Free

"Satan's only power over us is the power we grant him." Amen.

Examples of how Satan tempts us to doubt and disobey God.

To Eve: "Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?" aka. Does God want you to starve?  How mean of Him.  Eve: "No we just must not eat from the tree in the middle of the garden."

"Did God really say you can't buy anything fun?" "No he just said I am to spend my money wisely and be a good steward of what he gives me."

To the single people, "Did God really say you can never get married." "No He just said I need to wait until I meet the right man/woman for me who I'd be equally yoked with."

"Did God really say you can't have any fun?" "No I can have fun but within the limits he has set for me because I know He knows what is best for me."

.....You can think of your own things that Satan tries to attack you on and combat it with the truth that will set you free!  Amen :)

Free Indeed quotes

 "Satan does not own us anymore." woot!

"Christ paid the ransom through the cross and set us free from our bondage to Satan." Yes!

"Sin produces bondage."  Poop :(

"The more of God's word that we have in our hearts, the more effective we are in standing against the enemy."  Amen!

"The truth shall set you free."  woohoo!
   God's word sets us free from Satan's lies about who we are and who God is and what brings fulfillment in our lives.

David said, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." :)

"Our refusal to be open and honest about our struggles limit God's healing and gives Satan free access to our lives." oh dear

"Confessing sin brings it into the light and weakens its hold on us."  yes!

"Through our transparency and the blood of Christ those things will eventually have no hold on us at all."  yeah!

Do you believe it? Believe it. You can be freeeee......lol

 

"If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

"There is a connection between confessing with our mouths and believing in our hearts."

Whatever we confess or declare "will deepen our own faith."

"Staying connected to other believers is a powerful weapon against the efforts of the enemy to draw us away from the faith."... amen!

"Prayer is perhaps the most powerful weapon in the believer's arsenal as prayer nurtures our relationship with the Father and moves God to act on our behalf."

God really does answer prayers. "You have not because you ask not."

"Pray without ceasing." God is always there to talk to.

"Take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ." that is, to His word, the Scripture.

Amen!

 

Bring it on Satan.  I got Jesus!  "Resist the devil and he WILL flee from you." 

 

May God bless you and protect you from the evil one. :)  Amen :)

Our Fall

I just read the story of the fall of man again and for the first time it made me want to cry. :(  "Poor God!" is what I was thinking.

I remember when we were reading a poem in college called the Sacrifice and it made the whole story of Jesus' death on the cross fresh for me and I was totally balling about it.  The professor said that's the response we should have or need to have about Jesus' death, like if we really love Him.

Well this time reading about God and Adam and Eve it hit me how much Adam and Eve let God down. 

For the first time I saw God as a caring father who just wanted to hang out with Adam and Eve but they hid from him.

It made me think of some case on the playground where the cool kids hide from the nerd because they don't want to hang out with him.

How humiliating for God!  Why would he put himself through that and make us, my goodness! 

But for the first time I really saw his love for us, for them.

I'm going through a devotional called "The Purple Book" and it asked the question, "How did God respond to Adam and Eve's sin?" 

Gen. 3 "When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
⁸ And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
⁹ Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

God came down to walk with them and talk with them and they were HIDING from him.  He just wanted to be friends with them and hang out, but they ditched him.  How sad!  And to think they were trying to hide from HIM, the God of the universe! 

But even though he knew they sinned, because he knows all things, he still came down to pursue them.  He wanted to know where they were.  Of course he knew where they were physically, but he wanted to know spiritually where they were.  He was concerned about them.  He cared.  A lot.

One would think he would come down with lightning bolts and dash them to pieces for disobeying him.  But no, he comes down to their level, to where they are, and asks, "Where are you?"

Like, "Hey I wanted to hang out with you guys, where did you go?  You seem really far off. :( Did you disobey me?  Why would you do that after all I gave you?  Don't you want to hang out with me?  I love you!  I would give you the world, I did give you the world, and you turned your backs on me?!"

But instead of confessing that they did wrong what does Adam do?  He doesn't take responsibility, he blames Eve for making him eat the fruit.  But he was standing right there when she ate it herself.  And he made his own choice.  She did not force him to eat it. 

And what does Eve say?  Rather than saying, "I'm terribly sorry, please forgive me" as she should have ,she blames the serpent.

Something also stood out to me.  Why did Eve eat the fruit?  It says, she saw that it was "desirable for gaining wisdom."  And the serpent told her that she would "be like God, knowing good and evil."

How many of us women still aren't curious about things and our curiosity only hurts us and sometimes leads to death.  We aren't content, and we think we need more.  We want to become more wise etc.  I realized something about wisdom.  Solomon asked for wisdom and God granted it to him so that he was the wisest man who ever lived, but how did being wise affect him?  He was severely depressed!  Have you read Ecclesiastes?  My goodness!  That poor guy was tortured by all that he knew.  So wisdom is not a good thing necessarily.  He says, "With much knowledge comes much grief."  Amen that is very true. :(

I was also thinking about why the tree was called "The knowledge of good and evil" and why did God not want Adam and Eve to eat of it.  The reason is because, just as parents wouldn't want their kid exposed to evil, so God wanted to shield his children, us, from evil.  Parents wouldn't their kids to see it or to know it.  They don't want their kids to see someone get raped or murdered.  It was the same with God. 

He was simply protecting those he loved the most in the best way he knew how.  But, he didn't want to be an overprotective parent, :) so he still gave them the choice.  "Live with me and stay innocent or choose to learn about evil and die eventually as a result."  And the same happens with teens all over the world now.  Parents say to their teens, "You can live under my roof as long as you....But if you choose to get yourself into serious trouble you can't live here anymore."  But we can't make our kids not choose evil.  They have a choice, just like Adam and Eve did and just like we do all the time with God. 

Oh that we would choose life and not death and friendship with God rather than hiding from him and disobeying him!  His heart hurts for us and longs for us more than we realize.  He is like a lover or a best friend who just wants to hang out with us but we keep pushing him away. 

Stop doing that.  Stop pushing God away.  HE LOVES YOU and wants more than anything to be with you and to just walk with you.  Let him be with you. :)  Don't run away from Him.  Don't get lost in the world and busyness and forget about him.  Don't let your sin keep you from him because he loves you no matter what.  Sit as his feet like Mary did and learn from him.  Draw near to him and he will draw near to you. 

God help us.  Help us not to run away from you.  Help us to come to you as you come to us.  Help us to see how much you love us and long for us to be with you.  Help us to not disobey you because you only want what is for our good. 

I'm so glad I read that story again with new eyes.  I finally realized everything.  Why God created us and why he put the tree there and why he gave us the choice.  He created us because he wanted to hang out with us.  He wanted the community.  But he didn't want to control us because control is not love.  Oh God you are so good.  Thank you for showing me what I did not see before.  Help me to realize more and more how MUCH you love me and all of us.  Amen :)

Grace and peace be with you all! :)

On Spiritual Gifts

What does the Bible say about spiritual gifts?


I am doing another Bible study at my church.  This one is on "The Purple Book."  It makes you look again at basic theology again.  It's good to have a reminder.  I jumped ahead to the section on the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  I found it interesting that not everyone who received the Holy Spirit is recorded as speaking in tongues right away.  For example when Paul is saved he does not.  Acts 9, "Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
¹⁹ So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus."


Given discussions with my husband I am very curious about the phenomenon of praying in tongues.  So I've been looking into it a lot.   

I will say also, my husband told me about an experience he had when was only 19 or so when he first started going to church.  He said he was at an Assembly of God church and the pastor waved his hand over the congregation and Ben felt something powerful.  He felt like he couldn't stand anymore but he resisted it.  He had the thought, "Woah was that God?"  But it scared him so he never went back there and started going to Baptist churches. 

The question I have really had for the past 14 years since I got saved almost is why don't I pray in tongues.  I first heard it when I was on a missions trip to Taiwan when I was 16.  I was like, "Huh that is interesting."  I always somewhat wondered why I did not seem to have this special power lol. :) 

There are some in the extreme Pentecostal camp that would say if you don't pray in tongues you aren't saved.  I know for a fact that can't be true because I have known countless Christians who are obviously saved, because we shall know by their fruit, but did not pray in tongues. 

So what is the right answer?  All receive the Holy Spirit when they are saved, but not all pray in tongues.  Therefore it must mean that different believers simply receive different spiritual gifts.

I still have the question why I cannot "feel" God in the way that my husband does.  Sometimes I can feel him more in worship I suppose but it is not a huge realization of his presence.  Maybe I'm just not looking for it hard enough or expecting God to show up enough, who knows.   

So what does the Bible say about Spiritual Gifts?
         

Romans 12:6-8                    

"Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness." 

I like that it says clearly, "having gifts that differ" meaning we all have different gifts.  Of these I would say I have teaching, thus why I write so much.  I have worked with and taught kids for the last 14 years so it would seem that is my primary spiritual gift.  :)        

         

1 Corinthians 12:4-11                    

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit...."        

My understanding is that a word of knowledge is when God tells someone else something about you that you needed to hear in that moment.  This happened to me in church once.  A woman told me when we were just shaking everyone's hand that God wanted her to tell me that I was beautiful.  I did need that then, as I have always been somewhat insecure about how I compare in appearances to other women.  I think all women somewhat worry about this if they are honest with themselves. 

I would like to think I have the "utterance of wisdom" gift but who knows. lol :)

         

1 Peter 4:10-11                    

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

Amen! :)        

         

Ephesians 4:11-16                    

"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ..."

Great verse! :)

I think the apostles were just the men who walked with Jesus.  I don't think there can be apostles today as some might say. 

There are still prophets today, but you have to be careful if someone thinks that they are a prophet. :)  Sometimes people just say things to say things or to make themselves look great.  Test everything someone says with Scripture.  And you can generally tell by their demeanor if what they are saying is inspired or not.          

Evangelists would be anyone who has the gift of sharing the gospel with unbelievers.  I believe this is one of my gifts.  When I have tried to street evangelize it came pretty easy to me.  I find it best to evangelize by asking questions rather than trying to preach at someone.  Asking people things like "What do you believe about Jesus?"  "Do you go to church?" etc. helps them to open up.  And a good rule of thumb, "People won't care what you know until they know that you care."  So if you try to evangelize, make sure you make it clear that you care about them before you get preachy lol.  Cause if you don't really care, they will be able to tell. 

Shepherds would be like people who like to lead small groups and help people more one on one.  They like the more intimate settings.  They like to build relationships with people.  I also think I have this gift, as I have shepherded and mentored many kids over the years. :)

Teaching is of course the gift of pastors and others who teach in the church.  I have heard once that preaching is different than teaching though.  Teaching is more cerebral.  It is getting information across.  With preaching you can feel the Holy Spirit moving more.  It seems more inspired.  Like when a pastor yells and shouts and gets really passionate, that is more preaching than teaching.  :)

         

1 Corinthians 12:1-31                    

"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; ..."

Amen :)        

         

2 Timothy 1:6-7                    

 "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."

Gifts do not always have to be imparted by the laying on of hands.  Often times they just happen and are born in us through the Spirit randomly.  The more we serve and the more we use the gifts we already have, I have found, the more God gives us.  It is like the verse, "He who has, more will be given."          

         

1 Corinthians 12:7                    

"To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."

The purpose of spiritual gifts is to build up believers in the church and to add to the numbers of those getting saved.  These gifts are not merely for ourselves.  God wants us to use them to serve and inspire others as much as we can. :)

         

Romans 12:3-8                    

"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; ... "

In having gifts we are to humble about them.  We are not to think we are better than other believers based on what type of gift we have.  We all have different gifts and all are needed.  Gifts were not given to puff us up but to help us help others.          

 

1 Corinthians 12:27-28                    

"Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues."

 I have a cool story to share about the gift of healing.  A few years ago my husband was at a friends house.  His friend's daughter got a coat hanger stuck in her hand.  My husband's friend pulled the coat hanger out and then Ben prayed that her hand would be healed.  As he was praying his eyes were open and he could see the skin healing over the wound and the blood disappearing.  True story.  Things like this totally happen today. 

However you need to be weary of things like Benny Hinn obviously and people saying they cured people in front of huge audiences.  Often times they are doing these things just to make themselves look great or they are fake healings.  Test the spirits and God will show you when things are real or not.  If they are asking for money after a healing, it probably isn't real but jut a way to get money out of people.  Jesus never healed in front of large crowds, at least not on purpose.  So keep that in mind also. 

And the gifts of various kinds of tongues; I believe this has to be a known language, like someone speaks French all of a sudden but never learned French.  I believe my husband also has this gift and he seems to speak an African tongue like Swahili or something.  That is what it sounds like to me.  Here is what happened on the day of Pentecost:

Acts 2, "Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
⁵ And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. ⁶ And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language."

The gift of miracles would be something like if someone now turned water into wine or fed several people with a small amount of food.  This also still happens, though it is rare in America.  Miracles seem to happen more in third world countries where the Bible is not already in their language.  It seems to be a way that God preaches to people who do not have his word to read. 

The gift of helping is serving, like someone who likes to help set up for meetings at church.  It is more of a behind the scenes type of gift.  It does not really get recognized often, but it is needed just as much as any other gift.  I like to help in any way I can so perhaps I have this gift also.  :)

The administrative gift would be those in the church who like to keep track of the money, so accounting.  It is those who like to follow the schedule and make sure things get done.  This is also needed obviously. 

         

Romans 12:4-5                    

     "For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."

Amen!  We are united in our spiritual gifts because we need each other.  No man is an island and no Christian is an island.  We may try to be but we will not really grow in our walk unless we come together and help each other as often as we can.  Like the Redwood trees that stand more firm because their roots are interlinked and they support each other, so we as the body are supposed to support each other and hold each other up.  "Carry each others burdens."  The best way to do that is to get in a small group where church can actually happen and people can really live out there gifts and help others.  That is what we are called to do.       

Other gifts would be faith, where someone believes no matter what that God is working.  Also the gift of discerning of spirits.  I had a friend who had this and he could see evil on a person or he could see if their heart was black or not.  My brother has the ability to see auras around people, with his spiritual eyes in a sense.  This might the gift of discerning of spirits possibly.

And there is the gift of interpretation of tongues.  When someone does speak in a tongue in church it is supposed to be interpreted.  This is when those who have the gift of interpreting come in.  God would supernaturally given them the ability to understand the person speaking in tongues and so tell the church what was said. 


Some of these gifts are not seen in churches as much today for whatever reason.  Often Baptist denominations, or more conservative ones, do not encourage certain gifts because they can get out of hand or misused. 

But all gifts are real, still in existence, and can be used for the building up of the church. 

May God increase our gifts so that we can help others and build others up more.  Amen! :)

May God bless you!

 

Our Words

I love this little rabbit! lol and I loved the movie Bambi!  But this little rabbit makes a very profound and amazing point.  "If you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all."  I once heard, "The key to a happy marriage is knowing when to keep your mouth shut."  I also heard advice from a man who had been married 48 years, "If your spouse wants to fight, don't fight back, cause they will remember Everything you say."

Yes my rule of thumb has always been if someone wants to engage me in a fight I simply won't say anything.  Another good quote, "The best answer to anger is silence."  People need to cool off before you can actually talk to them. 

When I was angry I used to go out and ride my bike around till I had calmed down.  Anger creates a lot of excess chemicals in your body that really need to be burned off through exercise.  Otherwise the stress of anger can build up in your body and lead to headaches and even illnesses.      

The Bible says, "In your anger do not sin."  Anger itself is not a sin, but what we say or do when we are angry can be. 

Here are some verses on the power of our words.

Proverbs 18:21                    

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

         

Ephesians 4:29                    

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

         

Matthew 15:18                    

But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.

         

Proverbs 12:18                    

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

         

Matthew 12:36                    

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

         

Proverbs 16:24                    

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

         

Colossians 3:8                    

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

         

Matthew 12:37                    

For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

         

Proverbs 13:3                    

Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

         

Proverbs 15:1                    

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

         

Proverbs 21:23                    

Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

         

James 1:26                    

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

         

Psalm 19:14                    

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

         

James 3:1-12                    

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ...

         

Proverbs 29:20                    

Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

         

Proverbs 17:28                    

Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

         

Luke 6:45                    

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

         

Proverbs 25:11                    

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.

         

Proverbs 15:2                    

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.

         

Proverbs 17:27                    

Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

              

Proverbs 16:23-24                    

The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

              

Colossians 4:6                    

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

                        

James 3:6                    

And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

              

James 3:8                    

But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

         

Proverbs 12:25                    

Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

               

Ephesians 5:3-4                    

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

            

Psalm 141:3                    

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!

              

Acts 1:8                    

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

       

Ecclesiastes 7:20-22                    

 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.

         

Isaiah 55:10-11                    

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.                        

Proverbs 12:19                    

Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

              

Mark 11:22-24                    

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

         

Proverbs 15:23                    

To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!

         

1 Kings 3:12                    

Behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.

              

John 3:34                    

For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.            

Acts 4:31                    

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

         

Romans 10:17                    

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

              

Exodus 20:7                    

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

         

2 Timothy 1:7                    

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

              

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7                    

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words.         

         

Romans 10:10                    

For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

         

Matthew 5:37                    

Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

         

Isaiah 6:4-5                    

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

         

Mark 11:23-24                    

Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.           

John 14:12-13                    

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

         

Worthy

The phrase that Paul often repeats has always stood out to me, "Walk in a manner worthy of your calling." 

What does it mean to be worthy of our calling as Christians?  In the Free Indeed class I'm taking the teacher said, "Yes the gospel is confusing because it is free.....yet it will cost you everything."  When he said this everyone laughed, because we know it's true. 

We are called as Christians to pick up our cross daily and follow Jesus.  What does it mean to pick up our cross?  To be willing to die, to self, to any self-preservation tendencies we have, to not care what people think about us.  Think about it, if we were willing to die every day would we care what others thought about us?  No. 

When we die to ourselves daily and stay humble before God we are then walking in a manner "worthy of our calling."

When we continue to give in to our flesh, whether it be through anger, lying, gossip etc, we are not walking in a manner worthy of our calling.

The teacher said we as Christians are to be different from the world.  We are supposed to stand out.  Rom. 12:2 "Don't be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."  He said though that most of the time when the world looks at us Christians they think, "Well you aren't any different from me.  You're barely making ends meat.  You're depressed all the time.  You're having issues in your marriage.  You're sick and having to go to the doctor all the time.  How is Jesus benefiting you?  Isn't God supposed to be your healer, counselor, provider etc?"  

The teacher keeps saying that when we pray "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is heaven" we are praying and asking for a lot more than we realize.  In heaven there is always an abundance of everything; food, peace, joy, love etc.  In heaven no one is sick.  In heaven there is no pain.  In heaven everything is as it should be; it is a utopia. 

But why don't we really believe that God wants our little worlds to look like heaven?  Why do we think the abundant life is reserved for heaven and not now?  For some reason we think God wants us stuck in our brokenness and bondage, that he actually wants us to be miserable.  But no, he doesn't.  That is Satan who wants us to be miserable and Satan is lying to us telling us God wants us to be miserable. 

"For I know the plans I have for you....plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." 

God wants us to walk worthy of him?  But how can we walk worthy of him when we are stuck in bondage?  How can we "shine like stars in the universe" when we are miserable and depressed all the time?  We can't. 

Don't believe the lies of Satan that God wants you to be miserable.  God wants you to be filled with JOY.  He wants you to thrive and to SHINE for Him.  He wants you to preach the "Good News" to the world! 

Part of how we preach is through our own lives.  "Preach the gospel at all times.  Use words only when necessary." :)  People look at our lives and see that we are a walking testimony that God is real and that He IS powerful.  They see the victory we have had in our own lives through Christ and that's what they want.  We are to make the gospel attractive.  And how do we do that?  By being all that God wants us to be and walking in victory, not defeat. 

Let God set you free from anything and everything so that you can shine for Him!  Amen :)

Honor Thy Mother and Thy Father

What does it mean to honor your mother and father?  I have struggled with this concept my whole life given what my father's character is and what he has done.   

Lets look at how Jesus interacted with his parents.  After all, he is the example that we are supposed to follow.  We are meant to be conformed more and more into his image as we grow in our Christian walk.  Jesus was never without sin therefore he always honored his parents.  So how did he interact with his mother and father?

When Jesus was only 12 his family went into Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.  He did not go with his parents.  He stayed behind in the temple teaching the priests.  Mary was mortified that he would do such a thing to them.  "His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”
⁴⁹ And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” 

If you really think about it, that was kind of an un-submissive response coming from a 12 year old son.  It could be seen as disrespectful.  It could be seen as flippant, like he didn't really care about his parents and their feelings.  Yet somehow he still honored them.  Interesting.  He did what he wanted to do, or rather what his Heavenly Father wanted him to do, but he still did not dishonor his parents even though he terrified and upset them. 

Secondly what happens when Jesus is an adult?  Mark 3:31-34 "Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. ³² And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.”
³³ But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” ³⁴ And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! ³⁵ For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

In saying this he somewhat disowned his mother and brothers.  Why did he do this?  Another gospel book says that his mother and brothers were saying in that moment that he was crazy.  Jesus knew why they were there.  He knew that they were trying to stop his ministry and dissuade him from doing what his Heavenly Father wanted him to do.  So he said "Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."  He came out of identifying with his biological family and now identified with the family of God, the church.  Yet he never dishonored his parents because he was without sin.  Interesting. 

When I was a kid my dad, ironically, put a huge banner across the wall of my room that had this verse, "Honor thy mother and thy father that it may go well with you and that you may live long on the earth."  Talk about a twisted thing to put up given the circumstances.  And talk about religious abuse and using the Bible to get what someone wants.  What did my dad mean by putting up this verse in my room? 

It could have been another way to condition me to do what he wanted.  It certainly was a way to control me. 

But should we honor our mother and father regardless of what they do?  Do they have to earn the right to have the authority of a mother or father over us?  Yes I believe they do. 

When I started doing some serious counseling in college my counselor advised me not to talk to my dad anymore.  To not call him etc.  He was very mad about this and told my brother and mom that I couldn't possibly be seeing a Christian counselor because a Christian would not advise someone to not talk to a parent.  But on the contrary, look at what Jesus said about his own mother and brothers.  He said that "whoever does the will of God is" his family.  My dad was not doing the will of God by any means, and still is not.  Therefore, he was and is no longer my father. 


So what does it mean to honor someone?  The definition of honor is "to regard with respect."  So what is respect?  Respect is defined as "a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements."  Therefore respect is conditional upon what another person does. 

If someone had a father who was a murderer would they still have to honor that person?  This is where is gets into a grey area.  Yes they should honor and respect them as we need to respect and honor all of God's creation generally. 

But I love the quote "Respect is not given, it is earned."  If someone has not earned our respect do we still need to respect them?  If someone insults you and disrespects you do you still need to respect them?  We are called to love our enemies so it is not ok to disrespect them in return.  "Do not repay evil for evil but good for evil." 

Respect, however, is not the same as completely trusting someone or letting them have any say over your life.  People have to earn the right to have a say in our lives, to help direct us and guide us.  How do they earn that right?  By showing us respect, and by themselves being submitted to Christ's leadership. 

Respect to me is simply not yelling at someone, not talking in a condescending tone to them, and being generally kind.  Respect is looking out for the interests of others and not only yourself. 

I do not think honoring our parents is doing everything they want or tell us to do.

Whenever we let someone or something ultimately control us, other than God, we have made that thing or person an idol.  "All things are permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything."

When we are children, yes we need to do whatever our parents tell us to do, unless it contradicts Scripture.  But when we are adults we look to God for our instruction, not our parents. 

The purpose of parents is to show us the character of God.  We are to learn discipline and self-control from our parents and how to be law abiding citizens etc.  But when we become adults, we are supposed to be able to make our own decision with the help of God.  We come out of the headship of our parents and into the headship of God.  God is our master now.  God is who we seek direction from.

To continue to follow a parents will for our lives, rather than God's, is to make them an idol.  To follow anyone else's will for our lives other than God's is to make them an idol. 

May God increase mine and your wisdom every day.  God we pray for more of your wisdom.  Amen :) 

Grace and peace be with you!  God bless :)

Dreams

I had the strangest dream last night. 

I was in a house with a bunch of old friends and a crazy storm blew in.  We knew it was going to hit and that's why I had everyone I cared about there with me.  It was unbelievably windy outside, so much so that we thought it might blow the house over. 

I had taped a shower curtain to the window to keep the wind from blowing in and kept taping over parts that the wind was opening. 

Then I looked outside and it was snowing and snowing like crazy.  Several feet of snow were pilling up. 

I saw people scavenging around outside and I was afraid they would try and break in and steal all our food.

Then it was raining like crazy and pouring and flooding.

I went outside to yell at God lol  I asked him, "Why are you letting it rain so much?!"

Then the earth split and half of the earth started to form into a huge wave of dirt.  It started rolling faster and faster.

Then all of a sudden I was in China. 

What had happened was all of the riches of the United States had been rained down supernaturally on China.  Money from the U.S. had gathered in the tsunami wave of dirt and God sent it to China. 

I was talking to some American people who had been in China for awhile that seemed to be in charge.  I told them all the toys and gifts that were raining down were from the United States.  It was like blankets of toys were descending all over China; like God had plundered the United States and given everything to China.

I had some kids with me that I had rescued out of America; about 20 kids under the age of 10.  I asked the women if there was a church nearby that I could take them to just for a little while.  They said yes Banner church was just down the street.  And I was happy since I had served in this church.  I knew they would give us shelter and food. 

And that was how the dream ended. 

So what does my dream mean? 

I can think of many different meaning for it.  It could represent the seasons of my life.  Since I blogged about my dad last night, I suppose that made me think of them. 

Season one was full of wind and craziness; me always trying to protect myself from the crazy wind of my dad and being confused and scared.  It was always me worrying that someone was going to attack me or hurt me.  I was always fearful.  I have had several dreams that a man was chasing me and wanted to hurt me.  Those dreams I knew were always about my dad. 

Season two was the long winter.  The snow could represent the long time after my dad when my spirit seemed to freeze over.  I was lonely.  I seemed to not be able to feel much.  I pushed people away.  I didn't trust people.

Then the rain could be God bringing new life, melting the snow, and the onset of spring.  But why did the rain seem like too much?  Perhaps the rain represented the times I would cry for hours in counseling offices.  The rain was my tears, which were an extreme amount, over the pain of my past. 

Then the earth split.  This could be God doing a new thing in me.  In my dream it was scary and sometimes what God does in us is scary.  Perhaps he will bless my husband and I with money from a good job here in America and we will then go to China someday.  I have always been fascinated by Asian culture and have always wanted to be more a part of it.  I always thought, "If any culture has life and family and respect mastered it's the Asian culture."  My room mate in college was going to be a missionary to China but that never panned out.  Maybe God is calling me and my husband to China.  It also might be where we would be most safe if the end is near and God does destroy America like I believe Rev. 18 is about. 

Who knows.  The second interpretation of my dream is that God is finally judging America for all our sins.  I think the movie last night made me think of just how incredibly corrupt America has become.  God WILL judge us.  It's just a matter of time.  I think he will destroy us like Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.  When is the only question. 

But perhaps my dream also was to show me that when the end hits and God does pour out His wrath on the earth, he will be able to supernaturally teleport me to China and rescue me from any harm.  Rev. keeps saying a third of the earth will be affected by all the plagues.  So maybe God will transport me to the safe part of the earth before it's too late.  :)

1 Peter 4, "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; ¹³ but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."

2 Peter 2:9 "The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment."  Amen! 

I do not believe in a pre-trib rapture.  But I do believe God will move us, his church, to safety somewhere on the earth first.  I agree that He does not want his children to face his wrath.  But the rapture will happen at the last trumpet, two thirds of the way through Revelation.  1 Cor. 15:51 "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the LAST trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

May God bless you in all you do and cause his face to shine upon you and give you peace! :)  Amen