True Disciples

In this age as a Christian, it is so easy to get mixed into the more prominent area of complacent Christianity. Not only is it found in abundance, it's easy...very easy.

No one tells you what to do, you receive feel good messages from the pulpit that may or may not challenge your walk with Christ, no one calls you out on your sin (so you then forget you are even sinning), and no one encourages you to research to make sure what you're hearing is sound doctrine.

Source: http://photos2.demandstudios.com

I know I can't be making this up, because the apostle Paul was thinking the same thing when he said:

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." - 2 Timothy 4:3

Is this you? Do you long to hear what your itching ears want to hear, or instead sound doctrine that will put you in your place, convict and lead to repentance?

The latter doesn't sound so fun for most people, which is why it is the road less traveled.

"For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - Matthew 7:13-14

Why will more enter the wide road? It's easier.

In a society where we want more for less and faster service all of the time, we treat our most important relationship and life choices the same way. We want what is convenient and fast, not what is difficult and slow. We don't want to suffer in order to gain rewards, we want the rewards with no consequences or suffering. However, it's the journey that makes the rewards worthwhile. Consider the following verse:

"We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." - Romans 5:3-5

If we understand what suffering produces, our hearts should be focused on hanging tight for the ride.

Source: ledgerlink.monster.com

One Another Relationships

In the Word of God, we are commanded to do several things. Many don't appear as commands, but they clearly don't say "if you choose". In fact, in Paul's writings they many times begin with the word "therefore."

In regards to one another (and I mean between disciples of Jesus Christ), how are we supposed to act? What are we supposed to do to appear different from the world? How can we help each other grow?

Here are a few important places to start, and let me warn you, some may make you shift uncomfortably because it is not something you're used to seeing in church, but it is what the Bible calls us to do:

• Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 10:24)
• Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
• Confess to one another (James 5:16)
• Bear with one another (Colossians 3:13)
• Forgive (Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13)
• Be humble and patient (Ephesians 4:2)
• Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21)
• Live in harmony (Romans 12:16)
• Be devoted (Romans 12:10)
• Honor one another (Romans 12:10)
• Speak truth to one another (Ephesians 4:15-16)
• Accept one another (Romans 15:7)
• Love (1 Peter 4:8, 1:22
• Admonish (Colossians 3:16)

I want to focus on the last one. The word admonish is not really used in today's society so I wanted to look up what it meant, since I always assumed it meant to encourage. Boy was I wrong. It means to "rebuke mildly, advise strongly; to warn someone of their error."

Clearly we are to rebuke one another to get them back on track if we see one another falling into sin or going down the wrong path. This is how we can prevent disciples from falling away and leaving the faith.

Source: www.hcs.harvard.edu

The reason Paul, Timothy and Peter were so adamant about encouraging one another and staying in each other's lives, the way it was exemplified in the 1st century church, was to keep the enemy at bay from causing dissension, factions and division within the body.

Are you united in the body with other disciples that are challenging your growth towards maturity, encouraging you towards deepening your walk with the Lord and living in harmony?

If not, I want to ask an honest question, who's disciple are you?

It's time to get real. 

Christmas Reflection

Merry Christmas Eve!

It's been a whirlwind of a month. Every single day this month has been filled with parties, events, rehearsals, or simply busyness. I've actually enjoyed it, but haven't taken the time to really meditate on why we really celebrate Christmas.

What would CHRISTmas be without Christ? Nothing. Reflecting on some Scriptures with my mother-in-law, she read to me her journal entry regarding how touched she was at Mary's responsiveness to the Holy Spirit. I loved what she wrote and wanted to share it here.

"We are too busy with our daily obligations. With thoughts of things to do and places to go, we read the Bible and hurry through passages to get it done, and feel like we did our part. Rushed and trying to meet all the deadlines that lie before us, our thoughts allow little room for quietness so we can listen to him. We have our phones nearby; disruptive lifestyles do not allow us to be like Mary, to be submissive, willing, able, quiet and eager to do his will. Our will usually wins. We justify our feelings, thoughts, and actions all too easily. We've become complacent in a world so cold. We've been lukewarm, compared to Mary."  - Gladys Ferrer

After reading Luke 1:26-56, you see how Mary responded to a situation that would have had her stoned and killed with faith, trust and hope in God. She even ends that passage of Scripture in Luke with a song unto the Lord.

May we all take the time to allow God to work in our lives as Mary did. She took the time to listen and believe that she would carry the Messiah in her womb.

God has a purpose for us all...unless we listen to the calling, we can miss it in the busyness of the season and life in general.

May you truly have a blessed and merry Christmas with the fullness of all it is!

Spelunking...

Laurel Caverns

Last weekend I went spelunking (aka: caving) at Laurel Caverns in Pennsylvania. This is something I never thought I would do, but my husband planned it, so we went. 

The incredible thing about this experience was that we went 46 floors below ground into completely pitch black caves. Most people take the "upper level" tour where there's lights all around and you can walk through the great caverns, but for those who want a little more adventure, there's the "lower level caving" where there's only our flashlights to shed light. So of course, that's what we did!

Funny how something so adventurous can be such a spiritual experience. With 9 people doing this tour into the deep caves below the mountain, I became aware of some really interesting things. 

During the middle of our tour, the tour guide told us to shut off our flashlights. What I saw was something I've never seen before in my life: complete and utter darkness. Not an ounce or drop of light to be seen anywhere. I didn't move, but I did wave my hand before my face just to see if there was the remote possibility I could see something, but of course nothing. After I did that, our guide told us to wave our hands in front of our faces...I just laughed because it was my first instinct. 

She stated at in complete and total darkness like this you last 8-10 minutes then become disoriented and lose complete sense of direction; after 10 minutes, you become delusional.

I found it interesting that this was such a spiritual implication in life. Individuals go their whole life in darkness apart from Christ Jesus. They go where the "wind takes them" or follow what seems to be the best or right option, but not necessarily the truth or light. 

Life in complete darkness leaves you disoriented without a sense of direction or knowing which way to really go, so you go whichever way you can...usually into deeper darkness. Delusion of living life in darkness becomes the norm and comfortable, but never gives true peace and joy. 

Jesus came as the light of the world. As disciples of Christ, we are "all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness." 1 Thessalonians 5:5

"To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." Acts 26:18

Darkness is never a good place to be, but if you've been in it long enough, you don't even realize you're in it. The true light is found in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. May you find the light!

Patience.

This year has been challenging in so many ways, but through it all, I have seen God's grace in my life. There were several times I broke down as a result of frustration, but I pushed through in faith.

All I kept getting was to be patient...wait on the Lord...be still. Do you know how hard that is for me??? It was getting to the point that I didn't know if He was even listening to me anymore. What I did find was His peace.

As a result, when I spoke with someone I love and cherish this week that is going through similar frustrations, I was able to encourage her and tell her what God's done for me this year. Not all I was asking the Lord has been answered, but I have peace because I know its coming in His time, not mine.

Life is hard...it's harder when you don't have faith in anything, especially in Jesus. He's my sustinence, the only reason to push forward towards the goal, 1 Corinthians 9:25.

Maybe what you're going through today will not only help encourage someone else in the future, but take you to another level of faith. Maybe...just maybe.

Be blessed!

Encouragement.

Encouragement is something I've really needed the past few weeks. It's been really hard with career changes, stuff, and life just happening so fast. I'm so incredibly thankful for the blessing of my husband. He has really been my main source of encouragement and motivation.

Sometimes, I just feel like my prayers have been going into oblivion. I think many can agree to have felt that at one point or another. While my entire walk with Jesus, I've always heard him speak to me clearly, this year has been different. I know my faith has been challenged and stretched, but the past few weeks took the cake.

  I've been pleading and praying for certain things for a few years, but now is when it really seemed to matter. Then last night, I resolved to fully give it over to Him. Why? Because when there's nothing I can do myself, there's only faith holding me together. This mornings' quiet time was reading Psalm 86 which really felt like my cry to the Lord. Then, something happened....my day turned completely around. Blessings poured down all day! I have been literally in shock of how quick He works.

Just when I feel I couldn't take it anymore, I feel like today He wanted to give me a break =)

Tonight my husband and I attended a mid-week service that ironically, or not, was about: encouragement. I felt it was only appropriate given my prayer only last night and this morning.

"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Hebrews 3:12-13 (my emphasis)

Did you notice what can happen when you're not encouraged? Your heart can become hard making it more difficult to encourage and making it more difficult to move forward in life with a believing heart and full-fledged faith in God.

Be encouraged!

The Bigger Picture.

During my quiet time with the Lord yesterday, I read 1 John 2:15-17 and was cut to the heart. I put the verse as my recent update on Facebook but felt a prodding to go deeper into how clearly this passage affects us daily. 

The passage reads as follows (NIV):

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."

Now having cable, it's so tempting to watch the latest reality shows (I'm not talking about Jersey Shore...I won't stoop that low), but at times I find myself casually getting sucked into the life of the Kardashians. The one I watch the most is actually a very pleasant reality show that I've loved for years, House Hunters on HGTV. 

The media, socialites with their own shows, celebrities, and reality shows in general have taken over. But when you really look at them, all they offer are the "cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes and the boasting of what he has and does." All that you find now is each bragging about how expensive this or that is, how much the dress they wore at an awards show cost, or what they do or how many fans they have...etc. It's so empty because all it offers is what the world has: temporary satisfaction, but no truth.

Even the one I watch most, House Hunters, is about couples looking for the right home. They end up with the top 3 and you get to guess along with the show which one they choose (I'm normally wrong...lol). Regardless, something as nice and simple as that show makes me long for desires of this world. I've noticed how when people choose the perfect home, it's so much about the "stuff". Bigger is better, nicer appliances, bedrooms so large that you don't know what to fill it with, closets sometimes bigger than some peoples apartments, and yet there's still little satisfaction. 

As a society, we always want more. Guess what? The world never satisfies the lust of the flesh, so it will keep you wanting more and more with nothing but emptiness at the end of the tunnel. 

BUT...

The Lord offers us a hope in him. He will give us eternal life, eternal love...one that only he can give that satisfies beyond anything the world can attempt to offer. 

I exhort my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to go beyond the desires of the world. It's easy to get caught up in it...I have. But look at the BIGGER picture. It's only a short time we're on this earth, and it's not meant for our fleshly satisfaction or our society's "life is short so live how you want" mantra. It's meant to reach others for Christ. 

"The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."

Live With Purpose

This past weekend, there was a concert at church on Saturday night. One of the songs performed, was a rap song by Egom. I'm not a fan of rap, and had the words not been up on the powerpoint, I probably wouldn't have grasped the entire song; however, the lyrics were available and powerful at that. I changed a few of the slang lyrics to make it easily readable and colored parts I loved.

Live With Purpose

By Egom

How many grew up in a happy home?
And never had to see their daddy breaking mommy’s nose?
Or never had to watch the TV to see happy folks
Because their family is a tragedy so they can’t be those?
You see a lot of us, we can relate
To being late home for dinner cause we found escapes,
Can’t wait to run away or get away,
Crying all the way, saying “God, meet me on this road cause I know that there’s a better way”

And the pain it will not let or stray, feel you have to medicate,
To dedicate a debt a day to the One who’ll set it straight
The One who’s crying for you night and day,
Dying for the day you cling to Romans 8 verse 28
So do not set a date to run away; do not throw your love away
Run and pray to Christ and put the blunt away
There’s a reason you suffered in your younger days
Cling to the Lord and He’ll bring you joy another way

“You’ve got one life on the Earth” is
The common motto. “Lets get drunk, forget the church’s
Model of a proper person. I’m going to work this
Life and still I’ll go to Heaven when the curtains
Close over me” is believed by most but the joke is
When they die they will see Jesus but be hopeless
Treasures stored on earth all rot and are worthless
So live your life for the next with a purpose
You’ve got a purpose

I’ve met a lot of people who think the earth is
their playground; but, in reverse, where they stay now
is betrayed ground, the product of lost souls long decayed now who felt the same way how
foolish will they feel when they on the same ground
As Jesus the judge and they on a stage now
Flipping God’s pages angels are now
And your face is so anxious, sadly you’ll bow

At the end of all days, amazed how u fell
To the depths of a place, a waste that’s called Hell
“Wait – those faces I know them so well
It’s those people that told me this place is not real”
He’ll yell – getting upset cause he failed.
He listened to the actors now acting so frail.
He listened to the flesh and the dark and that tale.
Heaven’s not for all, just for those who prevail.

In keenness, keep it your brain and in meekness
Preach it to those caught in pride and in weakness
The blind and facetious – even the teachers
Get out in the game; don’t just sit on the bleachers
People need to know that’s the truths in the Scriptures
And though a lot of dudes claim its not they are mixed up
On Earth you are a tool, and people need a fix up
Work for the Lord; this is why He picked you