So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. –James 4:17

I have been reading and hearing this verse of Scripture for most of my Christian life. And yet…somewhere along the way I stopped applying it to my own personal life. Or in other words, I could say, I stopped taking it seriously. If I go deeper than that (and I will) I’d have to honestly say, that at a core level, I have ceased to fear God. Therefore, it is “I” and not God whom I serve.

What does this mean? The message in the verse is clear. And yet…there exist areas in my life that I’d rather keep to myself than surrender to the Lord; the God of my salvation; the One who gives breath and meaning to my very existence.

Dear one, are you with me? Can you…do you hear the voice of your God and Maker calling you to repentance?

Precious sisters, come with me. Let’s together, take the mirror of God’s Word, illumined by the Person of the Holy Spirit, and look deep into our own hearts. What is the thing that you hold tightly in your hand, thinking you deserve; have a right to; have earned, etc., etc? Is it the right to gossip or slander anyone who doesn’t think like you or agree with you? Is it the P word, PRIDE? Is it the big G…GLUTTONY? What about this one, CONTROL – control of all the details in your husband’s life and the lives of your children? Is it a sour attitude? Or perhaps wasted time and resources? Is it SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS -you know the sense of rightness that’s all about you, you, and you again?
I could go on and on and on. But I’m not trying to beat upon you or myself. I’m not trying to dig a hole, fill it with the stagnant water of self-condemnation, then jump in and drown myself. No! No! No!

What I am doing is inviting you to respond to the invitation that your heart receives everyday. Say yes to the Father’s wooing, seeking voice and do as 1 John 1:9 commands.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Whatever “it” is, let us today decide to take it to the Lord in confessing prayer and receive the promise of cleansing, which equals freedom.
Let’s take from the enemy of our soul the power of shame, false guilt, etc. Let’s chose instead to live in the power of the Holy Spirit, who resides in us, enabling us to remember, Romans 8:1-4.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

No condemnation! No condemnation! No condemnation for those who are in Christ.
Praise God from whom all mercy flows!!

Stephanie

“Because they do not change; therefore they do not fear God.” Psalm 55:19

In August 2002, riding in our motor home on our way to Acadia National Park in Maine, I underlined this verse. I can tell because the underlines are squiggly not straight from trying to write in a moving vehicle. Something about it impacted me almost 4 years ago, but sadly it was soon forgotten.
Recently, we have been reevaluating our ministry, as we often do to discern how to maximize the effectiveness of the resources that God has entrusted to our care. This has been an ongoing conversation amongst leadership. As I was reading through Psalms once again I was stopped short by this verse. We are concerned for the men and women who claim they want to change but exhibit little evidence that they mean it. It raises the question regarding their understanding and exercise of the fear of God. But honestly that is not what impacted me the most about the verse.
As I was giving consideration to my own life, my own lack of growth, my own lack of change in certain areas and it struck me that perhaps the lack of change in my life is also evidence that I do not have a passionate fear of God.
During a recent study of Jerry Bridges book The Joy of Fearing God, I learned that fearing God is like a multi-faceted diamond. It looks slightly different from different angles but all of the same diamond. I realized that in some manner, I do fear God, but in others I do not.
Could it be that we are so afraid of communicating fear as “being afraid of” or “fright” that we have negated this vital command of God? “And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day.” Deuteronomy 6:24 Often, when we do hear the fear of God addressed it is a watered down version that gives us warm fuzzies. It does not reflect this truth: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. ” Hebrews 10:31.
Just because the wrath of God for my sin has been satisfied by the blood of Jesus Christ, should I take advantage and ignore the severity of the penalty paid? Oh, Lord forgive me. Change me. May I think Your thoughts after You.

Diane

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1 Timothy 6:6 “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Sitting around Atlanta Bread Company one evening a small group of ladies chit chatted. We had a great time getting to know each other just a little better. We talked about things that women talk about….food, clothes, shopping, the weather, work, children, food, diets, etc. and we were only there an hour! In the course of our conversation one of the women made the comment that “Discontented people make the best consumers. Advertisements are designed to keep people discontent.” WOW! That caused me to stop and think.
One thing I enjoy doing on the weekend when the newspaper comes is to sit down and peruse the ads. I’ve done this for years. I never stopped to consider that it brewed discontentment in my heart, but that is exactly what it did. I would see something I wanted to buy and set about thinking on how to get it. Yikes. I was actually breeding discontentment through my actions.
Ever since that conversation, I have not been looking at the ads cover to cover.
What is it in your life that may be creating discontentment in your heart? Soap operas? Romance novels? Shopping? Comparing your husband to someone else’s? comparing your house to another’s? QVC channel? Is there anything? Ask God to reveal your heart to you.

Diane

“But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.’ And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.” Mark 10:14-16
Children are precious unto the Lord.
My younger sister adopted 4 precious children from Russia, two at a time. The first two were not birth siblings but had been in the same orphanage. They are currently 6 and 7. The second two are a set of twins, a boy and a girl, 6 years of age. That’s right! My sister has 4 children: 6, 6, 6, and 7, spanning 16 months from oldest to youngest. She and her husband take very seriously the commandment to “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4 She recently sent me a prayer her youngest daughter prayed one evening and I thought it was too precious not to pass on.
“Tonight, little Paige said, with eyes closed, head bowed and such sincerity, ‘Dear God, let all the babies and children in orphanages all over the world sleep well tonight. Please Lord, let them not wake up scared, or sick or hungry. In Jesus name, Amen.'”
Take a moment and thank the Lord for a pillow to lay your head on tonight. We were all orphans before being adopted into the family of God. Galatians 4:4-8, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
Because He is our Father, we never need to wake up scared, or sick or hungry.
Diane

“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed- always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

I was recently reading through a Bible Study I had done a number of years ago when I came across this handwritten note in the margin: “The life of Jesus cannot be revealed in my body as long as the life of Diane is…”
Oh, how difficult it can be sometimes to die to self. One of my favorite prayer verses is Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” I no longer live but Christ lives in me. Wow! How do I live, yet not live? How do I live, while dying? Sometimes it is like nailing Jell-O to the wall, one moment I’ve got it, the next it slips away. How do I get out of God’s way so He can be manifest in me? How do I cease living in my own strength and in my own flesh? From all outward appearances, it is often difficult to tell the difference between living and dying. The real difference is in the depth of the heart.
I believe the answer to all these questions appears right in the verse, “and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith…”
By faith….
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
“The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17
I believe that is our answer. I can live the crucified life in which the life of Jesus may be manifest in my body, by faith. Stepping out in obedience even when I can’t see where I’m going is characteristic of a walk of faith. I can choose, yes choose, to die to myself and let Jesus Christ live through me. And the amazing thing about it is that He is the one that empowers me to do so by His Holy Spirit.
Be blessed today -throw your head back and delight in His life in you.
Diane

Rejoice…Rejoice!

I am convinced that the Lord knew we would all tend to have a tough time rejoicing. That is why he had Paul repeat this exhortation in Philippians 4:4. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice.”
From Webster’s online dictionary we know that, “to rejoice” is to “express great joy”. Notice the word expressed in the definition is an action word. We must do rejoicing.
Let’s take it a step further and define joy. From the same source we know that joy is “intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness; the expression or manifestation of such feeling.” So once again we see active expression. Wow! Imagine yourself rejoicing in the Lord with such exultation!
On Easter Sunday, my pastor taught from the Word of God on the topic of “Experiencing the Resurrection.” In a nutshell, there is no greater thing to rejoice in, than in the fact that, Christ Jesus died for your sins and mine. He suffered a horrible death, He rose again on the third day, so that you and I might be free from the penalty of our sin and experience new life.

So then…let us rejoice and then… let’s rejoice again! He is alive! He is who He says He is!

We are born again and we have a living hope. It is in this hope that we rejoice and actively express our intense feeling of happiness!
“Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith, for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this rejoice…Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” I Peter 1:3-6a, 8-9

So dear ones – express yourself!! Like the lame man whom Peter healed, rise up and walk! Take the reality of the resurrection power of Christ that dwells in your bones and shout out, “Halleluiah!!” to the Lord our God!!

Stephanie

“Couture al la Hefty”

Any Outfits He’d like me to get rid of?
Humm? Well, I’m happy to say not at this time. But there was a time that I had a few Lawn n’ Leaf bags full of trash, I mean inappropriate clothing, trash…same thing.
A few days after I came to know Christ I opened my closet door and said OH NO!
The clothes I had, especially the work cloths or dress cloths were not something I wanted to be seen in ever again. Some of the “work cloths” looked like I was doing Rahab’s work! At the time when I chose them I thought they made me look good. They were right out of the Victoria’s Secret clothing catalog or some trendy stores I had found. Some very expensive (charged of course and way out of my budget). The sad thing was that I didn’t look good at all, but I really believed I did. I was maybe 110 to 115 pounds (keep in mind I’m 5’7”). I had no curves what so ever, but was rail thin. Not to mention sin sick. I was a size 4 maybe a 6 and in the world’s eyes that was good. For some reason, even that thin, many men still find it attractive, as I soon found out. And I liked the attention. That’s really what is was all about. The attention it drew to me. Negative attention, but attention none-the-less. So why the sudden house cleaning after salvation? The Holy Spirit was now my personal stylist! I will never forget it; I opened that door and knew instantly I needed to go through every item, underwear and shoes too! What ever looked like trash went there! I wouldn’t even donate any of it because I didn’t want any other women to choose to wear it. I mean who would I donate it to The Salvation Army? I was in the “salvation army” now! The beauty of this story is that no one told me to do it, but God prompted my spirit. I was a baby Christian, but I knew enough within just a few days that this image marred the image of my God. Well it’s almost six years later and I can say I have gained a few pounds since then, I also now have curves, well ok, more like wide turns! Truly I would like to loose about 15 pounds and get into better physical shape, but I never want to be a size 4 again! I definitely choose my clothing a lot differently than I used to but the choices are still out there and women are still buying them! Recently I was at a store with Diane and I was joking about some of the lingerie we saw. First let me!
say tha
t it is right out front. You used to have to walk to the back of the store to find stuff like that. Now my son can shop for school clothes right next to the sexy lingerie.
Sexy lingerie has its place – the privacy of a married couples home, surely not store front windows. The beauty of the body is to be enjoyed within God’s parameter of marriage. But remember it is only beautiful within the commitment of marriage and outside of that it’s just ugliness that mares the image of our God.

Dina

The Law of Love II

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to
indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” Galatians
5:13

We started off yesterday with a call to modesty. The standards of
dress have changed so drastically over time that things that we don’t think
twice about today would have not have only raised eyebrows a hundred years
ago but probably earned us a name we would not like.
Yesterday, I suggested some very pointed guidelines regarding modest
attire. You may be thinking I’m being legalistic or prudish. Oh sister,
hear my heart. Our theme verse this week and several others in Scripture
clearly assure us we are free. “For sin shall not have dominion over you,
for you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:14. “Therefore if the
Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36. “I run in the path
of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” Psalm 119:32. BUT, we
are never to use our freedom as a license to do whatever we want if it
causes a brother to stumble. Our theme verse says, “…do not use your
freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”
The law of love constrains the law of freedom, or law of liberty. In other
words, we give up our freedom out of love for a brother or sister, if the
exercise of our freedom is a stumbling block for them.
You may be thinking, “This isn’t fair.” I’m not the one that has the
problem. Why is modesty such a big deal? I’m not wearing anything too
revealing. If a man gawks, that’s his problem. As a Christian woman, it is
your “problem” because Christ has called you to serve your brother in love.
How loving is it to wear clothing that attracts his eye, distracts him, or
causes him to stumble? I’m not talking here about within your marriage I’m
talking about the men that are not your husband. If your husband likes you
to dress less than modestly, I would encourage you to respectfully and
gently share with him that you want to honor him by being “for his eyes
only”.
It takes a woman of strength, conviction and dignity to make such unselfish
decisions. Are you willing to be that kind of woman?

No challenge today, I think we have been challenged enough.

Diane

The Law of Love V

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13

I know this week of Victory Call have been straight forward talk on a sensitive subject. I need to warn you today’s will be the toughest yet.
For many of you reading this, the topic may be foreign to your thinking but I assure you it is a very real issue. I want to talk today about the power a woman has via her body.
Some women dress sensually to attract attention. For a few, it may be perfectly innocent but I am going to suggest (and you may choose to disagree) that for the majority of these women they are dressing with intention. I don’t mean that every day they get up and say, “Today, I’m going to turn heads”, but rather the selection of clothes in their closet betrays their heart.
I gave very little thought to this whole area before I came to AK. Through the ministry to hundreds of wives, I have made some observations and offer this conclusion: Women enjoy the sense of power they get from turning men’s heads. It feels good to be noticed. Now, I’m not talking about all women, I’m talking about women in general. You may be quite offended by my conclusion but in the world of counseling I live in, it is very real.
Is there really power? Whatever you want to call it, men react to women. God made men visual. They are wired to be sexually aroused through what they take in through their eyes. But Satan has taken that which is good and twisted it so that men (in general) are confronted with the temptation to lust.
Let me share a quote from “Every Man’s Battle” by Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker (this is written by men to men):
“Males Receive Sexual Gratification Through the Eyes: … We have our eyes and can draw sexual gratification through them at any time. We’re turned on by female nudity in any way, shape, or form. … We have a visual ignition switch when it comes to viewing the female anatomy. … Visual sexual gratification is no laughing matter in your fight for sexual purity. Given what the sight of nudity does to the pleasure centers of our brain, and these days it’s pretty easy to see many naked or near-naked women, it’s no wonder our eyes and minds resist control.”

As I am writing this the thought occurred to me that lust may look different in women than in men. I’m going to throw this thought out for your consideration. Is it possible that lust in women is manifested through their dress and the sense of power to entice? That sense of excitement that can come from showing a little skin. My sister shared an illustration with me from a trip to Wendy’s one afternoon. Standing in line waiting to order the young, well-endowed teen-aged girl in front of her discretely, but distinctly reached into her shirt and readjusted her breasts to expose more skin above her shirt line. This is what men and women alike are faced with daily.

Ladies, knowing that men are prone to lustful temptation, the law of love warrants that we as women, seek to love them by being mindful of our attire so as to be a blessing rather than a temptation.

Phew!! I’m glad this week is over.

Diane

The Law of Love IV
“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13

As we have been focusing on modesty this week and seeking to love our brothers by not being a stumbling block to them, I can’t help but think we need to understand balance. Lest you think I am advocating a return to floor length dresses or face veils I want to communicate the heart of love not law. How do we balance proper dress out of love for our brother without becoming legalistic about it? The difference is in the heart. There is a world of difference between being modest because ‘I gotta’, and being modest as an act of relational obedience and love for Christ and our bothers. One is a result of outward compliance the other the result of a heart of love.
I believe we are called by God to bring every area of our life under the authority of God. It’s not man’s rules or regulations that should be our highest concern but rather the expression of God’s heart in our lives.
Are you willing to take your wardrobe to the Lord with an open hand and let Him sort through it and discard those things you believe are not pleasing to Him? If you are holding on to your freedom to wear what you want with a closed fist…it’s time for a heart check.

We’re almost done, one more day on this very sensitive and difficult topic. Tomorrow is the hardest yet.

Your challenge today is to ask yourself if you are willing to change if God expresses His desire for you to do so. Are you willing or are you dismissing those nagging thoughts? Are you willing?

Diane