A Christ Follower's Musings

Musings

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Welcome to a new series here on A Christ Follower’s Musings! I’m surprised I haven’t had this one from the beginning considering the title of my blog. Musings will be short posts with one or more musings about various things. These musings may lead to a devotion or study down the line, but for now are short, sweet, and to the point thoughts that come to me, usually while driving home from work.

It is not the Pastor’s job to spiritually feed you. There comes a point in your relationship with God when you must start feeding yourself.

Why do so many of us pray to God that we want to know him more but do nothing to increase our knowledge of him?

When sinful or tempting thoughts enter our minds we can either grab hold of it and nurse it or cast it away. Not to self: cast them away and do not dwell.

Question for Discussion: Fully Devoted

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:11:00 +0000

Every so often I have questions; questions that aren't specifically answered through studying the Bible or despite study I do not understand the answer. This question is among them:

What does a life fully devoted to the Lord look like?
Or
How can we live lives fully devoted to the Lord?

Is anyone there?

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Are you still out there? I hope so. I am sorry for being so absent the last eight months. You see, I have a problem. My problem is that I get so focused on things that it’s practically becomes an obsession. When that happens everything else falls into a state of disrepair. Even my walk with God.

The purpose of this blog has always be a spiritual journal, though at times I may have lost sight of that and it became just another thing on my to do list. That means that as I climb mountains and go through valleys and deserts, so does this blog. It is a reflection of where I am. That will never change.

In December of 2010 I wrote a post about balance and how God is the one who holds everything together. Well, I am still struggling to find my balance. The key of course, is God. He needs to be at the center. If the center holds, so does everything else. I have seen how removing from my life leads in a chaotic and imbalanced life.

So that is my goal this year, balance. To live a balanced life, to make time for everything, to center everything on the God who created me and knows what I need more than I do myself.

Introverts Confessional: Time Management

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Look carefully then how you walk!
Live purposefully and worthily and accurately,
not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people),
Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity],
because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16

Time management is the process of managing your time by using a range of skills, tools, and techniques. My favorite tool is a planner….which I don’t currently own. For November and December I’ve been printing up blank Outlook calendar pages. I know I can just schedule everything on Outlook or Google Calendar, but having a planner where I can write it down and refer to it whenever I need works better for me.

Why am I talking about time management on a blog about spiritual matters? I have seen in my own life that how I manage my time (or don’t manage) my time affects my walk with God.

Ephesians 5:15-16 tells us that we should live purposefully and make the most of our time. Am I doing that if I spend hours upon hours watching television, playing video games, or surfing the internet? More often then not the answer is no. Not that I think those activities are bad, but I don’t think that they should be consuming the bulk of our free time.

I usually get home somewhere between 5:30 and 6:00 in the evening depending on if I need to stop at the store or gas station on my way home. That gives me about 4-5 hours (and sometimes 6) hours before I go to bed. Some of this is dinner and cleaning but after that it is not uncommon to see me sitting on the sofa watching television of sitting at my desk in front of my computer. I can waste hours doing things that have no meaning.

This takes away from activities that have more importance or spiritual impact. I could be working on my blog, reading my bible, praying, spending time with friends, or a million other things that might have more meaning in the long run. I also want to open up an Etsy store next year selling crafts for a little extra money. That means I need to create products.

A big problem that I have though is that I think I have a slight obsessive personality. Basically when I get on something I obsess about it until I get burnt out or complete whatever it is that I’m obsessing about. Like in November. November is National Novel Writing Month. The goal of this month is to write 50,000 words towards a first draft of a novel. I’ve taken part of this the last two years. What usually happens is that I get so obsessed with my writing that everything else falls by the waste side until I’m done. The apartment gets cluttered, the bible goes untouched, and the cat gets neglected.

This is why time management is so important to me. I need to schedule my time (and stick to it) in order not to get so focused on one particular activity while I let everything else fall apart.

Hopefully I’ll get that planner for Christmas…

Willing Spirit; Weak Body

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

"Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation;
the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Matt 26:41

This verse has never been as evident in my life as it has this past year. Since last November I have struggled to keep my walk with God afloat. I do not doubt that I love Him but my passion for Him has waned. Nor do I doubt my desire to do His will but I struggle to follow through. I often find myself like the disciples, asleep on the job.

Paul had it right when he said that “what I am doing I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15) So often I find myself with the same conundrum. I don’t know about you but I know exactly what those things are that I do that I hate and it are those very things that keep me from living the way that I know I should. My spirit is willing but my body is weak.

What must we do to combat this? Jesus tells us that we must keep watch and pray. Peter advises us in his first Epistle that we need to “be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Have you ever seen a lion with its prey? How it stalks it, laying in wait for the perfect moment to pounce? Notice that it never pounces when the prey is being vigilant and checking its surroundings for predators. It is only when the prey stops watching its surroundings that the lion pounces, catching the prey unawares. How true this is for us! It is only when we stop being vigilant that the enemy pounces, catching us unaware. I see this happen in my own life—sin only gets a foothold when I grow complacent spiritually.

Paul in his letter to the Ephesians tells us to “put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). Truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, and the Word of God—these are the things that will protect us from the enemy if only we actively ‘wear’ them.

I had a youth pastor that always said that right choices bring about right emotions. I think it’s time to start making some right choices in my walk with God and get it back on the right track.

Inspirational

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:01:00 +0000

THOSE WHO WALK WITH GOD WON'T RUN FROM PEOPLE'S NEEDS.

Right before the jetway door closed, I scrambled aboard the plane going from
LA to Chicago, lugging my laptop and overstuffed briefcase. It was the
first leg of an important business trip a few weeks before Christmas, and I
was running late. I had a ton of work to catch up on, half wishing, half
praying I muttered, "Please God, do me a favor; let there be an empty seat
next to mine, I don't need any distractions."

I was on the aisle in a two seat row. Across sat a businesswoman with her
nose buried in a newspaper. No problem. But in the seat beside mine, next
to the window, was a young boy wearing a big red tag around his neck: Minor
Traveling Unattended.

The kid sat perfectly still, hands in his lap, eyes straight ahead. He'd
probably been told never to talk to strangers. Good, I thought.

Then the flight attendant came by. "Michael, I have to sit down because
we're about to take off," she said to the little boy. "This nice man will
answer any of your questions, okay?"

Did I have a choice? I offered my hand, and Michael shook it twice,
straight up and down. "Hi, I'm Jerry," I said. "You must be about 7 years
old."

"I'll bet you don't have any kids," he responded.

"Why do you think that? Sure I do." I took out my wallet to show him
pictures.

"Because I'm six."

"I was way off, huh?"

The captains' voice came over the speakers: "Flight attendants, prepare for
takeoff." Michael pulled his seat belt tighter and gripped the armrests as
the jet engines roared. I leaned over and said, "Right about now, I usually
say a prayer. I ask God to keep the plane safe and to send angels to
protect us."

"Amen," he said, then added, "but I'm not afraid of dying. I'm not afraid
because my mama's already in heaven."

"I'm sorry." I said.

"Why are you sorry?" he asked, peering out the window as the plane lifted
off.

"I'm sorry you don't have your mama here." My briefcase jostled at my feet,
reminding me of all the work I needed to do.

"Look at those boats down there!" Michael said as the plane banked over the

Pacific. "Where are they going?"

"Just going sailing, having a good time. And there's probably a fishing
boat full of guys like you and me."

"Doing what?" he asked.

"Just fishing, maybe for bass or tuna. Does your dad ever take you fishing?"

"I don't have a dad." Michael sadly responded.

Only 6 years old and he didn't have a dad, and his Mom had died, and here he
was flying halfway across the country all by himself. The least I could do
was make sure he had a good flight. With my foot I pushed my briefcase
under my seat.

"Do they have a bathroom here?" he asked, squirming a little.

"Sure," I said, "let me take you there." I showed him how to work the
'Occupied' sign, and what buttons to push on the sink, then he closed the
door.

When he emerged, he wore a wet shirt and a huge smile. "That sink shoots
water everywhere!" The attendants smiled.

Michael got the VIP treatment from the crew during snack time. I took out
my laptop and tried to work on a talk I had to give, but my mind kept going
to Michael. I couldn't stop looking at the crumpled grocery bag on the
floor by his seat. He'd told me that everything he owned was in that bag.
Poor kid.

While Michael was getting a tour of the cockpit the flight attendant told me
his grandmother would pick him up in Chicago. In the seat pocket a large
manila envelope held all the paperwork regarding his custody. He came back
explaining, "I got wings! I got cards! I got more peanuts. I saw the
pilot and he said I could come back anytime!"

For a while he stared at the manila envelope. "What are you thinking?" I
asked Michael. He didn't answer. He buried his face in his hands and
started sobbing. It had been years since I'd heard a little one cry like
that. My kids were grown -- still I don't think they'd ever cried so hard.
I rubbed his back and wondered where the flight attendant was.

"What's the matter buddy?" I asked.

All I got were muffled words "I don't know my grandma. Mama didn't want her
to come visit and see her sick. What if Grandma doesn't want me? Where will
I go?"

"Michael, do you remember the Christmas story? Mary and Joseph and the baby
Jesus? Remember how they came to Bethlehem just before Jesus was born? It
was late and cold, and they didn't have anywhere to stay, no family, no
hotels, not even hospitals where babies could be born. Well, God was
watching out for them. He found them a place to stay; a stable with
animals."

"Wait, wait," Michael tugged on my sleeve. "I know Jesus. I remember
now." Then he closed his eyes, lifted his head and began to sing. His
voice rang out with a strength that rocked his tiny frame. "Jeeesus
looooves me--thiiiiiis I knowwwwwww. For the Biiiiiible tells meeeeee
sooooo....."

Passengers turned or stood up to see the little boy who made the large
sound. Michael didn't notice his audience. With his eyes shut tight and
voice lifted high, he was in a good place. "You've got a great voice," I
told him when he was done. "I've never heard anyone sing like that."
"Mama said God gave me good pipes just like my Grandma's," he said. "My
Grandma loves to sing, she sings in her church choir."

"Well, I'll bet you can sing there too. The two of you will be running that
choir."

The seat belt sign came on as we approached O'Hare. The flight attendant
came by and said we just have a few minutes now, but she told Michael it's
important that he put on his seat belt. People started stirring in their
seats, like the kids before the final school bell. By the time the seat
belt sign went off, passengers were rushing down the aisle. Michael and I
stayed seated.

"Are you gonna go with me?" he asked.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world buddy!" I assured him.

Clutching his bag and the manila envelope in one hand, he grabbed my hand
with the other. The two of us followed the flight attendant down the
jetway. All the noises of the airport seemed to fill the corridor. Michael
stopped, flipping his hand from mine, he dropped to his knees. His mouth
quivered. His eyes brimmed with tears

"What's wrong Michael? I'll carry you if you want."

He opened his mouth and moved his lips, but it was as if his words were
stuck in his throat. When I knelt next to him, he grabbed my neck. I felt
his warm, wet face as he whispered in my ear, "I want my mama!!!" I tried
to stand, but Michael squeezed my neck even harder. Then I heard a rattle
of footsteps on the corridor's metal floor.

"Is that you baby?" I couldn't see the woman behind me, but I heard the
warmth in her voice. "Oh baby," she cried. "Come here. Grandma loves you
so much. I need a hug baby. Let go of that nice man," she knelt beside
Michael and me.

Michael's grandma stroked his arm. I smelled a hint of orange blossoms.
"You've got folks waiting for you out there Michael. Do you know that
you've got aunts and uncles and cousins?" She patted his skinny shoulders
and started humming. Then she lifted her head and sang. I wondered if the
flight attendant told her what to sing, or maybe she just knew what was
right. Her strong, clear voice filled the passageway, "Jesus loves me --
this I know..."

Michael's gasps quieted. Still holding him, I rose, nodded hello to his
grandma and watched her pick up the grocery bag. Right before we got to the
doorway to the terminal, Michael loosened his grip around my neck and
reached for his grandma.

As soon as she walked across the threshold with him, cheers erupted. From
the size of the crowd, I figured family, friends, pastors, elders, deacons,
choir members and most of the neighbors had come to meet Michael. A tall
man tugged on Michael's ear and pulled off the red sign around his neck. It
no longer applied.

As I made my way to the gate for my connecting flight, I barely noticed the
weight of my overstuffed briefcase and laptop. I started to wonder who
would be in the seat next to mine this time...... And I smiled.

-- Author Unknown

What if I stumble?

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 02:25:00 +0000

What if I stumble, what if I fall?
What if I lose my step and I make fools of us all?
What if I Stumble~DC Talk

There has been something weighing on my mind. While I do my best to love God with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength and while I try to obey His commands, I am not perfect. I often make mistakes; I often stumble and lose my step. What am I telling the world about God when I do this?

People cannot see God but they do see his followers. They look at us and make their judgments about God or about God’s Truth based on what they see us do. The problem is that we often get it wrong and therefore present an improper picture of who God is or what God says. That doesn’t make us hypocrites. Following God does not make us infallible.

I don’t want to be the stumbling block that prevents someone from knowing God. I guess all I can do is keep my eyes on God and continually try to live according to his word and obey his commands. People will think what they think and I cannot change that.

Introverts Confessional: Forward Motion

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 01:55:00 +0000

Cause I struggle with forward motion
I struggle with forward motion
We all struggle with forward motion
Cause forward motion is harder than it sounds
Well every time I gain some ground
I gotta turn myself around again
Forward Motion~Reliant K

You’ve probably been wondering where I’ve been. It’s been three and a half months since my last post. I wish that I could say that it was because life got crazy or because I moved or some other reason that would have kept me from blogging. But I can’t. Truth is that I yet again took my eyes from Christ and instead focused on other things. I wasn’t backslidden (to use a very churchy term) I just got distracted. I seem to always get distracted. I seem to always let things get in the way of me and God. For the past month I’ve been trying to shift my focus back to God; trying to move forward. It hasn’t happened.

Newton’s law of motion says that a body at rest will stay at rest and a body in motion stays in motion unless some outside force changes it. I have come to see that this applies to our spiritual lives as well. Our walk with God will stay in motion as long as we continue in motion, meaning as long as we keep pursuing him, but if something happens that causes us to remove our eyes from Him our walk with God will become stagnant (at rest) until something else comes along to put us in motion again. I believe that this is the reason that retreats have such an impact on our spirituality. They spur you into motion.

I guess I’m just waiting for that force that will spur my walk with God back into motion—or maybe I have found it already. Only time will tell.

let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
Hebrews 12:1-2

The 10 Commandments: Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Thu, 12 May 2011 03:20:00 +0000

So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights;
he did not eat bread or drinks water.
And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
Exodus 24:28

Whether you believe that the 10 Commandments are abolished or not, they are great standards in which to live by.

The Ten Commandments are the words of the covenant. A covenant is an alliance or pledge between God and man. It is an alliance of friendship and a covenant of divine ordinances.¹

These words were written by God himself on two stone tablets and can be divided into two categories; those regarding man’s relationship with God and those regarding man’s relationship with each other. Or under the headings “You shall love the lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and with all your mind” and “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Which are the two greatest commandments which Jesus tells us that “on these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

I plan on doing an in depth look into each commandment. I want to focus on what it means, what it says, and what that spirit of the Law is. I hope that you will join me on this journey.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honour thy father and thy mother
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness
Thou shalt not covet

1. Strong’s Concordance

Submitting To God

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Tue, 10 May 2011 01:25:00 +0000

Submit therefore to God
James 4:7

I have written before about God’s lordship, but recently I have been thinking about what our response to it should be. That response should be total submission, should it not? But what does that look like?

What is submission? In today’s culture, submission is not viewed in a positive light. People who are submissive are usually thought of as doormats.

In the New Testament the Greek word hypotasso is translated as submit. It means to yield to one’s advice, or to obey. In a Christian’s life that means obeying God and yielding to His advice. According to Strong’s Concordance this word was a military term that when used in non-military references means “a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating…”

Our submission is a voluntary attitude. It is a laying down of our lives for His glory and His purpose. I just wish that I knew what exactly it meant to submit myself completely to God. Currently I wonder about food. Am I to submit my eating habits unto the Lord and therefore only eat what God has prescribed for us to eat? Where is the line between submission and freedom? We have free will to do as we choose, but if I chose not to submit an area of my life to God, no matter how insignificant, does that mean I am rebelling? There are so many questions. I can only hope to one day find the answers.

What does complete submission to God look like?

Bible From Beginning to End: Job 20-29

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Sat, 07 May 2011 01:40:00 +0000

Verses I Liked

Job 20:20“Such God-denying people are never content with what they have or who they are; their greed drives them relentlessly.”

Job 23:10-14 “But he knows where I am and what I’ve done. He can cross-examine me all he wants, and I’ll pass the test with honors. I’ve followed him closely, my feet in his footprints, not once swerving from his way. I’ve obeyed every word he’s spoken, and not just obeyed his advice—I’ve treasured it. But he is singular and sovereign. Who can argue with him? He does what e wants, when he wants to He’ll complete in detail what he’s decided about me, and whatever else he determines to do.”

Job 25:1 “God is sovereign, God is fearsome—everything in the cosmos fits and works in his plan.”

Job 27:3-6 “But for as long as I draw breath, and for as long as God breathes life into me, I refuse to say one word that isn’t true. I refuse to say one word that isn’t true. I refuse to confess to any charge that’s false…I’ll not deny my integrity even if it costs me my life. I’m holding fast to my integrity and not loosening my grip—and, believe me, I’ll never regret it.”

Thoughts

My issue with Job’s friends is that their position is that Job must be in the wrong because if he wasn’t then all this bad stuff wouldn’t have happened to him. I guess their belief is that bad things only happen to bad people and good things only happen to good people. Watching the news today we know that this is clearly not how the world works.

I think that Job has an accurate fear of God. A reverent fear for the Creator of the universe; the God who holds everything in his hand; the one who can do anything.

Job’s life was more than lip service to God.

Fear and Anxiety

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Thu, 05 May 2011 00:43:00 +0000

Anxiety: distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear…

So I have a problem with anxiety. I get anxious and worry about the silliest things that have no bearing on anything what so ever. I seriously worry these things in circles and drive myself crazy. When I am anxious I bite my nails or pig out on junk food. It is rare that I find myself on my knees pouring my heart to God. It’s not my first or second reaction.

Do you know what Jesus has to say about this? “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?” The answer? No one. Not a single person can add even a second of time to your life by worrying. But you can waste it. In fact when you worry about things that don’t matter you are wasting your life. I am talking to myself here as much as anyone. I waste my life by worrying about silly things that don’t really matter in the scheme of things.

I love this except from Traveling Light by Max Lucado:

The burlap bag of worry. Cumbersome. Chunky. Unattractive. Scratchy. Hard to get a handle on. Irritating to carry and impossible to give away. No one wants your worries. The truth be told, you don’t want them either. No one has to remind you of the high cost of anxiety (But I will anyway.) Worry divides the mind. The biblical word for worry (merimnao) is a compound of two Greek words, merizo (“to divide”) and nous (“the mind”). Anxiety splits our energy between today’s priorities and tomorrow’s problems. Part of our mind is on the now; the rest is on the not yet. The result is half-minded living.

So if you are like me and you worry—a lot—what can we do? Well, the Bible gives us a couple of suggestions. I have spoken about one before, casting your cares upon the Lord, so today I am going to talk about trusting the Lord.

Psalm 37:5 tells us to “commit {our} ways to the Lord, trust also in Him and He will do it.” One of the definitions of the Hebrew word batach that is translated trust here means to feel safe. This is what happens when we trust in the Lord. We feel safe and when we feel safe our worries are nonexistent. Furthermore, as we are told in Jeremiah 17:7-8 “blessed is the man who trust in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water ,that extends it roots by a stream and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.”

What does this scripture mean? Matthew Henry has a wonderful thought on that and I wish I could copy the entire thing because it is really good. You can read it here if you would like. For now, I’ll just hit the main points. He says that the man (or woman) that trusts in the Lord is firmly fixed, are a comfort, pleasant, enjoy a continual security and serenity of mind, will not sustain damage, have inward peace and satisfaction, will not want, and will be fruitful in holiness and good works.

How does this work? Why is living worry fear as simple as trusting the Lord? Because “there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear” and “God is love” (1 John 4:18, 16). When we trust in God, He casts out our fears. That is how we can cast our cares upon the Lord, by trusting in the Lord.

This is something that I have to actively work towards. I worry that my anxiety problem means that I don’t trust the Lord. Which of course brings me back to worrying won’t add a single hour to my life. It feels like a never ending cycle that I just can’t break free from. I can only trust that the Lord will cast this out of my heart and I will experience the “peace that passes all understanding.”

Do you have problems trusting the Lord?

How do you deal with your worry?

Fruit of the Spirit: Temperance

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Tue, 03 May 2011 00:52:00 +0000

He who loves pleasure will become a poor man;
He who loves wine and oil will not become rich
Proverbs 21:17

The last fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians is Temperance. Of all the fruit of the Spirit this is the one that I need more of.

Temperance is translated from the Greek egkrateia meaning self-control. It comes from the root word egkrates which means mastering, controlling, curbing, restraining. So to be self controlled is to master and restrain yourself'; your body, your mind, and your desires.

Most, when hearing the word temperance, will almost immediately think of the prohibition and abstaining from drinking alcohol but it is more than that. Barnes Notes on the New Testament says that “the sense here is that the influences of the Holy Spirit on the heart make a man moderate in all indulgences; teach him to retrain his passions, and to govern himself; to control his evil propensities, and to subdue all inordinate affection.” People’s New Testament says that temperance “implies…control of the tempers, the tongue, the desires, the passion for money or power.” Also, John Gill’s Exposition says that temperance is opposed to the work of “adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness (lust), drunkenness, and revellings.”

We are also told in 2 Peter that self-control is a key ingredient towards being godly and loving others: “knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone” (2 Peter 1:6-7 NLT). It goes on to say in the next verse that “the more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The more we grow in self-control, patience, godliness and love, the more productive we are for the kingdom.

In what areas of your life do you need more self-control?

Introverts Confessional: Beauty Heart Check

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:40:00 +0000

1. Do I spend more time daily caring for my personal appearance than I do in Bible study, prayer, and worship?

Not really. I spend more time worrying about my personal appearance than actually doing anything about it. In that sense though, I do think about my personal appearance a lot more than God. Probably not a good thing.

2. Do I spend excessive money on clothes, hair, and makeup, or is it an amount that is God-honoring?

At the moment, no. Most of my goes towards gas and food but I there have been times when I do spend a lot of money on clothes and makeup, but usually only to replace what I have needed to get rid of.

3. Do I want to lose weight to “feel better about myself,” or do I desire to be self-disciplined for the glory of God?

I wish I could say that it was a desire to be self-disciplined. I want it to be for that reason, but it's not. There are days when I feel beautiful but then I look in the mirror and that feeling flies out the window. There are many times when I feel like I could be beautiful, if only I lost weight.

4. Am I on a quest for thinness to impress others, or do I seek to cultivate eating habits that honor God?

I totally don't care about impressing others. I am trying to cultivate eating habits that honor God. The Bible tells us that our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The Temple was holy, and was to be treated with honor and respect, because that was where His presence was. Now he resides withing His people. Shouldn't that mean that we should treat our bodies with honor and respect as well? Also, God created our bodies and we are fearfully and wonderfully made. He know us better then we know ourselves, including how our bodies run. Perhaps if we just take a step back and let our bodies do what He programmed them to do, then we won't have to worry so much.

5. Do I exercise to try to create or maintain a “good figure,” or do I exercise to strengthen my body for God’s service?

To be honest, I hate to exercise, but our bodies were created to move. I feel better when I exercise. More alive and more motivated.

6. Is there anything about my appearance that I wish I could change, or am I fully grateful to God for the way He created me?

There are many things about my appearance that I wish I could change, but there are things that I am grateful for like my so wavy it's almost curly hair. :)

7. Am I jealous of the appearance of others, or am I truly glad when I observe other women who are more physically attractive than I?

I have recently had the revelation that I might be a little jealous of the appearance of others. It wasn't a pleasant expereince.

8. Do I covet the wardrobe of others, or do I genuinely rejoice when other women are able to afford and purchase new clothing?

I like my wardrobe. It's comfortable. I really don't envy others clothes, though sometimes I wish that I could fit into some of the things that they wear.

9. When I attend an event or activity, do I sinfully compare myself with others, or do I go asking God to show me whom to love and how to do it?

Um. Neither. Does that make me a bad person?

10. Do I ever dress immodestly or with the intent of drawing attention to myself, or do I always dress in a manner that pleases God?

I used to have a problem with showing a little too much (when I was thinner) but I am no longer comfortable doing so. Though if I was comfortable I don't know how I would feel about the matter. I hope that the way I dress pleases God. I am not totally sure though. Summary: Obviously I have some issues about my weight. It’s something that I’m working on. My reason for doing this is because I want to be real you. I’m a real person with issues who is trying her best to live for Christ. I’m struggling with that right now but I am determined to keep on going until I break through.

Questions taken from Biblical Womanhood in the Home by Carolyn Mahaney.

God’s Appointed Times: First Fruits

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 01:22:00 +0000

When you enter the land which I am going to give you and reap its harvest,
then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.
He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted…
Leviticus 23:10-11

The feast of First Fruits is the third feast of the year and included in the Festival of Passover and according to the chart in my bible it is symbolic of the promise of harvest to come.

The Hebrew word translated firstfruits is re’shiyth, meaning the first, the best, the choice part. In the Torah all first fruits belonged to God

Jesus fulfilled this feast by become the first fruit upon his resurrection:

“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that thosw who are Christ’s at His coming.” 1 Corinthians 15:20-23

This feast can be kept today in fullness in the celebration of Christ resurrection.

Bible From Beginning to End: Job 8-19

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 03:22:00 +0000

Verses I liked

Job 9:2-4 “The question is, ‘How can mere mortals get right with God?’ If we wanted to bring our case before him, what chance would we have? Not one in a thousand! God’s wisdom is so deep, God’s power so immense, who could take him on and come out in one piece?”

Job 9:11 “Somehow, though he moves right in front of me, I don’t see him, quietly but surely he’s active and I miss it.”

Job 9: 32-34 “God and I are not equals, I can’t bring a case against him. We’ll never enter a courtroom as peers. How I wish we had an arbitrator to step in and let me get on with life—To break God’s death grip on me, to free me from this terror so I could breathe again.”

Job 10:4 “You don’t look at things the way we mortals do. You’re not taken in by appearances, are you?”

Job 10:5 “Unlike us, you’re not working against a deadline. You have all eternity to work things out.”

Job 11:8-9 “God is far higher than you can imagine, far deeper than you can comprehend, Stretching farther than earth’s horizons, far wider than the endless ocean.”

Job 12:9-10 “Isn’t is clear that they all know and agree that GOD is sovereign, that he holds all things in his hand, every living soul, yes, every breathing creature?”

Job 12:13 “True wisdom and real power belong to God, from him we learn how to live, and also what to live for.”

Job 17:9 “But principled people hold tight, keep a firm grip on life, sure that their clean, pure hands will get stronger and stronger!”

Job 19:25 “Still, I know that God lives—the One who gives me back my life—and eventually he’ll take his stand on earth.”

Notes

Sovereignty of God: his absolute right to so all things according to his own good pleasure.

Thoughts

The book of Job is a good picture of the sovereignty of God.

What I love about Jon is that He is a godly man and he still experiences hardships. It makes me feel better about the hardships that I experience in life.

Sometimes I have to laugh at how the Message phrases things. For example, “you’re a bunch of pompous quacks!”

Job’s friends seem to be a good example of people are confront their brother about the speck in their eye while ignoring the plank in their own.

God’s Appointed Times: Unleavened Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 01:11:00 +0000

Then on the fifteenth day of the same month
there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD;
for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
On the first say you shall have a holy convocation;
you shall not so any laborious work,
But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.
On the seventh say is a holy convocation;
you shall not so any laborious work.
Leviticus 23:6-8

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is the second feast of the year and it immediately follows the Passover feast. It is also part of the festival that we know as Passover.

According to Jehovah, the reason for this feast was because “on this very day I brought your hosts of of the land on Egypt.” This feast is symbolic for Israel’s removal from Egypt.

A key part of this feast is that for seven days you eat nothing made with leaven (yeast). According to Strong’s Concordance leaven is symbolic of mental and moral corruption while unleavened is symbolic of being free from faults. This means that during the Feast of Unleavened Bread you are symbolically separating separating yourself from sin and evil.

What does this mean to us today, in the light of Jesus? In 1 Corinthians the Lord says “clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened…therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malic and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:7,8) We are commanded to clean out the old leaven (mental and moral corruption) and the leaven of malice and wickedness in our lives and become as unleavened bread or sincerity and truth.

This feast is a feast to celebrate that the old is gone and the new has come; that our sin has been removed and we have been made clean. Praise God!

God’s Appointed Times: Passover

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:05:00 +0000

In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month
at twilight is the LORD’s Passover.
Leviticus 23:5

Passover is the first feast of the year, and it starts tonight. In fact it has already started here.

Passover is observed in remembrance of what God did while the Israelites were still enslaved in Egypt. We all know the story. We’ve seen the Ten Commandments or The Prince of Egypt. God was sending plagues to Egypt in order to move the Pharaoh into letting the Israelites go. The last plague was one of death. The firstborn of everything, including cattle, was going to die. In order to save His people, God commanded his people to take the blood of a lamb and cover their doorposts with it.

Why? We find that answer in Exodus 12:13:

The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

Did you catch that? When God saw the blood, He passed over them and they were saved.

How does this apply to us today? We are told in 1 Peter 1:18-19 that we are not “redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold…but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” He became the Passover Lamb. In 1 Corinthians 5:7 we are told that “Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.”

This is how Messiah fulfilled this feast. When we are redeemed, we are covered by the blood of Christ which causes God to pass over us, saving us from the death our sin deserves.

Praise God for His mercy and grace!

Red Letter Teachings: 2 Corinthians 12:9

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 01:49:00 +0000

“My grace is sufficient for thee:
for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

I haven’t done one of these in a long time and I figured that this it was time for another teaching from the words of Jesus. This is yet another backward teaching of Christ who often went counterculture to the world around him.

These words were spoken to the Apostle Paul in a time when he was dealing with some sort of affliction. We are not told what what it is and there are many theories. Paul only says that “…there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!” He goes on to say that he “implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.” The above words were the Lord’s reply.

What does it mean that His strength is made perfect in weakness? According to John Gills Exposition it means that the “strength of Christ is made to appear, is illustrated and shines forth in its perfection and glory, in supplying, supporting, and strengthening his people under all their weakness.” In simpler terms it means that when we are weak He is strong for us.

What can we draw from this? I am sure that I am not the only one who deals with some sort of adversity or sin problem. There are things afflict me, things that makes me feel spiritually weak. But like Paul we can learn to “do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Our strength comes from the Lord and He will help us through our afflictions.

Have you found the Lord’s strength to be sufficient
for you during times of weakness?

Are their areas in your life where you need
to draw strength from the Lord?

Not Under Law Part One

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 02:14:00 +0000

For sin shall not be master over you,
for you are not under law but under grace.
Romans 6:14

I have heard more times than I can count that we are not under law but under grace, but I don’t recall anybody ever explaining what that meant. It seems important though and thought it needed a deeper look.

The key word here is under. What does it mean to be under something? The word under means:

Beneath and covered by
subject to the authority, direction, or supervision of; subject to the authority, rule, or control of; subject to the supervision, instruction, or influence of
subject to the instruction or advice of
subject to the influence, condition, force, etc., of
protected, controlled, or watched by
authorized, warranted, or attested by
in accordance with
subject to the restraint or obligation of

Let’s try applying this to this Scripture:

We are not covered by law but covered by grace
We are not subject to the authority of law but the authority of grace
We are not subject to the advice of the law but the advice of grace. (I don’t think this one applies. I believe, and we are told in Scripture that “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
We are not subject to the influence (power) of the law but the influence (power) of grace.
We are not protected by the Law but protected by the grace.
We are not authorized (justified) by the law but authorized (justified) by grace.
We are not in accordance with (conformed) to the law but in accordance with (conformed) to grace.
We are not subject to the obligation of the law but the obligation of grace.

I don’t know about you, but all of these seem logical to me and as far as I know totally line up with scripture. Except for #3 of course. If you know differently please let me know.

Let’s go back to the beginning of the verse. Paul writes “for sin shall not be master over you” and this is because we are not under law but under grace. Grace has freed us from the rule of sin that came by the law, “for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” and sin brings death. Thank Jehovah for that.

Paul has more to say on this subject in following verses and we will look at them in the next part.

Bible From Beginning to End: Job 1-7

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 02:38:00 +0000

Verses I liked

Job 1:1 Job…was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion.

Job 1:8 “Have you noticed my fried Job? There’s no one quite like him—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil.”

Job 1:21 Naked I cam from my mother’s womb, naked I’ll return to the womb of the earth. GOD gives GOD takes, God’s name be ever blessed.

Job 1:22 Not once through all this did Job sin, not once did her blame God..

Job 2:10 …We take the good days from God—why not also the bad days?

Job 5:17-19 So, what a blessing when God steps in and corrects you! Mind you, don't despise the discipline of Almighty God! True, he wounds, but he also dresses the wound; the same hand that hurts you, heals you. From one disaster after another he delivers you; no matter what the calamity, the evil can't touch you

Notes

Job: He that weeps or cries

Job’s Friends:
Eliphaz: The endeavor of God
Bildad: old friendship
Zophar: crown

Job doesn’t curse God but he does curse the day he was born
His friends tell him that it’s his own fault that these thing have happened
Job complains and questions God but never curses.

Thoughts

What would we do if everything we had (possessions, jobs, family) were taken from us? Would we stick to God? Or would we curse His name? I would like to think that I would stick to God but I also think that one can’t know what they would do until they experience it for themselves.

I don’t know how many of us would be comfortable complaining to God, I’m not. Sometimes I feel bad if my prayers are full of complaints and not enough praise. Just the idea of standing before Jehovah Almighty, Creator of the universe and everything in it and telling him my petty complaints…it doesn’t seem sensible to me, at times, but God wants honest prayers and I want to pray honest and heartfelt prayers. If that mean complaining—so be it

Resisting the Devil

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 01:34:00 +0000

Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
James 4:7

What does it mean to resist the devil and why do we need to resist him?

We are to resist him because he is God’s adversary and therefore, as Christians, he is our adversary as well. In fact his name, Satan, is Hebrew for adversary. The word devil describes him as a slanderer who slanders God to men and men to God.¹ According to Scripture he “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”²

To resist is to set against, to withstand, or to oppose.³ So to resist the evil is to oppose him. We must stand against him as he stands against God and attempts to turn men against God. For us this means that we resist the temptation to sin, for sin drives a wedge between us and God.

In order to stand against him we must be properly equipped. The scriptures say that we should “put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”⁴ We are to “gird [our] loins with truth,” “put on the breastplate of righteousness,” "shod [our] feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace,” “take up the shield of faith,” “take the helmet of salvation,” and take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”⁵

In summation the items we need that will help us to stand firm against the devil are truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, and the word of God. This is how we are going to resist the devil.

1. Smith’s Bible Dictionary
2. Strong’s Concordance
3. 1 Peter 5:8 NASB
4. Ephesians 6:11 NASB
5. Ephesians 6:14-17

What is Sin?

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 02:43:00 +0000

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 3:23

One of the key parts of our beliefs as Christians is that we are sinners saved by grace. No one who has ever lived, aside from Jesus, has escaped from being a sinner. All have sinned and are in need of grace. It is ingrained in all humanity. For God himself said that “the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth.”¹

But what is sin? The Bible tells us that “sin is the transgression of the law” and “all unrighteousness is sin”² So a sin is a violation of the Law of God. I believe that this is one of the main roles of the Law, to reveal sin. In fact, Paul said in Romans 7:7 that he “would not have come to know sin except through the Law.”

We are also told that “to the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”³ So not only is sin a violation of the Law but it is also not doing what you know to be right.

We are told that the consequence of sin is death, eternal separation from God and all that is pure and good. This is the consequence of every sin; the big and the small, the overt and the secret.

This is why we need a savior. In James we are told that “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all our sin.”⁴ This is the blood that was shed during the crucifixion, a final sacrifice to cleanse of our sins for all time. In order to receive this cleansing we must “confess our sins” for “he is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”⁵

All unrighteousness. There is no sin that is too big for God to forgive. Or as I have heard it said, you can’t out sin God.

Are you holding onto any unconfessed sin?
What is keeping you from confessing your sin?

1. Genesis 8:21 NASB
2. 1 John 3:4, 1 John 5:17 NASB
3. James 4:7 NASB
4. 1 John 1:7 NASB
5. 1 John 1:9 NASB

Bible From Beginning to End: Esther

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 02:56:00 +0000

Verses I liked

Esther 4:14 “If you persist in staying silent at a time like this, help and deliverance will arrive for the Jews from someplace else; but you and your family will be wiped out. Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this”

Notes

The book of Esther covers approximately nine years. According to history he divorced Vashti and married Esther four years later. It was five years after this the Haman ordered the destruction of the Jews. (Info from Smith’s Bible Dictionary)

Haddassah: Esther’s Hebrew name which means mytle, a type of plant that grew on the hills about Jerusalem

Esther: is the Persian name of Haddassah. Most likely they are different forms of the same name. The meaning of the name Esther is a star.

Xerxes: King of Persia. Also knows as Ahasureus meaning lion-king. (Lion of Persia anyone?)

Mordecai: Esther’s cousin who raised her. His name means little man or worshipper.

Purim: Lots, the annual festival instituted to commemorate the preservation of the Jews in Persia. Celebrated to this day.

Thoughts

Though God is not at the forefront of this story, it is believed that He is working behind the scenes directing what was going on. Like Esther finding favor with Hegai (who was in charge of the harem), being loved by the King more that the others, or the very night that Haman was plotting on how to get rid of Mordecai and the king read about what Mordecai had done for him and decided to reward him, even placing Mordecai in a position of power.

Imagine 12 months of beauty treatments! I think that spending more than ten minutes is too long, much less 12 months!

God doesn’t need us to complete his “big” plans. If you won’t do your part He will find someone who will.

Introverts Confessional: Singleness

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:00:00 +0000

God gives some the gift of marriage
and to others the gift of singleness…
A woman who is no longer married or has never been married
can be more devoted to the Lord
in body and in spirit…
1 Corinthians 7:7, 34 NLT

In the past I have always heard the “gift of singleness” talked about as if a person is gifted or talented at being single; as if being single comes easy to them. I have another idea on the subject. Marriage and singleness are both gifts from the Lord, like our family, friends, time and money. It’s something that we have, like an object that we possess or something. If you are single you have the gift of singleness and if you are married you have the gift of marriage.If the Lord decides to one day to turn your gift of singleness into a gift of marriage, then so be it.

I am single and therefore have the gift of singleness. Have I been a good steward of this gift? How have I been utilizing this gift? Do I use my time wisely or do I waste it away? I feel like I could be doing more.

Since I am single I have more time to honor God, love others, and serve all.

Since I am single I have more time to read/study the Bible and pray.

Since I am single I have more time to serve in the church and in the community.

Since I am single I have more time to spend with the people I love.

Since I am single I have more time to do the things I love.

A couple of years ago I posted a confessional about Lordship where I mentioned that I had given God lordship over my future dating relationships and placed in his hands the decisions on who and when I would date. Until I was certain of his leading I would remain single.

The first couple of years I was too busy to even think about dating, even when there was a guy I was interested in. Then I moved to New York where I didn’t know anybody except for my family and it took me a few years to find my place. The past few years though it has been getting harder, especially as I get closer to thirty.

There are times when I wish I never had prayed such things. There are times when I whine and complain to God about being single. Then there are times when I point to a guy I know and ask “What about him Lord?” Even as I handed that area of my life over to the Lord, I always assumed that one day it would happen—the man that the Lord had prepared for me and me for him would enter my life. (And we would live happily ever after)

It is because of this that I have recently given the Lord a sacrifice which has broken my heart. I have given him my dreams of marriage and children. Dreams that I have held onto since I was a child. The only dreams in my life that have remained consistent through every season of my life. If He gives them back to me one day, great; but today I will learn to be content with my singleness and seek to use it to glorify the Lord.