LET'S DO IT! 1 JOHN 2:7-11

I’m not sure why this piece is difficult for me to write.  The commandment of love, the commandment to love, the contrast of loving and hating for a believer: all these seem somewhat out of reach now.  Maybe as I write God’s heart will become clearer to me.

The command to love is ancient.  Deuteronomy 6:4,5 states: “Listen, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone! You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul mind and strength.”  Leviticus 19:18 states: “…love your neighbor as yourself.” These are the commandments of old of which John speaks.  All the children of Israel knew them. John, in 1 John, now encourages the believers, Jew and Gentile alike, to consider the new commandment: “Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: 'Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these."

Mark 12: 29-31

Jesus cited the exact same commandments that came from the Old Testament to those inquiring of Him in Mark’s gospel.  John, in verses 7-8 of chapter 2, talks about a NEW commandment.  They are the same commandments! John’s point is that now believers know how to walk in this commandment because Jesus lived it out, right in front of their eyes. He loved the unlovely, difficult sinners, right where they were. He sacrificed His heavenly reign to come and love in a tangible way, in the bodily form, so we would have an example, a perfect example.  It was total sacrifice: “God demonstrates His own love for us in this, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Today, all can read the gospels and see how Jesus loved the world in which He lived, step by step, in a variety of settings, with His Hands on and in the teachings that came from His mouth.  All can know it is possible.

Ah, yes, but the flesh is that with which believers must contend. It is what throws us into the darkness that John speaks of in verses 9-11. John speaks of it, not to discourage his readers, but to give them a guideline for themselves, to examine their own hearts and recognize inconsistency.  He already, in 1 John 1:9, gave tremendous hope for us. “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

When God lays a burden of love of the unlovely on our hearts, we need not run and hide.  We need not say aghast, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord!” Jesus demonstrated some outrageous love for us to consider. The woman with the issue of blood comes to mind.  The ten lepers are another example.  (Can you tell that smelly, dirty stuff is an issue for me?!) Others might cite the tax collectors, (no one liked these guys) or the Pharisees (the arrogant upper crust religious leaders). All may be considered unlovely and unlovable for different reasons. But, Jesus loved them. He healed them, forgave them, confronted them, spoke to their inconsistencies…but oh, He loved them.

Are there some in our lives we need to love like Jesus loved?  Is there an irritating soul, an irregular person with whom we have to deal? If God brings that to light, be brave, and do it! What marvels shall we see when we step out in faith believing that Jesus did the same so we could know how to do it and be able to do it?

Every time I write like this, it undoes my comfort zone, because I am talking about stuff that is on my heart, yet unexplored at times in the physical realm.  I do know that when I do step out in faith, and do what God desires of me, peace indescribable is mine. 

God is for us. He wants us to be his Hands and Feet and show His love in tangible ways. He gives us one another so we can hook arms and walk together encouraging one another to take the risk and love the unlovely. Let’s do!  Come on, you guys, let’s do it for the glory it will bring the Lord, our Maker, Master, Redeemer, Friend.

FOR ENCOURAGEMENT

Here is a webcast by Paul Trip from 10th Presbyterian Church in Philly that Patti Inns recommended about HOPE. It deeply touched me.  If you have time, take a listen to it.
The message's title is:  Advent: The Promise.
 http://www.tenth.org/index.php?id=58
I'll be back on blog after the new year turns.
Blessings to you,
Lisa

MY CHRISTMAS HEART

I haven’t been on the blog lately. Holiday comings and goings at a brisk pace with kids visiting and finalizing all the Christmas prep have consumed so much of my day time.  However, I have thought and prayed for you guys much in these last several days.  Christmastime is so special for me.  Memories flood my recollection.  Vintage Christmases, 1960’s type, of toys, wagons, dolls and goodies under the tree, bleary-eyes transformed into eyes agape with wonder, my own kids thrilled to this day to give and receive gifts…these are what make it so special. 

I’ve been contemplating gift giving…small wonder in this Christmas season of giving.  I love giving gifts. The joy of anticipation, seeing delight on the face of the recipient charges me up! I wiggle and giggle and can barely contain myself when I know the gift will be appreciated. Don’t you just love your kids’ faces and peals of laughter, your spouses’ kiss and your friends’ hugs when they love the gift you have given?

I stayed on budget this year.  Yes, that is a fact.  It is a “smallish” Christmas.  We have cut way back on gift giving for Christmas morning but promise the family a week at the beach come summer time, God willing.  Our family enjoys such bounty. It struck me, on the way home from my last quest for gifts and finally finishing, that the relative size of what appears under the Christmas tree has changed.  It is smaller than in years past. Yet in comparison to many, we have copious resource for gift giving.  Then, I thought about what God the Father gave to Mankind: His only Son, innocent of every fault, to take the punishment for sin. I pondered what Jesus, the Son gave to do the will of the Father. 

“He made Himself nothing taking on the very nature of a servant….he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross!” Phil 2: 7-8

 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9

What have I given? What have I done? How have I responded to the gift God Almighty gave to me? Never to repay, but to show gratitude, I show a puny obedience that wavers at best.

But, here is a quote that I just found in a Christmas card…” He became what we are that He might make us what He is.” From The Incarnation of the Word. Athanasius, c. 296-373 AD.

Even my giving is made possible by Him.  Providence alone gives so that I can give. The immeasurable gifts of love, goodness, kindness, mercy are all by His Spirit. His continual gift of the Holy Spirit indwelling me, makes it possible for me to give. 

So, if you haven’t received a wrapped up gift from me, know that God’s gift is at work in me. I hope to bless you with it. It is all I have to give back to Him and to you.

Blessed and joyous Christmas!

LIVING ROOM BALM

Last night I had the immense pleasure of witnessing the God-ordained order of discipleship.  My heart has become impassioned to see mothers, young and old, walk in the fullness of their ministries within their homes.  It just so happens that the group in my home last night are all wives, too.  Some have great marriages, some mediocre marriages and, I have to admit, some have marriages that are on their way to the pits.  Some are even in the pits! The marriages vary in length from 4 weeks to nearly 40 years! What a fertile ground for discipleship these women offer. The Holy Spirit has brought so much change in their lives. 

We were studying the subject of meekness which emerged from a serious look at the attitude and actions of a godly wife in 1 Peter 2 and 3.  Meekness and a quiet spirit, which are of surpassing value to God, are the marks of beauty of that godly wife. The behavior springing forth from her attitude wins over the misunderstanding or unbelieving husband.  It is a tall order for a woman to live in this way.  In fact, the meekness God desires to see in a wife is not of human will but none other than part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:23. 

Knowing this, there was discussion about the difficulty and suffering some must endure while walking in the Holy Spirit’s power.  Parts of the discussion were focused on these topics:

• ·        Being offended by unfaithfulness is a HUGE issue to deal with.  Add this to an already poor relationship/walk with the Lord, it could be a long haul till there is healing and forgiveness.
• ·        We CAN gently and lovingly point out to our husband how their over-control or even lack of leadership hurts us, but WE cannot make him change.  We can only change ourselves.
• ·        Dealing with sin in a Matthew 18 order, still doesn’t change a person.  WE fulfill our obligation, but allow the Holy Spirit full reign as HE is the convictor and restorer.
• ·        I wonder if we would see more miraculous or supernatural results in our pleading with God if we left the end of a thing, the beginning and the middle too, to God’s Holy Spirit to work.  Meanwhile, we keep on obeying and loving God and wait to see God’s Hand--- like Moses said to the Children of Israel as they faced the Red Sea in one direction and the Egyptian army in the other,  before the Lord parted it…”Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.  The Egyptians (adversary) you see today you will never see again.  The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Ex 14:13-15.

God is clearly possessing the hearts of these dear ladies. They are doing the hard work of believing God’s Word for their marriages and their own attitude and behavior.  Then, what to my amazement should I witness here in my living room, but a turning of one of the younger in the Lord to another even younger in a discipleship posture to come alongside and encourage and teach from the platform of lessons learned in this walk of faith! I tell you what… I was jumping out of my chair, literally! Life on life mentoring, discipleship and fellowship that is taught in books is happening right here!  I still feel the wonder of it.

 The work of the hand and heart of the Almighty reached down from one woman to the other in love and offered the direction for healing.  “And they shall be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” Isaiah 61:3  I am a witness of that display. It was glorious. More powerful a balm than ever I have seen. 

GRACE AND MERCY: PSALM 103 (in two parts) Part 2

“But you don’t know me! I have such a sinful heart, selfish, deceitful, horrid!” Do we think our sin is greater than His salvation?

“He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.” Just for kicks I wanted to find out how high the sky was and found that the experts are saying that the more they look, the more immeasurable it gets. http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/kw/size-galaxy

Oh thank You, dear One who loves my soul like a Father who pities His children. That pity is translated to mean, “love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection.” (Strong’s) He knows my frame, that I am but dust, like grass and flowers that fade quickly. BUT, in verse 17, we find the MERCY of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting, infinite, for those who 1) fear Him, 2) keep His covenant, 3) remember His commandments to do them.

That’s a tall order! I cannot do that in and of myself! The New Testament brings relief to us in Ephesians 2: ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a]and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.

There’s the answer. God reaches down into our pit in great love, in great mercy, in great grace, and makes us alive in Christ, even when we were dead in sin.  Even as believers when we cannot find our way out of the pit. Of His own initiative by His pervenient grace, He comes for us, as that tender Father, and scoops us out, cleans us off in His Son’s redemption, pours the oil of gladness on and sooths our prickly, self-worn out souls, and crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercy!

Then the exclaiming begins: “the Lord has established His throne in Heaven and His kingdom rules over all!”  We have a tender Sovereign who reigns over all! Whoa! No wonder David starts in with speaking to the angels calling them to bless the Lord! His heart and soul are now full of the good things spoken of in verse 5.

The believing SLS is without excuse. We possess rich blessings at the Hand of our Holy Father. He offers a crown of lovingkindness and tender mercy. He brings Truth to bear on us and Grace to answer our objections. He rules in sovereignty. We are deep in His Heart and Hands.

BLESS THE LORD OH MY SOUL!

GRACE AND MERCY: PSALM 103 (in two parts) Part 1

Oh, today I might be able to do some Christmas shopping! I am getting into the spirit of gift hunting. Would a million dollars be enough to supply my list? Sometimes I go way overboard, but I have to tell you, I am feeling so full of good things that I want to give very big, very many gifts! My husband should be looking over my shoulder right now... I promise to stay on budget!

All that aside, I do want to get down to the post. From one SLS (you'll see what that means in a minute) to another....perhaps....give a read to Psalm 103.

David’s soul must have been rather downcast if in the first two verses of this psalm he had to tell his soul to bless the Lord three times!  I wonder what happened or what he did!  Maybe it wasn’t anything bad but he was so full of gratitude he just couldn’t help himself…maybe he was “doing a dance" before the Lord! I don’t know, just wondering.

This psalm seems to be a great remedy to the self-loather’s soul (SLS). The SLS is full of self-condemnation, the sense of “screwing it up again”, feeling like they’ll never get it right. SLSs sometimes work on the basis of insecurities born in their dysfunctional or traumatic upbringing.  http://www.outofthefog.net/CommonBehaviors/SelfLoathing.html But more often than not, for a believer, it seems that one can become a SLS because their less-than-pure motivations for action are known to themselves. Sometimes our own expectations of ourselves are unreasonable and much too stringent. Legalism bears on many a SLS. We are not gracious with ourselves. We consider ourselves with a hypercritical eye…judging by an extreme standard without forgiveness or grace. And it brings our ministries to a screeching halt when we fall into that pit to wallow. Note the focus on self… it’s critical.

In our house we use a quote from James Dobson from a story he told about his son a long time ago.  The son got stuck on a tailgate of a truck and hollered, “Somebody help the boy! Somebody help the boy!” So, in a getting stuck in the pit mode myself, I was hollering to the Lord, “Somebody help the girl! Somebody help the girl!” Enter Psalm 103. 

Those first 5 verses are written like a cheer! Motivate your heart, soul and mind! Remember God’s benefits to you: forgiveness of ALL your iniquities, healing from ALL your diseases, redemption, compassion and mercy from the Creator of the Universe, satisfaction of the soul with pleasant, rich things so we are renewed and repaired.

Do you see all the attributes of God displayed? It is good medicine for the soul to say them to the Lord, calling Him by those names. It is pleasing to Him and it raises our eyes from self to His throne and character. 

Holy, Benefactor, Forgiver, Healer, Redeemer, Bestower of gifts, Satisfier, Rejeuvenator…

Verse 6 was the crux of matter for me.  “The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.” I looked up the word oppressed to find this definition in Webster’s 1826 dictionary: burdened with unreasonable impositions, overpowered, overburdened, depressed. The SLS burdens themselves with unreasonable impositions. They are overburdened, depressed with and within themselves.  But look here, it says that the Lord executes righteousness and justice for them.  The Lord brings the Truth to bear on the SLS and judges them, with remedy.  Verse 7 seems to be saying, “Duh! He made known his ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.” REMEMBER?!?!? And then, here comes the remedy for the SLS’s soul: The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy.  Ah, it is as if my soul would sink into the soothing spa of His gift to me.  Grace and Mercy.  

STEP BACK FROM THE GLASS

Such a wonder is happening in the life of our assembly at this time in history.  I am not quite sure I have in times past heard of so many small groups discipling one another.  From the youth on up to the leadership of the assembly, believer on believer investment seems to be yielding a fruit unlike anything I’ve seen in a long time.

Yesterday, as Jamie Miller was chronicling his family’s last five years of ministry in Latin America, I do believe the message was brought from God Himself, encouraging us to “step back from the glass and stop fogging it up” so we can see the bigger picture of God’s epic purpose for us—to bring Him glory.  Circumstance begs us to react, retract and even rebel, but when we see what God is doing in the broad picture of His will, we are satisfied in our souls with His greater Good and Love.

Our assembly reaped much benefit in the hearing of Millers’ testimony.  It ignited in me and those with whom I had the chance to interact with last evening, including my own kids, a fire to live boldly and intentionally for the Lord. Pursue others for God’s glory.  Walk along side others who are needy and bring them hope in the Lord Jesus. Put aside risk and do the thing.

I’ve been studying Psalm 103 and was struck with verse 5 which states this: “(the Lord) satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Being satisfied in our souls (this is actually what the word mouth seems to mean as I understand some of the references), our crowning ornament which bears the likeness of God, renews us! Praising God, glorifying God, magnifying God, restores the newness and joy of our salvation.  Millers' testimony, for God’s glory, has done that for me and apparently, so many others. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to run with it! Come on, come along with me and let’s run together!

Part 3

Knowing God, the focus of 1 John 2:3-6, is the answer to the dilemma: my relationship to the Lord and desire for fellowship is a choice I continually must make. God doesn’t force me into knowing Him, loving Him.  That is the beauty and horror of it.  He wants me to CHOOSE to know Him, love Him, obey Him, respond to Him, fellowship with Him. 

Placing my heart’s focus on Him deliberately helps me fix my eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith. As I grow in knowledge of Him, my response, by the Holy Spirit’s presence in me, is to obey. This surely isn’t natural.  It is supernatural. God has solved the problem by making provision through Christ and law of the Holy Spirit of Life. Romans 8:2.

The keeping of the commands and Word that John speaks of in verses 3-6 is in the continual present tense. It is ongoing. It is a moment by moment pursuit.  It is what characterizes my level of maturity.  Because of my flesh, it creates dependence on Him. Ah, that’s just right. My need is only met in Him. Even my desire must be cultivated by the witness of the Holy Spirit in me.

Finally, I desire to know Him, I desire to depend on Him, I desire to choose Him. The love relationship is cultivated because He loved me first. I desire to love Him back.

Part 2

There are abundant imperatives in God’s Word on Christian living… put to death the sinful nature..reckon yourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ. (Rom 6)  Col.2:23 talks about regulations doing nothing to quench sensual indulgence. But it does go right to the next verses in chapter 3 saying to set minds and hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Then a few verses later, “put to death….we must get rid of all such things as these…..” Even further,  ”clothe yourself with compassion, kindness….”

What do I allow God to do, what do I strive to do?  In Romans 7 Paul rants about the struggle to do what he ought but cannot amidst the war in his soul. Flesh against the spirit; spirit against the flesh. My dilemma is that as soon as I have a regulation, I want to break it!  That’s my ugly truth!

Romans 8:13 “…but if by the spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body you will live, because those who are lead by the spirit of God are sons of God.”

I cannot do it!  It must be by the spirit…how can I do any of the imperatives?  BY THE SPIRIT. 

What is pursuit of walking in the spirit?  “I cannot do it. I’ve tried a zillion times! I can’t do it. You do it, Lord.”

There needs to be a rest from this struggle. It can burn a believer out trying to do and do and do in their own strength. God’s answer to my struggle is free of condemnation, free from the law of sin and death in the sending of His Son, Jesus to be a sin offering for me. My salvation is secure and my day to day walk is witnessed and can be governed by the Holy Spirit. It’s by the Spirit I can put to death the misdeeds of my body. His fruit “is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

What then, will motivate my desire to walk in the Spirit?

TWO MESSAGES IN THREE PARTS

Part 1: My Defender and Deliverer 1 John 2:1,2

I love the title of this message. I am a hopeless romantic. Prince Charming has great appeal to me. With all my heart, I believe God put the longing for a prince in my heart. And God meets that need in me with my Faithful Defender, Jesus, interceding for me at the Father’s right hand declaring, against the Accuser, my righteousness in Him.  All in Him! Jesus is my Just Deliverer from sin.  Once for all, He took the punishment I deserve by death and took me into Himself. Delivered from penalty, I have access to the King of Kings with all the rights of His daughter. Delivered from slavery to sin, I am bound by blood, Jesus’ blood, to walk in newness and freedom by the power of the Holy Spirit.  I have a dance to do over this! Oh YES!

Looking over notes from this sermon, I’ve thought through the trying not to sin over and against the loving of righteousness.  Does trying not to sin precipitate works/legalism?  Is simply loving righteousness and grace in pursuit of God too passive? What is the balance?  Is there a balance?  Is there a difference between hating sin and trying not to sin?

God begins and finishes the good work in me, HE is faithful. Phil 1:6.  I know that “in MY flesh there dwelleth no good thing.” Rom, 7:18.  It is the pathway of least resistance to indulge my flesh. However, because my Deliverer has come and freed me, I have the Paraclyte, One who is an Advocate for me (1John),  and One who testifies in my spirit about that which I should do (gospel of John.)  God has given the solution to the war on me and in me on both counts. He is a Rescuer and Deliverer making provision for my eternal salvation and my daily walk with Him.

Sorry about for the lack of posting here this week...kinda busy!  Blessedly busy with  family, friends and food! I don't know if I will get this week's post revised before Sunday.  I still have a houseful and little computer time.
Let's keep studying and taking notes.

I am psyched for you all to come and fellowship here with us on Thursday!  Another holiday gathering!  I just love it!  If you haven't already, drop me a line to find out what you can bring along.  I will miss all of you who cannot attend. There will be another time, Lord willing.

Blessings on your days and weekends.

1 John 1 Debrief: Part 2

IF…

1 John 1: 6-10

Three negative conditionals and two positive ones used to have confidence in relationship with God.

The conditionals are presented because there is a choice to be made. Things could go one way or another.

Believers can say one thing and do another. This is the dichotomy of the conditions in 1 John.

THE SEPARATION OF SIN IS NOT PRACTICED

Verse 6: "If we SAY we have fellowship with Him, and WALK in darkness WE LIE and do not practice truth."

There is no possibility of having fellowship with God if we are doing something in the darkness.  We can SAY we do have fellowship, but it isn’t possible, so we are lying.  The sin (darkness) separates us from the light.  Physically, it is impossible for both darkness and light to be happening at the same time.  One or the other.  That’s it.

THE STROKE OF SIN IS NOT PERCEIVED

Verse 8:"If we SAY we have no sin, we DECEIVE ourselves and the Truth is not in us."

Sounds like John is refuting some doctrinal error.  We do get a sin nature, inherited from father Adam. ALL of us have this sin nature.

Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned…."

That one man referred to in Rom 5:12 is Adam. 1 Corinthians 5:22 says: "As in Adam all die, so in Christ we shall all be made alive."

So, the deception comes in not believing the Truth about ourselves. Deception means to ”lead into error, cause to believe what is false or disbelieve what is true.” (Webster’s 1826 Dictionary) Hence, sin isn’t even perceived because of the deception.

THE STING OF SIN IS NOT POSSESSED

Verse 10: "If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."

God says we have sinned. If we don’t believe it, disagree with it, we are calling Him a liar.  How arrogant!

Pastor Mike said, “Just because you don’t know or even believe you are a sinner, doesn’t mean it isn’t true.” That arrogance certainly can belie some ignorance, can’t it!

So now, if we go back to the two verses in which the conditionals are positive we see what the choice to believe and walk in the truth yields.

AN UNWAVERING CLEANSING STEP

Verse 7: "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

The choice here has been made to walk in the light, where there is no darkness or deception.  There is agreement with God that we as sinners need Him. This yields: fellowship with other believers, which pleases God (Heb 13:16), and fellowship with God.  The Holy Spirit, who was convicting of sin, now comforts us in fellowship with God. What a relief!

AN UNFADING SOLUTION

Verse 9: "If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. "

This verse permits us to make the approach to God, agree with Him about sin, and claim assurance by virtue of HIS faithfulness and justice, for our forgiveness.  This is the long term condition of one relying on God, agreeing with God, walking in fellowship with God.

NOW, in the application of all this, two questions are asked:

1) Am I saying what I am actually living?

2) Am I cleansed in fellowship with God?

Each minute of my life I am choosing, whether consciously or unconsciously, to have a good attitude toward my life.  I am one of the ones produced by our culture that is always looking for relief from my present situation, looking to be made happier by stuff or situations.

I love getting my nails done and having make-up on.  These things are not inherently wrong HOWEVER, if I am relying on them to make me secure and happy, I AM WAY OFF BASE.

I struggle with looking for a way out of my everyday situations…all the time…not wanting to face the trials. You guys might wonder what kind of trials I have.  I mean to confess to you that my struggles are for the very most part, internal and emotional. My baggage comes in footlockers, not little bags. Sometimes an entire crate looms over my heart. Rejecting the God-shapen life I have been given is having my foot in the darkness.  Rejecting the people, relationships, living conditions, jobs; all by God’s hand, is sin.  And when I insist that they change or I cannot be happy in them, I’m sinning. You guys, it is a huge deal to keep telling God He made a mistake allowing a particular place, person or thing into my life.  I must accept them from His Hand as His tools to fashion me into the woman He wants me to be. It is that sovereignty issue again!

What a relief to know and believe 1John 1:9.  I think the constant struggle is exactly why this truth is so precious. God understands my frame and remembers I am dust.  Even in my wildest resistance, as a believer, He restores my fellowship when I agree with Him about it.

So, yes, to both these questions of application.  I am living what I am saying because I choose to believe, agree with, and act on the truth of God’s faithfulness and justice to forgive me through Jesus.

1 John 1 Debrief: Part 1

Hi All,

It has taken me several hours of debrief (that's what I call it when I rewrite and mull over my thoughts about a sermon) to put all of my notes and thoughts down in writing about 1 John 1 so far.  The debrief is so long, as a matter of fact, that I am going to do two posts, one today and another tomorrow, so it doesn't consume so much of your time to even read it, no less react to it.

Please know that if you think differently than I do on these verses, say so. We can have a discussion. I can be corrected, counselled and encouraged. I need it! So, without taking any more of your time today, here goes nuthin'!

Purpose of 1 John

1.  expose false teaching

2.  give assurance of salvation

John exposes the lack of morality and uses his eyewitness testimony to Christ to confirm the incarnate Christ.

Observation of 1 John 1:1-10

John immediately refutes the Gnostic idea that Jesus wasn’t the Christ but only seemed to have a body and was not the incarnate Word of God, by stating emphatically that he (John) was one who:

saw with his own eyes,

·         heard with his own ears,

·        handled with his own hands and

·        had a close relationship with Jesus

·        Jesus' life was made manifest* by the Father 

Jesus WAS the:

·        Word of life

·        Eternal life

·        God’s son

·        From the beginning

·        Made manifest*

·        Declared to them

·        Gave access to fellowship** with God

·        And as a result, fellowship together with other believers

·        Joy giver

This Truth was declared so that:

·        We may have fellowship together

·        We may have fellowship with the father

·        We may have fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ

·        our joy may be full.

The message declared is this: God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

*Manifest: plain, open, clearly visible to the eye and obvious to the understanding.

**Fellowship: communion, intimate familiarity

Our deepest (intimate) shared (communion) factor as believers is that of our shared redemption in Christ. It is our unity.

We also have a shared relationship with Christ in God.

·        We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit

We, in authentic fellowship with each other,

·        draw strength from one another

·        share service

·        share full joy that comes from the Lord

Fellowship can be interrupted by darkness: waning morality and ethics and dishonesty. This doesn’t break the permanence of relationship, though.

Walking in light sustains fellowship.

WHAT NOW?

YOU ARE INVITED!
Please come and share an evening of fellowship at our home on Thursday, December 2nd, at 6 PM for dinner together. Please bring your spouse, if you have one or if you so desire.  Mine will be there.  We'll provide the meat and drink, if you guys will bring some side dishes, salads and desserts. I hope each one of you and your spouses can come. It would bless us to have you here. I can't wait to see you. Please give an RSVP by Nov. 29th.

What now? I will keep this blog open for discussion and continued comment on any of the past posts. I'd like to use it on Mondays and Tuesdays to post the application questions those of us at CBC are challenged with by our pastor each Sunday as we study through 1 John.  Tuesdays, I'll post a summary of sorts that is produced by the group of ladies that meets on Monday evenings here at my home.  Then, the board will be wide open for commentary until the following Monday.

I know it seems to exclude those who do not attend CBC, but I offer you all the opportunity to challenge, comment and bless us with your input on any discussion.

I love you Ladies so much.  It means all the world to me to be here on this blog with you.  That's all there is to it. I'm staying...

TIMID TRANSPARENT TRUST

Hope and freedom can become a reality, Ladies.  Our faithful Father wants us to know Him, believe Him and hope in Him. As we cast aside our fear and worry and unbelief, no matter what, peace sprouts. Watered by the sacrifice of praise, hope is restored and blooms fully into restoration and we become that crown of splendor in our Master’s Hand.  There is a continual battle, yet we have One who is our Commander/Master yet Husband and Lover pursuing us and protecting us and going before us and hemming us in. In confidence, we can be free knowing God and believing Him. His sovereignty is right.

I have to confess here, that I deal with the fear that I cannot bear the sovereignty of God if it means being tried. As I have just taken the time to review all these posts, I realize, whew, these are deep waters of faith in which I tread.  Would you tread with me and take shelter with me in the shadow of His wings?

Oh, God, you know all our hearts. You know us and have searched us. You perceive our thoughts from afar. You are familiar with all our ways. Where can we go from Your presence? You created our inmost beings. We will offer You praise for Your wonderful works. How precious are Your thoughts to us. Search us, oh God, and know our anxious thoughts. Remember us, as you read our names in the inscription on Your Hand.  Thank you for that place where you collect our tears. We are desperate for You. We rejoice in You.  We magnify You and exalt Your Name! We bless you Lord, our souls, and all that is within us, bless Your Holy Name! You are Faithful and True. We love you back. Because of Jesus, Amen.

Changed by Relentless Pursuit: Part 2

  In the last paragraph of chapter 54, great confidence is gained by realizing that the Lord will lavishly rebuild us. He extends His restoration even further by proclaiming that our “sons will be taught by the Lord and great will be our children’s peace.” Vs13.  Anybody want to shout Hallelujah with me? We’ll be established in righteousness, His righteousness. His protection and defense are sure. And finally, by the end of the chapter, we have become “servants of the Lord”.  Remember Isaiah 43:10,12b,13,b? “You are my witnesses declares the Lord and my SERVANTS whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed nor will there be one after me…you are my witnesses…No one can deliver out of my hand.  When I act, who can reverse it?” I don’t know about you, but I relish the thought of being bound to Almighty God as His servant. The servant is the Master’s responsibility.  Our Master: He provides, He dictates, He protects. I’m in!  How about you?

Isaiah 62:1 states that God will not keep silent for our sake until our righteousness shines out like the dawn and our salvation like a blazing torch!  For our sake God will SPEAK AND SPEAK AND SPEAK his word, that we have in our hands and in our mouths and in our hearts, till our righteousness shines out like the dawn…our salvation like a blazing torch.

 

Psalm 37: 3-5 exhorts us to, “do good….delight ourselves in the Lord….commit our ways unto the Lord, trust also in Him.”  Then, what does He do?  He makes our righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of our cause like the noonday sun, our salvation will blaze like a torch!  This is pretty high drama!  He does this for the sake of changing our name to a name that the Lord Himself will give us. We will be called by others, “…the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord…Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.” Isaiah 62:12.

Isaiah 62:1-5 proclaims extravagantly that we will become a crown of splendor, a royal diadem in the hand of our Master!  He will no longer call us Desolate or Deserted but Beulah (married) and Hepzibah (my delight is in her).  We are called this by our Husband, God who rejoices over us!  He is unrelenting when it comes to His Beloved, US, YOU, ME.  He is our ever faithful, ever-pursuing-us Husband. In this we do have hope. In this we do have redemption.  In this we surely can be transformed.

An Idea

As I study this morning, I got an idea from one of the concepts I am learning about systematic theology.  Systematic theology is the detailed, orderly exploration of what the Bible teachers about God.  Who is God? What is He Like? What can He do? What does He do? How does He act?
Here's the mission, if you so decide to accept it!  If you were to write an orderly explanation of what you believe about God, what six words or phrases would you list?  After you make that list, take inventory of how deeply you believe these things and if are they scripturally founded.


Are you in?  Come on and share if you can take the time!  I hope you can and will.  
I love you all so much.

Changed by Relentless Pursuit: Part 1

Barren woman, desolate woman…wife deserted, rejected, widow, afflicted.  Pitiful, isn’t it?  There is something in all those names that belies hopelessness and fear. Each one of us, I’m pretty sure anyway, can identify with one or some of these at one time or another. As I recall some of our testimonies, these sure fit. But I am here to move us in, in the matchless name of our Savior, to see that these names need not describe us any longer. Hope and courage, Ladies!

“The Lord will call you back, as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit; a wife who married young, only to be rejected, says your God.” Isaiah 54: 6. 

Do you see how intimately God sees our hearts and understands our emotions? Bewilderment…. Abandonment will be remedied by compassion’s Seeker. I don’t know why, but I have this vision of the Lord cupping my face in His warm strong hands, looking deeply into my eyes and heart and with comfort and compassion saying, “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back.  In a surge of anger, I hid my face from you for a moment but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you, says the Lord your Redeemer.  To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.  So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again.  Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Vs 7-10

I think we need to look at the Lord’s discipline from the perspective that He is ALWAYS loving, ALWAYS  good, ALWAYS just. 

Have you ever had one of your kids throw a tantrum and refuse your correction?  Sometimes you just have to wrap your much stronger arms around them and hold them fiercely, waiting till they exhaust themselves, so they will hear and submit.  Sometimes you have to go a couple of rounds with them till they submit, but it is fruitful in the end.  God’s discipline is right and good.  He understands why we flail, and loves us despite the battering He might get from kicking legs and flailing arms and banging heads.  REALLY! 

I know you guys are busy so I want to make this post short.  It is the first half of what I've entitled, "Changed by Relentless Pursuit."  I promise the last of it on Monday.  It is so exciting!  I love you all so much! You don't know what it means to me to be here with you.

FOR FUN

OK, Indulge me....I did this on a blog last spring and it was so much fun to see what was written.  Here goes and I hope you can take the time to give us some insight into just who in the world you really are!
List 10 things about yourself that the rest of us wouldn't know.
 Here are some of mine:
1. I'm just as gray haired at 53 as I was at 40....VERY!
2. Cooking and feeding someone is my love language and watching people eat my good food is as good for me as most anything.
3. My husband and I read books together about things we don't talk about to anyone else.
4. I have had 6 kids all individually weighing more than 10 pounds.. Three were over 11 pounds,
5. I lived to tell about #4.
6. I have a vision of my kids and theirs and theirs all shining with the Light of God in their eyes.
7. I have an ugly laugh face and a REALLY ugly cry face. However, I do both frequently.
8. I love having my nails done.
9. You get what I mean....share, OK?  OK!

ALTARS

Last night, CBC had Trunk or Treat night in their parking lot.  I heard that 67 cars/vehicles were parked to greet the community and boy, did they ever come!  It was a blast, too.  I sat on the ground in my jammies to read bedtime stories to the littlest characters who would listen. Only a few could sit long enough for all that sugar overload. But oh, it was so darling…and hysterical too!  I got a fit of laughter to see the one little guy dressed as one of the Martians with three eyes from Toy Story.  Sheesh, he was so adorable!  I pray that all those CBCers showed Jesus to those families, and that some may come to ask questions in light of eternity for themselves and their kids.

Today’s post resumes the topic of hope and restoration in the New Testament and our part in it. It involves our choice in our response. Now, I realize the reluctance in our hearts to praise while everything in our guts and surroundings still looks impossible. “Are you kidding? I’m supposed to praise You, Lord, while… (you fill in the blank…) is happening to me every day? or for the hundredth time?  or while no one cares to help?

What looks too large for our God to control and overcome in our lives? Offer a sacrifice of praise in the face of the desolation and difficulty. The doxology in Rom 11: 33-36 (go ahead and get it out and read it) recalls the character of the Almighty and finally Paul exhorts in chapter 12:1,2, “in view of God’s mercy, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is  your reasonable act of worship.”

Hebrews 13:5,6 reminds us that God will never leave us or forsake us, the Lord is our helper,  and in verses 12-14 that we have an accessible high priest that brings us hope.  Then comes the exhortation to, “therefore, continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess his name and do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices, God is pleased.” Vs 15-16

It is a sacrifice to praise while we are called desolate; to burst into song while still barren. But God, “because of His great love to us, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up in Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7

I know it is hard.  That’s why it is called a sacrifice! But, when the emotions of fear, shame and humiliation of the desolate and barren; body, soul and spirit, are put aside, shame will be forgotten, reproach of widowhood will be no more. Praise and a life of worship, faith and walking in joy…they are our REASONABLE acts of sacrifice and worship with which God is pleased. Let's place that sacrifice of praise on the altars of our lives

BECAUSE….our Maker is our husband the Lord Almighty is his name, the Holy One of Israel is our Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.  He knows and He is worthy.