Spiritual Resolution Ideas

Since it is almost the New Year, I did some research to make an idea list for New Year's Resolutions. I searched the Internet to find ideas that will help improve our spiritual lives.

• Resolve to be a missionary right where you are: your work place, neighborhood, school, congregation.
• Resolve to include Jesus in all parts of your life
  
• Resolve to equip yourself for the Spiritual battle that is taking place in your life, with more prayer and more Bible study.
• Resolve to work together as Christians, supporting one big ministry for God, instead of competing with each other.
• Resolve to cut back or remove spiritually negative influences on your life: TV, music, entertainment, negative people.
• Resolve to serve God every day.
  
• Resolve to pray for your husband on a regular basis, even when you're mad at him.
• Resolve to deal with the emotional problems that keep you at an unhealthy weight, which negatively influences your spiritual growth.
• Resolve to manage money better, so that there will be more to give to God's work.
  
• Resolve to pray for your children, minister to your children, pray that your children will grow up to serve God.
• Resolve to follow God's will for your life, to fulfill His goals for you.
• Resolve to forgive and get rid of the bitterness that can destroy you.
• Resolve to not become proud of your spiritual growth and wisdom, but to give God the glory.
• Resolve to let your Christian light shine, ask yourself - What would Jesus do?
• Resolve to encourage and pray for Christians in their ministry - pastors, church workers, volunteers, missionaries, Christian teachers, and any Christian ministry worker.
• Resolve to rely on God's strength to help you, instead of worldly advice or trying to comfort yourself with an unhealthy addiction.
• Resolve to learn from your mistakes and to grow spiritually, instead of letting them discourage you.
• Resolve to base your decisions on what the Bible says, instead of what the culture says is okay.
• Resolve to have patience with everyone in your life: children, husband, church members, co-workers, etc.
• Resolve to be thankful to God for his - unconditional love, provision, and guidance - even if you don't feel it.

Being Consistent About OurTime With God

My daughter and I are reading A Young Woman After God's Own Heart. In chapter 2, Elizabeth George writes about Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators ministry.

"He once spent five days interviewing candidates for overseas missionary service. He spent a half hour with each one, asking specifically about their devotional life. Sadly, only one person out of 29 interviewed said his devotional life was a constant in his life, a source of strength, guidance, and refreshment. As Trotman continued to probe into the lives of those men and women planning a lifetime of service for God, he found that never since they had come to know the Lord had they ever had a consistent devotional life."

If this was the case for 28 out of 29 missionary applicants, I wonder how true it is for others in Christian ministry work. Do our pastors, Christian leaders, and other ministry workers struggle with having a consistent time with the Lord? I imagine that the effectiveness of their ministry must be lacking if they don't have a regular time of prayer, Bible reading, and worship with Him.

This got me thinking about a ministry that is common among many women - raising children in a Christian home. If we don't have a consistent time with God, worshiping Him and growing spiritually, how effective is our ministry to our children? If we can't succeed with the ministry God has given to us, of raising our children, He can't trust us with other ministry work that could have an impact on a greater amount of people.

The Pursuit of Holiness

Holiness is ... conforming to the character of God and obedience to the will of God. Jesus is our perfect example of holiness.

For most of my life, I have been a Christian - believing that Jesus died on the cross to save me from my sin's. But, I never really thought that He required very much out of me. Basically, I ignored Bible verses like:

Romans 8:13-14 For if you live by it's (your sinful nature's) dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

1 John 1:6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.

1 Peter 2:21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

My husband and I just recently realized this need for holiness. A few months ago, he talked with one of our pastors about why Christians have such a struggle with sin. The pastor said that the reason we even struggle with this sin is because we are not pursuing holiness. If Christians would grow in holiness, then they would stop being a slave to their sinful nature.

That basic statement from Pastor Wayne motivated my husband to get the book and study guide - The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. We've been learning about holiness together. There is verse after verse in the Bible telling us that growing in holiness is not an option for the Christian. If we are a Christian and Christ is Lord of our life, then we will need to pursue holiness.

Holiness in not an option for Christians.
We have a responsibility to pursue holiness and to live a holy life. We must obey and do our part to resist temptation and not sin. We are responsible for our sinful thoughts, attitudes, and actions. But we can not pursue holiness without the help and the strength of the God.

What God does for us concerning holiness:

• He delivers us from the reign of sin.
• He unites us with Christ.
• He has the Holy Spirit reveal our sin to us.
• He has the Holy Spirit give us a desire for holiness.
• He strengthens us as we fight sin and pursue holiness.

What we are to do concerning holiness:

• Submit to God.
• Choose to stop sinning
• Avoid the temptation to sin.
• Accept the fact that we are responsible for out thoughts, attitudes, and actions.
• Pray and rely on the Holy Spirit to help us grow in holiness and point out our sins.
  
• Read the Bible to develop convictions about sin.
• Make a disciplined plan to read the Bible, think about it, and apply what it says.
• Fill our minds with good, pure, and praiseworthy things.
• Obey God's will for us.
• Not get discouraged over failures. Repent and keep going forward.
  

Some Bible Verses about Holy Living
Hebrews 12:14
Ephesians 4:30
1 Thessalonians 4:7
Titus 2:11-12
Psalm 15:1-5
Psalm 32:3-4
Isaiah 64:6-7
Matthew 1:21
Matthew 7:21-23
1 Corinthians 1:2
2 Corinthians 5:17
Ephesians 1:4
James 2:14-26
1 John 3:2-5
Hebrews 12:14
2 Peter 3:14
Psalm 66:18
2 Timothy 2:21

Holiness by Sonicflood

What Can I Sacrifice (or Surrender) for God?

This is what God is concerned about:

• that we have hearts that say "Yes" to Him
• that we sacrificially lay down our lives for Him and believe that it's worth it to do so

"For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God." Hebrews 13:14-16

God does not expect all of us to sacrifice the same thing. It will be different for each of us.

Maybe God wants you to sacrifice (or surrender):

• a good paying career to do a Christian related job or ministry
  
• your free time to spend more time ministering to your kids or serving God
  
• your TV time to read devotions and the Bible to your children or yourself
• your hobbies to spend more encouraging and supporting your husband
• your bitterness and unforgiving attitude to pray for and encourage your husband
• the trust that you place in your money in order to trust in God's provision for you
• your worrying in order to step out and follow God's will for your life
• your job in order to homeschool your children
• materialism or your financial security in order to give more money to God
• your past hurts to concentrate on Jesus and the needs of others
  
• your personal dream to support your husband in his dream
• an addiction to trust God to help you and comfort you

What is God calling you to sacrifice in your life?

Worship Video: Take My Life by Chris Tomlin

True Woman '08 Conference Online

This past weekend was the True Woman conference. It's available to listen to online for free.

The conference was about: embracing womanhood, trusting and surrendering to God, living a God-centered life, sacrificing, praying, and how to deal with fear and suffering.

Speakers were:

• Nancy Leigh DeMoss
• Pastor John Piper
• Mary Kassian
• Karen Loritts
• Joni Tada
• Janet Parshall

You can also get DVDs of the conference and show them at your church or to your women's Bible study.

Women are invited to participate and join the True Woman Movement online. You can do the 30-Day True Woman Make-Over. This is an email journey that will make you over from the inside out and help make you the woman God made you to be.

At the conference, 6000 women signed the True Woman Manifesto. You can read it and sign it online.

The Prosperity Gospel - Giving False Hope

What is it?

• All Christians have the ability to become healthy, wealthy, prosperous and never in need.
• You get to speak what you want in the name of Jesus, and it will become a reality.
  
• This obligates God to give you what you want.
• You can have whatever you want if you use the right spiritual words with the right kind of faith.
• If you're not experiencing prosperity, then it is your own fault.
• Thinking positive will keep the negative from actually happening to you.
• If you admit to something negative, then you can bring that negative thing into being.
• You don't know for sure what you're going to have in heaven, so you'd better get all you can here on Earth.
• Humans use God, rather than God uses humans to do His work.
• God is not Lord of all, we must release Him to work

Many people around the world believe this false teaching. It is especially popular when the economy isn't doing well. As people struggle financially to make ends meet they may turn to Prosperity Theology out of desperation. Some turn to it out of pure greed.

Proverbs 14:12 tells us that - "There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death."

And 2 Corinthians 11:13 warns us - "These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ."

Scripture Out of Context

The Prosperity Gospel (or Prosperity Theology) is based on faulty biblical interpretation. Followers take scripture out of context and twist the words to support health and wealth. Twisting scripture is very dangerous; this is how cults get started. We must read the message of the Bible correctly. It disappoints God if we live our Christian lives based upon misunderstandings.

When modern mankind thinks of the word prosperous, we usually think of being financially well-off and thriving in personal success. But God meant something different when He included prosperity in the Bible. Sometimes prosperity means that God will give us all we need to grow spiritually or to do His will. Some verses about prosperity refer to the Israelites being successful in taking over the land that God had given to them.

Here are some of the verses that are taken out of context to support the belief of the Prosperity Gospel.

• Deuteronomy 8:18 "Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath."
  

• Joshua 1:8 "Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do."

• Malachi 3:10 " Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!"

• Mark 11:24 "I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours."

• John 10:10 "The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."
  

• John 14:13 "You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father."

• Matthew 7:7-8 "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."

• 1 John 5:14-15 "And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for."

The Prosperity Gospel Isn't Biblical

It totally contradicts what the Bible teaches. It supports living out our own will. It is believing that our own humanistic way is better then God's way. If we follow God's will, then God gets to make the decisions about what is best for us. Fortunately, He keeps many things from us that we mistakenly think are right for us. This kind of false teaching makes God irrelevant, and His grace obsolete.

As Christians, the Bible tells us to:

• surrender to Jesus and live according to His will - James 4:13-16 "Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil."

• seek God's will like Jesus did - Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

• trust the lord's way even when we don't understand - Proverbs 3:506 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."

• not store up earthly wealth - Matthew 6:19-21 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."

• not idolize money - Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

• be content with what we have - Philippians 4:12 "I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. Hebrews 13:5 "Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

• not love money - 1 Timothy 6:7-10 "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

• understand how difficult it is for a wealthy person to grow spiritually - Luke 18:24-25 “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

• not love materialism - 1 John 2:15 "Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you."

• follow Jesus and seek after heavenly treasure - Matthew 19:21 - Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

• avoid greed - Ephesians 5:5 "You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world." Luke 12:15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

• trust in God, not our wealth - Revelation 3:14,17 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked."

• be cautious of false teachers - 1 Timothy 6:3-5 - "If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain."

The Spiritual Danger

This false teaching is impacting Christianity negatively. It is dishonoring to God and teaches lies about who He is to unbelievers. It is like worshiping a false God. People are getting a false teaching about Christianity rather than a biblical teaching. When the name-it-claim-it thing doesn't work for people, then they feel deceived and are turned off to Christianity - even true biblical Christianity.

Christians who follow the Prosperity Gospel's teachings feel let down by God when they don't get what they want. Some feel distant from God or like they aren't spiritual enough. Instead of developing a closeness and reliance on God, these Christians are relying on themselves.

The Emotional Danger

When prosperity doesn't come, some people experience strong feelings of guilt. They believe that they are to be blamed due to their lack of faith. Their embarrassment and shame can create problems in marriages and with family members. This false guilt can lead to depression and low self worth.

Some people make incorrect decisions based on this way of thinking. These decisions can hurt themselves and others. For example: Instead of getting medical help, a person may rely only on her faith and claim healing from God. Another person may make an bad financial decision believing that more money will come if there is enough faith.

Someone is Getting Rich

There are people involved in the Prosperity Gospel that are becoming wealthy and prosperous. They are the ones that are teaching this false doctrine and selling millions of books, CDs, and DVDs about how to become financially successful. These people are living an excessive and materialistic lifestyle, yet they are supposedly doing full time ministry work for God. They see no need to apologize for their million dollar homes and excessive spending, because they consider it a blessing from God.

Is Your Church Preaching the Prosperity Gospel?

Are you going to a church that has taken the focus off of Jesus, the Bible, and God's will for us? Has your church become humanistic? Don't stay and support a church that is teaching lies. If you go to a true Bible believing and preaching church, you can grow spiritually mature and be used by the Lord. That is real prosperity.

If the Prosperity Gospel church tells you that God will punish you if you leave - this is spiritual abuse. That is what cults do to keep people from leaving. False teachers use manipulation to get you there and they use manipulation to keep you there. You need to be led by God to do the right thing, not pressured by people.

If the Holy Spirit is telling you to flee this false teaching then it is more important to obey Him. You don't have to stay because you feel that you should be loyal. Your loyalty should be to God, not to church leaders.

How to Improve the Church

Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, begin with Jesus dictating letters to John - letters to be sent to seven churches in Asia Minor (now western Turkey). In His messages to each church, Jesus complimented the church for the good that it was doing. However, He also instructed them as to what needed to be changed or improved. We can apply these directions to our own churches - even to our biggest and most popular churches that appear to have it all together.

Grow in Love

The church of Ephesus was praised for - it's hard work, patient endurance, not tolerating evil people and false apostles, suffering for Jesus without quitting, and hating the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans. Nevertheless, they were also told by Jesus “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lamp stand from its place among the churches." (Revelation 2:4-5)

Some of our churches look so great with their growing congregations, numerous activities and expanding outreaches. But, how much more the church could please the Lord if we grew and ministered in love also.

We can grow in love with Jesus as we get alone with Him daily - studying the Bible, praying to Him, and singing praises to Him. It's unbelievable how many Christians don't even read the Bible - the word of God. How can we be used by the Lord if we won't even spend time with Him improving our relationship?

We can grow in love with each other as we pray for and with other church members, console, mentor, help, encourage, show concern, include those that are less outgoing. Instead of gossiping, complaining, and judging each other we should work at loving each other. Out of a growing love we should be praying for and encouraging the salvation and spiritual growth of others. The best way to grow in love is to ask Jesus how. He will be faithful to show us.

Don't Fear Suffering

The church of Smyrna was praised for their good works and being spiritually rich despite their suffering and poverty due to being Christians. They were also commended for persevering the blasphemy of those who opposed them. Nevertheless, Jesus also had this message for them. "Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10)

Some of us suffer - social rejection, being fired from jobs and other economic hardships due to our Christian beliefs. There are even many Christian believers through out the world who experience persecution on a much more serious level. But, God can use suffering and Satan's attacks. For example: True Christianity is growing rapidly in the countries that have terrible persecution against believers. We need to remember to pray for and support our fellow Christians that are experiencing persecution. Ministries like Voice of the Martyrs gets the news about the Christians who are suffering for Christ. People are killed for converting to Christianity, pastors are imprisoned, Bibles are confiscated, Churches and Bible Colleges are destroyed, and missionaries killed.

It is an honor to suffer for Jesus Christ. He can use suffering to strengthen our spirits, glorify Himself, help others, prepare us for eternity, fulfill the plans for His will. We may not understand what He is doing, but He uses suffering for good. We need to get our eyes off our problems and focus on trusting Jesus.

Do Not Compromise

The church of Pergamum was praised for staying loyal to Jesus' name and for not denying the Christian faith despite living in such a difficult city. Nevertheless, they were also told by Jesus "You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin." (Revelation 2:14)

We still have to deal with the sin of idolatry and sexual immorality today. Some in the church are doing this and we're allowing it, we're compromising and allowing immoral conduct of our fellow believers. Sin keeps people from growing closer to the Lord. Our keeping silent excuses their behavior and doesn't encourage their growth. Our churches need to preach the truth straight from the Word of God, even if it isn't a popular modern message.

The Lord doesn't change and his biblical instructions don't change. Idolatry, sexually immorality, and all other sins are just as wrong and wicked as they were many years ago.

Do Not Become Corrupt

The church of Thyatira was praised for their love, their faith, their service, their patient endurance, and how they were improving in all these things. Nevertheless, they were told by Jesus "You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality." (Revelation 2:20-21)

Do we allow people to be in Christian leadership, knowing that they can lead others astray? I remember going to a church in which workers in the children's church were going through a divorce. What a terrible example that was for the children. I've also heard about an unmarried couple that wanted to start a new ministry at church. But they wanted to remain living together. Do we justify when we see this type of thing happening? I've heard other Christians say - "Well, we're living in a different time. That's just the way things are now."

The Lord wants us to be good witnesses to those in the church and to unbelievers. We are not to lead or follow others into sin. He wants us to stand strong against all the immorality around us. We must continue to do our good works in the church and be sure that we have godly Christians leading the congregation.

Jesus promises us - "To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, to them I will give authority over all the nations. They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star (Jesus)! (Revelation 2:26-28)

Be a Church That is Alive

The church of Sardis was only praised for having a few believers that hadn't defiled themselves with evil. Jesus told them - “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again." (Revelation 3:1-3)

When we do good things for the Lord, we need to do them with the right heart. Good works isn't enough.We need to do them out of a love for Jesus. Doing good things for God without drawing close to Him or being in the Bible won't measure up to His standards. Though our church may appear to be alive and active, it is really dead without a closeness to Jesus. Improving our relationship with Jesus should be more important than volunteering at church.

We need to guard ourselves and avoid temptation. Pursuing holiness and getting the sin out of our lives, will help our churches become alive. God can work through holy believers to create wonderful ministries in our churches - ones that will honor Him and will help others grow spiritually. And ones that will draw non Christians to the church.

Be Faithful in Evangelism

The church of Philadelphia was praised for having strength in the Lord, obeying Jesus' word, not denying Him, and for obeying His command to persevere. Jesus informed them - See, I have set before you an open door (of evangelistic opportunity), and no one can shut it. (Revelation 3:8)

Jesus opens evangelistic doors for us, too. But many times we don't even realize it. Many of us want to leave the evangelizing up to the "Called" - the missionaries. But, I don't think that is what Jesus intended for us to do. If we are Christians, it is our responsibility to evangelize and lead others to Christ, too. If you aren't ready yet to talk to someone about your faith - you can still evangelize. Invite someone to church or do one of the many ideas at EasyToEvangelize.com

Be Passionate for Jesus

The church of Laodicea was praised for nothing. Jesus just reprimanded them - “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!" (Revelation 3:15-16)

They had a poor water supply in Laodicea. So, they used an aqueduct to pipe in water from hot springs, from outside of the city. The water went into the aqueduct hot, but by the time it got to Laodicea it was lukewarm. When enemies planned to cut off the city's water supply, the Laodiceans were quick to compromise for fear of losing their water.

They also compromised and tried to play the middle ground spiritually. It was really an empty religion that they had. They appeared to be fine Christians, but they weren't really followers of Jesus at all. If they had been like hot water (on fire spiritually), Jesus could have used them to do His work. If they had been like cold water (didn't know Jesus yet), He could have sent people to witness to them. But because they thought that they were just fine spiritually (but really in the middle like lukewarm water), He couldn't reach them or use them to do His will.

Being in the middle is an insult to God. It is terrible if we give the appearance to others that we are more spiritual than we really are. Those who call themselves Christians need to take following Jesus seriously. Many who think that they are Christians will be surprised on Judgment day when they are sent to Hell.

Is your church lukewarm? Is everything pleasant, good feeling, organized, and appears to be good, but there is no zeal or passion for Jesus and growing holy? Does your church focus on what the people can do and what the people can get? There are some huge, successful churches out there preaching how to get financial prosperity and that you alone have the power to make positive changes in the world. They've taken the focus off of Jesus, the Bible, and God's will for us, and have made their churches humanistic.

Jesus loves us and He wants us to get things right. He says in Revelation 3:19-20 "I correct and discipline everyone I love. Be diligent and turn from your indifference. Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends."

He corrects us because He wants us to change. Jesus wants us to be zealous for Him. We need to stop looking at ourselves and to what the world can give us. We must look to Jesus. We can't meet our own needs and find what we really need from the world. We need Jesus. He wants us to repent and get passionate for Him.

The Wisdom of God

“Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways!” Romans 11:33

God has the ability to contrive and obtain perfect ends to His plans. With His wisdom, God makes no mistakes. He knows best and His guidance and instructions are the best.

Knowing this, why do I not consult with Him about everything?

Proverbs 2:6 tells me that "For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding."

I can gain much earthly knowledge on my own, but if I want wise guidance it must come from the Lord God. Since I can't see the end results of His plans, I should ask His advice about everything - before I write a post on my blog, discipline my children, talk to my husband about a disagreement, volunteer for a ministry at church, give money to a Christian organization.

Even though I have the head knowledge about what seems to be right, I should still talk to God about it first. He may be leading me to do something else or to do nothing at all.

I'm beginning to realize that I need to be seeking God's will on a daily basis - not just once a day, but through out the day as situations arise. Sometimes, at the end of the day or even a few weeks later, I realize that I should have consulted with God first before diving right on in. His wisdom is necessary if I want to live in His will and be used by Him.

The Importance of Herman Who?

"As Christian women, we must repudiate the worlds agenda for women and seek to understand the Words agenda for women... we must determine to be obedient to the the Word of God no matter what is says, with no compromises. This is what is means to be a woman of the Word. We must find out what the Bible teaches about marriage, about children, about men and women and their roles, and then we must be obedient with no apologies, no matter what the cost. Is this radical Christianity? No. This is basic Christianity."

-from The Fruit of Her Hands by Nancy Wilson.

Most definitely, Christian women should find out what the Bible teaches and obey it, even if it goes against our popular culture. However, I'm realizing that many Christians don't really understand what the Bible is instructing them to do. They read a section of the Bible and make it fit their situation. Some Christians interpret the Bible based on our modern culture, our current meaning of words, and even the policies of our church.

One of my pastors, Pastor Doug, loaned my husband and I a DVD called Herman Who? It is a hermeneutics primer - about the importance of interpreting the Bible properly. Oh boy, did that open my eyes. I realized that I was guilty of misinterpreting the Bible.

That DVD was one of the things that motivated me to start digging into the Bible and really studying it. The other motivator was my head pastor - Pastor Rick. He told us in a sermon that if we really are wanting to get to know the Lord better and to grow closer to Him, then we should be wanting to read His Bible more than anything else. That would be more than the latest Christian best seller or listening to what a pastor on the radio or TV has to say. He wasn't discrediting these resources, because they are important. However, a lot of times Christians skip over or skim through the Bible and give greater amounts of time to the other Christian things.

So, with the proper motivation and conviction, I started studying the Bible. Even though I've been a Christian since I was a pup and I even went to a Bible college for a year, it's like I'm discovering the Bible for the first time. I'm understanding what many of these ancient stories really mean and how their lessons apply to us today.

I like to listen to the commentary of J. Vernon McGee of Thru the Bible. He has a 5 year Bible study plan. Then I like to read that section of the Bible and compare the text in some of the different versions at BibleGateway. For even more detailed insight, I read the online notes or listen to the audio sermons of David Guzik. Understanding what the Bible really means is something that we all can do. It doesn't even require that we buy materials. All of the ones that I use are online for free.

In order to obey what God has called us Christian women to do, we need to read the message of the Bible correctly. It doesn't please God if we live our Christian lives based upon misunderstandings. I don't think that our ignorance impresses Him one bit. He expects us do dive in and find out what His Word is really calling us to do.

2 Milestones This Week

There are 2 milestones being celebrated right now - Revive Our Hearts ministry turns 7 and Nancy Leigh DeMoss turns 50. For the past 3 days, Bob Lepine has been interviewing Nancy about herself, the Revive Our Hearts ministry, and plans for the future.

If you haven't been listening to these past 3 shows, you can listen to them online. If fact, many of the past shows are available online at the Revive Our Hearts site. Nancy talks about many subjects that will help Christian women grow spiritually. Here are some of the topics that are available to still listen to:

• marriage
• a non-christian husband
• mentoring
• forgiveness
• biblical womanhood
• Christian living
• modesty
• parenting
• revival
• suffering
• relationships
• singleness

You may also be interested in Nancy's challenges:

31 Days of Praying for Your Husband

30 Day Husband Encouragement Challenge

Free Online Bible Study Materials

Thru the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee
This is a complete 5-year audio Bible study. You can join in any time. He usually rotates between an Old Testament book and a New Testament book.

Searchable Online Bibles at Bible Gateway
There are over 50 versions and 35 languages available to use. Search by keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.

Online Audio Bibles at Bible Gateway
Listen to the entire Bible online. Choose from 7 translations and 4 languages. Pick the book and chapter you want to listen to.

Classic Bible Commentaries at Bible Gateway
Choose from famous commentary writers: Calvin, Darby, Geneva, Gill, Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, Lightfoot, Johnson, Luther, Mathew Henry, Spurgeon, McGarvey and Pendleton, McGee, and Wesley

I Am - So You Don't Have to Be online Bible study at The Preacher's Wife Blog You can begin this online Bible study anytime and work at your own pace.

Lessons from Deborah

Deborah, Judge of Israel by Lakesia L. Bell

My Walk Monday

Yesterday, I was reading about Deborah in the book of Judges. I got curious as to what others thought about this story. So, I searched and read some blog posts about her.

It was very interesting to see so many different interpretations of the story. One post even said........ Deborah led, but only to promote male leadership. She actually wanted to keep herself in a subordinate role. Deborah's leadership role isn't portrayed as a good thing to be imitated by women later in history. (I'm not saying who said this, because I don't want to cause trouble.)

Hmmm. I didn't get that same message out of this Bible story. I think that God could have promoted male leadership through a man if He wanted to. Instead, God chose this woman to be a prophetess and a judge to the Israelites. Deborah made herself available to God and He used her. It was part of His will. It doesn't matter whether He chooses to use a woman or a man. If He is calling you to step into a Christian leadership role, then you'd better do it.

There is a lot of Christian work to be done, many leadership roles that aren't being filled. Is it possible that God has called Christians to fill these roles and they are not obeying? Why would He leave these important church and ministry positions vacant? I'm thinking that there may be a lot Christians ignoring the calling of the Lord.

Deborah was a good example for us. She yielded herself to God. As Christians, we just need to make ourselves available to Him. We don't need to be perfect, because He can do wonders with us when we are weak and ordinary. When God uses an imperfect nobody, He gets all of the glory for what is done.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Paul tells us - Each time He said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The story of Deborah is found in Judges 4 and 5.


Join Carolyn for the My Walk Monday Meme. Write a post about your walk with the Savior - what you learned in your devotions, what you are struggling with, a new worship song you learned, a prayer request, a new Bible study you started, a praise report … anything that is helping you grow in your relationship with the Lord.

Lessons from Rahab

My Walk Monday

Earlier last week, I read about Rahab in the book of Joshua. Israelite spies went into Jericho and they needed a place to hide out. Rahab, a prostitute, agreed to hide the two spies in her house. She even lied about it when the king's men came to her asking where they were.

Rahab helped them because she feared their God.

Joshua 2:9-11 says “I know the Lord has given you this land,” she (Rahab) told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds) when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below."

In return for helping them, she asked for her life and her family's lives to be spared during the destruction of Jericho. And the Israelites agreed that she and her family would be safe.

My Study Bible said this about Rahab's future:
"References to Rahab elsewhere in the Bible show that she gained a unique place in Jewish history. She and her family alone survived the battle of Jericho. By marrying a man named Salmon (possible a relative of the hero Caleb), she became a direct ancestor of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). The authors of James (2:25) and Hebrews (11:31) hold up Rahab as an example of faith."

Matthew 1:5 "Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse."

James 2:25 "Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road."

Hebrews 11:31 "It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies."

I find it quite interesting that right before the destruction of Jericho, a prostitute made a decision that ended up sparing her and her family's lives and resulted in her becoming an ancestor of Jesus. God is wanting all of us to make the right decisions that will honor Him. Even if we are big sinners, He can forgive us and save us through Jesus, and use us to do His work.

This makes me think about how important decisions are. I need to be living in God's will daily, asking Him for wisdom and guidance to make the best decisions.


Join Carolyn for the My Walk Monday Meme. Write a post about your walk with the Savior - what you learned in your devotions, what you are struggling with, a new worship song you learned, a prayer request, a new Bible study you started, a praise report … anything that is helping you grow in your relationship with the Lord.

Lessons from Joshua

"Last night, I started a new Bible study with J. Vernon McGee. I'm going to read the book of Joshua for the first time. I've only studied the first chapter, but already I can tell that this book is going to be exciting.

Moses died at the end of Deuteronomy and now God has called Joshua to take over - to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. God tells Joshua 3 times, within verses 6 - 9, "be strong and courageous". I'm thinking that Joshua must have been a bit terrified about his new leadership role. But, God called him to do something and God always gives us the ability to do what He's called us to do. We have to trust Him, even when we doubt our own abilities. When God uses us, He works through us. He makes it happen.

This is my favorite part in Chapter 1. God says to Joshua:

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-9

Like Joshua, God wants me to prosper and succeed in my work for Him. But how can I prosper unless I study His instruction book. I need Bible study to become a priority if I want the Lord to use me for His service.


Join Carolyn for the My Walk Monday Meme. Write a post about your walk with the Savior - what you learned in your devotions, what you are struggling with, a new worship song you learned, a prayer request, a new Bible study you started, a praise report … anything that is helping you grow in your relationship with the Lord.

Alluring, Restoration, and Blessings

Tuesdays in Other Words Meme

This week's writing prompt is:

Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. Hosea 2:14

I needed a bit of help understanding this section of Hosea before I was ready to write. Pastor J. Vernon McGee's Thru the Bible commentary was helpful to me.

Hosea 2 goes on to say in verse 15 "There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt."

J. Vernon McGee explained that The Valley of Achor is where God judged the Israelites sin. It is in Achor where the Israelites learned important lessons and were restored. Verse 15 says that God will also bless the Israelites in Achor. However, this is a prophecy yet to be fulfilled. Ancient Achor is near Shechem and is still controlled by Arabs.

The Message version explains vs. 14 and 15 like this "I'm going to start all over again. I'm taking her back out into the wilderness where we had our first date, and I'll court her. I'll give her bouquets of roses. I'll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope. She'll respond like she did as a young girl, those days when she was fresh out of Egypt."

Although these verses were written about the Israelites, they can provide lessons for all Christians. God wants to get us away from our temptations to sin. Once we let Him deal with our sins and restore us, then we will be ready to participate in His perfect will for our lives and to receive His blessing.

I've spent many years wondering why God didn't bless me. I said the special prayer of salvation and tried to live a good life. However, I've realized this past year that God isn't interested in me performing the bare necessities for Him. He wants me to consciously stop sinning on a daily business, to grow closer to Him, to study His word and to spend time with Him, to serve Him and follow His will daily.

I want the Lord to start all over with me - to allure me and draw me close to Him. I want Him to restore me and give me a passion to serve Him. I'd like for Him to bless me, when He sees fit. The Israelites still haven't received their blessing in Achor, so I understand that my blessing my take awhile to come. But I have all of eternity.

Heather at Titus 2 Woman is hosting Tuesdays in Other Words this week.


A Sermon for Hosea Chapter 2

Growing Closer to God

Tuesdays in Other Words Meme

One of the most wonderful things about knowing God is that there's always so much more to know, so much more to discover.Just when we least expect it, He intrudes into our neat and tidy notions about who He is and how He works.

~ by Joni Eareckson Tada ~

My husband is back from his business trip. His 3 week trip turned into a 2 1/2 months. Though there are negatives, I want to write about something positive that came out of this long separation.

God used these past months to show more of Himself to us. I didn't realize this for awhile though. When we first knew that my husband would be gone for a lot longer than we had anticipated, my initial thoughts were - "This can't be part of God's will for us. God would never want a man to be away from his family for so long. It will hurt the children. Since he has the van, we won't be able to go to church for a few months. God wouldn't want us to not go to church, especially since we volunteer."

I had it figured out - logically. But, God doesn't execute His will with human logic. He knew that my husband and I needed time apart from each other - time to grow spiritually. Without my husband around, I spent more time learning about the Lord, worshiping Him, praying, and reading the Bible. I thought about the things that I want to do for God, and how I want to use my time to make an eternal difference.

When my husband came back, I quickly realized that he had gone through a time of growth, too. God taught and encouraged him. He came back with more passion and ideas for how he wants to serve the Lord. I can tell by the way that he is talking that God made an impact on his way of thinking.

God shook up our lives a bit. It was an inconvenient and lonely time for us. But it was also a time when God showed us more of who He is. There is so much more to learn about Him and we need to spend the rest of our lives growing closer to Him. God has a plan for us and I believe that He is encouraging us to trust Him with the timing and the details. He wants us to concentrate on growing stronger spiritually and surrendering ourselves to His will.

Read more posts about this quote at Susan's blog - Forever His

Making Time for Christ

Tuesdays in Other Words Meme

We must assess our thoughts and beliefs and reckon whether they are moving us closer to conformity to Christ or farther away from it.

~ by John Ortberg ~

I've found that if I want to be more Christlike, then I must reject some other things in my life. Naturally, I need to do away with those things that are sinful. However, I've been realizing that I need to be more balanced in all the good areas of my life, too. Visiting Christian blogs, reading Christian books, listening to the Christian radio station are all very helpful as I grow closer to Christ. But, I have way too much that I want to do and read, and not enough time.

Pastor Rick got my attention when he preached on this topic at our church. He told us that all of these Christian materials are beneficial, but they don't replace reading the Bible and praying with the Lord. I wish that I had taken notes as he preached. I can't remember all of his points or the scriptures that he referenced. However, he got this one significant message through to me.

That sermon was so convicting and whenever I find myself running out of time at the end of the night, my conscience gets to me. I'll blog for hours - reading inspirational posts and worshiping with Christian YouTube videos. But if I haven't gotten to my Bible study or had some alone time talking with Jesus, I start to feel a prompting to do so. I don't want to just know about Jesus, I want to have a personal relationship with Him. That means that I must reject some of the other things that I want to do in order to spend time with Him.