A Fire of Faith Within

1 Peter 1: 7 Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. 

This makes me think of a metal heated for purification how it glows with the heat  and shines after the process. That’s our faith glowing as it’s tried and shining once it’s been proven.

8 You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don’t see him, yet you trust him-with laughter and singing. 

We had a surprise birthday party for a friend  the other night. We had fun and he and his wife showed a lot of affection to each other. It was a very sweet time. But what made it sweeter were the songs we sang together…about grace our cover, and He who sits on the mercy seat,  our hands lifted high for the joy of the Lord is our strength. No party could have been more beautiful.

As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. 16 God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”

There’s that blazing again.  I guess blazing with holiness or with faith tried by fire  is when the Holy Spirit is uncontainable in us. It’s when you feel yourself burning inside to give, to love, maybe even to speak the Name. I haven’t been there in years and I really miss it. I want in me that fire.  I want the Holy Spirit bursting forth from me.

25 God’s Word goes on and on forever. This is the Word that conceived the new life in you.

Because God’s word goes on forever, we do. One version of God’s word says our life is incorruptible. If we flub or sin it isn’t good but it’s not the end of us.  We have eternal-by-God’s-word  new life  where God helps us to be purified by fire, have joy and laughter and blaze holiness.

3 comments July 1, 2011

He Ever Completely Is

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. Genesis 3:14

I AM from conception to eternity for you
I AM everything you need from your next meal to a husband if you are without
I AM your leader,wisdom, grace, your loving chastisement, your laughter
I AM your Living water that bubbles up from within
IAM the wine, the blood, the bread, the body that was shed and broken for you.
Even when,like the children of Israel you say “You’re not.”, I AM

1 comment June 10, 2011

Mercy

O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who delight to fear thy name; and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. Now I was cupbearer to the king.  Nehemiah 1:11

Nehemiah was praying for mercy before the king. But he had first prayed for mercy before his King, the Lord of Israel. He and the people had sinned and before mercy comes on earth mercy is needed from heaven.

“let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant” I listen sometimes with a thought of me. I’m not really caring or feeling the other person’s story. Nehemiah is asking God to hear with all His heart.  Focus, please Lord, on what I’m really saying. We need a plan but mostly we need mercy.

Nehemiah was cupbearer. He tasted the king’s wine before the king drank to make sure there was no poison in what the king drank. What a scary job but it gave him nearness to the king. Nehemiah prayed for days turned into weeks turned into months for mercy from the king. He finally found it at the perfect time.

Nehemiah prayed and fasted for days.  He kept praying for months. He focused with a purpose in mind. I need that kind of fervor. I need a hunger for God’s mercy in my life. I need to pray.

1 comment June 1, 2011

Law or Devotion

For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise. Galatians 3:18

There are two ways of receiving God’s blessing. One is to keep all the Old Testament Laws down to the detail. That would make life no fun and is literally impossible for any human being. It says so in the New Testament.

So what’s the alternative?  Is it any more pleasant than the first? It’s to believe and love God. If God were hateful and required penitence and humiliation constantly I wouldn’t want to believe or especially love Him.  I’d find another God.

But this God hugs and kisses me if I come home sorry for my sin. He even throws a party for me. If I have wounds from living life He pours wine and oil on them and makes sure I’m looked after. If I walk away and get lost He personally searches until He finds me because to Him I’m a priceless pearl.

This is the kind of God I could love and believe in. In fact to me He’s irresistible.  And belief and love are all He requires for blessing.  The hidden catch is that when you believe and love this God it changes you on the inside and you become a little more loving and forgiving each day.

Add a comment May 9, 2011

His Language

1 Thessalonians 1:11 And that ye study to be quiet…

I’m a really quiet person, at least I was when I was younger. But now I’m always wanting to chat and write and comment.  If I had to be quiet God would have to bridle my tongue because I can’t. 

Actually, what God is saying in this verse is I can but it takes work. He’s also saying I need to work on it. It’s not an option.

Quiet is not a void of words, it is a gentle spirit that is trusting Jesus.  It’s a spirit that isn’t angry. So you can talk a lot and do it peacefully and gently. Sounds like what I need.

So how do I work on that? I study…but what? Verses on fear and what the chasers are. Verses on condemnation and how there is none. Verses on grace how it forgives and how it sustains. Verses on God and His plan to redeem from almost “in the beginning.” We just have a beautiful God. I want to study and learn to speak His language

Add a comment April 29, 2011

That Dark Afternoon

But we were gentle in the midst of you, as when a nurse cherisheth her own children: even so, being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were become very dear to us. 1 Thessalonians 1:7, 8

 Jesus said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, … how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!  Luke 13:34, 35

When we deal with each other there’s a lot of room for kindness. Maybe I don’t like what you’ve done. I can still speak to you with gentleness. And it shouldn’t be a smiling facade. The people who wrote 1 Thessalonians gave love to them with their very own souls.
    
Jesus gave His life that dark afternoon not for us to quibble over the choices we make, not for us to cause each other embarrassment, not for us to be condemning.  He gave His life for grace to be shown, for us to feel loved, for forgiveness to be born and freely given.

 Jesus wanted to take the Israelites under His wings. Our love should be like that for each other. Giving of ourselves to protect those we are near to so that they’ll know we are Christians by our love.  

Add a comment April 27, 2011

Surprises

 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one. Colossians 4:6

If you want to know what to say in an awkward situation, err on the side of grace. Be as loving and gracious as you are able. If someone has sinned show them grace. If they’re giving up on life show them grace. If they’re grumpy show them grace.

Grace can turn a life around. When I was at my worst my friends showed me grace. I wondered how could they. But grace washes off on you. I began to learn how to show others grace. Grace feels as good to give as it does to receive.

Most grace surprises us…we’ve done something wrong and someone forgives us. Life should be full of gentle surprises. All of us need a cup of grace.

Add a comment April 22, 2011

Vanilla

 Colossians 2:22-3:2

If I was going to lose weight, logically, I discipline my body through less food, through visualizing thin, through rigorous exercise. Sounds like a plan, right? God sees things differently. To Him that is will-worship, humility, and severity to the body but does nothing against the indulgence of the flesh. If that doesn’t go against the flesh what would?

Well, He says the way to grow spiritually (or to shrink your body) is to keep in mind that you are in Christ. Our minds should be kept on things above. What does that mean? One thing is He was raised from the dead and we will be too one day. He is our Lord of love and love counts in this life.  Put in your mind compassion, lowliness and forgiveness.

This is all rather than keeping your mind on the negative qualities of life. Lisa Terquerst said it this way ”We were made to crave” will it be food or will it be Him?

I kept getting up late for work in the morning. I told my sister I had to come up with some punishment to make me get  up. She said maybe try something more gentle in the morning like smelling my favorite flavor, vanilla. This is a principle in God’s word. Our life is no longer about punishment. He took our punishment on the cross. Our life is no longer about condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. We keep our mind on things above not on strict discipline. Our God set us free to Crave Him

Add a comment April 15, 2011

Encourage One Another

We all sin. I do. Do you? I sin mainly with my thought life. I can get pretty ornery there. Moses sinned with anger – hitting the rock to make water come out instead of waiting on his God. Paul said of himself he was the chief of sinners. Poor Peter denied the Lord at His most needy time. So we’re in good bad company.

How do we find forgiveness for our sin? Guilt is a heavy burden to bear. Confess and He will forgive like a river of cleansing to wash every spot away. He does this from the cross. Back in time He’s washing our future sins away. So that just when we need it it’s there for us.

Between each other we need to be patient. If I’m a sinner and you are we need willingness to wait for each other to get it right. An encouraging sister can be just what I need when I’m condemning myself for a sin. “But encourage one another daily while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.” Hebrews 3:13

A man named Mark was serving alongside Paul and Barnabas to reach those who need to know Jesus. Mark went home in the middle of the journey for some reason. On the next journey Barnabas wanted to take Mark again and Paul did not because he wasn’t strong enough to get through a journey. But Barnabas went a separate way and took Mark with him. Barnabas encouraged Mark and kept him from being hardened by sin. Paul eventually requested Mark go on a journey again because he was helpful to him. We should be a Barnabas to each other.

This is not about serious sins. They are forgiven but are handled in a different way.

Add a comment March 26, 2011

Does He Hide?

Add a comment March 19, 2011