The Word

    The following is an excerpt from Chapter 5, "The Word," in the study "Grow Up." 

    We can choose the world or the Word to help us grow. Each one helps to develop

our approach to the world and our view. The Word will be the nourishment we need to

grow spiritually. Otherwise, we will be spiritually anemic. The Word will help us know

the One who created us. We need to learn how to approach it, take it in, and digest

whatever we have attained. Remember to dive into the deep truths God has provided to

us through His Word and His Spirit. Allow them to be mixed and be immersed in them

so they become a part of us. This happens when we obey the Word we have attained.

    We need to read the Word and hear it. We need to chew on it and digest it. We

will see it change us and grow us up. Once we have focused on the Word of God and it

has grown our faith in Him, we need to begin to pray it to Him. As part of our time with

God, we will come to Him, and He will begin to teach us how to prepare for the battles

ahead. In the next week, we will begin to see how God will prepare us for our days.

Spirits and Idols

I am becoming aware of my tendency to bow to idols I never realized existed.

There are spirits that can control us. They can be spirits of unworthiness, arrogance, control, subjection, passivity, legalism, or hyper-emotionalism. You name it. I believe those of us who are in Christ and live lives controlled by the Holy Spirit should not fulfill the desires of our flesh. But I also believe that there are times when our flesh wins, and in those times, we are corrupted by sin. Sin is like a sticky substance that allows spirits to attach themselves to our lives.

The remedy for us is to confess our sins. When we do, the Bible promises that He is faithful to forgive us. 

When we do not confess and receive forgiveness for sin, we begin to walk in a manner controlled by a spirit other than the Holy Spirit. We then can become a spiritual tripping hazard for others and for ourselves. We will begin to process our environment through the lens of that controlling spirit. As we do, we will in essence be bowing down to that spirit. If we stay in it long enough, we will begin to expect everyone else to bow down to it as well.

When encountering someone under one of these influences, we will either bow down to that spirit as well, or we will reject the person. I believe we have to stand up to those spirits. 

My tendency is to back away. I am beginning to understand that my passivity to a spirit is, in itself, me bowing down or being controlled by a spirit of passivity. Many of us Christians see combat, warring, and standing up, as the opposite of Christianity. But I am beginning to see a bit differently. Why were we told in scripture to be courageous and not fear? Why are we told to get our ARMOR on? Why are we told to grab our sword of the Spirit and our shield of faith? It is because we are in a war. We are in a battle.

As believers, we are commanded to put on Christ, to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, and to live our lives in obedience to our Commanding Officer’s marching orders, which are found in His Word.

If I am to take a stand for Him, I cannot bow to spirits that are attracted to my sin–nor can I bow to those spirits in others. In our modern world, we no longer bow down to statues erected as idols. Our idols are more subtle. If we give into the influence of a spirit in ourselves or in others, we are bowing down to it. It is time to stand up against this. We need to know who we are and Who we belong to. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit, ask for forgiveness for our sins, cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and obey the Word of the Lord. This is the best way to stand up against controlling spirits. 

As I processed these truths before the Lord, I discussed what I wrote with a trusted set of friends. I had one of them review it for me. I am so glad that I did. It was great to get another view or perspective on my story. She simply asked me, "Are the spirits and idols interchangeable or distinct." As I ruminated over that question, it was obvious that I must clarify this. They are indeed one and the same. I think that was the major epiphany I had after I sensed the Lord calling me out on this. I thought I was being godly, and He showed me I was actually bowing down to idols in the form of spirits that were controlling my behavior. He called me out and I see it very clearly now. That clarity is what motivates me to share it with others.

As Christians, we stand for the gospel. Our lives are to be lived in love, yes. But love tells us to do what is best for ourselves and others–not what makes us feel good. We all need to stand up and fight the spirits that are not in agreement with the Holy Spirit. How will we recognize the difference? The Holy Spirit will always line up perfectly with the Word of God. Always.

If you would like further clarity, feel free to comment or send a message to me with your questions.

 

What is Next After Conversion?

What is next after you have converted to Christianity? What does that even mean? 

There are many opinions. 

Jack Hibbs is a pastor from California who said the church is called to make disciples not converts.  I loved that so much. Why? It is not enough to convert. That is simply step one. We are to Grow Up. The last thing Jesus said before leaving his disciples on earth to start the Christian church was to go and make disciples, teaching them to obey all my commands. Conversion is just the start.

So, to begin with, let's clarify the bad news, good news, and the rest of the story. The bad news is the human condition, the church calls it the fall or sin. We are not able to make ourselves right with God which the church calls righteousness without His help. The good news is that He made a way to rectify this through receiving His Son, Jesus to be the payment we need to set things right and the church calls this justification and redemption. When we turn from our sin church calls this repentance and chose to go in the direction of our Creator, seeking Him and His guidance, accepting His solution for our condition the church calls that salvation. The rest of the story is where we live the rest of our saved, converted, Christian lives.

If we spend time learning what He commanded, we will begin to grow up in our relationship with God and others. This is a process the church calls sanctification. This is a lifelong process that will refine us. The great thing about that is it is with the help of the Holy Spirit. He doesn't save us so we will refine ourselves. He even sets us up in an imperfect family of believers who make up the church. We are not alone.

If you want to learn more about this process, Grow Up is a study intended for those seeking what is next after salvation. It is a companion and guide to encourage you to get into the Word of God so that the Word of God can get into you and transform you.

Are you ready to step into the "what's next" for your journey with God? Take the journey. Call others to join you. Doing it together is much better. Encourage a small group of family, friends or neighbors to do it with you.

Grow Up Website for details

Purchase Grow Up Study Use this link if you are interested in purchasing the study.

Grow Up Blog announcing the latest updates now available.

From the Old to the New Testament! YAY

From the Mount of Olives

I have spent this year reading my way through the Bible. By the end of the year, I will have read the entire thing.  The women in our church were challenged to do it in Discipleship Groups. I joined with seven other women, and we are doing it together.

I am so glad that I did this. It is officially the first time I have done it somewhat successfully. I have studied the bible in-depth and probably read much of it through studies. This effort is from Genesis to Revelation. Today was a huge marker for me. I read the last book in the Old Testament. I made it to and read Malachi. I cannot lie. A huge sigh of relief came over me. My takeaway from reading the Old Testament is how faithful, good, and super slow to anger God is. Following that takeaway is how flawed humanity is and prone to mess up and wander. As I read it, I reminded myself that these people didn't have the Spirit of God dwelling within them as I do. So, I had to offer them such grace and mercy. They were fully captured by their human condition. Even the best of them were steeped in sin.

As I ended the book of Malachi, I was washed over with a sense of excitement, and then a thought occurred to me. For the Israelites, it will be four hundred years before they will hear anything from God again. The silence made my heart hurt, but then Jesus broke through that silence and came onto the scene with good news for us all. Hallelujah!

After reading about man's effort to reach God, finally, there is a way.  We will never be good enough, proven repeatedly in the Old Testament books. My right position with God gives me access to God. It gives me access to be in an intimate relationship with my Creator. Before I accepted Jesus' payment for my sinful condition, I was doomed to miss the mark of God's expectations. That means I was lost in my sin. I am doomed to repeat it over and over. However, I am no longer defined by that sin and am now being referred to as a saint by authors like Paul, who authored a good deal of the New Testament. That means I am defined by what Jesus did, not by what I have done.  That is not just good news. It is the best news ever.

I am so excited to start the New Testament tomorrow.

I am doing "The Bible Recap" with Tara Leigh Cobble. I use the You Version App, and it is one of the plans you can choose.  Day 274 is where the New Testament starts. The author also does a podcast to help navigate each day's reading. Each time you start a new book of the bible, there is a video by "The Bible Project" that summarizes the book.

This is well done and highly doable. It has been challenging but rewarding.

After you read this, I hope you will go and check it out. Come along on the journey.

If you read this and sense the Holy Spirit prick your conscience, do not ignore it. Respond to it in an honest conversation with Him. You see, I cannot convict you of sin, nor can I convince you of your right relationship and standing before God. What I can do is pray for you. I pray that the God of the Universe will open the eyes of your heart so that you can comprehend how much He longs to spend time with you and do life with you. I pray that you will comprehend that apart from Him, you can do nothing to be right with Him. If a still, small voice is speaking to you right now, do not ignore it. Instead, say YES to it today. I have never regretted saying yes to God's answer to my sin problem. Not once. It changed the trajectory of my life. I will thankfully never be the same again. I pray that you comprehend that you can be a saint by responding to His answer too.

If you already are in Christ, I pray that you will be immersed in God's word so that His word will live richly in you. Once we welcome Jesus as our sin solution, we can spend time continuing to conform to the norms of this world, or we can cooperate with God by His Spirit, who gladly will guide us through all of life's temptations, trials, and responses. It seems that mentioning obedience in today's culture brings a negative connotation, but I think it is a place of growth for us. 

If I am going to drive from point A to point B, the best person to ask is the one that travels it. There may be a multitude of ways you can go. Some may take you off-road, through detours, in dangerous places, but one takes you there quickly and safely. He gave us a wonderful roadmap called the Bible. It is not demanding; it is the best way to navigate this life. It doesn't promise you that there will not be trials on the journey or even storms. Jesus tells us there will be, but it is the BEST way!

The Bible Recap

Wisdom Revealed by Results

In my devotional today, I have been following a reading plan on YouVersion, a free bible app.  This was a verse within the reading and I wanted to share it.

Matthew 11:19 

The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.

The part that really stood out was the last sentence.

"Wisdom is shown to be right by its results."
Look for the reality of the result

Where do we find wisdom?  I say we find it in the counsel of the wise.
Who is wise among us?  Those who seek, study and practice truth.
What is truth and where can it be found?  For those who know me, you know what my answer is.  Truth, according to the dictionary is a fact or belief that is accepted or that which is true in accordance with fact or reality.  However, if you seek the source of truth in the scripture as I do, you can go to John 18:37-38 and see a conversation between Jesus and Pilate, the Roman governor discuss truth.


John 18:37-38 
I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." Pilate said to him, "What is truth?"

We should also bear witness to the truth as we live our lives.

John 17:17 

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

John 8:32 

and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

John 14:6 

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

1 John 4:6 

We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

So, I repeat my question "What is truth and where can it be found? "

We find truth in the person of Jesus and in his word.  We are set free by it, we walk in it, it becomes our road map and guide to our life.  We are even sanctified and purified by it according to John 17:17 and 1 Peter 1:22.  However, we must study the word of truth.  We must meditate on it often.  We need to obey the truth.  However, we cannot do it alone.  We must be seeking the Holy Spirit's counsel and companionship as well as the companionship of other seeking believers.  

Oh how I long to walk in this with other seeking believers.  Don't you?  Is the cry of your heart for this sort of fellowship?  

So, I return to the verse that spurred my heart today to write this blog; 
        But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.

Shall we know wisdom?  Yes, when we study the word of God and see it demonstrated in the lives of ourselves and others.  Not for any exaltation but in order to know what is wise and what is truth.  So, we become a light of hope to the world that is hungry for it.  It is what brings glory to our Lord.

[The fundamental conflict in human life is human desire or will versus truth.  Believing or desiring something doesn't make it true.  Truth is truth no matter our opinion, desire, will or belief.]  (summary quote from one of my favorite authors, Dallas Williard)

Interesting comment from JP Moreland a professor from Talbot School of Theology defined truth this way:
Truth is when things are the way one takes, believe or thinks them to be.  When I heard this, I almost discounted his comment, until I went on with him as he explained what he meant...

He went on to say:
Truth is a matching relationship between a thought or belief and reality.  It isn't the believing it or the taking it to be true that makes it true, it is the reality that makes it true.  The relationship between what is reality with what we think determines that which is true.  
You can believe that grass is green but it is the right relationship between that belief and the reality of the green grass that is defined as truth.  If you believe the grass to be pink, and the reality is that the grass is green then the belief is not correct and therefore the relationship between your belief and the reality is not true.  
This simple example demonstrates how simple this concept really is.  It is important that we return to the reality of absolute truth.  The source of absolute truth is found in the One whom created all things.  He is our reference point and guide into all truth. Without it we are going to be tossed to and fro with every thought, mood and wave that comes our way.  The truth will ground us solidly and direct our course.  We will become a beacon of light to all who are seeking wisdom and truth.

We look at both our lives and the lives of others and see if the truth is displayed in each of our lives.  Does our lives line up rightly"?

One last look at the verse to which started these thoughts and blog.

 wisdom is shown to be right by its results.

Is our life in Christ demonstrating right results.  Does our life line up with the wisdom of the word of God  and is the Spirit of Truth leading us into all truth?  

No condemnation here, just pondering these questions along side all who read it.  I too need to do the soul-searching these words demand.

Join me, will you!?

Ever Wonder How to be Obedient?

I am overwhelmed in the best way.  I spent the last several days at a leadership workshop entitled YOU Lead and a women's conference with Beth Moore and I feel as if I have been at an informational buffet.  I feel spiritual stuffed with the finest foods which were carefully prepared just for me.

I wish I could do justice to all I received.  I would love to be able to share it all here.  But just as it takes time to digest a large meal, I too will be digesting all I received over the last several days for some time.

The best thing is that it didn't end there.  God just graciously kept giving to me.  At church this morning the message, the worship and the prayer time was so great and uplifting.  My cup is overflowing.  This week we are beginning the fall women's bible study program in our church. I am excited that we are starting up a second study for the day time which we have not had in a while.

I am praying for the Lord to fill each of us during this time.

Through the training and conference, I was reminded more than I was taught new concepts.  One concept I began the chew on was this question:  "For those of us who do regular study in the scripture, ARE WE DOING WHAT WE LEARNED?"  Are we obeying what we have already studied?  We really do not need to move forward just to gain more information if we are not putting what we have already learned into place.  Like James says, "Be doers of the word".  There is no need to continue to study the word for study's sake.  We have to be obeying it. What exactly would be the purpose of studying God's word otherwise?

So how exactly are we able to do the OBEYING of the word? I believe the simplicity of the gospel is in this, we focus on God, who He is and what He has done for us, ask Him to equip us to love Him with everything that is within us.  If we love Him we will obey Him.  That love will be our propellant to obey Him.

The message from Beth Moore this weekend was all about the anointing of the Holy Spirit.  The profound statement she made was regarding how we often manufacture the filling of the Holy Spirit and how ironic it is that we do this  The Holy Spirit filling us to overflowing produces in us fruit that is undeniably Him.  When we fake it or attempt to manufacture Jesus in our own flesh, we are empty,  and others are at best entertained and at worst repelled.  We miss out on the best part of following Jesus when we do it this way which is experiencing His power in us, intimacy with Him and the joy of doing it with Him.  The question I ask is why would we want to counterfeit the manifestation of the Holy Spirit when it is so easy to allow Him access and just be available for the real manifestation.  It will be for our good, for His glory and a benefit to all around us that are seeking hope.

Be doers of the word only by the filling of the Holy Spirit by dwelling on the attributes, awesomeness, and wonders of God.

I am His and He is mine!!!  Dwell of that.

Beth pointed out that blessed is the man whose sins are not counted against him.  She noted that in this scripture the word blessed actually could be translated happy here.  She also noted that there are a lot of unhappy Christians.  Dwell on the fact that if you have received Christ, your sins are no longer counted against you.  That should make us all shout hallelujah.  That should make us jump for joy. Get a spring in our step!!!!!!

So we have the ability to be witnesses of the Lord to a world that needs it.  We have the ability to be hope to a world with no hope.  We have the ability to demonstrate Jesus by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us.  The world needs us to be filled.  As I said, it will be for our good, God's glory and the benefit of those seeking.  See the burden is not on us to manufacture anything, to come up with cleaver messages, to say the "right thing" or to be anything for anyone.  What we need to be is surrendered vessels to our Holy God to use, to fill, and to pour out. (this is when we are authentic instruments of righteousness)  That should cause each of us to have a sigh of relief.  We should not be holding back in anyway.  Obedience is just Him shining His light on the next thing and us following. (like Blackaby says in Experiencing God, go where you see God already at work)  We still need to be in the word so we will be able to discern His voice to us because He will not speak in a manner that contradicts His word.  We also need to be devoted to time in prayer.

In my pastor's sermon, he talked about how life sometimes overwhelms us and we feel overcome. But God can take that situation or even season and make us overcomers.  Through that, we than can be available to walk with others who are in the midst of life's trials as they go from being overcome to an overcomer. So if you are in a season of despair or feel overwhelmed with life's punches, I want to share this wonderful video from Mandisa and hope you find encouragement from it.  You're an Overcomer by Mandisa

When the Body of Christ Loves Well!!!

Typically, I only post a blog if I have something to say.  Over the course of many months, I have had very little to say.  Lately I have done a lot of reading, studying, ministering to others and been very quiet. Several studies ago, I did the Armor
of God study by Priscilla Shirer. She placed a challenge to the reader "for the next seven days, try not to say or do anything in response to feelings of insecurity, fear, or really anything that is out of alignment with your true identity in Christ.  You might be surprised at how quiet you become."  The challenge to the author herself was "not to say or do anything that originates from a place of insecurity... before I choose to accept an invitation... respond to a tweet...add a comment to a conversation, I stop and make myself consider the motivation behind it. Am I doing this because I want validation or the approval of a person, group or people? Or am I doing this from a posture of value and worth in Christ? I want to train and discipline myself not to placate old feelings that the enemy is dredging up from my past."

So I took the challenge seriously and since then, I have been much quieter in general.

However, lately, I have sensed it was time to begin speaking again, write again.  My mind is flooded with stuff again.

I had lunch with several ladies the other day, and I was reminded of some truths that no one in the body seems to want to discuss, face and admit.  The truth of the matter is the body of Christ is made up of human beings!  There in lies the biggest issue. If the Triune God had left that one thing out of the body, it would be absolute perfection.  It would not have all the issues that face Christians.

• I cannot tell you how many times I have heard others or thought it myself, "I can love and trust God, it is His followers I have problems with."
• Trouble with this thinking is scripture tells us to love one another and to bear with one another's burdens.

So now that I have spoken the obvious, let's take a look at what may be the root of the issue. It is me, it is you, and it is any other human that has responded to the drawing of the Holy Spirit, accepted the price God paid to settle the sin debt that we owed by sacrificing His son Jesus, and welcomed the Lord's activity into their life.

Is it ok that I am flawed as a follower of Christ?  Will you allow me to admit that without God, I am an absolute mess.  I would not be someone any of you would care to be around.  At best, I would be self motivated to be kind. I would treat people better if there was something in it for me otherwise, I would do what is best for me.  I would say hurtful things if I thought it would make me feel better.  I would think of my self more than I do of others.  I would not love very well if at all. However, I have to choose to allow the Holy Spirit to help me, enable me and equip me so that I do not follow my nature of self-centeredness.

If you encounter me and find any redeeming value in me, it is the work of the Holy Spirit.  If you have experienced the me that I mention in the previous paragraph, I am so sorry.  That is truly the me that walks by the flesh.  That is the me that blows it and misrepresents God in the process.  In as much as I will die to myself everyday is as much as I can reflect the image of Christ in my life to each of you.

Anyone of us can wound and injure others either intentionally or unintentionally.  We need to be aware of the weightiness of our action and take responsibility for them.  We do not want to be like the diciples when they were trying to keep the little children from bothering Jesus, and Jesus scolded them for it.  He said do not keep them from coming to me.

Any of us who claim to be a follower of Jesus and yet walk out the desires of our flesh, need to remember that we may be preventing someone from coming to Christ based on the way we are living. I for one do not want to be a roadblock for someone else.

This is a great reason and motivation for us to walk dependent on the Holy Spirit in our lives and obey each thing He places on our hearts.  There are so many who have been hurt and wounded by the body, and they are staying away from Jesus because of His followers.  If you are one who is hurt, on behalf of the body, I am so sorry.  On behalf of Jesus, His arms are open wide to heal your hurts. On your behalf, please forgive and find a place to fellowship with other believers.  According to Hebrews we are not to forsake the gathering together and especially as we see the day of the Lord approaching.

We all need each other.  The word says the world will know we are Jesus' disciples by our love for each other. Let's love each other well.  Let's cut each other some slack.  Let's recognize that we are all imperfect vessels in need of help, guidance, love, forgiveness, compassion, and a huge dose of grace.

Let's desire to love one another, let's resolve to be unified in Christ and in love, putting others interest ahead of our own.  Can you imagine what a church operating in this manner would be like.  I for one love to see it.  It is not perfect, but it is good.  I love my church.

Our Father

After watching a post by Max Lucado regarding the most important part of prayer, I was touched and moved, even inspired.  He was talking about the start of our prayer where we say "Our Father".  He is our Father, our daddy!  Jesus said Abba when He prayed the Lord's Prayer.  Look at the reference from BibleHub/Strong's Concordance: Abbá – "Father," also used as the term of tender endearment by a beloved child – i.e. in an affectionate, dependent relationship with their father; "daddy," "papa."  Also see the following video that is such an inspiration: Whose Your Daddy by Priscilla Shirer. (Thanks Donna for the reminder)

This is what captured my attention.  I have been focusing on and praising God as creator, healer, redeemer and many other things, but today I was captured by the fact that He is my Father. I have a Father in heaven with whom I can be in an affectionate, dependent relationship.

It struck me the more I pondered this that He wants this intimate parent-child relationship with me. He created me, and He has a design and plan for me life.  With that in mind, I began thinking "why would I ever resist Him?" He desires to be in a close, dependent relationship with ME!  He knows what I need because He designed me, and He knows the plan for me. He doesn't want to harm me. He can also see in the heavenly realm that I cannot see. So His leading, His instructions and His plans are the best for me.

So if there is a war in the heavenly realm, and I participate negatively or positively based on my cooperation/obedience with God; why wouldn't I want to cooperate in my own victory. There is a spiritual realm that is effected by what we do here on earth. God, just like an earthly parent, wants to direct my path, but I have to allow it.  I have to choose to cooperate. When I surrender to His direction in my life, He can protect me from the evil plan and trap the enemy has for me. The enemy has landmines laid out in each of our lives, But our heavenly Father can help us navigate them and be victorious.

Why do we resist Him?  I believe it is because we start listening and believing the lies from the enemy instead of believing, listening and following our Abba, Father- Our heavenly Daddy!

I hope this encourages you all today.

Hope you have a blessed weekend.

OBEY - Now There's a Word

When we hear the word obey, why does it conjure up images of restriction, constraint, drudgery and perhaps bondage? When we think of anyone telling us what we can or cannot do, we tend to feel as if they are controlling us. I have been there before.

However now after walking with the Lord for many years, the word obey looks different. I think of obeying as surrender, relaxing and letting someone else lead me and tell me the best way to go. I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders because I am no longer the highest authority in my own life. I don’t have the pressure of making the right decisions.  It makes me feel safer. I have made my share of mistakes in this life, and it is so good to know that I can be free from the consequences of my bad choices when I just stop resisting the One who knows what is best for me.

Obedience to our Creator is similar to a designer or engineer of an automobile. They know how the car was made. They know what it takes to keep it working at its optimum potential.  They know the type of oil that will be best for it.  They know what bolts and screws it needs, and how it is held together. They know it so well that they can write out a list of instructions and publish it as the owner’s manual. But what the designer and engineer will not do is come to the owner of the vehicle and tell them they must follow the orders in the manual. The owner can decide not to follow any of the manual's instructions at any time, but to the owner's disappointment the car will not last very long. So if the owner wants to take care of their investment and want it be useful to them for many years to come, they would need to heed the instructions and advice found in the owner's manual.

We are much like the automobile. We were designed by our Creator, and He knows what we need to do in this life to be able to work at our optimal level of efficiency. We can look to the scripture as our owner's manual. If we follow the advice given in the manual, we will operate more in line with the intent of the designer. When we push to do it our own way and decide not to obey, He will not come to our house and force us to comply. Unfortunately there will be consequences for our disobedience. Just as when we choose not to care for the automobile according to the instructions, it will break down on us. That is a consequence of not adhering to the designer's advice.  So too, we will encounter breakdowns of sorts. The consequences will come. The Creator has given us plenty of warnings, and He gives us advice to keep us from those breakdowns because He cares about us.  He is not trying to rob us of a good time or be a stick in the mud. He just knows the model of the human race and knows what it needs to be fulfilled, peaceful, joyful, etc., basically operate at prime optimum working order!

So I challenge you today... Try resting in the advice and instruction of the Lord. Whatever conviction you may have been resisting…  Whatever Word from the Lord you read and haven't put it into practice… Whatever little thing you are holding onto and justifying it to yourself or even trying to make excuses to God… Whatever it is you are challenged with, why not let go of it and lean into the Word of God's advice.... Trust it instead of thinking that He just doesn't want you to have a good time.  What about just trusting the designer's opinion and stop arguing with Him about it. When He speaks to you, just do what He says.  Just resting in Him. Trusting Him. Not leaning on your own thoughts, opinions, wisdom and understanding. Doesn't that sound like taking a day off?  Doesn't that sound freeing? It sure does to me.

So here is your homework…

·        is there someone you need to forgive… forgive them (no excuses)

·        is there someone you need to go to and ask for forgiveness… go ask

·        is there someone you have sensed you need to call or write to let them know you are thinking of them… call or write 

·        is there a habit you know you need to get rid of… get rid of it  

·        have you felt you need to spend more time in prayer or in God’s word… then just do it  

·        an area of service that you feel God is calling you into… then do it

Whatever it is… stop making excuses… stop waiting… Just DO IT!!!!!

In the current, ongoing series, Brick Building, in this blog, you can actually see more regarding obedience to God's word by following this link Brick Building - Section Seven - The Word. You can scroll down about half the way down to see the section on Obeying the Word. 

Brick Building - Section One - Maturity

Maturity-Growing up in Christ

I am working on a series of posts that will go together, and this post is the first one in that series.

Have you ever looked at a brick wall and thought of it as beautiful? Does it remind you of Jesus, or the body of Christ? Perhaps not. After we go through this series, I hope that you will begin to see it differently. Maybe you will even be able to see how the brick wall is a good representation of the material that will follow in this series.

Once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our savior, according to scripture, we are born again.(this is the beginning of our spiritual story) At this point, by God's grace, we are right with God (righteous). It is accomplished by God's gift (grace) and our believing it (faith.) So we are reconciled with God based on our believing Him. Philippians 3:9 tells us our righteousness doesn't come from us keeping the law, but it comes through faith in Christ. Romans 6:1 asks us "should we sin more so that grace may increase?" Since we are right with God by our faith, shall we live contrary to His word? Why should we live in keeping with the law if it doesn't produce righteousness? I hope to address some of these questions through this series. I hope to establish that although we are right and reconciled, we must begin to grow up into what we were "born again" to become.

For today, let's start by looking at some scripture regarding maturity, purity and obedience.

• 1 Peter 1:22-23 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, … through the living and enduring word of God. 

• 1 Peter 2:1-2 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation

• John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

• Ps 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

• Phil 3:13-15 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it (to know Christ - see also Phil 3:7-12). But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize … 15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things

We are cleansed and purified by obeying the truth. God's word is truth, and we will remain pure if we live according to it. It will produce sincere love of your brothers and sister deeply. Pure spiritual milk will cause you to grow up spiritually.  

I believe based on these verses that we will grow and mature in our faith by living up to whatever truth we attain, and by being doers of the word/truth as we become aware of it. We know that an infant doesn't stay satisfied by only milk for very long. Eventually the infant must start eating solid food to grow up and be healthy physically.  Likewise in spirit, if we are going to grow up into a mature Christian, we must take a look at what things will nourish us. Let's consider it to be a steady diet of the truth, the word of God so we may live according to it. (please do not forget that it is by the Holy Spirit that dwells in us that we are enabled to partake of this diet -- the pursuit of the Word of God is intended to be part of our conversation that takes place in our relationship with God our Father.)  Let's not pursue the Word of God just for the sake of study, head knowledge or a list of things we can do to be better. Let's agree to allow this pursuit to lead us into a vibrant relationship with our Creator so we may know Him more, so we may believe Him and what He says, so we may glorify Him to the world, so that we will be satisfied, peace-filled and so we may enjoy His Presence.

This wraps up the introduction. Go munch on the scriptures and take time to digest. There will be more probing into this as we progress through the material.

See you back soon!

Is the Church for Discipleship or Disinfecting?

I listen to Radical on Moody Radio, and today I heard a message that totally set my thoughts on fire. I began to ponder, listen, tear up and ponder some more.  I just put on a pot of coffee and decided it was time to return to my keyboard for an update on where I have been.
I've been:
Reflecting!
Seeking!
Pondering!
Simplifying!

The devotion I ended 2014 with was all about entering into 2015 with a focus.  The devotion suggested that I seek to determine one word that God would lead me in for the year.  As I read, searched and pondered; the word "Simplify" came to my mind, my thoughts and even in everything I read.  So I posted the word around on sticky notes as a reminder. I even put it in my phone.  I also accepted the challenge to memorize a scripture every two weeks through a blog by Living Proof Ministries. Something that I have never, never, never been able to do, but so far I am two for two.  I have been simplifying my life, which includes saying NO alot more and not filling up my schedule as much.

However, today, I was walking my dog and listening to radio program mentioned above. The message grabbed me and the thoughts just started to run through my mind.

The message was in the Follow Me series, Serve the World, Part 2.  David Platt asked, "Is church a place for discipleship or disinfecting?" I started thinking on that question.  If we are setting ourselves apart to be disinfected from the world, to be disinfected is to KILL living organisms without discriminating good from bad. If we set ourselves apart to avoid looking like the world, we will become sterile. A sterile environment will not allow life of any kind. That just doesn't sound like what God sent His Son to earth to accomplish.

So the question remains: Is the church for discipleship or disinfecting?

God desires us to be set apart to do His work in the world, not to do His work in a sterile church building. I believe we come together as a body of believers to encourage and build up one another, and to spur one another on to works and good deeds. We come together to teach each other, and disciple one another within the walls of the church; but also to disciple as we go about our routine and daily lives, and as we serve the world.

Jesus died to rescue us from sin and death. If you have been saved from eternal death through accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you now need to grow in the knowledge of who He is, learn about His character, His love and then learn His commands. Seek to learn to hear His voice and gentle leading.  Once you have done this, simply OBEY. In doing this, He can then send you out into the world as His witness.

(If you were on trial for your life, would you want your attorney to use credible witnesses for your defense? Would you want them to be reliable and be of good reputation? Or would you be ok with someone who was a known liar, never reliable, and disrespected in the community?) So as Christ sends us out in the world to be His witnesses, we need to be credible witnesses. So that by our lives, others will know and believe He exists based on our testimonies. Based on their observation of our lives, they would desire what we have, become believers (rescued from Hell), and become disciples and credible witnesses for Christ to begin the cycle again.

What if we lived our lives in such a way that we wouldn't have to segregate ourselves from the world. We wouldn't live separately from the world, but we would instead be set apart (sanctified-consecrated) for God's use in the world for the sake of the world. We need to know when the world's corruption is infecting us and when we are affecting the world. As we see the decaying effects the world is having on our lives, we need to turn to the Father, in the name of Jesus and ask Him to fill us, equip us and minister to us. We are able to do all things through Christ. He will give us renewal and strength. He raises us back up and we can soar!

Jesus retreated from the world to have time alone with the Father. So we should do so as well.

He calls us to love Him and love others. Out of the love for Him, we will be prompted to obey Him. Out of that love, we will love others and by our love for the body of Christ, the world will know we belong to Him. Out of our love for the world, we will desire to live our lives in such a way that we are credible witnesses of Christ. As we live our lives NOT discrediting the good news of Jesus by living unholy lives, but instead living reliably, filled with the Holy Spirit; the world may become hungry for the good news, and turn to God for salvation. An entire generation may be saved from Hell just because the universal church decides to no longer live sterile lives (cleaned up like white washed tombs) where no real life exists; but instead lives authentic, biblical, reliable, credible lives where we make disciples who then make disciples.

We are called to make disciples of every nation, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Teaching them to obey all Jesus' commands.  --  to clarify: Each one of us in the body of Christ is called to make disciples. We are to teach them who God the Father is, who the Son is and who the Holy Spirit is. As we are immersed in the character of the trinity, we grow in our love for Him. As we grow in our love, we desire to obey Him. Part of that obedience is to love God and love others, obey Him and make disciples.

How simple is that.  It is simple, it is just not easy!

Road Map to Freedom

God doesn't make us think like Jesus.  It is my responsibility to take all of my thoughts and make them obey (or line up with) Christ and what He says in the Word of God.

Jesus displayed in the Word a well laid out road map for life.  So if we study the Word of God and put it into action through our obeying the word (thoughts and actions); we will abide with Christ (Remain in Christ). We walk in the word or walk out the word.  We will do the will of God and not abide in our own fleshly desires, sin, and nature.  We will be free.  This will bring us peace with God!

We must be in the word to do this.  We also need to be studying the word so we will know the Father.  We need to know who He is, what He says He can do and what His will is.

When you have walked with God for a time, you find that the true evil that is overcome, is the evil within yourself.  The kingdom of God comes not through this world, but it comes within us, as we surrender to our heavenly Father.  Praise God!  I am ready to be set free from this body of sin and death.  (check out Romans chapter 7 and hear Paul's similar cry)

We cannot do the following list below in our own strength  (or if we can, it is only temporary)  We my allow God to do His work of Jesus Christ in us by surrendering to the leading of the Holy Spirit within us and by being in His word for guidance in obedience and surrender.  So we will recognize the Holy Spirit's leading and be able to test it.  The Holy Spirit will not lead you to act contrary to God's Word.

1. Walk in the light.
2. Love one another
3. Think Jesus' thoughts
4. Treat others as Jesus did
5. Embrace Jesus' desires
6. Depend on Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

Some of my thoughts are prompted by Oswald Chambers.

Simplicity of the Gospel

Gospel Simplified!?!?

According to the scripture, I am in right standing with God because I believe Him and accept what He says.  He is the creator, He made the rules, and He knows how His creation operates.  So if I believe Him, then I will obey Him by following His commands.  When I  follow His commands, I will be purified.  As I obey, I grow up, I mature in my spirit, and I love other believers; so that by that love, the world will know that I follow Christ.  As the body, we are joined together to become a place for the Lord to dwell in His Holy Temple.  This is true individually also.  We are able to go to war against the enemy of our soul.  We can even take our own thoughts captive and make those thoughts line up with what Christ says in the word.  We dress ourselves up in Christ with the full armor for our battle against the evil in this world, and we put on our shoes of peace so we can GO into the world that sees who we belong to by our love for each other, and draw them out of darkness(world) into the light(love/peace).  We then teach and immerse them in all that God is.  We teach them the commands and encourage them to obey them.  Then as they grow up in their faith, they will GO and draw others out of darkness to light and so on and so on….

See all the scriptures referenced below.

Belief >> Righteousness:  God decided to accept Abraham's belief as his righteousness. (Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Gen 15:6; Gal 3:6)

Belief >>  Salvation:  God decided even though we don't deserve it, to save us because we believe.  (We are saved by grace through faith. Eph 2:8)

• How can I let the word dwell in me?  By reading it. By obeying it, and obeying it is doing what it says. (Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. Col 3:16a; Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says. Jas 1:22 If you Love me, you will obey me.  Jn 14:15)

Obedience >> Purification: We are able to be purified when we obey the truth/word.  Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere...

When we obey the truth we will love one another.  ... Love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart...   We get rid of all the things that can hinder our purification.  Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.   And we are to grow up in our salvation.  Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.  1Peter 1:22-23; 2:1-2

The world will be able to see we belong to Christ by our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.  Jn 13:35

Christ is like the mortar that holds all the living stones together in a bond of unity.  In him, the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.  Eph 2:21-22

Remember that the weapons are spiritual.  We are able to conquer our thoughts that pretend to be bigger than God by making our thoughts line up with the what Christ says.  We need to make our thoughts obey Christ.  For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  2 Cor 10:3-5

Scripture tells us to put on love, put on Christ and put on armor of God etc. If we just deal with getting rid of our sinful behavior, yet do not take the time to put on all we are commanded, we will stand naked before our enemy and be very vulnerable. Therefore put on the full armor of God... with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Eph 6:13-17

As our feet are fitted and ready, we go to the world with our good news not just on our lips, but also demonstrated in our actions.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you... Matt 28:19-20