How Real Is Too Real?

How real is too real?

There are things we know God has not explained to us because there is no way we could comprehend them. 1 John 3:2 tells us that, "...we are God's children now, and what we will be has not not yet been revealed." Then again in Revelation 10:4, John heard what the seven thunders spoke, but was told seal it up; to not write it down. Ecclesiastes 3:7 also tells us there is "...a time to be silent and a time to speak."

So the question - or, in point of fact, the quest - is for us to find the right balance of truth, love, wisdom, passion, and compassion.

As much as I would love for there to be a distinct formula for this, there is really only one answer: Ask God daily for the wisdom to know what to say and when to say it. For every day, every person, and every circumstance is different. Then listen. Listen for the Spirit to move your heart and tongue in the right direction. Listen with faith, knowing that God desires for the light, love, and wisdom of His Son Jesus Christ to shine through you. And pray. "Pray constantly," so that you "Don't stifle the Spirit." (1 Thessalonians 5:17, 19)

The Virtuous Woman

I'm getting ready to do a study Sunday night on the Virtuous Woman in Proverbs 31. What are some of your ideas or initial thoughts on that passage?

Do you skim over it trying not to feel bad?
Is she a source of encouragement to you?
How do you think she relates to women today?

Give me some of your thoughts...

Delight

I saw the most brilliant rainbow yesterday! 

It was one of those moments where the sun was brightly shining on me when it started raining. I knew there had to be a rainbow somewhere, so began looking around for it as I drove. Not seeing anything, I turned down the next road, but looked back just in case it was behind me. What I saw took my breath away. The rainbow was so bright that I could see every color perfectly. In fact, there were even multiple shades of purple shining, which is always the hardest color to see. Also, it was complete in touching the ground on both sides, helping me judge the distance: It was in front of the hill I had just come over about half a mile away! I could even see the trees through it. 

I had just passed under without realizing it. 

(For those of you who have done the Beth Moore study on the Beloved Disciple: John, I started laughing, "Delight! Delight!")

Isn't that so like God? 

Often we go through times in our lives where we know God is near. Yet no matter how hard we look, we just can't seem to find Him. Then, as we turn a corner and are able to look back, we are amazed at how evident His presence was. He was right with us the whole way - even though we couldn't see it at the time.

If you are in a season where God just doesn't seem to be showing up where you expected Him, don't give up.  He will soon show off the beauty of His glorious presence. He will give you a DELIGHT!

A Child Of God

Being a child of God allows the freedom to have complete confidence that your Abba has everything figured out and under control when your brain and body feel like mush.

This Is How

The Word of God has spoken to me so powerfully over the last few days.

Yesterday, as I struggled with a lesson He has been teaching and proving to me, I was called to read 1 John 3:16-20.
This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has this world's goods and sees his brother in need but shuts off his compassion from him - how can God's love reside in him?
Little children, we must not love in word or speech, but in deed and truth; that is how we will know we are of the truth, and will convince our hearts in His presence, because if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things.


These verses answered two of the three questions I had laid before God that morning. I was humbled and amazed at how quickly He answered them and comforted me.

However, He wasn't done.

As I finished up day 5 of a Bible study I was doing, He answered the last question! After trying not to sob aloud in a coffee shop and regain my mental composure, I joined David in proclaiming, "What is man that You remember him, the son of man that you look after him?" (Psalm 8:4) To have an answer from the Lord is an amazing thing, but to have all three answered with a few hours with the Spirit affirming it loudly in my spirit, is overwhelming.
What a gracious and loving God we have!

How has He answered you lately? If He hasn't seemed to, are you waiting patiently on Him? As hard as it is to accept, His answers are never late or early. They come at just the right time. Remain faithful to the God who has proven Himself Faithful and True in every generation. He will not fail you.

The Living Word

Don't you love it when the Lord speaks to you so clearly through His Word? 

While searching through the New Testament I found a passage that sums up what God has been teaching me recently. Read the following passage from 2 Corinthians. Has God been teaching you anything related to them?

2 Corinthians 9:10-15
Now the One who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness, as you are enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many acts of thanksgiving to God. Through the proof of this service, they will glorify God for your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with others. And in their prayers for you they will have deep affection for you because of the surpassing grace of God on you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.


I ask that you say a prayer for me today as I head to the doctor once again. However, I covet your prayers even more for a discerning and humble heart. Pray that I will never stray from the work the Lord has called me to do: No matter the cost. Pray that the grace of God may be so evident on me, and I shine so brightly for Him, that none of my own features can be seen through His brilliance.

I would love to know how to pray for you. Either leave a comment, or email me anytime. I would be blessed to lift you up in prayer.

In Whose Eyes?

How would you define success? Even to Christians there is an element of worldly gain attached to the definition. We would say that a successful ministry reached "X" number of people, handed out "X" items, or had "X" amount of visitors. While there is a certain amount of truth to this, we must make sure not to rely on numbers solely.

God does not view things through the same eyes we do. He sees so much more and knows the outcome before it can even begin to be conceived of by any of us. I love the first few verses in Job 38, where God decides it is time to speak up to a group of arguing "theologians":

Who is this who obscures my counsel with ignorant words?

Get ready and answer Me like a man;

when I question you, you will inform Me.

Where were you when I established the earth?

Tell Me if you have understanding.

Who fixed its dimensions? Certainly you know!

Who stretched a measuring line across it?

What supports its foundations?

Or who laid the cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Job 38:2-7

There is a quote by Oswald Chambers that I've printed and use as a bookmark in my Bible. It is a wonderful reminder to look at my life and the ministry He has called Kevin and I to through His eyes and not our own. Read the following quote and ask God to show you what your life looks like to Him today. Perhaps you are more, or less successful than you think.

God called Jesus Christ to what seemed

unmitigated disaster.

Jesus Christ called His disciples

to see Him put to death;

He led every one of them to the place

where their hearts were broken.

Jesus Christ's life was an absolute failure

from every standpoint

but God's.

But what seemed failure from man's standpoint

was a tremendous triumph from God's,

because God's purpose is

never man's purpose...

The things that happen

do not happen by chance,

they happen entirely in the decree of God.

God is working His purposes.

Oswald Chambers

Honor Him

Yesterday I quoted Psalm 50:15:

Call on Me in a day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor Me."

Fulfill this verse today in one way. Leave a comment honoring God's Name in what He has done for you. Not only will you get some good practice at doing this, but it is also a way to encourage one another.

*Here is a good example and it explains a little more about my post yesterday! http://auny.blogspot.com/

Faith Pay Scale

The Lord has shown me over the last year that I am to be His worker. In other words, He is my provider and support. I have thought many times about trying to write for a publisher or organization, but over and over I have come back to doing it all for free. There have been so many times over the last 10 years that I wished I could get some book or study to do, but couldn't afford it. I have seen others who might have the finances if they really tried to save for it, but lack the conviction to do it because they have not read the material that would help motivate them to save to buy it. What a Catch 22 we have going for immature believers!

Last week, my husband and I were discussing how I really felt the Lord telling me I need to be like George Muller for now: In the area of writing, not opening an orphanage! The Spirit spoke to my heart and told me to give my writings away to all freely and rely on Him for my provisions. There was a peace over us about this decision even though I saw it as a distant promise.

I have also had quite a problem with my health recently. There was a PhD & CCN (Environment/Biochemical & Certified Clinical Nutritionist) I felt the Lord led me to around a month ago who seemed like the perfect fit for figuring out some of my problems. However, when I looked at the fees and realized they didn't take insurance, I put her card on the shelf for when pigs flew.

Guess what? My God can make pigs fly.

Today, a friend of mine, out of the blue handed me a check to go see that doctor specifically, and I already have an appointment for Monday.

Sacrifice a thank offering to God,
and pay your vows to the Most High.
Call on Me in a day of trouble;
I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.
Psalm 50:14-15

Thank you Abba! I will honor You. Help me to honor You more...

Free Will, Grace, And Our Future Hope: In The Eyes Of A 6 Year Old

Last night while praying with my children before bed, my son amazed me with his simple understanding of principles theologians tend to get lost in. Here is his prayer as close as I can remember it:

Dear God. Thank you for letting us make and eat food that is not good for us. We know we should eat healthy things so we can live longer and be healthy our whole lives for You. Sometimes we want to eat bad stuff and not live as long so we can get up to You faster and be with You. But we shouldn't want to do that, because You want us to be healthy and stay here to help other people. So we'll eat good most of the time to make You happy. I love You. Amen.


If only we could keep our faith and devotion that pure. Our children can teach us so much if only we listen!

"...Let the little children come to Me. Don't stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."     Mark 10:14-15

Spiderman and the Holy Spirit

Yes. There is a connection.

Recently I have been growing closer to the Lord. One of the great truths I have been spending time learning, is that we have the ability, through the Spirit of God, to do amazing things (John 14:12). The problem is that we don't ask for it with the right heart (James 4:3). God wants us to produce much fruit in His name! In John 14:13, Jesus says, "Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

There is just one little difficulty in this. It really ticks off Satan when we are living fully for the Lord and learning to become better disciples. He doesn't want us to have it too easy when we are producing much fruit, so he tries whatever tactics he can, to get to us. In fact he is so predictable in this, it is often one of the clues that I am pleasing the Lord.

This is when the verse comes to mind from Luke 12:48. "...Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more." If we ask God for greater empowerment through the Spirit, we need to understand that much will be required of us. That includes putting up with the tactics and antics of the Fallen One.

The funny thing is that every time I read Luke 12:48 I think of Spiderman. When Peter Parker is learning to cope with his new found spidey-skills, his uncle Ben tells him "With great power comes great responsibility." It becomes a sort of motto for him throughout his crime-fighting career. This is exactly what I feel like when asking the Father for the Spirit to empower me to do even greater works, to the glory of the Father through the Son. With them comes a great responsibility to honor the Lord and not myself in any way.

All the way through my sin-fighting career...

Remember When?

Lauren and Elijah work on memorizing a Bible verse every night from a chart I've made for them. When they get a row completed, 5 verses for Lauren and 4 for Elijah, they get to choose a treat at the dollar store. When the whole chart is completed, 5 rows, they get to pick a toy up to $20. (I know my little girl is growing up by the fact that she's working toward getting her ears pierced for her big prize this time!)


When they begin learning a new verse, I explain to them what the words and verse means. Saturday night we came to Romans 14:12 for Elijah's new verse. "So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God."


I told him that one day we will all have to stand before God and talk to Him about every good and bad thing we have done. But, those of us who have given our lives to Jesus will not be punished for the sins we've committed. I've discovered concepts like these are difficult to put in child-like terms, and not wanting Elijah to feel like that meant he could get away with whatever he wanted because of grace, I told him that we will also need to explain to God why we decided not to obey Him for every time we chose not to. 


At this point Elijah'e eyes started getting bigger and bigger. Then as a tear started to come, he said in a  deeply concerned voice, "But I have a horrible memory!"


Desperately trying not to laugh, I told Elijah that the Bible says the Holy Spirit helps remind us of the things of God, (John 14:26), and that God will make sure we remember before we have to answer.


Afterwards I began thinking: How often do we blow over the times we have chosen not to obey God. Not walking over to talk to someone the Spirit prompts us to may not seem like a big deal now. But, if we start looking at it as a choice between obeying God's direction here - no matter how odd it may seem - or having to stand in the presence of God, one on one, and having to explain why we chose to ignore Him, perhaps we would listen better and obey more often. I know I will begin thinking in this way more often. So, who knows what you will see me doing...

The World Is Awsome

Here is a great video I found that the Discovery Channel put out.
The World Is Awsome
Thanks God for making it, and us, so unique and diverse!

Out Of Your Box

We tend to see only what is in front of our eyes as reality. It's often difficult for humans to understand other people well because each person's unique experiences create their own boxes of reality. Because this, the tint through which we view the world, is the same shading with which we tend to see God.

The Lord God (YHWH), however, is the God of all things whether we can comprehend it or not. 1 John 1:5 says "...God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him." What I love about this image is that light is made up of every shade and color: Even the ones we can't see. Our God, who is the essence of all shading and operates in and through every one, is infinitely more than we see. We view Him in the shades of our own personal boxes, but He can be so much more if we let Him.

Ask God to show you His presence in a new shade this weekend, and be prepared to be amazed!

What Would It Take?

Take some time to really think about this question before you go on:

What would it take for you to no longer trust God?
A job loss? Major illness? Loss of a child? Loss of a parent? Loss of a pet? Your dreams, or those for your children shattered? A natural disaster? Pain and suffering for someone you love? Not getting what you feel you deserve? Betrayal from a Christian mentor/pastor/leader?

I'm not talking about a momentary confusion in what God has allowed to happen. I'm talking about, in essence, denying Him.

Now, take it a step further. Do you trust God in everything? That means giving it ALL over to Him. You can't hold back any one thing in your life to be in control of, because you don't think you would like the way God might handle it. Have you given Him control of your job? Have you given Him control over the lives and deaths of your children, spouse, and other family members? Do you allow Him to guide you into friendship with others, or do you pick your own confidants, and then basically tell God live with it.

One of the freedoms we have in Christ Jesus is the assurance of our salvation when we trust fully in Him. We know, without a shadow of a doubt, that nothing He allows to happen can separate us from Him.

Who can separate us from the love of Christ? 
Can affliction or anguish or persecution 
or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
As it is written: Because of You we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.
No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us.
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, 
nor angles nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, 
nor powers, nor height nor depth, 
nor any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! 
Romans 8:35-39

This passage is not listing things that try to tear God away from us, but to tear us away from God. Go back and read the Scripture again. This time insert "Me" or "I" in place of the pronouns "we, us, our". Make this passage a personal declaration to the Lord of your love and trust for Him and your acceptance of His love and blessings for you.