Idols!

I was stirred to write this post after reading see the unseen (Cary's blog) about the idols in Nepal. He is a dear brother in Christ to both my husband and I, currently on a mission trip in Nepal. He is blogging to keep those at home posted on the current activity. Check out his blog if you can. Anyway after only reading his title...So Many Idols, I instantly thought of how easy it is to see idols in the culture of another and not so easy to see idolatry in our own. America America God shed His grace on thee...while I worship everything but You!

After reading his post I like Cary and the others there would have thought man if only they could see Christ and that He is enough! Praying that they would not continue to suppress the truth and exchange the Glory of the Creator for the created things.

I take this time to write a letter to encourage believers to examine our practice of worship. We were created to worship so it is easy for us to worship but not easy to see what we are worshipping. We must be deliberate in our worship. I heard it said best by a brother of mine..."worship is doing what you were created to do". That stood out to me because of its truth. For instance if I created a remote control car to flip on its top and back again, then drive away. All who saw that would be amazed and wonder who made that. When I say I did people will praise me for my wonderful creation. So it is with God. He is worshipped as Creator when creation does what He designed it to do. Another instance, when a husbands loves his wife and is willing to die for her. God is worshipped! When a wife is a help to her husband God is worshipped! So friend I say all that to say worship is not a song. Or more specifically a slow song and praise a fast song. It is simply the way we live. Our everyday life should be worship...why because we are doing what we were created to do. Thought of the day!

Redemption Story

The Lord is really showing me how He redeems! So this is another of those post that if you read you must respond! I simply seek to be encouraged and bring Glory to Christ by reading your story.

What story in scripture (OT &/or NT) speaks loudest to you about the redemptive work of Christ?

How are you amazed by God's plan of redemption for you?

How are you walking in this redemption and sharing or showing Christ to others?

Excited to hear from you! Share your story that Christ may be Glorified!

REDEMPTION!

While visiting my in laws, Phil and I stumbled across a television program. Older Black women were discussing sex, STD's, and purity with pre-teens and teens. One of the young teens asked a very thought provoking question. She said, " What do you say to a girl who has already been sexually active and feels like what is the point in stopping? She can't start over again." In traditional television style, they went to commercial break.

Then Phil asked me, "What would I say?". At first I was stumped. Then I remembered my own life. I was raped at 12, then sexually active with two different people over the course of three years. The answer was the reason I stopped. CHRIST REDEMPTIVE POWER! Christ redeemed me and set me free from the bondage of sin. So He can do likewise in the life of any person. I remember referring to myself as the born again virgin. The gripping power of sin is NO MATCH for the REDEMPTIVE BLOOD OF THE LAMB! I would say that in eternity past God knew their condition and was willing that Christ would step into human history and be crushed of the Father that all whom He would call would be redeemed. Sins of the past are just that...past, behold all things are made new. In Christ you are new! As a result my theme for this year is redemption. God has, does, and will redeem His children.

Take comfort in these verses: Isaiah 44:21-24 and Galatians 3:13-14. I would post the actual verses but I rather encourage you to seek them yourself. Let the Lord minister to your heart about how He is shown as REDEEMER!

NOW IS THE TIME...IT'S 2009

Happy New Year to each one of you! With every passing year most of us take time for introspection and reflection. As I sat and thought about this past year, my heart was overjoyed and sorrowful. There were many great days, many times the Lord showed Himself, many days I was graced with godly wisdom and insight, many days of joy with family, many blessings in friends that proved to be true. In 2008 there were lots of transitions. The ones I am most grateful for, I was unable to accomplish alone. For instance the growing desire to seek the Lord in prayer. Prayer for my husband, children, and neighbor from all locations. I believe my heart has changed toward human kind in general. I am more loving and gentle with people, increasingly bold, and confident in Christ ability to work through me. Again, none of this could have been accomplished without the grace of God in Christ Jesus worked out by the Holy Spirit. So there is a summary of the joy.

Here is the summary of the sorrow. While dramatic and even drastic changes have taken place for the glory of God, some areas have remained unchanged and even worse. I wondered how could these things be? How is it possible in one breath to grow so much and then in another not move at all or even be worse? Through my introspection and reflection I found that I lacked focus and faith in those areas. I don't mean name it and claim it, or speak and it will be so. I simply mean not believing that the Lord would do this or that in me.

You know when you have a goal, your eye is on the prize. Of course along the way there will be pitfalls but when you are fixed on the goal the pitfalls serve as building blocks. However, when you lack focus and faith, pitfalls are huge holes that cause one to look back. I have said this many times in 2008...the Children of Israel complained and wanted to go back to Egypt because it was easier to trust and have faith in what they could see versus trusting the God whom they could not. Many of us have condemning attitudes about the Israelites but given similar situations we would do and often actually repeat the same actions.

Okay back to the main point..I am sorrowful over my lack of faith in some areas throughout the 2008 year. That lack has me looking back and saying " I'm am in the same place in this area...oh, and even worse in that area". The truth is, I have learned to seek the Lord and know full well that He always hears the cries of His children. Now whether or not He answers in my time is another topic all together. The Lord's delay can not be the pitfall that deters me. The Lord's delay should however be the building block that drive me, and in due time His answer will be my delight.

So the title Now is the time...it's 2009 comes from a cool rhyme, but ultimately from the thought that now is the time to trust the Lord like I have not before. Now is the time to believe what seems impossible, now is the time to walk fruitful in Christ, now is the time to believe that dreams deferred can be realities in Christ. Don't to let pitfalls, or delays lead back to Egypt but let them lead to Christ. So for me it is time to pursue Christ and see Him manifest awesome things in this vessel of clay.

I would encourage you to seek the Lord and ask Him to show you, you. Are you longing for Egypt and lacking faith in Him?