My Soul Looks Back and Wonders

The year 2005 has just come to an end and I can’t help but wonder to myself, “Stephanie, have you lived this year well?” “Has the Lord’s character been reflected in your thoughts, words, and deeds or has your flesh won out?” Who has maintained court in the kingdom of your heart and life?

Thus, without being morbidly introspective, I pause, look back and I wonder. Instantly, my mind comprises a list of personal failures; daily little compromises that lack the level of integrity that I ought to have as a child of a King. I can see all the days I neglected time resting at His feet, hanging on His every Word. All the moments of self-pity, faithlessness, and unbelief rise to the forefront of my mind and seek to whip me with condemnation.

Were it not for the Word, made alive in me, I could easily be crippled with discouragement. Praise the Lord that Romans 8:1-4 tells me; tells us, “There is therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Why? “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” Why? “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. How? “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.”

In my pondering, I am increasingly aware of the enemy -this enemy, this created being, who from the beginning has sought to rule His Creator. While all the things I listed above are very much true. It is also true that the enemy has no right to use them against me. His goal is to make a mockery of the Cross and in so doing seek to discourage and render me ineffective for Kingdom work.

Dear sisters, lets collectively shout “No! Let’s together, bend our hearts low, to worship and adore the Risen One. Let’s also remember 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

With humble hearts and minds, let’s go to Him, our Savior and Lord, exalt His Holy name and Praise Him!!

Stephanie

Today’s Exhortation and Encouragement
Confess any known sin in your life, specifically and then repent!

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1 Timothy 6:10

One night during dinner, I was having yet another interesting conversation with my 17-year-old son. His perspective usually brings a smile to my face and sometimes a chuckle. Then there are the times when the depth of his perceptions, for a young man his age, simply amazes me.
This particular evening, he was sharing his passion for music and his belief that God is calling Him into worship ministry. He must have been thinking about the pay scale of most people in ministry because he made the comment that the money doesn’t matter. “After all,” he said, “money is like cake. Too much of it is not good for you and you are always supposed to share.”
Now, really, how may people really think like that? Isn’t there a saying that “He who has the most toys in the end, wins.” As “good” Christians we cluck our tongues and sigh at such a worldly attitude, but when it comes right down to it, isn’t that how many of us live?
When I see people driving around in expensive cars, or not-so-expensive cars with “spinners” which can run into thousands of dollars I cluck my tongue and think about the underprivileged children that could eat, sleep or go to college with that money so wantonly spent. If you have an expensive car or “spinners”‘, keep reading because this isn’t really about you. You see, if I’m going to cluck my tongue, I need to be clucking it at myself first. I may not own a fancy car or a fur coat or “spinners” but compared to the rest of the world, I live extravagantly. I have much more than I need, and I enjoy it.
I don’t believe it is sinful to own and enjoy things that are beyond our needs but I hope we can remember it is only because of God that we can enjoy such blessings and that it doesn’t really belong to us anyway, it all belongs to God. Once we get a death grip on our money, possessions, relationships, etc. they take the place of God in our life.
My question for you is: Is your hand wide open or clenched? Are you willing to share what you have with others that do not have?

That simple statement my son made really is rich with Biblical truth.

Diane

Eternal Security

Perhaps you are a person that from the moment you were saved by faith in Jesus Christ you never doubted your salvation; or maybe you are more like a lot of people I speak to who either are not sure if they are saved or believe they can loose their salvation.
I was recently reading 1 Peter when I came across some verses that immediately struck me as verses that assure us of the security of our genuine salvation. The first is 1 Peter 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” It is according to His abundant mercy, not our words or actions that has “begotten us again”. The inheritance we gained through the salvation of Jesus Christ is incorruptible and undefiled. God is not going to write us out of His will. His integrity, His word, His promises prevent it. He will not go back on His promise. He has given us an incorruptible inheritance and it will not be removed. It is a sure thing. Our salvation is rooted in Him not in us.
The second verse is 1 peter 1:23, “…having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” The word ‘incorruptible’ or in some versions ‘imperishable’ is the Greek word aphthartos which means “uncorrupted, not liable to corruption or decay, imperishable”1 Our security is in no way rooted in us. We are, after all, corruptible seed. But we have been born again of incorruptible seed, unable to see corruption or decay. The incorruptible seed is through the word of God which “lives and abides forever.”
I am so encouraged that the life we were given at the moment of our conversion, and salvation is His life. At that moment Christ gave us His life. Since He had died and rose again He cannot die again. His life is abundant and eternal. It is His life that resides in us unto salvation and since His life cannot die or wane, neither can our salvation. Aren’t you glad that our salvation is purchased by, abides in and sustained by Jesus Christ and not us? I am.
Allow you heart to be encouraged today. Perhaps it is just a simple reminder to you or maybe it is a new perspective. Either way, may God be glorified in your life today.

Diane

1Strong, J. 1996. The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the test of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) . Woodside Bible Fellowship.: Ontario

“I tried to stop…but my brains and my bones won’t let me!”

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.” -2 Corinthians 10:5-6

I attended a Beth Moore conference this past fall. As an attendee we were given spiral notebooks to take notes in for the duration of the conference. Included inside was an assortment of shared thoughts from those who minister alongside Beth. Travis Cottrell is one of those people. During the conference we were richly and deeply blessed by his ministry of music.
Travis shared an incident that took place between his precocious 4 year old daughter Lily Kate and his wife Angela. Angela was attempting to get her bundles safely from the church building to their car after a Wednesday night church service. It was dark, the car was a block away, and there was a lot of traffic on the road. Therefore, it was very important that Lily Kate and her older brother Jack stay at Mom’s side. Angela had her hands full with baby Levi, and all the stuff one brings to and from church.

In a split second, Lily Kate was off and running, full speed ahead…all by herself. Angela shouted, “Lily Kate, Stop! Wait for me please! Like your average 4 year old, she stopped just long enough to let you know she’d heard, and then she was off and running again. Angela finally caught up with her, at the car, and asked her why she had kept running. Lily Kate’s tearful response was, “I tried to stop, mommy. I really did. But my brains and my bones wouldn’t let me!”

Okay, now that you’ve stopped laughing, think about it. Aside from the obvious disobedience, what else can we glean from the words of this precocious 4 year old? Is it possible you can see yourself, off and running, full speed ahead, in spite of the fact that your own Father calls for you by name, asking you to “Stop and wait for Me, please.”

I know I’ve shared on this topic before, but I know for sure that this is a message that will never get old. Dear sisters, in this New Year 2006, slow down! Ask the Lord for a mind renewing experience in His Presence. Really listen to that still small voice of the living Spirit inside of you.

“I appeal to you, therefore brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:1-2

My Challenge for You and for Me,
“Stop and wait for Him, please!

Stephanie

“…as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance.” 1 Peter 1:14

The women of Higher Ground were working through a Beth Moore study last year when I remember hearing Beth say on one of the DVD’s that we have the greatest potential to overcome sin at the moment of conviction. As we ignore the conviction and fail to act upon it, its impact becomes less and less. Wow! I was really convicted by that thought but unfortunately I didn’t do anything with it.
When the Lord brings conviction to my heart, it is like I store it for future reference as opposed to making immediate application. I wish I could say it was different but unfortunately, it is not. There is a part of me that thinks that it is a good piece of information to store away and pull out at a time when obedience won’t be so hard. What I have found is that time never comes. Obedience doesn’t become easier because of age; obedience becomes easier through a pattern of obedience. Obedience is hard. It takes dying to myself and when the time comes I don’t find it any easier to die. The secret to dying is not to die unto death but to die unto life. “…reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:11. It helps to remind myself that I am dead to the sin of _______, but alive to God.
When God brings conviction to our hearts and we know better, we know the right thing to do; do we obey or keep up our old ways? Do we conform to our former lusts or do we choose to walk in obedience and holiness? Do we change because of our encounter with the Almighty? Do we take advantage of the Holy Spirit power availed to us at the moment of conviction or do we let the conviction and the power wane?

My challenge to you is to live out, by faith, what you already know. Avail yourself of Holy Spirit power to walk in victory.

Diane

“…rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:13

Rest your hope…just the thought of it brings a settledness to my spirit. The word rest brings to mind letting go, relaxation, and unmatched assurance. To rest our hope means it is an assured hope, no striving or doubt. We are to rest our hope fully not partially or half-heartedly but fully upon the grace of Jesus Christ. Sister, just close your eyes and imagine resting fully upon grace. This is not fools talk. It is offered with the assurance of the One True God. It is certain, unmistakable, steadfast, and true. What better foundation for the hope that lies within us.
Hope is a bear necessity of a God-glorifying, Christ-centered life. Most of us have had days or even months and years of feelings of hopelessness. But feelings, as intense as they may be, have no power unless we act upon them. Every time we act upon negative feelings either doing what we should not or not doing what we should, we strengthen those feelings and increase the likelihood we’ll act upon them again.
We are not called to rest our hope upon our feelings but rather we are to rest our hope on the grace of God. Our hope will not be disappointed when it rests steadfast on Jesus Christ. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 (NIV)
Where are you resting your hope today?

Diane

Proverbs 3:5-6

Verse 5: Trust in the Lord (complete trust) with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Verse 6: In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.

Our Christian life must begin with trust in the Lord: a trust that is with all our heart! Is that too hard for you? It is for me sometimes. That is why I am glad I have memorized scripture. God brings these verses to my mind when I need them most. I am reminded that I must trust, whatever the outcome. He knows best! As I am writing these thoughts, even now God is reminding me, “Trust, Dottie, for everything.” Verse six is also part of this message from the Lord: “In everything, in all your ways, He will direct your path.” I love the fact that His decisions, not mine, are the best.

I also love the words of Jesus in John 16. He tells of His return to God the Father but is sending the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to live within us. He said He would send the Spirit of Truth, who will guide us into all truth. That’s what you have in your heart and life when you accept Jesus as your Savior!

Thank Him for that! You don’t have to make decisions alone.

Dottie

Steph and I were in the office one morning when we heard what sounded like a huge explosion. Steph said she thought it was electrical because her computer screen flicked off then back on. She scurried to the door to see what was going on, when she noticed a squirrel near the transformer in front of the Women’s Center. The squirrel just sat still for 20-30 minutes. It seemed to be in shock.
While this was happening my mind was clicking away with what spiritual application could be gotten from this for a Victory Call. It didn’t take but a moment for me to see how unlike the squirrel we typically are. We are so busy, running hither and yon, that even when there are major explosions in our lives we don’t sit still long enough for God to shock us with His word. How many times have we come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit but not sat long enough for His truth to permeate our being?
The squirrel sat there unmoving, whether from fear or electrical shock is unknown but it sat still. God’s word and work in our lives can sometimes be like an electrical shock. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thought and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12. The Word of God is intended to change us. It is a vital part of the sanctification process in our lives as believers. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” John 17:17. Do we sit still long enough for it to sink in? Do we allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in our life? Are we pondering Christ, His person and His word?
May our hearts sing with the psalmist, “I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget your word.” Psalm 119:15-16. Let us be still, and know that He is God. Psalm 46:10.

Diane

It is finished! It is finished! It is finished!

It really, really, really is finished! There is nothing I can add or
take away from what has wholly been accomplished on the Cross by the
Crucified One. Obedient to His Father He accomplished the work He came
to do. He began and He finished.
History records no single event to suggest that He did anything other
that that which He came to do. His work; His reason for being, was to do
the will of the Father who sent Him. Nothing more. Nothing less.

He sought no glory for Himself. He simple came to do as the Father bid
Him, for the Father’s glory. He never lost sight of the single purpose
of His birth. Nor was He distracted or enticed by the worlds trinkets,
trappings, or delicacies.
Even His food was to do the will of the Father. “Jesus said to them,
‘”My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work.”‘

As daughters, sisters, girlfriends, wives, mothers, grandmothers,
friends, caregivers, etc., our reason for being is to be His hands, His
arms, His embrace, His image bearers to any and every soul our life
encounters.

By now, you may be wondering to yourself, “What is she trying to say?”
No work you or I do today or tomorrow will add one iota of meaning to
what our Savior and Lord has already done. If, like me, you have moments
where you find yourself sorely tempted to give up the thing that you do;
if you find yourself cast down because your laboring appears to be in
vain; if you catch yourself wondering, what oh what is the point to all
of this, I encourage you as strongly as possible to BE STILL!

Stop and remember your God! The work you do is His and His alone. He
owns the seeds and the fruit and by His Spirit, He alone will reap the
harvest. No matter how bleak the outcome appears to me, hope to the end!
Finish the thing! Pray for increased faith to believe what seems
impossible and finish!!

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted with me?
Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and
my God.” Psalms 41:11

“…..Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or
discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you
or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the
LORD is finished. –1 Chronicles 28:20

Stephanie P.

I had read a seminary student’s testimony of the impact of repeatedly reading the same book of the Bible had had in her life. So I thought I’d try it. After finishing reading through the Bible this past year, I decided to read 1 Peter in its entirety, every day for a month. It was well into my effort that the richness of Peter’s writings started to envelop my heart and mind, so I decided to extend my commitment for another 30 days.
As I shared with others what I was finding through this approach I got some interesting responses. It seems I have been considered quite dense that I didn’t “get it” the first time through. Just in case anyone out there is wondering, I am dense.
As I pondered my apparent denseness, a visual picture began to emerge which I think is worth sharing. I see the Word of God as a diamond. At first glance (first read through) it was easy to see and identify it as a diamond. It took several more intense viewings before I began to see that if I tipped the diamond to the left it shone brilliant hues of blues. If I tipped the diamond to the right the hues were shades of purple and yellow. If I turned it upside-down, it looked very different altogether. All of these views of the diamond produced reflections of different facets, yet still all the same diamond. I believe the Word of God is much the same.
The Word of God is living and active. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 NIV. That means that every time we come to the word, though it is the same, it is different. That is why we can read a book 30 times and on the 31st time, we see something we hadn’t noticed before. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through the word. Sometimes one verse over another really speaks to our hearts, the next time something different strikes us.
I am so glad that I didn’t “get it” the first time. The Word of God is so rich, so deep, and so alive I want to savor every facet, every morsel. I anticipate eternity to savor the Living Word.

My challenge to you is to pick a short book, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 John, James, 1 or 2 Peter, you pick and read the book in it’s entirety for 30 days. See for yourself the richness awaiting you between the covers of your Bible.

Diane