Sunday, September 26, 2010

Freedom

I was studying the Bible this morning and was once again blessed by Colossians 3:3, "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." When I accepted Christ as my Saviour, the old, dead self was taken away, and I became a new and living soul and spirit in Christ. I don't understand how it all happens, I just know that it did. Before Christ, I was religious and rebellious. I felt dead inside. However, when I finally understood what Jesus did for me on the cross, I was convicted of the fact that I was going to Hell unless I called upon the name of the LORD. As soon as I did, it was as if the old me was taken away and a new me came. I admit that I have sinned greatly many times since that day, but I feel horrible when I do. That never happened before Christ. Back then, I simply didn't care what I did.
Today, as I was looking at my 2004 journal once again, I found an entry that I thought I should share. It is from 3-30-04, "For the last couple of days, I have been reading my journals from 1992 & 1993. That was when we started getting "entangled" with ATI and their "law" beliefs. I'm sure that they are sincere in their motives and beliefs. However, I also believe they are wrong. We are not justified by the "law"; we are set free from it and justified by the Lord, Jesus Christ. Because of that, we are then free from the power of sin to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, we are to live a life that is pleasing to God, especially in accordance to Paul's epistles. Not to be "approved", but because we love and fear the Father...out of obedience.
I am thankful for the things we learned in ATI, but I am even more thankful that we were set free from the "bondage". It is such a joyful and peaceful feeling to know that I am accepted and justified fully in Christ. There is nothing that I can do to make myself more holy in God's sight.
Daily, yea, hourly, yea, every moment, I have the choice of Whom I serve and why. Whether it be Christ or sin. I try to always choose Christ and yield my members as instruments of righteousness unto holiness.
This freedom has brought more peace and unity to our family. We realize that we will each stand alone before our God. The Holy Spirit indwells and works His way within us individually according to the will of God; not according to my will. Am I still burdened and grieved over sin? Of course! Do I wish that we were more spiritual? Yes! I know that there is room for improvement, but that is not my responsibility to anyone but myself. And that is why I am trying to apply God's Word to my life as the Holy Spirit leads and empowers me."

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Sandwich living

One of my favorite sandwiches is one that I get from a local restaurant. It is toasty warm filled with grilled chicken breast meat, sprinkled with crisp bacon, and topped with melted cheese. I don't have it very often because of my choice to eat right. But when I do have it, I know that I am in for a messy meal because the sandwich also has a creamy garlic sauce spread on it. Once everything gets all melted together, it becomes a gooey, yummy, slippery mass inside the bun. The only way that I can eat it and not wear it, is to smash the bread together making sure that the seam of the roll is facing down and take my bites from the side. It only took me three times eating this type of sandwich to realize how to do it the right way.
Well, right now, at this time in my life, I am the filling inside that sandwich and if I do not stay inside of the bun, I am going to ooze out all over the place. I am squeezed on top by the stress of dealing with my daughter. I am squeezed on bottom by the stress of dealing with my mother. And I am melted together with the stress of my fibromyalgia. So, what is keeping this sandwich life from falling apart? It is the strong hands of the LORD. If I just stay right where I belong, I am safe from falling all over the floor. Thank God for His strength....and for those yummy sandwiches.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Applying God's Word

One of my most favorite things to do is to read. I especially love to read my journals. This post is about another one of the entries from my 2004 journal. It is sad to read it this time because the lesson that I should have learned back then has still not been fully learned as of today. However, the LORD is so gracious and long suffering. He still wants me to learn this lesson, and so, He has given me another opportunity to do that. I shall try to do much better this time.
So, here is the journal page from March 22, 2004,
"For the past 28 years, I have been reading and studying my Bible. I feel "dirty" if I don't read it every day. But the Holy Spirit is really working one me...that I should be doing more than just reading or studying the Book. I need to do more applying of God's Word. Reading is no more than a form of entertainment. I do that all the time. Studying is just a way of learning and understanding. Like what I did in college. But applying...that's where true wisdom comes in and Godly changes occur. My head is full of knowledge and understanding. There is even some wisdom in there. But it is all vain if it isn't applied. Such as "love your neighbor as yourself." I do like them, but I don't love them as I should. Or "greet the brethren." I barely even greet those that I know and am close to. Hmmm! Well, after 28 years, it is time to apply the Word of God. Not just read it and think that's enough."
So many of us wonder "what is the will of God for my life?" Well, Jesus said that if we love him we would keep his commandments. What are his commandments? That we would love the LORD with all our heart and soul and mind and strength. And to love our neighbor as ourself. It isn't reading the Bible nor understanding the Bible, it is applying the Bible by doing what it says. And that doesn't mean that we just do it in our own power, but that we do it because we love the LORD and want to do his will.
Those of you who read this blog, will you please pray for me to do God's will and apply His Word? And that I would start now and not wait? Thanks!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Bible Wives Who Had to "Put-Up"

I can't believe that it was over six years ago that I wrote in my journal about Bible wives who had to "put-up". I had been thinking about being a christian wife and about the fact that so many christian wives do not "put-up". Instead, they leave. I couldn't help but wonder that if they had put-up and kept up an attitude of gratitude if God wouldn't have blessed them. I do admit though, that I have been tremendously blessed to be married to the greatest man in the whole world. But there have been times when I wasn't so grateful for him and did not have a godly attitude about it. Of course there were times when he drove me crazy, but there have been even more times when I am sure that I drove him crazy. However, we decided years ago that we would dedicate our lives to one another and to the LORD. It was a very stressful time in our lives back then and my depression was almost beyond belief. We took our daughter, Rebekah, who was terrified by what was happening to her mom and dad, and with her we made commitments to each other that we would never leave. That we would stay a family until God took us home to Heaven.
So, I thought that I would share this journal entry from February of 2004 (and add some additional comments):
"Sarah= she had to put-up with Hagar and the other concubines that her husband had. She messed up by giving her hand-maid, Hagar, to her husband, but later she admits her sin to Abraham. God then blessed her with the promised son, Isaac, who would become one of the fathers of the nation of Israel.
Hanna = she had to put-up with Penuel (her husband's second wife) who was able to have children by their husband. Penuel and her children were rude to Rachel and would make fun of for not having any children. Hannah maintained an attitude of submission and trust in the LORD. She made a promise to God and she kept it when God blessed her with a son. That son was Samuel, one of the greatest men in the Bible.
Rachel = she had to put-up with her dad's deception and with her older sister. Both of them tricked Rachel's intended on the day that should have been her marriage. So, instead of Rachel being wedded to Jacob, Leah was married first. Rachel had to wait her turn and from then on we see her in constant competition with her sister to see who would win the favor of their husband. I never do see Rachel change her attitude and I think because of that, we don't see the promised Messiah coming through her lineage, instead we see that Jesus comes from the tribe of Judah, one of Leah's many sons.
Michael = who loved David, was the first wife to marry him. She had to put-up with him abandoning her when David had to flee from her father, King Saul. However, I believe that she would have gone with David and would have been well protected. But she had to put-up with being left behind for many years. She had to put-up with being married to another man. She had to put-up with not being able to bear any children of her own. She had to put-up with David returning to Israel with a few more wives and their children. She had to put-up with being taken from her new husband to live with David and his other wives. Then she had to put-up with his behavior that she found offensive. Her attitude became very bitter towards her husband and because of it she became cursed and basically had to put-up with living the rest of her life as a "widow". And I think the worst of all, she had to put-up with the death of all the children she had raised for her sister who had died years earlier.
Abigail = she had to put-up with being married to the foolish Nabal and then becoming one of David's many wives. She had a humble attitude and because of it, her life was spared and she was able to have a son with her new husband, David.
Esther = first she had to put-up with the death of her parents when Assyria came to and basically destroyed Jerusalem. She not only lost her parents, but she lost her home. She later had to put-up with being entered into a "beauty contest" that would chose the next queen for the king of the country that had invaded Jerusalem in the first place. She always had a submissive and trusting attitude towards her older cousin who had raised her after the death of her parents. Because of that, God blessed her and allowed her to "win the beauty contest". History tells us that he wasn't the best dude in the world, so she had to put-up with being married to "the enemy" and to only see him when he requested her presence. God blessed her and used her to save her people (Jews) from another plot to have them destroyed."
I'm sure that we can think of other wives in the Bible who had to "put-up" with less than desirable situations. Most of them did it with godly attitudes and were then blessed because of it. I think that we christian wives could take encouragement from these women.