I just read an article that called me a religious
fanatic. Well, not me personally, but me
as a person. Apparently I am a religious
fanatic because I am what is referred to as a "fundamentalist
Christian." So what, exactly, is a
"fundamentalist" Christian?
From what I have found, a fundamentalist Christian is basically...uh...a
"real" Christian. You know,
one that believes the Bible is true and inspired by the Holy Spirit. One who also believes in the divinity of
Jesus Christ and that He was born of a virgin, that He died for our sins and
that He will physically return a second time.
In essence, a fundamentalist is someone who adheres to the
basic tenets (aka "fundamentals") of their faith. Therefore a
fundamentalist Christian is someone who holds to the essentials of the
Christian faith. Essentials, by its very
definition, which would be the beliefs that are actually NECESSARY to truly
define yourself as a Christian. That is
the real definition of a fundamentalist Christian. However, the media's definition of a
fundamentalist Christian is apparently a person who is a snake-handler that
wants to enforce a state religion and blow up things, or at least hold picket
signs that say they want to blow up something.
Nobody wants to be lumped with that crazy crowd, so what has
happened? Well, fundamentalist
Christians have sought to distance themselves from fundamentalism, and what did
that do? It turned them into the very
thing that the fundamentalist movement tried to distance itself from in the
first place--- politically correct instead of Biblically correct, liberal, and
humanistic--- all three of which put man before God. And that's no bueno.
Friday, July 17, 2015
God Doesn't Hate Shrimp
I'm having a moment of allowing my emotions to be my engine rather than my caboose. People, let's get one thing straight. God don't hate shrimp, ya dig? If I read one more article that has some Biblically illiterate person compare eating shrimp or mixing fabrics with moral law, I just might seriously consider throwing myself off of the nearest bridge.
Old Testament 101: There were 5 basic divisions of Levitical law-- 1) Civil, 2) Sanitary, 3) Ceremonial, 4) Moral, 5) Religious. The purpose of these laws were to set Israel apart from the other nations. When God set Israel apart to be His own peculiar nation, there was no other nation on the face of the planet that worshiped God Almighty. None, zero, not one, they were all pagan.
Every. Single. One.
Therefore, when God set Israel apart, they were to be different from all the other nations-- literally and symbolically. Many times, the literal ordinances carried far deeper spiritual symbolism. When you actually read the New Testament, you know, the whole thing, you learn this little factoid. And since God had already purposed to send mankind a Savior since before we even needed one, He knew that Jesus would have to be born among a people that knew and worshiped God only. For Jesus to live and die sinless, sin had to be defined. God gave the Israelites laws to live by that completely separated them from all the other nations, and He expected them to live by those laws. It doesn't matter why, although there were several valid reasons I'm not going to get into them now. Regardless, no matter what the laws were, not obeying them was the sin. It was more about obedience and symbolic separation than eating the shrimp, ya dig?
Which brings me to my first of two points.....when Christ died on the cross, He fulfilled that obedience IN FULL, TO THE LETTER. Get this please-- the purpose of Christ's LIFE was to fulfill the purpose of the nation of Israel. (Israel is still God's nation, nothing has changed in that regard.) However, when Christ died, God did a "new thing" (Isaiah 43:19). Thus, the purpose of Christ's DEATH was to fulfill the purpose of saving ALL NATIONS.
Which brings me to my second point....the civil, sanitary, ceremonial and religious laws were particular to the nation of Israel, fulfilled by the life of Christ. However, the moral laws are universal and absolute and apply to ALL nations. The Apostle Paul reiterates exactly what those moral laws are throughout his letters which comprise the New Testament.
Okay, I'm done with my rant....
Old Testament 101: There were 5 basic divisions of Levitical law-- 1) Civil, 2) Sanitary, 3) Ceremonial, 4) Moral, 5) Religious. The purpose of these laws were to set Israel apart from the other nations. When God set Israel apart to be His own peculiar nation, there was no other nation on the face of the planet that worshiped God Almighty. None, zero, not one, they were all pagan.
Every. Single. One.
Therefore, when God set Israel apart, they were to be different from all the other nations-- literally and symbolically. Many times, the literal ordinances carried far deeper spiritual symbolism. When you actually read the New Testament, you know, the whole thing, you learn this little factoid. And since God had already purposed to send mankind a Savior since before we even needed one, He knew that Jesus would have to be born among a people that knew and worshiped God only. For Jesus to live and die sinless, sin had to be defined. God gave the Israelites laws to live by that completely separated them from all the other nations, and He expected them to live by those laws. It doesn't matter why, although there were several valid reasons I'm not going to get into them now. Regardless, no matter what the laws were, not obeying them was the sin. It was more about obedience and symbolic separation than eating the shrimp, ya dig?
Which brings me to my first of two points.....when Christ died on the cross, He fulfilled that obedience IN FULL, TO THE LETTER. Get this please-- the purpose of Christ's LIFE was to fulfill the purpose of the nation of Israel. (Israel is still God's nation, nothing has changed in that regard.) However, when Christ died, God did a "new thing" (Isaiah 43:19). Thus, the purpose of Christ's DEATH was to fulfill the purpose of saving ALL NATIONS.
Which brings me to my second point....the civil, sanitary, ceremonial and religious laws were particular to the nation of Israel, fulfilled by the life of Christ. However, the moral laws are universal and absolute and apply to ALL nations. The Apostle Paul reiterates exactly what those moral laws are throughout his letters which comprise the New Testament.
Okay, I'm done with my rant....
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Paul's Teaching VS Christ's Teaching
There is a disturbing teaching I have come across as of late that seeks to devalue and dismiss the teachings of the Apostle Paul. These people claim that Paul perverted the teachings of Christ and anyone who abides by his teachings is actually a follower of Paul, rather than a follower of Christ. Their claim is that Paul's "version" of Christianity is antithetical to Christ's. Besides this being wrong on every level rationale and reasoning whatsoever, it would also mean that over half of our New Testament would need to be deleted from the Bible. This would include the Book of Acts, over half of which deals with how Paul became an Apostle and began ministering to the Gentiles. Also the Book of 2 Peter, which testifies to the divine inspiration and authority of Paul's ministry. And while you're at it, you might as well throw out 1 Peter as well, because if Peter's judgment is questioned in regard to his second letter, then anything else attributed to him must be questioned as well. Huh, I guess Jesus should have chosen a better "rock" on which to establish His church, eh?
Anyway, that would mean that 17 of the 27 books of the New Testament would have to be thrown out. No, wait, make that 18, because the Book of Revelation would have to go too since Jesus' letters to the churches in Chapters 1 through 3 are all churches that were either started by the Apostle Paul himself or as a direct result of his missionary work. Then that brings us into quite a quandary, because now we must question the authority and judgment of Jesus Himself, which would require us to throw out the entire Bible.
Although this notion of Paul vs. Christ has been around long before the homosexual marriage debate, it has been gaining a lot of momentum as the debate rages forward because of Paul's clearly stated condemnation of homosexual practices. Their reasoning is that Christ said nothing specifically about homosexuality, thus if a way can be found to disregard Paul, then a way has been found to disregard his teachings. That would also include his teachings about women in church. Personally, as a woman, these particular teachings are hard to navigate and even harder to submit to in faith, even after a correct understanding is reached. But if I single out and disregard that particular teaching, then I am creating my own religion. We want to find a way around it, we want to turn a blind eye to some parts and follow the rest, but the Bible doesn't work like that. The simple fact of the matter is, that it is a person's pride that keeps them from submission to God's word. We resist because since the very beginning, from the very Garden in which we were created, our desire to choose for ourselves overwhelms our desire to be led by God, especially when that requires any perceived compromise on our part.
Criticizing or judging Paul's ministry can be likened to telling God that He made a mistake in His choice of whom to appoint as Apostle to the Gentiles. In so doing, we would also be telling God that the Christianization of the entire Western civilization since the time of the Apostles was a mistake, because His choice to use Paul as an Apostle is how that was accomplished. But God doesn't make mistakes.
The Bible must be accepted in faith. Faith that the Bible Itself is a complete revelation, and that the revelation which has been given is inspired by the Holy Spirit, all of it. Faith that God is fully capable of making sure that What claims to be His revealed testament about Himself and His plan for humanity, has remained relatively intact throughout history.
How can a Christian believe that God created all of existence in 6 days, yet that He cannot guide men throughout history to maintain the integrity of Biblical texts? Even, in pride, if you do not believe God created everything in 6 days, yet do believe that He did, in fact, create everything, my point still stands. If He is able to create all, He is able to ensure all, including the reliability of the Book that claims to testify of Him. What a cruel joke to expect your own creation to know what you expect of them, yet not provide any reliable revelation as to what that might be. To expect them to seek you, yet not provide any trustworthy path for which to be sought. If we deem the Bible as untrustworthy, then we must necessarily deem God untrustworthy. For God to truly be a just and righteous God, the Bible MUST be trustworthy, lest He be a cruel and deceitful God Who has left us without navigation, without standard and without hope.
To believe that Paul was not an Apostle of Christ who was inspired by the Holy Spirit, you would first have to believe Christ Himself to be a liar, for He Himself stated:
"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you." (John 16:13,14)
Jesus said that the Apostles would be inspired by the Holy Spirit:
"When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning." (John 15:26,27)
Therefore when we put faith in Jesus' words, that would mean that the Apostle Peter was inspired by the Holy Spirit, according to Jesus' own words. Therefore, you would also have to believe Jesus and the Apostle Peter to both be liars, for Peter stated:
"And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures." (2 Peter 3:15,16)
You would also have to believe Paul himself to be a liar, as he accounts the Lord's words to him:
"...for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." (Acts 26:16-18)
And Paul's own words about himself:
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit Who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words." (1 Cor 2:12,13)
I can say without reservation, that those who would discount and disregard Paul are truly devoid of the Holy Spirit. I do not make such claims lightly. However, of this I am absolutely certain, it is only with the Holy Spirit that one can truly understand and comprehend the spiritual depth of Paul's teaching. Paul explains this, "The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." (1 Cor 2:14)
Anyway, that would mean that 17 of the 27 books of the New Testament would have to be thrown out. No, wait, make that 18, because the Book of Revelation would have to go too since Jesus' letters to the churches in Chapters 1 through 3 are all churches that were either started by the Apostle Paul himself or as a direct result of his missionary work. Then that brings us into quite a quandary, because now we must question the authority and judgment of Jesus Himself, which would require us to throw out the entire Bible.
Although this notion of Paul vs. Christ has been around long before the homosexual marriage debate, it has been gaining a lot of momentum as the debate rages forward because of Paul's clearly stated condemnation of homosexual practices. Their reasoning is that Christ said nothing specifically about homosexuality, thus if a way can be found to disregard Paul, then a way has been found to disregard his teachings. That would also include his teachings about women in church. Personally, as a woman, these particular teachings are hard to navigate and even harder to submit to in faith, even after a correct understanding is reached. But if I single out and disregard that particular teaching, then I am creating my own religion. We want to find a way around it, we want to turn a blind eye to some parts and follow the rest, but the Bible doesn't work like that. The simple fact of the matter is, that it is a person's pride that keeps them from submission to God's word. We resist because since the very beginning, from the very Garden in which we were created, our desire to choose for ourselves overwhelms our desire to be led by God, especially when that requires any perceived compromise on our part.
Criticizing or judging Paul's ministry can be likened to telling God that He made a mistake in His choice of whom to appoint as Apostle to the Gentiles. In so doing, we would also be telling God that the Christianization of the entire Western civilization since the time of the Apostles was a mistake, because His choice to use Paul as an Apostle is how that was accomplished. But God doesn't make mistakes.
The Bible must be accepted in faith. Faith that the Bible Itself is a complete revelation, and that the revelation which has been given is inspired by the Holy Spirit, all of it. Faith that God is fully capable of making sure that What claims to be His revealed testament about Himself and His plan for humanity, has remained relatively intact throughout history.
How can a Christian believe that God created all of existence in 6 days, yet that He cannot guide men throughout history to maintain the integrity of Biblical texts? Even, in pride, if you do not believe God created everything in 6 days, yet do believe that He did, in fact, create everything, my point still stands. If He is able to create all, He is able to ensure all, including the reliability of the Book that claims to testify of Him. What a cruel joke to expect your own creation to know what you expect of them, yet not provide any reliable revelation as to what that might be. To expect them to seek you, yet not provide any trustworthy path for which to be sought. If we deem the Bible as untrustworthy, then we must necessarily deem God untrustworthy. For God to truly be a just and righteous God, the Bible MUST be trustworthy, lest He be a cruel and deceitful God Who has left us without navigation, without standard and without hope.
To believe that Paul was not an Apostle of Christ who was inspired by the Holy Spirit, you would first have to believe Christ Himself to be a liar, for He Himself stated:
"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you." (John 16:13,14)
Jesus said that the Apostles would be inspired by the Holy Spirit:
"When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning." (John 15:26,27)
Therefore when we put faith in Jesus' words, that would mean that the Apostle Peter was inspired by the Holy Spirit, according to Jesus' own words. Therefore, you would also have to believe Jesus and the Apostle Peter to both be liars, for Peter stated:
"And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures." (2 Peter 3:15,16)
You would also have to believe Paul himself to be a liar, as he accounts the Lord's words to him:
"...for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." (Acts 26:16-18)
And Paul's own words about himself:
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit Who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words." (1 Cor 2:12,13)
I can say without reservation, that those who would discount and disregard Paul are truly devoid of the Holy Spirit. I do not make such claims lightly. However, of this I am absolutely certain, it is only with the Holy Spirit that one can truly understand and comprehend the spiritual depth of Paul's teaching. Paul explains this, "The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." (1 Cor 2:14)
Sunday, July 12, 2015
A Disturbing Dream, A Word For The Church
I had a disturbing dream the other night that I feel like I'm supposed to share. During my dream (the subject of which I can't remember) an angel appeared. Its appearance was a simple generic male form, no detail. He beckoned me to him like he was going to take me somewhere and I placed my head on his shoulder, eyes closed and waited. Something loud and tumultuous began to happen all around us and I told him I was scared. He placed his hand gently behind my head, hugging me into his shoulder and began to tell me everything was going to be okay. I kept telling him I was scared and he kept telling me everything was going to be okay.
As this was taking place, I began to feel a tingling electricity in my head, neck and shoulder area and I remember thinking, "This is it! This is the rapture and my flesh is being transformed into my eternal form...I can't believe this, it is actually happening!"
The only way I can describe it was that I remember thinking it was like I was being "unzipped" from my body. Once this "unzipping" got down to around my shoulder area, I had a "wait a minute..." moment and tried to raise my head up while asking the angel who he was. I started asking, "Who are you? Wait..stop...who are you?"
As soon as I began to question who this entity actually was and on what authority it was sent to me, it began to hug my head tighter against its shoulder and change into something else. It began to change into something hideous and it didn't want to let me go. I was horrified and repulsed and the only thing I could think to say was, "Jesus is Lord!" When I said that and the entity didn't agree with me, I began to panic. The only other thing that came to my mind to say was, "The blood of Jesus upon you." I began to repeat that over and over and although what I was saying was making the entity more grotesque in appearance, it still didn't let me go. I was confused because I expected the fact that I even mentioned Jesus' name to send the thing scurrying back into the darkness it came from. But, that wasn't happening and I couldn't understand why.
The next thing I did was simply cry out for Jesus. I screamed His name like a terrified child would scream for its mother. While screaming out for my Savior, He did not appear...He was nowhere to be seen, and the entity was beyond enraged and beyond grotesque and I was utterly horrified because it would not let me go.
The last thing I did was think to myself, "Jesus, I may not see You but I know You hear me. I know that I am Your child and that I belong to You and that You have authority over this thing." I remember thinking about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when they were being thrown in the fiery furnace and said, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God Whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power....but even if He does not, let it be known to you...that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." (Dan 3:17)
Even though the entity showed no other reaction to my words other than the change in its appearance, the moment I made up my mind to believe that Jesus heard me and would deliver me even though I didn't see Him, while simultaneously resolving that even if He didn't deliver me He was still my God, I woke up from my dream.
For several days after this dream, it bothered me that God would allow me to have such a horrifying spiritual experience. The reason He allowed it was to show me my own spiritual weaknesses and to share my dream with those whom He has prepared to be convicted by its spiritual implications.
The understanding I have been given in regard to the spiritual implications of this dream is:
1. I had accepted this entity at face value, that it was what it appeared to be. It looked like an angel, so I accepted that it was an angel without any further question. However, it was actually something quite different when tested according to God's Word.
-There is a desperate need for the Body of Christ to apply this spiritual teaching in their lives and their churches. Examine all books, preachers, Bible studies, ministries, etc., according to God's Word, not their appearance, popularity or how they make you feel. Just because someone claims to represent God, doesn't mean they are actually representing Him according to His Word.
2. The entity was telling me what I wanted to hear, so I accepted its comfort. I was allowing the change that was being made upon me only because the entity was telling me everything was going to be okay because that's what I needed to hear. But the changes that were being made weren't from God, and neither was the entity.
-When we follow ministries simply because they tell us what we want to hear, the spiritual changes being made within us are not by the Holy Spirit and will ultimately lead us further away from truth.
3. I had been putting my faith in my words, like they were some kind of magic charm, rather than putting my faith in God's words-- His promises of deliverance and protection for those who love Him. I honestly expected the entity to cringe and yelp as soon as I uttered Jesus' name, and much more when I pleaded Jesus' blood.
-It wasn't the words I spoke, but the belief in my heart that released me from the entity. Christians, as a whole, have lost a true understanding of real faith.
As this was taking place, I began to feel a tingling electricity in my head, neck and shoulder area and I remember thinking, "This is it! This is the rapture and my flesh is being transformed into my eternal form...I can't believe this, it is actually happening!"
The only way I can describe it was that I remember thinking it was like I was being "unzipped" from my body. Once this "unzipping" got down to around my shoulder area, I had a "wait a minute..." moment and tried to raise my head up while asking the angel who he was. I started asking, "Who are you? Wait..stop...who are you?"
As soon as I began to question who this entity actually was and on what authority it was sent to me, it began to hug my head tighter against its shoulder and change into something else. It began to change into something hideous and it didn't want to let me go. I was horrified and repulsed and the only thing I could think to say was, "Jesus is Lord!" When I said that and the entity didn't agree with me, I began to panic. The only other thing that came to my mind to say was, "The blood of Jesus upon you." I began to repeat that over and over and although what I was saying was making the entity more grotesque in appearance, it still didn't let me go. I was confused because I expected the fact that I even mentioned Jesus' name to send the thing scurrying back into the darkness it came from. But, that wasn't happening and I couldn't understand why.
The next thing I did was simply cry out for Jesus. I screamed His name like a terrified child would scream for its mother. While screaming out for my Savior, He did not appear...He was nowhere to be seen, and the entity was beyond enraged and beyond grotesque and I was utterly horrified because it would not let me go.
The last thing I did was think to myself, "Jesus, I may not see You but I know You hear me. I know that I am Your child and that I belong to You and that You have authority over this thing." I remember thinking about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when they were being thrown in the fiery furnace and said, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God Whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power....but even if He does not, let it be known to you...that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." (Dan 3:17)
Even though the entity showed no other reaction to my words other than the change in its appearance, the moment I made up my mind to believe that Jesus heard me and would deliver me even though I didn't see Him, while simultaneously resolving that even if He didn't deliver me He was still my God, I woke up from my dream.
For several days after this dream, it bothered me that God would allow me to have such a horrifying spiritual experience. The reason He allowed it was to show me my own spiritual weaknesses and to share my dream with those whom He has prepared to be convicted by its spiritual implications.
The understanding I have been given in regard to the spiritual implications of this dream is:
1. I had accepted this entity at face value, that it was what it appeared to be. It looked like an angel, so I accepted that it was an angel without any further question. However, it was actually something quite different when tested according to God's Word.
-There is a desperate need for the Body of Christ to apply this spiritual teaching in their lives and their churches. Examine all books, preachers, Bible studies, ministries, etc., according to God's Word, not their appearance, popularity or how they make you feel. Just because someone claims to represent God, doesn't mean they are actually representing Him according to His Word.
2. The entity was telling me what I wanted to hear, so I accepted its comfort. I was allowing the change that was being made upon me only because the entity was telling me everything was going to be okay because that's what I needed to hear. But the changes that were being made weren't from God, and neither was the entity.
-When we follow ministries simply because they tell us what we want to hear, the spiritual changes being made within us are not by the Holy Spirit and will ultimately lead us further away from truth.
3. I had been putting my faith in my words, like they were some kind of magic charm, rather than putting my faith in God's words-- His promises of deliverance and protection for those who love Him. I honestly expected the entity to cringe and yelp as soon as I uttered Jesus' name, and much more when I pleaded Jesus' blood.
-It wasn't the words I spoke, but the belief in my heart that released me from the entity. Christians, as a whole, have lost a true understanding of real faith.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
The Call To Change
I am living proof that God can change people. If you have been praying for someone, don't ever give up. No matter how hopeless it may seem for God to get through to someone, all things are possible with God. If you believe God to be the Author and Finisher of all creation-- seen and unseen, explored and unexplored, fathomable and unfathomable-- then how much further of a stretch is it to believe that He can change the heart of a mere mortal?
However, sometimes our prayers for God to change someone should actually be prayers for Him to help them hear Him in the first place. A person can't change until they can hear God telling them they need to.
However, sometimes our prayers for God to change someone should actually be prayers for Him to help them hear Him in the first place. A person can't change until they can hear God telling them they need to.
Friday, July 3, 2015
An Empty Cup
A few years ago I started praying for God to help me know Him, to draw me into a deeper, more committed relationship with Him. I prayed that I would hear His voice, that He would speak to me in profound ways. Once again, my expectations were grandiose and sensational: visions, dreams, His audible voice, etc. And once again, God delivered His answer in His usual, quiet, non-grandiose, non-sensational way. He revealed to me that if I truly wanted to know Him and have the deeper relationship with Him I was desiring, then the best place to start was with what He has already revealed to us about Him through His Word. Once again, not what I was expecting, yet once again, enough.
I have to admit, when God answered my prayer to know Him and have a deeper relationship with Him by simply telling me to read my Bible, you know, the whole thing, I was kinda bummed. In my fervent desire for God to use me, I completely missed the fact that God had to first make me usable. Too often our prayer to God is, "Use me!", like, "Hey God, I've really got a lot to offer you!" When instead it should be, "God, make me usable!", because the reality is we've really got a lot to learn.
I really, truly felt like I had a lot to offer God: outspoken, outgoing, determined, dedicated, etc. In my human ignorance I figured God could use me for some really great, profound things. But God can't use people who feel like they have a lot to offer Him, because in all actuality, God doesn't need anything. There is nothing we can offer God that He doesn't already have. Therefore, the only people that God can really use are those that completely empty themselves and allow God to fill them back up. In essence, you have to allow God to break you so you can realize that no matter how "good" we think we are, we are ALL wretched and sinful and in desperate need of His guidance, love and salvation. That is when God can finally show you who you really are and what you were really meant to do. Because only when God has broken us away from ourselves, can we finally sit still and listen.
I have to admit, when God answered my prayer to know Him and have a deeper relationship with Him by simply telling me to read my Bible, you know, the whole thing, I was kinda bummed. In my fervent desire for God to use me, I completely missed the fact that God had to first make me usable. Too often our prayer to God is, "Use me!", like, "Hey God, I've really got a lot to offer you!" When instead it should be, "God, make me usable!", because the reality is we've really got a lot to learn.
I really, truly felt like I had a lot to offer God: outspoken, outgoing, determined, dedicated, etc. In my human ignorance I figured God could use me for some really great, profound things. But God can't use people who feel like they have a lot to offer Him, because in all actuality, God doesn't need anything. There is nothing we can offer God that He doesn't already have. Therefore, the only people that God can really use are those that completely empty themselves and allow God to fill them back up. In essence, you have to allow God to break you so you can realize that no matter how "good" we think we are, we are ALL wretched and sinful and in desperate need of His guidance, love and salvation. That is when God can finally show you who you really are and what you were really meant to do. Because only when God has broken us away from ourselves, can we finally sit still and listen.
Carried To The Cross
It is one thing to stand up for God's truth, but it is another to drive away all those who need to hear it the most.
You drive people away when they feel attacked and quite often, those who feel attacked are those who usually need to hear it the most. Also quite often, those who are called to stand up for Biblical truth do so with a fervor that could drive a nail through a cement block, rather than balanced with love and grace. But that's the catch, balancing fervor and passion for God and His Word with grace and mercy, because quite often the two approaches seem to be mutually exclusive. Grace and mercy run and hide under the nearest rock when fervor and passion begin to pound the pulpit, ya dig? However, I'm also not saying that pounding the pulpit isn't necessary sometimes to get people's attention. Sometimes pounding the pulpit serves as a good reminder that God isn't our "buddy", but the Almighty Creator worthy to be feared and worshiped, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Who has definitive boundaries and takes righteousness, sin and judgment very seriously. I'm also not saying that God's truth, in and of itself, isn't offensive to those who simply do not want to hear it.
But all pounding and no grace drives people away. On the other hand, all grace and no pounding rots the fruit of repentance. Fervent truth with merciful grace. Compassion without compromise. That is how you carry people to repentance at the cross.
You drive people away when they feel attacked and quite often, those who feel attacked are those who usually need to hear it the most. Also quite often, those who are called to stand up for Biblical truth do so with a fervor that could drive a nail through a cement block, rather than balanced with love and grace. But that's the catch, balancing fervor and passion for God and His Word with grace and mercy, because quite often the two approaches seem to be mutually exclusive. Grace and mercy run and hide under the nearest rock when fervor and passion begin to pound the pulpit, ya dig? However, I'm also not saying that pounding the pulpit isn't necessary sometimes to get people's attention. Sometimes pounding the pulpit serves as a good reminder that God isn't our "buddy", but the Almighty Creator worthy to be feared and worshiped, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Who has definitive boundaries and takes righteousness, sin and judgment very seriously. I'm also not saying that God's truth, in and of itself, isn't offensive to those who simply do not want to hear it.
But all pounding and no grace drives people away. On the other hand, all grace and no pounding rots the fruit of repentance. Fervent truth with merciful grace. Compassion without compromise. That is how you carry people to repentance at the cross.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Jesus Argued
As I pondered the direction we are headed as a nation and the weariness of arguing with people that has begun to beset my soul, I began to ponder the ministry of Christ.
There are spiritual gifts listed at 1 Cor 12:8, 1 Cor 12:28, Eph 4:7 and Rom 12:3. Some are motivational gifts, some are ministerial gifts, and some are manifestation gifts, but all are gifts of the Holy Spirit to effect balance and unity within the Body of Christ. The motivational gifts are our "operative gifts." Meaning, as we mature in Christ, our motivational (or operative) gift is used to develop the ministerial and manifestation gifts. There are 7 operative/motivational gifts recognized as being endowed to those walking with Christ and filled with His Spirit: Service, Teaching, Giving, Exhortation, Prophet, Leadership and Mercy. I encourage anyone serious about their walk with Christ to discover their spiritual gift and grow in it to better serve the Body of Christ. God revealed my spiritual gift to me three years ago and it changed my life. I remember wondering if I could pick a different one, you know, one that seemed a little easier and more comfortable, but it doesn't work like that. Like I tell my own kids, "You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit." My spiritual gift catapulted me out of my comfort zone while simultaneously forcing me to confront my own personal flaws...not easy, nor comfortable, but necessary.
As I pondered Christ's ministry, the first thing the Holy Spirit brought to my attention was that Jesus is the only human being who has ever possessed all the spiritual gifts and executed them with perfection. This was comforting to me because we will all fail at one time or another in our desire to serve God. The other thing that the Holy Spirit brought to my attention is that Jesus also spent much of His ministry arguing with people. This is because one of those operative/motivational gifts absolutely compels you to stand up for God's Word, regardless of the cost or circumstance. For all intents and purposes, it is that particular gift that ultimately led to Jesus' death because He walked the earth during a time in which truth was perverted and people hated Him for speaking it.
Yes, Jesus was and is merciful, He served, He gave, He exhorted, but He also taught, He led and was the ultimate prophet of truth. I imagine His frustration at arguing right versus wrong on topics that were self-evident and obvious. I am comforted that often Jesus' argument--"It is written...", was the same as my own-- "Because the Bible says so." I imagine a lot of the time we are told that Jesus departed to go and pray, He prayed to be delivered from His frustration and to not grow weary. I am comforted by the likelihood that my Savior prayed the very same things I pray for myself.
Jesus never quit arguing for truth, He never let His weariness and frustration overcome Him, and neither should we.
There are spiritual gifts listed at 1 Cor 12:8, 1 Cor 12:28, Eph 4:7 and Rom 12:3. Some are motivational gifts, some are ministerial gifts, and some are manifestation gifts, but all are gifts of the Holy Spirit to effect balance and unity within the Body of Christ. The motivational gifts are our "operative gifts." Meaning, as we mature in Christ, our motivational (or operative) gift is used to develop the ministerial and manifestation gifts. There are 7 operative/motivational gifts recognized as being endowed to those walking with Christ and filled with His Spirit: Service, Teaching, Giving, Exhortation, Prophet, Leadership and Mercy. I encourage anyone serious about their walk with Christ to discover their spiritual gift and grow in it to better serve the Body of Christ. God revealed my spiritual gift to me three years ago and it changed my life. I remember wondering if I could pick a different one, you know, one that seemed a little easier and more comfortable, but it doesn't work like that. Like I tell my own kids, "You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit." My spiritual gift catapulted me out of my comfort zone while simultaneously forcing me to confront my own personal flaws...not easy, nor comfortable, but necessary.
As I pondered Christ's ministry, the first thing the Holy Spirit brought to my attention was that Jesus is the only human being who has ever possessed all the spiritual gifts and executed them with perfection. This was comforting to me because we will all fail at one time or another in our desire to serve God. The other thing that the Holy Spirit brought to my attention is that Jesus also spent much of His ministry arguing with people. This is because one of those operative/motivational gifts absolutely compels you to stand up for God's Word, regardless of the cost or circumstance. For all intents and purposes, it is that particular gift that ultimately led to Jesus' death because He walked the earth during a time in which truth was perverted and people hated Him for speaking it.
Yes, Jesus was and is merciful, He served, He gave, He exhorted, but He also taught, He led and was the ultimate prophet of truth. I imagine His frustration at arguing right versus wrong on topics that were self-evident and obvious. I am comforted that often Jesus' argument--"It is written...", was the same as my own-- "Because the Bible says so." I imagine a lot of the time we are told that Jesus departed to go and pray, He prayed to be delivered from His frustration and to not grow weary. I am comforted by the likelihood that my Savior prayed the very same things I pray for myself.
Jesus never quit arguing for truth, He never let His weariness and frustration overcome Him, and neither should we.
Wood Knocks
As I lay in my bed the night of the Supreme Court decision on gay marriage, crying out to God in prayer, my soul wept. In my frustrated prayers, I asked God to give me the words to pray, to send me a word to share with others in light of that day's decision by the Supreme Court of America. I asked for His words because my own words simply would not do, because my own words would be fueled by my emotions and the Body of Christ can never use words like that to truly represent God. Those kind of words will always do more harm than good, no matter how well-intentioned. I lay there for an hour, praying, waiting, tossing and turning, finally falling into frustrated sleep.
At around 2 a.m. I was roused from sleep by my 4 month old's foot in my ear, demanding her first feeding of the night. Half-in and half-out of sleep, someone was telling me over and over, "Wood knocks."
I often ask for God to send me a word to share with others, something to guide or encourage the Body of Christ, and am usually greeted by silence. I am okay with that because on the rare occasions that I do receive a word from our Father makes years of asking and that one brief moment of receiving, totally worth it.
So that night I got, "wood knocks." At first I didn't understand, thinking, "God what does that mean?" That's not what I was expecting, I was expecting something profound, something earth shattering. But one thing I have learned when dealing with God is that 99.9% of the time, it will never be what you are expecting, but 100% of the time it will be enough. In the brief moment it took for me to completely rouse from half-sleep to full-consciousness I was given understanding. The scripture that flashed in my mind was, "Keep knocking, and the door will be opened for you... the person who keeps knocking will have the door opened." (Matt 7:7,8) The understanding that was given was that the wood was the cross...the cross opens the door...the cross is repentance. The entire purpose of Jesus' life and what He accomplished on the cross was about repentance and salvation. America has closed the door, only wood can knock, and only repentance will open it.
Not what I was expecting, but enough for those meant to receive it.
At around 2 a.m. I was roused from sleep by my 4 month old's foot in my ear, demanding her first feeding of the night. Half-in and half-out of sleep, someone was telling me over and over, "Wood knocks."
I often ask for God to send me a word to share with others, something to guide or encourage the Body of Christ, and am usually greeted by silence. I am okay with that because on the rare occasions that I do receive a word from our Father makes years of asking and that one brief moment of receiving, totally worth it.
So that night I got, "wood knocks." At first I didn't understand, thinking, "God what does that mean?" That's not what I was expecting, I was expecting something profound, something earth shattering. But one thing I have learned when dealing with God is that 99.9% of the time, it will never be what you are expecting, but 100% of the time it will be enough. In the brief moment it took for me to completely rouse from half-sleep to full-consciousness I was given understanding. The scripture that flashed in my mind was, "Keep knocking, and the door will be opened for you... the person who keeps knocking will have the door opened." (Matt 7:7,8) The understanding that was given was that the wood was the cross...the cross opens the door...the cross is repentance. The entire purpose of Jesus' life and what He accomplished on the cross was about repentance and salvation. America has closed the door, only wood can knock, and only repentance will open it.
Not what I was expecting, but enough for those meant to receive it.
Little Girl, Rise Up
He took her by the hand and told her, "Talitha koum," which means, "Young lady, I tell you, get up!" (Mark 5:41)
God has been working on me over the last 3 years. A lot. Granted, He has worked on me my entire life, but He's definitely put the pedal to the metal over the last 3 years.
Three years ago, I finally read the Bible from cover to cover. Something every single professing Christian should do. It will change your life.
Three years ago, I started a weekly discipleship through a small local church. Something every single professing Christian should do. It will make you usable.
Three years ago, God revealed to me my spiritual gift. Something every single professing Christian should seek. It will give you purpose.
Where I was once quick to share my thoughts on a matter, God began to reel me in to be more of an observer than a participant. Anyone who knows me personally can attest that water boarding would be a more humane sentence for someone such as myself, than to sit idly by without interjecting my two-cents.
But that's the problem: it's MY two-cents.
My two-cents do nothing to build God's kingdom.
You see, anyone that desires to be used by God must first ask God to make them usable. And anyone that God chooses to make useable as a mouth-piece absolutely must learn two integral things: 1.) Self-restraint, and 2.) Discernment.
Self restraint, because it is human nature to allow our emotions to be our engine, rather than our caboose. Self-restraint, because before anything is ever said, God needs to be consulted on the matter, and God works on His schedule, not ours, and quite frankly, sometimes God takes His sweet time. And discernment, because it's important to discern our own thoughts from those truly inspired by the Holy Spirit. Our own thoughts aren't going to accomplish much, but those truly inspired by the Holy Spirit and founded in God's Word are "sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) Which means if your words are inspired by the Holy Spirit, they will be received by those meant to hear them.
That is my prayer for this blog.
God has been working on me over the last 3 years. A lot. Granted, He has worked on me my entire life, but He's definitely put the pedal to the metal over the last 3 years.
Three years ago, I finally read the Bible from cover to cover. Something every single professing Christian should do. It will change your life.
Three years ago, I started a weekly discipleship through a small local church. Something every single professing Christian should do. It will make you usable.
Three years ago, God revealed to me my spiritual gift. Something every single professing Christian should seek. It will give you purpose.
Where I was once quick to share my thoughts on a matter, God began to reel me in to be more of an observer than a participant. Anyone who knows me personally can attest that water boarding would be a more humane sentence for someone such as myself, than to sit idly by without interjecting my two-cents.
But that's the problem: it's MY two-cents.
My two-cents do nothing to build God's kingdom.
You see, anyone that desires to be used by God must first ask God to make them usable. And anyone that God chooses to make useable as a mouth-piece absolutely must learn two integral things: 1.) Self-restraint, and 2.) Discernment.
Self restraint, because it is human nature to allow our emotions to be our engine, rather than our caboose. Self-restraint, because before anything is ever said, God needs to be consulted on the matter, and God works on His schedule, not ours, and quite frankly, sometimes God takes His sweet time. And discernment, because it's important to discern our own thoughts from those truly inspired by the Holy Spirit. Our own thoughts aren't going to accomplish much, but those truly inspired by the Holy Spirit and founded in God's Word are "sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) Which means if your words are inspired by the Holy Spirit, they will be received by those meant to hear them.
That is my prayer for this blog.
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