicule to face,
friends to lose, lives to lose. That’s correct; we lose our life for Him. If we
call Him Lord, and He says that if we call Him Lord then we become His
disciples, then we must lose our life for His sake. All the things in our lives
that are against God’s holy calling, against His righteousness, those are, in
large, the things which make up that life that we have to die to. If we fall
into a trap of believing that it is as simple as saying, “Well, I believe in
Jesus”….and that’s it, we are saying that the suffering of Christ and God’s
plan of redemption is cheap. I find it so saddening that every day people live
their lives no differently than before their salvation because they aren't
willing to suffer any ridicule, any discomfort, or make any sacrifice—even
though the One they now call their Lord sacrificed it all for them, for us all.
Are you willing to step out of your own will, your comfort zone, and sacrifice your
life for Him? I have made many sacrifices in my own life. I've been ridiculed
and criticized by people I care about and love…and it hurts. But, there are others who have suffered
physical persecution; some who put their lives in danger and some who even die
because they sacrificed it all to deliver this message that has been entrusted
to all believers, just as it was entrusted to Paul and Timothy…and every
believer since Jesus died and rose again—to be the ultimate sacrifice for us,
so we could live in right relationship with God and have eternal life with Him.
Looking around, I believe the biggest sacrifices we have to make right away is
surrendering our lives to the Lord and truly placing Him first in our lives.
Once we do that, then God will surely entrust us with another task. I want
those tasks, those holy callings upon my life, to be revealed. I ask the Lord
to prepare my heart for His will daily. He is faithful to do so and I’m excited
about anything and everything He has in store for my life!
I will end on this note: This speaks volumes about the power
of the Spirit in our lives. And, note that Paul says “if we live in the Spirit,
then let us also walk by the Spirit”. That says to me that we do have to seek
and rely upon the Spirit daily for power to live victoriously in this world.
Galatians 5:1-26 "It was for
freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject
again to a yoke of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive
circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to
every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the
whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be
justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working
through love. You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven
leavens the whole lump of dough. I have confidence in you in the Lord that
you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his
judgment, whoever he is. But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision,
why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been
abolished. I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate
themselves.For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your
freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall
love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another,
take care that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the
Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets
its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are
in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the
deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes,
dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like
these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who
practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who
belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become
boastful, challenging one another, envying one another."
That says a lot. We live by the
Spirit indeed, but let us also walk by the Spirit daily. Are you walking in the
Spirit daily? Use verse 22-23 as a checklist and do a self examination. Those
characteristics are not natural to man, therefore they are considered the
“fruit of the Spirit”.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Filling in the Blanks.....and Giving Thanks
It has always been my desire to write in my blog on a regular basis; daily would be ideal. However, life has its way of...well....getting in the way of my ideas. I didn't realize it had been so long since I had posted and yet I have so many blessings I haven't shared between March and the present time. I feel compelled to catch up on that missed block of time before I move forward from here. Being a homeschooling mother, I may have to use a timeline format!
Counting Blessings....
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice."
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
We had a few great moments along with a few low points over the next few months. I enjoy watching my children grow and I thank God daily for all of the blessings He bestows on us daily. There are so many blessings that I can't cover each one in a single blog post, but I wanted to cover a few big ones. Mainly, I chose to share these few events because I have been thinking much about how God takes us places that we wouldn't go on our own. And, it is His strength and power that supplies all that we need to accomplish whatever task He has for us. When we have faith and just obey Him, even when we are afraid, He will bless us. He understands that we have fears, but He is glad when we choose to obey His call even in that moment of fear. I've learned so much over the past few years and I'm hoping to finally be able to write in this blog more often so I can share so much more, but one wonderful realization that I have had is that, just like Peter when he was walking towards Jesus on the water and the weather got crazy, he was suddenly afraid, he took his focus off of Jesus, and he began to sink. Then, he cried out to Jesus to save his life. Well, that can apply to everyday life for us. We are going about doing what it is that the Lord calls us to do and, it never fails, something happens--people treat us terribly, someone we love gets sick, financial hardship hits us--and we start to focus on the problems and not on the purpose of Jesus. Our eyes become fixed on the things we see here, the things hurting us, and we begin sinking. Next thing you know, we are like Peter, crying out for Jesus to save us from losing our life. I know how hard it is to overlook painful circumstances, believe me. Even recently I have had to deal with a heavy load of burdens. I don't have to go into details, but I will point out that, thank the Lord, I have learned to be content in all circumstances, like the Apostle Paul pointed out about his own spiritual journey [Philippians 4:11 Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am.12 I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.13 I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].] Not that I would compare any trials I have had to the trials he endured, still I have learned these excellent qualities, which any Christian can develop if we keep our focus on God and not the god of this world. I certainly haven't been imprisoned, beat, stoned, shipwrecked, left for dead, or any of the many sufferings he endured. However, at the end of his life, as he sat in a dungeon type cell for prisoners facing execution, he relayed in his last letter a message that would infer that he was cold (bring me my cloak, which he said twice), he felt abandoned and only had Luke with him, and he was spiritually in need of encouragement (he requested for Mark to come minister to him and to bring his cloak and the parchments when he came...as quickly as he could). I can relate to the emotional side of that despair. I've been alone here plenty of times in North Carolina. I have felt the hurt of having been ripped apart verbally with no cause on my behalf. I've suffered through the sadness of being torn away from people I once had close relationships with. Yet, in all those things, I still got back up, wiped my tears away, and kept moving forward with my eyes set on the eternal, not the temporal. I take comfort in knowing that I will see my loved ones again, whether it's here on earth or in our real home. I have concluded that, in all the goodness of God--in all the great and wonderful blessings He pours out upon us--still, it is not about us. It is all about Jesus and the Cross...and it always has been.
I pray that whatever storms you may have to weather, that you will always remember that God is the anchor of our soul, the Rock of our salvation, our Refuge forever.
I used to be consumed by fears-- many of them being fears of dying. The Lord diminished those fears and has been teaching me to quit fearing those things because worry and fear wouldn't change it anyway. Instead, He has opened doors for me to live in His liberty and glorify His name in many ways....whether through music, art, teaching, or writing. I still have my moments; the moments of doubts about my abilities to teach or raise my kids, the moments I wish I could go back in time and curl up with my mother and cry, the moments when I feel like no one truly knows me except God. I have always taken comfort in Psalm 91, but in so many more passages of scripture also. I know that God has always been and will always be faithful until the end.
Intertwined with the painful times I have experienced in the past year, I have had some amazing moments that I can't close without mentioning. For one, my husband...what a work God has already done in him and will continue doing. I loved watching his baptism in September 2014. Friends...the Lord has put some great friends in my life whom I believe will always be in my life from here on. Family...we were able to visit Florida in November 2014 and see family that we haven't seen since we moved and some we have, but still enjoyed a great Thanksgiving with my husband there also. Our second Christmas here just seemed so fantastic, full of love from our church family and a nice mental break from schooling. We focused on the true purpose of celebrating Christmas and also took a rest from the stresses of life. Lastly, music, Ah, I got my violin and my keyboard...and have been making music since. It is good for me to worship God through music and He has shown me that He can give me the wisdom and ability to do even the things others think are small. He cares.
I know that truly, "I can do all things though Christ Jesus which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13
God bless you greatly and I pray it will not be long before you can read another blog post from me!
Counting Blessings....
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice."
I'm always rejoicing in the Lord; always. Certainly I went through a dark period after the last blog that I posted in March 2014. It was a long and uncertain road, but I remained faithful as I followed God's lead--knowing His guidance would be the only right and sure direction as long as I kept focused on Him. There were so many obstacles along the way, so many failed attempts by the enemy to distract me. Here I am, though, and I will shout out His greatness and faithfulness in my life and catch you up on missed time...and maybe encourage you also. I should note, however, that I should not go so long without sharing my heart with you; you may understand why I say that soon...
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
In the months following my last post, March 19th, I had several opportunities to recall and reflect upon this verse--and to help my children understand it as well. The last week of March, following a wonderful visit from my sister, brother-in-law, and niece, Tyson took the stage with his friends from our youth group at church and, for his first time, performed in front of judges in the Fine Arts competition. He was part of the human video team (it is a type of drama performance, for those of you who have never heard of it). I was so proud of him because he had the courage to step out of his comfort zone and step onto stage, finding out if he was able to do what we do here at home all the time very naturally--in front of an audience. I wasn't surprised to see that he is a great performer or that he is happy while engaged in acting; we have had our own "comedy show" here at home for a long time and I picked up on his passion for acting as we always performed our personal, comical skits. It sounds a bit strange to some, perhaps, but it came as a natural coping mechanism for us as we tread through some rough waters. I say it came naturally because it really did. We started out by making jokes about situations that were hurtful; by acting them out and adding humor. The more we laughed, the more we reenacted the situations. Back then, we had a lot of situations to laugh our way through. Those times brought us closer, brought us through, and taught us to express our joy even in the most painful times of life. Not that I miss the daily suffering we endured back then, but I will say that I do miss all of our "comedy show" skits. We still have our dramas, but not as many. Perhaps God was preparing Tyson for part of what laid ahead for him in Albemarle while at the same time showing me how to help my son (and me) get through some tough times. I thank God for that lesson learned---Tyson really developed the talent and passion for acting (and music, which I will get to later) and the joy he had on the day that two youth leaders confronted him about joining the human video team...that was priceless. Those women will never know how they touched his life just by asking him to join the drama team. It's sometimes the little things we do that impact people the greatest. Now, they are only weeks away from performing at the Fine Arts Convention again, which I am sure will be a blessing to everyone who sees the performances.
In April, we were getting ready to wind up Co-Op for the year. The time was also drawing near for Tyson to take his first standardized testing of his homeschooling life...and I was worried. This lesson would be for both Tyson and me. And, in a sense, for everyone else in our lives who had been skeptics of our decision to turn to homeschooling. I worried and feared and cried and prayed...all the things I had been doing the whole school year, but a lot more. Tyson seemed much more calm and that, in itself, even worried me. You have to understand that I began homeschooling him with no clear understanding of where he was academically. The analysis I received upon withdrawing him from his last school was not an acceptable analysis to me; it only told me that his abilities were not known and that he was, indeed, behind in actual work. I knew he wasn't incapable of being on target or even ahead of target, though. I spent our first year of homeschooling confused, worried, praying, hoping, doubting, and frustrated...to be brief about it. I eventually decided to focus on the language arts area--namely on reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation--and on building up his confidence; telling him that he is intelligent and trying to instill a love for learning in him. So, the test day arrived. We drove an hour away to the testing site and I left him there for over an hour to complete the testing. When I returned, Tyson and I only made eye contact as we passed--he was walking out, I was walking in to hear the results. His facial expression didn't give me much hope. Oh, but when the test administrator began explaining the results to me--well, I'm certain he thought I was crazy for a minute, at least. Then I explained to him the negative reports I had been given at the previous school just one year earlier. He laughed at me and said he understood my position. In short, Tyson had advanced, overall average, three grade levels...or grade equivalency levels. The ride from Matthews, NC back to Albemarle, NC was interesting. I was torn between whether I should just cry or pull over and roll in the grass for a minute. We rode quietly for a while; Tyson staring at the test results. Then, my favorite song at the time, Broken Hallelujah, started playing on the radio. God had already assured the victory long before, but I suppose I had been beaten down by outside situations and needed to be reminded that I can do all things through Christ Jesus. Tyson just needed the confirmation, for the first time ever, that he really can do all things through Christ Jesus. He heard me preach it. He saw me live in belief and by faith. He even saw the evidence in my life. He needed to see evidence in his own life, though. And, that day, God showed us both that we can do all things through Him. Again, after such a long break in writing, the time is approaching for Co-Op to end and Tyson's second standardized testing. I'm not so stressed this time. I feel as if God was pretty clear in His message to me last year---all the stress and tears were so pointless.
Although that was a day I will never forget--May 7th, 2014, three days later, Tyson took on another challenge that would be a milestone for him. A lesson for us both, too. Tyson is a runner. He loves to run and he runs well. I entered him in the Hershey's Track and Field Event here in Albemarle. We were excited and still stoked about that test a few days earlier. However, as usual, I had fear creeping in and a whole bunch of reasons to justify my fears. Now, I know it was silly, but it is hard for other people to understand where I am coming from concerning a lot of things because they don't know our past life. Tyson has taken a lot of "hits" in his young life and I always have an immediate thought of concern about him pop in my head when anything comes up. Even when we found out that my husband was going to stay in Albemarle, NC permanently, I instantly thought of Tyson because he had been recovering from a horrible public school experience for about five years and I was afraid to disrupt his life; afraid of causing him to suffer through the emotional pains he had finally overcome. By my new nature, I quickly remembered that God would supply all our needs and, even though I love my sons with all I have in me, God loves them more. I had peace about his welfare upon moving, but knew that the saying goodbye part would still be difficult for him. I tried to keep him involved in things he loved and running was one activity I encouraged. He is very thankful for his ability to run, especially since he had double Achilles lengthening surgery in 2010 and the surgeon wasn't very encouraging about the recovery...he said "Some people recover completely, some don't. Some recover quickly, some never do. It's really not something that can be predicted." That year, Tyson was not only fully recovered in only a few months, but he was competing in the annual race at his school's field day...and won. Still, I worried (I do that a lot, it seems). Tyson was excited about running and I was nervous. I signed him up for the wrong events because I have no clue what anything means in the world of track and field. Ideally, Tyson should have been entered in the "dashes" only, but I entered him in the 800m run and the 200m dash. And, for the field event, the softball throw. He was upset about the softball throw, but he practically threw the softballs from one end of the football field to the other. He won that event. So, the races...well, he did, technically, place first in the 800m run--because he was the only runner in his age level. I'm not sure if he even remembers the actual run. However, he ran the first lap so fast that everyone was amazed. I knew he had three more laps, though, so I was a little nervous. Tyson never quits anything physical, even if he is in pain. When he began stopping on the third lap, I began panicking. It is so silly looking back now, but I was terrified when he completely quit running for a minute and then barely finished the last lap. Tyson never quits. He was light headed and dizzy. We barely got him to the vehicle after the event was over. Oh, I forgot to mention that he had to run that 200m dash immediately after that excruciating 800m dash. A couple of hours, a long rest, and lots of waters later, he was fine. I now know the differences in the runs and dashes and he knows to drink lots of water in the days prior to a track event. I have to say, though, it was still a victory because he kept going even when I'm sure it was dangerous to do so. I was proud of him that day. He kept going, even when it was nearly impossible. I passed him a note as he waited nervously to run that 800m run...words that reminded him of scriptures he knows well..."All that matters is that you finish the race." He still has that note pinned above his desk.
We had a few great moments along with a few low points over the next few months. I enjoy watching my children grow and I thank God daily for all of the blessings He bestows on us daily. There are so many blessings that I can't cover each one in a single blog post, but I wanted to cover a few big ones. Mainly, I chose to share these few events because I have been thinking much about how God takes us places that we wouldn't go on our own. And, it is His strength and power that supplies all that we need to accomplish whatever task He has for us. When we have faith and just obey Him, even when we are afraid, He will bless us. He understands that we have fears, but He is glad when we choose to obey His call even in that moment of fear. I've learned so much over the past few years and I'm hoping to finally be able to write in this blog more often so I can share so much more, but one wonderful realization that I have had is that, just like Peter when he was walking towards Jesus on the water and the weather got crazy, he was suddenly afraid, he took his focus off of Jesus, and he began to sink. Then, he cried out to Jesus to save his life. Well, that can apply to everyday life for us. We are going about doing what it is that the Lord calls us to do and, it never fails, something happens--people treat us terribly, someone we love gets sick, financial hardship hits us--and we start to focus on the problems and not on the purpose of Jesus. Our eyes become fixed on the things we see here, the things hurting us, and we begin sinking. Next thing you know, we are like Peter, crying out for Jesus to save us from losing our life. I know how hard it is to overlook painful circumstances, believe me. Even recently I have had to deal with a heavy load of burdens. I don't have to go into details, but I will point out that, thank the Lord, I have learned to be content in all circumstances, like the Apostle Paul pointed out about his own spiritual journey [Philippians 4:11 Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am.12 I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.13 I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].] Not that I would compare any trials I have had to the trials he endured, still I have learned these excellent qualities, which any Christian can develop if we keep our focus on God and not the god of this world. I certainly haven't been imprisoned, beat, stoned, shipwrecked, left for dead, or any of the many sufferings he endured. However, at the end of his life, as he sat in a dungeon type cell for prisoners facing execution, he relayed in his last letter a message that would infer that he was cold (bring me my cloak, which he said twice), he felt abandoned and only had Luke with him, and he was spiritually in need of encouragement (he requested for Mark to come minister to him and to bring his cloak and the parchments when he came...as quickly as he could). I can relate to the emotional side of that despair. I've been alone here plenty of times in North Carolina. I have felt the hurt of having been ripped apart verbally with no cause on my behalf. I've suffered through the sadness of being torn away from people I once had close relationships with. Yet, in all those things, I still got back up, wiped my tears away, and kept moving forward with my eyes set on the eternal, not the temporal. I take comfort in knowing that I will see my loved ones again, whether it's here on earth or in our real home. I have concluded that, in all the goodness of God--in all the great and wonderful blessings He pours out upon us--still, it is not about us. It is all about Jesus and the Cross...and it always has been.
I pray that whatever storms you may have to weather, that you will always remember that God is the anchor of our soul, the Rock of our salvation, our Refuge forever.
I used to be consumed by fears-- many of them being fears of dying. The Lord diminished those fears and has been teaching me to quit fearing those things because worry and fear wouldn't change it anyway. Instead, He has opened doors for me to live in His liberty and glorify His name in many ways....whether through music, art, teaching, or writing. I still have my moments; the moments of doubts about my abilities to teach or raise my kids, the moments I wish I could go back in time and curl up with my mother and cry, the moments when I feel like no one truly knows me except God. I have always taken comfort in Psalm 91, but in so many more passages of scripture also. I know that God has always been and will always be faithful until the end.
Intertwined with the painful times I have experienced in the past year, I have had some amazing moments that I can't close without mentioning. For one, my husband...what a work God has already done in him and will continue doing. I loved watching his baptism in September 2014. Friends...the Lord has put some great friends in my life whom I believe will always be in my life from here on. Family...we were able to visit Florida in November 2014 and see family that we haven't seen since we moved and some we have, but still enjoyed a great Thanksgiving with my husband there also. Our second Christmas here just seemed so fantastic, full of love from our church family and a nice mental break from schooling. We focused on the true purpose of celebrating Christmas and also took a rest from the stresses of life. Lastly, music, Ah, I got my violin and my keyboard...and have been making music since. It is good for me to worship God through music and He has shown me that He can give me the wisdom and ability to do even the things others think are small. He cares.
I know that truly, "I can do all things though Christ Jesus which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13
God bless you greatly and I pray it will not be long before you can read another blog post from me!
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
From Lumps of Clay to These Earthen Vessels
2 Timothy 2:20
"Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor."
Although I am mainly going to talk about 2 Corinthians 4:7, I wanted to also point out a couple more verses of Scripture just to show that we are all vessels. Some are vessels of honor and some of dishonor. We are all vessels, though. We are also all the subjects of the Master Potter. He is a Sovereign God and He can do as He pleases when He is molding us. (Isaiah 64:8 "Yet, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our Potter, and we all are the work of Your hand.") It is comforting to me to know the my Maker, the One whose molding me and shaping my life, is perfect is knowledge and limitless in power and love. He only wants great things for us, but we must trust Him...not question Him.....
Jeremiah 18:3-7 3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was working at the wheel.4 And the vessel that he was making from clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he made it over, reworking it into another vessel as it seemed good to the potter to make it.5 Then the word of the Lord came to me:6 O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does? says the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel."
I love this story from the book of Jeremiah. God chose such an interesting way to speak to Jeremiah. He wanted His people to know that He had the real power over their lives and destiny. Just as the potter Jeremiah watched, God could destroy the spoiled vessel He had made and start over, making the new vessel just as He wanted. God wants to make all of us to His liking if we will just allow Him and trust Him.
Now, I move on to my main point on "earthen vessels"; a topic I believe will be an encouragement to you........
"Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor."
Although I am mainly going to talk about 2 Corinthians 4:7, I wanted to also point out a couple more verses of Scripture just to show that we are all vessels. Some are vessels of honor and some of dishonor. We are all vessels, though. We are also all the subjects of the Master Potter. He is a Sovereign God and He can do as He pleases when He is molding us. (Isaiah 64:8 "Yet, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our Potter, and we all are the work of Your hand.") It is comforting to me to know the my Maker, the One whose molding me and shaping my life, is perfect is knowledge and limitless in power and love. He only wants great things for us, but we must trust Him...not question Him.....
Jeremiah 18:3-7 3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was working at the wheel.4 And the vessel that he was making from clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he made it over, reworking it into another vessel as it seemed good to the potter to make it.5 Then the word of the Lord came to me:6 O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does? says the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel."
I love this story from the book of Jeremiah. God chose such an interesting way to speak to Jeremiah. He wanted His people to know that He had the real power over their lives and destiny. Just as the potter Jeremiah watched, God could destroy the spoiled vessel He had made and start over, making the new vessel just as He wanted. God wants to make all of us to His liking if we will just allow Him and trust Him.
Now, I move on to my main point on "earthen vessels"; a topic I believe will be an encouragement to you........
2 Corinthians 4:7
"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves"
Starting out, we are in no condition to be that honorable vessel
with these special, valuable hidden treasures within us. After all, the
“earthen vessels” holding the “hidden treasures” that are referred to in this
Scripture are plain, clay pots that people of that day had in their houses and
would hide their personal valuables in, with the idea that a robber would not
look in these plain clay pots. Thus, their valuables were safe from theft. These
clay pots were cheap, easily breakable, and not attractive in appearance; yet, they
had within them the very treasures that were most valued by the person to whom
they belonged. Their beauty and value were internal and not obvious based upon
their outward appearance. It would only seem right that God would be so wise to choose this way, to choose to put those of His who are full of His "treasure", His Gospel of Jesus Christ and the message of the Cross, in us...these seemingly empty vessels, not catchy to the eye. After all, He does choose the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.
I am amongst these foolish things, one who the world would be unsuspecting of holding any value. And, I will boldly say that, in this world's view of things, I don't hold any value...not value that comes in the form of a price tag. I do, however, hold within me something that is worth more than any gold or silver, and that is the treasure of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, His salvation, and the great Word of God. If you have been around me even a little, then you can attest to this because you know that once I get started talking about the Lord, well, I have a hard time restraining myself. It may be annoying to some, but God has done so much inside of me that it's hard not to share. I look at myself and I see this huge mess that God transformed and created a message in--and I believe that I need to tell others my testimony when the door is opened. If I keep quiet, then all the suffering I endured along the way will have been in vain--for absolutely nothing. If you think about this in a Biblical aspect, it wouldn't make any sense at all. If our powerful God who has the might to do whatever He pleases, and is perfect in knowledge--if He chooses people who the world would think lowly of and even despise those things they have done in their empty lives--if He wants them and He turns their empty, broken lives into restored, wholesome lives, then why would He want them to remain quiet in times that their testimony could impact a life positively and glorify His name and the goodness He so richly pours into the lives of those who love Him?
I speak about my own life, but understand this, God has done a work and is constantly doing a work in all of His children. I personally feel such gratitude and have such a passionate heart overflowing with the goodness of Jesus Christ because I happen to have experienced a truly dark life before Him. Maybe everyone's story doesn't appear to them to be such a major transformation experience, but that's not the truth. Outwardly, perhaps you see many believers with a testimony that is so powerful that it makes you feel like yours is not so grand to tell people about, but we were all in darkness before we turned to the Light. We all had a miracle occur inside of us that moment we accepted Jesus Christ and received God's gift of salvation. We were all once dirt. Then we became His lump of clay--willing to be molded by Him into His likeness and prepared for His will. And we, after a little refining, become these earthen vessels--insignificant in appearance to the world, but filled by the one true God with His most precious treasures. It's a beautiful thing...a beautiful, miraculous transformation that occurs within the heart of every true believer. God does these miraculous changes in us, some which are very obvious and some which are more hidden in our inner self, for His great purpose...He wants us to tell those who know no real power or hope all about the greatness we have from Him and through Jesus Christ. We, as believers and as His children, have all undergone some changes, some refining, some reconstruction....some may be under construction now, walking through the fiery furnace---they may need some encouragement now...but we all have been called to be witnesses, to testify of His greatness and His power and salvation.
Now, I always love to read scripture in context with what is written before it and after it. And, I love to read several different translations...the Amplified happens to be one of my favorite translations, therefore, it will take an extra minute or two to read it. The following is 2 Corinthians 4:1-16:
4:1 Therefore, since we do hold and engage in this ministry by the mercy of God [granting us favor, benefits, opportunities, and especially salvation], we do not get discouraged (spiritless and despondent with fear) or become faint with weariness and exhaustion. 2 We have renounced disgraceful ways (secret thoughts, feelings, desires and underhandedness, the methods and arts that men hide through shame); we refuse to deal craftily (to practice trickery and cunning) or to adulterate or handle dishonestly the Word of God, but we state the truth openly (clearly and candidly). And so we commend ourselves in the sight and presence of God to every man’s conscience. 3 But even if our Gospel (the glad tidings) also be hidden (obscured and covered up with a veil that hinders the knowledge of God), it is hidden [only] to those who are perishing and obscured [only] to those who are spiritually dying and veiled [only] to those who are lost.
4 For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God. 5 For what we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves [merely] as your servants (slaves) for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). 7 However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves. 8 We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair;
9 We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed; 10 Always carrying about in the body the liability and exposure to the same putting to death that the Lord Jesus suffered, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown forth by and in our bodies.11 For we who live are constantly [experiencing] being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be evidenced through our flesh which is liable to death.12 Thus death is actively at work in us, but [it is in order that our] life [may be actively at work] in you. 13 Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, I have believed, and therefore have I spoken. We too believe, and therefore we speak, 14 Assured that He Who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up also with Jesus and bring us [along] with you into His presence. 15 For all [these] things are [taking place] for your sake, so that the more grace (divine favor and spiritual blessing) extends to more and more people and multiplies through the many, the more thanksgiving may increase [and redound] to the glory of God.16 Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day.
I believe it is important to take note that the Apostle Paul always encouraged the younger preachers and teachers to share their testimony boldly, just as he did. In reading the writings of Paul and being familiar with his own salvation experience and conversion, you know a couple of things. For one, none of these guys he spoke to shared a Christian walk even close to his, in terms of suffering affliction and persecution, but he still told them to speak boldly about all that they had been taught and all that they had knowledge of in regards to the powerful message of the Cross. He didn't think anyone's testimony was unimportant. He only used the examples of his suffering to remind them that they weren't alone in the difficult walk they were on, to encourage them to keep going, and to admonish them in teaching the whole truth of God's Word even if they were persecuted because, in the end, He would not only sustain them here on earth, but He would rescue them from this world in His time and reward them with eternal life in His presence. Even now, this applies to us. The God given ability to withstand all the hardships of life and continue on full of the joy of the Lord and His peace that surpasses human understanding--that speaks volumes to the world. Unbelievers want to know how this can be....it's a perfect testimony; living out the Gospel, not just talking about it!
Right now we live in a time when so many hardships that were spoken of in the Word are taking place. I have been studying in 2 Timothy and Titus for a couple of weeks; I'm sure I will be soon posting a word from this study. But, I will end on this note: Be aware that, if you are a true believer, you are one of God's chosen "earthen vessels" filled with the treasure of the Gospel and knowledge of the Lord. Your testimony is valuable and desperately needed. This generation of youth and children need to see your testimony in your life. They need to see the Truth and the love of Christ in our words and in our lives. Be bold. God has given us everything we need to be good witnesses for Him and to live a life of holiness. We have all the tools available to us from Him, we only have to ask and receive!
I pray that this has encouraged someone today. I also pray that everyone will learn to embrace the "treasure" that is within them as believers; a treasure that can never be taken from them. If everything in this world fails, if we lose everything, we still have this "treasure" within us...we still have all the promises of our God; we have His Word, Jesus Christ, in our hearts forever--that cannot be destroyed and the thief cannot steal....
Thank You, Lord, for loving us so much and seeing us as valuable, entrusting us with this treasure--a treasure, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not to hide and keep secret, but to live out in our lives and share with everyone. Thank You for making me something valuable when I was only nothing; for opening my eyes to see Your wonderful Light when I had lived in darkness for so long. Always keep my paths straight and give me courage to speak when You want me to speak....In Jesus' name, Amen.
Have a very blessed day, my friends!!!
Right now we live in a time when so many hardships that were spoken of in the Word are taking place. I have been studying in 2 Timothy and Titus for a couple of weeks; I'm sure I will be soon posting a word from this study. But, I will end on this note: Be aware that, if you are a true believer, you are one of God's chosen "earthen vessels" filled with the treasure of the Gospel and knowledge of the Lord. Your testimony is valuable and desperately needed. This generation of youth and children need to see your testimony in your life. They need to see the Truth and the love of Christ in our words and in our lives. Be bold. God has given us everything we need to be good witnesses for Him and to live a life of holiness. We have all the tools available to us from Him, we only have to ask and receive!
I pray that this has encouraged someone today. I also pray that everyone will learn to embrace the "treasure" that is within them as believers; a treasure that can never be taken from them. If everything in this world fails, if we lose everything, we still have this "treasure" within us...we still have all the promises of our God; we have His Word, Jesus Christ, in our hearts forever--that cannot be destroyed and the thief cannot steal....
Thank You, Lord, for loving us so much and seeing us as valuable, entrusting us with this treasure--a treasure, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not to hide and keep secret, but to live out in our lives and share with everyone. Thank You for making me something valuable when I was only nothing; for opening my eyes to see Your wonderful Light when I had lived in darkness for so long. Always keep my paths straight and give me courage to speak when You want me to speak....In Jesus' name, Amen.
Have a very blessed day, my friends!!!
Sunday, March 9, 2014
God's Display of Love, Our Gift of Life; How Do We Treat This Great Gift?
I want to direct your attention to a couple of points that are very important to me, and to God. It's my heart's desire to encourage people in showing them verses in Scripture that reveal God's love for everyone and also to reveal other great promises, such as the power He gives us for right now...to live godly lives and as overcomers in a world full of stress, depression, and despair. It's not about church attendance or any legalistic human traditions. It's about a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ and living out His Word, which leads us into all Truth and understanding. Let's all make God the One we set our heart on and dedicate our affections and life to.......
1 John 4:9----in three different translations, all being worded beautifully. The key point I want to focus on is TRUE LIFE. I can speak (or write) volumes about the vast difference between life before accepting Jesus Christ as my Savior and truly surrendering every aspect and area of my life to Him and the magnificent and wondrous TRUE LIFE He gave to me once I called Him my Lord and His Father my Father and God.......So, read 1 John 4:9 here:
1)English Standard Version:
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
2)The Voice:
Because of this, the love of God is a reality among us: God sent His only Son into the world so that we could find true life through Him.
3)Expanded Bible
This is how God ·showed [revealed] his love to us: He sent his one and only Son into the world so that we could have life through him.
First, we see that "this is how God showed (revealed) His love..." or that "His love was made manifest among us". Jesus becoming the man-God or God in the flesh, is the greatest display of His love to mankind. There are so many complex aspects of just this one major event in the history of the world. Jesus living here amongst the filth of this world, leaving behind His heavenly home, and becoming one of us was pretty major. He was like us, yet unlike us, because He was sinless. He proved that He was God not only by the miracles He performed on earth, but in the fact that He could be here just like us, but overcome every temptation to sin and live a blameless life here. But, He invited all people to accept Him and follow Him so that they could enter the Kingdom that he taught about so much while on earth. He wanted everyone to believe Him and accept Him as the Messiah. That didn't happen though; not then and not now. Sure, you may hear or read that there are so many Christians in America now, but truly, that is speaking of all the people who profess to be Christians, not all of the true followers of Christ. Many say they are Christians, but that being more of a title than a true profession of faith. The truth is, people's lives reveal where their heart really is, or what their god really is. For the people who profess to be Christians, who say they love the Lord Jesus Christ, but don't follow His instructions are in direct disobedience to the Lord who sacrificed Himself even unto death for all of us undeserving people to be blessed now and have life for eternity in a perfect heaven, in His presence.
I don't know about anyone else, but I find myself perplexed and deeply disturbed by such a light weight people put on this--our salvation. Commonly, you will hear people make comments referring to how they are praying or that God sure is good to them, but they, in no way, live their life for the Lord or even to give Him glory. In fact, most of the time, they pick and choose to whom they even make these comments to--unless, of course, they are in dire circumstances. My problem, though, is not that people are this way--that is only to be expected. My trouble with it is that there are those in this category of "Convenient Christianity" that are involved in churches, in ministry--speaking about God's goodness, but not living it out in their own lives; making a mockery of our faith that we long to reach others with and, even worse, teaching this superficial "Christianity" to our children. Now, here comes my huge issue: Who has taught any person who is in this state or condition that Jesus died for us all and if you will only say that you believe in Him, you can live like a devil and it's okay? No one in their right mind, no one who has ever truly experienced a divine intervention of God and the gift of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ, would ever reduce that power down to such a cheap commodity that they are entitled to just speak about when it's in their favor for the moment.
Friends, think about it. Really put thought into the whole picture. Almost every American has some idea of the suffering of Jesus Christ during the last twelve hours of His life. Most do not truly think about it or meditate upon His torture and death, but they have a general idea--if for no other reason than their viewing of the movie "Passion of the Christ". I've never met a person who told me that they watched that movie and thought it was boring or foolish. No, I went to the theatres and watched it within the first few days of its release and there were people of all walks of life there to see this much anticipated, controversial movie. Not all of them were crying like I was, but they weren't laughing and throwing popcorn either. It was serious. It was violent. It didn't seem right or fair--this kind, innocent man being violently beat and killed. It's more than a story, though. It's more than a movie on the big screen. I like to watch movies about Jesus or any movie inspired by or about Christianity because I like to have a type of visual--a type, I say, because even the best movies about Jesus can't portray the whole reality of His life and, most definitely, His death and resurrection.
With all of this being said--yes, I am going somewhere with this--I am saddened, even appalled at times, when I see what picture that man is portraying about the Truth, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Just as people are moved by a major motion picture, they are also deeply impacted by the visual effects they see all around them. Most people learn by experience or by visually seeing. If you are reading this and you are a professing Christian, what does this make you think about? I, personally, catch myself getting upset and snapping at my kids or husband and it immediately grieves me. I'm so remorseful and disappointed with myself at that point because I want to always be a truly good example of abiding in Christ and becoming more like Him. Clearly, this isn't a great concern for a lot of people, a lot of Christians. I thank God that I know Him and He has given me a new heart, with which also came new eyes--spiritual eyes. I pray to only see with those eyes, for those eyes bring more clarity to everything we see or experience. It is only with those spiritual eyes that we can see the Truth in Him and the spiritual things all around us. I could write all day about various things that are missing, abused, or twisted in the messages that are taught in America today about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and salvation--but I would lose you (if I haven't already) right at this sentence.
I long to see the day when people go back to understanding the concept of self sacrifice and self discipline. Somewhere along the way the latter words got dropped and it became just "self". There has to be balance in this teaching we commit ourselves to--whether we are actual teachers of the Bible or we are leading by our life's display of the words we confess with our mouths (our example). Yes, God's love, grace, mercy, and goodness is needed to be preached amongst the people who have never known of such things and by hearing they may come to knowledge and then to repentance and salvation. However, if you teach these wonderful attributes of God, even if you add a little about His power and patience, but you don't teach anything about His other attributes, then you teach only part of the Truth. If you lead people to the point where they pray, repent, and receive salvation, but you leave it right there and move on--how does this new believer figure out where to go next. Sure, salvation, in and of itself, brings forth a new creature and there is a new power within the person receiving salvation. I'm a firm believer in that, and from personal experience, I'll add. But, it is then, once salvation has been obtained, a lifelong walk, a personal and moment by moment relationship with the Lord. I know that we are saved by grace and not by any works of our own, but that is not translated to mean that we are saved and nothing good is required of us. Aside from the fact that it is all laid out in the Bible about how we should live as believers, it is more important than just that. It is deeper. Why? Because if you have "truly tasted His goodness" as quoted by the Apostle Peter, you have the desire to please God. Knowing God's Word in addition to knowing Him, you learn what is pleasing to Him and you long to do what is right in His eyes. [2 Corinthians 5:15 says "He died for us so that we will all live, not for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose from the dead."] So, He died so we could have true life through Him, not so we could have an elated experience and then keep living the way we want to--for ourselves. Then: [John 17:16-17 "Like Me, they are not products of this corrupt world order. Immerse them in the Truth, the Truth Your voice speaks."] Now, we are no longer products of this evil, corrupt world, but He wants us to be immersed in all Truth--which comes by the Word of God and our Guide, the Holy Spirit, who gives us the ability to understand and apply God's Word in our lives.
Here is my final verse that I will share, though there are so many that need to be pointed out. This is a very important one. I encourage you to really think about what it is saying--it's pretty clear, not a hidden message amongst a mysterious ancient language.... [1 John 2:5-6 "This is how we know we are in Him [Jesus]: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did"]
I have never been so overjoyed as these past couple years when I have truly surrendered my life to the Lord. With no doubts about it, studying His Word and spending a lot of time alone with Him and seeking His will and Truth has kept me growing, kept me strong through terrible trials, and caused my heart to be passionate for Him. He has revealed Himself to me through His Word and the love I have for Him has made it a joy, not just a duty, to pursue holiness. [2 Peter 1:3 "In Christ Jesus He has given you all things that pertain to life and godliness"] God does not hold back from us anything we need in order to live a godly life. We hold ourselves back by not sacrificing time in our personal lives to set aside for Him. Today, I don't know how I survived day to day prior to living life abiding in Christ. I turned all my affections towards Him and away from the former, worldly things I was drawn to. God loved me so much that He not only sent His Son to suffer and die so that a person as undeserving as me could see His face in our eternal home, but He also gave me, and every true believer, power through the Holy Spirit to live in this world as ambassadors of Christ, living like Christ in character. He makes us victorious conquerors. After all He has done because of His great love, I can't help myself, I just want to know Him more and more. If I learn, I want to learn of Him. I want Him center of my life.
Christ loved so greatly. He loved us even to His torture and death on a cursed cross. He suffered immensely for me and everyone else in the world. Don't just think with our limited, finite wisdom that this same beautiful, lover of our souls only wants you to say that you believe in His existence. He wants you. He wants you to sacrifice your life for Him. That is why it is often said we must "die to self ", "crucify our flesh", and many other references to us sacrificing our natural, worldly instincts that are enmity to God and living in His Truth, abiding in Christ daily.
I pray that you will see the beauty of God revealing and displaying His great love for us by giving us true life through the ultimate sacrifice of His Son. It is beyond our grandest thoughts. It's awesome and incomprehensible. Grasp it and cling to this Truth. Never take for granted the greatest act of love ever--that was for your benefit, to give you life eternally.
1 Corinthians 2:2 "I have determined to know nothing except this: Jesus Christ (His person) and Him crucified (His work)."
Determine in your hearts to focus on all of Jesus Christ and to, more than anything, seek to know Him more and more......
"My conscience is captive to the Word of God."---- Martin Luther
Thank you for hanging in there and reading this. I ask that you would let me know you read it, leave some feedback. I'm trying to get an idea of how many people read my blog posts and also what the topics of interest are. I appreciate your time and interest!
Friday, February 28, 2014
Rekindling the Fire, Seeking the Spirit-filled Life
I have had it on my heart for a
very long time this subject of God’s call on my life, and the life of every
believer, to live a life of holiness and completely set apart for His purpose.
So many believers put their life, all that it’s consumed by, ahead of God’s
purpose for their life. We don’t know ultimately what God’s total plan is for
our lives, but if we study His Word, then we know many commands He gives us
that are already there…we just aren’t obeying them. If we can’t obey the
commands He has already given, why would He entrust us with the next phase of
His plan for us? We have to show we are at least faithful to do the things He
has already given us to do. He desires us to be His light in this dark world.
Do we desire that same thing? Today, I read from 1 Timothy and Galatians, to be
reminded by Paul how we can and should rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to
strengthen us, help us, comfort us….guide us through everything so that we can
be victorious even in perilous times. He has a lot to say in all of his
writings about the cost of discipleship, the price we pay to truly live for
Jesus, losing our lives for His sake.
1 Timothy 1:6-7 “For this reason
I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the
laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and
love and self-control.”
These verses reach me in more
than one way. Most people quote part of verse 7…”but God gave us not a spirit
of fear…”. You will hear that a lot. And, it’s true. My faith in God has taken
away my fear in man and many other “spirits”, I suppose we could say. I like to
focus on verse 6, though, also. It brings the entire section into a different
light, but it also encourages me in a different way.
1 Timothy 1:6 “For this reason I
remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the
laying on of my hands,”.
This encourages me to strive to
keep the flame alive in my heart, the flame that burns in me for Jesus. That
fire is a gift from God. Not every Christian you meet is full of passion or
zeal. This verse shows that Paul was reminding Timothy that he had this gift
and he needed to focus on it, to keep it alive and never let it die down. I
never want my fire to die down. Do you? Too many people let theirs die down
before it ever really gets going good. Some let theirs die down even after
their flame was burning for many years. It can happen. I pray, I mean I
actually pray, that this never happens to me. I want to stay strong and
faithful to the end. I already know that the troubles of life can cause a
person to become weak and, at times, go astray. I know that because it happened
to me. It happened to me when I was very young in my new faith and many trials
hit me at once. Once I stepped off the straight and narrow path, it was a
battle within me to get back into a right relationship with God. You see that I
didn’t say it was hard to get back “into church”. No, there’s a difference in
those two actions. You can get back into the church building and still not be
the Church, at least, not a functioning member of the Body. That is a serious
mistake to believe that all is well because you attend church again. A right
relationship with God involves the inward relationship and communion restored
with Him, not the outward acts of trying to “be good” and following a strict
set of rules. The very rules you try to obey cannot be obeyed without the help
of the great Helper Himself! Why, you will know those true believers who have
daily fellowship with the Lord and love Him above all else because there are certain
signs, which I’m going to point out after I share what Paul says to Timothy
next…
1 Timothy 1: 8 “Therefore do not
be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share
in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us
to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and
grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,10 and which now
has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who
abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for
which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I
suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am
convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to
me.13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the
faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells
within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”
Now, there’s a lot of big
messages that could be expounded upon in this one paragraph, but focus on a few
small ones for now. Paul is urging Timothy, a young preacher, not to be ashamed
of the Gospel nor of him (Paul) as he was a prisoner for the reason of
preaching and teaching the message of Christ Jesus, as he was an apostle. He
tells Timothy that this Gospel message, this holy calling he has to preach it,
is the very reason why he suffers so greatly. And, he doesn’t care about the
suffering! He understands that that is the price we pay when we serve God and
deliver the message of the Gospel to the world. Paul wouldn’t and didn’t back
down. He even held his own praise and worship sessions in jail, much to the
amazement of the guards and other prisoners, as well. He tells reminds Timothy,
in a way as if he warns him, that he, too, has this holy calling on his life.
Times were hard for Christians back then, especially the devout ones that liked
to share their testimony of the power of our Lord…and Paul certainly had a
great testimony. But, don’t think that they lived in such a different world
back then, because they really didn’t. They preached the Gospel in a part of
the world where paganism had dominated for many years. They were the real deal
when it comes to worshiping false gods. Our trials now aren’t all that different
though. In fact, in some sense, it may be worse. No, we aren’t, in America,
being imprisoned simply because we say we are Christians. But, hasn’t it grown
worse, in other ways? I don’t want to go into a whole separate topic, but in
this modern day world, there are so many more who have let that fire die down
in them. There’s a lot of temptation in our world now. The god of this world
has made it so easy and comfortable, even, to just walk away from your true
relationship with God. He has made it easy to say no to God’s calling or to
just become stubborn or deaf to the Spirit…not answering your call properly. It’s
hard to be a Christian because the flesh is weak, it wants to fit in and be
accepted. The flesh wants to look like the world and act like the world…or, I
could just say, the flesh wants to avoid saying “no” to many things it should
say no to. This spiritual battle, warfare, has been going on forever. It was a
battle when Paul was living and preaching and it’s a battle today. Back then,
they were killed because of their faith. Today, under normal circumstances, we
aren’t killed because of our profession of faith. I consider it worse because
of those great numbers of ones who are professing Christians, but, by way of
their own life as their witness, continue to crucify Jesus and turn more people
away from the Church than being a Light in this dark world. I realize that
sounds harsh, but it’s not un-Biblical. People don’t like to hear the truth
about things, but even more don’t want to talk about it. Today, we do have many
gods that replace God. We have many false teachers that are so deceiving that
Christians are listening to them daily and buying out their books, replacing,
in large part, the Bible with the babblings of other books. We’ve bought into
lies that are so numerous that I’m not even going to get into it here. But….the
great news, the Truth….God is faithful to forgive us if we confess and turn
back to Him. How do we get back to the place we need to be and have the power
to live strong in the faith? Paul tells Timothy in the last part of that
paragraph….”13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from
me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who
dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”
Paul says to Timothy “Don’t be
ashamed of me or of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes, I’m a prisoner because of
my faithfulness in preaching this Gospel, but you need to share in this suffering—suffering
for Christ. This Word was entrusted to you to deliver to the people who have
been entrusted to you. BY THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO DWELLS WITHIN US, GUARD THE GOOD
DEPOSIT ENTRUSTED TO YOU.” (This is my version)
The characteristics that are
supposed to be obvious in the lives of Spirit-filled believers are
characteristics that are impossible to have without a source of power beyond
your human nature, the Holy Spirit. Christians live in defeat every day because
they don’t walk in the Spirit. Some believe they don’t need to seek the Spirit
constantly for help, guidance, or comfort. I’m not going to criticize you if
that’s what you believe. As for me, I believe what the Bible says, which is
what God says, about living in and walking in the Spirit. His Word combined
with our faith and the Holy Spirit can give us victory in areas of our lives
where we would otherwise remain defeated. It’s His power that gives us courage
and power to overcome the world. It’s not our own power. Paul knew how hard
this life was, he suffered more than most, or probably all, of us ever will. He
never forgot where he came from, where God brought him from…literally Jesus
blinded him and he was led out of darkness into Light. He never missed anything
he lost because he was so grateful for what he gained in Christ, and so
sorrowful for the life he lived before that Divine intervention. We need to
remember often what He has done for us so that our love doesn’t “grow cold”. We
have a great mission field right here in our own homeland, but the workers are
few. Let’s rekindle the fire we once had and develop that love that we are
called to have. We can show God’s love every day if we will seek Him and walk
in the Spirit daily. The Holy Spirit promised to all true believers will guard
your heart and mind and empower you to live the holy, sanctified life we are
called to live. I never want to stop seeking after Him and having that hunger
and thirst for Him.
Yes, there is a lot of loss
involved in complete surrender of your life to Christ once you have received
His salvation. What does it mean when Jesus says that we have to sacrifice
everything, lose our own life, in order to be worthy of being His disciple?
Well, it means you will give up all that you love that isn’t Godly and you will
commit your life to His will. You will put Him first in your life, in a literal
way, not just in words. You will continue to grow more Christ-like and begin to
despise the things you once loved or accepted as good…and in doing that you
will lose even more things you hold precious—friends and even family. But,
though they ridicule and shun you, you keep moving forward with Christ, knowing
that losing relationships is just a price you pay—people prefer what’s evil
over what’s good. That’s why He said (I’m saying this in my own words, not
quoting directly) that you must hate all these relationships or you won’t be
worthy to be called His disciple. He knew this opposition would occur. He didn’t
literally mean to hate your mother, father, wife, kids, and everyone else. That
word—hate—was used to emphasize strongly that you have to love Him more than
any other relationship or anything else in your life. If you can’t love Him the
most—truly, in your heart, because He knows the intentions of the heart—then you
won’t be able to fully commit to Him the way He commands you to. The person who lived their life in complete
rebellion and then transforms into a devout saint of Jesus Christ…they have a
lot of chains to break, bondages to be freed from, ridicule to face, friends to
lose, lives to lose. That’s correct; we lose our life for Him. If we call Him
Lord, and He says that if we call Him Lord then we become His disciples, then
we must lose our life for His sake. All the things in our lives that are against
God’s holy calling, against His righteousness, those are, in large, the things
which make up that life that we have to die to. If we fall into a trap of
believing that it is as simple as saying, “Well, I believe in Jesus”….and that’s
it, we are saying that the suffering of Christ and God’s plan of redemption is
cheap. I find it so saddening that every day people live their lives no
differently than before their salvation because they aren’t willing to suffer
any ridicule, any discomfort, or make any sacrifice—even though the One they
now call their Lord sacrificed it all for them, for us all. Are you willing to
step out of your own will, your comfort zone, and sacrifice your life for Him?
I have made many sacrifices in my own life. I’ve been ridiculed and criticized
by people I care about and love…and it hurts. But, there are others who have suffered
physical persecution; some who put their lives in danger and some who even die
because they sacrificed it all to deliver this message that has been entrusted
to all believers, just as it was entrusted to Paul and Timothy…and every
believer since Jesus died and rose again—to be the ultimate sacrifice for us,
so we could live in right relationship with God and have eternal life with Him.
Looking around, I believe the biggest sacrifices we have to make right away is
surrendering our lives to the Lord and truly placing Him first in our lives.
Once we do that, then God will surely entrust us with other things, things that will bring us joy and fulfillment. I want
those things, those holy callings upon my life, to be revealed. I ask the Lord
to prepare my heart for His will daily. He is faithful to do so and I’m excited
about anything and everything He has in store for my life!
I will end on this note: This speaks volumes about the power
of the Spirit in our lives. And, note that Paul says “if we live in the Spirit,
then let us also walk by the Spirit”. That says to me that we do have to seek
and rely upon the Spirit daily for power to live victoriously in this world.
Galatians 5:1-26 It was for freedom
that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject
again to a yoke of slavery.2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive
circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I testify again to
every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the
whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be
justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit,
by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working
through love.7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?
8 This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. 9 A little leaven
leavens the whole lump of dough. 10 I have confidence in you in the Lord that
you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his
judgment, whoever he is. 11 But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision,
why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been
abolished. 12 I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate
themselves.13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your
freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall
love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another,
take care that you are not consumed by one another.16 But I say, walk by the
Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets
its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are
in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the
deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20
idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes,
dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like
these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who
practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who
belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.25
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become
boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
That says a lot. We live by the
Spirit indeed, but let us also walk by the Spirit daily. Are you walking in the
Spirit daily? Use verse 22-23 as a checklist and do a self examination. Those
characteristics are not natural to man, therefore they are considered “Fruits
of the Spirit”. If you try to live by works (the law), you won't stand firm. It is our "faith working through love" that means something in Christ.
I pray we all have the desire to rekindle the fire within our hearts that burns for the Lord, that very fire for Him will keep our eyes on Him. If you have no passion for Him, you will have no honest desire for Him. Let us seek Him and move forward, walking by the Spirit, and giving Him our everything! And, remember, Christ set us free--don't turn back to that old yoke of bondage. If you know a friend who is weak or in a place where you know they will face opposition and persecution, then pray for them and encourage them, just as Paul did to Timothy...and many others. <3
Thursday, February 27, 2014
In His Arms......
I found this, amongst some other meaningful and sentimental writings, in an old journal from 2002. I have songs I was writing for a Christian music artist, but never gave to him. Also, sermon notes, personal notes on scriptures, and poetry. That's why I love note booking and journaling....when you find an old journal from years ago, you find such meaningful memories--some you may have even forgotten about.........
When I look out in the world
I see sin has taken its toll
Then I look again, and I
understand God's role. Every living, breathing thing
has been touched by God's hand
We were all placed on this earth
to live out God's plan.
So, when your faith just isn't strong
There is power in our prayers,
In His arms is where you belong.
In His arms there is comfort,
His peace is finally found-
In His arms there is joy, the
place where love abounds.
His arms, they are strong;
For just the touch of His hand
Can lead you down the path of righteousness,
into the Promised Land.
There's so many who haven't heard
All the promise of God's Word.
We are followers of Christ-
we have work to do,
His Spirit is here to guide us,
to help us follow through.
It's our job to let them know:
In His arms is where to go.
In His arms there is comfort,
His peace is finally found-
In His arms there is joy, the
place where love abounds.
His arms, they are strong;
For just the touch of His hand
Can lead you down the path of righteousness,
into the Promised Land.
Keep in mind this was in 2002, when I had first turned to God. I didn't have any experience in writing anything that wasn't dark and depressing. I was quite pleased to find this treasure among the others I will also share at some point.
It is so wonderful when your inspiration turns from the corruption and destruction of the world to the beauty and majesty of the Most High. My King is my heart's desire and that desire flows out of my heart and onto paper ........
Hope you all enjoy!
When I look out in the world
I see sin has taken its toll
Then I look again, and I
understand God's role. Every living, breathing thing
has been touched by God's hand
We were all placed on this earth
to live out God's plan.
So, when your faith just isn't strong
There is power in our prayers,
In His arms is where you belong.
In His arms there is comfort,
His peace is finally found-
In His arms there is joy, the
place where love abounds.
His arms, they are strong;
For just the touch of His hand
Can lead you down the path of righteousness,
into the Promised Land.
There's so many who haven't heard
All the promise of God's Word.
We are followers of Christ-
we have work to do,
His Spirit is here to guide us,
to help us follow through.
It's our job to let them know:
In His arms is where to go.
In His arms there is comfort,
His peace is finally found-
In His arms there is joy, the
place where love abounds.
His arms, they are strong;
For just the touch of His hand
Can lead you down the path of righteousness,
into the Promised Land.
Keep in mind this was in 2002, when I had first turned to God. I didn't have any experience in writing anything that wasn't dark and depressing. I was quite pleased to find this treasure among the others I will also share at some point.
It is so wonderful when your inspiration turns from the corruption and destruction of the world to the beauty and majesty of the Most High. My King is my heart's desire and that desire flows out of my heart and onto paper ........
Hope you all enjoy!
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