I have heard from some that the claims I make about life with God may not be understandable, even surreal to many. This is something I have personally come to terms with, because in the beginning, many thought I was crazy. Many probably still do. I have learned in the past week about God's providence. To be quite honest, before a week ago, I had heard others talking about the providence of God....but I really was not sure what that meant. Then, I heard a sermon preached on my favorite Christian radio about the "providence of God." I tuned in my ear because I was interested to know what the word meant. The preacher explained that the providence of God is the "hidden hand of God moving in our life, changing things even when we don't know it." It is secret, silent and always moving. The idea intrigued me.
I know this providence to be true in my life, but when I stop to really think about it....it is the driving force behind my life as a Christian. It has become clear to me this week that there is a huge divide between those who are "religious" Christians and those who have a true relationship with the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. At one point, my heart broke because God showed me how many are simply living out religion in their lives, and have never experienced the true power and Presence of God! I can make a true statement that I know that God is with me 100% of the time. He makes His Presence known in my life by interacting in my circumstances all throughout every day. I hear people saying, "I know God loves me." Do you really KNOW that God loves you??? Do you know that He wants more than a simple prayer in the morning that is mundane and repetitive??? He wants a conversation. He wants a RELATIONSHIP with YOU.
This topic is too expansive to write in one single blog, but I believe this is the point of the blog that God has asked me to write. It is to reveal that God is not interested in you coming to a religion of following rules, and He has convicted me about my own desire to fall into legalism. He wants your heart, your life, and your daily fellowship with Him. The commands He gives us are for our own benefit in living the abundant life He promised us, but they CANNOT become the main focus of our Christian lives. When they become first, God's Presence becomes hard to find. We begin to idolize the law that God has given us, and we no longer seek God's face with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength. Many people are caught up in the lie that only "special" people have a relationship like mine with God. That is a LIE. God is not into favoritism. I would love to be God's favorite, I'll just be honest, but I know He loves everyone just as much as me. He is concerned about the salvation and welfare of all people. Do I speak to Him plainly and hear from Him plainly....YES. I guess someone could call that a gift. I just call it my daily relationship with the One I love more than any other. He is my all in all, my King, my mighty Warrior. And when He responds to me in physical terms such as having someone bring a gift to my door when He only knew that I was thinking about it....that is intimacy.
Last night, my husband and I had a wonderful conversation about this. I was talking to Him about my relationship with God and He said that I already had my "perfect man." I hope my husband doesn't mind me sharing, but sometimes, he feels a little inadequate compared to God's perfection. But what is amazing, and I told my husband, is that the same type of relationship can be achieved in marriage through spending time together, loving one another, respecting one another, and loving each other as thy self. God uses the model of marriage to display to all mankind the type of intimacy He desires to have with His children. The hard part about seeing the beauty of that model is that so many marriages today are corrupt and defiled, and people are not walking in God's intentions for marriage. We no longer have that visible example of what a healthy, satisfying relationship with God would look like....
And then there are the people like ME, who spend time with God, talk to God, walk with God, hear from God, and live by the side of God. The challenge for me is, "How do I get people to see that this is not just a made-up story, but the most amazing thing I have ever discovered in my life?" I have been struggling with this idea. I feel I have encountered the greatest treasure possible in life and death, and I simply want to share it with the world....so others can experience it too. But everywhere I go, people are so hardened and unbelieving that they reject that notion that what I experience is EVEN POSSIBLE. I have talked to God about this and He knows my heart even before I speak to Him. He knows the heartache that I have over not being able to effectively share in a way that makes a difference in people's lives. But that is what the Providence of God is all about. He is working in lives and circumstances even when YOU can't see Him.....just because you have rejected Him and denied His very existence, He still loves you with an everlasting love that just won't die. He chases you though you run from Him. He is using the providence He has to pursue your heart right now. Maybe today is the day that you realize you don't want a religion, you want to know the God of the Universe. All you have to do is pray and let Him into your heart, accepting His great gift of sacrifice that He made just to KNOW YOU and BE WITH YOU. That is why Jesus died for you. To restore unto you the possiblity that you could come to know Him in a personal way. And, He still died for all the people who will reject Him to the very end....but He will never get to be with them because of their rejection of Him.
Today, I urge you to please examine your thoughts/feelings toward the Christian "religion" and ask yourself - "Do I want a relationship with God, or a religion full of legalism????" If you are interested in pursuing a relationship with God, and want to come away from what you have "learned" in church, or in the world about Christianity...and you want to know how to find what I have found with God......write me today at wildcat_sarah@hotmail.com. I will do everything in my power to pray for you, help you, counsel you, guide you and help you to find a relationship with God that will never be binding or boring ever again. I beg you, leave what you know and find out that God is waiting to have an intimate relationship with YOU!!!! Here is what God says about this in the Bible and for the sake of NOT overwhelming you, I will pull out scriptures from Galatians 5 (the whole chapter is about freedom in Christ vs. legalism):
Galatians 5:1-4 (NASB)
"It was for freedom that Christ has set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by the law; you have fallen from grace."
Galatians 5;13-14 (NASB)
"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."
Galatians 5:16 (NASB)
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, then you are not under the Law."
To put it plainly, if you are seeking God's face, walking with God in the Spirit....you will want to do more and more what the Spirit leads you to do, and less of what the flesh tries to get you to do. You will have no use for the law because the Spirit will lead you into all truth (John 16:13). We have nothing to fear when we are following God's Spirit in our lives. There is no longer a need to follow rules, but we are not to take our freedom as an excuse for sinful living. We need to surrender ourselves completely to God's Spirit, and then we will be truly FREE.
I love you all. I pray in Jesus' name that God would bless you today with an open heart toward Him. I pray that you would be able to see beyond the deception of religious attitudes, and see that God is wanting so much more for/from you. I pray that God would touch your heart with this message. I pray that God would keep each of you safe, and moving toward Him. I pray that He would reveal from time to time His provident hand in your life, so you know He is with you.
God bless you,
Sarah
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
A Calling to Love
My husband and I recently had a conversation that highlighted a misconception among many Christians today. We hear people talking about being "called into ministry," and we immediately think of a local pastor, or a national evangelist. This idea of ministry can be frightening for those who do not ever see themselves being a pastor, or an evangelist. Maybe a person's favorite thing to do is paint pictures in the quietness of their home which reflect God's glory of creation, but that person is not yelling down the street "repent or go to Hell!" Many Christians hear someone talking about being called into ministry and automatically reply "I don't feel God has called me to that."
This was the conversation that Jeff and I were having one day, when a heated discussion arose out of the comment that I said he was called into ministry. He adamently told me that he never foresaw himself doing ministry, and that was that! When the conversation ended, it turns out that what he was trying to say was that he never saw himself being a pastor of a church. But, being a pastor is NOT the only way to be a minister of God's word and his gospel message. I know people who cook meals for others who are shut in, have deployed spouses, are single, or just need a little TLC. I know people who make crafts that glorify God. I know others that sing, some use their technical sound board experience to serve the church, some write poetic prophecy. Some speak a word of encouragement to a person going through a hard time, and some just sit and listen to someone for an hour over coffee. These are ALL examples of ministry positions in God's kingdom. I bet you never thought being called into ministry could be so easy!
The Bible tells us that through God's Holy Spirit, He has distributed by His own will giftings to different people. He says there is a variety of ministries and manifestations of these gifts. Two people may have the same gifting for music, and one plays piano and another sings, or one likes to play drums, and another writes music. I have a gift for speaking to others about salvation through Jesus Christ, the ministry gifts of teaching and evangelism. Some people like me evangelize to senior citizens, while others are drawn to young children. Some do both! My husband is gifted in building things, creating things, and innovating existing things. God has given him a special kind of brilliance when it comes to problem solving a building project, and he is able to fix other people's cars, and he built a beautiful toddler bed for our son. If he was able to showcase the giftings and talents that God has given him, God would be glorified through his talents.
I felt it important this morning to shed light on this important misunderstanding in kingdom of God. To be God's minister does not mean doing something that you hate, it means using the giftings and talents that God has given you to edify and service the kingdom of God. The problem is that many gifted Christians are using their gifts to benefit the world more than their own brothers and sisters. God does use our spiritual gifts to shine light into a dark world, but He created them to be used to help one another inside of the kingdom! Does this mean that you cannot have a secular job that showcases your spiritual giftings, such as being an accountant with the gift of administration? Or, being a car mechanic or carpenter with the gifts of craftsmenship? Absolutely not, but whatever we do, we do because God has enabled us...therefore, if we do it and take the glory....we are taking something that does not belong to us. Glory must be given back to our Father in heaven, the One who created us. Being a pastor in a pulpit is only one small part of being in ministry. But the Bible tells us that we are ALL called into the ministry of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, and edifying the body of Christ with our gifts and talents. If you are not doing this, you are living outside of the will of God.
Matthew 28:19 (NASB):
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NASB):
"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healings by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills."
Ephesians 4:1-7 (NASB):
"Therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift."
Ephesians 4:11-16 (NKJV):
"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."
So....you may not see yourself as an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher, but those people in the body are there to edify you, so that you might use your own spiritual giftings and talents to build up the body in love! Simply put, if you called yourself a Christian, have truly been born again of the Spirit of God (of which there is NO doubt in your mind), and have been given spiritual gifts by the grace of God....you are not allowing the body to be built up and come together in unity without taking your special (reserved) place in the body, and using your gifts for the benefit of all. You are depriving the rest of the body of your necessary presence and work!
This is why the body is admonished in the Bible to meet with one another in fellowship:
Hebrews 10:23-25 (NASB):
"Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."
If you are a true child of God, and you do not recognize or realize your spiritual giftings....there is a spiritual giftings test which I have myself taken several times (as over time, one gift may become stronger than another, and God can bestow new giftings)...and it will give you an idea of what giftings you may have by the Holy Spirit. It also has explanations of the giftings, and scriptures to study regarding each gift as well. The link to this spiritual gifts test is:
www.kodachrome.org/spiritgift/
and there is another good test on the ministry giftings at:
www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi?intro=1
I would love to hear from you regarding your spiritual gifts test results! If you have any questions, comments, etc. Please do not hesitate to leave a comment for me!!! May God bless you today with knowledge of the gifts He has placed inside of you, and lead you to a place of worship where you can share your gifts with others believers, or with the world around you. Pray that God would show you how to use your gifts in a practical way today to build up another person in love. I pray for your salvation, if you are not a child of God, and bless all believers here with peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
God bless you all!
Sarah
This was the conversation that Jeff and I were having one day, when a heated discussion arose out of the comment that I said he was called into ministry. He adamently told me that he never foresaw himself doing ministry, and that was that! When the conversation ended, it turns out that what he was trying to say was that he never saw himself being a pastor of a church. But, being a pastor is NOT the only way to be a minister of God's word and his gospel message. I know people who cook meals for others who are shut in, have deployed spouses, are single, or just need a little TLC. I know people who make crafts that glorify God. I know others that sing, some use their technical sound board experience to serve the church, some write poetic prophecy. Some speak a word of encouragement to a person going through a hard time, and some just sit and listen to someone for an hour over coffee. These are ALL examples of ministry positions in God's kingdom. I bet you never thought being called into ministry could be so easy!
The Bible tells us that through God's Holy Spirit, He has distributed by His own will giftings to different people. He says there is a variety of ministries and manifestations of these gifts. Two people may have the same gifting for music, and one plays piano and another sings, or one likes to play drums, and another writes music. I have a gift for speaking to others about salvation through Jesus Christ, the ministry gifts of teaching and evangelism. Some people like me evangelize to senior citizens, while others are drawn to young children. Some do both! My husband is gifted in building things, creating things, and innovating existing things. God has given him a special kind of brilliance when it comes to problem solving a building project, and he is able to fix other people's cars, and he built a beautiful toddler bed for our son. If he was able to showcase the giftings and talents that God has given him, God would be glorified through his talents.
I felt it important this morning to shed light on this important misunderstanding in kingdom of God. To be God's minister does not mean doing something that you hate, it means using the giftings and talents that God has given you to edify and service the kingdom of God. The problem is that many gifted Christians are using their gifts to benefit the world more than their own brothers and sisters. God does use our spiritual gifts to shine light into a dark world, but He created them to be used to help one another inside of the kingdom! Does this mean that you cannot have a secular job that showcases your spiritual giftings, such as being an accountant with the gift of administration? Or, being a car mechanic or carpenter with the gifts of craftsmenship? Absolutely not, but whatever we do, we do because God has enabled us...therefore, if we do it and take the glory....we are taking something that does not belong to us. Glory must be given back to our Father in heaven, the One who created us. Being a pastor in a pulpit is only one small part of being in ministry. But the Bible tells us that we are ALL called into the ministry of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, and edifying the body of Christ with our gifts and talents. If you are not doing this, you are living outside of the will of God.
Matthew 28:19 (NASB):
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NASB):
"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healings by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills."
Ephesians 4:1-7 (NASB):
"Therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift."
Ephesians 4:11-16 (NKJV):
"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."
So....you may not see yourself as an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher, but those people in the body are there to edify you, so that you might use your own spiritual giftings and talents to build up the body in love! Simply put, if you called yourself a Christian, have truly been born again of the Spirit of God (of which there is NO doubt in your mind), and have been given spiritual gifts by the grace of God....you are not allowing the body to be built up and come together in unity without taking your special (reserved) place in the body, and using your gifts for the benefit of all. You are depriving the rest of the body of your necessary presence and work!
This is why the body is admonished in the Bible to meet with one another in fellowship:
Hebrews 10:23-25 (NASB):
"Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."
If you are a true child of God, and you do not recognize or realize your spiritual giftings....there is a spiritual giftings test which I have myself taken several times (as over time, one gift may become stronger than another, and God can bestow new giftings)...and it will give you an idea of what giftings you may have by the Holy Spirit. It also has explanations of the giftings, and scriptures to study regarding each gift as well. The link to this spiritual gifts test is:
www.kodachrome.org/spiritgift/
and there is another good test on the ministry giftings at:
www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi?intro=1
I would love to hear from you regarding your spiritual gifts test results! If you have any questions, comments, etc. Please do not hesitate to leave a comment for me!!! May God bless you today with knowledge of the gifts He has placed inside of you, and lead you to a place of worship where you can share your gifts with others believers, or with the world around you. Pray that God would show you how to use your gifts in a practical way today to build up another person in love. I pray for your salvation, if you are not a child of God, and bless all believers here with peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
God bless you all!
Sarah
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Need for Simplicity
This morning, I had a revelation that God has been trying to show me over the past few months. It is just one more part of the old sinful nature of who I am that God would like to deal with. What is it? Laziness. Looking at my life, one could say that I am definitely not lazy because I am always busy and constantly doing something....but I learned today that this is just a mask for my true heart condition of sloth "laziness and apathy." Today, God showed me two ways in which laziness has taken hold in my life:
1.) Laziness due to a fear of failure.
2.) Laziness due to discouragement from past problems.
The hardest part about agreeing with God regarding my laziness is that I have to work to change this part of my life. And since the laziness has been manifesting in me becoming a "busybody," it can be quite confusing as to whether what I am doing is productive or just a way to escape the real tasks that need to be accomplished. I know that I often look at a problem or a task that I think I might not be able to complete, and instead of tackling it head on, I get myself "busy" doing something else which seems to be productive. I believe this is what some people do to avoid the problematic areas of their lives, and I am one of those people. If their marriage is struggling, they start going out with their friends. Or in the case of a Christian, they get involved in every ministry they can volunteer for. If they have trouble with friendships, they make themselves busy so they can tell others they are just working SO hard on other things. Once again, I am guilty of this. If they know they should be working on something particular (but undesirable), they procrastinate by watching TV, working on outdoor projects, etc. and obsessing over things that are really not important.
This shows that they are really productive, right? Or is this just a way of escaping the things that need their attention most, like a needy wife, or a needy friend, or a bathroom that needs to be cleaned (AGAIN). My vice lately has been getting involved more in what I write/do on the Internet as "ministry." I am not saying that spreading the gospel message of Christ is not worthwhile (even on the Internet) but for me, God has urged me time and time again to clean my house, take care of my husband's needs, make sure my daughter's homework is done, do the laundry, etc. All the things which I want to make the last priority in life because I don't enjoy doing them, and I frankly don't do them very well. I look at my house sometimes and it seems like a mess to me. Then I spend all day cleaning it, and the next day, it is a mess again....then I get discouraged and I give up for a few days, then it gets WORSE, then I have to convince myself to catch up again....and then it starts all over. I have tried blaming my family for being messy. I have tried blaming my parents for not teaching me right (although they tried). I can blame lack of money, lack of the right furniture, or a hundred other things...but the bottom line is that God wants to teach me diligence in my work at home. He is making me do the things that I dislike to rid my life of laziness and apathy. And He is doing it to cleanse my soul from all unrighteousness. And it is not fun, or easy, and sometimes I just downright do not appreciate learning this lesson!!!!
But....I have confessed my sinfulness to God and I have asked Him to help me. I might have to spend more money on being organized, and I may have to get rid of some of the excess, but I am going to learn to live in a home that I can maintain. I give kudos to the women who live in big houses and have a lot of fancy furniture, and every corner is spotless. I sincerely respect their ability to keep their lives organized, but I am not yet capable of doing this, so I am going to simplify my life. I am going to strive to be more of an organized, planning type of woman, and I am going to put effort into keeping my home in a way that glorifies my Lord! This past year has meant of a lot of growing in this area, and a lot of changes in my life, but I am so thankful to the God that He never gives up on me. And He doesn't expect more from me today than I am able to achieve. He knows that this will be a long, slow process of changing my nature, but I know He will be with me the entire way!
I thank you all for letting me share my struggles with you all today. This is just one of many areas that the Lord is perfecting me, refining me, and changing the way I live and behave. Sometimes, the Christian life can be challenging and even painful, but I am thankful to be moving in the right direction. I hope that this encourages all those housewifes, and dedicated spouses out there to keep trying to live out godliness! We must not grow weary in doing good, for the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up! Cheer up, God is beside you and is going to help you through every day and every challenge if you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior. If have you have not, think about doing it today!
May God bless you all with simplicity in your lives, and cleanse your souls from all unrighteousness in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Sarah
1.) Laziness due to a fear of failure.
2.) Laziness due to discouragement from past problems.
The hardest part about agreeing with God regarding my laziness is that I have to work to change this part of my life. And since the laziness has been manifesting in me becoming a "busybody," it can be quite confusing as to whether what I am doing is productive or just a way to escape the real tasks that need to be accomplished. I know that I often look at a problem or a task that I think I might not be able to complete, and instead of tackling it head on, I get myself "busy" doing something else which seems to be productive. I believe this is what some people do to avoid the problematic areas of their lives, and I am one of those people. If their marriage is struggling, they start going out with their friends. Or in the case of a Christian, they get involved in every ministry they can volunteer for. If they have trouble with friendships, they make themselves busy so they can tell others they are just working SO hard on other things. Once again, I am guilty of this. If they know they should be working on something particular (but undesirable), they procrastinate by watching TV, working on outdoor projects, etc. and obsessing over things that are really not important.
This shows that they are really productive, right? Or is this just a way of escaping the things that need their attention most, like a needy wife, or a needy friend, or a bathroom that needs to be cleaned (AGAIN). My vice lately has been getting involved more in what I write/do on the Internet as "ministry." I am not saying that spreading the gospel message of Christ is not worthwhile (even on the Internet) but for me, God has urged me time and time again to clean my house, take care of my husband's needs, make sure my daughter's homework is done, do the laundry, etc. All the things which I want to make the last priority in life because I don't enjoy doing them, and I frankly don't do them very well. I look at my house sometimes and it seems like a mess to me. Then I spend all day cleaning it, and the next day, it is a mess again....then I get discouraged and I give up for a few days, then it gets WORSE, then I have to convince myself to catch up again....and then it starts all over. I have tried blaming my family for being messy. I have tried blaming my parents for not teaching me right (although they tried). I can blame lack of money, lack of the right furniture, or a hundred other things...but the bottom line is that God wants to teach me diligence in my work at home. He is making me do the things that I dislike to rid my life of laziness and apathy. And He is doing it to cleanse my soul from all unrighteousness. And it is not fun, or easy, and sometimes I just downright do not appreciate learning this lesson!!!!
But....I have confessed my sinfulness to God and I have asked Him to help me. I might have to spend more money on being organized, and I may have to get rid of some of the excess, but I am going to learn to live in a home that I can maintain. I give kudos to the women who live in big houses and have a lot of fancy furniture, and every corner is spotless. I sincerely respect their ability to keep their lives organized, but I am not yet capable of doing this, so I am going to simplify my life. I am going to strive to be more of an organized, planning type of woman, and I am going to put effort into keeping my home in a way that glorifies my Lord! This past year has meant of a lot of growing in this area, and a lot of changes in my life, but I am so thankful to the God that He never gives up on me. And He doesn't expect more from me today than I am able to achieve. He knows that this will be a long, slow process of changing my nature, but I know He will be with me the entire way!
I thank you all for letting me share my struggles with you all today. This is just one of many areas that the Lord is perfecting me, refining me, and changing the way I live and behave. Sometimes, the Christian life can be challenging and even painful, but I am thankful to be moving in the right direction. I hope that this encourages all those housewifes, and dedicated spouses out there to keep trying to live out godliness! We must not grow weary in doing good, for the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up! Cheer up, God is beside you and is going to help you through every day and every challenge if you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior. If have you have not, think about doing it today!
May God bless you all with simplicity in your lives, and cleanse your souls from all unrighteousness in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Sarah
Monday, January 19, 2009
What Is Love?
Today, I had the great pleasure of knowing that a sister of mine's daughter accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior. What a glorious day for God!!! Another child of God has been born of the Spirit! Shortly after, I began to realize how blessed my life has been in these past couple months. After having my second consecutive miscarriage, I began to wonder if the blessing of God was NOT resting on my household. But I was wrong....even though we lost the pregnancy, God has been doing a work in my marriage that is nothing short of glorious! I feel closer to my husband than I ever have, even moreso than when we first were dating because now we have a true love, and not just infatuation with one another. We have a love that has already endured great hardships, including trust issues with one another, sickness of our son, and losing two pregnancies in a row. We have seen our good days and bad days, we have laughed and we have cried. We have been there for each other when no one else was. We have blessed each other and cursed each other, and God has seen us through it all, making our marriage stronger every day! So, I wanted to share today what love means to God. I have been sharing this with others lately because God is really teaching me what it means to love someone, to love Him, and to love myself. This passage explains love in detail:
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NKJV):
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
This is what I believe marriage is all about. Glorifying God through loving one another in obedience to the definition God has given us of what it means to love another person. This is what I believe my husband and I striving to build our marriage upon. Do we make mistakes and trip up, and hurt each other occasionally? Yes, but God is always there to help us pick up the pieces and to learn more about loving one another. I am also learning that the kind of love God describes is for loving Him and others around us. Our two greatest commandments from Jesus were to love the Lord our God will all our hearts, souls, minds and strengths, and also to love one another as ourselves. But we have to make sure we understand the definition of love. Love is not just a feeling, love is a choice....a choice every second of every day. When faced with those who have wronged us, we are told to bless those that curse you. I have learned from practical application that this means that the day we are face-to-face with our greatest hurt inflicted by another human being, we are to look them in the eyes, forgive them and MEAN IT! Why would someone do such a thing? Because out of God's great love, compassion, and mercy for you and me, that is EXACTLY what Jesus did on the cross at Calvary. He took the punishment out of His great love for mankind to save them from their sinful nature. He did it because of the expanse of His love for us!!! He showed us what it means to love that unloveable person. And all He asks is that we do the same in gratitude and out of respect for what He has done, and out of our growing LOVE for Him and one another.
I pray in Jesus' name that God would bless you today with a new understanding of what it means to love God, and love others. I pray that God would show you in your heart and through His Word how much He loves you, and bless you with the ability to pray to Him and receive His free gift of eternal salvation. I know how much God loves you (to the best of my understanding) am I am still learning how much He loves me every day.
Some of you may be saying, "God could never forgive ME for all the wrong I have done." God's love is bigger than any sin you could commit, and He has already made the perfect way to escape your past and begin a new life. All you have to do is pray for Him to save you, admitting your sin before Him, and asking Him to cover your sins with the blood of Jesus. Admit that Jesus was perfect and sinless and that He lived, died and rose again to SAVE YOU. Then ask God to send you His Holy Spirit, so that you may be empowered to live a godly life from this day forth. I can assure that God is waiting to hear you pray that prayer, and He will bless you immediately upon hearing it. The Word says that angels in heaven will rejoice over you praying that prayer, and accepting God's free gift of salvation. When you return to your Father in heaven, it is a glorious day among men and angels! God bless you in Jesus' name, Amen.
His daughter and princess,
Sarah
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NKJV):
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
This is what I believe marriage is all about. Glorifying God through loving one another in obedience to the definition God has given us of what it means to love another person. This is what I believe my husband and I striving to build our marriage upon. Do we make mistakes and trip up, and hurt each other occasionally? Yes, but God is always there to help us pick up the pieces and to learn more about loving one another. I am also learning that the kind of love God describes is for loving Him and others around us. Our two greatest commandments from Jesus were to love the Lord our God will all our hearts, souls, minds and strengths, and also to love one another as ourselves. But we have to make sure we understand the definition of love. Love is not just a feeling, love is a choice....a choice every second of every day. When faced with those who have wronged us, we are told to bless those that curse you. I have learned from practical application that this means that the day we are face-to-face with our greatest hurt inflicted by another human being, we are to look them in the eyes, forgive them and MEAN IT! Why would someone do such a thing? Because out of God's great love, compassion, and mercy for you and me, that is EXACTLY what Jesus did on the cross at Calvary. He took the punishment out of His great love for mankind to save them from their sinful nature. He did it because of the expanse of His love for us!!! He showed us what it means to love that unloveable person. And all He asks is that we do the same in gratitude and out of respect for what He has done, and out of our growing LOVE for Him and one another.
I pray in Jesus' name that God would bless you today with a new understanding of what it means to love God, and love others. I pray that God would show you in your heart and through His Word how much He loves you, and bless you with the ability to pray to Him and receive His free gift of eternal salvation. I know how much God loves you (to the best of my understanding) am I am still learning how much He loves me every day.
Some of you may be saying, "God could never forgive ME for all the wrong I have done." God's love is bigger than any sin you could commit, and He has already made the perfect way to escape your past and begin a new life. All you have to do is pray for Him to save you, admitting your sin before Him, and asking Him to cover your sins with the blood of Jesus. Admit that Jesus was perfect and sinless and that He lived, died and rose again to SAVE YOU. Then ask God to send you His Holy Spirit, so that you may be empowered to live a godly life from this day forth. I can assure that God is waiting to hear you pray that prayer, and He will bless you immediately upon hearing it. The Word says that angels in heaven will rejoice over you praying that prayer, and accepting God's free gift of salvation. When you return to your Father in heaven, it is a glorious day among men and angels! God bless you in Jesus' name, Amen.
His daughter and princess,
Sarah
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Choice to Obey
Well, dear friends and family....it has once again been awhile since I posted anything new on this blog. Let me tell you, things have been busy around here. The Lord is moving and changing, and "shifting" our lives dramatically. We are excited, but trying not to be anxious and fearful. We are having to trust in the Lord more than ever before. Why? Because the Lord has given us a "choice to obey" His divine will for our lives.
I was reading the other day (a Christian book) and it said that if we understood ourselves (our wants/desires/needs) like God understands each of us, we would make very different decisions in life. Sometimes, we know God has led us and asked us to do something specific in our lives, but making the decision to obey is often difficult. Why do we hesitate? We hesitate out of fear, anxiousness, inadequacies in ourselves, past failures, and once again FEAR. We are fearful of what drastic life changes could mean for us, and many of us would rather take the high road of living safely with no risks than to step out on faith in God's promises. This is where the Cox family currently finds ourselves. We are at a crossroads in our lives where we can choose to remain safely where we are, to begin to really rely on the Lord to show us that His grace is sufficient for us, and that He really is the Lord our Provider.
As many of you know, I was born and raised in Colorado (although we moved to AZ for a time). I left Colorado in 2000 to attend college in Arizona, and I have never returned on a permanent basis. I love Colorado, but am not a big fan of the snow! In Tucson, Arizona, I met my husband and we immediately moved here to Guam in 2006. After becoming a committed Christian in 2007, I surrendered my desires to the Lord to ever return to my family. I had almost left my husband because I had such a strong desire to return home. They were my security, my support system, and I found myself living on a island 8,000 miles away from them. It was very difficult, and with Jeff and I have problems, it made me want to go home that much more. When I finally did return home in 2007, God did a mighty work in my heart, brought me to a knowledge of salvation in Jesus Christ....and I returned to Guam a transformed woman.
When I returned, I knew that my desire to be with my family was tearing my immediate family apart. I began to realize that my life was dedicated to doing God's will and completing his purposes, not my own. So I wholeheartedly surrendered my desire to return home to Him. As time went on, my family would ask me about returning stateside and I could honestly say that I was fine going overseas again. Not because I desperately desired to do so, but because I had given myself over the will of God. I had peace with NOT returning home, and was ready to go to the ends of the earth with my husband and children. I was ready to fight in far away spiritual battles, and to win over nations to the Lord. I am very zealous when it comes to God's work in my life!!! So...in the meantime, my husband decided he wanted a new career, or we were getting out the military. I encouraged him to apply for retraining, and he submitted all the necessary paperwork. Then we began to WAIT. At first, we were just patiently waiting on the Lord to answer. We knew these things take time, but in the meantime, God was working in my heart and Jeff's to bring out a desire for something we both did not fully understand.
Many people kept asking me where we were headed, and I simply told them I was waiting on God to answer. But...that I could move anywhere and be happy. I was telling the truth. As months passed on with no response from the retraining board, we began to wonder what was going to happen. The anxiousness began to build up and we began to pray more over the situation. In a moment of true lack of patience, the Lord spoke to my heart and said "Just ASK me where you are going and I will tell you." I thought, "How simple is that?" But you see, I wasn't going to ask before because I wanted the Lord to know that I was surrendered to going anywhere. So I began to fast and pray as I do when I need to hear clearly from the Lord. Not even a couple of hours into a fast, I prayed and heard the Lord clearly say. "You are going home to Colorado."
I came out of my bedroom, partially shaking, and told my husband what the Lord had said. I didn't know what to think because it was the last thing I expected. It was my true heart's desire, but I had given it over to the Lord. I asked Jeff what he thought, and he told me "I have wanted to move there for the past couple of years." He told me that he believed we should get out of the military and move to Colorado. Suddenly, things went from fun and exciting to downright scary. We have security in the military life, our bills are paid, and we have a future career for Jeff. But that is not what Jeff wants, not what I want, and not what God wants for us. What He is asking us to do is step out on the faith He has given us in Him and allow Him to be our provider. So instead of waiting on the retraining, we now focused on getting Jeff a job in Colorado. We have said to the Lord that if we are to move, we are asking for a good paying job in Colorado for my husband. The Lord has impressed in my heart to stay home with my son until he starts school, and we possibly have another child (still in my heart). To live exactly the way we do now, he would need to make at least $60,000/year. The interesting part is that both companies looking at him for employment having starting salaries of at least $60,000/year! One of the job openings is in Grand Junction, Colorado with an oil refinement company. They have asked for people with 15+ years experience, but are looking at Jeff with less than 5 years experience. Another company might allow us to live where we want and Jeff would be flying out to work at job sites around the world. I believe in my heart that Jeff is going to get one of these jobs, or another one, but that God has ordained for us to end up in Colorado. God has given us a vision of his plans for us there, but these things take time.
The bottom line of this all is that we have an oppportunity to go from normal living to living out God's plans for our lives. Will it take faith? Yes. Will it mean a level of sacrifice? Yes. Will it be worth every second to be following God's will for our lives? Absolutely! And God says that if we obey His commandments, we will be blessed. As I learned from my own mother a couple days ago, I tend to look at all the details and focus too much on them (trying to make sense of it all, or regain control over our lives)....when I should be focusing on the big picture - which is God's plan for our lives and just OBEYING what he asks us to do. He will work out the rest of the details. I thank my mom for the wisdom she shared with me.
May God bless you all peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Sarah
I was reading the other day (a Christian book) and it said that if we understood ourselves (our wants/desires/needs) like God understands each of us, we would make very different decisions in life. Sometimes, we know God has led us and asked us to do something specific in our lives, but making the decision to obey is often difficult. Why do we hesitate? We hesitate out of fear, anxiousness, inadequacies in ourselves, past failures, and once again FEAR. We are fearful of what drastic life changes could mean for us, and many of us would rather take the high road of living safely with no risks than to step out on faith in God's promises. This is where the Cox family currently finds ourselves. We are at a crossroads in our lives where we can choose to remain safely where we are, to begin to really rely on the Lord to show us that His grace is sufficient for us, and that He really is the Lord our Provider.
As many of you know, I was born and raised in Colorado (although we moved to AZ for a time). I left Colorado in 2000 to attend college in Arizona, and I have never returned on a permanent basis. I love Colorado, but am not a big fan of the snow! In Tucson, Arizona, I met my husband and we immediately moved here to Guam in 2006. After becoming a committed Christian in 2007, I surrendered my desires to the Lord to ever return to my family. I had almost left my husband because I had such a strong desire to return home. They were my security, my support system, and I found myself living on a island 8,000 miles away from them. It was very difficult, and with Jeff and I have problems, it made me want to go home that much more. When I finally did return home in 2007, God did a mighty work in my heart, brought me to a knowledge of salvation in Jesus Christ....and I returned to Guam a transformed woman.
When I returned, I knew that my desire to be with my family was tearing my immediate family apart. I began to realize that my life was dedicated to doing God's will and completing his purposes, not my own. So I wholeheartedly surrendered my desire to return home to Him. As time went on, my family would ask me about returning stateside and I could honestly say that I was fine going overseas again. Not because I desperately desired to do so, but because I had given myself over the will of God. I had peace with NOT returning home, and was ready to go to the ends of the earth with my husband and children. I was ready to fight in far away spiritual battles, and to win over nations to the Lord. I am very zealous when it comes to God's work in my life!!! So...in the meantime, my husband decided he wanted a new career, or we were getting out the military. I encouraged him to apply for retraining, and he submitted all the necessary paperwork. Then we began to WAIT. At first, we were just patiently waiting on the Lord to answer. We knew these things take time, but in the meantime, God was working in my heart and Jeff's to bring out a desire for something we both did not fully understand.
Many people kept asking me where we were headed, and I simply told them I was waiting on God to answer. But...that I could move anywhere and be happy. I was telling the truth. As months passed on with no response from the retraining board, we began to wonder what was going to happen. The anxiousness began to build up and we began to pray more over the situation. In a moment of true lack of patience, the Lord spoke to my heart and said "Just ASK me where you are going and I will tell you." I thought, "How simple is that?" But you see, I wasn't going to ask before because I wanted the Lord to know that I was surrendered to going anywhere. So I began to fast and pray as I do when I need to hear clearly from the Lord. Not even a couple of hours into a fast, I prayed and heard the Lord clearly say. "You are going home to Colorado."
I came out of my bedroom, partially shaking, and told my husband what the Lord had said. I didn't know what to think because it was the last thing I expected. It was my true heart's desire, but I had given it over to the Lord. I asked Jeff what he thought, and he told me "I have wanted to move there for the past couple of years." He told me that he believed we should get out of the military and move to Colorado. Suddenly, things went from fun and exciting to downright scary. We have security in the military life, our bills are paid, and we have a future career for Jeff. But that is not what Jeff wants, not what I want, and not what God wants for us. What He is asking us to do is step out on the faith He has given us in Him and allow Him to be our provider. So instead of waiting on the retraining, we now focused on getting Jeff a job in Colorado. We have said to the Lord that if we are to move, we are asking for a good paying job in Colorado for my husband. The Lord has impressed in my heart to stay home with my son until he starts school, and we possibly have another child (still in my heart). To live exactly the way we do now, he would need to make at least $60,000/year. The interesting part is that both companies looking at him for employment having starting salaries of at least $60,000/year! One of the job openings is in Grand Junction, Colorado with an oil refinement company. They have asked for people with 15+ years experience, but are looking at Jeff with less than 5 years experience. Another company might allow us to live where we want and Jeff would be flying out to work at job sites around the world. I believe in my heart that Jeff is going to get one of these jobs, or another one, but that God has ordained for us to end up in Colorado. God has given us a vision of his plans for us there, but these things take time.
The bottom line of this all is that we have an oppportunity to go from normal living to living out God's plans for our lives. Will it take faith? Yes. Will it mean a level of sacrifice? Yes. Will it be worth every second to be following God's will for our lives? Absolutely! And God says that if we obey His commandments, we will be blessed. As I learned from my own mother a couple days ago, I tend to look at all the details and focus too much on them (trying to make sense of it all, or regain control over our lives)....when I should be focusing on the big picture - which is God's plan for our lives and just OBEYING what he asks us to do. He will work out the rest of the details. I thank my mom for the wisdom she shared with me.
May God bless you all peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Sarah
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