Bear with me for a moment, but have you ever heard this little cheer being sung by your children? Probably not if you have boys, but I have girls, and so do most of my friends, so I have heard it sung many times! It is a long cheer that is sweetly sung by little girls. One part of that song says...."Boys go to Jupitor to get more stupidor, girls go to college to get more knowledge..." I know, its a silly little song........and it is meant to be silly. My point here is this, knowledge is something we all try to attain! Men and women spend their lifetimes seeking it.
My Bible study has taken me back through the Book of Job. I have enjoyed reading it again, and I've gotten a lot from it. Isn't that one of the many blessings from God's Word? No matter how many times you read it, or even memorize it, there is still something you can learn, something you've never really noticed before!
Job is one of the oldest books of the Bible. And as we all know, Job was blameless and upright. The end of chapter 1, verse 1, caught my attention, "...and one that feared God, and shunned evil." That really clicked with me, and has seemed to be my theme throughout this study. What does it mean to fear? We all think of the usual definition, don't we? Feeling of anxiety; an unpleasant feeling of anxiety or apprehension caused by the presence of anticipation of danger. Frightening thought, or other entity that causes feeling of fear. Okay, I agree, that is fear. The Bible clearly states in Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..." But, let's look at the final definition of fear: reverence, respect, or awe for somebody or something. Giving God your devotion, your reverence and respect.........that's how you begin to gain knowledge!
Ecclesiastes, chapter 12 :13 says , "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Sounds like it's pretty important, doesn't it? While studying in Job, I came across Chapter 28. Job paints here a beautiful picture of wisdom. In verses 1-11, he talks about how hard men work to get ores and precious metals from the earth. In verse 12 he asks, "But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?" He tells in verses 13-19 that wisdom cannot be purchased by earthly wealth. How many do we know that spend so much money on earthly knowledge?
Job continues in verses 20-27 asking where wisdom comes from, and again how God sees everything, made everything, and understands everything. In verse 28 Job lets us in on the only controlling factor we have in the quest for knowledge........the fear of the Lord. "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding."
Now I'm not saying not to go to college or not to learn and educate yourself. What I am saying is, first, you must learn that God IS God, he can do all things and does not need us, so fear Him, stand in awe of Him, devote your life to Him! You must do this everyday. This flesh gets to thinking it's pretty smart sometimes, so daily die out to your flesh! Daily getting in His Word, and daily prayer will keep things in perspective, and only then do we begin to have knowledge!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Weathered Christian
Are you a weathered christian? It takes some time, and some life experiences to get there. I've seen people who have been saved 30 yrs. who are not weathered christians. I have seen christians who have only been saved a year or two, already becoming weathered. What is a weathered christian? They are christians who have gone through storms in their lives, and have learned not to trust in themselves, but to rely on God to see them through. What a victory you will have when you learn to rely on Him through your storm, and not try to fix it yourself! A weathered christian can lift up Holy hands and offer praise even in the worst of storms. How? Because they've seen enough to know that God is still worthy of praise no matter the situation, and that He will see them through!
So many times, I try and try to do everything I know to do to help my situation, and by hitting brick wall after brick wall, and finally collapsing in failure did I turn it over to Him. Or, I've taken my burden to the altar, but only to leave dragging that same burden back with me. How about, being able to praise God when everything's going right....easy, huh? A weathered christian can praise God when everything is going wrong!
Have you ever met someone who is going through a terrible storm in their life and you walk away being cheered up by them when you were the one trying to cheer them up? Weathered christians aren't perfect. Neither do they have less storms! They have finally realized that God IS GOD, no matter what, no matter where........and to give Him praise, no matter the situation!
I thank God for being at the place in my christian walk that I can say, no matter the circumstance, I will praise His Holy Name! He has done so much for me, and I am so undeserving, I could never praise Him enough for what he's already done for me! I'm still going to have valleys, I'm still going to be faced with troubles and trials... but I've weathered enough of them to know that my Saviour will be with me through it all. No matter what situation befalls me, I want to lift my hands in praise to him!
Like the Casting Crowns song says, I will praise You in this storm! "I'll praise You in this storm, and I will lift my hands. For You are who You are, no matter where I am. Every tear I've cried, You hold in Your hands. You never left my side, and though my heart be torn, I will praise You in this storm." What a victory you will gain when you become a weathered christian!
So many times, I try and try to do everything I know to do to help my situation, and by hitting brick wall after brick wall, and finally collapsing in failure did I turn it over to Him. Or, I've taken my burden to the altar, but only to leave dragging that same burden back with me. How about, being able to praise God when everything's going right....easy, huh? A weathered christian can praise God when everything is going wrong!
Have you ever met someone who is going through a terrible storm in their life and you walk away being cheered up by them when you were the one trying to cheer them up? Weathered christians aren't perfect. Neither do they have less storms! They have finally realized that God IS GOD, no matter what, no matter where........and to give Him praise, no matter the situation!
I thank God for being at the place in my christian walk that I can say, no matter the circumstance, I will praise His Holy Name! He has done so much for me, and I am so undeserving, I could never praise Him enough for what he's already done for me! I'm still going to have valleys, I'm still going to be faced with troubles and trials... but I've weathered enough of them to know that my Saviour will be with me through it all. No matter what situation befalls me, I want to lift my hands in praise to him!
Like the Casting Crowns song says, I will praise You in this storm! "I'll praise You in this storm, and I will lift my hands. For You are who You are, no matter where I am. Every tear I've cried, You hold in Your hands. You never left my side, and though my heart be torn, I will praise You in this storm." What a victory you will gain when you become a weathered christian!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
You Do the Math
I've been raised in church all of my life. Because of this, I think, things can get overlooked. While I love to see transformations in sinners lives, we must remember that we are ALL sinners. It is our nature, we were born in sin. Christ had to die for my sins, just as he had to die for that drug addict, or that murderer. Since I've been in church my whole life, I've heard multiple stories of how different ones were saved. They have blessed my heart. But the devil has used them against me as well.
I'm just going to get real here, so bear with me. I don't have some elaborate story of all the horrible things I was in to, when God touched my heart, like some people do. Sometimes I think that preachers, as well as other christians, get stuck on the 'storyline' of their salvation, and not on salvation itself. As a 'church-brat', church is all I've ever known. I don't have a clue what it is like to not have my life centered around church. The devil wants to ride me hard because I don't have that 'big' story of salvation as others do. Being raised in church, the devil can also give you a 'false sense of security' relating to your christian walk. It's what you've always known, so you don't work at it. It's the same as giving your child a new bike, they love it, and enjoy it, but they don't take care of it. But if your child saves his allowance, works for money, and buys that bike for himself, then he takes care of it more. Why? Because he saw what goes into getting the bike, he put his own sweat and tears into getting it. Now I'm not saying that salvation comes through works. Salvation is a gift of God, but you better work on keeping the joy of your salvation!
A new christian who was not raised in church, he knows how the 'other side lives' so to speak. He has that appreciation for his new relationship with Christ. Therefore, he can proudly stand and tell just where God has brought him from! Church brats are made from the same clay, we are just as lost and in need of a Saviour! But, because we were raised in church, I think, the devil has added ammunition against us. He can play more of a mind game, that he can't play with others. What is that mind game, you ask?................DOUBT! As a church brat, I can personally say that the devil waged a war a long time ago on me, by making me doubt my salvation! We all have our doubts, I know, but I think it can really be difficult for church brats.
As I said before, I'm going to get real. I can only speak of my experience, but maybe this will help someone. While the devil cannot, 'unsave' us, he cannot get our souls, he can torture our minds. I was saved as a 7 yr. old girl. Don't think the devil hasn't blown tidal waves of confusion at me over the years! But, I take the blame. I didn't appreciate what I had, I took it for granted, because that's all I had ever known. As the title says, you, must do the math! In II Peter chapter 1 it tells us that we must be diligent in ADDING to our faith! We must add virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. Though we are eternally saved, we must work in our christian walk, we can't just float along, eventually we are going to hit a wall!
I'm so glad that God didn't give up on me! I'm so thankful of His mercies and grace and love! Thankfully, I can say that the devil cannot win that battle anymore! He may throw waves of doubt my way now, but Thank God, I have a lifeline, and the doubts have to go away! Yes, I was saved as a 7 yr. old girl, but, I finally got to the place where I had to decide to allow God to work in my life and use me, not just go along for the ride. Please learn from me, if you are that 'church brat', don't take it for granted! Get in God's Word daily, get in your prayer closet daily! Seek His face, keep your desire to know more of Him strong! Build on that solid foundation of salvation you received at a young age. The devil is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, have your armour ready! Some christians can look at the bad they've done, and then see where God changed their lives. Not that they now live perfect, but there's been a definite change. Church brats, however, don't have that frame of reference. We were saved at a young age, before we got out into the world, so our 'sins' the devil likes to pull out are things we've done as a christian. And if you are like me, he likes to point them out and tell me that if I were really saved I wouldn't have done that! Well, I am an old unworthy sinner, saved by the grace of God, but I still have to battle this old flesh that is not saved! Yes, I have failed, but God has forgiven me, and He will forgive you if you only ask Him! He forgets the sin, too! So when the devil tries to pull them out, remind him that Jesus doesn't know what he is talking about!!!! I may be a failure, but praise God, I WAS saved at an early age! It's scary to think how I could've been raised in a home that didn't go to church, didn't know Christ.........I may have never had the opportunity to hear the Word, and be saved!
If I had to choose, I'd choose to be a church brat all over again! The hurt and strife I have not had to go through because of my Godly heritage, I am so grateful for. God is so wonderful to love each and every one of us, no matter our situation, and send His only begotten son to die for us! Do the math today, friend, see how your christian life adds up. Do you have the whole armour of God on? We are in constant battle.........but, don't worry, we've already won the war! Don't let Satan rob you of the joy of your salvation, keep adding to your christian walk, you'll be so glad you did!! The devil is nothing but a big ole liar!
I'm at the best place I've ever been in my life. My walk is pleasing my Father, and that feels wonderful! I am adding to my christian walk and growing in Christ. I appreciate what Christ did for me at such a young age. I now realize how privileged I have been to be a church brat! I'm still a failure, I still fail Him daily, but His mercies are new each and every morning! You cannot make God love you any less! No matter what you do, He loves you!!! Get that through your head, and life becomes all the more sweeter! No matter what your story of salvation is, no matter what you did or didn't do, no matter if you've been raised in church all your life, or never darkened the door until you got saved.................what matters is that you ARE saved! You accepted God's wonderful free eternal gift! Now, what are you going to do for Him?
I'm just going to get real here, so bear with me. I don't have some elaborate story of all the horrible things I was in to, when God touched my heart, like some people do. Sometimes I think that preachers, as well as other christians, get stuck on the 'storyline' of their salvation, and not on salvation itself. As a 'church-brat', church is all I've ever known. I don't have a clue what it is like to not have my life centered around church. The devil wants to ride me hard because I don't have that 'big' story of salvation as others do. Being raised in church, the devil can also give you a 'false sense of security' relating to your christian walk. It's what you've always known, so you don't work at it. It's the same as giving your child a new bike, they love it, and enjoy it, but they don't take care of it. But if your child saves his allowance, works for money, and buys that bike for himself, then he takes care of it more. Why? Because he saw what goes into getting the bike, he put his own sweat and tears into getting it. Now I'm not saying that salvation comes through works. Salvation is a gift of God, but you better work on keeping the joy of your salvation!
A new christian who was not raised in church, he knows how the 'other side lives' so to speak. He has that appreciation for his new relationship with Christ. Therefore, he can proudly stand and tell just where God has brought him from! Church brats are made from the same clay, we are just as lost and in need of a Saviour! But, because we were raised in church, I think, the devil has added ammunition against us. He can play more of a mind game, that he can't play with others. What is that mind game, you ask?................DOUBT! As a church brat, I can personally say that the devil waged a war a long time ago on me, by making me doubt my salvation! We all have our doubts, I know, but I think it can really be difficult for church brats.
As I said before, I'm going to get real. I can only speak of my experience, but maybe this will help someone. While the devil cannot, 'unsave' us, he cannot get our souls, he can torture our minds. I was saved as a 7 yr. old girl. Don't think the devil hasn't blown tidal waves of confusion at me over the years! But, I take the blame. I didn't appreciate what I had, I took it for granted, because that's all I had ever known. As the title says, you, must do the math! In II Peter chapter 1 it tells us that we must be diligent in ADDING to our faith! We must add virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. Though we are eternally saved, we must work in our christian walk, we can't just float along, eventually we are going to hit a wall!
I'm so glad that God didn't give up on me! I'm so thankful of His mercies and grace and love! Thankfully, I can say that the devil cannot win that battle anymore! He may throw waves of doubt my way now, but Thank God, I have a lifeline, and the doubts have to go away! Yes, I was saved as a 7 yr. old girl, but, I finally got to the place where I had to decide to allow God to work in my life and use me, not just go along for the ride. Please learn from me, if you are that 'church brat', don't take it for granted! Get in God's Word daily, get in your prayer closet daily! Seek His face, keep your desire to know more of Him strong! Build on that solid foundation of salvation you received at a young age. The devil is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, have your armour ready! Some christians can look at the bad they've done, and then see where God changed their lives. Not that they now live perfect, but there's been a definite change. Church brats, however, don't have that frame of reference. We were saved at a young age, before we got out into the world, so our 'sins' the devil likes to pull out are things we've done as a christian. And if you are like me, he likes to point them out and tell me that if I were really saved I wouldn't have done that! Well, I am an old unworthy sinner, saved by the grace of God, but I still have to battle this old flesh that is not saved! Yes, I have failed, but God has forgiven me, and He will forgive you if you only ask Him! He forgets the sin, too! So when the devil tries to pull them out, remind him that Jesus doesn't know what he is talking about!!!! I may be a failure, but praise God, I WAS saved at an early age! It's scary to think how I could've been raised in a home that didn't go to church, didn't know Christ.........I may have never had the opportunity to hear the Word, and be saved!
If I had to choose, I'd choose to be a church brat all over again! The hurt and strife I have not had to go through because of my Godly heritage, I am so grateful for. God is so wonderful to love each and every one of us, no matter our situation, and send His only begotten son to die for us! Do the math today, friend, see how your christian life adds up. Do you have the whole armour of God on? We are in constant battle.........but, don't worry, we've already won the war! Don't let Satan rob you of the joy of your salvation, keep adding to your christian walk, you'll be so glad you did!! The devil is nothing but a big ole liar!
I'm at the best place I've ever been in my life. My walk is pleasing my Father, and that feels wonderful! I am adding to my christian walk and growing in Christ. I appreciate what Christ did for me at such a young age. I now realize how privileged I have been to be a church brat! I'm still a failure, I still fail Him daily, but His mercies are new each and every morning! You cannot make God love you any less! No matter what you do, He loves you!!! Get that through your head, and life becomes all the more sweeter! No matter what your story of salvation is, no matter what you did or didn't do, no matter if you've been raised in church all your life, or never darkened the door until you got saved.................what matters is that you ARE saved! You accepted God's wonderful free eternal gift! Now, what are you going to do for Him?
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