So, today, I am excited to share some big news for the Cox family. We just found out last week that we are expecting a new BABY on July 4, 2009! Believe it or not, this came as surprise to us. Many people assumed that we were trying to have another baby, but after the miscarriage we suffered a couple months ago....we were playing it "safer." I had not returned to birth control because I did not want to use anything permanent, but we were trying to hold off for at least a few months until my body had time to recover from the miscarriage.
The past few weeks, I had been praying about whether we should continue to try conceiving a baby in the near future. As I was praying, the Lord kept saying to me "You have what you have asked for." I had prayed months ago that God "would increase the size of our family." Time and time again, when I was praying recently....God would let me know that I would indeed have a third child. I spoke this fact to a friend a couple of weeks ago, but told her that I would be patient and wait on God for the timing. I simply wanted to know if we should be "trying" or "not trying." In the meantime, we were "not trying." Well, last month passed by....and I was feeling very tired and emotional, signaling pregnancy. It had been well past the time when I would know whether I was pregnant or not, so I decided to take a test. It showed negative for pregnancy....so I figured I was just catching the cold/flu that has been going around. I stopped thinking that I could be pregnant for this past month. I was still wrestling with the idea of whether we should be trying or not!
Last week, I was helping my daughter participate in a base fashion show at the local BX. After the show, I was trying on clothes and noticed that I looked heavier than usual. I thought to myself "when did I gain all this weight?" I was fastening the buttons on my pants when I realized that my pelvis felt very hard (like a rock). Having been pregnant before, I know that this could only mean one thing! I thought..."I can't be pregnant, I already took a test." But at once, I KNEW I was pregnant. It all made sense. The tiredness, moodiness, and increasing size of my waistline. So I went and took another test, a full two weeks after I should have known I was pregnant and it was positive. I went to the doctor the following Monday, and it was confirmed in their testing. I explained everything that I had been experiencing, and based on that conversation alone....they believe I am probably 8-9 weeks pregnant already!
The interesting thing about all this is the spiritual side. At the time I first tested, God was taking me through learning some deep truths about trusting Him through anything. He had revealed to me through a conversation with a friend that I had become upset with God after having the miscarriage, even if I did not show it outwardly. I had been "offended by God." At that point, I had not learned to trust God's will for my life, and was still wanting things MY WAY. I was struggling to accept God's sovereign choice to change the circumstances of my life, even when He had spoken to me regarding the last pregnancy. One challenge with hearing God's plans is that we often run ahead of God and begin to interpret the rest of the story. We started figuring out HOW God is going to accomplish what He has spoken. This is what happened with the miscarriage. God told me I was going to become pregnant the exact month that I became pregnant. He had told me months before that "Greater loss was on the way, but I will give you a heart to endure all things." Afterward, I realized that He was telling me all along that even though He had told me I would become pregnant, I would not keep that pregnancy. It was a great loss emotionally. But He had also spoken the night I first had the miscarriage that "there would be weeping, but then there will be great JOY." I took this as another pregnancy shortly after the one I lost....which is exactly the way it turned out, although we weren't trying.
I think the most amazing thing about this whole ordeal is that I was probably pregnant the whole time I was learning how to trust God and admit my bitterness toward Him. He could have revealed that I was pregnant during the first test (which would have been normal), but He divinely chose to wait until the second test....after I had dealt spiritually with the issues at hand. It was immediately after I received His forgiveness for my lack of trust that I found out I was pregnant again. It was His divine timing. But now, I am having to put to the test my trust in God's plan....if the dates are correct.....I will be 34 weeks at our DEROS date (the date we leave Guam).
It is at this point where we say "the rubber meets the road." After learning to trust God, He is immediately putting it to the test. This is the epitome of the Christian life...trusting God to make major (and minor) decisons about our lives and following His plan day-by-day. The world around us thinks we are crazy when we don't "plan" our lives according to the ways of the world. One thing just occurred to me as I was writing this blog.....the world causes anxiety over all the "what if" questions in life. God promises to provide for all His children, and equip us for every good work, including raising children. I am not worried that we will not have enough money, or a place to live, or anything else....because God promised to take care of me and my family...and He never goes back on His word.
I can already hear the skeptics saying "I know women who have many children and can't feed them. They are always struggling." There is a key point to this idea. First, is that woman a child of God? Has she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. And secondly, "Is she trusting God to meet all her needs?" I think God lets us suffer at times because we DON'T trust Him to meet all our needs. Bottom line is....I know God told me He wanted me to have three children. I followed His plan, and even when I wasn't following His plan, He took control and gave me a third child. His ways are above our ways, and his thoughts higher than our thoughts. Even if I can't see the whole plan, I know He will take care of us.
As a testimony to the truth of God's provision, I can tell you that in the entire last year....my family has never gone hungry or been without shelter. We have had transportation and adequate medical care. We always have clean water to drink, and clean air to breathe. God has even intervened a couple of times with miraculous provision of money, gifts and healing. He has provided for everything we need. Even if our bank account is not overflowing, our hearts have overflowed with JOY and PEACE, and there is nothing better than that. God has taught us how to manage our money in a way that supports our family....and He will provide for this extra member as well. We have even faithfully tithed and given offering, and still never been without all necessary provisions. I can say in all honesty....I HAVE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER IN MY LIFE! I have truly learned that material possessions, travel and selfish indulgences will never make a person truly happy. It just one quick fix after another....but I have found something in Jesus Christ that lasts day in and day out. Every day, I wake up with a song in my heart and joy to spread around. Sure beats the many days that I woke up stressed out, and with tears in my eyes, wondering how I was going to make it through another day.
For those of you who don't know, I used to be severely depressed and was even suicidal for a time. My children are a great source of that joy...and I am thankful to God that He has chosen to reward me with another child. Praise the Lord, for He is good....all the time!
Psalm 127:3 (NASB):
"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward."
Deuteronomy 28:1-3 (NASB):
"Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God; Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country."
Deuteronomy 7:12-14 (NASB):
"Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you his covenant and His lovingkindness which He swore to your forefathers. He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb, and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you. You shall be blessed above all peoples; there will be no male or female barren among you or among your cattle."
Lord,
Today, I thank you for your divine will and purpose in my life. I thank you God that you allowed me to work through my trust issues with You before you revealed how You had already blessed me. Had you revealed this pregnancy earlier, I do not know that I would have fully grasped the message you were teaching me. I thank you God for waiting until this appointed time to give me this marvelous gift of a child. I pray that you would protect and bless the fruit of my womb, alone with the fruit that you have placed in so many other women's wombs at this time. Thank you for pouring out your gift of life among the women on Andersen, and for blessing my sister-in-law and brother with a son as well. I thank you God for them. I pray that you would protect them and give them wisdom as parents, in the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
Thanks be to God,
Sarah
** for those of you who received a previous version of this blog, I apologize. My son Krischan clicked the button to publish before it was ready!**
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Are You A Disciple of Christ?
This morning, I woke up thinking about what it really means to be a disciple of Christ. Lately, I have been hearing the Lord say that many call themselves by His name, but are not His disciples. This is a disturbing thought...He knows the name of everyone who is doing this. So...we must ask ourselves, am I really a disciple of Christ? Or....are you just posing as one so the world will think you are righteous? I have heard many people say that we are all at different places in our walks with Christ, and this is undoubtably true. But....God gave us clear descriptions of what makes up a disciple of His.
First, this person must be a child of God, born of God, and not of flesh and blood.
John 1:11-13 (NASB):
"He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born , not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
If you have not accepted the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the cross for to redeem you from your sinfulness, and give you eternal life....you are not a disciple of Christ. If you have, accepting Him is the FIRST step (but not the only one).
Romans 10:6-11 (NASB):
"But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: 'DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN (that is to bring Christ down), or WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS (that is to bring Christ up from the dead).' But what does it say? 'THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART' -- that is the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, 'WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
But should following Christ stop with this initial confession of the mouth and belief in the heart of the word of faith God has given us? This is where many Christians seem to get stuck. It is like a sprinter in track/field who never gets out of the starting blocks. Does simply believing and confessing make one a disciple of Christ? I will show scripture that illustrates that being a disciple of Christ takes much more than simply confession and belief in his Word. It requires a great love for Him through obedience to His Word, study of His Word, and constant search for truth in Him. It takes sacrifice, dedication, and a continual desire to go deeper into Him. Believing on Him and confessing that Jesus is Lord is simply the beginning of a long journey of sanctification which leads to perfection in Christ's image.
But don't take my Word for it, let's look at the scriptures together:
Luke 14:26-27 (NASB):
"In anyone comes after Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be My disciple."
This is a pretty heavy scripture, but it is a clear dividing line between His disciples, and those who believe they can go in grace without having to follow Christ's teachings. I am learning how to gently and wisely confront those sisters/brothers in Christ who have not yet chosen to make Jesus their Lord, and not just their Savior. It hurts my heart, and I believe it hurts the heart of God when He sees those children who want His salvation, but are not willing to give up anything to follow Him and demonstrate their love for Him through obedience.
Working through this last scripture....many would get confused right off the bat and say this is a contradiction to other scriptures in the Old Testament and especially against the commandment that we are not to hate our brother. This is not what I believe God is talking about. The point He is making is that He must be the most important person in your life. He must be far more important to you, and you should love Him more than any of your relatives. You should even be willing to give up your own life in His name becuase of your desire to be His disciple. Now, how many of you reading have crossed that bridge of surrendering your family back to God, and surrendering your life, even unto death, to God? How many have spoken with truth in their hearts and told God "There is nothing more important than You, not even my own husband, wife, children, mother, father, brother, sister....I will follow you Christ, even if everyone else abandons me and hates me for your name's sake?" Even furthermore, how many of you can honestly say that you have made an agreement with God that you are willing to die at any moment for His name? Now we are treading in places of the Word where people do not want to go. They want to live in the comforts of their home, family, career, and their life....and are not willing to walk with Christ any longer if He would require them to leave it all for him. It is all a matter of where your heart stands with Christ and His commandments for your life. To be a disciple, you must be willing to incur the cost of following Him.
This is not something to be taken lightly, but it is worth the reward if you choose to follow Him.
Mark 10:28-30 (NASB):
"Peter began to say to Him, 'Behold, we have left everything and followed You.' Jesus said, 'Truly, I say to you, there is none who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life."
So, why would someone choose to follow Christ, despite the obvious reason that it is the way to eternal life. I can tell you why I have chosen to forsake the ways of this world, and to seek with my whole heart after Christ. I do this because of my gratitude for what He has done for me, which has created in me a great love for Him. I obey Him out of love, not fear in the sense of being afraid....but fear in the sense of reverance and awe for what He has done for me....and others around me. I constantly witness Him being good in my life, and the lives of others....and it makes me want to know Him more. I have realized that the way to be closer to God is to follow His commandments and seek Him in prayer, constantly turning away from the world and turning toward Him.
Proverbs 8:17 (NASB):
"I love those who love Me, and those who diligently seek Me will find Me."
Proverbs 8:35-36 (NASB):
"For he who finds Me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord. But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death."
John 14:20-23 (NASB):
"In that day you will know that I am in the Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him. Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, 'Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?' Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him."
There is an intimacy between Christ and his disciple. This intimacy comes from a studying God's Word, hearing His voice in prayer, seeing Him meet our needs daily, and obeying His every command, both written and the daily direction He gives us. We have to put His commands above all else, thus making Him our Lord (Master, Teacher). If a person is going to church once a week, and not picking up a Bible any time in between, or praying three times a year at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas....a person is probably not a disciple of Christ. This is a daily walk with the living God. If you are not a disciple, you cannot expect to receive the blessings and rewards of discipleship. The Bible tells to constantly search the scriptures....this is constant Bible study, not just every once in a while (or God forbid, never at all).
2 Timothy 2:15-16 (NASB):
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid wordly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness..."
Deuteronomy 11:18-19 (NASB):
"You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up."
Finally, God gives us a stern warning against those who call themselves His, and continue to do evil in his sight.
Matthew 7:21-23 (NASB):
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you (emphasis added); DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS."
So today, I encourage you to once again examine yourselves, as I am doing as well.....seek God in determining whether you ARE indeed a disciple of Christ, who will one day be approved and unashamed before God. The other option is falling away from God and putting Christ to open shame.
Hebrews 6:1-8 (NASB):
"Therefore, leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits. For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
So, to call yourself a disciple of Christ, and having done all the things in this scripture....and then to live in sinfulness and fall away is to crucify the Son of God and put him to open shame.
This idea of whether we are disciples of Christ is VERY important. There are too many people in today's world that are claiming to know God, but the question is.... DOES GOD KNOW YOU? AND DOES HE COUNT YOU AMONG HIS DISCIPLES?
This message has been in my heart since I committed my life to Christ last year, and told God he could have everything I was. I gave my whole life to Christ, and I continue to surrender everything I can to Christ and the will of God. However, I STILL must constantly ask myself I if I should be calling myself His disciple. God has a high standard for those who follow Him, but then again....He is worth everything we could ever do to worship Him.
Desiring to be His disciple,
Sarah
First, this person must be a child of God, born of God, and not of flesh and blood.
John 1:11-13 (NASB):
"He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born , not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
If you have not accepted the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the cross for to redeem you from your sinfulness, and give you eternal life....you are not a disciple of Christ. If you have, accepting Him is the FIRST step (but not the only one).
Romans 10:6-11 (NASB):
"But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: 'DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN (that is to bring Christ down), or WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS (that is to bring Christ up from the dead).' But what does it say? 'THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART' -- that is the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, 'WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
But should following Christ stop with this initial confession of the mouth and belief in the heart of the word of faith God has given us? This is where many Christians seem to get stuck. It is like a sprinter in track/field who never gets out of the starting blocks. Does simply believing and confessing make one a disciple of Christ? I will show scripture that illustrates that being a disciple of Christ takes much more than simply confession and belief in his Word. It requires a great love for Him through obedience to His Word, study of His Word, and constant search for truth in Him. It takes sacrifice, dedication, and a continual desire to go deeper into Him. Believing on Him and confessing that Jesus is Lord is simply the beginning of a long journey of sanctification which leads to perfection in Christ's image.
But don't take my Word for it, let's look at the scriptures together:
Luke 14:26-27 (NASB):
"In anyone comes after Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be My disciple."
This is a pretty heavy scripture, but it is a clear dividing line between His disciples, and those who believe they can go in grace without having to follow Christ's teachings. I am learning how to gently and wisely confront those sisters/brothers in Christ who have not yet chosen to make Jesus their Lord, and not just their Savior. It hurts my heart, and I believe it hurts the heart of God when He sees those children who want His salvation, but are not willing to give up anything to follow Him and demonstrate their love for Him through obedience.
Working through this last scripture....many would get confused right off the bat and say this is a contradiction to other scriptures in the Old Testament and especially against the commandment that we are not to hate our brother. This is not what I believe God is talking about. The point He is making is that He must be the most important person in your life. He must be far more important to you, and you should love Him more than any of your relatives. You should even be willing to give up your own life in His name becuase of your desire to be His disciple. Now, how many of you reading have crossed that bridge of surrendering your family back to God, and surrendering your life, even unto death, to God? How many have spoken with truth in their hearts and told God "There is nothing more important than You, not even my own husband, wife, children, mother, father, brother, sister....I will follow you Christ, even if everyone else abandons me and hates me for your name's sake?" Even furthermore, how many of you can honestly say that you have made an agreement with God that you are willing to die at any moment for His name? Now we are treading in places of the Word where people do not want to go. They want to live in the comforts of their home, family, career, and their life....and are not willing to walk with Christ any longer if He would require them to leave it all for him. It is all a matter of where your heart stands with Christ and His commandments for your life. To be a disciple, you must be willing to incur the cost of following Him.
This is not something to be taken lightly, but it is worth the reward if you choose to follow Him.
Mark 10:28-30 (NASB):
"Peter began to say to Him, 'Behold, we have left everything and followed You.' Jesus said, 'Truly, I say to you, there is none who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life."
So, why would someone choose to follow Christ, despite the obvious reason that it is the way to eternal life. I can tell you why I have chosen to forsake the ways of this world, and to seek with my whole heart after Christ. I do this because of my gratitude for what He has done for me, which has created in me a great love for Him. I obey Him out of love, not fear in the sense of being afraid....but fear in the sense of reverance and awe for what He has done for me....and others around me. I constantly witness Him being good in my life, and the lives of others....and it makes me want to know Him more. I have realized that the way to be closer to God is to follow His commandments and seek Him in prayer, constantly turning away from the world and turning toward Him.
Proverbs 8:17 (NASB):
"I love those who love Me, and those who diligently seek Me will find Me."
Proverbs 8:35-36 (NASB):
"For he who finds Me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord. But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death."
John 14:20-23 (NASB):
"In that day you will know that I am in the Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him. Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, 'Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?' Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him."
There is an intimacy between Christ and his disciple. This intimacy comes from a studying God's Word, hearing His voice in prayer, seeing Him meet our needs daily, and obeying His every command, both written and the daily direction He gives us. We have to put His commands above all else, thus making Him our Lord (Master, Teacher). If a person is going to church once a week, and not picking up a Bible any time in between, or praying three times a year at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas....a person is probably not a disciple of Christ. This is a daily walk with the living God. If you are not a disciple, you cannot expect to receive the blessings and rewards of discipleship. The Bible tells to constantly search the scriptures....this is constant Bible study, not just every once in a while (or God forbid, never at all).
2 Timothy 2:15-16 (NASB):
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid wordly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness..."
Deuteronomy 11:18-19 (NASB):
"You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up."
Finally, God gives us a stern warning against those who call themselves His, and continue to do evil in his sight.
Matthew 7:21-23 (NASB):
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you (emphasis added); DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS."
So today, I encourage you to once again examine yourselves, as I am doing as well.....seek God in determining whether you ARE indeed a disciple of Christ, who will one day be approved and unashamed before God. The other option is falling away from God and putting Christ to open shame.
Hebrews 6:1-8 (NASB):
"Therefore, leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits. For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
So, to call yourself a disciple of Christ, and having done all the things in this scripture....and then to live in sinfulness and fall away is to crucify the Son of God and put him to open shame.
This idea of whether we are disciples of Christ is VERY important. There are too many people in today's world that are claiming to know God, but the question is.... DOES GOD KNOW YOU? AND DOES HE COUNT YOU AMONG HIS DISCIPLES?
This message has been in my heart since I committed my life to Christ last year, and told God he could have everything I was. I gave my whole life to Christ, and I continue to surrender everything I can to Christ and the will of God. However, I STILL must constantly ask myself I if I should be calling myself His disciple. God has a high standard for those who follow Him, but then again....He is worth everything we could ever do to worship Him.
Desiring to be His disciple,
Sarah
Monday, November 24, 2008
"You Shall Be Holy, For I Am Holy"
1 Peter 1:14-17 (NASB):
"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in your behavior also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.' If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;"
Last night, I had an interesting dream which did not make sense until God gave me a biblical interpretation. It was a little choppy, flashing from one place to another, but I will give account of this dream for my blog post today because God's message in it is clear.
In this dream, I was in a hotel (high) with many floors. It was a very classy hotel with all the amenities of a great spa, fitness gym, and clubs all in one. It was teeming with young twenty-something people, both married and single. Every floor was full of young people with their friends, quickly rushing from one place to another. I was there with my husband and children. We were all together at first, but then suddenly, my childen were gone. My husband and I had some type of disagreement and he left as well to visit his parents in another town and "to think about our relationship and whether we should get divorced." In my dream, things had not been good between Jeff and I for awhile, so he left the kids with me....meanwhile, I was wandering around the hotel when a little child came up to me whose parents were "busy" partying, and stayed right by my side. I had no interest in the drinking and drugs all around me, and I knew some other parents had chosen to participate, leaving their children alone to run free. Some people invited me to come to the pool with them, so I went looking for a modest bathing suit. I got dressed in a tankini and some board shorts with a shirt covering my top...very modest compared to my companions. An old friend of mine suddenly appeared in my room as I was getting ready...and I noticed I was tan with light blonde hair and I looked better (even covered) than I had in years. He and some other young singles were talking about something and the next thing I know, my friend asks me if my cellulite legs are bothering me, and basically starts telling me of all the ways I could "fix" my body to be beautiful. I suddenly realized that I was the only one in the room that was comfortable with who I was. I realized that everyone in this hotel had come there to find happiness in something found in the world....dating, sex, drinking, drugs, cosmetic surgery, partying, etc.
When I realized how much I didn't fit in because my relationship with God fulfilled me, I left immediately to go reconcile with my own husband and get my family back together. I knew he wanted to be with me, but he had been struggling with who I was and my desire to live a holy life. When I saw him at his parents' house, he told me "I want to be with you but I know there are a lot of things about my life that need to change." And I remember bowing my head in prayer and asking God to just help us." Then I woke up.
So may be wondering what this all means....or maybe it is just another dream to you....we have them all the time. But when I awoke God began to explain the dream to me through scripture. He showed me that the hotel represented the world in which we live. There are always busy people (both young and old) who are bustling about, trying to find happiness in things such as dating, careers, drinking, drugs, pursuit of physical perfection, and social networking. There are many, many more things in the world that people believe will bring them joy in life. Pursuing these ungodly, worldly things can cause people to become so busy and caught up in race of life, that they often forget the things that are most important --like family. They become self-centered, and will leave behind things that will bring them true joy to chase after a mirage of happiness in things that will never satisfy the soul. My husband knew that I wanted to be set apart, and different from the world, and that I found satisfaction solely through my relationship with God. In the dream, he was having a hard time being satisfied with God's way of living, but instead of joining the party....he went away to a quiet place to think. This is exactly what God would want you to do if you are Christian but are having a hard time separating from the things of this world. He would want you to go away from it all and just let Him speak to your heart through prayer. While I was in the hotel, I began to end up taking care of a child that was not my own. The parents had chosen to stay "in the world" and had begun to neglect their relationship with their child. Their child, therefore, was lost and wandering through the world with no one to turn to for help. This is the reality of what happens when parents get caught up in pursuing their own happiness and they forget to "train their children up in the way they should go." The result, their kids end up wandering through life with no help, and no purpose. They are alone and scared, and the parents have neglected their God-given duty to care for the child because of their own selfishness. The third part of the dream is when my friend asks me about my "cellulite legs" and offers how I might fix them. When I had previously thought that I was looking fine, and was very satisfied with my body and image, the "world" started trying to tell me that I need something to make me feel beautiful and worthy. The world (my friend) was trying to convince me that I could never be beautiful, worthy and satisfied with myself without the help worldly products. Even though I was modestly dressed, I was still attacked over my appearance.
Finally, I realized who I was in Christ, and I left the world again to find my husband in the quiet place to which he had withdrawn. I rejoined him in the quiet place, where he admitted that God had spoken to his heart and told him that he, too, needed to be set apart from the world. With a bit of anxiousness in his eyes, he told me this (in my dream). He wants to be holy, but being holy as God is holy can be very difficult when the world is constantly trying to convince us that God will never satisfy us. The world offers us pleasure for the time being, but God offers us a peace, joy and abundant life. God offers us an eternity of true pleasure in being with Him. It means that we must sacrifice pleasure in the here and now to gain eternal joy in heaven with God.
As Christians, we have to ask ourselves....are we set apart from the world in which we live? Are we truly foreigners in a strange land....or like those people in the hotel, do we blend in with the world around us? Are we seeking holiness or temporal happiness? Are we trying to please God, or please the men around us? Are we satisified with who we are in Christ, or are we always looking for some way to "fix" ourselves?
John 10:9-10 (NASB):
"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The theif comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
This dream really got me thinking about all the times I have sold out God for something worldly. God has set me apart from so many things in this world. He has taken away my needs for partying, drinking, most of television, most movies, makeup, fashion, and my need to please my friends. My friends love me for who I am in Christ, and they appreciate my attempts to remain set apart from the world. If they do not love me for who I am, then they are not really my friends. I have an audience of One.....and that is very satisfying because He has given me an entire instruction manual on how to please Him, and achieve lasting peace and joy, here and into eternity. He gave me everything I need in the Word of God (The Bible). Every time I read it, it leaves me feeling stronger and more refreshed. His Word transforms me from inside my heart, and it shows me how to live the abundant life He promised me. The deeper I go, the more satisfied I become with my life on earth....and the less I want to blend in with the world around me.
Romans 12:1-2 (NASB):
"Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
I thank God today for the insight He has given me through this dream. I thank Him that He always finds a new way to speak to me, and show me new truth about how I should be living. He is always blessing me, and encouraging me. I am so thankful that God drew me to Himself, and gave me the faith to believe in Him. I thank God for saving me. I pray today that He would reveal this dream to your heart in a way that is relevant to where you stand with Him. I pray that each of you would evaluate whether you call yourself His own (by His name) and then ask yourself whether you are living a set-apart life that God has called you to. I pray that God would reveal any areas of your life where you are still connected to the world. I pray that God would reveal to your hearts whether you belong to Him, and whether your life is pleasing to Him who created you. I pray that He would continue to reveal this to me as well. I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Desiring to be holy, as He is holy,
Sarah
"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in your behavior also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.' If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;"
Last night, I had an interesting dream which did not make sense until God gave me a biblical interpretation. It was a little choppy, flashing from one place to another, but I will give account of this dream for my blog post today because God's message in it is clear.
In this dream, I was in a hotel (high) with many floors. It was a very classy hotel with all the amenities of a great spa, fitness gym, and clubs all in one. It was teeming with young twenty-something people, both married and single. Every floor was full of young people with their friends, quickly rushing from one place to another. I was there with my husband and children. We were all together at first, but then suddenly, my childen were gone. My husband and I had some type of disagreement and he left as well to visit his parents in another town and "to think about our relationship and whether we should get divorced." In my dream, things had not been good between Jeff and I for awhile, so he left the kids with me....meanwhile, I was wandering around the hotel when a little child came up to me whose parents were "busy" partying, and stayed right by my side. I had no interest in the drinking and drugs all around me, and I knew some other parents had chosen to participate, leaving their children alone to run free. Some people invited me to come to the pool with them, so I went looking for a modest bathing suit. I got dressed in a tankini and some board shorts with a shirt covering my top...very modest compared to my companions. An old friend of mine suddenly appeared in my room as I was getting ready...and I noticed I was tan with light blonde hair and I looked better (even covered) than I had in years. He and some other young singles were talking about something and the next thing I know, my friend asks me if my cellulite legs are bothering me, and basically starts telling me of all the ways I could "fix" my body to be beautiful. I suddenly realized that I was the only one in the room that was comfortable with who I was. I realized that everyone in this hotel had come there to find happiness in something found in the world....dating, sex, drinking, drugs, cosmetic surgery, partying, etc.
When I realized how much I didn't fit in because my relationship with God fulfilled me, I left immediately to go reconcile with my own husband and get my family back together. I knew he wanted to be with me, but he had been struggling with who I was and my desire to live a holy life. When I saw him at his parents' house, he told me "I want to be with you but I know there are a lot of things about my life that need to change." And I remember bowing my head in prayer and asking God to just help us." Then I woke up.
So may be wondering what this all means....or maybe it is just another dream to you....we have them all the time. But when I awoke God began to explain the dream to me through scripture. He showed me that the hotel represented the world in which we live. There are always busy people (both young and old) who are bustling about, trying to find happiness in things such as dating, careers, drinking, drugs, pursuit of physical perfection, and social networking. There are many, many more things in the world that people believe will bring them joy in life. Pursuing these ungodly, worldly things can cause people to become so busy and caught up in race of life, that they often forget the things that are most important --like family. They become self-centered, and will leave behind things that will bring them true joy to chase after a mirage of happiness in things that will never satisfy the soul. My husband knew that I wanted to be set apart, and different from the world, and that I found satisfaction solely through my relationship with God. In the dream, he was having a hard time being satisfied with God's way of living, but instead of joining the party....he went away to a quiet place to think. This is exactly what God would want you to do if you are Christian but are having a hard time separating from the things of this world. He would want you to go away from it all and just let Him speak to your heart through prayer. While I was in the hotel, I began to end up taking care of a child that was not my own. The parents had chosen to stay "in the world" and had begun to neglect their relationship with their child. Their child, therefore, was lost and wandering through the world with no one to turn to for help. This is the reality of what happens when parents get caught up in pursuing their own happiness and they forget to "train their children up in the way they should go." The result, their kids end up wandering through life with no help, and no purpose. They are alone and scared, and the parents have neglected their God-given duty to care for the child because of their own selfishness. The third part of the dream is when my friend asks me about my "cellulite legs" and offers how I might fix them. When I had previously thought that I was looking fine, and was very satisfied with my body and image, the "world" started trying to tell me that I need something to make me feel beautiful and worthy. The world (my friend) was trying to convince me that I could never be beautiful, worthy and satisfied with myself without the help worldly products. Even though I was modestly dressed, I was still attacked over my appearance.
Finally, I realized who I was in Christ, and I left the world again to find my husband in the quiet place to which he had withdrawn. I rejoined him in the quiet place, where he admitted that God had spoken to his heart and told him that he, too, needed to be set apart from the world. With a bit of anxiousness in his eyes, he told me this (in my dream). He wants to be holy, but being holy as God is holy can be very difficult when the world is constantly trying to convince us that God will never satisfy us. The world offers us pleasure for the time being, but God offers us a peace, joy and abundant life. God offers us an eternity of true pleasure in being with Him. It means that we must sacrifice pleasure in the here and now to gain eternal joy in heaven with God.
As Christians, we have to ask ourselves....are we set apart from the world in which we live? Are we truly foreigners in a strange land....or like those people in the hotel, do we blend in with the world around us? Are we seeking holiness or temporal happiness? Are we trying to please God, or please the men around us? Are we satisified with who we are in Christ, or are we always looking for some way to "fix" ourselves?
John 10:9-10 (NASB):
"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The theif comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
This dream really got me thinking about all the times I have sold out God for something worldly. God has set me apart from so many things in this world. He has taken away my needs for partying, drinking, most of television, most movies, makeup, fashion, and my need to please my friends. My friends love me for who I am in Christ, and they appreciate my attempts to remain set apart from the world. If they do not love me for who I am, then they are not really my friends. I have an audience of One.....and that is very satisfying because He has given me an entire instruction manual on how to please Him, and achieve lasting peace and joy, here and into eternity. He gave me everything I need in the Word of God (The Bible). Every time I read it, it leaves me feeling stronger and more refreshed. His Word transforms me from inside my heart, and it shows me how to live the abundant life He promised me. The deeper I go, the more satisfied I become with my life on earth....and the less I want to blend in with the world around me.
Romans 12:1-2 (NASB):
"Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
I thank God today for the insight He has given me through this dream. I thank Him that He always finds a new way to speak to me, and show me new truth about how I should be living. He is always blessing me, and encouraging me. I am so thankful that God drew me to Himself, and gave me the faith to believe in Him. I thank God for saving me. I pray today that He would reveal this dream to your heart in a way that is relevant to where you stand with Him. I pray that each of you would evaluate whether you call yourself His own (by His name) and then ask yourself whether you are living a set-apart life that God has called you to. I pray that God would reveal any areas of your life where you are still connected to the world. I pray that God would reveal to your hearts whether you belong to Him, and whether your life is pleasing to Him who created you. I pray that He would continue to reveal this to me as well. I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Desiring to be holy, as He is holy,
Sarah
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