Does A Fish Know It Is Wet #1

This is an interesting question. When I first heard it, I did not understand it. I am sure some of you feel the same way. Allow me to shed some light, now that I have been enlightened. A fish lives in water, enjoys the water and finds its source of life in the water. So of course the fish does not know that it is wet until it is pulled out of the water. Only then can the fish become aware that it was wet. It becomes clear to the fish that without being wet, they will die. The fish will “freak out” wanting to be wet again. If released back into the water, the fish will become wet and thus live happily according to plan. However, if left out of the water, the fish will die and have no need for water or ever be wet.
Nicolle what is that all about? I am glad you asked. Let’s look at it this way. Humans are “fish.” There are only two kinds of humans, regenerate and unregenerate. The unregenerate human is the one who does not place their hope and trust in the one true living God. They are lost and apart from the saving grace of Jesus, remaining lost and separated from the one true living God. Every human begins his or her life this way. We are born in sin and shaped in iniquity. Then there are those the Father has mercy upon and calls them unto Himself through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. These humans would be regenerate, believers, Christians, children of God, the bride of Christ, the church. The regenerate person is called to live their life according to the will of the Father in heaven. That will is laid out in the Holy Scriptures which was given to us for our learning, and that we may believe Jesus is the Christ the Son of God.
The water in this illustration is our current American culture. The American culture overall boils down to a few points. The first is self love. Self help, self improvement, self indulgence, self worship are just a few of the things we do in our society to make gods of ourselves. Second, the cultures view of marriage. Our culture says marriage is basically a death sentence with the option of bail through divorce. One may be set free to indulge in the simple pleasures of one lustful contact to the next. Again, it is all about the love and worship of oneself. Another cultural view, homosexuality is just a free expression of love between two same sex individuals. God forbid we say anything negative about this lifestyle, because culturally you would be committing a HATE CRIME! I’ll finish with two other thoughts as I could go on for weeks. Children! The culture says children are an unfortunate result of sexual contact. “If I get pregnant I will just kill the thing. It’s my body my choice.” I have to agree there is choice but it is not to keep or not keep the life…it is to open or not open your legs! Forgive me I digress. The final thought of the culture is relationship between men and women. The culture says, “Woman you run things!” Be in control of things at home, on the job, and dominate your man and any man for that matter. After all they are stupid and can’t accomplish anything without you!”
Now dear Christian, I present to you biblical truth to nullify the views of the culture. Self Love, Marriage, Sexuality, Life, Children, Men, & Women…what does the scripture say? True love is sacrificial and obedient. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son in obedience to the will of God. God himself sacrificed His only Son for the love of His children. Christ was obedient to the Father even to the point of death on the cross. Repeatedly Jesus tells us He has come to do the will of the Father…not His own. This is love! If you are not obedient to the Lord (him who sent you) and don’t live a life of sacrifice, you have no love. Marriage is ordained by God in creation with Adam and Eve. A marriage is one man and woman united in one flesh. They are a picture of Christ and the Church. Christ and His church will endure hardship and joys… yet they will endure eternally. So in our marriages we are to endure until God calls one or both to Himself. Sexually, we are to flee lustful, immoral passions and desires. In your marriage (one man & one woman) you are free to express your God given sexuality as you both enjoy. From that enjoyment we are to be fruitful. Make babies for they are a heritage of the Lord. We have no authority to take life that is given to us by God. We are but created beings for the good pleasure of God! I have spoken before about women and men. How the scripture states women are made for the man and not man for the woman. The word also states that man is the head and should love his wife, and be willing to die for her as Christ did for his bride. The woman should respect her husband, be willing to submit to his authority and the bride of Christ does.
Okay I have laid a foundation for what I really want to talk about. The original question was, “Does a fish know it is wet?” I have to admit being unknowingly wet in some areas. As believers we are called to be transformed by the renewing of our minds in Christ Jesus. That said, I propose we are to no longer be wet fish submerged into this cultural way of thinking but we are to be dry fish. We are to look at this life through the lens of scripture. We the culture says one thing and God says another. We need to obey God period. When we are dry fish we die to the pleasures of this life and in fact are made alive in Christ. So in order to live we must die! This is not a new concept or saying, it is biblical, its truth and we should die so we can live!
So, brothers and sisters take time to examine your life and thoughts. Have you been called to be a dry fish and unknowingly soaking wet? I will conclude with this scripture that opened my eyes to how wet I was…. As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church. Please share your comments! I want to hear from you. We will visit this again, very soon.

Submission: A Woman's High Calling!

On July 2 -July 5, 2008 my family and I had the privilege to participate in the first Family Driven Faith family camp hosted by Dr. Voddie Baucham Jr. in Sandia, Texas (Zephyr Baptist Encampment). We gathered as families to worship Christ, fellowship, break bread, encourage, and enjoy each other through a host of activities. These four days were packed full of God’s word in didactic and visual instruction. In this blog I will share a portion of what I learned at this camp as a woman through the Scriptures.
This information will be life changing. What will you do? How do you view yourself as a Christian woman in light of our current culture? I found that more often then not Christian women can’t identify what God says because they believe what the culture says. We tend to believe what we see and not what God says. Why is that? First we don’t read Scripture in its proper context. We superimpose our modern worldview on Scripture, instead of being transformed by the renewing of the mind in Christ to understand the script. So women this is for you!

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that man be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”…But for Adam there was not a helper fit for him….And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Genesis 2:18; 20b; 22 ESV

For man was not from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 1 Corinthians 11:8-9 ESV

Women were created for the man! Through these two passages of Scripture in the Old and the New Testament, we clearly see that the very creation of the woman was for the man. Woman was a gift to man from the very beginning. The woman is the glory of the husband. (1 Corinthians 11:7) God saw that man needed a helper and provided the woman. This in no way changes the fact that women were made to worship the true and living God. Remember, the woman is a helper to the man created by God! Our worship as women belongs to God and God alone. Our service as women belongs to our husband. If you are not married then your service is to your parents until you are wed.

Women are to BE, submissive, self controlled, humble and quiet. This list speaks of the character of the woman. A woman can only be submissive and quiet if she has self control. The term submission in Scripture is actually a military term that means “rank.” So as a woman, we are to rank ourselves under our husbands. That means whether we think he is right or wrong, we submit to his authority that has been given by the living God. I pulled these character traits because they hit me the hardest. However I will only tackle them one entry at a time.

Submission to our husband is a command given to women by God. Everything has its place. If my knee thought it better to function as the bicep, how would by body maintain motion? My whole body would suffer as a result of that knee functioning a way other than its intended purpose. So I have learned it is best to stay in my place and function how God created me as a woman, wife and mother.

As we dig a litter deeper underneath the surface, we not only need to submit in deed but in our hearts and minds. Many women will submit to their husbands without proper respect in their hearts. Following his instruction while saying to a girlfriend or just in your mind that he is dumb and this is stupid…. IS SIN! I know those are strong words but it is very much the truth. Submission is an action, but more than that it is an attitude of the heart. The Lord says he will give His children a new heart. If you have found yourself in sin concerning this area ask the Lord to give you a new heart, and transform your mind. Please note that this is a daily walk. You will not just be changed and never sin again. The Scripture in 1 John 2:1 teaches us that when we do sin we have an advocate with the Father, who is Jesus Christ. Dear sister run to the Savior daily that you might find joy in who and how He has created you. The humble, quiet, submissive, and self controlled woman who is the crowning glory of her husband.