A Diet

I'm feeling the need to go on a diet. I know what you're thinking--the holidays are coming to an end and I've gained a few pounds from all the sweets and treats of the season.

Wrong.

This is a diet of the mind.

We can renew our mind with the Word of God (Rom. 12:2), but it's also very helpful to deprive your mind of certain things, as well.

Let's think of the body. You can eat healthy food all day long, but it you're ending each day with a big piece of chocolate cake or apple pie, chances are, you're body is not in tip-top shape.

This is what a lot of us are doing, spiritually. We wake up and read our Bible, listen to Christian music during the day and/or some teaching tapes/CDs/podcasts, but in the evening, we want to unwind and relax, so we turn on a favorite TV show--Lost, Desperate Housewives, etc., and fill our minds with junk.

What are these shows doing to our minds? Isn't it just a little harmless fun?

I compare it to the chocolate cake each night. It's not making you sick, if you are eating right all day long. It's probably not affecting your weight too bad, if you are eating right all day long. But it's not beneficial.

I have heard so many good things about the show Lost in the last few years. I don't watch much television, so I didn't know what I was missing out on and I didn't want to try to catch up on all those seasons. Then Netflix came out with a program where you can watch a lot of movies and shows instantly streaming on your television. We signed up for a free trial and ventured to see what everyone was talking about.

We watched the first episode and it wasn't terrible. It wasn't awesome, but it wasn't terrible. (It wasn't nearly as bad as the pilot of Flash Forward!) We continued watching and I was sucked in (my husband was not, he's stronger than I, apparently). It is a show that leaves you hanging each week and I wanted answers! But as I enjoyed this new entertainment, I also noticed an interesting coincidence.

I formed a habit quite a while ago of daily Bible reading in the morning. I was still doing this daily, but once I added Lost into my daily routine, I noticed a sudden lack of revelation. I wasn't even being productive with my blogs. Whenever I was reading my Bible, nothing was really speaking to me. It seemed that all my mind wanted to think about was Lost--Jack, Sawyer, Sayid, Hurley, Charlie, Kate, Locke, and Claire. I started obsessing (I guess that's my personality. Perhaps it's also because of the technology we have now, that I can watch an episode every evening, rather than one per week.).

The thing is, I knew we shouldn't be watching the show. (Not saying you shouldn't watch it. Perhaps you don't obsess like I do.) I knew it wasn't right for me. My husband wasn't that interested, I was the one pushing every few nights to watch another episode. He was even ready to quit and I said I would just watch without him. He said he preferred me not, too. (Another clue I needed to quit--sounds like I'm talking about substance abuse or something!) I was insisting. I knew it was worthless. I knew it was soap opera junk, but I found myself justifying it in my mind. (Another clue, when you are rationalizing or justifying behavior, it's wrong.)

We watched most of the first season and then with my husband's work schedule we knew we wouldn't be able to watch for most of the next month. He got on wikipedia and started reading the episode synopses. I decided to check it out and realized then that I didn't need to continue watching. There is something about reading a plot versus seeing it visually (with all the appealing people and settings) that helps you see through the hype. I still had a bit of an addiction, though, I spent the next few days reading through the wikipedia pages. Finally, I realized the show was not worth my time.

I'm not against television. I watch Survivor, but I have never obsessed about it. I think that's what shocked me about Lost. I hadn't seen a television drama in so long, it was shock to my system. I have been used to watching reality TV, where you get real-looking people, in semi-real situations, not ultra-beautiful people caught in love triangles and each having intense back-stories that intertwine.

So was there any connection with my obsession for Lost and the sudden lack of revelation in my Bible study and fruitfulness in my writing? I think so.

Our minds are powerful things. We can fill them with good things or bad, or a mixture of both. What goes in, is what will come out. Some things are downright wrong, say pornography, for instance. Other things are in a gray area. It is unfortunate, though, that our entertainment is increasingly leaning toward the pornographic. Take this challenge--cut out R rated movies for a period. You will be surprised, after a period of "fasting" from these movies, what is really in them, the violence, cursing, and sex. We say these movies are for those over 17, but really, should adults even be watching this stuff? A few years ago, we made a point to cut back and not watch movies rated R. I think we went almost an entire year without one (that was huge for us, we used to be big movie buffs), then occasionally watched one here and there. We really noticed that we couldn't handle what we thought we could. We realized that we were watching a lot of trash in the name of "art."

But what about those activities that aren't bad? There are lots of gray areas and this is where you have to seek the Lord's will for your life. Some things aren't bad, but they're not good, either. They may just be time wasters or distractions in your life. The question is, what fruit is it producing in your life? Is it a stress-reliever, a way to unwind, or is it keeping you from more important things? Is it something that causes worry (news headlines, for example) or causes you to pray? Is it a fun time of togetherness with your spouse or family, or is it pulling you away from your spouse or family?

This is what I've been thinking about recently. I have certain things that I know I am called to do, some writing that I really need to focus on and in order to focus, I need to cut out those time wasters and distractions. Therefore, I feel the need to go on a diet. I am going to cut out Facebook and my blogs for the month of January. I wanted to cut out email, too, but it is too much a part of life. I will drastically cut back on how often I check it.

So, I will see you all in February!

Book Review: Not So Fast

I've seen this book recommended several places lately, but when a friend recommended it, I checked it out. I didn't even feel like I would fit the intended audience, but I like to read books that might help my friends. It never seems to fail, though, that every time I read something with someone else in mind, I'm the one that learns valuable lessons.

I will admit that I proudly felt that I didn't really need this book. I don't fit into the category of families that are running non-stop, children in loads of activities. In fact, I have purposely taken a step back each school year, purposely slowing down and doing less and less. I tell all my friends that they will have a more peaceful life if they will cut back on activities.

I homeschool my two children (10 and 4) and, as such, have field trips and extra-curricular classes. There are so many tempting options, karate, gymnastics, art, music lessons, museums, sports, co-op classes available in our local homeschool group (things like book discussion, composition, biology, latin, drama, etc.), and much more.

When I first started homeschooling my son, he was in kindergarten. We pulled him out of the private school he was attending after about six weeks. In those six weeks, he had become accustomed to the daily social interaction with the 20 other kids in his class. Not to mention, the daily crafts, playground time, etc. He wanted to come home, but once he did, he realized life at home was different, not quite so stimulating. It was an adjustment and I scrambled to offer him a variety of activities. So we jumped on the band-wagon of activities that most homeschool families participate in.

I'm a homebody, I don't like running (and my son is too, he just didn't realize this when we pulled him out of school). After a while I decided we needed to slow it down. We have gradually pulled back over the years (my son's in 4th grade now) and we are really happy (all of us) with our pace. We participate in one weekly activity and a few field trips per year. As such, we are home the majority of the time. So we have a peaceful, relaxed home atmosphere. An atmosphere where my children have plenty of time to be children, playing and creating.

So you can see how I would think that a book about families living the harried, frenzied life would not apply to me. Boy was I wrong!

When I reached chapter six, I knew this book was for me. You see, even though I am a homebody, I have this knack for keeping myself busy. I have this need to do things (often other than housework!). In 2001 I started a candle business (justifying my busyness because I would be bringing in extra money for the household) and then in July 2007 I started a blog (this, too, was justified because I was helping others). So even though I am home most of the time, I am in fact a busy person.

What struck me in chapter six was that the busy life causes us to compromise our values and overlook needs--needs in those around us and even the needs of our children. Struck to the core! How many times do I shrug my children off and say, "not right now, I'm doing ___", or "maybe later, I'm busy."? I know I have improved in this area, but it is something I need reminded of often.

There is nothing wrong with operating a business from your home. There is nothing wrong with a ministry to others. However, when priorities get out of whack and these things take precedence over God, family, or home, they are wrong.

Since I have that knack for creating busyness for myself (I prefer to call it entrepreneurialism), I have to regularly sit down and examine my priorities and make sure I have things in proper order. This book was just the reminder I needed.

Therefore, I highly recommend this book for everyone, whether you think you need to read it or not. Perhaps you're not in any of these situations described in the book, maybe reading this book will keep you from falling into those.

There are probably other great books on reducing stress in your life and lightening your load, but this book sticks out to me because of the nuggets of wisdom included, deep truths based on Scripture. Check it out, I know you will enjoy it.

Christmas Links

What is the true meaning of Christmas? Are we really celebrating the birth of Christ? Read this article about the birth of Christ--very interesting!

And why a virgin birth? Click here to read about that.

The Times We Live In

Proof that we need to be studying our Bibles -

More US Christians Mix in 'Eastern' and New Age Beliefs

When I say "study", I mean more than just devotional reading. This is more than just reading your favorite passages, the passages that make you feel good, Psalms, Proverbs, the Gospels. We need more study. Don't know where to begin? Click here.

It seems in our world we live in today, we need to start detailing our faith for people, to set ourselves apart. I was astounded when I read this article - Tulsa Couple Makes Pilgrimage to Mecca - astounded that if you didn't know better, you would think that these people worship the same God I do. There is mention of God throughout the article. There is mention of Adam and Eve, Abraham and Ishmael, and Mohammed, considered a prophet. But what God are they referring to? So when I said we need to detail our faith, I mean, perhaps we need to state which God, specifically, we worship. Is the god of Islam and the God of the Bible the same? Yet another reason to study your Bible.

What's Getting In Our Way?

I'm reading Not So Fast by Ann Kroeker. I really like this quote she includes from The Life You've Always Wanted by John Ortberg -

Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. Hurry can destroy our souls. Hurry can keep us from living well.... For many of us the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it.

Happy Hanukkah!

Hanukkah started at sundown this evening. This holiday is so much more than latkes and giving gifts. Click here to find a wealth of wonderful information about Hanukkah and other Biblical holidays.

Did you know Jesus celebrated Hanukkah? In John 10:22-23 we see that Jesus was in Jerusalem observing the Feast of Dedication, otherwise known as Hanukkah.

Christmas

I really enjoyed this blog post by Robin Sampson on Christmas -

12 Things I Like and Don't Like About Christmas

If you want to dig deeper into the origins of Christmas, I recommend The Two Babylons, by Alexander Hislop.

Wisdom

Job 28

Job’s Discourse on Wisdom

¹ “Surely there is a mine for silver,
And a place where gold is refined.

² Iron is taken from the earth,
And copper is smelted from ore.

³ Man puts an end to darkness,
And searches every recess
For ore in the darkness and the shadow of death.

⁴ He breaks open a shaft away from people;
In places forgotten by feet
They hang far away from men;
They swing to and fro.

⁵ As for the earth, from it comes bread,
But underneath it is turned up as by fire;

⁶ Its stones are the source of sapphires,
And it contains gold dust.

⁷ That path no bird knows,
Nor has the falcon’s eye seen it.

⁸ The proud lions have not trodden it,
Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.

⁹ He puts his hand on the flint;
He overturns the mountains at the roots.

¹⁰ He cuts out channels in the rocks,
And his eye sees every precious thing.

¹¹ He dams up the streams from trickling;
What is hidden he brings forth to light.

¹² “But where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?

¹³ Man does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.

¹⁴ The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’

¹⁵ It cannot be purchased for gold,
Nor can silver be weighed for its price.

¹⁶ It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx or sapphire.

¹⁷ Neither gold nor crystal can equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.

¹⁸ No mention shall be made of coral or quartz,
For the price of wisdom is above rubies.

¹⁹ The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.

²⁰ “From where then does wisdom come?
And where is the place of understanding?

²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
And concealed from the birds of the air.

²² Destruction and Death say,

‘We have heard a report about it with our ears.’

²³ God understands its way,
And He knows its place.

²⁴ For He looks to the ends of the earth,
And sees under the whole heavens,

²⁵ To establish a weight for the wind,
And apportion the waters by measure.

²⁶ When He made a law for the rain,
And a path for the thunderbolt,

²⁷ Then He saw wisdom and declared it;
He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out.

²⁸ And to man He said,

‘ Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding.’”

What Is Revelation?

I was asked this question the other day, so I thought I would post the answer here.

What is revelation?

I mentioned here that you must have revelation in order to have breakthrough or victory.

But what is revelation?

Revelation in English comes from the root word reveal. When something is revealed to you, you have a greater understanding. If a covered plate is in front of you and then becomes uncovered, the contents are revealed and so you have understanding of what is on the plate. We could also say that understanding is to comprehend something.

So let's look up a scripture that uses the word comprehend.

Ephesians 3:14-19

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

The English word comprehend here is katalambano in the original Greek. Strong's gives this definition -

1) to lay hold of

a) to lay hold of so as to make one's own, to obtain, attain to, to make one's own, to take into one's self, appropriate

b) to seize upon, take possession of

1) of evils overtaking one, of the last day overtaking the wicked with destruction, of a demon about to torment one

2) in a good sense, of Christ by his holy power and influence laying hold of the human mind and will, in order to prompt and govern it

c) to detect, catch

d) to lay hold of with the mind

1) to understand, perceive, learn, comprehend

I especially like "to make one's own" and "to lay hold of with the mind." This same Greek word is also translated elsewhere as apprehend. I think this is the best word yet. To apprehend is to grasp the meaning of. We can listen, we can understand, but to fully grasp the meaning of something, to make it your own--that is revelation.

Try This

Take a familiar verse and write it on a note card. Tack it on your bathroom mirror or anywhere you will come across it many times a day. Each time you come across it read it out loud to yourself. Look that verse up in other translations at Biblegateway.com. I especially like the Amplified version if I want deeper understanding. Check out Blueletterbible.org and see what the individual words in their original language mean.

Watch and see if you don't get a revelation of greater meaning from this familiar verse. There are too many times that we take certain verses for granted. We've known them so long, we can recite them, but we don't stop to think about what they really mean.

It could be that you will be in church or listening to teaching and a light bulb goes off in your brain and you "get" that verse that you have studied. It is yours, you have taken hold of it, you "get" it on a much deeper level than you previously had.

Less is More

It is my experience that this works best with one or two verses, not five or ten or twenty. It is when you choose just the one or two that you can focus better. When you have lots and lots of verses (and I'm sure they are all good ones), you can't really focus on any of them enough to get a revelation about any of them.

God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him

It is also my experience that revelation does not come by sitting in church. I sat in church for about 26 years, but did not read my Bible on my own. I did no study whatsoever. I also did not get any revelation. I had a few "Aha!" moments in church receiving "hand-me-down" revelation, but none of my own. I didn't know the difference until I started studying the Bible for myself and starting getting my own revelations. The difference is huge!

Now it could be that you have studied a topic and meditated on a verse and then while sitting in church the lightbulb goes off, but if you are not putting in the effort to diligently seek God and study His Word, He won't reward you with revelation and wisdom.

Prayer

If you are diligently seeking God, you can pray and ask Him to reveal His wisdom to you and He will. Pray the above passage from Ephesians for yourself. Pray and ask God to help you comprehend what is the width, length, depth, and height—that you would know the love of Christ that passes knowledge and that you would be filled with all the fullness of God.

God Is Faithful

A statement heard yesterday--"I know our church teaches us to speak God's Word, but tragic things happen to Christians all the time. I don't understand." The context was the news that a pastor had contracted cancer. (Not my pastor.)

Just because some people don't receive healing does not mean that God does not heal. Just because some die before their time, does not mean that the Word of God has no effect.

Romans 3:3-4

For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar.

This verse here is talking about people that don't believe Jesus died for them. Not everyone in the world is saved. Does that mean that God is not faithful? This verse says, "Certainly not!"

We must realize there is a devil in this world, he has dominion of this world right now. He wants nothing better than to stop the plans of God and hinder Christian's effectiveness. We also must realize that people have a part to play. None of us can look into a person's heart and see whether they are exercising faith or living in fear and doubt.

If you have doubts about whether it is God's will to heal, I encourage you to study that. Your life may depend on it.

I leave you with one of my favorite verses -

John 17:17b

Your Word is truth.

That says it all.

Battles

I experienced a victory recently with healing (as mentioned here and here). My first inclination was to start telling others that they needed to do X, Y, and Z, just like I did. I do think that would help a few, but I now realize the answer is not the same for everyone. There isn't a formula. What matters is that we obey whatever it is the Lord is directing us to do. Obedience is the key.

First comes revelation, then obedience, then breakthrough/victory.

I finished the Bible in 90 Days reading program and then started up on a different schedule of reading through the Bible. I'm reading one chapter from eight different sections each day (I'll detail that in a later post). One of the sections I read are the historical books, Joshua through Esther.

It was when I got up to Joshua chapter 12 I noticed something very interesting. I think sometimes it's important to step back and look at things from a wider angle. At about chapter 12, we are given a summary of the battles and kings conquered by Israel. The previous chapters were giving the details. I noticed that a lot of kings were listed, but there were only three stories of battles that I had read. So I looked back through the book. I realized that detail is given for three battles and the rest are breezed through.

Why are we given details on three battles, but not the rest? Why are these three significant?

I wanted to know. So, I went back and read through them again. Joshua 6-10.

I really think they are there to give us examples. Each example is different, each of our battles will be different and require different action. There won't be a formula, obedience is what matters.

God fights the battles for us anyway, so He gets all the glory. We have an extremely minor part to play.

God could be asking you to do something that sounds very strange, as weird as marching around a city wall (Jericho). He may want you to march around that wall for six days and then on the seventh, blow trumpets. (Remember He uses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. I Corinthians 1:27) He will bring the wall down.

He could be asking you to seek out sin in your life that has left the door wide open for the enemy (Ai--Achan).

He could be asking you to command the sun to stand still (or command that mountain to be removed and be cast into the sea--Mark 11:23-24) (Gibeon).

Whatever it is, obedience is your part to play. He will fight the battle for you and bring the victory!

God Wants ALL The Glory

Do you remember the story of Gideon and his army? I loved that story as a child. We read that story with a hindsight perspective, but imagine being Gideon and God tells you to cut your army twice, and not by just a few, but significantly! Gideon went from 30,000 men to 300 men. We see that he obeyed, but imagine what he was feeling! (You can read the story in Judges 6 and 7.)

You see God didn’t intend for Gideon’s army to fight hand-to-hand with the Midianites. God wanted all the glory. He caused confusion to come over the enemy and they fought themselves.

Has there ever been a time where you knew you were obeying the voice of the Lord, yet not seeing breakthrough? Perhaps He is leading you down a path where you can’t possibly take any of the glory for yourself, it will be clear to all that the victory was the Lord’s.

If Gideon had gone into battle with his 30,000 men, he could have claimed victory for himself. He could have forgotten that God chose him, called him, instructed him. But with an army of only 300, there was no possible way he could claim any glory for the victory.

I have detailed how my first thought was to solve my health issues myself. After I gave up on that and started following God’s leading, I saw minor improvements, but not full victory. It was frustrating. There were times I knew that I heard from God, but was frustrated that I wasn’t seeing immediate results. Just like Gideon, God led me through steps; it didn’t come all at once. And now looking in hindsight I can see that His purpose was to get all the glory. I changed my diet, I took supplements, I cut back on things that were stressing me out, but those things were only steps. I cannot look at any one single thing that I did and say that was the key. It was only until I received a full (and I say full, because I have had a partial knowledge of this my whole life) revelation of the authority that is mine as a child of God. Only after exercising that authority, did breakthrough and healing come. And that is the beauty, when I exercised my authority, God did the work, He fought the battle, He got the victory, it was so very clear that my part was miniscule in comparison, He gets all the glory! Just as Moses lifted his rod over the Red Sea, I had to do my part, but there is no way I can take any credit. God parted the Red Sea and God healed me.

So, if you are feeling discouragement right now, know that God isn’t done. Keep on trusting, keep on obeying, the breakthrough will come. God knows you better than you know yourself. He wants all the glory and He will lead you down the path that will bring glory to Himself.

My Notes

I love my church! If you are not in a church that is teaching the Word, go and find one. Your life depends upon it.

These are my notes from this weekend.

I Corinthians 6:19-20 God does not dwell in a building, He does not live at church. His presence used to dwell in Moses' tabernacle and later Solomon's temple. All that has changed now. Since Christ died and rose again, God's Spirit lives on the inside of us. If you are saved, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, your life is not your own, you were bought with a price.

This is a slavery term. Back in Paul's day slavery was very, very common. The Romans would conquer a land, such as Germany or England, for instance, and make some of the people slaves.

But God is a good master, that is where this differs from the slavery of the day.

I Corinthians 12:18 He is a good master and gives us a specific job to do in the Body of Christ.

I Corinthians 12:28-30 God gives the gifts and He leads.

James 4:13-15 It is not up to us to plan our lives.

Some think that as long as we're doing something good that God is pleased. But that is not so. We are to submit to His direction and be obedient.

People have this idea that everything God hands out is castor oil. It's not going to be easy, it's going to be something that we won't like doing, etc. But that is not so. There are times that are uncomfortable, when we are corrected, but our purpose and job will draw on our skills and strengths that He has given us. When we are fulfilling the purpose that He has set out for us that is when we will truly feel peace, joy, contentment, and fulfillment. We can never attain this planning our own life, career, and path.

Being submissive, willing, and obedient is called having fear of the Lord. This is not a terror kind of fear. This is an awe and reverence. When we are not obeying Him, we are essentially saying, "God, I don't trust you to take care of me, I don't fully believe you have my best interest at heart."

Acts 2:41-43 The church is born on Pentecost. 3,000 people are saved. This passage notes that they have a fear of the Lord. Does that mean they were afraid of Him? No. They want to only do whatever He asks of them, they fully respect Him. Everyone wanted to live right and please God.

Acts 5:1-11 Story of Ananias and Sapphira. Collectively, the church at Jerusalem felt that they should sell possessions and bring the proceeds to the church. This was not something that was required of them. Ananias and Sapphira wanted to keep part of their proceeds. That was certainly okay, but they chose to lie about it. They indicated that they were giving all the profits. Ananias then dropped dead. They carried him out and buried him. His wife comes in a few hours later and corroborates the lie. She, too, drops dead and is buried. This brought fear on the church. Again, this is not torment, but a healthy fear and respect for the Lord. He means what He says and says what He means. Just because we don't see a consequence immediately for our actions doesn't mean it doesn't come. There is a day when we will all give an account.

I John 4:18 Perfect love casts out fear. Why would Proverbs say that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, when John here says that God's perfect love casts out fear? These are two different fears. As I said earlier, fear of the Lord is awe, reverence, respect, submission to His will, willingness to obey. The fear that perfect love casts out is torment. It is when you fully realize God's unconditional love for you that all your fears are cast out. You will have no more reason to fear, because you know that God will take care of you, no matter what.

I John 3:18-21 It is when you are obeying God's direction and His Word that you will have full assurance and confidence in God. You will have no more of the "terror" or "worry" fear, but instead have the proper fear and respect.

Verse 20 - It is when we are not obeying His will and His Word that our heart condemns us. We feel guilt. We have the wrong fear, fear that God doesn't love us. [Side note: Romans 8:1 says that there is therefore now no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus. This means that you have been justified by the blood of Christ, your debt has been paid, your sentence erased. It is finished (John 19:30), it's a done deal. Your sin has been judged. You are no longer condemned (think of as a criminal). We should not go around condemning ourselves. You cannot live your life in regret and guilt and condemnation, beating yourself over the head. Know that God loved you while you were a sinner, He still loves you as a Christian that misses the mark sometimes. If you don't have a full revelation of God's unconditional love, please study that out. Andrew Wommack Ministries has some wonderful material in this area.]

Know this, God does not look at us by our intentions. It is the action that counts. We cannot stand before Christ and say we intended to do such and such. Real love can be seen, not just heard. So if we say we love God, we had better be doing things for Him. James 1:22

These deeds mentioned in I John 3 are not necessarily going out witnessing door-to-door, going out on the mission field, getting up in front of crowds. I imagine as some of you are reading this, you feel some "fear" that God will call you to something you don't want to do.

I know, because I used to feel that same feeling, every time a message like this was preached in church. Why? Because I wasn't doing anything. I was feeling that guilt mentioned in I John 3. My heart was condemning me. I was not condemned as a sinner, my sins have been paid for, but I was beating myself over the head for not serving in any area, not in my church, not outside of church, not anywhere.

I would rationalize and justify myself in my own mind by saying that I know that we are not saved by works. There are many clear scriptures on that point. And I would leave it at that.

I was right, we are NOT saved by works, that is a gift of God, in His grace. (See Eph. 2:8) But back then, I had done so little study of the Bible on my own (okay, really none), I didn't know much about the judgment seat of Christ. We will all stand before Christ one day and give an account of our works. See I Corinthians 3:9-15 and also II Corinthians 5:10. This judgment is only for Christians. There is another judgment for sinners, that is the Great White Throne, mentioned in Revelation 20. We will not be there, our sin has already been judged (as I mentioned above), Christ paid for it with His blood. But what we have done with our lives, since being saved, that will go through fire. Our works that amount to wood, hay and stubble, will be burned up. The works that amount to gold, silver, and precious stones, those last through fire. Those will be rewarded.

There will be regrets that day, when we stand in front of Christ and give an account. That is why I believe there are tears mentioned in Revelation in reference to heaven. But there will also be joy, when the work that we did here on earth for Him, is rewarded. That is exciting to me. Like I mentioned, in the past, that idea scared me, thinking about standing to give an account. That was because I wasn't doing anything! I know there will be things I have done that will be burned up. I cannot change the past. But I can move forward and stop wasting time.

This really hit me one day, in church, listening to a visiting minister. He asked for a show of hands of who was saved. Of course, most hands went up. Then he asked who was in full time ministry. Not too many hands this time. He says, "wait a minute, how many of you are saved?" His point, you're saved---what are you doing with it. This was a wake-up call for me. You mean, I'm supposed to be doing something?!? This seed has grown and grown in me and I want to tell others.

You might be called to be a wife, a husband, a parent, a friend. It doesn't mean we are all called to be pastors, evangelists, or missionaries. Start with the basics. Read your Bible and see what sticks out to you. It could be that you just need to be friendly to that cashier that is rude. Perhaps she has had an awful day and needs to know that God cares. We all have a circle of influence, not just those that get up on a stage. It should sober us to realize that our lives affect lives around us. It could be that we need to live holier lives than we do. It could be that we need to clean some thins up. When our coworkers know we are Christians, but then they see us getting angry, cussing, and such, as they do, it destroys our witness.

Examine yourself, ask God what He wants you to do. (I Corinthians 11:28--self examination is not the same as self condemnation. We do not need to condemn ourselves.)

If you would like to watch the service that prompted these notes, click here. The service should be available by Monday or Tuesday.

Verse For Today

Psalm 119:165

Great peace have they who love Your law;

nothing shall offend them or make them stumble.

We Think We Know What We're Doing

It is human nature to try to work things out ourselves, without consulting God first.

Remember Abram and Sarai? God had promised them a child, but Sarai knew she was barren. She thought she would “help” God and come up with her own plan. She took her maidservant and gave her to her husband as a second wife (common practice in the ancient world). The second wife conceived and had a son, but this was not what God had intended. The second wife and son were trouble to the family from the start. (You can read the story starting in Genesis 16.)

Humans have been doing it since the beginning of time. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. God made skins from an animal instead, showing them that blood had to be shed to cover their sin.

I was raised to “fix” things naturally. We didn’t go to the doctor except for life and death issues. This was carried into my adulthood. If I came down with a cold or the flu, I would pop vitamin C, take Echinacea or goldenseal, etc. When I developed a rash on my hand (more detail here), my first thought was to solve it myself. I put lavender oil on it (known to be antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal), I put coconut oil on it, I would do a salt rub (because it would develop a thick skin layer), I also tried putting MSM on it (because I had read that sulfur was good for eczema). All I accomplished was further irritating it! Lesson learned--seek God’s wisdom and have patience that He will give you the answer. And take my advice, if you have dermatitis, DON’T do any of these things I did (except the coconut oil, it might sooth it)! I am now healed, because I chose not to resolve it in my own strength and knowledge. You can read that story here.

Do you have an area of your life that you think you can solve? Are you subconsciously leaving God out of the loop? He wants to be involved in every area of your life.

I leave you with this verse.

Proverbs 14:26 - There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Verse For Today

Proverbs 3:25-26

Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
For the LORD will be your confidence,

And will keep your foot from being caught.

Bible in 90 Days

Well, I did it, I finished my reading program. I have read through the entire Bible this summer. I don't say that to boast, but to encourage you. It can be done. I'm glad I did it.

I don't think it's essential for everyone, but it was for me. For more information, click here.

For a list of other reading schedules, click here. Some are longer, some are shorter, than the 90 day schedule.

I also highly recommend Learn The Bible in 24 Hours, by Chuck Missler. It is a nice overview of the Bible, giving a big picture perspective.

But the important thing is not whether you read the entire Bible, but whether you are consistently studying the Bible.

Ephesians 3:20

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us...

A couple years ago our expenses were exceeding our income. We examined our budget and as we are not extravagant people, the only place we could see to cut back on was on our groceries. (We aren't the Starbucks type, we hardly eat out, we don't have cable, etc.) I was skeptical about being able to save at the grocery store, I felt I was a smart shopper already. And we are a meat loving family, we could not do rice and beans. We were then spending $125 per week on groceries for our family of four. I agreed with my husband to "try" to cut back to $100 per week. Well, it was absolutely amazing how many ideas starting coming to my mind. God's grace comes when we obey! With the ideas that God gave me, I was able to bring our weekly grocery expense down to $75 per week!

One year ago my husband asked if we could make a dent in our mortgage by paying extra. (Yes this is soon after our expenses were exceeding our income. We were able to get the spending under control and start saving a significant amount. We were also blessed with more income in the process, but I think it was important for us to discipline ourselves before God could bring the blessing.) I crunched some numbers, said that if we decided to live very disciplined (and we had practiced that for a while, so we were good at it), we could pay off our mortgage in 4 years. My husband said he really hoped for 3 years. I agreed that it was doable, since God always blessed us with extra anyway.

Every so often, I go back to that amortization schedule and see if we can get any more time knocked off of it. As of right now, we are set to pay off that mortgage in a year and a half, making the total 2 1/2 years, not 4!

We have decided, during this saving and paying off our house period we are in, to keep an old car that we have, rather than buying a new one. It's a '93 Mazda. It's been a good car, but we have had to put some money into it, this last year or so. It's always the big question, do you keep putting money into a car for repairs or do you ditch it.

Well, after two big expenses, my husband was driving home and it started grinding between gears. He just knew it was the transmission. We had to replace the transmission on a '91 Mazda we had in the past and 6 months later it went out again. So it was really important to us to take it in to someone trustworthy. We don't know cars, so we are at the mercy of the mechanics.

We took it to the dealer and they confirmed that we needed a new transmission. The ballpark was around the $2000 mark. They were going to search out a rebuilt transmission for us. We called another guy that friends had recommended, he quoted $2200. This did not make me happy, but we were thankful that we had the money in savings to pay for it.

Well, two days later the mechanics called and said they couldn't find a rebuilt transmission for us and we could save money by having someone else rebuild ours. So now I was getting excited. I called around, though, and apparently, the cost to rebuild is around the same as replacing one. :( So I kept calling around. I didn't want to have to take my car clear across town (the dealer had recommended someone 30 minutes away), so I started looking online for mechanics close to home. I called one a couple miles away and he was so helpful over the phone. He said that there was a good chance I didn't even need a new transmission. So I went and picked up my car and took it in to him.

The new mechanic called later that day and low and behold! we did NOT need a new transmission!!! It turned out we had a short in some cable. It only cost $97 to fix, NOT $2200!!! God is good!

These are my recent examples of times God has done exceedingly abundantly above what we could ask or think, there have been lots of others. Do you have a story to share?

Revival

Everyone wants revival. Everyone's praying for revival. Everyone says that revival is part of end-times prophecy fulfillment.

But I have a question - what are we doing to bring revival? God has already poured out His Spirit (see Joel 2:28). Peter told us this was fulfilled on Pentecost (see Acts 2). God has already moved, we don't need to pray that He will!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against prayer. Build yourself up with prayer (Jude 1:20) and then go out and DO your job. What is God asking of you? What is your job in the Body of Christ? Why did God save you?

I'm not saying you have to go to Africa. I'm not saying you have to get up in front of people and preach.

What are your gifts and talents? What is your love? How can you use that to bless others? How can you use that for God's glory?

Let's think outside the box of the five-fold ministry parameters. Let's take a step.

What is Step 1?

If you are saved, then you need to equip yourself. Start a study of God's Word so that you can begin to renew your mind, begin to see what God's plan is, begin to see what God is calling you to do. Don't hesitate, start today!

Bible in 90 Days

I'm excited at the reality of actually finishing a "read through the entire Bible" schedule.  I have 12 more "days" to go.  It will probably take me a little more than 12 days.  I can't seem to find as much time on the weekends.  As I mentioned earlier, I didn't want to have the attitude that I'm just reading to check off a list.  I've been relaxed with it.  Some days I read more than the day's selection, some days less and some days none at all.  I didn't want this to be a race to get through the Bible, I wanted to enjoy the reading, and I am.

I have experienced many benefits on this reading program.  I think the biggest benefit is the discipline it has brought.  I realize now that I have more time in my day to read the Bible than I thought.  I find myself sitting down to read for 5 minutes instead of checking facebook.  I find that I can read in more situations than I previously thought--with noisy kids, for example.  :)

When I finish with this reading schedule, I will start back at the beginning of the Bible, this time on a different schedule.  It is a schedule consisting of 8 chapters a day, one chapter from each of the following sections--Torah, historical, poetic, wisdom (Proverbs), prophetic, gospels, epistles, and Revelation (why Revelation?  Because it all ties together here.).  When I heard of this schedule in the past, I thought I didn't have time for it, but now I realize I do.  

Naturally we gravitate to our favorite parts of the Bible.  The parts that are uplifting and make us feel good, perhaps a Psalm or Proverb each day.  That is all good, but II Timothy 3:16 tells us that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine (the basics of what we believe to be truth), reproof (examples of what not to do), correction (things we need to fix), and instruction in righteousness (how to live right).  But if all we are ever reading are just the "feel good" passages, we won't be learning doctrine (essential if you are ever going to mentor another or pass on your belief system to your children) or experiencing growth in our faith and character.  We need the well-rounded diet of the whole Bible.  It's like at mealtime you eat your meat,  veggies, bread, and some dessert.  Hopefully you're not eating dessert for every meal, and this is the attitude we need to take with our Bible reading.  No doubt reading the whole Bible will bring up lots of questions and then these are the areas you can do further study in.  Find a good commentary, dig further into the individual Hebrew and Greek words, their roots, other scripture references that contain the same word, etc.  Start a journal of your questions, like mentioned here.

Not sure what Bible in 90 Days is?  Click here.

Click here to read my post after 6 days on this schedule.

Socialism in the Bible?

I was reading in Daniel 11 today.  It is clearly giving details of Antiochus Epiphanes (Syrian king who defiled the Jewish temple in 166BC, by placing an idol inside, leading to the Maccabean revolt), but more broadly it is describing the antichrist, or coming world leader.

I thought verse 24 was very interesting.  It says, "he will enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers; he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil and riches..."

Does this sound like socialism to you?  Does it sound like the redistribution of wealth we've been hearing about?

I know a lot of Christians are getting really upset about the current path our government is taking, but truthfully, folks, it's been on this path for a VERY long time.

Don't get caught up in the fear and worry that the media would like to feed us.  Find out what your Bible says about government.

If we are truly living in the end times, we are going to start seeing a lot of things we don't like.  But we can rest in the fact that God told us ahead of time it would be like this.  I will rest in the fact that my God will supply all the money I need to pay any tax my government imposes upon me (Philippians 4:19).  I will rest in the fact that He has given His angels charge over me to keep me in all my ways (Psalm 91).  I will rest in the fact that no evil will befall me, nor shall any plague come near my dwelling (Psalm 91).  What promises are you resting on?

If you don't make a regular habit of it, NOW is the time to start a consistent time of study in God's Word.  This is the only way you can have peace in these times we are entering.

Read II Timothy 3, I Thessalonians 4 & 5, Romans 13, I Peter 2:13-17, & I Timothy 2:1-3

See also this great article about the fall of capitalism.

The Thief

John 10:10

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly."

The devil is a thief--he wants to steal your joy, your peace, your health, your freedom (with legalism), your fun, and God's will for your life.

He knows he can't take away your salvation, but he can distract you from your purpose.  He can tempt you with frivolous things that are really just wood, hay, and stubble (see I Cor. 3).  He wants nothing better than to steal your rewards.  I want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"  Are we using our time wisely, or are we allowing the devil to steal our time, with vain, trivial activities?

The devil knows that he can make your life a hell on earth, if you will let him.  Is he tempting you with a mate that will make for a bad marriage?  Is he tempting you with purchases that will leave you strapped and zapped of financial peace?

I hope you get the idea.  II Corinthians 10:3 says that even though we walk in this physical world, we do not war against it, there is spiritual battle taking place.  Are you winning the battle?  Do you know how to fight the enemy?

We need to stop putting God in a box.  He wants to be the Lord of all areas of your life.  If you will seek His kingdom first (seek His will in all things, purchases, relationships, jobs, and more), then you will have the abundant life and the thief will have no hold over you!

Verse For Today

Philippians 4:19

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

All this talk of the Cap & Trade Bill has me thinking of the above verse.  I could feel any number of emotions--anger, fear, anxiety, worry, urgency, disgust--over this bill, but I choose, instead, to trust in God's Word.  It says, in the above verse, that God will provide all my needs.  I will pray for my government and leaders, as commanded in I Timothy 2:1-2, but if this bill passes, I know that my God will provide the extra income to pay this tax.

Fear vs. Love

I John 4:18

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.  But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

Fear says...

  I shun sinners since God hates sin and one day He will judge them.  You had better clean up before I can love you.

Love says...

  God loves this sinner just as much as he loves me.  Christ died for this person.  Even though their sin is wrong, I am going to go out of my way to show love to this person.

Fear says...

  I know the Bible says to preach the gospel, but I just don't have a bold personality.  What would my neighbors say if I mentioned Jesus?!?  How about I just try to be a nice person and let my life be my witness, I'll leave the preaching to the preachers.

Love says...

  How can I knowingly stand be and watch my neighbors and co-workers go to hell?  I will lovingly mention the work that Christ has done in my life and I won't care about rejection, for I know that I have planted a seed.  I will pray that someone will come along and reap the harvest.

Fear says...

  Don't talk to me about the rapture or end times or the tribulation, that stuff freaks me out!

Love says...

  God loves me and His word says, "I have never seen the righteous forsaken."  (Ps. 37:25)

Fear says...

  I'm going through _____________ (trial, sickness, etc.).  What have I done that God is mad about?  Oh God, forgive me, show me what my sin is.  I know you hate sin and you judge sin.

Love says...

  This hard time is an attack from the devil, because God's Word says that it is the thief that comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came to give me life more abundantly!  This is NOT a punishment from God for a sin in my life, because I have been declared righteous once and for all by the blood of Christ!

Fear says...

  I can't believe that person just treated me the way they did!  I'm not going to take that.  I have a few choice words for them!

Love says...

  I wonder what that person is going through to be acting that way.  Perhaps I can give them a word of encouragement to lift them up.

Fear says...

  I can't invite so and so over because my house isn't as nice as their house.

Love says...

  God does not show partiality, so I won't either.  God looks at the heart, not on the outward appearance.

Fear says...

  I hate the way I look, I'm always afraid of what people are thinking of me, they're probably secretly laughing at me.  I wish I was skinny like so and so.  I wish I had her hair.  I wish my teeth were whiter.

Love says...

  God created me in HIS image and He loves me, it doesn't matter what others think (or what the media tells me I should look like)!

Fear says...

  I've got to look out for #1!

Love says...

  God is first in my life, others are second, and I am third.  God will take care of all my needs, I don't need to worry about it.

This is not something that I am perfect in, but it is something that God is teaching me and I am working on.  The verse above is not saying that you have to become perfect in love in order for your fears to be banished, but rather it is when you perfectly understand God's love for you and others that your fears will be gone!  Do you have fear in your life, do a study of God's love and it will go away!

Fear leads to strife, bitterness, envy, and hatred.  Love brings joy and peace.

For a greater understanding of God's unconditional love, I encourage you to check out Andrew Wommack's sermons, here.

Why Am I Here?

Do you ever get that feeling?  Do you know what your purpose is?  Unfortunately, most people don't have a sense of purpose and without it, we flounder through life.  You will find true joy when you find your purpose.

You will remember that I did a study with my son on what the Bible says about who we are, this spring.  After we finished that study we jumped into a study of what the Bible says about WHY we are here, why we were created.  This is what I came up with.

Why Am I Here?

First we realize that it's not all about us!

::We were created for God's glory.

Isaiah 43:7, I Corinthians 10:31, I Corinthians 6:20, Proverbs 16:4

::To love God

Mark 12:28-30

::For God's pleasure

Psalm 149:4, Psalm 147:11

::To worship God

John 4:23, Psalm 105:4, Psalm 113:3, Psalm 34:1

::To understand and know God

Jeremiah 9:24

Now, God wants to work in us and through us...

::To make us like Christ

Romans 8:29, Ephesians 4:22-24, Romans 13:14, I John 3:2, II Peter 3:14 (NIV), Hebrews 4:11

::To develop character in us

Romans 5:3-4, II Peter 1:5-8, Colossians 3:12-17, Galatians 5:22-23

BUT, we must never forget that it is God developing that character in us and changing us into the image of His Son!

Philippians 2:13

Why is character so important?

So we can fulfill the next part of purpose...

::To be the light of the world

John 8:12, Matthew 5:14-16, Ephesians 5:8-10

::To love one another

John 13:34-35, I John 4:7, I Corinthians 13

::To serve one another

Mark 10:35-45

::To bear good fruit

Genesis 1:28, John 15:16. Galatians 5:22-23

::To spread the gospel

Mark 16:15

::To do good works

Ephesians 2:10

::To do a job in the Body of Christ

I Corinthians 3:5-15, Romans 12:6, I Corinthians 12

Now, you may have noticed that the first portion  of this list related to God and the second portion is in relation to others.  We cannot love others and minister to others until we understand God's love for us and let him start to change us from the inside out.

Now, in relation to this earth...

::We are to have dominion over the earth (this is partially realized now and fully realized in the age to come)

Genesis 1:26

And finally, in the future...

::To rule and reign with Christ as kings and priests.

Revelation 5:10 & II Timothy 2:12

Now, equally important as our purpose is, is also what NOT to do.  We are NOT to seek after man's approval, our motives are just as important, sometimes more so, than our actions.  God looks at the heart.  

II Corinthians 10:12, 17-18

As I stated in our study of who we are, you can find more in the Bible to add to this list, but this is what I chose to study with my children.  Start a study to find out what your purpose is.  Need some help?  Check out The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren.

This article is also a follow-up of my challenge, to write down a list of my beliefs.  This list answers some of those questions.

Egyptian Plagues

I have been taught that each one of the plagues of Egypt were an attack against specific Egyptian gods.  I have not done the research to find out the specifics, but I did run across this link today that lists them.  I'm not sure of it's accuracy, but it is neat and gives you a starting point to research if you want.

Enjoy!

Feast of Weeks

Tonight at sundown, the 6th of Sivan on the Jewish calendar, the Feast of Weeks begins.  You may know the Feast of Weeks by it's Greek name, Pentecost.  Pentecost means "fiftieth."  Pentecost comes 50 days after Passover.  In Hebrew, the Feast of Weeks is called Shavout.

What do you know about Pentecost?  I encourage you to explore these links.  There is much more to Pentecost than you may have known.

Biblical Holidays - Shavout

Koinonia House - Feast of Weeks

Biblegateway.com - Book of Ruth (this is the selection that is always read at this particular feast.)