Forgiveness: The Gospel Message in One Word

I have hard time joining and sometimes splitting the two thoughts of church being in a building and coercing myself into promoting it's being in a building way of thinking; contrasting it with church being held anywhere that God's people choose to meet or dwell.  This view does away with most of the bureaucracy that comes with the former. Although there is truth in that statement I just made, but truth be told  disagreements arise in any and all places where fallible humans meet.

Then, I also have a HARD time with cowardice, hypocritical, passive aggressive individuals! I have heard it said that what we despise most in others, what we despise most about ourselves. Hmmmmm... am I any of these? (The question is worth asking) But, too, Jesus despised the Pharisees and He had none of the above in Him! So, what if at one time in my life I displayed any one these character flaws; should it not be all the easier for me to pour, lavishly, grace and mercy on others who are where I 'used to be'? I think about the man who was forgiven much but was in turn unable to forgive just a little bit. And, how his master gave him an even harsher punishment because of his unwillingness to overlook his own servant's debt. As you know, parables are earthly stories with heavenly meaning. So, I know that if I do not show forgiveness to others, as God has forgiven me, I will not be forgiven. Oh yeah, it's in there.(Matthew 6:14)

Oh that I would not be a shrewd manager! May I forever for be an emblem of Grace because that is What/Who Jesus is for me. May I always re-present the Jesus to all I encounter, even those who it is hard to love or befriend. May I present myself as a living sacrifice and die to my own way of handling people. May Christ be seen in me- that I may actually flesh-out His Gospel message. As I live, denying myself, and embracing my cross. May I choose to see beyond what my naked and blurry eyes can see. THIS HERE is REAL! And it gets NO MORE REAL than this!  THIS HERE IS THE WAY OF THE GOSPEL. May we take no offense, but be emptied out and filled with Christ that we may no longer live for us but truly LIVE for Jesus! How? By allowing Him to live in us! I was reminded, this week, of the story Corre ten Boom shared on her(by God's grace) forgiving a guard who held her captive. This was written in her book,  I'm Sill Learning to Forgive here is a short expert. But I encourage you to read the full story of her forgiving the man who once was her enemy and now her brother in Christ, here.

“For I had to do it—I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. ‘If you do not forgive men their trespasses,’ Jesus says, ‘neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.’

“I knew it not only as a commandment of God, but as a daily experience. Since the end of the war I had had a home in Holland for victims of Nazi brutality. Those who were able to forgive their former enemies were able also to return to the outside world and rebuild their lives, no matter what the physical scars. Those who nursed their bitterness remained invalids. It was as simple and as horrible as that.

“And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion—I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. ‘… Help!’ I prayed silently. ‘I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling.’

“And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.

“ ‘I forgive you, brother!’ I cried. ‘With all my heart!’

“For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely, as I did then” (italics and bold, added)

How beautiful the end of this story, but as you read, how treacherous the journey. It's AHmazing, as my friend Tami Romo would write, that when emptied of ourselves and set aside for the Lord's use, the Lord can use us, literally, to speak and live out the message of the Cross to men and women. Can you even think of the affects and effects of the maligning of the Gospel that would have taken place if Corre did not forgive him. I dare not think of it! Let alone, live it out! No! May I NEVER!!!!

The Lord is so good to us! He is so loving and gracious us, to me! I love Him so much! This Jesus who changes lives of all people! Has changed mine! I am still being transformed as I learn of Him more and more! How great a God we serve! May my life, my conduct, my speech, my thoughts and my heart SHOW JESUS' GOOD WORK! Lord have mercy!

Fight, Fight, Fight! It's a Fight!

My husband and I were talking about "fighting". No, not each other; but the one where we have had to stand together and fight. We both have posed this question to the Lord, "Do we have to fight for everything?" We both understand that there is blessings and testimonies to Christ in our trials. But come on! So we developed this list of almost everything we have had to fight for:
1. Getting married
2. Becoming parents
3. Amber
4. Family (Pregnancies)
5. Managing our household finacially
6. Fair treatment in workforce
7. Employment
8. Army
9. Friendships
10. Anything we have believed God for and set our hearts after (within God's will)

Now, we know " we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere" (Eph 6:12 Amplified). So we try our best to keep our eyes on our Savior because alot of times, including now, we cannot see our own way out of the messes.

Please don't get me wrong. I am in no way EXcusing our own sins and mistakes we have made along the way. I do understand there are consequences that follow. But, I also know that we have a loving God who has us in His Will, His Plan and His Purpose. He has this extensive grace that when we think cannot be stretched any further, it continues to go on and on and on! I am reminded of what Paul said in Romans 5: 21 "So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Joseph and I have become even closer as husband and wife, partners with Christ in this world.

When will we have a break? This is always a lingering question. Whether in the forefront or in the back of our minds. I mean boxers take a 15 second break, right? When will we be able to breathe without choking? I sometimes look at some of our friends (knowing that they too are not perfect or having things going their way all the time) and think: "How did they get it so good?" Or sometimes just comparing struggles (sad, I know) But, again, I am reminded "... The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned..." (Ecclesiates 9:11)

What keeps us in the ring fighting, all the while being battered and bruised? Well, for one, we have come to learn that, ultimately, it is NOT ABOUT US. God has a plan and a purpose outside of us! Even, though it can be terribly difficult we do have this assurance from Him that He will never leave nor forsake us, and that the LORD has plans for us and they are good plans, plans not for disaster, but to give us a hope and future. (Jer 29:11) Furthermore, as we are learning to lose ourselves for the Cause of this Christ. We are learning to consider our lives worth nothing so that we may finish this race and the tasks that the Lord Jesus has given to us- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. (Acts 20:24)

We will continue to fight this Good Fight! The fight our lives, right Kirk? Just kidding baby!(inside joke) But for real, we will finish this fight STRONG and it will not be in vain! We will continue to keep the faith, as Paul so encouraged Timothy. We look forward to seeing the WHOLE PICTURE when that GREAT Day comes! It will all be worth it!!!

Be encouraged with this! " until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom." Daniel 7:22

Missing My Husband (2010)

When Missing My husband led to gratefulness of Christ's endurance on the Cross!

Have you ever missed someone you loved so dearly? I have and do (my hubby, away for Army stuff). I am assuming most would say "yes". Now, take a moment and think about those deep emotions and yearnings you've had. Yearnings just to see their face or hear their voice. Now. Imagine if God left you for a moment. . . man, we would be unable to This little life experience, of being separated from my husband, for nine months, makes me understand why Jesus yelled, on that old rugged cross, "Eloi, Eloi lama Sabachthani?" "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (*)That was the only time on the Cross that He experienced much agony. For the first time, God, His Father had turned His back on His beloved Son! I'm sure the pain of being physically nailed to that cross was more bearable than His Father forsaking Him. But it had to be done. Jesus, knew sin separates us from God. But yet He chose to take up our infirmities and on our sin, so that we would not have to experience a moment of separation from our Father. We would literally break; no longer exist if GOD left us for a moment. Thank You Lord for Your EVERLASTING promise, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Matthew 28:20)

Now praise Him.

(*) One of the things, I truly grasped from our Army life, is that families are NOT meant to be apart. Husbands and daddies are meant to be home with their families. We as women, cannot bear what our husbands are called to bear. Although, there are single mommas out there, whom God gives AMAZING Grace to lead their homes and families, well. I'd dare to even say that if they had the choice, most would choose to NOT to be alone in raising their families. My hats went off to single mommas out there! You are awesomely brave.

God’s Topsy-Turvy Truths

God’s Topsy-Turvy Truths

Luke 6:38 
Give and it shall be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you

Matthew 5:44 Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

Matthew 20:16 The last will be first and the first will be last

Leviticu 27:30 A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective

Whisper His Name: Jesus

You've forced me to talk this way, and I do it against my better judgment. But now that we're at it, I may as well bring up the matter of visions and revelations that God gave me. For instance, I know a man who, fourteen years ago, was seized by Christ and swept in ecstasy to the heights of heaven. I really don't know if this took place in the body or out of it; only God knows. I also know that this man was hijacked into paradise—again, whether in or out of the body, I don't know; God knows. There he heard the unspeakable spoken, but was forbidden to tell what he heard. This is the man I want to talk about. But about myself, I'm not saying another word apart from the humiliations.

If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I'd still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I'll spare you. I don't want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you'd encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk.

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it's all you need.

My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. 2 Corinthians 12 (The Message)

God is so AWESOME isn’t He!!!!

I want to focus on Our Weakness, God’s grace, His Strength. Let’s talk about our weaknesses.

• We all have weaknesses. 
• Weakness is defined as: - lack of strength or determination: lack of strength, power, or determination

And as human beings we find ourselves weak. But as moms especially, we can find ourselves with a lack of power- thinking that we really have no control here (esp. in the moment of disobedience). Or being tired and not having the strength to handle our children or our day. I find myself here quite often now that I have began to homeschool. Thinking, “Oh God is this really your plan for us.” Or “You know me, are you sure about this?” But thank God for His Word, huh?

Paul encourages us with his own testimony to delight in our weaknesses because it there where we are made Strong through Jesus Christ. Paul tells us of his “thorn” in his flesh which he thought was a form or sign of weakness so he asked the Lord to take it away. But He says that the Lord responded to Him, “My grace is enough. My grace is all you need. My power is made perfect in your weakness”

Definition for perfect

• without faults: without errors, flaws, or faults

• complete and whole: complete and lacking nothing essential

So when we are weak in our flesh, in our bodies, in our minds, God says to us, "My favor is enough for you today, in this moment. Though you are weak now I am making you complete and whole, in lack of nothing." How good is our GOD!!!

I like one of the definitions of perfect: it means excellent or ideal: excellent or ideal in every way.

So when we are struggling when we down, God’s favor is enough. He is strength is excellent! It’s the ideal thing!!!! In every way! Praise God!

So Paul continues on after God’s words to Him (so should we)- Paul says I welcome hardships! I just take it in stride!!!! I don’t even focus on my issues or let them overwhelm me- I just let Christ take over!!!! Hallelujah!

So, as we parent our children, we learn that there is NO ONE WAY/STYLE to parent/correct them. And we also learn that as our children grow that we have this Grace that is ever ready for us and this Excellent- Ideal Strength that awaits us in our weak moments all we have to do is ask Him.

Prayer

Lord we celebrate Your Awesomeness! Lord we praise You for Your Word that has proven itself over and over and over. We thank You that Your Grace was not only enough for Paul, but it still is Enough for us Moms here today. We thank You for the Encouragement which says its ok to be weak, to have flaws because Your Perfect Power is Ideal for our everyday situation; in every way. Lord, please help us to remember this. In Your Son’s Name, Amen.
(written 2009, MOMS study)

Milk versus Solid Food

Milk like belief: Jesus came and died for your sins and rose again and if you believe in Him you will have eternal life (Hebrews 5:11-6:2) Solid food faith: knowing this life will include suffering and we can live on the side of victory through suffering in Christ. Accepting that we will be persecuted and suffer hardship on account of His Name. KNOWING our faith is kept in DOING the Gospel, rather than mere talk. Even more, knowing as Christ conquered, so too are we MORE THAN CONQUERS! (Matthew 5:10-11; 1 Peter 2:20-25; James 1:22; Romans 8:37)

RESTless....Ness

Do you think restlessness is a matter of TRUST?

  ..........................................................................................OH DEAR!!!

For example, when we are traveling on the road..Road trip and it's my turn to drive I am ok. Cuz. I got this! Right? Right! However, when it's time for a switch, I'm like okaaaaayyyy.... I am gggrreeaattt while my husband is driving as long as I AM AWAKE! NOW! And it's day time. When I began to fall asleep, I will JUMP up real quick and yell, What was was that?!!! I do this several times. I mean, several times! I am not rest that I can feel every wide turn, every bump, the gas petal lift, the subtle change in speed. My husband just shakes his head at me. It's been ten years and i think he just ignores me as he laughs at me. He is really being kind and forgiving. Because what he is ignoring is my lack of trust.... I mean, I sometimes wonder if he thinks it's as much as a  trust issue as I do. But, I am too chicken to ask! Ha! It's not like I am NOT tired! I am, and yet I still cannot REST! For Real?!!! I trust myself more, but I am just as fallible and weak. Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is we act the same way with our Savior! Not in the big stuff per say, but in the 'everyday my stuff' stuff! "As long as you do things the way I do it, Lord. We are okay." But the truth is, if I trust that Christ died for me.... and.... that when I confessed my sins and repented, He forgave me, AND!!! If I believe when I leave this planet I will spend eternity with Him, shouldn't I trust Him enough to REST in Him until that time comes?

We have s Savior who desires that we are not anxious! We have such a King who does not make His servants anxious! (Matthew 6:34) Rather, He bids us to come to Him and be at rest! (Matthew 11:28-29). First He invites us to stop toiling [and heavy laden] in our sins. As the folks in Matthew were attempting to work to pay off their salvation. Our Lord, invites them to "Come" and be a rest. Find rest in Him! Christ is not only a rest for those who have not come to Him. But, He is the promised rest for who believe (Hebrews 4:1-11) Thank You Lord!!!!

What love the King gives to the laborers through the Promise of Rest! As disciples of Christ, we know that life on this planet can become so mundane. Even seemly burdensome. Why? Because we forget to REST. We forget to Trust. Trust that God is still in control and He holds everything.(Colossians 1:17)

“Are you weary? Are you languid? 

Are you sorely distressed? 

 ‘Come to Me,’ says One, ‘and coming, 

Be at rest.’”(1)

I am not sure what may be causing you to be restless, tonight. Is it because you are without a Savior and Lord? Or perhaps it is the trials of this world and walking without confession and asking of forgiveness. Or even lack of faith in the One who has called you to Himself. Whatever it is my brother or sister.... lay it down and run to HIM (His only condition) so that He may find peace, joy and quiet in His rest!

Trust Him today, by resting in Him forevermore!

Art thou weary art thou languid, art thou sore distressed?

"Come to me," saith One "and, coming, be at rest."

Hath he marks to lead me to Him, if he be my Guide?

"In his feet and hands are wound prints, and his side."

Is there diadem, as Monarch, that his brow adorns?

"Yea, a crown, in very surety, but of thorns."

If I find him, if I follow, what his guerdon here?

"Many a sorrow, many a labor, many a tear."

If I still hold closely to him, what hath he at last?

"Sorrow vanquished, labor ended, Jordan passed."

If I ask him to receive me, will he say me nay?

"Not till earth and not till heaven pass away."

Finding, following, keeping, struggling, is he sure to bless?

"Saints, apostles, prophets, martyrs, answer, 'Yes.'"

Amen

(1) Stanza # 1 & (2) Hymn by John Mason Neale