Sheep, children, servant, bride these are submissive roles. We are free from sin, but we were bought by God!
In the town square there stand a group of slaves. Bound by chains one to another. Their faces are dirty, clothes are torn, skin is scarred and burned. These slaves are weary from days of walking. They are here to be sold, to enter yet another life of labor. Their eyes are hopeless, their hearts are weary, if only there was a future of freedom for them. The bidding begins, snaggle-toothed men shout from the crowd holding up their bags of money. Their plans for these slaves are unkind, they are cruel, they are careless. The slaves for sale look even more depressed than before, a tear falls down the cheek of an elderly man, surely he wasn't born for this life. A little boy tugs on his father sleeve, "Daddy, where are we going?" The father looks down at his son with a weak smile. He is unsure. As the crowd roars their bids and reason negotiations among one another, the auctioneers struggles to maintain control over the exchange.
Suddenly, a gasp from the back of the crowd. A man walks confidently through mob, evoking silence from on lookers as he passes. He is smiling and carrying a pure and perfect white lamb. As he approaches the sales floor, He lays at the feet of the auctioneer the white lamb. The lamb raises his head and looks up at the master, he bleats a small noise, and gently lays his head back down. The man addresses the auctioneer, the crowd and the slaves: "I'll take them all." As soon as this phrase leaves his lips, the auctioneers declares "SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER!" With this, the lamb is slain before the crowd. A perfect price has been paid for these slaves.
The chains on the hands, feet and necks of the slaves begin to crack. The slaves look back and forth at one another in disbelief as the chains crumble and fall to the ground. A hesitant silence from the slaves as they come eye to eye with their new master. How could a lamb be payment enough for all of us? They have a lot to learn from their new master. Gradually, relief washes over each one like a wave, the eyes of this new master are kind. He opens his arms, smiles a toothy grin and says "Who's ready to go home?" The slaves look one to another and begin to cracks smiles, they can trust this master. His countenance makes them feel safe. The crowd parts as the slaves young and old follow their new master to His kingdom.
You see, when we accept Jesus as our Savior and God as our Father, we are free from a life of sin. Sin is a hateful, hopeless and cruel slave driver. We now belong to God, He paid for our pardon with the blood of Jesus Christ His Son. We are not free to do whatever we would like. We are free to serve a worthy Master. We are free to love and be loved by our Lord who has a plan for each of us. Some of us are sent back to that sales floor to introduce others to our Great Master, some of us teach the way of the Master to others.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 7:22-23 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. We are servants of GOD.
YOU ARE NOT FREE TO GO YOUR OWN WAY. You can choose to leave and go home with that loving God and Master, or you can choose to wander around on the sales floor and be sold to sin after sin.
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Promoted By God
Since I was a child, I have had a heart for ministry. More recently I have started seeking God more seriously about the how, when and where. Usually my hang up is on the how. How do I position myself for ministry. How do I train myself to be equipped for the work of Christ. Through my many struggles the past several year, I have hoped God would bring me a mentor. Both of these things have became a vanity.
Here is how I thought of it at first in my very literal mind.
Mentor:
Share about all my issues and past struggles any chance I'm given.
Hope the God's chosen mentor is in the audience and approaches me.
Expect that this person will help develop me into the person that God wants me to be.
Being mentored by said person will help me get into the church staff clique, and then
my worth and giftings will be seen, and I will be trained up for ministry purposes.
Just typing that kinda creeps me out. This isn't right. Amazing how we think we can figure things out right lol?!
These are the verses that come to mind, that helped correct this way of thinking:
1 Peter 5:6- Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt You in due time.
2 Samuel 7:8- Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:
When I prayed about this, and really struggled through it, I was directed back to a very basic way of thinking. God is my promotor.
The reality is, God is our boss, no matter what we do, we are working for Him. HE will promote us according to His plan.
My to do list is this simple: Seek God through prayer and studying the Bible.
That's it. Since I wrote my first blog post last week, I have had two people come onto my path: one that needed salvation and one that needed a spiritual mentor and guidance from a person who has been down the road she is starting on. God will bring my ministry and myself together when the timing is right. All I need is Him. Not a church staff, a clique, a mentor, or approval from anyone. It's amazing how distracted we can get!
Here is how I thought of it at first in my very literal mind.
Mentor:
Share about all my issues and past struggles any chance I'm given.
Hope the God's chosen mentor is in the audience and approaches me.
Expect that this person will help develop me into the person that God wants me to be.
Being mentored by said person will help me get into the church staff clique, and then
my worth and giftings will be seen, and I will be trained up for ministry purposes.
Just typing that kinda creeps me out. This isn't right. Amazing how we think we can figure things out right lol?!
These are the verses that come to mind, that helped correct this way of thinking:
1 Peter 5:6- Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt You in due time.
2 Samuel 7:8- Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:
When I prayed about this, and really struggled through it, I was directed back to a very basic way of thinking. God is my promotor.
The reality is, God is our boss, no matter what we do, we are working for Him. HE will promote us according to His plan.
My to do list is this simple: Seek God through prayer and studying the Bible.
That's it. Since I wrote my first blog post last week, I have had two people come onto my path: one that needed salvation and one that needed a spiritual mentor and guidance from a person who has been down the road she is starting on. God will bring my ministry and myself together when the timing is right. All I need is Him. Not a church staff, a clique, a mentor, or approval from anyone. It's amazing how distracted we can get!
When you say: "Religion", I think you mean idolatry and hypocrisy.
When did religion become a bad word?
I hear "religious people" being talked about like criminals and "religion" being something to avoid at all costs.
This topic makes me feel like a mother that just caught someone bullying my child on the playground.
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
If the church is trying to avoid religion...they are doing a pretty good job. I don't know anyone that visits orphans and widows.
Roots of the word religious :
1 : relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity a religious person religious attitudes
2 : of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or observances joined a religious order
3 a : scrupulously and conscientiously faithful
b : fervent, zealous
This definition is from this website:https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religious
The definitions make me want to be MORE religious. More fervent in prayer, more zealous about the gospel! Faithful devotion, conscientiously faithful, yes yes yes. Observances joined in a religious order:that would be every person in the world. We all religiously eat, go to work, sleep, shower. Christians religiously celebrate holidays and follow a religious order every Sunday at church. Worship, offering, announcements, sermon, communion.
WHY IS THIS WORD BEING THROWN AROUND LIKE IT'S BAD!?
Here is the reference for the definition of the word "religion":https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religion
More beautiful words that remind me very much of the word passion! Faithful devotion? Service and worship of GOD. YES.
I believe there are two reasons that modern day humanity and Christians do not like this word:
#1: It's obligating and requires discipline and submission.
The church is called to be a spotless bride.
#2 It cramps their "freedom". This current is a generation that wants to do whatever, whenever and however they want. Really that is the purest form of the sinful man without Christ. We see children defying their parents, parents not disciplining, and people doing whatever they want. NO RULES. I can be whatever gender I want, have any sexual preference and I have the grounds to defend myself. Because I exist. That's it.
The gospel is about freedom from the bounds of SIN. Instead we are bound to CHRIST. The Bible refers to us being a BODY, the body is bound together. The Bible refers to us a being a BRIDE, a bride is bound by covenant to her groom! We are children of God, one of the 10 commandments is children obey your parents for your inheritance. It is not a coincidence that God uses this image of Himself as FATHER,
#3 They don't know what it really means.
The religious people in the Bible that were sinful, were hypocrites and idolitors. Religion becomes sin when routines become idols and we do not live out our faith. So imagine this: I want to be more religious, so I devote myself to prayer and Bible reading every morning, no matter what. Eventually I read and pray on my front porch so my neighbors can see me. Soon I'm reading and praying robotically and the Word is not being applied to my life, my prayers are empty and I don't listen for God to speak to my heart. These things become things I check off on a list and then brag about later or use to defend my integrity in an argument. THIS was the sin of the Pharisees in the Bible. Instead of adopting the humility that comes with being a servant bound to Jesus, they become proud and elevate themselves because of their religious activities and accomplishments.
The definition of devotion is so similar to that of religion: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devotion
a : religious fervor : piety
b : an act of prayer or private worship —usually used in plural during his morning devotions
c : a religious exercise or practice other than the regular corporate (see corporate 2) worship of a congregation
2 a : the act of dedicating something to a cause, enterprise, or activity : the act of devoting the devotion of a great deal of time and energy
b : the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal her devotion to the cause filial devotion
Here something scary, if you look up the opposite of being religious, here's what you get:
Antonyms for religious
evil
immoral
irreligious
irreverent
sinful
unholy
unsacred
vile
wicked
agnostic
atheistic
careless
erring
indolent
lazy
undetailed
ungodly
I think I would rather be accused of being religious than being accused of being any of these things!
I hear "religious people" being talked about like criminals and "religion" being something to avoid at all costs.
This topic makes me feel like a mother that just caught someone bullying my child on the playground.
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
If the church is trying to avoid religion...they are doing a pretty good job. I don't know anyone that visits orphans and widows.
Roots of the word religious :
1 : relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity a religious person religious attitudes
2 : of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or observances joined a religious order
3 a : scrupulously and conscientiously faithful
b : fervent, zealous
This definition is from this website:https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religious
The definitions make me want to be MORE religious. More fervent in prayer, more zealous about the gospel! Faithful devotion, conscientiously faithful, yes yes yes. Observances joined in a religious order:that would be every person in the world. We all religiously eat, go to work, sleep, shower. Christians religiously celebrate holidays and follow a religious order every Sunday at church. Worship, offering, announcements, sermon, communion.
WHY IS THIS WORD BEING THROWN AROUND LIKE IT'S BAD!?
Here is the reference for the definition of the word "religion":https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religion
More beautiful words that remind me very much of the word passion! Faithful devotion? Service and worship of GOD. YES.
I believe there are two reasons that modern day humanity and Christians do not like this word:
#1: It's obligating and requires discipline and submission.
The church is called to be a spotless bride.
#2 It cramps their "freedom". This current is a generation that wants to do whatever, whenever and however they want. Really that is the purest form of the sinful man without Christ. We see children defying their parents, parents not disciplining, and people doing whatever they want. NO RULES. I can be whatever gender I want, have any sexual preference and I have the grounds to defend myself. Because I exist. That's it.
The gospel is about freedom from the bounds of SIN. Instead we are bound to CHRIST. The Bible refers to us being a BODY, the body is bound together. The Bible refers to us a being a BRIDE, a bride is bound by covenant to her groom! We are children of God, one of the 10 commandments is children obey your parents for your inheritance. It is not a coincidence that God uses this image of Himself as FATHER,
#3 They don't know what it really means.
The religious people in the Bible that were sinful, were hypocrites and idolitors. Religion becomes sin when routines become idols and we do not live out our faith. So imagine this: I want to be more religious, so I devote myself to prayer and Bible reading every morning, no matter what. Eventually I read and pray on my front porch so my neighbors can see me. Soon I'm reading and praying robotically and the Word is not being applied to my life, my prayers are empty and I don't listen for God to speak to my heart. These things become things I check off on a list and then brag about later or use to defend my integrity in an argument. THIS was the sin of the Pharisees in the Bible. Instead of adopting the humility that comes with being a servant bound to Jesus, they become proud and elevate themselves because of their religious activities and accomplishments.
The definition of devotion is so similar to that of religion: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devotion
a : religious fervor : piety
b : an act of prayer or private worship —usually used in plural during his morning devotions
c : a religious exercise or practice other than the regular corporate (see corporate 2) worship of a congregation
2 a : the act of dedicating something to a cause, enterprise, or activity : the act of devoting the devotion of a great deal of time and energy
b : the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal her devotion to the cause filial devotion
Here something scary, if you look up the opposite of being religious, here's what you get:
Antonyms for religious
evil
immoral
irreligious
irreverent
sinful
unholy
unsacred
vile
wicked
agnostic
atheistic
careless
erring
indolent
lazy
undetailed
ungodly
I think I would rather be accused of being religious than being accused of being any of these things!
Friday, February 9, 2018
New Old Books and De-cluttering February 8 and 9
The last two days have gone just about the same as any normal day in our house. I "try" to do stuff all day, get interrupted 100 times and give up, failing. The one thing I never fail at is dishes...Yesterday I spent about 3.5 hours on dishes. I tried to make the most of it by watching videos on youtube about de-cluttering. I have heard quite a lot of good things about the book "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up". I had Jaxon go upstairs and pick 7 things out of the toys to give away or sell. I already sold a couple things! It helps to have the mind of a de-clutter"er" at all times so the thinning is continuous. We seem to accumulate new things all the time...Which brings me to my next point! Today at the library they had the free book cart out and there were a ton of books on there! I couldn't resist. I grabbed as many books as I could carry out of there. My favorite find is this one: "Natural Superwoman".
After we went to the chiropractor (to have my rib put back into place :0), Truett's therapist and I decided to take the kids to the library for a little while. I was so excited because they had wheeled out the free book cart, I walked out with about the same number of books as the items I de-cluttered. Oh man. I just love the way old books look, I almost always judge a book by its cover. I rarely read one. I was just thinking , I don't think I have finished a book since 2011! I think my next youtube binge will be on speed reading!
In my defense, I did gather lots of books to get rid of :) because my 3 bookshelves are filling up fast!
After we went to the chiropractor (to have my rib put back into place :0), Truett's therapist and I decided to take the kids to the library for a little while. I was so excited because they had wheeled out the free book cart, I walked out with about the same number of books as the items I de-cluttered. Oh man. I just love the way old books look, I almost always judge a book by its cover. I rarely read one. I was just thinking , I don't think I have finished a book since 2011! I think my next youtube binge will be on speed reading!
In my defense, I did gather lots of books to get rid of :) because my 3 bookshelves are filling up fast!
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Heal With Me.
Rejection.Divorce.Physical Abuse. Sexual Abuse. Emotional Abuse. Infertility. Church Burned. Step Parenting. Parenting A Child With Special Needs. Addiction. Loss Of A Family Member. Miscarriage. Adultery. Health Struggles.
This is my resume of past pain and hurt that I have experience with. Some things I have healed from, some are in the process of recovery. It seems that when one of them comes to the surface, all the pain and hurt of times past try to come up with it. As I walk into and through my many phases of healing, I learn which coping skills I need to use and which ones I need to develop. My greatest struggle is probably when, where, how and why to share with others. It seems like sharing leaves me with this major emotional deficit that leaves me feeling so exposed that I can't bear to be around other people at all. I am so perplexed at this reaction that I feel the need to explore it more, before I bury it and it pops up again somewhere in my life like a mischievous weed in a beautiful garden.
As I walk this road, I will be reading, writing, crafting, decorating, seeking counsel,praying,singing, laughing and exploring what God has for me in all of this.
If feel so unstable and insecure about relationships that I feel like the only way to cope is to turn inward and continue to seek God and the Word. The more I try to explain these things to others, the more I feel God telling me to shut my mouth and get on my knees. There has never been a time that I felt better after sharing my horror stories with others. It always feels like venting and never has any testimonial properties. It's like I'm seeking counsel from others that only God can provide. Many times when I have asked for help, I have heard Him tell me to "learn of Him" which is a reference from Matthew 11:28-30. In these verse, Jesus is asking us to rest, He's strong enough! We don't have to over think it, over do it, or try to do anything on our own. HE'S GOT THIS. Yet in my sinful nature, I get a self sufficient attitude that presses me even deeper into self isolation.
There are several books I would like to dig into and journal here. I am also wanting to start an interactive Bible study, for now just creating the plan on my own and praying about whether or not God wants this idea to flourish into something greater. I want to seek God deeper than ever before and document the things he says to me during these times. I also want to laugh a lot, I will be painting with broad strokes as I gather ideas to share here. No one may ever read this, but I will, and I know God can see my heart.
God gave me many giftings, as He has all of His children! I am aware of many of my giftings, the question is how God wants me to use them now, and in what way can I use them to most effectively glorify His name.
I have a great love for art and history. This painting by Ron DiCianni, Divine Healing, is a depiction of my current state. One of a seeker, a woman on a desperate quest for healing from the pains of life. Maybe you can relate. I would absolutely love to have this painting in my house someday. I will have to list my bucket list of paintings in a post ;)
There is a deep longing in my heart that began when I was a child and refuses to be quenched: to abide nearest to my Father and to share healing touch with others. I want to sit on shoulders and rest under the shadow of His wings.
I hope this is the beginning of that journey.
This is my resume of past pain and hurt that I have experience with. Some things I have healed from, some are in the process of recovery. It seems that when one of them comes to the surface, all the pain and hurt of times past try to come up with it. As I walk into and through my many phases of healing, I learn which coping skills I need to use and which ones I need to develop. My greatest struggle is probably when, where, how and why to share with others. It seems like sharing leaves me with this major emotional deficit that leaves me feeling so exposed that I can't bear to be around other people at all. I am so perplexed at this reaction that I feel the need to explore it more, before I bury it and it pops up again somewhere in my life like a mischievous weed in a beautiful garden.
As I walk this road, I will be reading, writing, crafting, decorating, seeking counsel,praying,singing, laughing and exploring what God has for me in all of this.
If feel so unstable and insecure about relationships that I feel like the only way to cope is to turn inward and continue to seek God and the Word. The more I try to explain these things to others, the more I feel God telling me to shut my mouth and get on my knees. There has never been a time that I felt better after sharing my horror stories with others. It always feels like venting and never has any testimonial properties. It's like I'm seeking counsel from others that only God can provide. Many times when I have asked for help, I have heard Him tell me to "learn of Him" which is a reference from Matthew 11:28-30. In these verse, Jesus is asking us to rest, He's strong enough! We don't have to over think it, over do it, or try to do anything on our own. HE'S GOT THIS. Yet in my sinful nature, I get a self sufficient attitude that presses me even deeper into self isolation.
There are several books I would like to dig into and journal here. I am also wanting to start an interactive Bible study, for now just creating the plan on my own and praying about whether or not God wants this idea to flourish into something greater. I want to seek God deeper than ever before and document the things he says to me during these times. I also want to laugh a lot, I will be painting with broad strokes as I gather ideas to share here. No one may ever read this, but I will, and I know God can see my heart.
God gave me many giftings, as He has all of His children! I am aware of many of my giftings, the question is how God wants me to use them now, and in what way can I use them to most effectively glorify His name.
I have a great love for art and history. This painting by Ron DiCianni, Divine Healing, is a depiction of my current state. One of a seeker, a woman on a desperate quest for healing from the pains of life. Maybe you can relate. I would absolutely love to have this painting in my house someday. I will have to list my bucket list of paintings in a post ;)
There is a deep longing in my heart that began when I was a child and refuses to be quenched: to abide nearest to my Father and to share healing touch with others. I want to sit on shoulders and rest under the shadow of His wings.
I hope this is the beginning of that journey.
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