A few moments ago I was speaking to a brother in Christ about relationships, the beauty of how God connects us for a purpose in each others lives, some to bless us, some to teach us and some to bring about God's glory and plans from the beginning. I thought about the relationships I have now and had in the past. Each has taught me, even if it hurt, each has brought me closer to who I am now, and who I am confident in my spirit is a person who God wants me to be. Then I started to think about how this is true in Bible stories too, how even in the story of Samson and Delilah we see this is.
When we look at the story of Samson (found in Judges 13-16) we see that at the beginning, before he was even born, there was a prophecy over Samson's life. He was to be a Nazarite, set apart for God never tasting strong drink or unclean foods, never cutting his hair, and he was supposed to begin to deliver Israel out of the Philistines hands (Judges 13:3-5). At the end of the story, after being stripped of his supernatural strength because his hair was cut; and then blinded in both eyes Samson kills more Philistines in a final action of his life than he did in his entire life(Judges 16:30). But this would not and could not have happened without Delilah's betrayal. She had to get him to confess the secret of his strength and weaken him, she had to sell him out to the Philistines so that in the end he could pull down and destroy the house that the lords and people of Philistine were in mocking him and our God, gloating over him in his present state of weakness. Without Delilah's deceitfulness, and greed Samson would not have fulfilled his destiny.
The importance of others in our lives and the effect they have can also be seen in stories like Paul's conversion where Ananias healed Paul's eyes and baptized him into the faith after he was literally blinded by glory(Acts 9). Or those good friends who lowered the paralyzed man through the ceiling so Jesus would heal him (Mark 2:1-12). And again in even the resurrection story, Judas had to betray Christ in order for Yeshua to fulfill prophesy. Each one those stories pressed on me today the importance of connections, of people in our lives and how God is using all of us whether we know it or not to fulfill one of theses things in someone else's life and help steer each of us to our final destination.
Looking at my examples again and rereading what I wrote I am glad for the relationships that taught me about evil, because they have taught to be good. I am glad for those who encouraged me in seeking Jesus because they have helped me to endure, and I'm grateful for the relationships that have yet to come because they will teach me much and take me ever closer to fulfilling my purpose in the Lord. Be blessed.
Proverbs 27:17
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Galatians 6:2
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
1 Peter 4:8-11
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
See Jesus in Your Storm
Since about November or December my husband and I have been hit relentlessly with one stressful situation after another, one situation has a definite end in sight, but three months of the extra work load are going to be exhausting. Then there are some situations that are all up in the air, no definite end in sight, and with very little we can do to effect the outcome to any of them. There are things we need to do on our end to make sure things go the way we want for at least one of these situations but mostly even this situation is up to someone else, which is really stressful for us. Lately life has felt like all work and no play. Everyday just seems to bring more responsibility and more obligations for us to handle, and all we keep saying is 'we just want a break!'
During all this stress though there have been some blessings too, little mercies here and there that have helped to encourage and sometimes refresh us as we push forward through this struggle. And as I write this last sentence and think back over all the struggles we've had it occurs to me, this is always God's way. In every storm or struggle I have endured, even if the Lord did not take me out of it right away He has blessed me in the storm. He has given me hope to move on, and comfort for the times I have wanted to give in.
Not only have we encountered mercies and blessings through this though, but we have also grown and are still growing as individuals and as a couple. I can see how the struggles are refining our characters, making us stronger and more aware of our duty to each other, our families and God. We are learning to push past our breaking points; to press on when we thought we couldn't; but also that at some point we have to say 'no' too, that we can't do everything for everybody, that we have to have balance and know when to step back even just a little.
I shared our experience and what we are learning with you today to encourage you to look at your situation, to look at the storm you're in, and ask yourself do you see Jesus in it? Have there been moments of blessing and refreshing? Moments of encouragement when you were at your weakest and wanted to give up? Can you see looking back how much you've grown and learned? Paul writes in Romans 5:3-5 "More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Does that passage describe your storm? Is that what God is doing in your life? And if not, could it be you're holding onto the struggle and not the Lord? That your eyes are more focused on what is going on around you, than what the Lord is producing in you? I hope and pray you see Jesus in your storm. Be blessed.
Psalm 71:20-21
You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
2 Corinthians 12:8-10
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
James 1:2-4
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
During all this stress though there have been some blessings too, little mercies here and there that have helped to encourage and sometimes refresh us as we push forward through this struggle. And as I write this last sentence and think back over all the struggles we've had it occurs to me, this is always God's way. In every storm or struggle I have endured, even if the Lord did not take me out of it right away He has blessed me in the storm. He has given me hope to move on, and comfort for the times I have wanted to give in.
Not only have we encountered mercies and blessings through this though, but we have also grown and are still growing as individuals and as a couple. I can see how the struggles are refining our characters, making us stronger and more aware of our duty to each other, our families and God. We are learning to push past our breaking points; to press on when we thought we couldn't; but also that at some point we have to say 'no' too, that we can't do everything for everybody, that we have to have balance and know when to step back even just a little.
I shared our experience and what we are learning with you today to encourage you to look at your situation, to look at the storm you're in, and ask yourself do you see Jesus in it? Have there been moments of blessing and refreshing? Moments of encouragement when you were at your weakest and wanted to give up? Can you see looking back how much you've grown and learned? Paul writes in Romans 5:3-5 "More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Does that passage describe your storm? Is that what God is doing in your life? And if not, could it be you're holding onto the struggle and not the Lord? That your eyes are more focused on what is going on around you, than what the Lord is producing in you? I hope and pray you see Jesus in your storm. Be blessed.
Psalm 71:20-21
You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
2 Corinthians 12:8-10
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
James 1:2-4
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Humble my Heart
When I finally made a true commitment to Jesus something that I had to learn to accept that was not easy all of the time, and still isn't at times; is that it does not matter what I think is right, what I want to be right, or what the world says is right, it only matters what God says is right. It's an easy enough thing to say you believe, easy enough to tell yourself you believe, but when you come across something in the Bible that tells you what you have been telling yourself is a lie, humbling yourself to the fact that you are wrong and He is right, is painful. No growth comes without pain though, and this is part of the process of growing closer to God, but it is certainly not one of the more enjoyable parts of a relationship with God.
I have had this experience more than once, and I'm sure I'll have it lots more over this journey. Sometimes when this occurs I'll be doing my Bible study and end up on a passage or verse that brings me to tears, in it I will see myself and how wrong I've been, instantly becoming remorseful and repentant, praying to the Father for the strength, help, guidance and courage to change to be more like Him. Other times, I will read something that contradicts with my beliefs or what I had previously been told about God, and my pride rises. I get upset because I was wrong and I know it, but I don't want to admit it. I hate these moments because I know I am wrong but my flesh refuses to give in stubbornly rationalizing, arguing, and justifying myself. I try to make myself right and Him wrong in my heart and mind. Not gonna lie, I have ridden that merry-go-round more times than I can count, and of the two responses to discovering I'm wrong this one is not my favorite, but boy does the lesson stick.
Inevitability though, my pride is broken and I am brought back to a humble, repentant heart asking God for forgiveness of my sin, my pride and my disobedience. I am always brought back to repentance because ultimately, in my heart and spirit I accept what the scriptures tell us, God is perfect love(1 John 4:8&18); and He can't lie so we can trust His word(Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 6:18); His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:18) because we see in part but the Lord knows all(1 Corinthians 13:9-10). When I am fighting God's word because of my beliefs it is these truths and my total trust in Jesus that melts away my resolve to fight Him anymore, to really believe those things means I have to submit to His Sovereignty.
I wrote this this afternoon because many people today, many churches today want to make God wrong and the world right. They look at God's word and see that it does not condone what they are doing, or the lifestyle they live or the popular views of todays culture and say 'that can't possibly be what was meant,' or 'that was fine then but isn't relevant today' or 'the Bible is like the Constitution, its open to interpretation' or of course the worst one in my opinion 'what does it matter what the Bible says, it's just a book anyway.' All of those responses aren't true though, they are simply comforting lies to your itching ears to soothe your bruised ego and hurt pride. The truth is that God is infallible, He is perfect and to be a Christian that is a fundamental principle and belief that automatically makes you wrong when there is a contradiction between your life, or belief and the word. I'm closing here today, and I pray that we all recognize the truth of God's word and the importance of a humble, obedient heart. Be blessed.
Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.
Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Isaiah 66:2
All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.
Luke 14:11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Hebrews 12:11
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
I have had this experience more than once, and I'm sure I'll have it lots more over this journey. Sometimes when this occurs I'll be doing my Bible study and end up on a passage or verse that brings me to tears, in it I will see myself and how wrong I've been, instantly becoming remorseful and repentant, praying to the Father for the strength, help, guidance and courage to change to be more like Him. Other times, I will read something that contradicts with my beliefs or what I had previously been told about God, and my pride rises. I get upset because I was wrong and I know it, but I don't want to admit it. I hate these moments because I know I am wrong but my flesh refuses to give in stubbornly rationalizing, arguing, and justifying myself. I try to make myself right and Him wrong in my heart and mind. Not gonna lie, I have ridden that merry-go-round more times than I can count, and of the two responses to discovering I'm wrong this one is not my favorite, but boy does the lesson stick.
Inevitability though, my pride is broken and I am brought back to a humble, repentant heart asking God for forgiveness of my sin, my pride and my disobedience. I am always brought back to repentance because ultimately, in my heart and spirit I accept what the scriptures tell us, God is perfect love(1 John 4:8&18); and He can't lie so we can trust His word(Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 6:18); His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:18) because we see in part but the Lord knows all(1 Corinthians 13:9-10). When I am fighting God's word because of my beliefs it is these truths and my total trust in Jesus that melts away my resolve to fight Him anymore, to really believe those things means I have to submit to His Sovereignty.
I wrote this this afternoon because many people today, many churches today want to make God wrong and the world right. They look at God's word and see that it does not condone what they are doing, or the lifestyle they live or the popular views of todays culture and say 'that can't possibly be what was meant,' or 'that was fine then but isn't relevant today' or 'the Bible is like the Constitution, its open to interpretation' or of course the worst one in my opinion 'what does it matter what the Bible says, it's just a book anyway.' All of those responses aren't true though, they are simply comforting lies to your itching ears to soothe your bruised ego and hurt pride. The truth is that God is infallible, He is perfect and to be a Christian that is a fundamental principle and belief that automatically makes you wrong when there is a contradiction between your life, or belief and the word. I'm closing here today, and I pray that we all recognize the truth of God's word and the importance of a humble, obedient heart. Be blessed.
Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.
Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Isaiah 66:2
All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.
Luke 14:11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Hebrews 12:11
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Seek, And You Will Find
Someone asked me recently why it was that they did not have the relationship with the Lord that they used to, why they had stopped feeling as though the Lord was speaking to them when they read the word. So I asked them what they were doing different from that time before to now, and they answered me honestly with a look of shame that they weren't praying as much used to and that they weren't in the Word at all anymore. So I asked why, and they admitted that the reason was they got discouraged in a dry season and quit putting in the effort, feeling that they were getting no where and they became overwhelmed by their doubts, they still believe in God but they feel lost and don't know how to get back to the way it was.
I totally understand how they felt, dry seasons, seasons where you don't hear or feel God's presence are extremely difficult, at times it can feel unbearable, and honestly that's the point of these seasons. The dry seasons are a time of learning, refining, and deepening of faith, a time to realize how much we need and desire Him. It is at that time that we should be digging deeper into the word, deeper into Yeshua, seeking Him more fervently than before. But I know from experience that this can be hard to do, especially if your dry season is lasting for months, maybe into years. The longer it last the harder it is to endure, and for many it is in these dry seasons that, like this previously mentioned person, they fall away. The silence from God and emptiness of not feeling Him near grows as they start to listen more to their doubts and to the world than they do spending time seeking Him.
I wish I could have given them and you the perfect answer to this dilemma, I wish I could tell you what to do to get through the dry season and back to where you were. But to be honest the only thing I know to tell you came from that person as we spoke more on this subject, suddenly they turned to me and with tears in their eyes said this quote found at Matthew 7:7; and also Luke 11:9 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." I enthusiastically agreed with them and we both got silent after that, I could tell they were convicted in their heart and they were working through some things; so I let subject drop and gave them space to think.
I don't know if this helped anyone but I pray that it did, I pray you don't let the dry season overtake you and fall off course, stay in the word and press deeper each day! But if you have already fallen off the strait and narrow, know its never too late to come back. Jesus is always willing to love you and in fact never stopped. Seek Him with all your heart, all your soul, and all your energy and you will find Him(Deuteronomy 4:29), Yeshua will make His presence known to you again if you are willing to repent and come back. You have never fallen too far that the Creator of the universe can't find you. Be blessed.
Deuteronomy 4:29
"But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.
Psalm 34:4
I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Amos 5:4
This is what the LORD says to Israel: "Seek me and live;
Matthew 7:7-12
I totally understand how they felt, dry seasons, seasons where you don't hear or feel God's presence are extremely difficult, at times it can feel unbearable, and honestly that's the point of these seasons. The dry seasons are a time of learning, refining, and deepening of faith, a time to realize how much we need and desire Him. It is at that time that we should be digging deeper into the word, deeper into Yeshua, seeking Him more fervently than before. But I know from experience that this can be hard to do, especially if your dry season is lasting for months, maybe into years. The longer it last the harder it is to endure, and for many it is in these dry seasons that, like this previously mentioned person, they fall away. The silence from God and emptiness of not feeling Him near grows as they start to listen more to their doubts and to the world than they do spending time seeking Him.
I wish I could have given them and you the perfect answer to this dilemma, I wish I could tell you what to do to get through the dry season and back to where you were. But to be honest the only thing I know to tell you came from that person as we spoke more on this subject, suddenly they turned to me and with tears in their eyes said this quote found at Matthew 7:7; and also Luke 11:9 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." I enthusiastically agreed with them and we both got silent after that, I could tell they were convicted in their heart and they were working through some things; so I let subject drop and gave them space to think.
I don't know if this helped anyone but I pray that it did, I pray you don't let the dry season overtake you and fall off course, stay in the word and press deeper each day! But if you have already fallen off the strait and narrow, know its never too late to come back. Jesus is always willing to love you and in fact never stopped. Seek Him with all your heart, all your soul, and all your energy and you will find Him(Deuteronomy 4:29), Yeshua will make His presence known to you again if you are willing to repent and come back. You have never fallen too far that the Creator of the universe can't find you. Be blessed.
Deuteronomy 4:29
"But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.
Psalm 34:4
I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Amos 5:4
This is what the LORD says to Israel: "Seek me and live;
Matthew 7:7-12
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
A Mans Heart Deviseth His Way
Proverbs 16:9 in the King James says 'A mans heart deviseth his way; but the Lord directeth his steps.' In the ESV it reads like this 'The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.' Whichever way you prefer to read it, the point is the same, we can make plans and set goals but it is the will of the Lord that will stand, a concept that is backed by other verses like Proverbs 19:21; Proverbs 20:24; and Jeremiah 29:11; to name just a few.
My mind today has obviously been on how we make plans and the Father changes them, and mostly because this month marks three years for us in a house that we only planned on renting for one year. Our original plans were to stay there for a year, save some money, pay off some debt, and buy a house. Evidently things did not go according to our plans, but right now I'm realizing that was probably a good thing and I'm kind of glad things didn't happen the way we had planned because we are now in a position financially to afford a better home than we could have then.
To be honest though, I didn't feel like this until recently, I didn't see it this way until just the last couple of days. I have spent a good bit of time the last couple of years being frustrated that things did not turn out as we had planned, I have been angry at times, and I have felt stuck and forgotten by the Lord. It was disappointing that after spending so long saving up and fixing up our credit scores to not find anything that met our needs and wants in a home. It has been difficult for me these last couple years as I have watched, at times jealously, as others got the things I had been desiring and praying for. I have cried many tears of bitterness and frustration over this and not yet having a child of our own, together we have struggled as a couple to accept that things didn't work out because it just wasn't God's appointed time yet.
Now however, we are trying again to buy a house again and the situation is much better for us than it was two years ago. Two years ago we could have bought a house, but everything we found in our price range needed more work than we could afford or were capable of doing ourselves. And if we did find one that didn't need too much work, then it was in town or on the edge of it and that just wasn't what we knew we wanted for our family. To buy anything decent meant settling, meant having to live in town and already we knew from experience that wasn't what we wanted for our kids. After a few disappointing months we gave up the search realizing that with the money we had been approved for at that time it would be difficult to near impossible to find what we were looking for in a home. We felt discouraged, lost, and unsure after that because we just didn't know how we where ever going to make more money, how we would ever be able to afford buying a livable home outside of town, it just didn't seem possible with what we made at the time and honestly it still wouldn't be possible if we had stayed in those jobs.
What we didn't know, or couldn't accept and see then was, that God already knew how we would do it, that God already had a plan in place for us. He took each us out of our old jobs and into new ones that paid better and were really better work environments for us all the way around. I never imagined after our last attempt that our circumstances could have changed so much in such a short amount of time! I couldn't think then that we would ever be able to actually afford a home we loved, or that either of us would end up with the jobs we have now, I couldn't imagine then the future that is on the horizon now as an actual possibility after our last defeat in this area, but the plans of the Lord stand!
So, I told you all of this, and shared our experience with all you for this reason, it is easy to give up. It is so easy to get discouraged when your plans and dreams don't work out and quit trying, but the Lord knows our heart desires, He knows what we need, and He provides it all at the right time, in His perfect timing. You may be facing disappointment now, but if you keep in the Lord and trust Him than you know in your heart already that this disappointment isn't permanent and is really only a set up for a better future tomorrow. Be blessed.
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 20:24
A person's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand their own way?
Matthew 7:7-11
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
My mind today has obviously been on how we make plans and the Father changes them, and mostly because this month marks three years for us in a house that we only planned on renting for one year. Our original plans were to stay there for a year, save some money, pay off some debt, and buy a house. Evidently things did not go according to our plans, but right now I'm realizing that was probably a good thing and I'm kind of glad things didn't happen the way we had planned because we are now in a position financially to afford a better home than we could have then.
To be honest though, I didn't feel like this until recently, I didn't see it this way until just the last couple of days. I have spent a good bit of time the last couple of years being frustrated that things did not turn out as we had planned, I have been angry at times, and I have felt stuck and forgotten by the Lord. It was disappointing that after spending so long saving up and fixing up our credit scores to not find anything that met our needs and wants in a home. It has been difficult for me these last couple years as I have watched, at times jealously, as others got the things I had been desiring and praying for. I have cried many tears of bitterness and frustration over this and not yet having a child of our own, together we have struggled as a couple to accept that things didn't work out because it just wasn't God's appointed time yet.
Now however, we are trying again to buy a house again and the situation is much better for us than it was two years ago. Two years ago we could have bought a house, but everything we found in our price range needed more work than we could afford or were capable of doing ourselves. And if we did find one that didn't need too much work, then it was in town or on the edge of it and that just wasn't what we knew we wanted for our family. To buy anything decent meant settling, meant having to live in town and already we knew from experience that wasn't what we wanted for our kids. After a few disappointing months we gave up the search realizing that with the money we had been approved for at that time it would be difficult to near impossible to find what we were looking for in a home. We felt discouraged, lost, and unsure after that because we just didn't know how we where ever going to make more money, how we would ever be able to afford buying a livable home outside of town, it just didn't seem possible with what we made at the time and honestly it still wouldn't be possible if we had stayed in those jobs.
What we didn't know, or couldn't accept and see then was, that God already knew how we would do it, that God already had a plan in place for us. He took each us out of our old jobs and into new ones that paid better and were really better work environments for us all the way around. I never imagined after our last attempt that our circumstances could have changed so much in such a short amount of time! I couldn't think then that we would ever be able to actually afford a home we loved, or that either of us would end up with the jobs we have now, I couldn't imagine then the future that is on the horizon now as an actual possibility after our last defeat in this area, but the plans of the Lord stand!
So, I told you all of this, and shared our experience with all you for this reason, it is easy to give up. It is so easy to get discouraged when your plans and dreams don't work out and quit trying, but the Lord knows our heart desires, He knows what we need, and He provides it all at the right time, in His perfect timing. You may be facing disappointment now, but if you keep in the Lord and trust Him than you know in your heart already that this disappointment isn't permanent and is really only a set up for a better future tomorrow. Be blessed.
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 20:24
A person's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand their own way?
Matthew 7:7-11
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Be Serious
I know not everything I write is going to be popular with everyone, and I'm okay with that. I know that I am no expert in theology or faith, I am simply writing what is laid on my heart, and what I am learning on this journey I am taking with the Lord. I know I can be wrong, because I am human and have been wrong many times before and will be wrong again, and I know to some I seem overly religious, zealous even, or maybe a fanatic. I know that the person I was three years ago would have said that the person I am now takes 'this religion thing too seriously' but I also realized one day when reading what my Savior went through on the cross that it was a pretty serious thing.
I realized as I looked at what Jesus endured on the cross, and what happened to the early Christians this is a serious thing. When I saw that Christians were dying in the Middle East I realized this is a serious thing. People don't just lay down their lives for nothing, people don't endure persecution for nothing, these people took their faith seriously and it shook me to my core to realize it. These things woke me up and made me check my walk to find that I was lukewarm, that I was a superficial Christian only giving Him lip service and an appearance in church once a week, but barely letting Him touch my heart, barely spending anytime with Him or in His word. But once that wake up call came, I got serious. I got into the word and started to seek Him praying most of the day, everyday because suddenly I knew in my heart that God wanted us to take Him seriously, that God wants to be more than our after thought, God wants to be our consuming thought!
I can make that last statement with total confidence because it is a reoccurring theme in the Bible, Exodus 20:1-4 first establishes this being a major part of the ten commandments, and it is repeated again throughout the Bible. There is to be no God before Yahweh, He is to be first in our lives, and that means we have to invest in a relationship with Him as we would with any other important person in our lives, but more so than even that, Matthew 10:37-39 says "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Jesus isn't saying not to love these people, love is who He is, He wants us to love everyone as He has loved us(John 13:34 & John 15:12) but what was said there was meant to drive home the point that we are to love Him deeper than anyone else. Jesus wants us to take Him seriously, He wants us to take Him so seriously that we would be willing to give up everything for Him (Matthew 16:24-26).
When I looked at myself and found that I wasn't as committed to Him as I had led myself to believe I made some changes realizing that the only way to get closer to Him was to diligently seek Him. No one that is admired in the Bible got there by being lukewarm, Abraham, Noah, Deborah, David, Samuel, John, Peter, Mary, Matthew, Paul, and so on, were all 'sold out' for Jesus, for the Lord. They were committed to doing the will of the Lord no matter the price they paid on earth for it. This is the commitment the Lord wants, He wants hearts that are on fire for Him, hearts devoted to Him above all else, hearts that are willing to forsake everything for their commitment to Him. God wants serious hearts, He wants us to take His sacrifice, and His love seriously, He wants us to take His laws seriously! Folks, how serious are you? Be blessed.
Proverbs 3:6
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Matthew 19:16-30
I realized as I looked at what Jesus endured on the cross, and what happened to the early Christians this is a serious thing. When I saw that Christians were dying in the Middle East I realized this is a serious thing. People don't just lay down their lives for nothing, people don't endure persecution for nothing, these people took their faith seriously and it shook me to my core to realize it. These things woke me up and made me check my walk to find that I was lukewarm, that I was a superficial Christian only giving Him lip service and an appearance in church once a week, but barely letting Him touch my heart, barely spending anytime with Him or in His word. But once that wake up call came, I got serious. I got into the word and started to seek Him praying most of the day, everyday because suddenly I knew in my heart that God wanted us to take Him seriously, that God wants to be more than our after thought, God wants to be our consuming thought!
I can make that last statement with total confidence because it is a reoccurring theme in the Bible, Exodus 20:1-4 first establishes this being a major part of the ten commandments, and it is repeated again throughout the Bible. There is to be no God before Yahweh, He is to be first in our lives, and that means we have to invest in a relationship with Him as we would with any other important person in our lives, but more so than even that, Matthew 10:37-39 says "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Jesus isn't saying not to love these people, love is who He is, He wants us to love everyone as He has loved us(John 13:34 & John 15:12) but what was said there was meant to drive home the point that we are to love Him deeper than anyone else. Jesus wants us to take Him seriously, He wants us to take Him so seriously that we would be willing to give up everything for Him (Matthew 16:24-26).
When I looked at myself and found that I wasn't as committed to Him as I had led myself to believe I made some changes realizing that the only way to get closer to Him was to diligently seek Him. No one that is admired in the Bible got there by being lukewarm, Abraham, Noah, Deborah, David, Samuel, John, Peter, Mary, Matthew, Paul, and so on, were all 'sold out' for Jesus, for the Lord. They were committed to doing the will of the Lord no matter the price they paid on earth for it. This is the commitment the Lord wants, He wants hearts that are on fire for Him, hearts devoted to Him above all else, hearts that are willing to forsake everything for their commitment to Him. God wants serious hearts, He wants us to take His sacrifice, and His love seriously, He wants us to take His laws seriously! Folks, how serious are you? Be blessed.
Proverbs 3:6
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Matthew 19:16-30
16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.' ”
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
Friday, March 20, 2015
My Provider
Yesterday I read Matthew 6 again and as I read verses 25-34 I started to really think about and appreciate the Lord's provision, I started to think about how big and how good our God is. I have always read this passage mostly as 'don't worry, God's in control' and that is essentially what it says, but without really looking in depth or letting it settle on my heart I missed the incredible peace that this passage brings. Maybe it's where I am at in life right now, but as I read Matthew 6:25-34 and thought how big and wonderful our God is I couldn't help but feel good, to feel light as if my burdens released while I read His word.
For the first time yesterday I read that passage not as 'don't worry,' but as 'I am is providing for you' and it changed my entire day. There was a confidence that came over me as I read that passage yesterday and I was able to really let go of my worries. Something hit me deep while I read it and thought of who God is. The God of angel armies is providing you, the God of miracles, the God who parted the seas and created the earth, the God who died for you is providing for you! And all He wants is your love and devotion. I am is providing for you, what reason is there to worry?
Now am I saying go quit your job it's okay, God will make sure your rent is paid somehow? No, but if that is something God has asked you to do please don't worry and just trust Him, but for everyone else who hasn't had the Lord tell them that, what I'm trying to say is why are we sweating the small stuff? Seriously, God knows the number of the hairs on each of our heads, each(Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7)! Do you realize what the world population is? It is over 7.3 BILLION PEOPLE; and He knows the number of the hairs on each person's head, but we're worried about what we will wear today? Think about it for a minute, think of the population, think of how many people that is, and God is capable of providing for each of us, He loves each of us, even when we deny Him, and you want to waste your time worrying?
This isn't the only place in the bible either where God is made known as our provider, Philippians 4:19 says 'And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.' And in Psalms 65:9-13 it describes some of the many ways the Father provides. I realize that most us do know that God is our provider, I did too before I read that passage again yesterday, but knowing it and feeling it to your core are two different things and I believe that's what hit me yesterday, what hasn't left me today. I can finally accept that there really isn't any need for me to get worried, worked up or upset, Yahweh can handle it all. Blessings and peace to you all.
Psalm 65:9-13
Psalm 104:19-24
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
21 The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.
23 Then people go out to their work,
to their labor until evening.
24 How many are your works, Lord!
Luke 12:24
Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!
For the first time yesterday I read that passage not as 'don't worry,' but as 'I am is providing for you' and it changed my entire day. There was a confidence that came over me as I read that passage yesterday and I was able to really let go of my worries. Something hit me deep while I read it and thought of who God is. The God of angel armies is providing you, the God of miracles, the God who parted the seas and created the earth, the God who died for you is providing for you! And all He wants is your love and devotion. I am is providing for you, what reason is there to worry?
Now am I saying go quit your job it's okay, God will make sure your rent is paid somehow? No, but if that is something God has asked you to do please don't worry and just trust Him, but for everyone else who hasn't had the Lord tell them that, what I'm trying to say is why are we sweating the small stuff? Seriously, God knows the number of the hairs on each of our heads, each(Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7)! Do you realize what the world population is? It is over 7.3 BILLION PEOPLE; and He knows the number of the hairs on each person's head, but we're worried about what we will wear today? Think about it for a minute, think of the population, think of how many people that is, and God is capable of providing for each of us, He loves each of us, even when we deny Him, and you want to waste your time worrying?
This isn't the only place in the bible either where God is made known as our provider, Philippians 4:19 says 'And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.' And in Psalms 65:9-13 it describes some of the many ways the Father provides. I realize that most us do know that God is our provider, I did too before I read that passage again yesterday, but knowing it and feeling it to your core are two different things and I believe that's what hit me yesterday, what hasn't left me today. I can finally accept that there really isn't any need for me to get worried, worked up or upset, Yahweh can handle it all. Blessings and peace to you all.
Psalm 65:9-13
9 You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
13 The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.
Psalm 104:19-24
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
21 The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.
23 Then people go out to their work,
to their labor until evening.
24 How many are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures Luke 12:24
Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Some Things Aren't Debatable
I heard a pastor on TV say recently (I can't remember his name to be honest or I would tell you who it was) that in his years of studying theology and world religions as a whole that he believes that all religions come from God, and that no matter who you pray to that so long as you are basically good you will go to heaven. As support of this opinion he pointed to how many religions include a moral code that runs along the same line as 'treat others how you would want to be treated.' He followed that up with 'of course being a Christian' that meant for him he was following Jesus. This to me was an obvious sign that he is a false teacher.
I titled this post 'some things aren't debatable' because of this pastor statements and how it compares to what is written in the Bible, because if you are truly a Bible believer you know that his statements are false and contradictory to God's word, to what Jesus told us. In John 14:6 Jesus says 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.' For this pastor's statements then to be true, Yeshua would have had to be lying when He said this, and we know that is impossible because God does not lie (Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 6:18) and that Jesus is in fact God (John 1:1-4; John 8:58; John 14:10-11; Colossians 1:15-17). So, either that pastor is grossly deceived or Jesus lied in that verse, which would mean He wasn't God, and that all of Christianity is wrong and that it is a false religion. I for one, believe in God and that Jesus was His son that died and rose again to set us free from the captivity of sin, I believe in a God who doesn't lie, making that pastor wrong.
I am sorry to those who agree with that pastor's statements and still consider themselves Christians because you can't claim to believe in Yeshua as the son of God, as part of the Holy Trinity, and at the same time call Him a liar. Those who take this path will be those who hear 'I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity'. That was a bold statement I know but I can back myself up with scripture, Matthew 6:24 tells us that no man can serve two masters, reading the verse in context it does at the end of it say 'no man can serve God and mammon (money); but the meaning to it is clear and goes beyond just money if you read it completely, we are to trust in God alone. So, by agreeing with that pastor over God's word who are you putting your trust in?
I know I probably sound harsh and judgmental right now, but that is not really my heart. I am sharing this and talking about this because this deception is widespread and getting wider, it is a dangerous path and like the Father in heaven I wish for none of you to perish, I am sharing this out of love for you and a desire that you be with the Lord for eternity. I hope that the words I wrote here today blesses someone, I hope I helped someone. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior be blessed.
Matthew 7:13-14
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
John 10:9
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
Romans 10:9
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
I titled this post 'some things aren't debatable' because of this pastor statements and how it compares to what is written in the Bible, because if you are truly a Bible believer you know that his statements are false and contradictory to God's word, to what Jesus told us. In John 14:6 Jesus says 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.' For this pastor's statements then to be true, Yeshua would have had to be lying when He said this, and we know that is impossible because God does not lie (Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 6:18) and that Jesus is in fact God (John 1:1-4; John 8:58; John 14:10-11; Colossians 1:15-17). So, either that pastor is grossly deceived or Jesus lied in that verse, which would mean He wasn't God, and that all of Christianity is wrong and that it is a false religion. I for one, believe in God and that Jesus was His son that died and rose again to set us free from the captivity of sin, I believe in a God who doesn't lie, making that pastor wrong.
I am sorry to those who agree with that pastor's statements and still consider themselves Christians because you can't claim to believe in Yeshua as the son of God, as part of the Holy Trinity, and at the same time call Him a liar. Those who take this path will be those who hear 'I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity'. That was a bold statement I know but I can back myself up with scripture, Matthew 6:24 tells us that no man can serve two masters, reading the verse in context it does at the end of it say 'no man can serve God and mammon (money); but the meaning to it is clear and goes beyond just money if you read it completely, we are to trust in God alone. So, by agreeing with that pastor over God's word who are you putting your trust in?
I know I probably sound harsh and judgmental right now, but that is not really my heart. I am sharing this and talking about this because this deception is widespread and getting wider, it is a dangerous path and like the Father in heaven I wish for none of you to perish, I am sharing this out of love for you and a desire that you be with the Lord for eternity. I hope that the words I wrote here today blesses someone, I hope I helped someone. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior be blessed.
Matthew 7:13-14
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
John 10:9
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
Romans 10:9
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Would They Convict You?
Lately I've been hearing an advertisement for a new Christian film coming out and in the commercial there is a quote I have been thinking about a lot since I first heard it, it is 'If being a Christian was a crime; would there be enough evidence to convict you?' Have you ever thought about that? Have you thought about whether others would accuse you of being a Christian? Have you ever thought about the fact that this quote was reality for the early Christians, and is still for many today around the world?
In the United States and most other western countries we don't take a quote like that one shared above too seriously, we typically read it, process, and move on. We may check ourselves and our walk with the Lord upon hearing something like that and it's great to do that, we should be checking ourselves and our walk often, but most of the time we don't go too deep into it. We don't think about the sacrifice of the martyrs in Iraq and what those in the Middle East and some Asian countries are going through for Jesus, and we don't question our heart deep enough to really find out if we would go that far because we feel safe in our little corner of the world far away from the oppression and craziness. But today I want you to think about it, I want you to go deep into your heart and really feel for this question, if Christianity was a crime, would you still want to follow Jesus? Could they convict for it by the way you're living now?
I think most people who are reading this knows what it means to be a Christian, that you believe Jesus Christ (Yashua) to be the son of God and part of the holy trinity, you believe that He sacrificed Himself for you on the cross after living a sinless life and died, then rose again to set us free from death and sin(Romans 6:9-10; 1 Corinthians 15:1-58; 1 Peter 2:24; Revelation 1:18). We know that being a Christian means that we are to walk in His ways, we are to die to sin and walk in love with each other(John 15:12; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 5:2;1 John 2:6;). We know all this but are we living it? Would someone hanging out with you for the day even know you were a Christian by the way you go through it?
Jesus says in John 13:34-35 that everyone will know that you are His disciple by loving others as He has loved us, so if Jesus is truly in your heart than your answer should be yes, yes they would convict me, yes they would know I am a Christian by the way I live. If that wasn't your answer though, if you found that they wouldn't convict you, I remind you it's never to late to repent. It is never to late to turn back from the road you are on and come to Jesus. Be blessed in the Lord.
Proverbs 3:6
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Isaiah 33:15-17
He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure. Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty; they will see a land that stretches afar.
Luke 9:21-27
John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
2 Corinthians 5:21
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
In the United States and most other western countries we don't take a quote like that one shared above too seriously, we typically read it, process, and move on. We may check ourselves and our walk with the Lord upon hearing something like that and it's great to do that, we should be checking ourselves and our walk often, but most of the time we don't go too deep into it. We don't think about the sacrifice of the martyrs in Iraq and what those in the Middle East and some Asian countries are going through for Jesus, and we don't question our heart deep enough to really find out if we would go that far because we feel safe in our little corner of the world far away from the oppression and craziness. But today I want you to think about it, I want you to go deep into your heart and really feel for this question, if Christianity was a crime, would you still want to follow Jesus? Could they convict for it by the way you're living now?
I think most people who are reading this knows what it means to be a Christian, that you believe Jesus Christ (Yashua) to be the son of God and part of the holy trinity, you believe that He sacrificed Himself for you on the cross after living a sinless life and died, then rose again to set us free from death and sin(Romans 6:9-10; 1 Corinthians 15:1-58; 1 Peter 2:24; Revelation 1:18). We know that being a Christian means that we are to walk in His ways, we are to die to sin and walk in love with each other(John 15:12; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 5:2;1 John 2:6;). We know all this but are we living it? Would someone hanging out with you for the day even know you were a Christian by the way you go through it?
Jesus says in John 13:34-35 that everyone will know that you are His disciple by loving others as He has loved us, so if Jesus is truly in your heart than your answer should be yes, yes they would convict me, yes they would know I am a Christian by the way I live. If that wasn't your answer though, if you found that they wouldn't convict you, I remind you it's never to late to repent. It is never to late to turn back from the road you are on and come to Jesus. Be blessed in the Lord.
Proverbs 3:6
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Isaiah 33:15-17
He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure. Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty; they will see a land that stretches afar.
Luke 9:21-27
21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
2 Corinthians 5:21
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Discerning His Voice
Recently, and not for the first time, someone asked me how to recognize when God is speaking to them, how to know if it is a sign or just a coincidence. This is a hard thing to explain for me because oftentimes it's just a deep inner knowing, a very strong thought or feeling that something is right or wrong, or that I need to do or say something for/to a certain person whether I know them or not. Often when it is from God my soul won't rest until I do what I was supposed to do, like I am compelled to do it and if I resist because of fear or doubt it creates inner chaos.
One case in which this happened was very early on in my walk, truly when I was still just more or less going through the motions of Christianity and had yet to surrender completely. In church that morning we prayed for a family who was having an extremely difficult pregnancy, the doctors didn't think the mother would be able to go full-term, or that the baby would survive at all. The wife was placed on bed rest, and her husband looked tortured as he told us what was happening and asked for our prayers. As we prayed together, I suddenly knew that the Lord had heard our prayers, and not only that but an inner voice told me that the baby would be okay and to tell the family not to worry. I will admit, I thought I was crazy and tried to ignore the voice, I didn't know how to know if it was really God or just me, and I didn't want to embarrass myself at a church I just started to attend. After service I took my little sister home (we lived across the street from the church) but I couldn't stay there, that inner voice kept pushing me to speak to them before they left, suddenly before I really even knew what I was doing I had walked back to church and was standing in front of the husband telling him what I knew. I don't know if he believed me then, but his mother did and a few months later after we welcomed their son into this world I was invited to his baby shower.
But other times it is nothing like this, other times it is two or more people saying or putting up a post with the same message, sometimes the exact same words and it is like a response to my prayers. And I have also had occasions where other Christians will actually just say to me 'the Lord is laying it on my heart to tell...' and then they say things that blow my mind! So that brings me back to the first question how do you know it is the Lord speaking? How do you discern that?
First, I highly suggest praying for discernment to know the Lord's voice, this discernment will come from the Holy Spirit, He is the inner witness and will guide you and teach you just as Jesus promises in John 14:16-17&26; and John 16:13, sometimes it is by reminding you of verses that have to do with the situation you are in or could be applied to it. But we are told to test all spirits (1 John 4:1), so other confirmation is good too. This other confirmation may come from people and things that come into our path to speak to us as well, as I mentioned earlier with what I said about people putting up post or saying something that seems like answers to my prayers. This testing of the thought or idea that sprang up will either prove it to be from God by the confirmation of others, or will prove it to be false by there being no second witness or incident to confirm it.
That is probably the best way I know to explain it, but what about the situation I described, what about being told to do something or say something crazy, how do you check that to see if it is God when you have to act immediately? And honestly the best answer I can give here is what Jesus said in John 10:27 "my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." My heart knew that day I described above that it was God speaking to me, I just knew, but I was still afraid and doubted myself because of other circumstances in the past. As I have gone deeper in my relationship and deeper into the word this fear of acting because of what others may think is dissipating. I also think a good indication that it is God acting through you, is when you feel compelled to obey, I had to speak the words that I heard that day to them, I couldn't stop myself, and trust me the flesh tried to talk me out of it, but my spirit knew I must obey.
Then, there is the most obvious way in which He speaks to us, His word, the Bible. This text is not only our instruction manual for surviving earth and escaping hell fire, but also His love letter to us. In His word you find God's promises to us and comforting words from Him for our days of sorrow. In the Bible there are words of praise, joy, and encouragement, but also knowledge of His heart which will help you in discerning His voice. I hope this helped someone and I really hope that if you have more to add you do, I don't know if someone else has more scripture to help clarify or can hit on something I missed, or correct me if I'm wrong but it's always great to hear from others. Be blessed today and always in Jesus, name.
Job 33:14
For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it.
Ezekiel 36:27
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
John 14:15-17
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
1 Corinthians 2:11-15
11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
One case in which this happened was very early on in my walk, truly when I was still just more or less going through the motions of Christianity and had yet to surrender completely. In church that morning we prayed for a family who was having an extremely difficult pregnancy, the doctors didn't think the mother would be able to go full-term, or that the baby would survive at all. The wife was placed on bed rest, and her husband looked tortured as he told us what was happening and asked for our prayers. As we prayed together, I suddenly knew that the Lord had heard our prayers, and not only that but an inner voice told me that the baby would be okay and to tell the family not to worry. I will admit, I thought I was crazy and tried to ignore the voice, I didn't know how to know if it was really God or just me, and I didn't want to embarrass myself at a church I just started to attend. After service I took my little sister home (we lived across the street from the church) but I couldn't stay there, that inner voice kept pushing me to speak to them before they left, suddenly before I really even knew what I was doing I had walked back to church and was standing in front of the husband telling him what I knew. I don't know if he believed me then, but his mother did and a few months later after we welcomed their son into this world I was invited to his baby shower.
But other times it is nothing like this, other times it is two or more people saying or putting up a post with the same message, sometimes the exact same words and it is like a response to my prayers. And I have also had occasions where other Christians will actually just say to me 'the Lord is laying it on my heart to tell...' and then they say things that blow my mind! So that brings me back to the first question how do you know it is the Lord speaking? How do you discern that?
First, I highly suggest praying for discernment to know the Lord's voice, this discernment will come from the Holy Spirit, He is the inner witness and will guide you and teach you just as Jesus promises in John 14:16-17&26; and John 16:13, sometimes it is by reminding you of verses that have to do with the situation you are in or could be applied to it. But we are told to test all spirits (1 John 4:1), so other confirmation is good too. This other confirmation may come from people and things that come into our path to speak to us as well, as I mentioned earlier with what I said about people putting up post or saying something that seems like answers to my prayers. This testing of the thought or idea that sprang up will either prove it to be from God by the confirmation of others, or will prove it to be false by there being no second witness or incident to confirm it.
That is probably the best way I know to explain it, but what about the situation I described, what about being told to do something or say something crazy, how do you check that to see if it is God when you have to act immediately? And honestly the best answer I can give here is what Jesus said in John 10:27 "my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." My heart knew that day I described above that it was God speaking to me, I just knew, but I was still afraid and doubted myself because of other circumstances in the past. As I have gone deeper in my relationship and deeper into the word this fear of acting because of what others may think is dissipating. I also think a good indication that it is God acting through you, is when you feel compelled to obey, I had to speak the words that I heard that day to them, I couldn't stop myself, and trust me the flesh tried to talk me out of it, but my spirit knew I must obey.
Then, there is the most obvious way in which He speaks to us, His word, the Bible. This text is not only our instruction manual for surviving earth and escaping hell fire, but also His love letter to us. In His word you find God's promises to us and comforting words from Him for our days of sorrow. In the Bible there are words of praise, joy, and encouragement, but also knowledge of His heart which will help you in discerning His voice. I hope this helped someone and I really hope that if you have more to add you do, I don't know if someone else has more scripture to help clarify or can hit on something I missed, or correct me if I'm wrong but it's always great to hear from others. Be blessed today and always in Jesus, name.
Job 33:14
For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it.
Ezekiel 36:27
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
John 14:15-17
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
1 Corinthians 2:11-15
11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Monday, March 16, 2015
It's Okay To Rest
There is a time to work, and a time to rest, and at times we have to restructure things in our life so that we can maintain a healthy balance without burning out. That is where I am at right now, I have for a long time now made myself available all week long and on the weekend as well, but for now I am feeling led to step back on the weekends. With everything else that is going on in my life right now I realize that to keep up with this too without a break is just too much for me. I have to at some point slow things down so I can rest and that means I have to say no somewhere. So, this weekend I did a lot of praying, and seeking the Lord for what I should do because things look like they are going to take longer to get better than originally anticipated and I am already starting to feel worn down and exhausted from all of this. What I was led to, as I mentioned earlier, was stepping back from g+; and the blog at least on the weekends. There was a time when in this position I would have barreled ahead regardless until I literally made myself so weak from the stress and exhaustion that I couldn't work, but I know better now and I am trying to do better.
I have come to realize that rest is necessary whether I like it or not, burning myself out repeatedly in the past has taught me there is a big difference between being lazy, and allowing my body to relax and rejuvenate. I have come to learn that rest is important, I mean even God rested the seventh day and commanded that we rest too (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 34:21). From this Biblical knowledge and personal experience I have come to realize it is okay for me to give myself permission to rest, after all, what good am I to the family I work for or my own if I am too burnt out to do my job?
I wanted to share this short post for a couple of reasons today, one so you guys know why I won't be around much or at all on the weekends for a while, and two because I know there are other people out there who struggle with allowing themselves rest. I hope if you are one of those people you take this lesson the easy way and listen to my advice and reasoning. You need rest too, you need to take a little break every now and again for yourself and it does not make you selfish to do so, everyone needs rest. Even God rested, do you really think if He rested that you can do without it?
Genesis 2:1-3
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
Psalm 127:2
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
I have come to realize that rest is necessary whether I like it or not, burning myself out repeatedly in the past has taught me there is a big difference between being lazy, and allowing my body to relax and rejuvenate. I have come to learn that rest is important, I mean even God rested the seventh day and commanded that we rest too (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 34:21). From this Biblical knowledge and personal experience I have come to realize it is okay for me to give myself permission to rest, after all, what good am I to the family I work for or my own if I am too burnt out to do my job?
I wanted to share this short post for a couple of reasons today, one so you guys know why I won't be around much or at all on the weekends for a while, and two because I know there are other people out there who struggle with allowing themselves rest. I hope if you are one of those people you take this lesson the easy way and listen to my advice and reasoning. You need rest too, you need to take a little break every now and again for yourself and it does not make you selfish to do so, everyone needs rest. Even God rested, do you really think if He rested that you can do without it?
Genesis 2:1-3
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
Psalm 127:2
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Friday, March 13, 2015
The Sun Always Comes Back Out.
Right now there are good days, bad days, and really bad days, but I am still able to smile and say 'I love the Lord' because I know that everything that feels like it could, or should destroy me is really being worked out for my good. This knowledge has helped me a lot, this reassurance has made it possible for me to keep from sinking back into depression and to keep calm enough to not have any panic or anxiety attacks. I have had my moments of weakness, times where I sit in frustration and cry, asking God when it will be over so I can rest again; moments where I am angry, tired and done with all of it; moments when my flesh is stronger than my spirit. But those are just moments and when those moments occur, I am met by my God, met by His Holy Spirit and I am comforted, strengthened and reminded that though it is hard it will not last forever, the sun always comes back out.
I know I am not the only one going through tough times right now, I know I am not the only one in need of prayer, and that's why I wrote this today. It is a hard lonely place to be when you are hurting, even just going through the day can feel like scaling a mountain. But if you place yourself, place your trust, and all that you have mind, body and soul into the hands of your Creator you will find what you need. He can provide the comfort you seek, it's in His word His love letter to you. He can provide you peace and the ability to look beyond your circumstances to the joy that is coming. If you focus on Jesus nothing will stop you from walking on the water in the storm, if your focus and trust is in the Lord even the worst situations will have a silver lining.
When you do as the apostle James tells us in James 1:2-4 and count all trails as joy you will see God working in your life. You will remember God's faithfulness in the past and take courage from it. This attitude of confidence in the Lord will gird you against the trails and allow Him to do the work in you that He desires. It won't be comfortable, and it won't be instant but God will use every storm in your life to produce good fruits if you are just willing to trust in Him and give God thanks and praise. Be blessed in Jesus name.
That's my post today, but before I close I just I want to say thank you, thank you to the Father in Heaven, thank you to my amazing husband, thank you to my wonderful family, thank you to my great supportive friends, and thank you to everyone who has been reading, commenting and supporting me with prayer and words of encouragement. These last two weeks have been really hard for me, but God has allowed me to come through this situation with grace and to see all the good that is slowly coming from this bad situation. I can see how through the struggle it is rebuilding my relationship with my mother, teaching my husband and myself new things, and showing us how much He loves us through all the prayers and support our family has received. The waves are still crashing around us, and they keep coming, but we are praising Him for these good things He has blessed us with already during the storm. We appreciate all of you and your prayers!
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.
Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Hebrews 13:15
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
I know I am not the only one going through tough times right now, I know I am not the only one in need of prayer, and that's why I wrote this today. It is a hard lonely place to be when you are hurting, even just going through the day can feel like scaling a mountain. But if you place yourself, place your trust, and all that you have mind, body and soul into the hands of your Creator you will find what you need. He can provide the comfort you seek, it's in His word His love letter to you. He can provide you peace and the ability to look beyond your circumstances to the joy that is coming. If you focus on Jesus nothing will stop you from walking on the water in the storm, if your focus and trust is in the Lord even the worst situations will have a silver lining.
When you do as the apostle James tells us in James 1:2-4 and count all trails as joy you will see God working in your life. You will remember God's faithfulness in the past and take courage from it. This attitude of confidence in the Lord will gird you against the trails and allow Him to do the work in you that He desires. It won't be comfortable, and it won't be instant but God will use every storm in your life to produce good fruits if you are just willing to trust in Him and give God thanks and praise. Be blessed in Jesus name.
That's my post today, but before I close I just I want to say thank you, thank you to the Father in Heaven, thank you to my amazing husband, thank you to my wonderful family, thank you to my great supportive friends, and thank you to everyone who has been reading, commenting and supporting me with prayer and words of encouragement. These last two weeks have been really hard for me, but God has allowed me to come through this situation with grace and to see all the good that is slowly coming from this bad situation. I can see how through the struggle it is rebuilding my relationship with my mother, teaching my husband and myself new things, and showing us how much He loves us through all the prayers and support our family has received. The waves are still crashing around us, and they keep coming, but we are praising Him for these good things He has blessed us with already during the storm. We appreciate all of you and your prayers!
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.
Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Hebrews 13:15
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Was This the Holy Spirit? ---Question post
Have you ever just known in your heart or in your mind that even though the situations seems terrible that everything would be okay? Have you ever experienced complete inner calm despite the chaos of the situation around you? Do you know what it's like to have peace in the storm? I have had this experience overwhelmingly three times in my life, once when my younger brother went into a seizure at a clinic where I had taken him to get looked at for a cold, once as my boss told me I had to take some time off after I had a total of 3 emotional breakdowns at work in one week, and a third time more recently when I had to rush my aunt to hospital because I wasn't waiting on an ambulance.
In each circumstance while the situation was not comfortable and panic would not have been uncommon (at least in two situations panic wouldn't have been uncommon the other situation was just uncomfortable) I somehow kept my cool and did exactly what I needed too. I somehow knew without ever being in the situation before what I should do. I can't quite explain why this is, but my guess is it was the Holy Spirit suppressing my emotions and guiding my actions.
The day my brother had the seizure even the nurse practitioner panicked, I had to take care of him myself and tell her what to do, but I stayed calm the whole time and rode in the ambulance to the hospital with my brother when they showed up. I remember before leaving the nurse giving me a hug and saying 'you were a rock, I'm glad you were here with your brother because I panicked.' I have thought about this often. How is it that a nurse panicked in this situation and didn't know how to respond, but me who is totally untrained medically past first aid knew what to do? Honestly, I will tell you that I have no idea what to do in the situation, my brother has not had one before or since, and while I do have a cousin with epilepsy, I have never been the one to care for her or around much when she has had one. In the natural there was no reason I should have the knowledge to react as I did, but somehow in the moment it felt very natural to me. It all came easily to me like it was second nature to me, like I did that sort of thing everyday, but I couldn't tell know what you should do to care of someone in this this state. It's like I knew what to do in the moment but as soon as it was over I no longer had the knowledge. And it was the same the day I took my aunt to the hospital recently.
Now the day at work a few years back is a little different, with this experience I was an emotional wreck. Crying, and angry with myself, hurt and broken inside. It felt like the world was crashing down around me. Then my boss left me alone for a minute while she took care of something else. Sitting alone in that room I suddenly felt this amazing peace come over me. I knew it was God, and I suddenly knew what I needed to do to get better and get through this. I knew despite being reprimanded for my emotional outburst of late and required to take time off that I could not afford, that God was working everything out, that my life was about to change for the better. And it did, I started therapy that day and two weeks later started a new job with less stress, less drama, and better pay.
If you haven't already noticed this really isn't so much a teaching or encouraging post so much today as me sharing my experiences, and the thought that I had that the Holy Spirit guided me in each situation. Now I know Matthew 10:19-20; Luke 12:11-12; ands Mark 13:11says that when we are brought before authorities and questioned not to worry about what we will say, that the Holy Spirit will speak for us, so oftentimes I find myself wondering, was it the Holy Spirit in these situations too? I told you my guess is yes, but I want to ask you, I want to read your thoughts, opinions with scripture, and feelings. Do you believe that at times the Holy Spirit will move you to do things or have knowledge that was previously unknown to you, just for the period necessary and why or why not?
Thanks in advance to those who answer!
Matthew 10:18-20
18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
In each circumstance while the situation was not comfortable and panic would not have been uncommon (at least in two situations panic wouldn't have been uncommon the other situation was just uncomfortable) I somehow kept my cool and did exactly what I needed too. I somehow knew without ever being in the situation before what I should do. I can't quite explain why this is, but my guess is it was the Holy Spirit suppressing my emotions and guiding my actions.
The day my brother had the seizure even the nurse practitioner panicked, I had to take care of him myself and tell her what to do, but I stayed calm the whole time and rode in the ambulance to the hospital with my brother when they showed up. I remember before leaving the nurse giving me a hug and saying 'you were a rock, I'm glad you were here with your brother because I panicked.' I have thought about this often. How is it that a nurse panicked in this situation and didn't know how to respond, but me who is totally untrained medically past first aid knew what to do? Honestly, I will tell you that I have no idea what to do in the situation, my brother has not had one before or since, and while I do have a cousin with epilepsy, I have never been the one to care for her or around much when she has had one. In the natural there was no reason I should have the knowledge to react as I did, but somehow in the moment it felt very natural to me. It all came easily to me like it was second nature to me, like I did that sort of thing everyday, but I couldn't tell know what you should do to care of someone in this this state. It's like I knew what to do in the moment but as soon as it was over I no longer had the knowledge. And it was the same the day I took my aunt to the hospital recently.
Now the day at work a few years back is a little different, with this experience I was an emotional wreck. Crying, and angry with myself, hurt and broken inside. It felt like the world was crashing down around me. Then my boss left me alone for a minute while she took care of something else. Sitting alone in that room I suddenly felt this amazing peace come over me. I knew it was God, and I suddenly knew what I needed to do to get better and get through this. I knew despite being reprimanded for my emotional outburst of late and required to take time off that I could not afford, that God was working everything out, that my life was about to change for the better. And it did, I started therapy that day and two weeks later started a new job with less stress, less drama, and better pay.
If you haven't already noticed this really isn't so much a teaching or encouraging post so much today as me sharing my experiences, and the thought that I had that the Holy Spirit guided me in each situation. Now I know Matthew 10:19-20; Luke 12:11-12; ands Mark 13:11says that when we are brought before authorities and questioned not to worry about what we will say, that the Holy Spirit will speak for us, so oftentimes I find myself wondering, was it the Holy Spirit in these situations too? I told you my guess is yes, but I want to ask you, I want to read your thoughts, opinions with scripture, and feelings. Do you believe that at times the Holy Spirit will move you to do things or have knowledge that was previously unknown to you, just for the period necessary and why or why not?
Thanks in advance to those who answer!
Matthew 10:18-20
18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Identity Crisis
A while back I read a post that really upset me, it was written by a woman of about the same age as me, who in this post said she used to be a Christian. The given reason for her departure from the church was that as a young teenager they had encouraged her to stay a virgin until marriage through the silver ring program, and she did it, but after her wedding night and the loss of her virginity she went into a deep depression. She didn't enjoy intimacy with her husband and felt ashamed of herself each time they made love because she wasn't a virgin anymore. She said that after a year of this she finally confessed it all to her husband. Her husband was an only child raised by a woman that in this article written by her daughter in law is described as a feminist, and it was also said that neither she or her son were really into the church.
The husband and his mother soon encouraged her to see a secular therapist to 'deal with the trauma the church had caused her.' The therapist by her account, said that the trauma came from her identifying herself as a virgin first, allowing it to become her identity, and I very much agree on this point, but he too blamed the church for this. This article said that because of the praise she had received and the pats on the back for her decision to wait that she allowed 'virgin' to be who she was, it was a point of pride for her, and the loss of her virginity took that all away for her and along with it her sense of who she was. Her response to all this was to through therapy and marriage counseling to help get past this and I applaud her for getting help, but what upset me was that she now uses this experience and shares it with young girls through her writing as a means of encouraging them to have premarital sex with different partners. She says that they should 'experience life and all it has to offer, experiment and figure things, and avoid falling into the same trap.'
Her current stance on sex alone is enough to upset me, with all the STDs and typically unwanted teen pregnancies as it is, but what is most upsetting to me is that no one bothered to correct her in her belief that the church was to blame for her problem. Yes the church did encourage her as most churches will to save herself for marriage, and yes I am sure that the congregation at the church she went to did pat her on the back a lot and give her a lot of praise and encouragement for the choice, but she was the one who allowed it to become her identity instead of Jesus. She was the one that got so wrapped up in being a virgin that she forgot that first and foremost she was a child of God, and that's really what I wanted to show you with this story today because it is something that anyone of us could do, and probably have or will do at some point.
We must be careful not to get so wrapped up in titles, or works that we forget who we are and what our purpose is. We all need to recognize and remember that we are the children of God redeemed by the blood of the risen lamb, our Lord Jesus(Galatians 2:20). We need to remember the cross and be humbled by it, we need to be focused on Him first, and allow His love in our lives to reach out and touch others with the gospel. We can be pastors, virgins, authors, singers, lawyers, mothers and fathers, etc. those are all good things, but they are just titles, we cannot let them replace Christ as our identity. As shown with this story, anything that we let become our source of identity other than Jesus can have major, damaging effects on our lives, and our relationships with God and others. I encourage you today to take a minute to examine your heart now, is there a title or something else in your life that you have allowed to replace Jesus as your source of identity? Is there something pulling your focus from Him? Be blessed in Jesus holy precious name.
Romans 14:7-9
7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
The husband and his mother soon encouraged her to see a secular therapist to 'deal with the trauma the church had caused her.' The therapist by her account, said that the trauma came from her identifying herself as a virgin first, allowing it to become her identity, and I very much agree on this point, but he too blamed the church for this. This article said that because of the praise she had received and the pats on the back for her decision to wait that she allowed 'virgin' to be who she was, it was a point of pride for her, and the loss of her virginity took that all away for her and along with it her sense of who she was. Her response to all this was to through therapy and marriage counseling to help get past this and I applaud her for getting help, but what upset me was that she now uses this experience and shares it with young girls through her writing as a means of encouraging them to have premarital sex with different partners. She says that they should 'experience life and all it has to offer, experiment and figure things, and avoid falling into the same trap.'
Her current stance on sex alone is enough to upset me, with all the STDs and typically unwanted teen pregnancies as it is, but what is most upsetting to me is that no one bothered to correct her in her belief that the church was to blame for her problem. Yes the church did encourage her as most churches will to save herself for marriage, and yes I am sure that the congregation at the church she went to did pat her on the back a lot and give her a lot of praise and encouragement for the choice, but she was the one who allowed it to become her identity instead of Jesus. She was the one that got so wrapped up in being a virgin that she forgot that first and foremost she was a child of God, and that's really what I wanted to show you with this story today because it is something that anyone of us could do, and probably have or will do at some point.
We must be careful not to get so wrapped up in titles, or works that we forget who we are and what our purpose is. We all need to recognize and remember that we are the children of God redeemed by the blood of the risen lamb, our Lord Jesus(Galatians 2:20). We need to remember the cross and be humbled by it, we need to be focused on Him first, and allow His love in our lives to reach out and touch others with the gospel. We can be pastors, virgins, authors, singers, lawyers, mothers and fathers, etc. those are all good things, but they are just titles, we cannot let them replace Christ as our identity. As shown with this story, anything that we let become our source of identity other than Jesus can have major, damaging effects on our lives, and our relationships with God and others. I encourage you today to take a minute to examine your heart now, is there a title or something else in your life that you have allowed to replace Jesus as your source of identity? Is there something pulling your focus from Him? Be blessed in Jesus holy precious name.
Romans 14:7-9
7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
The Heart is A Liar
Today I wanted to talk about the heart, how the heart can lead you astray and make you believe things that aren't true, how our emotions can change the reality of the situation. Recently, I have had to remind someone constantly to not let their emotions dictate their beliefs of reality, they are in a very deep depression and keep distorting what is being said to them, and what is actually going on based on how they feel. They keep saying things like 'I'm never getting any better;' 'I'm stuck like this;' 'everybody makes fun of me behind my back;' 'everyone hates me;' or 'I'm not making any progress.' None of these things are true though, they are in fact making progress, very slowly but they are. What they are saying however, is how they feel and what they believe based on those feelings. I know this as someone who came through this and has helped my husband come through it too, I know they can get better and that they don't have to stay this way forever, I see and recognize the progress they have made and am quick to point it out. But they insist that nothing is or will help them to improve, and that life will never be any better than what it is now.
All of this back and forth with this person has made me think of a the verse in the Bible found at Jeremiah 17:9 which says "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?" I am starting to think what I am experiencing with this person now, and what my husband and I went through in the past is exactly what was meant by the phrase 'the heart is more deceitful than all else.' Each of us, my husband and I, and this other person let our emotions (or heart) get the better of us. We allowed our emotions to dictate our reality, and it left us with a very distorted view of what was really going on. We saw only the pain we felt, and allowed that pain to build with both real and imagined offenses based on negative thoughts and emotions, leaving out any of the good, any of the love shown to us by others and God, leaving ourselves in a very dark and lonely prison.
I can see from where I am standing, now that I have come out the prison of darkness, just how much my heart lied to me and deceived me. I couldn't see then the people trying to help me for what they were, I saw them as coming down on me, gloating, or simply annoying with their dried up old phrases I had heard repeatedly before that really meant nothing to me. My heart tricked me into believing that they didn't really want to help me, that it was all for show, or so they could get something out of me later, I lost my faith in love and the genuine goodness of others because my heart said it didn't exist, and that everything came with a price attached, hidden or otherwise. None of those things were true though, they were just my beliefs about reality based on how I felt, based on what my broken heart told me.
This is not how it stayed for me or my husband though, and it doesn't have to stay that way for this person, or you either. I learned to keep the heart from deceiving you, you need regular daily doses of the truth, of God's truth, you need to surrender to Jesus, and through Him receive a new life, and a new heart(Ezekiel 11:19-20; Jeremiah 24:7; 2 Corinthians 5:17). In Christ we have hope, in Jesus we have a comforter, a provider, a friend and a Savior. With Jesus we can dispel the lies of our heart and rest in His truth as we come to know Him, and trust in God.
Jeremiah 24:7
7 'I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.
Ezekiel 11:19-20
19 "And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
All of this back and forth with this person has made me think of a the verse in the Bible found at Jeremiah 17:9 which says "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?" I am starting to think what I am experiencing with this person now, and what my husband and I went through in the past is exactly what was meant by the phrase 'the heart is more deceitful than all else.' Each of us, my husband and I, and this other person let our emotions (or heart) get the better of us. We allowed our emotions to dictate our reality, and it left us with a very distorted view of what was really going on. We saw only the pain we felt, and allowed that pain to build with both real and imagined offenses based on negative thoughts and emotions, leaving out any of the good, any of the love shown to us by others and God, leaving ourselves in a very dark and lonely prison.
I can see from where I am standing, now that I have come out the prison of darkness, just how much my heart lied to me and deceived me. I couldn't see then the people trying to help me for what they were, I saw them as coming down on me, gloating, or simply annoying with their dried up old phrases I had heard repeatedly before that really meant nothing to me. My heart tricked me into believing that they didn't really want to help me, that it was all for show, or so they could get something out of me later, I lost my faith in love and the genuine goodness of others because my heart said it didn't exist, and that everything came with a price attached, hidden or otherwise. None of those things were true though, they were just my beliefs about reality based on how I felt, based on what my broken heart told me.
This is not how it stayed for me or my husband though, and it doesn't have to stay that way for this person, or you either. I learned to keep the heart from deceiving you, you need regular daily doses of the truth, of God's truth, you need to surrender to Jesus, and through Him receive a new life, and a new heart(Ezekiel 11:19-20; Jeremiah 24:7; 2 Corinthians 5:17). In Christ we have hope, in Jesus we have a comforter, a provider, a friend and a Savior. With Jesus we can dispel the lies of our heart and rest in His truth as we come to know Him, and trust in God.
Jeremiah 24:7
7 'I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.
Ezekiel 11:19-20
19 "And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Friday, March 6, 2015
All Creation Testifies
This morning I heard a song on the radio and in the lyrics it said 'all creation testifies to the glory of the King,' and I have been stuck on that thought ever since. As a nature lover this is something I actually think about often, especially when I am out hiking with my husband and we discover something beautiful on the trails. Often we will just stop in awe and stare, taking it in as much as possible with a grateful heart, before of course taking photos.
Many people go to church in search of God, they know church is supposed to be God's house and believe that is where the Holy Spirit resides. And that isn't a wrong thought if you go to a church that teaches the whole, truthful gospel, He is there, but He is also within you if you have surrendered to God and accepted Jesus as your Savior. And I will be honest with you now, for me and my husband, being in nature is where we go in search of God and His presence. We have both said on multiple occasions that we feel closer to God when we hiking than sitting in church. For us, hiking is an act of worship, an act of communing together and with God. For us, there is something about being on the trail that puts things in perspective and fills us up with love and admiration for our great God. When we are walking the trails, we begin to realize how small we are, and how big our Creator is. We start to really notice the things around us, and really appreciate the testimony that is found in the diversity all around us.
I don't know if I am explaining this well, I don't know if anyone else gets what I mean when I am writing about the testimony of creation, but I do know that this is not a new idea and we aren't the first to understand it. Paul wrote about it in Romans 1:20; and before that it was talked about in Job 12:7-10 where it says to question the animals, earth, and sea, that the life of every creature is in His hands, and we also see in Psalm 19 that David says that the skies proclaim the work of His hands. So obviously, others have been sharing in this experience of receiving the testimony around us for a really long time.
And thinking on that idea, especially what David wrote about the skies, it amazes me just how big and powerful our God really is. He did not just create the earth, but the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 102:25; Hebrews 1:10; plus many more!), and how big is that? How vast is the sky? He created galaxies in this universe that I doubt we'll ever see, He created more planets than I know of, and literally billion of stars that the word tells us He calls by name(Psalm 147:4 & Isaiah 40:26)! Think about that for minute! This is the God we serve, a God who created an entire universe to proclaim His power and glory! A God who is so large the Bible says that earth is His footstool(Isaiah 66:1)!
Today, I ask you to look around you, look at the sky and think of it's vastness, look at the nature around you and realize that the same God who made you, made all of this. Listen with your heart to the testimony of His creation; then ask yourself why you worry so much, if He can do all of this, than what do I have to worry about? What do I have to be afraid of when I know that this awesome God who created all of this is with me?
Job 12:7-10
Many people go to church in search of God, they know church is supposed to be God's house and believe that is where the Holy Spirit resides. And that isn't a wrong thought if you go to a church that teaches the whole, truthful gospel, He is there, but He is also within you if you have surrendered to God and accepted Jesus as your Savior. And I will be honest with you now, for me and my husband, being in nature is where we go in search of God and His presence. We have both said on multiple occasions that we feel closer to God when we hiking than sitting in church. For us, hiking is an act of worship, an act of communing together and with God. For us, there is something about being on the trail that puts things in perspective and fills us up with love and admiration for our great God. When we are walking the trails, we begin to realize how small we are, and how big our Creator is. We start to really notice the things around us, and really appreciate the testimony that is found in the diversity all around us.
I don't know if I am explaining this well, I don't know if anyone else gets what I mean when I am writing about the testimony of creation, but I do know that this is not a new idea and we aren't the first to understand it. Paul wrote about it in Romans 1:20; and before that it was talked about in Job 12:7-10 where it says to question the animals, earth, and sea, that the life of every creature is in His hands, and we also see in Psalm 19 that David says that the skies proclaim the work of His hands. So obviously, others have been sharing in this experience of receiving the testimony around us for a really long time.
And thinking on that idea, especially what David wrote about the skies, it amazes me just how big and powerful our God really is. He did not just create the earth, but the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 102:25; Hebrews 1:10; plus many more!), and how big is that? How vast is the sky? He created galaxies in this universe that I doubt we'll ever see, He created more planets than I know of, and literally billion of stars that the word tells us He calls by name(Psalm 147:4 & Isaiah 40:26)! Think about that for minute! This is the God we serve, a God who created an entire universe to proclaim His power and glory! A God who is so large the Bible says that earth is His footstool(Isaiah 66:1)!
Today, I ask you to look around you, look at the sky and think of it's vastness, look at the nature around you and realize that the same God who made you, made all of this. Listen with your heart to the testimony of His creation; then ask yourself why you worry so much, if He can do all of this, than what do I have to worry about? What do I have to be afraid of when I know that this awesome God who created all of this is with me?
Job 12:7-10
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.
Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Psalm 50:6
And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice.
And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice.
Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Weather Any Storm With Grace
There are times where I doubt, times where things feel like too much. That's been my life since about December, it has seemed that my family has been hit relentlessly with one struggle after another. It's felt like we have had barely enough time to recover, if any at all, from one struggle before the next one hits. Some struggles have been of the financial nature like when my car broke down on the way to work two months in row and needed major repairs both times, while others have pertained to mental or physical health issues with ourselves and/or family members. And through all of this we are still trying to get pregnant and dealing with that disappointment each month when we have find out we weren't.
It's all very hard emotionally for us, and sometimes pretty heartbreaking or disheartening. Sometimes it all starts to feel like too much, then in those moments when I am struggling, I just pray 'God when is it going to stop! I've had enough and can't take anymore!' But the problems are still there so I talk to one of my good friends here online, a family member, read the Bible or watch a sermon. I reach out to them or to God with my heart and ask them for advice and comfort, and I'm never disappointed, especially when reaching out to God. How can that be though without the instant answer most of us want?
Because I know that whenever I reach out to God, He hears me. There typically isn't an instant change, my husband wasn't miraculous healed over night from anxiety and neither was myself. But I have learned through all of this struggle to trust in Him and to believe His word. It's because I have learned to see Him working on my heart and the hearts around me. I can identify the slight changes in each of us that slowly grow as we pray about things, I feel the slight changes in my own heart and how I think and feel emotionally change, as I pray. I have seen the answers to prays show up at the very last minute but never too late, I have seen little mercies in the kindness of people to us, and I have literally felt God's presence sweep over me providing comfort and revitalizing me.
I have learned through all the struggles now, the ones that came before, and spending time in the word each day how to recognize God moving, and because of this with each struggle my faith grows, not diminishes. I didn't write that to brag on myself, but because I want you to know that this opportunity is open to you too. You don't have to go through life feeling miserable and hopeless, there is hope in the Lord. Learn His word, learn His promises to us, fill yourself on Him and you will be satisfied! Look for God in the hearts of those around you, and be grateful for little mercies. It likely won't happen over night, but if you do these things and stick with them even when it's tough I can promise you won't get swept away by the storm as the house on shifting sands did, but stay on the Rock, Jesus, the firm foundation and you will find you can weather any storm with grace.
Psalm 34:17-20
Nahum 1:7
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.
Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
It's all very hard emotionally for us, and sometimes pretty heartbreaking or disheartening. Sometimes it all starts to feel like too much, then in those moments when I am struggling, I just pray 'God when is it going to stop! I've had enough and can't take anymore!' But the problems are still there so I talk to one of my good friends here online, a family member, read the Bible or watch a sermon. I reach out to them or to God with my heart and ask them for advice and comfort, and I'm never disappointed, especially when reaching out to God. How can that be though without the instant answer most of us want?
Because I know that whenever I reach out to God, He hears me. There typically isn't an instant change, my husband wasn't miraculous healed over night from anxiety and neither was myself. But I have learned through all of this struggle to trust in Him and to believe His word. It's because I have learned to see Him working on my heart and the hearts around me. I can identify the slight changes in each of us that slowly grow as we pray about things, I feel the slight changes in my own heart and how I think and feel emotionally change, as I pray. I have seen the answers to prays show up at the very last minute but never too late, I have seen little mercies in the kindness of people to us, and I have literally felt God's presence sweep over me providing comfort and revitalizing me.
I have learned through all the struggles now, the ones that came before, and spending time in the word each day how to recognize God moving, and because of this with each struggle my faith grows, not diminishes. I didn't write that to brag on myself, but because I want you to know that this opportunity is open to you too. You don't have to go through life feeling miserable and hopeless, there is hope in the Lord. Learn His word, learn His promises to us, fill yourself on Him and you will be satisfied! Look for God in the hearts of those around you, and be grateful for little mercies. It likely won't happen over night, but if you do these things and stick with them even when it's tough I can promise you won't get swept away by the storm as the house on shifting sands did, but stay on the Rock, Jesus, the firm foundation and you will find you can weather any storm with grace.
Psalm 34:17-20
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
Nahum 1:7
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.
Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
There is Time To Rest
Yesterday I took an unexpected break. I have had a lot going on in my family lately, and honestly between keeping up here, work, house work, and those issues I was starting to get overwhelmed. I was starting to feel like I was ready to break down, that everything was too much. That I am drained and tired most of the time, just wishing things would slow down just a bit so I could relax, and rest up physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. So I prayed about it yesterday, asking God for that kind of opportunity and as I did, I realized that I could take that opportunity whenever I needed, that it's okay to step back a little when I need to, that it is okay for me to take a break and just let things be for a day while I get some of the rest I so desperately need.
I know some people may be like 'well duh, we all need to do that sometimes' and you folks are so right, but for me to recognize this before the melt down was a big step for me. Typically, I would have done my best to ignore my body's signs and signals that I needed rest, typically I would have pushed myself to continue on at the same pace as usual until I had a complete melt down and couldn't do more. Until I was so overwhelmed that I finally snapped, or collapsed under the weight of it all.
At some point yesterday as I was praying for rest I realized that with the day off for the hearing I had to attend and only two other obligations the whole day, that yesterday was the perfect chance to take time for some self-care. Yes, I could have still gotten on here, yes I could have still posted, its not that hard to do. But I knew what I really need was to step back from it all for the day and focus on myself, focus on my relationship with God, and finding the peace I had been missing the last few days, and in certain areas of my life longer really.
So why did I feel the need to share so much about me realizing its okay to stop and rest now and again? Because I know many others struggle with this too, I know I am not the only one who struggles with gearing down. But I also know that's not what God wants for me, I know He doesn't want us to burn ourselves out, I know He wants us to come to Him with our burdens, how do I know? Matthew 11:28-30 in the ESV says this, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." See, God is saying come to me, I can give you rest, give your problems and heartache to me, follow after me and I will make the journey easier. Not that we won't run in to trouble, just that when we do Jesus can bare the load.
This isn't the only time we are told to rest either, in Psalm 127:2 it says "It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep." And of course we are literally commanded to take a day of rest as well, we are told to honor the Sabbath as a day of rest, Exodus 34:21. I shared all of that, my struggles with resting, God's desire for us to rest, and a few scriptures to back up because I want you to realize it's okay to stop every now and then. It doesn't make you selfish or a lazy person, rest is necessary and God knows that, that's why He tells us to rest in Him (Exodus 33:14).
Psalm 116:5-7
Philippians 4:4-6
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Jeremiah 31:25
For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish
1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
I know some people may be like 'well duh, we all need to do that sometimes' and you folks are so right, but for me to recognize this before the melt down was a big step for me. Typically, I would have done my best to ignore my body's signs and signals that I needed rest, typically I would have pushed myself to continue on at the same pace as usual until I had a complete melt down and couldn't do more. Until I was so overwhelmed that I finally snapped, or collapsed under the weight of it all.
At some point yesterday as I was praying for rest I realized that with the day off for the hearing I had to attend and only two other obligations the whole day, that yesterday was the perfect chance to take time for some self-care. Yes, I could have still gotten on here, yes I could have still posted, its not that hard to do. But I knew what I really need was to step back from it all for the day and focus on myself, focus on my relationship with God, and finding the peace I had been missing the last few days, and in certain areas of my life longer really.
So why did I feel the need to share so much about me realizing its okay to stop and rest now and again? Because I know many others struggle with this too, I know I am not the only one who struggles with gearing down. But I also know that's not what God wants for me, I know He doesn't want us to burn ourselves out, I know He wants us to come to Him with our burdens, how do I know? Matthew 11:28-30 in the ESV says this, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." See, God is saying come to me, I can give you rest, give your problems and heartache to me, follow after me and I will make the journey easier. Not that we won't run in to trouble, just that when we do Jesus can bare the load.
This isn't the only time we are told to rest either, in Psalm 127:2 it says "It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep." And of course we are literally commanded to take a day of rest as well, we are told to honor the Sabbath as a day of rest, Exodus 34:21. I shared all of that, my struggles with resting, God's desire for us to rest, and a few scriptures to back up because I want you to realize it's okay to stop every now and then. It doesn't make you selfish or a lazy person, rest is necessary and God knows that, that's why He tells us to rest in Him (Exodus 33:14).
Psalm 116:5-7
5 The Lord is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
6 The Lord protects the unwary;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.
Philippians 4:4-6
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Jeremiah 31:25
For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish
1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Monday, March 2, 2015
Steal, Kill, Destroy
Recently my husband and I were talking about how to tell if something was of God or the enemy. We talked about how you are to check the spirit or the person against the word and their fruits (1 John 4:1, Matthew 7:15-20) but then my husband asked me if there was any other way to tell. It was brought up how some people can seem really great on the surface, and from a distance their fruits may even look good but how as time goes on you discover otherwise, this can happen with objects, books, music or TV shows as well. On the surface they seem innocent enough, okay or entertaining but over time a darker side of it can take over, or without realizing it you are investing more time in this object, show, or form of entertainment than you are the relationships around you or your relationship with God. As we discussed this I shared with him the theory I have and follow when it comes to making decisions about people in my life (who to spend time with, and who to shy away from), what programs I watch or listen to, the books I read, and the things that I allow to entertain me. Now I would like to share it with you, and now this is not something I am saying you have to do or live by to be a 'good' Christian, it is simply a suggestion based on what works for me and something to think about, if you've ever wondered.
Basically what I ask myself when I am trying to understand if something is really good or bad is a question that comes from the text found at John 10:10; which reads like this in the NIV "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." So I ask myself 'could the enemy use this thing/person to kill, steal, destroy, or will this thing or person bring me closer to Jesus giving me more life?' Now that means we have to look at the words steal, kill, destroy in two ways to accurately answer this question, first there is of course the physical aspect of those words but there is also the spiritual aspect.
In the physical sense steal, kill, destroy is pretty easy to determine, it isn't always but usually you can tell when someone is a threat to you and its usually good to follow that instinct. With objects it can be more difficult, but a good idea for this is realizing moderation with some things is okay(like videogames) but too much is where you put yourself in danger ( consequences are killing relationships by lack of time invested, tendonitis, poor eyesight). In the spiritual though it is often harder to tell because we can't see the effects so much as we experience the effects. In the spiritual sense those things that 'steal' are any things that steal the joy of the Lord from your heart, anything that steals your attention from God, which actually leads to the next two words. If it is stealing your joy, it's also killing your relationship with God. It is hurting you both, and as the separation grows you will feel less and less of the Lord as you fill up on this something else. This path can and will if not caught and changed, lead to destruction, the destruction of your soul.
Now I realize many of you may be like, 'wow she's taking this pretty far', and I can totally see why you would say that! And I even said to my husband to use some common sense when asking yourself this. Some thing's in moderation are really okay, for another example can soda steal, kill, or destroy? Well taken to the extreme yes, it is very bad for your health and can lead to diabetes or other complications so yes it can destroy, it can and does destroy normal body functions when taken to excess, but is one soda a day going to distract you from God or destroy usual functions of your body, no. So, provided you have some will power soda is okay, but still definitely better to avoid.
I hope this helped you stop and think today. I hope you take a moment to think about what you are filling your mind and spirit with. Is it something that is stealing, killing, or destroying your belief and relationship with God or is it building that relationship giving you more life and abundantly?
John 10:7-13
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Basically what I ask myself when I am trying to understand if something is really good or bad is a question that comes from the text found at John 10:10; which reads like this in the NIV "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." So I ask myself 'could the enemy use this thing/person to kill, steal, destroy, or will this thing or person bring me closer to Jesus giving me more life?' Now that means we have to look at the words steal, kill, destroy in two ways to accurately answer this question, first there is of course the physical aspect of those words but there is also the spiritual aspect.
In the physical sense steal, kill, destroy is pretty easy to determine, it isn't always but usually you can tell when someone is a threat to you and its usually good to follow that instinct. With objects it can be more difficult, but a good idea for this is realizing moderation with some things is okay(like videogames) but too much is where you put yourself in danger ( consequences are killing relationships by lack of time invested, tendonitis, poor eyesight). In the spiritual though it is often harder to tell because we can't see the effects so much as we experience the effects. In the spiritual sense those things that 'steal' are any things that steal the joy of the Lord from your heart, anything that steals your attention from God, which actually leads to the next two words. If it is stealing your joy, it's also killing your relationship with God. It is hurting you both, and as the separation grows you will feel less and less of the Lord as you fill up on this something else. This path can and will if not caught and changed, lead to destruction, the destruction of your soul.
Now I realize many of you may be like, 'wow she's taking this pretty far', and I can totally see why you would say that! And I even said to my husband to use some common sense when asking yourself this. Some thing's in moderation are really okay, for another example can soda steal, kill, or destroy? Well taken to the extreme yes, it is very bad for your health and can lead to diabetes or other complications so yes it can destroy, it can and does destroy normal body functions when taken to excess, but is one soda a day going to distract you from God or destroy usual functions of your body, no. So, provided you have some will power soda is okay, but still definitely better to avoid.
I hope this helped you stop and think today. I hope you take a moment to think about what you are filling your mind and spirit with. Is it something that is stealing, killing, or destroying your belief and relationship with God or is it building that relationship giving you more life and abundantly?
John 10:7-13
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
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