Letter 18 – May 24, 2010

Exercise is good for the body!
Various medical persons say anywhere between 15-60 minutes 5-6 days a week.
For Cardio – you need to get your heart rate up for 20 out of 30 minutes.
For Strength – you need to work the muscles to exhaustion.
For Walking – you need to walk at least 10,000 steps a day.
For eating – you need to eat between 1200 and 1500 to lose weight(typical diet plans).

And what does this benefit us in eternity?
There are Biblical indications that we need to be in the best shape possible.

Jeremiah 12:5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and [if] in the land of peace, [wherein] thou trustedst, [they wearied thee], then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.

Proverbs 24:10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

The goal for physical exercise should be tied to the goal of spiritual exercise. We may have to run with the horses, but more importantly, we need to be able to endure to the end without fainting.

Why lose weight?
There are two that I can think of in scripture that were fat….Eli – whose sons were not corrected, and when he fell backwards at the news of their death and the capture of the ark, he fell backwards.
1 Samuel 4 –
1 Sam 4:18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

And then there’s Ehud killing Eglon –
Judges 3:21-22
And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his (Eglon’s) belly: and the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

So – heavy is not portrayed well in scripture.

Another thing – we are to be living sacrifices…Rom 12:1 – presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service.

How were things handled as a sacrifice?
Lev 3
3:3-4 From the fellowship offering he is to bring a sacrifice made to the Lord by fire: all the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys.

This seems to be where I am carrying a lot of my fat.

Lev 3:16 – The priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma. All the fat is the Lord’s.

This is what gets me….ALL THE FAT IS THE LORD’S!

In Exodus 29:10-14, it also explains what is to be done with the rest of the animal:
14 But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it [is] a sin offering.

All of our flesh, skin and dung (garbage we brought into this relationship with Christ) needs to die – burn it with fire.

But Samuel sort of clears up the importance, the priority of exercise(burning fat) and relationship(obeying):
1 Sam 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou has rejected the word of the Lord, he hat also rejected thee from being king.

So, here is our priority:
Col 3:1-3
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things upon the e3arth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

And here is how we burn that flesh and dung:
Col 3:5-6 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetous which is idolatry: For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.

The rest of Colossians 3 talks about putting off that old flesh and dung, and putting on Christ.

But what does that have to do with exercise and fat?

Here is a passage from Proverbs:
Pr 30:7 Two things have I required of thee; denyt me them not before I die:
8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
9 LEST I BE FULL, AND DENY THEE, AND SAY WHO IS THE LORD? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

A good plan for eating…not to fullness – let we get lazy, and deny the Lord.
Bingeing IS denying the Lord as my source of comfort.
And many victims of trauma and abuse use food as comfort, and hide behind that wall of fat. I know, because I know me, and others.
My fat is an outward expression of an inward lack of faith in times of fear.
Therefore, my burning fat is a sacrifice to the Lord – and I should do the most efficient fat burning possible.
I also have to burn away fear by trusting that God has not given me a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.(2 Tim 1:7)

“feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord?”
My portion – no more, no less.
When the sacrifice was taken, sometimes there was a portion that could be eaten…Lev 3-7. But it was the portion…and it was not fat.
My eating should be as an offering of Thanksgiving – remembering what the wise man said about meats of kings:
Prov 23:1-3
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: and put a knife to thy through, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.

Jesus is the Bread of Life…and I am to eat of him every time I remember him. Why should it only be when we have the Lord’s Table that we eat and drink in remembrance of Him? What would happen to our lives if every time we ate, we thanked God for Christ’s body, and every time we drank, we thanked God for Christ’s blood? Would we eat differently? I think I would.

Some reasons to exercise – to be able to run with the horses.
To endure to the end – to receive the crown of life.
To release the chemicals that help us to enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise! (Ps 100)

We need to:
Is 35:3-6
Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not:
Behold, your God will come with a vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Heb 12:12 – 13
Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

And, Our Lord has patience with us:
Mat 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak.
But He wants us to be able to help these bruised reeds and smoking flax….
1 Cor 8:9-12
9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak…..
11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

We need to be strong enough to pick up our brothers and sisters, in any situation – be it physical, mental or spiritual.

We are a triune creation – created in the image of God.
To be spiritually strong, and physically weak(by choice) is to not bring all of our gifts to the table.
To be physically strong, but not mentally strong to fight the battle in the mind, we have left our brain at the door.

Physical exercise exercises the mind to focus. If done as unto the Lord, and meditating on His word, it can nourish the spiritual as well. And we are told to exercise our spiritual muscles.

1 Tim 4:7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself [rather] unto godliness.
8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

Exercising our physical muscles can teach us to focus on each task in order to strengthen it.
My triceps are flabby – so I need to focus on tricep exercises.
My faith is flabby – I need to focus on the Word of God to build my faith. Rom 10:17

My core is weak – I need to focus on core building activities, and plan out a routine.
My scripture reading is weak – I need to plan out a routine – and stick with it!

My foot is recovering from surgery – I need to to the rehab, but not over do it.
My heart is recovering from trauma – I need to do the therapy, but not push past what I’m able.

When I am balanced, body, mind and spirit – I am the most like God.
And I shall love the Lord my God with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my might… (Deu 6:5)
Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.
I don’t know how to break this into three…but the fact is, if I do this, I have the first 4 commandments under my belt.
If I do the second: And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (Mk 12:31)
Then I have aimed to fulfill the 10 commandments – and to hearken unto the voice of the Lord.
Deut 28 is a great place to go and see what God has in store for those that hearken unto the voice of the Lord.

But the key is – John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (28)and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
Sweet promise….and the reason Jesus can promise this?
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.

Present your bodies a living sacrifice to the one that gave HIS life for you!
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Rom 12:1-2)

We do not live by sight, but by faith – and it is by faith, walking in the Spirit with Christ Jesus, that we will learn to walk, then run, then mount up with wings as eagles.

But we must remember why we are exercising….unto godliness.

Eccl 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

***Do all things as unto the Lord….can’t find this verse.
Rev 22:14 Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

This body must be fit as the temple of the Holy Spirit.
This mind must be renewed by the washing of the word.
This Spirit must be nourished, and listened to, not grieved.

Our bodies, minds and spirits are gifts from God, no matter how we are created. And they are to be cherished, and cared for. We are to love ourselves so that we can love our neighbors.
But that old flesh, and that fat are to be burned, fat as an offering to the Lord, and flesh to crucify the old self.

And in everything we are to:
Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks: for this is the w2ill of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Quench NOT the Spirit.
Despise NOT prophesyings.
Prove all things;
hold fast that which is good.
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
AND THE VERY GOD OF PEACE sanctify you WHOLLY; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it.
1 The 5:16-24

We are given this one body – and God has redeemed it. May we recognize it as the temple of the Holy Spirit, and work on it to be a temple fit for the King of Kings! Holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service!

In His Hands and under His wings,
~Christi

Letter 16 – May 11, 2010

Matt 7:3-5
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother, “let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

This morning, Jim woke me up to check his eye. He woke up with something in it. He proceeded to wash it out with tap water(chlorinated garbage water) followed with eye drops. He had gotten something out, but it felt like something was still in there, so he came and asked me for help.

First, I tried to find the eye wash that I know we packed….and like so many other things, it is no where to be found.
Then, I pulled out the distilled water – and went to look for salt.
Since we do not use table salt very often, that seems to have not made it in our move, either.

I took a flashlight – and shined it into every part that I could get to…wishing that he had those eyelids that you could roll up! Nothing(of course, I was blurry eyed from just getting up).
So, I rinsed it out with the distilled water, flooding it out so that anything else would come out, and hoping to dilute any poison that might be irritating it from the tap water.

Even after it was gone, and some comforting eye drops were put into it…he could still “feel” the piece of dirt in his eye. His eye lids were red, swollen and looked like he’d been crying. And, his eyes were sensitive.

When Jesus was talking to us about judging, and how we were to help our brothers with sin, He used a speck in our eye as the analogy.
In His analogy, the personal speck is small while the other person’s speck looks like a log.
In reality, it’s quite different. When Jim felt the speck in his eye, it felt like a rock! And I couldn’t see it at all.
That’s the way it’s supposed to be – that’s the natural way that God laid in motion from creation. But Jesus was pointing out how wrong, and twisted things had become.

A heart tender towards God should be as sensitive as an eye.
It should be washed daily with the Word – as the eye is washed with tears, pure, and perfect to fulfill the every need for the eye to function. Moistened, protected, efficient and sharp.
The Word of God is perfect for everything we need.

2 Tim 3:16-17
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Our eyes are very important for us to interact with this world, very precious.
Our hearts are even more precious, according to God.
Prov 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

The eye even protects itself with eyelids, eyelashes, eyebrows, tears, and the hand that just jumps up to block the sun, or the ball coming right at our face!
As soon as Jim noticed something wrong – his eye started to water…and the rest of his body came to his aid.
As soon as our heart notices that something is wrong, we should be so sensitive as to move into action.

John the apostle wrote about our hearts in his letters.
1 Joh 1: 5-7
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

If there is darkness in our eyes, the pupil and lens react immediately.
If there is darkness in our hearts, we should react immediately.
Pain in the eye indicates something is wrong that requires immediate attention.
Darkness indicates something is wrong with the person desiring to walk in the light.

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And IF any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

When Jim’s eye hurt, he just wanted to make it stop hurting.
When there is darkness in our souls, hearts, spirits – Jesus has made the way to bring us back to the Light.
BUT – do we want to leave the darkness…do we feel the pain of being separated from God by sin? Do we want to remove that speck in our own heart so that we can see clearly the light of God’s plan?

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
1 Pet 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hat called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Our basic salvation scripture for opening the eyes of those who are blinded has something to say to us even AFTER salvation:
John 3:16- 21
16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be mad manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Are we holding on to darknesses? Are we playing around with dusk and twilight? Or are we choosing to stand in the bright light so that all shadows are clearly visible?

I like this verse:
Ps 112:4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
This definitely separates it:
Pro 13:9 The LIGHT of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

Here’s another separation:
Proverb 4:18 But th epath of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they not not at what they stumble.

The warning before this passage?
Prov 4:14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it,
pass not by it,
turn from it,
and pass away.

Ps 1 makes it clear:
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 BUT HIS DELIGHT IS IN THE LAW OF THE LORD;
AND IN HIS LAW DOTH HE MEDITATE DAY AND NIGHT!

Is there something that is scratchin’ around on your heart like a speck in your eye? But does it feel like a plank yet? Or just a little speck that can hide away in the corner where no one can see it? I know I have some thing….so what do I do about it?

How serious is it? How important is taking care of this? Is it all that bad?
When Jim’s eye started hurting, he went to the cabinet to WASH IT OUT NOW!
REMOVE the speck! The potential damage for not removing the speck is eventual blindness.

Our bodies KNOW that when we get a speck in our eyes…but do we know it when we let a little darkness into our hearts?
Paul had some harsh words:
1 Cor 5:2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, …..
1 Cor 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
Do you think you are so strong, and so good, and so special that you can play with fire, and not be burned?
Proverb 6:27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

What sin is acceptable sin?
John talks about hating your brother and saying that you love God.
1 John 2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. (BECAUSE HE CAN SEE HIS PATH!)
11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

An eye, with a speck in it, cannot tolerate the light – it hurts.
A heart, with sin in it, cannot tolerate the Light – it either hurts, or it hides.

There are all sorts of methods to clean out an eye….rub it, hold the eye lashes so that it tears on it’s own, tap water, any water, purified water, and then the special eye wash water that soothes as it washes.

There are all sorts of methods God will use to clean up a heart.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Father of light – no shadows. This is God.
With the assumption that we want to clean out the speck so that we can enter back into the fullness of light…we need to wash ourselves with the water of the Word…so that we KNOW the right process.
It’s not the pop can of sugar water that says “I’m sorry, you know I can’t do this” and then continue in sin – “it’s ok, God understands I’m a fallen creature”
No – God made a way –
It’s not rubbing it out by doing 100 hail Mary’s and 100 Lord’s Prayers –
No – Jesus said “It is finished”
It’s not pulling your self apart to force tears
No – Jesus bore all the pain of our iniquities, we don’t need to add any suffering to His work on the cross.
It’s not some watery psycho babble that blames our parents, causes tears and removes responsibility
It’s the water of the word of God.

Christ loves us, the church so much that he gave himself for us for a purpose”
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleans it with the washing of the water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Psalm 51 is a great Psalm for washing ourselves with the word.
James 5:13a Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray.

But even after taking action to care for his eye, Jim still had pain. And he asked me for help.
James 5:14 Is any sick among you?
Let him call for the elders of the church;
and let them pray over him,
annointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 and the prayer of faith shall save the sick,
and the Lord shall raise him up;
and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
KEY!!!
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

If you cannot tackle the speck on your own – call for the elders, and confess your faults, your issues, your sins.

Why will this help? It gets the darkness into the light!
First thing I did to check Jim’s eye was to use a flashlight, and look around inside it.
Bring things to the light….when darkness is brought to the light, it flees.

Another way to look at confessing faults is to tell the truth. It has been in the darkness, so it’s been hidden…and maybe you have had to deceive others, or yourself to keep it there. Confession is telling the truth….and there is a promise:

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free!

I was able to tell Jim that I didn’t see anything – other than irritation from the removal.
Elders, and wise brethren may be able to see a wound behind the speck, a weakness that may have allowed the speck to enter in.

After it was out, Jim could still ‘feel’ it, and still wanted to dig at it.
That’s like sin…especially habitual hidden sin. We can confess, we can repent, we can wash with the word, but for a while, it still ‘feels’ like it’s there…like it has power over us.
But, God’s word says:
1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than HE that is in the world.
Get out your warrior verses….you are taking back your heart from the enemy. This is war….

And if it is our desire to remain in God’s hand, Jesus says:
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, NEITHER SHALL ANY MAN PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY HAND.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all;
AND NO MAN IS ABLE TO PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY FATHER’S HAND.

Romans 8:35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation,
or distress,
or persecution,
or famine,
or nakedness,
or peril,
or sword:
36
As it is written, for they sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37
Nay, in all these things WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM THAT LOVED US.
38
For I am persuaded,
that neither death,
nor life,
nor angels,
nor principalities,
nor powers,
nor things present,
nor things to come,
39
Nor height,
nor depth,
nor any other creature,
shall be able to separated us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There is one thing missing in this list of what cannot separate us…and that is sin.
With a speck in our eye, we cannot see clearly.
With darkness in our lives, we cannot see clearly.

The scariest passage in the Bible, to me, is this:
Matt 7:21 Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;
but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?
And in thy name have cast out devils?
And in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

I am checking out my heart…..
Ps 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

And this is the type of seekers God wants:
Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with ALL YOUR HEART.
I cannot have any shadow of turning in my heart.
I cannot have any darkness in my heart
and if I have specks in my own eye(heart) I cannot help my brothers and sisters to be free from the specks and darkness in theirs – therefore I am unfruitful to the body.

Jim’s eye improved with time, after the washing and with eye drops he took with him for when he felt the ‘speck’.
Our hearts will improve with time, if we carry the Word of God around to apply whenever darkness tries to enter in.

1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him.
2:6 He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as HE walked.

The problem with being a liar? The end of the story.
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
21:8 But the fearful,
unbelieving,
and the abominable,
and murderers,
and whoremongers,
and sorcerers,
and idolaters,
and ALL LIARS,
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.

So, what sin is so little that we should just cover it up, it’s no big deal?
Lying bears the same punishement as murder.
For that matter, so does fearful, and unbelieving.

These three fly in the face of who God is…and will not be allowed in His presence.
Is there any shadow of darkness in your heart? I know, I’m working on mine.

So – I want to move on….will you join me?
1 Peter 1:22 – 23
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently; Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever.

In His hand and under His wings,
~Christi
© 2010 M.C.Wildman

Bible references from www.blueletterbible.org

April 24, 2010

In the beginning there was God…….
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God (created the heaven and the earth.)

Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The Godhead, the triune God, created everything together. He created man, woman, and angels.

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

God created women as part of ‘man’ being in HIS image…..NOT AS AN AFTER THOUGHT.
It is not the point to go into the theological issues of why Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 coordinate. Let’s assume that Genesis 1 is the sports guy that tells the facts, and Genesis 2 is the color commentator. So, here’s the color commentary:
In Gen 1 – God made man – male and female man was created. In Gen 2 it is explained that man was created out of the dust…..and God breathed life into him.
God seemed to know that man was going to have a difficulty recognizing that woman was the only one for him, so HE allowed man to look through all the animals. Besides….give the man a job, and let him name them!
In Gen 1 – God created the animals male and female….at least, lets assume that, since they were to multiply!
So, God is parading these animals in front of man…..and he sees they each have a mate to, well, mate with! This would cause Adam to feel very left out….there was no one for him! Nothing after his kind.
Once the desire was created, God put Adam to sleep – and cut woman out of him….kind of like the only pregnant man! Now man is missing something….and God creates a being that completes man like no other can!

Adam wakes up and shouts! This! This is it!!(remember, he’d been looking through all the animals…..) – this is flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone!
All the other animals had mates made “after their kind”.
Adam had to be shown that he couldn’t do it on his own….his completion was in woman.

What goes wrong?
Science Lesson
In a loose application of the 2nd law of Thermodynamics, we see that things left to themselves invariably tend to move from order to disorder. Like house dust, weeds, children….and sometimes men!
When things are left to themselves, they devolve to their simplest equation…..like rotting wood.
Man, left to himself, devolves into thinking that he can do it on his own.
Woman, left to herself, devolves into desiring to be part of man for her source of life, purpose and worth……the curse of Genesis 3:16
“…and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”

This causes mixed up love signals, and looking for ‘love’ in all the wrong places!

Because of our maternal make up….we will always feel something towards multiplying and being fruitful. This gets mixed up in to wanting sexual pleasure, in whatever way possible.
Because of our purpose for creation, we will always desire to be connected with love bonds to someone that wants to protect us – and that sometimes plays out as someone that ‘rules over’ us….controls us.

In men….they revert to acting like animals….sex whenever, however, whatever.

Why aren’t we animals? Because of the breath of life, given by God – we are created IN GOD’S IMAGE.

Understand this, God never says that a woman needs a man in order to be saved.
It says: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
WHOSOEVER – Greek word pas
1)individually
2)a) each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything
Jesus died for everyone……and on the cross, He saw each of us – in all our filthy rags. He did not say “woman – go find a husband” – He said “Father, Forgive them”. And He didn’t say, forgive HIM!
Jesus is our all in all.

Read the story of Ruth, God’s careful love for two women.

May God fill you with the joy of knowing that we were created for a purpose, and even if that purpose has been covered up with a bag of garbage. May God give you the strength to dig through the bag of garbage to find the gift He has for you.

In His hands and Under His wings,
~Christi

Bible verses drawn from:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/index.cfm
Concordance definition from:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3956&t=KJV

(c) 2010 M.C.Wildman

Letter 1 – April 23, 2010
Letters to my sisters,

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth……
Genesis 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good.

1Sam 3:12b :when I begin, I will also make an end.

Psalm 139:13-17 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvellous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

1 Th 5:23-24 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

Phil 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

From conception, God has been at work in our lives. Actually, from the beginning of the earth.
Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
And we know…..if God knew Jeremiah before he was formed (conceived) in the belly….He knew us.

Jeremiah has another neat promise for us.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

No matter what others have done to us….no matter what has happened in our lives….God started everything good. We were created good. God, in His mighty power and knowledge, chose for us to be conceived, carried to fullness of time, and born into this time, into the family we were in.

There is a scene in one of our favorite movies, The Princess Bride, where everything has gone wrong….and a very distraught Inigo was drowning his sorrows in a bottle, and saying:
Inigo: I am waiting for you, Vizzini. You told me to go back
to the beginning. So I have. This is where I am, and
this is where I will stay. I will not be moved.
(The prince gave orders)
Inigo: So did Vizzini. When the job went wrong he went back
to the beginning. Well, this is where we got the
job, so it’s the beginning. And I am staying till
Vizzini come.
Things went wrong in our lives….causing various stages of trauma and woundedness. It messed up our concept of our beginning.

So, the job when wrong, lets go back to the beginning.
In my beginning, God created me, fearfully and wonderfully, marvelous are His works.
Can you say that God created you?,

and called you good as He did in Genesis 1?

And that He began a good work in you as in Phil 1:6?

And can you put your trust in Him to complete that work, starting today?

Read Psalm 37 and 139……pull out promises for you, and write them down on 3×5 cards, and carry them with you.

And may our God of all comfort, stir new life into your hearts, and make you to know that you are a chosen princess, daughter of King Jehovah, through the blood of His son, Jesus Christ.

In His hands, and under His wings,
~Christi

Bible verses from:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/index.cfm
Princess Bride quotes from: http://fringe.davesource.com/Fringe/Entertainment/Scripts/The_Princess_Bride.html

(c)2010 M.C.Wildman

Letter 4, April 25, 2010

There is NO FEAR – only Power, Love and Sound Minds

2 Tim 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

When Adam and Eve sinned, death entered the world….everyone knows that. Sometimes we are told that shame entered, but what we aren’t always told is that FEAR entered the world.

SHAME
Genesis 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
FEAR
Gen 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I [was] naked; and I hid myself.

Fear and Shame….from listening to the enemy!
They had walked with God, enjoyed all the wonders of a perfect euphoric paradise. The lived in total innocence, and total freedom with only ONE LAW – so simple. So perfect. There were no other laws because they were totally protected by God’s perfection! There were no needs, because they were provided for by God’s total abundance.

But God created man with free choice, free will. God gave us the freedom to say NO to HIM, so that we would truly have the freedom to say YES, LORD with our whole hearts.

It was not God’s plan for us to live in fear…notice that nowhere does it say that Adam and Eve ‘feared’ God.
Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice 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 amongst the trees of the garden.

They were used to the Lord walking in the garden….and speaking with them. But this day was different…..they HID themselves. This time, they were ashamed and afraid. This time, God had to call out and ask them where they were.

Fear and Shame separate us from God. And with sin, comes fear and shame.
Fear and Shame weaken us, so that we do not walk in the power, love and sound mind that God created in us.

Who in their right mind would give up paradise for one specific piece of fruit….when there was everything else, any other fruit you could ever imagine?

Who, in their right mind would harm a loved one, a young one, a child, a baby? There are so many other perfect outlets for such pleasure, or such release of anger.

Sin – choosing something other than God’s best.
And in that sin, comes fear and shame, and the desire to hide the sin. That’s where the blame comes in….
Gen 3:12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest [to be] with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

The woman dressed wrong, and I couldn’t help myself
The child was seducing me……
She wanted it, so I gave it to her.

And rather than stand up, and say You DID IT ON YOUR OWN ACCORD, the woman took the blame, and then pointed to the serpent.

“I shouldn’t have been walking home” – it’s the fault of the area, and our choice to walk home.
“I shouldn’t have worn those pretty clothes” – it’s the fault of the clothes, and the choice to wear them.
“I shouldn’t have been so physically fit and desirable.” – it’s the fault of working out, and looking good.
“Your dad has a strong sexual desire” – it’s the fault of their nature.

Sin is sin…and the sinner is responsible for their sin….not those sinned against.
God did punish each person for their participation in this earth changing event. But He didn’t blame the woman for the man….He gave Adam the harshest punishment. He should have known better….and he should have protected Eve, rather than taking advantage of her weakness.

Fear and Shame are part of the curse….and they are put upon victims in so many ways. But God says that HE did not give us a spirit of fear…..but of POWER, LOVE and a SOUND MIND!

Matt 11:28 Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Read Psalm 23

In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi

Bible References obtained from:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/index.cfm
(c) 2010 M. C. Wildman

Letter 9 – April 29, 2010

Yesterday’s status, or word from the Lord:
And, the sun came out again today!
As Annie sings, The sun will come out tomorrow….
and as Ps 30:5 says For his anger [endureth but] a moment; in his favour [is] life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy [cometh] in the morning.
And Jeremiah said:[It is of] the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. [They are] new every morning: great [is] thy faithfulness. Lam 3:22-23

The thing is, I wasn’t needing that word yesterday……until after yesterday happened.
This week has been rough. Yesterday was a day full of disappointment, rocks and brick walls, hurts and conflicts, struggles to care for me or sacrifice me. A real chore to rest in the Lord.

Yesterday, I was lost and sorrowful, and needed the Lord to show me the way….and the way was VERY narrow….with lot’s of potential attacks, and disappointments…..and I struggled to choose the way that He was pointing out.

As soon as I committed myself to His way, come what may, I slept.

And I woke up this morning, with His mercies ever new….and knowing the love of God….and knowing some of that joy again.

Joy doesn’t mean everything’s fine, or easy, or pretty – joy means that my heart is in Jesus, my mind is yielded to His word, and by His grace and power, I am taking every thought captive.

Joy is knowing that I am abiding in the secret place, beneath the shadow of the Almighty.

And really, there is NO other place to be.
And honestly, there is No other place that I desire to be.

In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi