Intro
Thank you for having my back this year, Lord. When you're on the Winning Side, everything, I mean EVERYTHING, is just RIGHT. It has never been so clear to me... Being a lukewarm Christian is absolutely incomparable to making Jesus Christ the LORD of your life. It's SO different, there's no point to even trying to be lukewarm about it. It's sad to see how seemingly GOOD things of the world, things that even God desires for us to have, can cloud our vision -- that is, when we're NOT ready. Only God's timing is perfect - not yours, not mine. Give Him YOUR time of day FIRST (not second, not third...), and only then will He prepare and equip you for those seemingly GOOD things in life...
Blog to follow? Ready when You are, Lord.
Life of a Lukewarm Christian
Life will always throw you curve balls -- HOW you handle them determines whether or not you're an all-star player or a rookie who needs more training and "equipping." Lukewarm Christians tend not to handle these curve balls very well... they've got one foot in and one foot out, so with every ball that's swung their way, their responses are inconsistent -- they hit a few, they miss a few, and they wonder why they're stuck where they are...
There are many things God wants us to have and experience. He promises us a plethora of treasures mentioned in the Bible. But we have to understand that God isn't a careless giver and He doesn't just throw out all His precious gifts to people who may not know how to handle these gifts. Would you want to give your dog away to someone who has had a history of mistreating animals? Or do you think God would set you up with one of His choice sons/daughters if He knew you weren't ready for a relationship? The beauty of God is that He doesn't expect us to become "experts" in these areas alone. He only asks ONE thing of us -- to love HIM first -- and He'll take care of the rest. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33.
Perhaps being a lukewarm Christian is desirable because of the "convenience." But if you ask me, what convenience is there in partying until two in the morning, only to find yourself struggling to wake up for 9 o'clock service the next morning? What convenience is there in being physically intimate with your partner one night, only to wake up the next morning, convicted by your Spirit, and having a heavy heart until you get to the altar and repent? Is all this really convenient? In my own lukewarm days, because I had "one foot in" and granted God authority over my life, I would constantly be convicted by my Spirit, and I would find myself digging and digging to find things to justify my sins, or even seek solace in my own partner, who sinned along with me. The only thing I can say to this is LISTEN to your Spirit. This is the very reason the Holy Spirit dwells within us -- to guide us in righteousness... NOT to be ignored and tossed to the side. In the end, "convenience" is probably one of the last legitimate reasons I could find for being a lukewarm Christian. Looking back, I worked HARDER to try to fit into both worlds of sin and righteousness, only to end up in a fruitless and confused state a year later, and winding up back at square one. Talk about counter-productivity, eh?
More to come...
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Obedience
In my reflection time this morning, I recollected the trials I faced since the beginning of this week. On Monday and Tuesday, there were exactly three challenges I faced. The first was condemnation, the second was persecution, and the third was health hardships. On the third day, Wednesday, there were exactly three victories, of which all three counteracted each of the three challenges I faced on Monday and Tuesday.
Coincidence? I think not. Grace of God? Amen!
If you're thinking that maybe God just picks and chooses certain people to bless, it's not that. In fact, it's the other way around: only certain people give God permission to bless their lives. God is the ONLY being who doesn't break promises. Even if He wanted to, He can't because it's His nature and He simply is not capable of doing anything unrighteous. In the Bible, you can find all His promises, and as His people can attest, you can hold Him up to each and every one of those promises. Furthermore, keep in mind that our God is a fair and just god. He will ALWAYS do His part, but we must be sure to do OURS. So along with His promises, the Bible also mentions what we are called to do as God's people. Things such as to live in righteousness, to love our enemies, and to trust and have faith in the Lord. As simple as these things may seem, as humans, they may be more difficult to accomplish, but we should know that we were created in His image (Gen 1:26-27), and these things are absolutely more than possible.
I believe that it all starts with one thing: Obedience. It's the one act that will get the ball rolling, and before you know it, God's blessings will become evident in your life. When you are OBEDIENT to the Lord, His blessings become evident in ALL (not just a few) aspects of your life. You automatically radiate His light, and His image is made visible THROUGH you.
"And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king." - 1 Samuel 15:22-23 (KJV)
With that being said, I will go into the details of the challenges and victories of the past three days. In the first and second trials, condemnation and persecution, after encountering conflict after conflict with a leader of mine, I eventually discovered that a person from my past expressed negative opinions about me to others, causing them to develop pre-conceived judgments about my character. In my flesh, considering who the person was and what was actually said, I started sinking to lowest of lows... I felt a surge of anger and sadness, all at once. However, the beauty of giving up my life to the Lord was quickly revealed, as the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of me started to stir up and take dominion over my flesh. I hung my head in surrender to my Spirit, and I gathered every last ounce of my faith to do one of the SIMPLEST, yet most difficult things: I spoke forgiveness on both my leader and the opinionated person, and I PRAYED for them, asking God to create a righteous leader out of one, and a righteous person and friend out of the other. I remember as I was doing this in the privacy of my car, I struggled to keep tears of both pain and relief from pouring, for I had to walk into work in the next five minutes. As for the third trial, health hardships, exhaustion from a busy schedule and added mental stress from recent conflicts had caused lupus to flare up, causing inflammation and pain in my joints. Typically, this onset causes me to perform slower at work and just become unproductive overall, as I try to avoid moving at all and prefer bed rest to heal...
Now for the glory on the third day! Immediately, the day after, God had it that I would run into my leader face-to-face in the same room. (It's not normal at all for us to see each other unexpectedly.) As soon as we encountered each other, I immediately felt this natural joyfulness in my Spirit, and I couldn't help but radiate -- there was a big, unforced smile on my face as I joyfully greeted my leader and made naturally good conversation. In turn, he responded similarly. I did not run into the opinionated friend, however, as one of my prayers was for God to "give me a tough hide, yet keep my heart tender," inspired by a good sister of mine. Immediately following this glorious event, I continued on to have one of the most productive and rewarding workdays in the entire year! God had recently blessed me with a second job at another location (same company), and after working for just a couple weeks at the new location, I've grown so much in my skills and productivity, and as a result, my accomplishments have made my work experience so much more rewarding. On top of that, they supported a complete transfer, offering me even more hours, so that I don't have to work at my original location. As for the health hardships, as everything follows in the obedience of God, as did this. My praises for the Lord are never in vain.
Looking back in retrospect, the third day (yesterday) was a sign of "certification" from God. I always thought of myself as a slow learner when it comes to life lessons (many of my old college friends can attest to that). But in just the past three months, ever since I sincerely dedicated my life back to the Lord and granted Him permission to work in my life, He has equipped me in areas I didn't even know needed equipping! And when the trials came, they served as an "assessment exam," testing to see how well I could "conquer" the material. Just as Christ rose on the third day, he "conquered" the grave and showed the people He most certainly was "certified" to be the Messiah. After "passing" my exam, I soon came to realize that obeying the Lord and doing things out of righteousness was not meant to be "difficult." God isn't so cruel as to place us on this earth so that we can "suffer in righteousness." The reason we sometimes do is because the world has deemed unrighteousness as "normal" and "right." However, we, God's people, were made to love. And as the love of God continues to dwell in us, acts of righteousness become easier and easier, despite opposing views, for our strength to overcome comes not from our flesh, but from the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us. Of course, God is the omniscient, all-knowing god, and He would not give us challenges He knew we weren't ready for, so the reason He gave me this test was to confirm to me that I AM a CERTIFIED blood-bought daughter of the Lord most high, I AM capable, and I am READY to move on to the next level...
And when I say "next level," that doesn't mean it will be all rainbows and fluffy bunnies... It means exactly what is said in Matthew 12:48: "...to whom much was given, of him much will be required..." It means I'm a step further in fulfilling God's purpose for my life, but I'm nowhere near completing it. So the take home message is to remember that obedience is the key to the escape door of all trials in your life. The best way (and sometimes ONLY way) to release the burdens caused by these trials is to truly obey God, and to do so may require you to recall His promises to you and the purpose He has set in your life. Remember, God will ALWAYS do His part... will we do OURS?
Coincidence? I think not. Grace of God? Amen!
If you're thinking that maybe God just picks and chooses certain people to bless, it's not that. In fact, it's the other way around: only certain people give God permission to bless their lives. God is the ONLY being who doesn't break promises. Even if He wanted to, He can't because it's His nature and He simply is not capable of doing anything unrighteous. In the Bible, you can find all His promises, and as His people can attest, you can hold Him up to each and every one of those promises. Furthermore, keep in mind that our God is a fair and just god. He will ALWAYS do His part, but we must be sure to do OURS. So along with His promises, the Bible also mentions what we are called to do as God's people. Things such as to live in righteousness, to love our enemies, and to trust and have faith in the Lord. As simple as these things may seem, as humans, they may be more difficult to accomplish, but we should know that we were created in His image (Gen 1:26-27), and these things are absolutely more than possible.
I believe that it all starts with one thing: Obedience. It's the one act that will get the ball rolling, and before you know it, God's blessings will become evident in your life. When you are OBEDIENT to the Lord, His blessings become evident in ALL (not just a few) aspects of your life. You automatically radiate His light, and His image is made visible THROUGH you.
"And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king." - 1 Samuel 15:22-23 (KJV)
With that being said, I will go into the details of the challenges and victories of the past three days. In the first and second trials, condemnation and persecution, after encountering conflict after conflict with a leader of mine, I eventually discovered that a person from my past expressed negative opinions about me to others, causing them to develop pre-conceived judgments about my character. In my flesh, considering who the person was and what was actually said, I started sinking to lowest of lows... I felt a surge of anger and sadness, all at once. However, the beauty of giving up my life to the Lord was quickly revealed, as the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of me started to stir up and take dominion over my flesh. I hung my head in surrender to my Spirit, and I gathered every last ounce of my faith to do one of the SIMPLEST, yet most difficult things: I spoke forgiveness on both my leader and the opinionated person, and I PRAYED for them, asking God to create a righteous leader out of one, and a righteous person and friend out of the other. I remember as I was doing this in the privacy of my car, I struggled to keep tears of both pain and relief from pouring, for I had to walk into work in the next five minutes. As for the third trial, health hardships, exhaustion from a busy schedule and added mental stress from recent conflicts had caused lupus to flare up, causing inflammation and pain in my joints. Typically, this onset causes me to perform slower at work and just become unproductive overall, as I try to avoid moving at all and prefer bed rest to heal...
Now for the glory on the third day! Immediately, the day after, God had it that I would run into my leader face-to-face in the same room. (It's not normal at all for us to see each other unexpectedly.) As soon as we encountered each other, I immediately felt this natural joyfulness in my Spirit, and I couldn't help but radiate -- there was a big, unforced smile on my face as I joyfully greeted my leader and made naturally good conversation. In turn, he responded similarly. I did not run into the opinionated friend, however, as one of my prayers was for God to "give me a tough hide, yet keep my heart tender," inspired by a good sister of mine. Immediately following this glorious event, I continued on to have one of the most productive and rewarding workdays in the entire year! God had recently blessed me with a second job at another location (same company), and after working for just a couple weeks at the new location, I've grown so much in my skills and productivity, and as a result, my accomplishments have made my work experience so much more rewarding. On top of that, they supported a complete transfer, offering me even more hours, so that I don't have to work at my original location. As for the health hardships, as everything follows in the obedience of God, as did this. My praises for the Lord are never in vain.
Looking back in retrospect, the third day (yesterday) was a sign of "certification" from God. I always thought of myself as a slow learner when it comes to life lessons (many of my old college friends can attest to that). But in just the past three months, ever since I sincerely dedicated my life back to the Lord and granted Him permission to work in my life, He has equipped me in areas I didn't even know needed equipping! And when the trials came, they served as an "assessment exam," testing to see how well I could "conquer" the material. Just as Christ rose on the third day, he "conquered" the grave and showed the people He most certainly was "certified" to be the Messiah. After "passing" my exam, I soon came to realize that obeying the Lord and doing things out of righteousness was not meant to be "difficult." God isn't so cruel as to place us on this earth so that we can "suffer in righteousness." The reason we sometimes do is because the world has deemed unrighteousness as "normal" and "right." However, we, God's people, were made to love. And as the love of God continues to dwell in us, acts of righteousness become easier and easier, despite opposing views, for our strength to overcome comes not from our flesh, but from the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us. Of course, God is the omniscient, all-knowing god, and He would not give us challenges He knew we weren't ready for, so the reason He gave me this test was to confirm to me that I AM a CERTIFIED blood-bought daughter of the Lord most high, I AM capable, and I am READY to move on to the next level...
And when I say "next level," that doesn't mean it will be all rainbows and fluffy bunnies... It means exactly what is said in Matthew 12:48: "...to whom much was given, of him much will be required..." It means I'm a step further in fulfilling God's purpose for my life, but I'm nowhere near completing it. So the take home message is to remember that obedience is the key to the escape door of all trials in your life. The best way (and sometimes ONLY way) to release the burdens caused by these trials is to truly obey God, and to do so may require you to recall His promises to you and the purpose He has set in your life. Remember, God will ALWAYS do His part... will we do OURS?
Monday, November 2, 2009
He Won't Relent
Yesterday was my first Sunday back from my out-of-town trip. I am still astonished at how disoriented I became just from missing a single Friday Night Life and Sunday Service. I arrived 30 minutes late because I poorly managed time, knowing I had to pick up a fellow sister on the way to church. As I entered into "my" secretly-claimed second row, I thought to myself, "Hmm... they're probably on the second song -- and if things go "normally," they'll probably be done with praise and worship in one or two more songs. Guess I better get into it asap." I stood there, going through my ritual process of releasing to prepare for receiving. As I slowly lay down the built up burdens from the past two weeks at His feet (which was somewhat of an unfamiliar and excruciating process), God recognized the call from His beloved, and He answered -- oh so gently and sweetly.
Oh, how he DOES love us, as clearly depicted by the first song I heard upon entering the sanctuary. As I continue delving into the book "Completely His" by Shannon Ethridge, I am becoming more and more aware of the overwhelming intimacy our God OFFERS. It was hard for me to even begin to fathom such an intimacy to even believe it exists, but truly... He says to us... It DOES. I need to receive it, but how?
I am yearning to be wooed by my Bridegroom. After all, that's the clearest way I could imagine myself receiving such a level of intimacy. Pursue me, and I will be swept off my feet. Write me a love letter, Lord. As revealed by the book, that is EXACTLY what the Bible is... a love letter from the Bridegroom to His Beloved. Suddenly, I am filled with this giddy excitement inside, that "butterfly feeling" I used to only receive from human beings. But, as Shannon Ethridge pointed out, this is the difference: "Regardless of who or how many have left you, neglected you, or hurt you, you'll never have to count God as one of those people. It's not just that He won't. He can't. His very nature makes it impossible." Enough said, right? You've won me, Lord. I am YOURS... COMPLETELY Yours.
I woke up this morning to a song... A song I've heard many times before at church, but never bothered to bring home with me. It started out with a hum, a tune, then a few words, then more words... I'm not one to pick up lyrics very quickly. In fact, I'd have to Google it first, practice it a few times, then maybe I'll get it without cheating. But this morning, I felt that God had a little gift for me, and it was this song:
I thought to myself, "He's pursuing you, Yvonne. Say yes! Say yes!" Our God is a true Knight in Shining Armor... He won't relent until He has it all. He will fight for me to the death. It's just like a fairytale... except, it's REAL.
Temptation has been knocking at my door so frequently lately. Temptation in forms of pleasant distractions, false hopes, and selfish plans. I figure it's just like the devil to try to distract me and steal me away as I fall deeper and deeper in love with our Lord God Almighty. Though it is without a doubt difficult, I still choose to declare, "Not this time, devil. Not ever again."
Oh, how he DOES love us, as clearly depicted by the first song I heard upon entering the sanctuary. As I continue delving into the book "Completely His" by Shannon Ethridge, I am becoming more and more aware of the overwhelming intimacy our God OFFERS. It was hard for me to even begin to fathom such an intimacy to even believe it exists, but truly... He says to us... It DOES. I need to receive it, but how?
I am yearning to be wooed by my Bridegroom. After all, that's the clearest way I could imagine myself receiving such a level of intimacy. Pursue me, and I will be swept off my feet. Write me a love letter, Lord. As revealed by the book, that is EXACTLY what the Bible is... a love letter from the Bridegroom to His Beloved. Suddenly, I am filled with this giddy excitement inside, that "butterfly feeling" I used to only receive from human beings. But, as Shannon Ethridge pointed out, this is the difference: "Regardless of who or how many have left you, neglected you, or hurt you, you'll never have to count God as one of those people. It's not just that He won't. He can't. His very nature makes it impossible." Enough said, right? You've won me, Lord. I am YOURS... COMPLETELY Yours.
I woke up this morning to a song... A song I've heard many times before at church, but never bothered to bring home with me. It started out with a hum, a tune, then a few words, then more words... I'm not one to pick up lyrics very quickly. In fact, I'd have to Google it first, practice it a few times, then maybe I'll get it without cheating. But this morning, I felt that God had a little gift for me, and it was this song:
"You Won't Relent" - Kim Walker
You won't relent
Until You have it all
My heart is Yours
I'll set You as a seal upon my heart
As a seal upon my arm
For there is love that is as strong as death
Jealousy demanding as the grave
And many waters cannot quench this love
Come be the fire inside of me
Come be the flame upon my heart
Come be the fire inside of me
Until You and I are one
I don't wanna talk about you
Like you're not in the room.
I wanna look right at you
I wanna sing right to you
I thought to myself, "He's pursuing you, Yvonne. Say yes! Say yes!" Our God is a true Knight in Shining Armor... He won't relent until He has it all. He will fight for me to the death. It's just like a fairytale... except, it's REAL.
Temptation has been knocking at my door so frequently lately. Temptation in forms of pleasant distractions, false hopes, and selfish plans. I figure it's just like the devil to try to distract me and steal me away as I fall deeper and deeper in love with our Lord God Almighty. Though it is without a doubt difficult, I still choose to declare, "Not this time, devil. Not ever again."
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Omnipresent
Sadly, it's so difficult for me to find time to sit and blog about things I really want to share. Lord, I pray for extra time just to have the opportunity to share with others my experiences with You. I'm going to start this one blog with the intention of coming back to finish it. I want to talk about our Omnipresent God. He is always with us wherever we may be... even in Oklahoma City at a pharmacy organization meeting. Even when I'm away and had to miss my regular Initium and Sunday service, and felt out of my norm, He has allowed me to have an encounter with His amazing, abundant, unwavering, and passionate love... More to come. I declare it!
So I touched His feet... For He Heals.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Completely Incomplete without Him.
I am currently in the process of writing a new blog set to be posted on my 1st born again birthday on October 20, 2009. I pray that it will serve as a blessing to all, as well as a reminder to me that my life is completely incomplete without Him, and if His love was so tangible in just this year alone, I can't even begin to imagine where His love is going to take me in years to come...
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
This Journey is Just Beginning
After skimming my first blogs, I realized how much I have grown in Christ in just a few months. Without Him, to even slightly mature, it would take me years, and that's not even saying I'm a completely mature person thereafter.
Everything is possible with Christ. I have come to live by that faith now. I see living and walking testimonies everyday of my life - proof that God is so alive and real in the world.
It warms my heart to know that people are still praying for me to healed of Lupus, but what brings me evenmore joy is the fact that my infirmities have become of so little significance now. Just by choosing to walk this spiritual journey with Jesus has brought me such an amazing peace -- a kind of peace that could have fooled me into believing I am also physically healed. Hey, I can deal with that! :) I want to thank my entire family in Christ for keeping the faith alive for me. They are truly God-sent.
Of course, we will never be perfect, and the current issue I'm dealing with is trusting God COMPLETELY with my plans. Not just one or two plans, but EVERY plan. As an overly-organized person, I find myself planning every hour and every day of my life, even months in advance because I'm so fearful of missing a beat and falling behind. Sometimes I get so engulfed with my future and career plans, that I fail to realize that God always has bigger and better plans for us, and the ONLY way He can reveal those plans to us is only if we LET Him. That's the key. Oftentimes, I find myself falling behind asking God why didn't He save me from a failing grade or a missed deadline... and then I realize, well, that's because I took everything into my own hands, without allowing Him to do "His thing." We have to give Him His own space and stop shoving Him into a box, only allowing Him to do what WE want Him to do. It doesn't work that way, that's for sure. So thank you, Lord. Thank you for blessing me more than I deserve and more than I could ever ask for. I pray that I will always remember WHO you are -- my Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who always PROVIDES.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
- Jeremiah 29:11
Honoring My Mother
Last Sunday was Mother's Day. For me, and probably for my mom as well, it was the first "real" Mother's Day -- A day where I truly and sincerely honored and acknowledged my mother for the worthy role God has graced her with.
I just want to praise God for the amazing work He has done in my family's life... the chains He has broken, the bonds He has recreated, the love and faith He has renewed. Finally, as I approach the age of 23, I can truly abide by that one, seemingly simple commandment -- to honor thy mother and father. Though somewhat late, it's better than never, so praise the Lord for His forgiveness and mercy.
I love you, Mommy... and this time, I REALLY mean it.
I wished she could have been there at VBC's Mother's Day Service, but I know God's timing is much better than my own. How about next year, Jesus? :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
QT: Counter-productivity of Lukewarm Christians
Intro
Thank you for having my back this year, Lord. When you're on the Winning Side, everything, I mean EVERYTHING, is just RIGHT. It has never been so clear to me... Being a lukewarm Christian is absolutely incomparable to making Jesus Christ the LORD of your life. It's SO different, there's no point to even trying to be lukewarm about it. It's sad to see how seemingly GOOD things of the world, things that even God desires for us to have, can cloud our vision -- that is, when we're NOT ready. Only God's timing is perfect - not yours, not mine. Give Him YOUR time of day FIRST (not second, not third...), and only then will He prepare and equip you for those seemingly GOOD things in life...
Blog to follow? Ready when You are, Lord.
Life of a Lukewarm Christian
Life will always throw you curve balls -- HOW you handle them determines whether or not you're an all-star player or a rookie who needs more training and "equipping." Lukewarm Christians tend not to handle these curve balls very well... they've got one foot in and one foot out, so with every ball that's swung their way, their responses are inconsistent -- they hit a few, they miss a few, and they wonder why they're stuck where they are...
There are many things God wants us to have and experience. He promises us a plethora of treasures mentioned in the Bible. But we have to understand that God isn't a careless giver and He doesn't just throw out all His precious gifts to people who may not know how to handle these gifts. Would you want to give your dog away to someone who has had a history of mistreating animals? Or do you think God would set you up with one of His choice sons/daughters if He knew you weren't ready for a relationship? The beauty of God is that He doesn't expect us to become "experts" in these areas alone. He only asks ONE thing of us -- to love HIM first -- and He'll take care of the rest. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33.
Perhaps being a lukewarm Christian is desirable because of the "convenience." But if you ask me, what convenience is there in partying until two in the morning, only to find yourself struggling to wake up for 9 o'clock service the next morning? What convenience is there in being physically intimate with your partner one night, only to wake up the next morning, convicted by your Spirit, and having a heavy heart until you get to the altar and repent? Is all this really convenient? In my own lukewarm days, because I had "one foot in" and granted God authority over my life, I would constantly be convicted by my Spirit, and I would find myself digging and digging to find things to justify my sins, or even seek solace in my own partner, who sinned along with me. The only thing I can say to this is LISTEN to your Spirit. This is the very reason the Holy Spirit dwells within us -- to guide us in righteousness... NOT to be ignored and tossed to the side. In the end, "convenience" is probably one of the last legitimate reasons I could find for being a lukewarm Christian. Looking back, I worked HARDER to try to fit into both worlds of sin and righteousness, only to end up in a fruitless and confused state a year later, and winding up back at square one. Talk about counter-productivity, eh?
More to come...
Thank you for having my back this year, Lord. When you're on the Winning Side, everything, I mean EVERYTHING, is just RIGHT. It has never been so clear to me... Being a lukewarm Christian is absolutely incomparable to making Jesus Christ the LORD of your life. It's SO different, there's no point to even trying to be lukewarm about it. It's sad to see how seemingly GOOD things of the world, things that even God desires for us to have, can cloud our vision -- that is, when we're NOT ready. Only God's timing is perfect - not yours, not mine. Give Him YOUR time of day FIRST (not second, not third...), and only then will He prepare and equip you for those seemingly GOOD things in life...
Blog to follow? Ready when You are, Lord.
Life of a Lukewarm Christian
Life will always throw you curve balls -- HOW you handle them determines whether or not you're an all-star player or a rookie who needs more training and "equipping." Lukewarm Christians tend not to handle these curve balls very well... they've got one foot in and one foot out, so with every ball that's swung their way, their responses are inconsistent -- they hit a few, they miss a few, and they wonder why they're stuck where they are...
There are many things God wants us to have and experience. He promises us a plethora of treasures mentioned in the Bible. But we have to understand that God isn't a careless giver and He doesn't just throw out all His precious gifts to people who may not know how to handle these gifts. Would you want to give your dog away to someone who has had a history of mistreating animals? Or do you think God would set you up with one of His choice sons/daughters if He knew you weren't ready for a relationship? The beauty of God is that He doesn't expect us to become "experts" in these areas alone. He only asks ONE thing of us -- to love HIM first -- and He'll take care of the rest. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33.
Perhaps being a lukewarm Christian is desirable because of the "convenience." But if you ask me, what convenience is there in partying until two in the morning, only to find yourself struggling to wake up for 9 o'clock service the next morning? What convenience is there in being physically intimate with your partner one night, only to wake up the next morning, convicted by your Spirit, and having a heavy heart until you get to the altar and repent? Is all this really convenient? In my own lukewarm days, because I had "one foot in" and granted God authority over my life, I would constantly be convicted by my Spirit, and I would find myself digging and digging to find things to justify my sins, or even seek solace in my own partner, who sinned along with me. The only thing I can say to this is LISTEN to your Spirit. This is the very reason the Holy Spirit dwells within us -- to guide us in righteousness... NOT to be ignored and tossed to the side. In the end, "convenience" is probably one of the last legitimate reasons I could find for being a lukewarm Christian. Looking back, I worked HARDER to try to fit into both worlds of sin and righteousness, only to end up in a fruitless and confused state a year later, and winding up back at square one. Talk about counter-productivity, eh?
More to come...
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Obedience
In my reflection time this morning, I recollected the trials I faced since the beginning of this week. On Monday and Tuesday, there were exactly three challenges I faced. The first was condemnation, the second was persecution, and the third was health hardships. On the third day, Wednesday, there were exactly three victories, of which all three counteracted each of the three challenges I faced on Monday and Tuesday.
Coincidence? I think not. Grace of God? Amen!
If you're thinking that maybe God just picks and chooses certain people to bless, it's not that. In fact, it's the other way around: only certain people give God permission to bless their lives. God is the ONLY being who doesn't break promises. Even if He wanted to, He can't because it's His nature and He simply is not capable of doing anything unrighteous. In the Bible, you can find all His promises, and as His people can attest, you can hold Him up to each and every one of those promises. Furthermore, keep in mind that our God is a fair and just god. He will ALWAYS do His part, but we must be sure to do OURS. So along with His promises, the Bible also mentions what we are called to do as God's people. Things such as to live in righteousness, to love our enemies, and to trust and have faith in the Lord. As simple as these things may seem, as humans, they may be more difficult to accomplish, but we should know that we were created in His image (Gen 1:26-27), and these things are absolutely more than possible.
I believe that it all starts with one thing: Obedience. It's the one act that will get the ball rolling, and before you know it, God's blessings will become evident in your life. When you are OBEDIENT to the Lord, His blessings become evident in ALL (not just a few) aspects of your life. You automatically radiate His light, and His image is made visible THROUGH you.
"And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king." - 1 Samuel 15:22-23 (KJV)
With that being said, I will go into the details of the challenges and victories of the past three days. In the first and second trials, condemnation and persecution, after encountering conflict after conflict with a leader of mine, I eventually discovered that a person from my past expressed negative opinions about me to others, causing them to develop pre-conceived judgments about my character. In my flesh, considering who the person was and what was actually said, I started sinking to lowest of lows... I felt a surge of anger and sadness, all at once. However, the beauty of giving up my life to the Lord was quickly revealed, as the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of me started to stir up and take dominion over my flesh. I hung my head in surrender to my Spirit, and I gathered every last ounce of my faith to do one of the SIMPLEST, yet most difficult things: I spoke forgiveness on both my leader and the opinionated person, and I PRAYED for them, asking God to create a righteous leader out of one, and a righteous person and friend out of the other. I remember as I was doing this in the privacy of my car, I struggled to keep tears of both pain and relief from pouring, for I had to walk into work in the next five minutes. As for the third trial, health hardships, exhaustion from a busy schedule and added mental stress from recent conflicts had caused lupus to flare up, causing inflammation and pain in my joints. Typically, this onset causes me to perform slower at work and just become unproductive overall, as I try to avoid moving at all and prefer bed rest to heal...
Now for the glory on the third day! Immediately, the day after, God had it that I would run into my leader face-to-face in the same room. (It's not normal at all for us to see each other unexpectedly.) As soon as we encountered each other, I immediately felt this natural joyfulness in my Spirit, and I couldn't help but radiate -- there was a big, unforced smile on my face as I joyfully greeted my leader and made naturally good conversation. In turn, he responded similarly. I did not run into the opinionated friend, however, as one of my prayers was for God to "give me a tough hide, yet keep my heart tender," inspired by a good sister of mine. Immediately following this glorious event, I continued on to have one of the most productive and rewarding workdays in the entire year! God had recently blessed me with a second job at another location (same company), and after working for just a couple weeks at the new location, I've grown so much in my skills and productivity, and as a result, my accomplishments have made my work experience so much more rewarding. On top of that, they supported a complete transfer, offering me even more hours, so that I don't have to work at my original location. As for the health hardships, as everything follows in the obedience of God, as did this. My praises for the Lord are never in vain.
Looking back in retrospect, the third day (yesterday) was a sign of "certification" from God. I always thought of myself as a slow learner when it comes to life lessons (many of my old college friends can attest to that). But in just the past three months, ever since I sincerely dedicated my life back to the Lord and granted Him permission to work in my life, He has equipped me in areas I didn't even know needed equipping! And when the trials came, they served as an "assessment exam," testing to see how well I could "conquer" the material. Just as Christ rose on the third day, he "conquered" the grave and showed the people He most certainly was "certified" to be the Messiah. After "passing" my exam, I soon came to realize that obeying the Lord and doing things out of righteousness was not meant to be "difficult." God isn't so cruel as to place us on this earth so that we can "suffer in righteousness." The reason we sometimes do is because the world has deemed unrighteousness as "normal" and "right." However, we, God's people, were made to love. And as the love of God continues to dwell in us, acts of righteousness become easier and easier, despite opposing views, for our strength to overcome comes not from our flesh, but from the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us. Of course, God is the omniscient, all-knowing god, and He would not give us challenges He knew we weren't ready for, so the reason He gave me this test was to confirm to me that I AM a CERTIFIED blood-bought daughter of the Lord most high, I AM capable, and I am READY to move on to the next level...
And when I say "next level," that doesn't mean it will be all rainbows and fluffy bunnies... It means exactly what is said in Matthew 12:48: "...to whom much was given, of him much will be required..." It means I'm a step further in fulfilling God's purpose for my life, but I'm nowhere near completing it. So the take home message is to remember that obedience is the key to the escape door of all trials in your life. The best way (and sometimes ONLY way) to release the burdens caused by these trials is to truly obey God, and to do so may require you to recall His promises to you and the purpose He has set in your life. Remember, God will ALWAYS do His part... will we do OURS?
Coincidence? I think not. Grace of God? Amen!
If you're thinking that maybe God just picks and chooses certain people to bless, it's not that. In fact, it's the other way around: only certain people give God permission to bless their lives. God is the ONLY being who doesn't break promises. Even if He wanted to, He can't because it's His nature and He simply is not capable of doing anything unrighteous. In the Bible, you can find all His promises, and as His people can attest, you can hold Him up to each and every one of those promises. Furthermore, keep in mind that our God is a fair and just god. He will ALWAYS do His part, but we must be sure to do OURS. So along with His promises, the Bible also mentions what we are called to do as God's people. Things such as to live in righteousness, to love our enemies, and to trust and have faith in the Lord. As simple as these things may seem, as humans, they may be more difficult to accomplish, but we should know that we were created in His image (Gen 1:26-27), and these things are absolutely more than possible.
I believe that it all starts with one thing: Obedience. It's the one act that will get the ball rolling, and before you know it, God's blessings will become evident in your life. When you are OBEDIENT to the Lord, His blessings become evident in ALL (not just a few) aspects of your life. You automatically radiate His light, and His image is made visible THROUGH you.
"And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king." - 1 Samuel 15:22-23 (KJV)
With that being said, I will go into the details of the challenges and victories of the past three days. In the first and second trials, condemnation and persecution, after encountering conflict after conflict with a leader of mine, I eventually discovered that a person from my past expressed negative opinions about me to others, causing them to develop pre-conceived judgments about my character. In my flesh, considering who the person was and what was actually said, I started sinking to lowest of lows... I felt a surge of anger and sadness, all at once. However, the beauty of giving up my life to the Lord was quickly revealed, as the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of me started to stir up and take dominion over my flesh. I hung my head in surrender to my Spirit, and I gathered every last ounce of my faith to do one of the SIMPLEST, yet most difficult things: I spoke forgiveness on both my leader and the opinionated person, and I PRAYED for them, asking God to create a righteous leader out of one, and a righteous person and friend out of the other. I remember as I was doing this in the privacy of my car, I struggled to keep tears of both pain and relief from pouring, for I had to walk into work in the next five minutes. As for the third trial, health hardships, exhaustion from a busy schedule and added mental stress from recent conflicts had caused lupus to flare up, causing inflammation and pain in my joints. Typically, this onset causes me to perform slower at work and just become unproductive overall, as I try to avoid moving at all and prefer bed rest to heal...
Now for the glory on the third day! Immediately, the day after, God had it that I would run into my leader face-to-face in the same room. (It's not normal at all for us to see each other unexpectedly.) As soon as we encountered each other, I immediately felt this natural joyfulness in my Spirit, and I couldn't help but radiate -- there was a big, unforced smile on my face as I joyfully greeted my leader and made naturally good conversation. In turn, he responded similarly. I did not run into the opinionated friend, however, as one of my prayers was for God to "give me a tough hide, yet keep my heart tender," inspired by a good sister of mine. Immediately following this glorious event, I continued on to have one of the most productive and rewarding workdays in the entire year! God had recently blessed me with a second job at another location (same company), and after working for just a couple weeks at the new location, I've grown so much in my skills and productivity, and as a result, my accomplishments have made my work experience so much more rewarding. On top of that, they supported a complete transfer, offering me even more hours, so that I don't have to work at my original location. As for the health hardships, as everything follows in the obedience of God, as did this. My praises for the Lord are never in vain.
Looking back in retrospect, the third day (yesterday) was a sign of "certification" from God. I always thought of myself as a slow learner when it comes to life lessons (many of my old college friends can attest to that). But in just the past three months, ever since I sincerely dedicated my life back to the Lord and granted Him permission to work in my life, He has equipped me in areas I didn't even know needed equipping! And when the trials came, they served as an "assessment exam," testing to see how well I could "conquer" the material. Just as Christ rose on the third day, he "conquered" the grave and showed the people He most certainly was "certified" to be the Messiah. After "passing" my exam, I soon came to realize that obeying the Lord and doing things out of righteousness was not meant to be "difficult." God isn't so cruel as to place us on this earth so that we can "suffer in righteousness." The reason we sometimes do is because the world has deemed unrighteousness as "normal" and "right." However, we, God's people, were made to love. And as the love of God continues to dwell in us, acts of righteousness become easier and easier, despite opposing views, for our strength to overcome comes not from our flesh, but from the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us. Of course, God is the omniscient, all-knowing god, and He would not give us challenges He knew we weren't ready for, so the reason He gave me this test was to confirm to me that I AM a CERTIFIED blood-bought daughter of the Lord most high, I AM capable, and I am READY to move on to the next level...
And when I say "next level," that doesn't mean it will be all rainbows and fluffy bunnies... It means exactly what is said in Matthew 12:48: "...to whom much was given, of him much will be required..." It means I'm a step further in fulfilling God's purpose for my life, but I'm nowhere near completing it. So the take home message is to remember that obedience is the key to the escape door of all trials in your life. The best way (and sometimes ONLY way) to release the burdens caused by these trials is to truly obey God, and to do so may require you to recall His promises to you and the purpose He has set in your life. Remember, God will ALWAYS do His part... will we do OURS?
Monday, November 2, 2009
He Won't Relent
Yesterday was my first Sunday back from my out-of-town trip. I am still astonished at how disoriented I became just from missing a single Friday Night Life and Sunday Service. I arrived 30 minutes late because I poorly managed time, knowing I had to pick up a fellow sister on the way to church. As I entered into "my" secretly-claimed second row, I thought to myself, "Hmm... they're probably on the second song -- and if things go "normally," they'll probably be done with praise and worship in one or two more songs. Guess I better get into it asap." I stood there, going through my ritual process of releasing to prepare for receiving. As I slowly lay down the built up burdens from the past two weeks at His feet (which was somewhat of an unfamiliar and excruciating process), God recognized the call from His beloved, and He answered -- oh so gently and sweetly.
Oh, how he DOES love us, as clearly depicted by the first song I heard upon entering the sanctuary. As I continue delving into the book "Completely His" by Shannon Ethridge, I am becoming more and more aware of the overwhelming intimacy our God OFFERS. It was hard for me to even begin to fathom such an intimacy to even believe it exists, but truly... He says to us... It DOES. I need to receive it, but how?
I am yearning to be wooed by my Bridegroom. After all, that's the clearest way I could imagine myself receiving such a level of intimacy. Pursue me, and I will be swept off my feet. Write me a love letter, Lord. As revealed by the book, that is EXACTLY what the Bible is... a love letter from the Bridegroom to His Beloved. Suddenly, I am filled with this giddy excitement inside, that "butterfly feeling" I used to only receive from human beings. But, as Shannon Ethridge pointed out, this is the difference: "Regardless of who or how many have left you, neglected you, or hurt you, you'll never have to count God as one of those people. It's not just that He won't. He can't. His very nature makes it impossible." Enough said, right? You've won me, Lord. I am YOURS... COMPLETELY Yours.
I woke up this morning to a song... A song I've heard many times before at church, but never bothered to bring home with me. It started out with a hum, a tune, then a few words, then more words... I'm not one to pick up lyrics very quickly. In fact, I'd have to Google it first, practice it a few times, then maybe I'll get it without cheating. But this morning, I felt that God had a little gift for me, and it was this song:
I thought to myself, "He's pursuing you, Yvonne. Say yes! Say yes!" Our God is a true Knight in Shining Armor... He won't relent until He has it all. He will fight for me to the death. It's just like a fairytale... except, it's REAL.
Temptation has been knocking at my door so frequently lately. Temptation in forms of pleasant distractions, false hopes, and selfish plans. I figure it's just like the devil to try to distract me and steal me away as I fall deeper and deeper in love with our Lord God Almighty. Though it is without a doubt difficult, I still choose to declare, "Not this time, devil. Not ever again."
Oh, how he DOES love us, as clearly depicted by the first song I heard upon entering the sanctuary. As I continue delving into the book "Completely His" by Shannon Ethridge, I am becoming more and more aware of the overwhelming intimacy our God OFFERS. It was hard for me to even begin to fathom such an intimacy to even believe it exists, but truly... He says to us... It DOES. I need to receive it, but how?
I am yearning to be wooed by my Bridegroom. After all, that's the clearest way I could imagine myself receiving such a level of intimacy. Pursue me, and I will be swept off my feet. Write me a love letter, Lord. As revealed by the book, that is EXACTLY what the Bible is... a love letter from the Bridegroom to His Beloved. Suddenly, I am filled with this giddy excitement inside, that "butterfly feeling" I used to only receive from human beings. But, as Shannon Ethridge pointed out, this is the difference: "Regardless of who or how many have left you, neglected you, or hurt you, you'll never have to count God as one of those people. It's not just that He won't. He can't. His very nature makes it impossible." Enough said, right? You've won me, Lord. I am YOURS... COMPLETELY Yours.
I woke up this morning to a song... A song I've heard many times before at church, but never bothered to bring home with me. It started out with a hum, a tune, then a few words, then more words... I'm not one to pick up lyrics very quickly. In fact, I'd have to Google it first, practice it a few times, then maybe I'll get it without cheating. But this morning, I felt that God had a little gift for me, and it was this song:
"You Won't Relent" - Kim Walker
You won't relent
Until You have it all
My heart is Yours
I'll set You as a seal upon my heart
As a seal upon my arm
For there is love that is as strong as death
Jealousy demanding as the grave
And many waters cannot quench this love
Come be the fire inside of me
Come be the flame upon my heart
Come be the fire inside of me
Until You and I are one
I don't wanna talk about you
Like you're not in the room.
I wanna look right at you
I wanna sing right to you
I thought to myself, "He's pursuing you, Yvonne. Say yes! Say yes!" Our God is a true Knight in Shining Armor... He won't relent until He has it all. He will fight for me to the death. It's just like a fairytale... except, it's REAL.
Temptation has been knocking at my door so frequently lately. Temptation in forms of pleasant distractions, false hopes, and selfish plans. I figure it's just like the devil to try to distract me and steal me away as I fall deeper and deeper in love with our Lord God Almighty. Though it is without a doubt difficult, I still choose to declare, "Not this time, devil. Not ever again."
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Omnipresent
Sadly, it's so difficult for me to find time to sit and blog about things I really want to share. Lord, I pray for extra time just to have the opportunity to share with others my experiences with You. I'm going to start this one blog with the intention of coming back to finish it. I want to talk about our Omnipresent God. He is always with us wherever we may be... even in Oklahoma City at a pharmacy organization meeting. Even when I'm away and had to miss my regular Initium and Sunday service, and felt out of my norm, He has allowed me to have an encounter with His amazing, abundant, unwavering, and passionate love... More to come. I declare it!
So I touched His feet... For He Heals.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Completely Incomplete without Him.
I am currently in the process of writing a new blog set to be posted on my 1st born again birthday on October 20, 2009. I pray that it will serve as a blessing to all, as well as a reminder to me that my life is completely incomplete without Him, and if His love was so tangible in just this year alone, I can't even begin to imagine where His love is going to take me in years to come...
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
This Journey is Just Beginning
After skimming my first blogs, I realized how much I have grown in Christ in just a few months. Without Him, to even slightly mature, it would take me years, and that's not even saying I'm a completely mature person thereafter.
Everything is possible with Christ. I have come to live by that faith now. I see living and walking testimonies everyday of my life - proof that God is so alive and real in the world.
It warms my heart to know that people are still praying for me to healed of Lupus, but what brings me evenmore joy is the fact that my infirmities have become of so little significance now. Just by choosing to walk this spiritual journey with Jesus has brought me such an amazing peace -- a kind of peace that could have fooled me into believing I am also physically healed. Hey, I can deal with that! :) I want to thank my entire family in Christ for keeping the faith alive for me. They are truly God-sent.
Of course, we will never be perfect, and the current issue I'm dealing with is trusting God COMPLETELY with my plans. Not just one or two plans, but EVERY plan. As an overly-organized person, I find myself planning every hour and every day of my life, even months in advance because I'm so fearful of missing a beat and falling behind. Sometimes I get so engulfed with my future and career plans, that I fail to realize that God always has bigger and better plans for us, and the ONLY way He can reveal those plans to us is only if we LET Him. That's the key. Oftentimes, I find myself falling behind asking God why didn't He save me from a failing grade or a missed deadline... and then I realize, well, that's because I took everything into my own hands, without allowing Him to do "His thing." We have to give Him His own space and stop shoving Him into a box, only allowing Him to do what WE want Him to do. It doesn't work that way, that's for sure. So thank you, Lord. Thank you for blessing me more than I deserve and more than I could ever ask for. I pray that I will always remember WHO you are -- my Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who always PROVIDES.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
- Jeremiah 29:11
Honoring My Mother
Last Sunday was Mother's Day. For me, and probably for my mom as well, it was the first "real" Mother's Day -- A day where I truly and sincerely honored and acknowledged my mother for the worthy role God has graced her with.
I just want to praise God for the amazing work He has done in my family's life... the chains He has broken, the bonds He has recreated, the love and faith He has renewed. Finally, as I approach the age of 23, I can truly abide by that one, seemingly simple commandment -- to honor thy mother and father. Though somewhat late, it's better than never, so praise the Lord for His forgiveness and mercy.
I love you, Mommy... and this time, I REALLY mean it.
I wished she could have been there at VBC's Mother's Day Service, but I know God's timing is much better than my own. How about next year, Jesus? :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)