Matthew 18:19; Mark 11:24; Hebrews 10:25
The Scriptures ask us to gather together for fellowship, prayer, encouragement. We are asked to visit those in prison, those sick, those discouraged. We as Christian brothers and sisters are a family, a family that lifts, prays, encourages and stands by each other.
We are more and more fractured in our world. America has changed much over the years. Many of us use to live in the country and never even locked our doors. People who visited knew to knock. When that knock at the door came we looked forward to who may be on the other side. Those who lived in the city never had fenced yards. Neighbors waved, said hello and felt as if they belonged to a community, a family. Today we lock our doors, tell our children to not open or answer the door, to run from strangers. We fence our yards and look suspiciously at one who says hello. Is it warranted? Most definitely. The world has become dangerous.
However there is a community, a family called the family of God. We are asked to be open to another child of God, to pray, to encourage, to fellowship, to visit and to become one with each other in Christ. Now, granted, we are not to be foolish. We need to use wisdom. Not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' belongs to Christ. We can tell who they are by their fruits. What fruits? Those listed in Galatians 5. It is not what a person does that proves their validity. Christ proves their validity as His Spirit within them identifies with His Spirit within us. Do not be foolish. If there is doubt in your heart about anything then don't. God is more than capable of leading us in truth.
Today I was reminded of the support found in this family. Where two or more are gathered in my name I am there. If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my father . If anyone among you is sick call for the anointing of oil and prayer. Why do we forget these advantages of the family?
My children and myself contracted a virus about 2 months ago. It has not left and is causing endless infections that need to be eliminated. We need the prayers of faithful family members, prayers where two or more agree for our healing so that we may receive health. So today I ask this of you. I will also ask this of two or more who live close by who can join hands in agreemet with me. Thank you.
Thank you Lord for your family, for your love, for your healing.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Purple Cloth
I wrote a fiction book called Faded Purple. It was an allegory and it turned out to be harder than I expected because I am a straight shooter. I like to lay the truth out as plain and open as possible. So the allegory, which talked through symbolism, became difficult often. I wrote this story in allegory form because I wanted to hide the identities of those who became characters in this story even though no one character points to a specific individual. In fact each character in the story is a combination of several people but they all had the same problem. Confusion about their identity, a confusion that caused them to stumble through life, led them into much trouble until they encountered truth about who they really were by understanding their relationship to Abba.
A problem with identity seems to be a common dysfunction amongst believers. I have struggled with it also. We cannot seem to grasp a healthy view of who we are, where we are going and why we are here. In Faded Purple each believer is given purple cloth and this cloth represents their connection to Abba. When they sin or fall short of expectations they see the cloth fade, but in reality the cloth never fades. They, due to feelings of guilt, failure, pride or the words of others, lose sight of their identity. Once Abba gets their attention, He leads them into the truth of His relationship with Him and they overcome.
Christ, of course, is our Abba. He places on us Robes of Righteousness (purple cloth). Since this is His righteousness given freely to us, a righteousness that we did not create, maintain, or even deserve, a righteousness that He puts on us, a righteousness we can not lose or tarnish or ruin, it is ours forever regardless. It is part of the gift, it is part of grace, it is part of salvation. Read Romans. Much time is devoted to this righteousness, where it comes from, why we have it and how it is imparted to us.
I am convinced that the enemy of our soul takes each child of God aside often and tries to convince them they fall short of the glory of God, that they are disqualified and can never be acceptable in God's sight because of sins, or background, or thoughts or... you name it.
When this evil goal to steal our identity is put in place, and a believer buys into the lie, they live like a failure.
My goal this morning is to point to the victory Christ's blood bought for you and me. Part of the armor is the breastplate of righteousness. Know it is part of the gift, part of your salvation and you wear robes of righteousness (purple cloth).
2 Cor. 10:4-5; Eph. 6:13-17; Romans
A problem with identity seems to be a common dysfunction amongst believers. I have struggled with it also. We cannot seem to grasp a healthy view of who we are, where we are going and why we are here. In Faded Purple each believer is given purple cloth and this cloth represents their connection to Abba. When they sin or fall short of expectations they see the cloth fade, but in reality the cloth never fades. They, due to feelings of guilt, failure, pride or the words of others, lose sight of their identity. Once Abba gets their attention, He leads them into the truth of His relationship with Him and they overcome.
Christ, of course, is our Abba. He places on us Robes of Righteousness (purple cloth). Since this is His righteousness given freely to us, a righteousness that we did not create, maintain, or even deserve, a righteousness that He puts on us, a righteousness we can not lose or tarnish or ruin, it is ours forever regardless. It is part of the gift, it is part of grace, it is part of salvation. Read Romans. Much time is devoted to this righteousness, where it comes from, why we have it and how it is imparted to us.
I am convinced that the enemy of our soul takes each child of God aside often and tries to convince them they fall short of the glory of God, that they are disqualified and can never be acceptable in God's sight because of sins, or background, or thoughts or... you name it.
When this evil goal to steal our identity is put in place, and a believer buys into the lie, they live like a failure.
My goal this morning is to point to the victory Christ's blood bought for you and me. Part of the armor is the breastplate of righteousness. Know it is part of the gift, part of your salvation and you wear robes of righteousness (purple cloth).
2 Cor. 10:4-5; Eph. 6:13-17; Romans
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Our King
Due to a new awareness of the next generation, our family line and what we will leave behind as an influence, my husband and I decided to go through our old video's and eliminate any unhealthy films. As we watched some of those 'harmless' films, we were surprised at the messages, the language, the sexual connotation's, and the violence displayed. What we accepted in those early days as okay is not okay with us today. And those films from the 1960's through 2000 are nothing compared to what is recorded now. The verse in Psalms that says please deliver me from the sins of my youth popped into my mind often while watching these films.
To be honest, the media, the film industry, the magazines and the advertisements all seem designed to destroy heart, home, morality reality, trust, faith and anything else we value. We are told often in scripture that the battlefield is in the mind. It seems obvious to me that an evil mastermind is out there pouring these perverse thoughts through us in the form of entertainment and we pay to receive them.
Anyway, this week on cable, Turner Classics had the 1930's King Kong. Now 1930 sounds far enough back to be okay...right? Wrong. The sexual tone and violence in this film surprised me. How did it ever get past the sensors of that day? Now King Kong is not a film I enjoy anyway. It's just plain cruel. But we wanted to compare it with the King Kong of today. I had not seen the new one and many said the relationship with Kong was more of a friendship than a girl friend thing. Don't bother. The new one is filled with horrid, graphic violence; though the sexual thing was toned down.
There was one redeeming quality of the film for me. She was rescued by King King often. He was caring, loving and kind to her. She ran to him and found shelter, protection and provision. He was bigger than life... a King. I found a parallel to God's love for us in this picture. In one scene she slept in the palm of his hand, a huge hand that received and held her gently. I thought of the verses that tell us of God's guiding hand. His references to how we reside in the palm of His hand, how we are grafted to His hand. He is our King and He is bigger than life. He is the one who guides, protects, shelters, cares, loves and provides for us. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Isiah 51:16; Jer.18:6; Phil 4:8
To be honest, the media, the film industry, the magazines and the advertisements all seem designed to destroy heart, home, morality reality, trust, faith and anything else we value. We are told often in scripture that the battlefield is in the mind. It seems obvious to me that an evil mastermind is out there pouring these perverse thoughts through us in the form of entertainment and we pay to receive them.
Anyway, this week on cable, Turner Classics had the 1930's King Kong. Now 1930 sounds far enough back to be okay...right? Wrong. The sexual tone and violence in this film surprised me. How did it ever get past the sensors of that day? Now King Kong is not a film I enjoy anyway. It's just plain cruel. But we wanted to compare it with the King Kong of today. I had not seen the new one and many said the relationship with Kong was more of a friendship than a girl friend thing. Don't bother. The new one is filled with horrid, graphic violence; though the sexual thing was toned down.
There was one redeeming quality of the film for me. She was rescued by King King often. He was caring, loving and kind to her. She ran to him and found shelter, protection and provision. He was bigger than life... a King. I found a parallel to God's love for us in this picture. In one scene she slept in the palm of his hand, a huge hand that received and held her gently. I thought of the verses that tell us of God's guiding hand. His references to how we reside in the palm of His hand, how we are grafted to His hand. He is our King and He is bigger than life. He is the one who guides, protects, shelters, cares, loves and provides for us. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Isiah 51:16; Jer.18:6; Phil 4:8
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Repentance
2Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting any one to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Have you ever wondered if you're save? Have you worried about your eternal security or said to yourself... will I go to heaven when I die. Is salvation real and do I qualify?
If so, you are not alone. Everybody questions this at some point in their Christian experience. Well... maybe not everyone. Some people, raised in Christianity, have studied and know the scripture enough that they recognize salvation when they see it in themselves. I however am not one of those. I was raised in an atheist home where Christianity was not practiced. There have been times, often, when I wondered if I qualified.
Times and reasons I've doubted my salvation:
Here are a few facts about salvation where all Christian Church's come into agreement. (These are just a few examples not and exhausted list)
Jesus died for the sins of the all. 1John 2 :1-2; 1Peter 3:18
God wants every one to come to repentance. 2Peter 3:9; John 3:16
He who has the Son has eternal life. 1John 5:11-13
Salvation comes as a gift through grace. Romans 11:6
So relax. If you have ever had a moment with God, a time when you acknowledge sin, repented and asked Him into your life..... You are save. For NO ONE can come to this moment without God. He needs to soften your heart before this experience takes place. He causes this experience to take place. We do not have the ability to come to Him on our own. Get it? If this moment has taken place in your life, it took place because He caused it to take place.
Your salvation, your moment of repentance will differ from others because we are unique individuals. Some people experience great emotion. Others, in a matter of fact way, do not. Some experience an obvious supernatural moment others feel and see nothing. Experience is not where the truth is found. Scripture coupled with your individual experience is where truth is found.
If God has touched your life, and repentance(change of heart, turning around, changed life, new desires based on Christ) has taken place, you have eternal life and you will go to Heaven to be with God through all eternity when this life is over.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting any one to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Have you ever wondered if you're save? Have you worried about your eternal security or said to yourself... will I go to heaven when I die. Is salvation real and do I qualify?
If so, you are not alone. Everybody questions this at some point in their Christian experience. Well... maybe not everyone. Some people, raised in Christianity, have studied and know the scripture enough that they recognize salvation when they see it in themselves. I however am not one of those. I was raised in an atheist home where Christianity was not practiced. There have been times, often, when I wondered if I qualified.
Times and reasons I've doubted my salvation:
- When a great evangelist speaks and points out sins I've committed since salvation.
- When I deliberately sin ( By the way, all sin is deliberate. We do not fall into sin by accident. We choose to sin and everyone sins after salvation.)
- When someone, who seems to know scripture better than I do, indicates that I'm wrong about the salvation doctrine.
- When I've wondered if God's Spirit drew me to repentance.
- When I question things like... did I really trust God, did I say the words right, was my heart in the right place, was it just an emotional experience of the soul, maybe I'm not someone God wants.
Here are a few facts about salvation where all Christian Church's come into agreement. (These are just a few examples not and exhausted list)
Jesus died for the sins of the all. 1John 2 :1-2; 1Peter 3:18
God wants every one to come to repentance. 2Peter 3:9; John 3:16
He who has the Son has eternal life. 1John 5:11-13
Salvation comes as a gift through grace. Romans 11:6
So relax. If you have ever had a moment with God, a time when you acknowledge sin, repented and asked Him into your life..... You are save. For NO ONE can come to this moment without God. He needs to soften your heart before this experience takes place. He causes this experience to take place. We do not have the ability to come to Him on our own. Get it? If this moment has taken place in your life, it took place because He caused it to take place.
Your salvation, your moment of repentance will differ from others because we are unique individuals. Some people experience great emotion. Others, in a matter of fact way, do not. Some experience an obvious supernatural moment others feel and see nothing. Experience is not where the truth is found. Scripture coupled with your individual experience is where truth is found.
If God has touched your life, and repentance(change of heart, turning around, changed life, new desires based on Christ) has taken place, you have eternal life and you will go to Heaven to be with God through all eternity when this life is over.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Salt
Mark 9:50 Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace.
Jesus, in this verse, encourages us to be like salt. What is salt like? It adds taste. It preserves. It attracts us to water. If we are like salt then we will attract others to Him. They become thirsty for Him like one who is thirsty for water. He not only adds taste to life and preserves life, He meets the deepest need inside us all. The need to be loved, valued and accepted, the need to be whole, the need to be forgiven. He completes us. We, as salt, point others to the only one who can meet these needs.
It's a set up. We are not an accident of nature. The big bang theory is not true. We are created beings, created to need Him. He left a space inside that only He can fill and until we invite Him into our lives we will never 'find it'. Find What? Why we are here, where we are going.. the meaning to life. Saltiness helps us and others find meaning to life because it's found in Him.
I'm talking about a life style that results from a personal relationship with Christ, a relationship so filled with Him and His ways that saltiness comes natural because He is free to live His life through us. Here are a few verses that talk about saltiness and what it looks like in our lives.
I Cor.13. .....The love chapter.
Galatians 5:22-23 .....Fruit of the Spirit
Philippians 4:8.......Where we place our minds
James 3...........attributes of Him
Salt causes us to be like Him. It causes us to be at peace with ourselves, with others and with God. When we recognize saltiness in another committed to Jesus, strife is resolved, peace is restored and our common bond becomes stronger.
Everyone searches for the Living Water found in Christ. Salt increases the thirst.
Jesus, in this verse, encourages us to be like salt. What is salt like? It adds taste. It preserves. It attracts us to water. If we are like salt then we will attract others to Him. They become thirsty for Him like one who is thirsty for water. He not only adds taste to life and preserves life, He meets the deepest need inside us all. The need to be loved, valued and accepted, the need to be whole, the need to be forgiven. He completes us. We, as salt, point others to the only one who can meet these needs.
It's a set up. We are not an accident of nature. The big bang theory is not true. We are created beings, created to need Him. He left a space inside that only He can fill and until we invite Him into our lives we will never 'find it'. Find What? Why we are here, where we are going.. the meaning to life. Saltiness helps us and others find meaning to life because it's found in Him.
I'm talking about a life style that results from a personal relationship with Christ, a relationship so filled with Him and His ways that saltiness comes natural because He is free to live His life through us. Here are a few verses that talk about saltiness and what it looks like in our lives.
I Cor.13. .....The love chapter.
Galatians 5:22-23 .....Fruit of the Spirit
Philippians 4:8.......Where we place our minds
James 3...........attributes of Him
Salt causes us to be like Him. It causes us to be at peace with ourselves, with others and with God. When we recognize saltiness in another committed to Jesus, strife is resolved, peace is restored and our common bond becomes stronger.
Everyone searches for the Living Water found in Christ. Salt increases the thirst.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Wisdom
We are urged often to use wisdom and to glean this wisdom from God. Often we are warned not to use the wisdom of man or seek wisdom from the world, that God offers this wisdom to us freely if we ask.
So, what is wisdom? To my understanding, wisdom is to do, think and act the right way when the demands of reality are in our face. What is the right way of doing things? Usually, most of us know the right thing to do in a given situation. However now that the world communicates as one large city and different cultures rub along side each other, we get confused as to what is right. In Afghanistan it use to be impolite to eat and not burp. In our western culture it is rude to eat and burp. Thus we see how doing the right thing can be confusing.
Christianity, however, is very clear on doing things God's way. The Scriptures point out the right direction to us clearly and calls this wisdom. Proverbs 1:20-33 warns against rejecting this wisdom. James 1:5 urges us to come to God and ask for this wisdom. 1 Cor. 12 lists the manifestations of the Spirit of God, one of them is the Word of Wisdom and the Word of God is filled with wisdom.
As I said earlier, if we do not use wisdom, or reject it, or look away, we reap the result. Today I write to you as I do myself this warning. Use wisdom when the demands of reality are in our face, or we may find ourselves reaping calamity, disaster, distress and trouble needlessly as we eat the fruits of our ways and are filled with the fruit of our schemes.
If we listen to wisdom we will live in safety, be at ease and fear no harm for we will be in God's Grace.
So, what is wisdom? To my understanding, wisdom is to do, think and act the right way when the demands of reality are in our face. What is the right way of doing things? Usually, most of us know the right thing to do in a given situation. However now that the world communicates as one large city and different cultures rub along side each other, we get confused as to what is right. In Afghanistan it use to be impolite to eat and not burp. In our western culture it is rude to eat and burp. Thus we see how doing the right thing can be confusing.
Christianity, however, is very clear on doing things God's way. The Scriptures point out the right direction to us clearly and calls this wisdom. Proverbs 1:20-33 warns against rejecting this wisdom. James 1:5 urges us to come to God and ask for this wisdom. 1 Cor. 12 lists the manifestations of the Spirit of God, one of them is the Word of Wisdom and the Word of God is filled with wisdom.
As I said earlier, if we do not use wisdom, or reject it, or look away, we reap the result. Today I write to you as I do myself this warning. Use wisdom when the demands of reality are in our face, or we may find ourselves reaping calamity, disaster, distress and trouble needlessly as we eat the fruits of our ways and are filled with the fruit of our schemes.
If we listen to wisdom we will live in safety, be at ease and fear no harm for we will be in God's Grace.
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