I've been reading a great book called "Living Water" by Brother Yun. It's taking me a longer time than usual to read this book. Life has caused interruptions, but I also have been putting the book down in order to consider the words I have just read. This evening I have put the book down a few times already because God is shaking things up inside of me. One such session brought tears of repentance for something God brought to my attention that I had not even considered before.
The latest chapter is "Hearing God's Voice". Brother Yun says, "In Jesus, I have a simple theology. I believe God speaks to His children all the time. We just need to listen and obey. When we start to obey His voice, we see God's power and authority in us and operating through us." He later talks about Augustine, who would read the Gospels in the morning and then go out in the afternoon and put into action what he had just read! When he read about the rich young ruler, he went and gave his possessions to the poor. When he read about Jesus washing the feet of His disciples, he washed the feet of his brothers in Christ!
I don't know what happened when Augustine did this, but this seems so simple...One of those "Duh! Why didn't I think of that?" moments. What would happen if I became quiet before God on a daily basis just so I could see and hear what He had to say in His Word? What would happen if I went out on a daily basis and purposefully did what I had read about Jesus doing? What would happen if a bunch of us would do that?? I want to challenge myself to do this. I want to see what God will do.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Are You Willing?
Several weeks ago I was getting dressed for work, when out of the blue I heard in my spirit, "Are you willing to give up EVERYTHING?" It stopped me dead in my tracks...It was a serious question that deserved serious thought and one that was not to be answered quickly.
My first thought was "Give up everything for WHAT?!" I knew, without hearing an answer, that I was being asked if I would be willing to give up everything for Jesus.
That's a very heavy question! Would I be willing to give up my job? Would I be willing to give up my husband, or my kids, or even my precious grandkids? Would I be willing to give up my house? Would I be willing to give up my church and all my church family? My friends? Would I be willing to give up my brother and sisters and their families? Would I be willing to give up wrong thoughts and attitudes that don't line up with the way God wants to do things? Would I be willing to give up my own selfish desires? Would I be willing to give up my health? My arms or my legs? My sight or my hearing? Would I be willing to give up my very life for Jesus' sake?
After spending a tremendous amount of time thinking about this question, I came to the conclusion that I came into this world with nothing and will leave with nothing. Anything and everything I have, right here and right now, is only through the grace of God. Jesus gave up everything for me, shouldn't I also be willing to do the same for Him? Jesus died to self. Am I willing to die to self as well? Dead people don't care about such things. Yes, God, I guess I AM willing to give up everything, if I have to... as long as I don't have to give up You. Please tell me I don't have to give up You.
My first thought was "Give up everything for WHAT?!" I knew, without hearing an answer, that I was being asked if I would be willing to give up everything for Jesus.
That's a very heavy question! Would I be willing to give up my job? Would I be willing to give up my husband, or my kids, or even my precious grandkids? Would I be willing to give up my house? Would I be willing to give up my church and all my church family? My friends? Would I be willing to give up my brother and sisters and their families? Would I be willing to give up wrong thoughts and attitudes that don't line up with the way God wants to do things? Would I be willing to give up my own selfish desires? Would I be willing to give up my health? My arms or my legs? My sight or my hearing? Would I be willing to give up my very life for Jesus' sake?
After spending a tremendous amount of time thinking about this question, I came to the conclusion that I came into this world with nothing and will leave with nothing. Anything and everything I have, right here and right now, is only through the grace of God. Jesus gave up everything for me, shouldn't I also be willing to do the same for Him? Jesus died to self. Am I willing to die to self as well? Dead people don't care about such things. Yes, God, I guess I AM willing to give up everything, if I have to... as long as I don't have to give up You. Please tell me I don't have to give up You.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Naked On A Cross
God recently placed in my heart that Jesus was the first partaker of what he taught. Jesus could not teach what He did without fully understanding and grasping what He taught others to do.
The other day I was reading Matthew 6:25-34. Jesus was talking about not worrying about your life...about what you wore or about what you ate...The thought came to me that all of this (the words Jesus just spoke in this passage) were from a man who was going to die naked on a cross...Did He know He was going to have to die naked on a cross?? Did He get, in advance, that clothes weren't important because there are more important things to be clothed in? Like being clothed in humility, which I am sure He was clothed in, as He hung there naked for all the world to see? Like being clothed in righteousness or in purity (What else are we to be clothed in??)?
Somehow I believe Jesus fully grasped what was to come. He knew that there were things of far greater importance than the clothes He would be stripped of. Things far more important than being naked on a cross for all the world to see. Something that was far greater to Him and to His Father...US! We are what it was worth for Jesus to die naked on a cross, clothed in humility, in order that we might be presented unto the Father, free from sin and dressed as Jesus' Bride, resplendant in rainment that He has picked out for us. Which makes me wonder...What will I be clothed in?
The other day I was reading Matthew 6:25-34. Jesus was talking about not worrying about your life...about what you wore or about what you ate...The thought came to me that all of this (the words Jesus just spoke in this passage) were from a man who was going to die naked on a cross...Did He know He was going to have to die naked on a cross?? Did He get, in advance, that clothes weren't important because there are more important things to be clothed in? Like being clothed in humility, which I am sure He was clothed in, as He hung there naked for all the world to see? Like being clothed in righteousness or in purity (What else are we to be clothed in??)?
Somehow I believe Jesus fully grasped what was to come. He knew that there were things of far greater importance than the clothes He would be stripped of. Things far more important than being naked on a cross for all the world to see. Something that was far greater to Him and to His Father...US! We are what it was worth for Jesus to die naked on a cross, clothed in humility, in order that we might be presented unto the Father, free from sin and dressed as Jesus' Bride, resplendant in rainment that He has picked out for us. Which makes me wonder...What will I be clothed in?
Dangerous Little Prayer
My pastor has what he calls "a dangerous little prayer". It's a prayer where you ask God something and then He answers. In bigger and sometimes scarier ways than you anticipated.
At the beginning of September, I prayed what turned out to be one of those "dangerous little prayers". I had been going over on-line notes from a recent sermon that I had missed and realized that even though I love God, I had no idea who I was in Christ or who God wanted me to be (what my purpose is). My dangerous little prayer was to ask God, "Show me who I am and who you want me to be." I wasn't prepared for the results.
Over two or three days, God began to show me exactly who I was...And it wasn't pretty. He showed me times over the week or so before where I had been prideful, boastful, fudged on the truth, etc. He showed me tendencies I have: the tendency I have to be negative; to think the worst about myself; to despair easily; to become depressed; to have critical, judgemental thoughts at times, even though that's not something I want, they just sometimes pop into my head; He showed me where I had taken the "easy way out" because I thought it would be more comfortable, when in truth, the "easy way out" is often not comfortable at all. The "easy way out" is sometimes (and maybe even often times) the spiritually corrupt way out. The wrong way out. "Easy" does not always equate with what's "right" in God's eyes.
As God was showing me these things, I didn't feel condemned in any way. It was just God showing me who I was. He was doing exactly what I had asked. I wasn't prepared for who I really was....Before I had a chance to be me and respond in despair, it was as though God spiritually took me by the shoulders and turned me around and showed me Himself standing not too far off, with one of His arms around Jesus' shoulder and the other hand resting on Jesus' other shoulder. God was showing me Jesus...His Beloved Son. He was showing me that He wanted me to be like Jesus. That, as much as I am able, that is who He wants me to be. Like Jesus.
God also gave me new revelation of a passage of scripture that I hadn't really grasped before: First Corinthians 9: 24-25: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." Before, I always thought that the prize in this passage was "getting to heaven" and part of running the race were the things I "had to do" along the way. Well...the prize for which I run isn't heaven, per se, it's Jesus. Jesus is the prize I am to run for. The prize I am to strive for and gain is Jesus.
Jesus, help me to run hard after you and not give up. I want to get closer to You all the time. I want to see you more clearly the closer I get. I want, more than anything, for You to be my Prize.
At the beginning of September, I prayed what turned out to be one of those "dangerous little prayers". I had been going over on-line notes from a recent sermon that I had missed and realized that even though I love God, I had no idea who I was in Christ or who God wanted me to be (what my purpose is). My dangerous little prayer was to ask God, "Show me who I am and who you want me to be." I wasn't prepared for the results.
Over two or three days, God began to show me exactly who I was...And it wasn't pretty. He showed me times over the week or so before where I had been prideful, boastful, fudged on the truth, etc. He showed me tendencies I have: the tendency I have to be negative; to think the worst about myself; to despair easily; to become depressed; to have critical, judgemental thoughts at times, even though that's not something I want, they just sometimes pop into my head; He showed me where I had taken the "easy way out" because I thought it would be more comfortable, when in truth, the "easy way out" is often not comfortable at all. The "easy way out" is sometimes (and maybe even often times) the spiritually corrupt way out. The wrong way out. "Easy" does not always equate with what's "right" in God's eyes.
As God was showing me these things, I didn't feel condemned in any way. It was just God showing me who I was. He was doing exactly what I had asked. I wasn't prepared for who I really was....Before I had a chance to be me and respond in despair, it was as though God spiritually took me by the shoulders and turned me around and showed me Himself standing not too far off, with one of His arms around Jesus' shoulder and the other hand resting on Jesus' other shoulder. God was showing me Jesus...His Beloved Son. He was showing me that He wanted me to be like Jesus. That, as much as I am able, that is who He wants me to be. Like Jesus.
God also gave me new revelation of a passage of scripture that I hadn't really grasped before: First Corinthians 9: 24-25: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." Before, I always thought that the prize in this passage was "getting to heaven" and part of running the race were the things I "had to do" along the way. Well...the prize for which I run isn't heaven, per se, it's Jesus. Jesus is the prize I am to run for. The prize I am to strive for and gain is Jesus.
Jesus, help me to run hard after you and not give up. I want to get closer to You all the time. I want to see you more clearly the closer I get. I want, more than anything, for You to be my Prize.
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