Monthly Archives: October 2011

100 Spiritual Walking Steps – 30 – the first festival

In step 27, I wrote about my concerns about what we are to do with the festivals along the way. I discussed Halloween and Sukkot.
There is one festival that I cannot shake the requirement to celebrate, and I confess that I have not always been diligent to honor it.

Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in it]

  • thou shalt not do any work, thou,
  • nor thy son,
  • nor thy daughter,
  • thy manservant,
  • nor thy maidservant,
  • nor thy cattle,
  • nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates:

11 For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

The 10 commandments. Exodus 20 – And God said these words:

  1. 2 verses – no other gods
  2. 3 verses – no graven images
  3. 1 verse – no disrespecting His name
  4. 4 verses – HONOR THE SABBATH
  5. 1 verse – honor thy mother and father
  6. 1 verse -no killing
  7. 1 verse – no adultery
  8. 1 verse-no stealing
  9. 1 verse- no lying
  10. 1 verse -no coveting

Of all the 10 commandments – God spent more time, more words, explaining why the Sabbath should be holy. As Christians, we have a negative approach to the 10 commandments as rules, the “do nots”.  Jews have a different view of the Sabbath.

From Judaism 101

“The Sabbath (or Shabbat, as it is called in Hebrew) is one of the best known and least understood of all Jewish observances. People who do not observe Shabbat think of it as a day filled with stifling restrictions, or as a day of prayer like the Christian Sabbath. But to those who observe Shabbat, it is a precious gift from G-d, a day of great joy eagerly awaited throughout the week, a time when we can set aside all of our weekday concerns and devote ourselves to higher pursuits. In Jewish literature, poetry and music, Shabbat is described as a bride or queen, as in the popular Shabbat hymn Lecha Dodi Likrat Kallah (come, my beloved, to meet the [Sabbath] bride). It is said “more than Israel has kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept Israel.” “

Why did God set apart one day for rest?

Mark 2:27 And he(Jesus) said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

Sabbath isn’t supposed to be this strict, solemn, boring thing.  God created it FOR MAN!

 Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Deuteronomy 5.15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and [that] the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

There is something special that God intended for the Sabbath, but in the attempt to break free from the law, in the teaching of liberty, peace, and love, we may have lost the very blessing that God created for us!

how did the Israelites learn about the Sabbath? in the Exodus!  Manna!

Exodus 16.4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. 5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare [that] which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

Exodus 16.23 And he said unto them, This [is that] which the LORD hath said, To morrow [is] the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake [that] which ye will bake [to day], and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.

Exodus 16.26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, [which is] the sabbath, in it there shall be none.

God provided food for the Israelites miraculously. God had two rules about the food,

  1. gather only what you can eat, not too much or too little
  2. don’t gather on the Sabbath

Oddly enough, the people tested God to see if the food would keep, and it got wormy.  And they tested God to see if there would be any manna on the Sabbath, and there was none. this was God’s response:

Exodus 16.28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?

God set up a plan for these people who had been in slavery for hundreds of years.  They didn’t have days off.  And he is trying to bring them into his rest.  But their flesh is getting them in trouble.  And it’s the same today.

1Peter 2.11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

Why don’t we celebrate the Sabbath?  And I’m not talking about whether it’s Friday to Saturday, Saturday to Sunday, or only Sunday. I’m talking about one day a week given to rest as the Lord commanded. Commanded

Command:

  • to order, require, compel
  • to direct with specific authority or prerogative; order:
  • to require authoritatively; demand:

Commandment:

  • a command or mandate.

Hebrew: Mitzvah

  • precept
  • commandment
  • law
  • ordinance

Commandments.  We talk about being freed from the law, I were talking about being freed from the curse of the law, or from the law in general?  Why is it so important to “not be bound by the law”?  Why was the law given?  And right now talking about the 10 Commandments.  Are we guilty of picking and choosing which ones we should obey?

Do we honor our mother and father because it will go well with us and we will live long in the land?

Ephesians 6.2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Do we not steal, because of the Golden rule?

Luke 6.31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

I say that all Scripture is God breathed,

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

I want to be made perfect.

Matthew 5.48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Romans 12.2 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.

The ways of the world are not going to get me where I want to be in my walk with the Lord Jesus. it is more comfortable for my flesh to rule out honoring the Sabbath under the teaching of liberty. But if I’m going to claim the promises of Ephesians 6.2, or any other promises for obedience, I need to seriously look at keeping the Sabbath.

Exodus 31.14Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it [is] holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth [any] work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh [is] the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth [any] work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, [for] a perpetual covenant.

Exodus 35.2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.

Num 15:32-36 A man gathering wood on the sabbath

that’s pretty serious punishment for not keeping the Sabbath. I don’t think God considers the Sabbath as lightly as we do.

 Isaiah 56.1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation [is] near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. 2 Blessed [is] the man [that] doeth this, and the son of man [that] layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.

BLESSED!!!!

Isaiah 58.13

  • If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath,
  • [from] doing thy pleasure on my holy day;
  • and call the sabbath a delight,
  • the holy of the LORD,
  • honourable;
  • and shalt honour him,
  • not doing thine own ways,
  • nor finding thine own pleasure,
  • nor speaking [thine own] words:
  • 14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD;
  • and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth,
  • and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father:
  • for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it].

Jeremiah had a warning about Sabbath obedience – and they didn’t harken, in Jeremiah 17.

We want the blessings of the Lord, but not the responsibility that goes with it.
We want our cake and eat it too. We want to pick and choose what things, what principles, what part of the Bible are actually for today.  Everyone agrees the 10 Commandments  are a great set of rules, and many of societies have a similar set of laws.  In fact the different societies just change up the first four verses two worshiping their God rather than the God of Moses.  there is a whole chapter in the Bible that both excites me and frightens me.

Deuteronomy 28.1-2 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe [and] to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

Deuteronomy 28.15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

I leave the details for you to read.

But there are verses in the New Testament that give me just as much pause:

John 14.15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

That verse is a condition for a serious promise that follows it in the next verse. how do we show that we love Jesus?

John 14.21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

John 14.23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

for clarification:

John 14. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

what are the commands of Jesus Christ?

Mark 12.29  And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 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.31 And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

did Jesus abolish the 10 Commandments by stating only two?  His first commandment encompasses all of the first four commandments, and his second Commandment encompasses the other six of the 10 Commandments.  If we look at it closely, just as he did in the Beatitudes and the sermon on the Mount, he has commanded us to a deeper obedience of the Commandments.  He is called for us to love the Lord our God

  • with all our heart
  • with all our soul
  • with all our mind
  • with all our strength

what else is left?  And then he raises the bar for the other six by making it about loving others at least as much as we love ourselves.

So what is this have to do with Sabbath?

Jesus was not legalistic about the Sabbath, if you’re hungry, eat; if you’re sick, see a doctor; if something happens to your donkey, help it out.  But He did not say to not celebrate the Sabbath, He said He was Lord of the Sabbath!

God ordained a day for us to separate ourselves from all the worldly cares and burdens and fears and stress, to spend in His presence, by the grace purchased for us through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Speaking of the blood of Jesus, there is another interesting point in the New Testament that I think illustrates the current importance of celebrating Sabbath correctly.

1 Corinthians 11.27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink [this] cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of [that] bread, and drink of [that] cup.29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.30 For this cause many [are] weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

Is this the current manifestation of God’s curse on those that pollute the Sabbath? This is the one commandment that Christ gave us in order to remember him, and with it comes the curse of death if we participate unworthily. it’s our responsibility to make sure that we are ready for the Sabbath.

1 Corinthians 11.31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

I want to say is for me in my house we will serve the Lord, but has to confess I have not kept the Sabbath holy.  I pray for wisdom, grace, and mercy to glorify the Lord in my life.

 
Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
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100 Spiritual Walking Steps – 29 – did I bring the…..?

hmmmmm, where did I put that?  missing files, missing workbook pages, missing tools, missing camping equipment, missing check book…where did I put that?  Why didn’t I bring that?

“Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity” Henry Hartman

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Seneca

“Be prepared” Scout Motto(boy and girl)

Today, I was led to go up to the clubhouse and do the workout with ladies in my community. I found out that two ladies will be leaving, and the manager will have no one to do the workouts with when the Winter Texans flow in. Apparently they are coming in next week. She asked me to come up and do the workouts with her….

I have been praying about how I could be of help here in this RV Resort in which we live. I have friends praying that I would know what to do, and what to say when God opens up the doors. Now, to understand more fully what happened this morning, you have to understand what happened last week.

I took a flying jump into the walking workouts at our clubhouse. And the poor Achilles tendon did not respond well to the firmer calf, no matter how much better that calf looked! So, I bowed out for the rest of the week, and yesterday. I was going to workout at home, on my own.

But this morning, I woke up, and had the sense that I was supposed to go up and participate. Now to the preparation part. I knew I was to workout this morning…and so I had dressed for the part. But I had not

  • put on my heart rate monitor…because I assumed I was doing the simple stuff here in my trailer!
  • prepared a bottle of water…because the sink is right by my workout place at home
  • grabbed a sweat towel or headband…because those are all available in the laundry basket right beside my workout place in my home.
  • tested my blood sugar…ditto.

I was able to pace myself, with Gabriel’s discouraging looks when the heart rate got too high, though he got mad at me, and wouldn’t look at me when I wouldn’t sit down. That’s his job. My job is to listen! But, we made it through!

But if I am going to be doing this on a regular basis, I need to set up some keys! I need to BE PREPARED! Keys –

  • I need to go to bed per the days of creation time line(rest at night, up with the light)
  • I have to make sure I get up early enough to have my devotional time, and write something on this blog.
  • I have to wear the heart rate monitor…so I can keep track of my heart rate
  • I have to say “I’m done”…when I’m done.
  • I need to take treats for Gabe when my Heart rate goes to high….

We have to be prepared so that when the opportunity comes, we can say yes…and I guess that is what everything is about…being prepared so that when opportunity knocks, we are ready and able to open the door and walk right through.

This morning, I did not want to get up and even consider a workout…because workouts tend to cause me pain…yes, good, but also bad. If I had not, I might not have spoken with the manager about supporting her in this endeavor.

OPPORTUNITIES

There are many things that I am called to do, that I do not WANT to do…such as,

  • be nice to my husband on those rare occasions that he is a jerk.
  • I don’t FEEL like smiling at the clerk that snorted hello to me.
  • I really want to yell at the driver that almost cost many of us our lives because of the swerving in and out.

Why don’t I? PREPARATION

  • A soft answer turns away wrath,(Pr 15:1)
  • “if you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours,”
  • seriously, what good does yelling at another driver? And it could cause me to be distracted about what else is going on.

Success comes from opportunity and preparation meeting each other.  I know that I have not been prepared for many opportunities that have come my way. On the other hand, I know there is only one way to cure that…prepare!

He that is faithful in few things will be trusted with bigger things(writer’s summary/paraphrase).(Matt 25:14-30)

The opposite is also true, he that ISN’T faithful in the small things will not be trusted with anything bigger, but rather, even that small thing will be taken away from him!

If we can’t be trusted with our own devotionals, why would He trust us with Bible study for others?
If we can’t be scheduled about our own life(speaking mostly to me) how can He trust us to be faithful to a schedule with impact on other’s lives?

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Col 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Prov 22:20  Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, 21 That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

As Christians, we are to be ready always to give an answer…are we?

As Christians, our conversation is to be always full of grace and seasoned with salt…how’s our spice rack looking?

As Christians, we have no excuse…because God has provided us with the words of truth…so that we could go into all the world, preaching the gospel, making disciples of all men.

I need to check my spice rack daily, make sure my fruit of the Spirit is in good shape, check out my armor to make sure it is in good repair, BEFORE the opportunities arise!

How about you?

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
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Naomi's Heart Mission

Help a child in need. Check out Naomi’s Heart Mission or Compassion International. The life that changes will be your own!

Battle Plan for Comparison Blues – Part 4

Battle Plan
An Antidote for Post Conference Blues or any Comparison Blues!

Every time I go to a conference, I come back with Post conference blues. I am so quick to compare myself and my children and my efforts with everyone else, and to take the talks terribly personally, that I am overwhelmed with my conviction, and am tempted to give up.

This year I recognized it a bit before going…with the issue of dress, and looks, and expected appearance. After we arrived at home, the blues hit again, and this time, I cried out.

Here is the antidote that God gave me: part 4

Now, I’m resting, and he’s strengthened me with all his truth, healed and united my heart, and filled me with peace.
Next he says:

Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Whew! That’s what I needed all along! I needed to quench those fiery darts!

Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation,

sort of goes with:

Ps 18:35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.

I can’t SEE my salvation:

Hebr 11:1 (KJS) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Eph 2:8)

But I know it’s real:

Hebr 11:6 (KJS) But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

I believe! And I know that He is the author and the finisher of my faith,

Phil 1:6 (KJS) 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:
1Cor 1:8 (KJS) Who shall also confirm you unto the end, [that ye may be] blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
and now, he has me running in a race!
Hebr 12:1 (KJS) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Now…into battle!

Eph6:17 and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

We did some spiritual housecleaning, with the help of Dr. Jim Logan’s book, Regaining Surrendered Ground . My husband and I prayed together, seeking the Lord about possible causes for the seeming curses in our family (Pr 26:2), and God graciously showed us things that we had not dealt with from our family history. After taking authority over these issues, and praying the prayer to regain the ground through the blood of Jesus we thought about the three main issues we’d been led to deal with. They fell under three categories!

1Joh 2:16 (KJS) For all that [is] in the world,

  1. the lust of the flesh, and
  2. the lust of the eyes, and
  3. the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

These, of course, hit the major three commitments we’ve all been taught, and are attempting to teach to our children.

I can tell you, after our prayer warfare this weekend, I can say with David:

Ps 18:37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed. 38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.

SUMMARY

If you are suffering from Post Conference(Comparison) Blues, please go through these steps…get before the Lord, and cry out! He will lead you into His peace, and He will prepare you for warfare, and remember:

Psal 98:1 (KJS) A Psalm. O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
1Cor 15:57 (KJS) But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We don’t have to worry about the victory…it’s already won…we just have to walk in His steps…and trust in Him!

BACK TO PART ONE
BACK TO PART TWO
BACK TO PART THREE

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!

Or follow me with the RSS feed.

Barbs Drawing

Naomi's Heart Mission

Help a child in need. Check out Naomi’s Heart Mission or Compassion International. The life that changes will be your own!

100 spiritual walking steps – 28 – sticking with the map

Family 1999

Our family, 1999

Yesterday, I read the daily devotional, for October 18, from the book Made to Crave God-Every Day of the Year. It was based around:

Matthew 5.20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

That last phrase hit me right between the eyes.

ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven

I made that red, because that is Jesus talking.  Jesus said except my righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees I will in no way enter into the kingdom of heaven.

What?!

  1. I have admitted that I’m a sinner
  2. I have repented of my sins
  3. I have asked Jesus to be Lord of my life, Savior of my soul, King of my heart
  4. I have followed this inward action with a public declaration by water baptism
  5. and as dear Martin Luther declared, the just shall live by faith

I’ll get to “the just shall live by faith” eventually.

First, to let everyone know…I know…

 Ephesians 2.8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

NO, we are not saved by our works, and in this study of these Scriptures, I’m not looking for salvation. But, here are some verses:

  • Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
  • John 10.9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
  • Acts 2.21 And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
  • Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
  • Acts 16.31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
  • Romans 10.9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
  • Romans 10.13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved
  • 2 Tim 1.9 Who hath saved us, and called [us] with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

I hope this will convince those that read this, I do know that salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ.  Titus 3 sort of puts another twist and what I am looking at:

Titus 3.5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
8 [This is] a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

“that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works”

Ephesians 2.10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Oh, look! The verse following Ephesians 2.8&9, is Ephesians 2.10!  The very verse used to contradict any “works benefit” is followed by a verse that declares we were created for good works that we should walk in!

There are several things that come up when I look at these verses.

  1. what is righteousness?
  2. can we lose our salvation?
  3. should we be working on ‘doing’?

I posted two of the quotes from October 18th’s  devotional on facebook. I have no idea who the men are. Wikipedia articles on  William Law and John Keble describe them as devote writers from the 1700’s.

“You perhaps will say that all people fall short of the perfection of the gospel, and therefore you are content with your failings..
But this is saying nothing to the purpose: for the question is not whether the Gospel perfection can be fully attained, but whether you come as near it as a sincere intention and careful diligence can carry you. Whether you are not in a much lower state than you might be if you sincerely intended and carefully labored to advance yourself in all Christian virtues. W.M. Law. (from the book “Made to Crave God – Every Day of the Year’ for Oct 18).”

‎

“We know not exactly how low the least degree of obedience is, which will brain a man to heaven; but this we are quite sure of, that he who aims no higher will be sure to fall short of even that, and that he who goes farthest beyond it will be most blessed.” John Keble (from the boook “Made to Crave God – Every Day of the Year” for Oct 18)

These also hit me in the head, and caused me to reevaluate my walk…am I really aiming high?  Am I taking righteousness, separation, and sanctification seriously?  Do I look, act, respond differently than the world? Or is there too much ‘world’ in me?  And, how much is too much?

We’re not supposed to lust after the world, we’re not supposed to act like the world, we’re not supposed to love the world,  that’s simple New Testament.  Yes, they are supposed to know us by our love. Yet, I believe there is something about keeping God’s commands that I may be missing, because He says if you love me you will keep my commands(John 14:21).  Do I keep His commands? What ARE His commands?

If Jim told me he never wanted me to wear green again, how would he feel if he came home and I was completely decked out in green? Or, reverse that, and how would we feel if our husbands came home decked out in something we’d told him that we did not like.  I’d feel unloved, disrespected, and dishonored.  Don’t we owe God at least that much if not much more love and respect and honor?

Anyway, it’s not about works. It’s about a heart that desires to love God enough to lay down naked and play with Army soldiers if need be(Isaiah 20, Ezekiel 4).  And the thing is, He’s not asking that of us! He’s just asking for obedience, just as a father asks for obedience of the children, and respect from the wife.

An example from my life. I go back to the hair and the dress issue with which I have struggled.

Jim and I, in 1999

Jim and I, 1999

For years, I have heard my husband share how he was hurt because he had made his desires known.

Jim's girls

Jim's girls, 1999

He gave us free choice, and we,
myself and our three daughters, eventually, chose to cut our hair and wear pants.

Dear Jim, I’m sorry. Please forgive me for all the years that I have not loved you enough to honor and obey your desires. I do love you, and I thank God for giving me to you, and you to me.

 
And now, as I try to be a better wife for Jim, I have to try to give God at least as much.
This makes it a little clearer for me.

  • Jim doesn’t love me because I wear dresses,
  • and he didn’t/won’t stop loving me if I wear pants.
  • But when I choose to do something to acknowledge his desires, our fellowship is sweeter.
  • If I wear pants, he won’t divorce me.
  • When I cut my hair, he doesn’t kick me out of the marriage.
  •  if I choose to do the opposite of what would please Jim,
  • I hurt him,
  • I disappoint him,
  • and there is a block in our fellowship.

And that’s with someone I can see, hear, smell, touch, and actively talk things out with. If I can’t do it with him, whom I can see, what chance do I have with the God I cannot see?

1 John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

And then, all the years that I proclaimed my liberty and freedom of choice as a wife, I also proclaimed my liberty and freedom of choice as the daughter of God. But what was I declaring my liberty and freedom from?  Obedience?

This is not condemnation, this is conviction, mourning over the ways I have hurt the two most important beings in my life. And this sorrow is godly sorrow, and I pray that it brings about the righteousness of Christ in my life.

2 Cor 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

What is the map? The Word of God…I say with Peter:

John 6:68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

So, I am taking some time to make sure that I am walking down the path that I see, as I read my map.

Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Phil 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

I want to walk this walk towards my Saviour…pressing on for the MARK of the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. There is a pressing on. There is a working out our salvation with fear and trembling. There is a race to be run – and some will not finish the race. I want to finish the race, with all that is in me, glorifying God in every way. I will be looking into those three questions in future blogs. Thanks for hanging in here with me!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
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100 spiritual walking steps – 27 – the festivals along the way

~I apologize, before hand, for the inconsistencies in this post, as I am using a speech to text program, and have only one hand with which to type. please give me grace for the mistakes.

Right now, the Jewish community is celebrating Sukkot. This holiday began the evening of October 12 and continues until the evening of October 19. Everyone else, especially the pagans, are preparing to celebrate Halloween. Although the celebration is always October 31, the communities celebrate Halloween on various days to make it safer for the children.

How does one walking along the path of life choose which festivals to participate in? Or DO you participate in any festivals?

Because I am a Christian, and because I try to live my life through Biblical principles, I will not be discussing festivals of other religions. I will be discussing festivals/holidays, celebrated or not celebrated, by the various forms of Christianity.

There are some in the Christian faith that don’t celebrate any holidays. Their thinking is that the Jewish festivals are gone/past because we are not bound by Jewish law under Christ, and the so-called Christian festivals were Christianized pagan holidays, and we should not participate in the holidays of the pagans.  Some take this as far as to not celebrate birthdays. Some will not celebrate the national holiday because of the rebellion to the authorities of that day.

On the other hand, there are those of the Christian faith that celebrate everything, with no difference from the world. their position is, it’s all in fun!

As for my personal opinion and position, I am torn.

When Jim and I married, Jim was not that big on holidays, but I had sweet memories of them.   In the beginning, Jim and I chose not to celebrate holidays in the same way as the world. Then we joined a church that exposed the pagan origins of Christmas, Easter, and Halloween.  At this point we stopped celebrating holidays, except Thanksgiving and birthdays.  This caused a great rift with our extended families.

When the children came along, and the first one went to public school, I decided to focus on the Christian aspects of the US holidays, such as Christmas.   Everything we did related to a Scripture verse, or Biblical principle, to be tangible lessons about God’s grace.   We didn’t do Santa because we didn’t want to lie to our children.  We did do Nativity scenes, but made sure they understood that there were no Kings at Jesus’s birth.
My purpose was to give them a godly worldview in the midst of an ungodly world, something to hold onto, that illustrated our difference.

We did participate in harvest festivals as opposed to Halloween parties.  But as we participated in the Halloween alternatives our children asked us what was the difference.  In our understanding of the Bible, and the origins of Halloween, we felt it was a pagan holiday and as Christians we should have nothing to do with pagan celebrations.  Our children concurred, therefore we quit. “and a little child shall lead you”(Is 11:6)

Today, I am looking into the Scriptures that talk about not participating or joining in any way the ways of the pagans.  That said, I do not believe that it is right to throw out an error free thing that evil has used for a sign for itself.

  • God gave the rainbow to Noah as a promise. -error-free
  • Homosexuals have used the rainbow to declare their opposition to God’s design in Genesis.
  • do we throw out the rainbow?
  • The Bible says in Psalm 8 that creation declares the glory of God, God created the Evergreen – error-free
  • Christmas trees go back to the pagans,do we have to give the pagans the evergreen tree?
  • Doesn’t God teaches about eternal life with that?  Didn’t God create the evergreen tree first?

****but what to do with this passage in Jeremiah?

Jeremiah 10.2-4 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the people [are] vain: for [one] cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

I cannot get over the fact that this sounds like a Christmas tree.  But not an evergreen tree, growing in the forest. Man has taken what God meant for good and used it for evil.

  • I believe that Judaism is the foundation of Christianity.
  • I believe that God intended celebrations and therefore instituted them in the Jewish religion, as a remembrance His works before the eyes of his people.
  • I believe that God wants us to celebrate, and that the celebrations are meant to remind us of His activity in our lives.
  • I believe as Christians that we should participate in communion (the Lord’s supper) as a remembrance of what Christ did for us on the cross.
  • In that regard, awhy we don’t celebrate the feast of the Tabernacles as our Jewish brothers and sisters do but with the glorious knowledge that the foreshadowing as been fulfilled in Christ’s birth, God Tabernacle-ing with us.
  • why don’t we celebrate Passover, the great foreshadowing of our deliverance?

Do we throw away the Old Testament? is celebrating the biblical feasts really being bound by the law?  I don’t believe Jesus came to abolish the Old Testament but rather to fulfil it.  And if the same celebrations were good enough for Jesus, why not remembering Him in the celebrations that He fulfilled?

As the day nears for Christ’s return, I want to be sure that when He calls out my name I am not entangled with things of this life. I am 51. If God grants me the gift of 70 years I have 19 years left. (Ps 90:10) I have 19 years, 29 maybe, to give, to serve my Lord Jesus.  No man knows the day that Christ will call him home.(Luke 12:16) When He does call my name, what will He find me doing (Luke 18:8)? I have been convicted that while I believe there is room to have parties, to have fun, to laugh, to sing, yes, even to dance, I need to number my days (Ps 90:12), and to the best of my ability to all things to the glory of God (I Cor 10:31).

Since we are in October, and Sukkot and Halloween are upon us, I an going to post links for these two holidays, and let the reader decide.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
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100 spiritual walking steps – 26 – an inconvenient truth

~I apologize, before hand, for the inconsistencies in this post, as I am using a speech to text program, and have only one hand with which to type. please give me grace for the mistakes.

Isaiah 28.9-10
9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? [them that are] weaned from the milk, [and] drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little:

For many many years we have looked at this as the process for learning God’s will. Oddly, we had never paid attention to the context of Isaiah 28.
In verses 1-8, God condemns the pride of Ephraim. In the previous chapter, God condemns the iniquity of Jacob. Yet one chapter previous, in chapter 26, He called out those who are His people:

Isaiah 26.20-21 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

The very verse that we have chosen and understood for learning the ways of God and His path for our life is surrounded with the context of God destroying the wicked.

Isaiah 28.13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Really? Would a loving God send His word out to judge people?

Isaiah 55.11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it.

this sounds like a good thing

Hebrews 11.7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

how many of us teach our children that Noah’s Ark, that Noah’s life, that Noah’s faith condemned the world?

Barnes notes on the Bible,
He condemned the world – That is, the wicked world around him. The meaning is, that by his confidence in God, and his preparation for the flood, he showed the wisdom of his own course and the folly of theirs. We have the same phrase now in common use where one who sets a good example is said to “condemn others.” He shows the guilt and folly of their lives by the contrast between his conduct; and theirs. The wickedness of the sinner is condemned not only by preaching, and by the admonitions and threatenings of the Law of God, but by the conduct of every good man. The language of such a life is as plain a rebuke of the sinner as the most fearful denunciations of divine wrath.

The fault was not Noah’s, but those that chose otherwise:

Ez 33.5 They heard the sound of the horn but ignored its warning. So they are responsible for their own deaths. If they had taken the warning, they would have saved themselves.

so the danger in hearing the word and not obeying is this:

FALL BACKWARDS

Luke 9.62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Luke 17.32 Remember Lot’s wife!

what a set of warnings! And if that’s not enough, read James 1.6-8; 2Peter 2.20-22

BE BROKEN
by being in this curse, this is obviously not talking about a broken and contrite heart, as in:

Psalm 34.18 The LORD [is] nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Psalm 51.17 The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

this word broken is not attached to the word heart or spirit.

Matthew 21.44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

I have always understood Matt 21.44 to mean that if we fall upon the chief cornerstone we will have the broken and contrite heart that produces change. If we do not, that stone will fall upon us and “grind us to powder.” The Pharisees, whom Jesus was talking with, apparently felt the same way in the verses that followed.( Matt 21:45-46)

Isaiah said it this way, in a prior chapter:

Isaiah 8.13-15 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and [let] him [be] your fear, and [let] him [be] your dread.
14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

SNARED AND TAKEN
Strong words, scary results.
Moses taught to separate yourself from the ways of the world to not be snared by them.

Deuteronomy 7.25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold [that is] on them, nor take [it] unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it [is] an abomination to the LORD thy God.

Deuteronomy 12.30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, “How did these nations serve their gods?” even so will I do likewise.

Psalm 9.16The LORD is known [by] the judgment [which] he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.

Solomon warns us about being snared by our mouth:Proverbs 6.2; Proverbs 12.13

but the evidence of the greatest snare was Eve in the garden.

Genesis 2.17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

personally, I would like to point out verse 17 comes before verse 22, in which the woman was presented to Adam. I would love to believe that Eve if was just weaker, and therefore the whole responsibility for this great catastrophe falls on Adam. He was the one that got the word from the Lord!

But, and there is a huge but…. Her answer to the snake shows she was aware of the word of God.
Genesis 3.1-3

  1. Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
  2. And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
  3. But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 

Eve was aware of the word of God.
She stopped moving forward in her obedience, and fell backwards. There is no standing still in God’s walk.
She was snared by the very things that snare us all;

1John 2.16 For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

She was taken – not only in the definition of being taken, like tricked, but in the definition of being taken as an taken captive.

She knew the word.
She had walked with God.
She let go of the truth long enough to have it twisted by the father of lies.
She let down her guard. (she did not take advantage of the covering God gave her)
She was taken by the thought of fulfilling her pleasure rather than honoring her God.

Our lives are judged by the word of God.
Every person will stand before Him in judgment.
This is an inconvenient truth to those who choose not to walk in the path of righteousness.

Romans 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

The verses that follow in Romans 1 are quite sobering.
but what about those who have never heard?

Psalm 19
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 [There is] no speech nor language, [where] their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,

There it is!” their line…” God speaks His word through His creation even if the written word is not available. I’m not going to go into how creation declares the glory of God, but no one will stand before God and say “I did not know.” Christian apologetics has some pages about proving the existence of God.

Romans 1.16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

If anyone reading this does not know how to fall upon the chief cornerstone so that they will not be crushed and judged harshly, I have great news! THE loving God provided a way, an ark, a path for deliverance.
God, in his great mercy, Who provided the sacrifice for Adam and Eve, Who provided the plans for the ark for Noah and his family, has provided the Lamb to pay the price for our sins.

Here are a few places to go for more information on how to get right with Jesus:

Fit 4 Heaven?
God’s simple plan
God’s plan of salvation by Chick

My desire with this study is that we will all study to show ourselves approved.

2 Tim 2.15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

As for me, I need to move from milk to meat:

1 Corinthians 3.2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able [to bear it], neither yet now are ye able.

Why couldn’t Paul give them meat? they were still carnal(1 cor 3:3)

Hebrews 5.12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

I’m an older woman, mother of five, wife of 31 years, Christian of 42 years. By this time, I should be able to “eat strong meat”, and I am called by Scripture to teach younger women. Therefore, I have no business needing to go back to the first principles, but I should be walking in the meatier things of God. The first principles, of walking with God, should be habit, my first love should burn brightly and my life should be declaring the glory of God, just as Noah’s life judged the world.

Acknowledging and declaring God’s judgment against sin in the face of the “peace, peace” doctrine of today can make people angry. In the face of diversity and tolerance, and at the risk of being flagged as hate speech, I will declare that God hates sin, and if the sinner does not turn, judgment in the end, eternal hell will be their reward. Sadly, in our day, it is now illegal to preach God’s word against sins that can, that will, deliver people into eternal hell. In America, Christians no longer have free speech.

Romans 1.16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
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100 spiritual walking steps – 25 – at a crossroads

~I apologize, before hand,  for the inconsistencies in this post, as I am using a speech to text program, and have only one hand with which to type. please give me grace for the mistakes.

Have you ever been at a crossroad?
I mean, we’ve had big crossroads,

are we going to sin, or choose Jesus?

but I’m talking about more specific things to ourselves.

Like for me, I’m being convicted about what I put in the Temple of God.
Understand I’ve been convicted before, but this time it’s like I’m at a crossroads, before it was just stuff to work on while I was walking down the road headed towards being like Christ.

Now, it’s like there are some things that if I hold onto them I will have gone down the wrong road. None of them are “sin” in the eyes of most, or in many interpretations from the Bible. These are things specific to me, between me and my Savior, Jesus Christ.

I have several things at this point that God is holding up in front of me, and it’s like I can’t go forward with him unless I drop these things.

One is about headcoverings. this comes from first Corinthians 11
Another is wearing dresses. this comes from first Timothy 2
then there’s the food I eat.

1Cor 3:17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] ye are.

Actually, it’s all about how I treat the temple God.

These could be a legalistic issues, but for me it’s something the Lord is working in my heart for many years. What is the struggle? why do I have a problem? Am I…

  • sitting on the fence?
  • regretting my hand to the plow?
  • wondering how much is worth sacrificing?

I’ve heard the teachings that first Corinthians 11 is for the social issues of the day. well, specifically, first Corinthians 11….

I can’t even separate the verses about headcoverings without separating the verses about Christ being the head of the church,or man is the head of the woman, or God is the head of Christ. 1 cor 11…..can you?

what does this mean?

John 15.10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

OR

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

OR

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

I put my hand plow, I don’t want to turn back.
I’ve been sitting on the fence for way too long.
How much is worth sacrificing for the One who sacrificed His life for me?

can I give up everyday ice cream?
can I wear a scarf on my head?
can I wear dresses and skirts?
Is that too much to ask from someone who bought me with His blood?

I’ve done it before, and quit because it bothered others.  It didn’t line up with their interpretation of the Bible.  They felt my life, my practices, were judgments on them.

Is that really my problem?  No I don’t want to be a stone around the necks of those who have not studied the Scriptures enough to stand on their own.  But does that mean I compromise what God has put in my heart?  Or does it come down to the 10 virgins, and I’m giving up my oil to those that did not gather enough for themselves?

Like I said, I am at a crossroads with things the Lord has put on my heart, and my understanding of Scriptures.
My crossroads is this,

are you going to obey what I have shown you?
yes or no?

the bottom line is, am I going to say yes Lord, and trust others to Him?
Oh yeah, one question I’ve been asked by those who I have shared this struggle with is, what does Jim say?
Jim likes me wearing headcoverings
Jim likes me wearing dresses
Jim would like me to eat healthy

So then, the other crossroads, am I willing to give up”fitting in” to please my husband, and obey my God?

As I write this out, I’m shaking my head. By God’s grace, I will walk out my specific commandments with courage, with grace, with peace and with out condemnation or fear of what others might think.

and today, on Facebook, from my friend Pam Dodson, I read this quote

“When you are arguing against Him you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all.” C.S. Lewis

there’s really nothing else to say.

 
Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
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Help a child in need. Check out Naomi’s Heart Mission or Compassion International. The life that changes will be your own!
 

Battle Plan for Comparison Blues, part 3

Battle Plan
An Antidote for Post Conference Blues or any Comparison Blues!

Every time I go to a conference, I come back with Post conference blues. I am so quick to compare myself and my children and my efforts with everyone else, and to take the talks terribly personally, that I am overwhelmed with my conviction, and am tempted to give up.

This year I recognized it a bit before going…with the issue of dress, and looks, and expected appearance. After we arrived at home, the blues hit again, and this time, I cried out.

Here is the antidote that God gave me: part 3

After I got quiet, and confessed my sins, asking God to tear down all those strongholds, He started to build towers of truth with the past piles of scriptures. As I settled down, He took me back to Ephesians 6:

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

He has an armor for me….I just have to take it up….I’m not even sure I have to put it on…just to accept that he has it for me, and through HIM, I can withstand the evil day, and another version says:

Ephe 6:13 (DBY) and, having accomplished all things, to stand.

If I take up His armor (might look like a cross!), through Him, I can accomplish all things! AND stand! Reminds me of walk and not be weary, run and not faint. The Blessed man of Ps 1 chose where to walk, stand and sit…and God promises to enable me to stand, walk and run! IF I take up His armor, or His cross…and follow Him.

Psal 18:31 (KJS) For who [is] God save the LORD? or who [is] a rock save our God?
32 [It is] God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ [feet], and setteth me upon my high places.

Youngs’ Literal Translation says:

Psal 18:33 (YLT) Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand.

So, now that He has me standing, ready to tear down high places and strongholds, then he prepares me for battle!

Ps 18:34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

(Now that’s more strength than I really have!!)

Here’s the battle plan:

Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with TRUTH,

While I wasn’t leaning on the truth, I was subject to all types of lies.

Phil 4:8 (YLT) As to the rest, brethren, as many things as are true,

This is the FIRST thing to be meditating on! And I was allowing myself to listen to lies, to compare myself with others, and I was falling.

Ps 18:39 says: For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

This is the truth! And it is a truth that brings strength. Where there is weakness, He can be strong, if I let Him! If I don’t wallow in the weakness, but rejoice!

2Cor 12:9 (KJS) And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

So, surround myself with His truth…that’s building towers of truth! Truth that specifically attacks the lies that the enemy is shooting at me. Jesus is truth….The Truth, so I just need to abide in Him (oops, that’s another message! 😉

Next step:

Eph 6:14 b and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

I even could check my thought life against the breastplate!

Phil 4:8… whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.

I had not kept my thought life set on God, and I had believed lies. Therefore I had worried, taken thought (wrongly) and I was not in faith.  Hebr 11:6 (KJS) But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: and Roma 14:23 (KJS)… for whatsoever [is] not of faith is sin.

I had to confess my sins to God, for not believing in Him, and ask Him to ” Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me . ” Psal 51:10 (KJS) and to
” Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart : and I will glorify thy name for evermore.” Psal 86:11-12

I needed God to heal my heart (under the breastplate) and cause me to be right with Him again!

The third step is:

Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

I needed to be prepared with peace! Phil 4:7 is a precious gift…peace that passes understanding!
By resting in Him, trusting in His promises, He also promises:

Ps 18:36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

All the promises come flooding back. He promises to

  • lead me,
  • guide me,
  • make my way perfect,
  • be a lamp unto my feet and
  • a light unto my path,
  • hearing a voice behind me saying this is the way walk ye in it, and especially
  •  Ps 23…His rod and His staff they comfort me as he leads me all through the beautiful places, the dark and scary places, on into the banqueting table in the presence of mine enemies!

What a comfort to rest in His hand…

“’tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word, just to rest upon his promise, just to know ‘thus saith the Lord'”

Now, I’m resting, and he’s strengthened me with all his truth, healed and united my heart, and filled me with peace. I have to tell you about the next step in part four!

PART FOUR

BACK TO PART ONE
BACK TO PART TWO

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or ‘like’ me! Or follow me with the RSS feed.

Barbs Drawing

Naomi's Heart Mission

Help a child in need. Check out Naomi’s Heart Mission or Compassion International. The life that changes will be your own!

there are giants in my land – part three

~It would seem that part three should be the third giant, but it’s only the second. I explained the giants in number one, and discussed the giant of fear in number two.

The second giant that has overshadowed my life is the giant of depression.

Many people think that the opposite of depression is happiness. Happiness is based on what happens around you, and joy is based on your Jesus relationship.

There is a simple circle that brings this truth to life.
Jesus came that we may have joy

John 15.11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and [that] your joy might be full.

In the presence of the Lord there is fullness of joy

Psalm 16.11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence [is] fulness of joy; at thy right hand [there are] pleasures for evermore.

The joy of the Lord is our strength

Neh 8.10 : for [this] day [is] holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

We can do all things Christ Jesus who strengthens us…

Phil 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

…Because Jesus came that we might have joy

John 16.24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

So the bottom line is, if I’m depressed, where my dwelling?

Several years ago I wrote a post called “The Oil of Joy”, and that was the beginning of my battle with the giant of depression. The giant of depression had been around for quite a while, but this is when I started to learn how to battle. Here it is.

Joy is a choice. This is what God was telling me.

With my past experience with abuse, which plunged me into deep depression, medically declared not recoverable, as well as a mother with Bi-Polar/Manic-Depressive, and a daughter diagnosed as the same, as well as suicides running through the family spirit….Joy has been an elusive concept at times. I don’t take joy for granted. I respect the warning signs of depression.

It’s a choice? None of the above was a choice!
What choice do I have?

Psal 16:6 (KJS) The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant [places]; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the LORD always before me: because [he is] at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence [is] fulness of joy; at thy right hand [there are] pleasures for evermore.

I can choose to trust in the Lord, look at what He has done for me, seek His counsel, hearken to His words, bless Him, set Him before me, and to stay in His presence, at His right hand.

Isai 61:3 (KJS) To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

I can choose to go to Him. He is glorified when I allow him to give me the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise of the spirit of heaviness…He wants to have the glory of being my joy! He knows that I am mourning, and has prepared a solution for it…before I was even conceived!

Hebr 12:12 (KJS) Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

My hands hang down when I am discouraged, my knees are feeble when I am afraid…..and then Lord says:

Nehe 8:10 (KJS) Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for [this] day [is] holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

He is my strength! If I let Him be my joy…then I will be strong..in Him!

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

He can calm my mind…when I am depressed, I do not have a sound mind…I am fearing…and that is not of Him! If I ask, He will give me the mind of Christ…and renew my mind. (Phil 2:5, Rom 12:2) He tells me to

1Pet 1:13 (KJS) Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Last week, I was overcome with discouragement…when all in the house were sick or not up to par, and the plan wasn’t working, and there was so much to do. I had finally, taken a walk with the Lord…and had started to pull out of the dumps…but even the work of Saturday, the hugeness of it, without really even touching what I needed to get done for school brought me to my knees in tears. I went to my prayer closet (bathroom) and cried. Where is the joy? And He gently reminded me that joy is a choice…a choice of where I spend my time, where I place my heart, where I walk, and with whom I talk. In HIS presence is fullness of joy! I had been too busy doing what I thought He wanted me to do, that I hadn’t been with Him.

When I was marching around the house, thinking on the sins that were attacking our family, I had great joy…..from the presence of the King.

My prayer is(Acts 17:27-28) That in Him I would live, and move and have my being. That I would walk after the Spirit (Rom 8), (Gal 5:16-25) and live in the spirit-

Gala 5:25 (KJS) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

This is part of the Big Plan that God has for my family…

Jude 1:24 (KJS) Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, [be] glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

it was some time after this post that I changed my signature Bible verse to Psalm 63.7

Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I learned that if I abide in the secret place of the most high and dwell under the shadow of the Almighty(Ps 91), nothing can keep me from singing.

I have written about the power of music to quiet demons in one’s head.

David played for Saul to quiet his demons. 1 Sam 16.23

God inhabits the praises of his people.  Psalm 22.3

Psalm 100 gives step-by-step how to abide in the Lord and in his joy with singing.

  1. A psalm. For giving thanks. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
  2. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
  3. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
  4. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
  5. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!

Or follow me with the RSS feed.

Barbs Drawing

Naomi's Heart Mission

 

Help a child in need. Check out Naomi’s Heart Mission or Compassion International. The life that changes will be your own!