BLOGS
Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. - 1 Corinthians 7:17
Do you trust God at his word? Do you willingly obey him? In 2 Kings chapter five we read about a man named Naaman. Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Syria. He was a great man who was highly favored “because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor,” (5:1). But Naaman had a major problem, he was a leper. Naaman’s wife had a servant girl captured from Israel. This bold young girl told her mistress about the great prophet, Elisha, in Samaria. She thought this prophet would be able to cure the master of his leprosy. From the servant girl, to her mistress, to her husband, to the king of Syria the message went. Permission was given and Naaman, along with his entourage, traveled to see the powerful prophet of God. Naaman’s party came with their horses and chariots and arrived at Elisha's door, loaded with fine gifts to give. However, Elisha did not come to the door, he didn’t even show himself. Instead, he sent a message via a servant telling Naaman to,”Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” (5:10). Naaman was not happy with this. In fact, he was furious and went away in anger saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” (5:11-13). Naaman then “turned and went away in a rage.” (5:12). Do you rage against what God’s Word says to you in the areas of singleness or marriage? Our calling from God is NOT optional. When God tells us in his word that things are to be done a certain way, that is a direct command upon our lives, not a suggestion. The frameworks of singleness and marriage were designed by God’s own holy hands. For singles, understand that being single is not less than ideal. Strike it from your thinking and don’t insult God that way. Read 1 Corinthians 7. In it Paul says that singleness is a gift (v. 7) and even preferable over marriage since marriage comes with “worldly troubles” (v.28) and “anxieties” (v. 32). As a single person, you can “secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.” (v. 35). Very little can hinder you from a life dedicated to the Lord and good works. It is as if God is reserving you for himself! There will be struggles against loneliness but in this area God will also show himself faithful as your husband. For those married, it is God’s will that you stay married despite the worldly troubles and anxieties mentioned above. If you have been married for any length of time, you know Paul was not wrong. Yet marriage is also a divine assignment from God. It is a gift, but not a gift to be spent upon yourself. God wants marriage to display his godly attributes of relationship and grace. “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,” (Eph. 5:24-25). This is a huge and difficult calling, requiring much humility. Yet when done “as to the Lord” it is a beautiful reflection of Christ. In this we can excel where Eve failed, we can honor God by respecting and helping our husbands. “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.” (1 Cor. 7:17). In our callings from the Lord, let us not be like Naaman and rage against the command given for our own good. Let us not think that surely God should order our lives differently and more in line with our preferences. Never forget that he is God and you are not. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Is. 55:9). What happened to angry, leprous Naaman? Swayed by yet other bold servants he did go and wash in the dirty Jordan. “He went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” (5:14). After this he served the One True God of Israel. Ladies, God speaks, will we not listen and obey? His message to us in singleness and marriage is loud and clear in the Bible. Is our assignment fantastic or beautiful? We may not think so now, but there will come a time when it is no longer just a message in front of us, but our Creator himself. Then we will long with everything within us that we had been obedient to the fullest. Feel that longing now. Yearn to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matt. 25:23). Then the door will be opened wide to us and the words “fantastic” and “beautiful” will not even come close to what we feel. Women, serve God in your divinely assigned role. It is good. “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Acts 20:28
These days church attenders are infected with a virus of conditional loyalty that has produced an army of church hitchhikers...“You go to the meetings and serve on the boards and committees. You grapple with the issues, teach and entertain the children, and I’ll come along for the ride. But if things do not suit me, I’ll criticize and complain and probably bail out. My thumb is always out for a better ride.” - Barbara Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Woman, chapter 10, page 119. Sadly, I think Hughes is dead on for many self-labeled Christians today. Loyalty to a body of believers is severely lacking. This isn’t just about official church membership, but committed, regular attendance to a gathering of believers. There are too many of us looking for an easy ride for as long as it suits us. When we start to feel confined, awkward, judged, bored or convicted out pops the thumb, time to move on. With the rise of self-centered life styles where individualism reigns and in a culture that continues to bristle against authority, it is no wonder there is such sparse church attendance. According to a study done by Barna Group Inc. released September 2016, 73% of Americans would label themselves a Christian, yet only 31% report attending at least one church service per month (full report here). Even though I don’t think these numbers reflect the true heart of those surveyed, I do find it interesting that we have so many saying “yes” to being a Christian and “no” to the church. Regardless of numbers or personal attitudes, what we need to be looking at is God’s opinion of his Church. Is the church where he wants us? Or is this just another human institution used to bring about order and subservience? When I use the word “church” from here on out, I am referring to God’s called out assembly of believers, the true Bible-following gatherings of his people. There are many false churches teaching false doctrines in this world, this does not apply to them. Ephesians 5:25 tells us that “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Acts 20:28 tells elders “to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” God cherished his church enough to send his son to spill his blood for it. Do we dare act as if it an insignificant matter? In many ways to reject the true assembly of believers is to reject Christ himself. Ephesians 2:20-21: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” What an awesome picture of the church. Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of supreme importance in this household of faith. We are members and together he builds us into a holy temple for his glory. God loaded the Bible with metaphors for his church to help us understand it better: a family, a body, a household, a kingdom, a temple, a bride, a building, a flock. What do all of these have in common? Unity, a oneness, togetherness, cohesion. Many parts brought together under one ultimate authority: Christ himself- who acts as the Leader, the Head, the Father, the King, the High Priest, the Groom, the Cornerstone, and the Shepherd. Do you think God wants us to pay attention to all this? Most certainly. Do you think you will fare well as a rebel Christian, keeping your distance from “organized religion”? Living as a maverick sheep? Fat chance, lamb chop. Not being devoted to fellowship with other believers is akin to not being devoted to Christ (very few exceptions to this). If you are a family, together is where you will be. If you are part of a kingdom, united in battle is where you will stand. Be there. Not devoted to a building or a religion, but being devoted to one another through Christ your common Savior. “Together” is the location that God has ordained that biblical good happens: teaching of doctrine, sanctification, worship, encouragement, corporate prayer, correction, opportunity for good works, a stirring up of our faith. In turn all of this fans the flames of the gospel in our hearts growing us and expanding his Kingdom. Women, if we are seeking to discipline ourselves in godliness we cannot neglect regular fellowship with other believers. We need to come together as the church of God. In this we are like Christ who devoted his whole body in sacrifice for his people. “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” - Hebrews 12:1
To be human is to endure. To be Christian is to endure with hope, purpose and victory. God calls his followers to persevere. That is to walk forward in faith, trusting God even when trials and sufferings come. We are to “run WITH ENDURANCE the race that is set before us” Hebrews 12:1, (emphasis mine). Perseverance is a godly muscle that we can flex and strengthen. Let’s do that today. Today’s blog coordinates with chapter 9 out of Barbara Hughes’ book, Disciplines of a Godly Woman. First, to be clear, when we persevere, we are not earning righteousness. We do not suffer as a way of earning our way into Heaven. The work of Christ alone does that. However, our trials do something wonderful in our lives. They mature us. They grow us up in the Lord and make us more “worthy of our salvation” (Phil. 1:27). In short, they make us more like Jesus, our suffering Savior (Isaiah 53). James tells us that this sanctifying work should bring us joy because this “testing of [our] faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that [we] may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:3-4. God is helping us to become perfectly steadfast in him, that means we will be unwavering. What an awesome condition - to be so strong in the Lord that no storm can bend us. Whether that is a tsunami of sudden tragedy or the squalls of daily motherhood. God is using the weathering of life to make us beautiful. He is turning us into a vessel for noble use, his use. This brings us to the primary reason we are to endure - for the spread of the gospel message. When you persevere through trials with hope and joy it shouts an amazing message to the world. That message is - Jesus is worth it! Your display of peace and grace while surrounded by turmoil shines the light of Jesus into a dark world. You become a beacon pointing to hope and life beyond what the world can offer. In the words of Jesus, “I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.” John 14:31. Finally, God calls us to persevere in life because through difficult times, we grow closer to him. In the midst of adversity, our faith grows. We learn to trust God to be God. We find that he really is all he says he is. “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.” Psalm 119:71. God will graciously strip away all else in our lives to teach us to depend on him. He leads us to discover the earth shaking reality that Jesus is our everything. We now know why we are to persevere, but how are we persevere? The answer is through Christ. To live in hope and not fear, we must first be born again and know Jesus as our savior. Then we must understand that he does the holding and keeping. We are called to persevere, but God causes us to persevere. We are not strong enough in our own flesh to deal with all that life throws at us. Jesus is. When you want to crumble and give up, remember Jesus, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.” Hebrews 12:2. Jesus endured and his Spirit within you will help you endure too. There is joy ahead. We are to “consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Romans 8:18. As Christians we are “living forward” with joyful anticipation. We don’t dwell on our earthly situation but on our eternal one. All we need to know is found in the Bible. God had a book written for us so that we could know his plan, his purpose and our future. He is a good, good God. Read it and know. Women, it takes courage and discipline to glorify God in the midst of challenges. Whether that is in the tedious toil of everyday life or in the face of life-altering tragedy. Run your God-given race with joyful endurance. Christ is worth it. “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ,” Philippians 1:27
This is a tough one. The godly disciplines we have covered thus far for women have been mostly spiritual in nature - elements of our walk with the Lord where the work occurs mostly (though not exclusively) on the inside. Including the disciplines of the mind, contentment, prayer, worship, and knowing the gospel. Today we deal with the outside. That is, what we display broadly to the world and narrowly to the person right next to us. Today we cover propriety. This corresponds to chapter 8 in Disciplines of a Godly Woman, by Barbara Hughes. Our propriety means our “appropriateness to the purpose or circumstances” (dictionary.com). What is our “purpose or circumstances” as Christian women? Paul nails it in the verse above. We are to act in a way that is “worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Our circumstance: we are redeemed and purchased by the blood of Jesus. Our purpose: to glorify him by sharing his gospel. Therefore, our behavior as Christian women should always center on the gospel. How we dress, talk, and carry ourselves should all reflect one singular message. That message is the good news that Jesus saves us from damnation when we turn from sin and believe in him. I told you that this is an external aspect of our walk with the Lord. And it very much is - it is our presentation of Christ to the watching world. However, it always begins from within. Propriety is a matter of the heart. “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil,” Luke 6:25. Let’s look at three areas briefly: Appearance and dress: It may seem difficult to dress for the gospel, but it isn’t. The simple question to ask yourself is this: “Will what I am wearing distract from the message of the gospel?” If so, don’t wear it. You dress to please your Savior, not other women or men. If married, your husband will be pleased with what pleases God. A Christian woman does not dress to seduce, for power, to make herself feel good, or to impress others. Our beauty and worth comes from who we are in Christ, not our wardrobe. Should we care about out appearance? Yes, indeed. As it states in Proverbs 31:25, “Strength and dignity are her clothing.” We Christian women are to cloth ourselves in what reflects our position as daughters of the King. We are his image bearers and “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20). Therefore we adorn ourselves with what honors our God. This will include proper clothing, but also a humble spirit (1 Peter 5:5), good works (1 Tim. 2:9) and a gentle, quiet spirit (1 Peter 3:4). Godly beauty is life changing because it comes from a changed life in Christ. Words: God has made the tongue POWERFUL. Words can hurt and words can heal. How we speak to others has great bearing on the proclamation of the gospel. If we allow gossip, flattery, complaints and criticism to flow unchecked from our mouths, do you think many will listen to the message of hope we bring in the name of Jesus? We all need to work on taming our tongue to obey God. “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Eph. 4:29. Use your words to direct others to Jesus and not away. Fill yourself with the Word of God so that you can share it with others. His words alone save and give hope. Attitude: How often do you have to give yourself an attitude check? For me, it’s daily hourly. I struggle with a desire for control, a critical spirit, wanting approval, harboring bitterness, a haughty spirit and even pity parties. All of it boils down to one major sin category: PRIDE. You have it too. And though we try to hide it, pride will always rear its ugly head eventually. We are told in James 4:6-7, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God.” Humility is the antidote to pride. Galatians 6:3, “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” We must humbly admit we can do nothing without God. We must submit to God and his Word. We deal with pride by treasuring up God’s words in our hearts that we might not sin against him (Ps. 119:11). The condition of the heart will always be on display in our behavior and attitudes. Ladies, remember to check your hearts often. Does your propriety line up with your claim to be a devoted follow of Jesus? We are to live in a manner “worthy of the gospel.” We can only do this when we have a heart that has been transformed by the gospel. This transformation should be seen by others when they look at you, listen to you and get to know you. Show them Christ! The sin of discontent runs rampant in the lives of women today. The world is constantly telling us that we need to be improved. We need to be more, do more, and have more. We should not be satisfied with our current status. Discontent is a gangrene that can infect and grow; turning what should be beautiful into something repulsive and rank… if we let it.
We resume our journey through the book, Disciplines of a Godly Woman, by Barbara Hughes. Today we are examining the discipline of contentment (chapter 7). To find evidence of discontent in the history of the world, we have only to look at the very first woman. Eve in the Garden of Eden had everything that was wonderful, good and easy. Her surroundings were literally heaven-like. The earth produced her food, she dwelled with the animals in peace, she was naked and not ashamed, and she even had the perfect husband. Above all of this she communed with God himself! The perfect life… …until Eve heeded a contrary voice that questioned God’s words to her. Satan dangled before her the idea that maybe God was depriving her of something good. The infestation took root and the gangrene of discontent was planted. We women have all inherited Eve’s sin of discontentedness. We are unhappy with what God has sovereignly and graciously given to us for our good. Is God depriving us of something good? Is there more out there for us? A better house, husband, or children, more money, a better job, or to be beautiful, healthy, smarter, athletic, or musical. Are we being slighted? When we think this way, we are saying that God’s providence is not enough for us. We know what we really need. God’s way is lacking. Are you seeing how this is a dangerous sin? God warns us against this “lifestyle of craving” in 1Timothy 6:6-19. In v. 10 Paul tells us that some who give in to these worldly desires “have wandered away from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pangs.” What we think we “need” actually will hurt us when outside of God’s will. “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5 This verse shows that contentedness is a command. And why are we to be content? Because God will never leave us nor forsake us! We have God, therefore we have everything. Not a penny more is needed. Ever. More good news is found in Philippians 4:11-13: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Paul tells us that contentedness is learned. We can acquire the invaluable, godly skill of contentedness. Paul also shares the secret to being content: being satisfied with your situation does not depend on the situation. It depends on the “him” in verse 13. “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” does not mean that we can run a marathon, survive cancer, or divorce our husbands and be okay. It means we honor God by using the skills he gives us whether in running or sewing. It means we use our cancer diagnosis to glorify his name whether we are healed or die a slow and painful death. It means we will be thankful for the mate he has provided for us and will use our union to display his grace. The “him” in Philippians 4:13 is Jesus Christ. We can be content in anything when we have Jesus as our Savior and strength. Ladies, do not measure your life by your circumstances. Learn to be content in Christ. Turn your desires upon him and away from the world, longing not for more of the temporal but for his everlasting righteousness and presence. Submit to God’s plan for your life and be satisfied in him. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. – Galatians 6:8
Christian women, God in his grace gives us many opportunities for fresh starts and new beginnings (and, wow, do we need them!). At least one occurs every 24 hours, one every 7 days, one every 30 days, and one every 365 days. We are currently standing at the doorstep of the latter in this list. As we knock on the door of 2018 and begin to make resolutions, I want one goal to rise to the top of your list: to sow to the Spirit and not to the flesh. Sowing refers to the planting of seeds in hopes that something will flourish and grow. When we sow to the flesh there will be a crop produced. Sowing to the flesh is easy peasy. It is doing exactly what we want to do, when we want to because we feel like it. A list of the fruit that is produced from sowing to the flesh is given in Galatians 5:19, “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry [think the love of food, entertainment, clothing, hobbies, etc.], sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these.” As Paul succinctly put it in Galatians, this list can be summed up with the word “corruption”. If you are struggling in any of the areas listed above, examine your heart to see what seeds have taken root. If you have been entertaining lustful thoughts (or allowed them in through shows or books), you may be struggling with sensuality and impurity. If you struggle with over-eating, you are sowing seeds of idolatry as you look to find comfort in food rather than in God. All of these will produce corruption in your life. Another list is given to us when we sow to the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;” Galatians 5:22-23. These are the fruit, but what are the seeds that are able to produce this awesome crop? The true Seed that must be planted within us before any of these can be present is the Seed of Eve, that is Jesus Christ. It is his Spirit that he sends to dwell within us that is able to produce anything good. When we sow to the Spirit we are not adding to or improving the Spirit. We are aligning our hearts, minds and bodies to the will of the Spirit. We do this by reading God’s Word, sharing the gospel, worshipping, praying, serving, using our gifts, encouraging one another and doing the many other directives given in Scripture. In this way we sow to the Spirit, we strive toward being more like Jesus and that produces love, joy, peace, patience…and all the other glorious fruits. So while the concept is simple, the execution is where the heavy lifting begins. Every action, thought and heart motive needs to be checked before planted. Will it serve to corrupt you and produce ugliness down the road (anger, division, strife…) or will it nourish the soul and make you more like Jesus? But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. - Galatians 5:16-17. Ladies, soak yourself in the things of Christ and sow to the Spirit this coming year. The yield will be a magnificent blessing! It will be a harvest like no other. Let it be your daily ambition to walk by the Spirit, not allowing yourself to succumb to the easy desires of the flesh. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9. This is the Christmas story. It is read in households across the world during Christmas. I encourage you to do the same. Maybe you don’t have a Bible or maybe you don’t know where to find it, so I have printed it below. Pass it on to others.
It is not the paper or the binding that makes God’s Word valuable, it is the words themselves. Whether read, spoken or in thought, God’s words are powerful. They are said to be living and active in our hearts and souls (Hebrews 4:12). That is what we need at Christmas time - hearts alive and revived with true love, the love of Jesus. That is what God’s Word is able to do. Refresh yourself here with a small, but mighty dose of his work. Read the scripture below and remember, this celebrated baby came to die for us. We humans are steeped in sin. This sin is against God and the just punishment is damnation to Hell. Yet, Jesus Christ (God’s son), full of grace, took on flesh and came to earth to save us. Jesus lived a perfect life and paid off our debt of sin with his holy blood. He died the death we deserved on the cross, bearing his Father’s wrath. After being dead three days, he raised himself back to life, defeating death and sin forever. Through believing in Jesus and what he has done, we can be saved and be with him in Heaven for eternity. This is an incomprehensible gift offered freely to us, do you accept it? This is what the angel is excited about when he tells the shepherds that he is there with “good news of great joy…for unto you is born this day…a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Jesus began on earth as a baby, but ended as the Victorious Risen Savior for those who believe in him. Let this good news be for you this year. Think on these words, read them to your children, make it a standing tradition. Then find a Bible and get more. Luke Chapter 2, verses 1 – 20: In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Scan`dal: noun. an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage.
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.” - Matthew 1:18-19. Approximately 2,022 years ago, a young woman (we would call her a girl today) was pregnant and unwed. The woman Joseph thought to be virtuous and pure was carrying a baby not his. He could have her killed, but Joseph was merciful. He would give her a divorce quietly (betrothal required legal actions to end). Mary would not die, but could live out her existence in shame as a poor, single mother. The child fatherless, unclean, and despised. "But as [Joseph] considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:10-21 This changes everything…at least for Joseph and Mary. The baby is “from the Holy Spirit”; Mary has been true and faithful. They will be married and they will raise this Savior-child as God has instructed. Others were not privy to Joseph’s dream. Would they still consider this to be outrageous and scandalous? Yes. Possibly a reason they stayed in Bethlehem a couple “extra” years. Is this the extent of it? No. Not by a long shot. The true outrageous scandal of Christmas is not found in the newlywed couple, but in the babe in their arms. The one wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a feeding trough. He is the scandal, the OUTRAGE for all of time. How so? Because within the flesh of that baby is God. The Master of the Universe, dwelling within his own creation. Maker of the innumerable stars, born under them. The Creator of the fields, the sheep, and the very hands that held him, now in the form of a helpless child. The Masterful Potter at the mercy of his ignorant lumps of clay. Everything within us should scream, “NO! This is wrong! It should not be this way!” We should be outraged. Jesus was the Word, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” “Yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” John 1:14, 3-5, 10-11. What happens to this God-baby? He grows and the scandal grows with him. Though human, he lives in perfect righteousness as only God can. He saves and heals and loves. But the ignorant lumps of clay hate him. He claims to be God because he is God. They abuse him and finally nail the Light of the World to a cross to die. Outrage. Yet this man will not stay dead, he really is God. He rises, he forgives, and he calls us to be his. He has paid our debt of sin with his holy God-blood. He was the needed sacrifice for our atonement. We can be with him in glory…SO undeserved! Ignorant lumps of clay now fashioned into vessels of beauty by the hands that bear the scars from the wounds we gave him. How can this be? It is outrageous! “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” “And we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” “For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:5, 14, 16. That is our God, he is outrageous. Do not take his birth lightly. His love for us is nothing short of scandalous. We are utterly unworthy, yet he gives it. Are you listening, are you paying attention to what he has done? Are you seeing it over and over on the pages of his Book? I hope so. Celebrate it with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength this Christmas. Live outrageously for the God who loves you outrageously. This past Sunday evening our church held a members’ meetings during which I gave a short update on our women’s ministry. I discussed our current Bible study, the weekly blogging and potential plans for the future. What I put forward felt quite inadequate. I was waiting for someone to say, “Is that all you do?”
As I was thinking on this later I began to feel the old, familiar clouds of doubt and inadequacy gather about me. The poor women of Cornerstone have me as their leader!?! As busy as I feel, it never feels like enough and I am so very imperfect. Yet God, in his ever gracious way, began to remind me of some very important facts. First, ministering to women is not the responsibility of a single person. Women are discipled and taught by both men and women in a variety of settings. Secondly, a great deal of ministry to women occurs outside of organized events. Much ministering to women is happening all around me, and when I stop to think on it, it is overwhelming. Women’s ministry is happening when:
To think that I might be the center of women’s ministry is absurd. That place belongs to Christ alone. “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and faithfulness!” (Psalm 115:1). It is God’s Word that transforms the hearts and minds of women and he is faithful to fulfill his promise of growth in us (Phil. 1:6). Is there more to come for the women of Cornerstone Church? Yes, God willing. But we cannot lose sight of all the good that is happening already. God is always at work and I love getting to be a witness to a portion of it. It is Jesus that is shining through these women; all I can do is give him praise. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:15). So, women, keep ministering! Continue to “stir up one another to love and good works,” and “encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25). Press into the Lord and his Word and care for one another…just as sisters should. Today we continue our journey through Barbara Hughes’ book, Disciplines of a Godly Woman, as we pursue growth in Christ-likeness. We are now on chapter 6, “Discipline of the Mind”.
What we want to focus on today is how we use our minds for growth in godliness. This is very important. Your mind will affect every area of godly discipline. It is the pathway by which we internalize information to be stored in our heart. Our thoughts directly influence our behaviors. What we think and believe, we will act on. Paul tells Christians: “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2). We can follow this verse backwards to help us understand it: The renewing of our minds brings about a transformation in us by which we will no longer act like the world (which is a telltale sign of a Christian). The renewing of our minds occurs because we are made into a new creation when we are redeemed by Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Our whole being is redeemed, including our minds. We are no longer slaves to thinking like the world thinks. We should begin to think like Christ. Knowing that our minds can be made new in Christ should be thrilling news to many of us. This means we are not stuck with our old thought patterns. We don’t have to give in to anxiety, depression, worry, or negativity any longer. We don’t have to allow our minds to sin with thoughts of hate, anger, envy or lust. Our brains can be sanctified! And truly, they must progress in sanctification as we mature if we belong to God. How do we go about training our minds in godly thinking? There is a great list provided for us in Philippians 2:8 by Paul, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” This list culminates in the person of Jesus Christ who is the best subject for our thoughts. The opposite of this list is also true (as Hughes points out on page 69). We should not then think on what is: untrue, ignoble, wrong, impure, unlovely, not admirable, shoddy, or unworthy of praise. What we need to understand is that our minds will consume and take in whatever it is we feed it. In Psalm 101 we see David’s utter devotion to guarding his heart and mind. The whole Psalm is excellent, but look at verse 3: “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.” Notice that the word used is “worthless,” not “evil” or “wicked.” Even what we might consider “harmless” or “neutral” may still be worthless, meaning it is of no value to us. What caused David’s most notorious sin? He did not go out to battle and allowed his eyes to linger on a beautiful woman. His thoughts then turned into actions that were destructive. What you allow before your eyes (and that of your children) matters a great deal! Therefore we need to feed our minds with what is good. This, of course, is where Scripture comes in. There is nothing better to fill your mind with than God’s very words. “You can never have a Christian mind without regular reading of the Scriptures and serious Bible study. Why is this? Because you cannot be profoundly influenced by what you don’t know.” (Hughes, page 72). This is how the renewing of our minds takes place, by the words of God working on it. That is how the transformation of our behavior occurs. Even the word “disciple” in Greek means “a learner”. If we want to be a disciple of Christ, we must be learners, students of God’s words, works, and ways. This does not mean we have to have a high IQ to serve God well. It means we need to keep growing in our knowledge of him. The amazing thing is that when we set our minds on the Lord we are loving him! “And you shall love the Lord your God…with all your mind.” (Mark 12:30). Ladies, we need to be intentional in what we allow into our minds. We can be lax in this area and let the world fill it with what is worthless or we can become disciplined and train our minds to think on what is good and praise worthy. If we want to be more like Jesus we need to set him before us continually, allowing ourselves to be profoundly influenced by him above all else. “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” Psalm 16:8. |
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