Changing to Meet the Truth

All this talk about Jesus' authority, but what does it mean to me? My life? My responses to situations affecting me?

A question we ask ourselves at AVEFC is: if what we learn is truth, then what do we do about it? In this subject of authority, the easy answer is to just say accept it and live your life based on it. 

Ha! I don't know about you, but I am a rebellious soul. If my dad were still around you could ask him. He could tell you some stories. In general, when told to go right I go left (part of that is dyslexia LOL). Or more importantly, if told to do or not do something, there I would be doing the opposite. A life time of that nature running rampant is hard to reel in and change.

I am independent and had raised my boys, on my own, for 8 of their in-home years. I am used to looking at things with my own logic and experience. So, my first problem is simply remembering that I am not in charge. I go off on tangents without even giving a thought to God or that I should even pray about it. Then I start seeing unintended repercussions. That's bad and at that point is when i start thinking, "Hey God, come on. A little help here." My own fault that I didn't ask in the first place!

I have written earlier on a blog that I am working on contentment and gratitude. How can I do that if I don't let God lead me? That is where I am today--learning to follow Him. That does not mean I am going off into the wild jungles (I don't think), it simply means to look to Him first. Ask what He would have me do, how to respond or just wait.

I have started my blogs for some creative freedom and to share myself with whomever reads them. I prayed about them and felt an urge to make them happen.

I am having that same urge in finding a way to make some income. There are a few avenues open to me, but I want to honor Jesus not my abilities or follow some man-made plan. So I wait.
There are a few things I am working on ATM. Things like writing a fictional book, the church website, blogs, and doing other things online. I just wrote a book for my granddaughter, and feel led to do something in the realm of relationships--marriage, family, people--putting God into it but not sure how to go forward there and a number of other things.

My ability to focus is also reflected here

Writing a fictional book takes time and I have to keep God and my family responsibilities before it. If anyone has written or been passionate about something that is not directed towards your family, you know how hard it is to keep it all balanced. I tend to do many things at once, but only focus on one or two things with full force.

Take babies for example. The baby becomes the mom's focus and the husband is often left on the periphery somewhat ignored, especially his need for serious affection from his wife. Guilty here. I didn't know that I should have had a better balance, nor did I know how if I had been aware. That is something God has shown me. That is one reason to keep God first, He helps with making my marriage good and keeping a major focus on my Frontier Hubby! That change in me, made a change in him, too. We are so much better together now than ever. When either of us takes our eyes off God, we end up fighting because it then becomes all about us. If you do not know God, that may sound really off-base, but it works! I would rather be happy in my marriage than give into my need to be the number 1, most important person in my life. Been there, done that and flopped.

So, if Jesus' authority is real what should we do about it? I try to bring myself under His authority. He is not a selfish, power hungry person. He is God, the benevolent dictator, and He is concerned about us. There is talk about if we all love each other, there would be no war. Well, if people were not involved that might work, but whoever is in power will become corrupt. It is just human nature. So how about we all look to Jesus and love Him. The rest falls into place as long as we get out of the way!

So, what are you going to do about the truth of His authority?

May you find all things new in Him,
Frontier Woman @ FrontierChristianLiving

Follow Me (some more)

I didn't want to over post on the Sunday sermon at AVEFC, but here I am. There is more. More about Jesus' authority in Mark 1:23-34.
So, here is a man (Jesus, not just any man) who has been baptised by John the Baptist. John was told by God he would know the One sent by God, because the Spirit of the Lord would stay upon him, which it did when Jesus came up out of the water. Then to give it all the more emphasis (a tiny description of the event) by God parting the heavens and stating that this was His Son, in whom He is well pleased. John then told his own disciples that this was the man he was waiting for and that they should follow Him. Before they could, Jesus went to the desert for 40 days where He prepared for his ministry, communed with God (His father), and defeated Satan with his temptations.
This time of teaching in the temple is the first act after the 40 days and gathering a few disciples. Yes, the people were amazed by the authority Jesus spoke with about scripture. Then a demon, spoke from a man possessed. The demon asked if Jesus was there to destroy them (the demons) and stated that he knew that Jesus was the Holy One of God, at which point Jesus told him to be quiet and leave. Besides the rude interruption, Jesus obviously didn't want to make a big deal of who He really was. So here and in many other places he tells demons to be quiet before they can say who He is and told people not to tell who did miracles.
But did you see it? The demons have to do as He commands. Jesus has full authority over them. Most of us peons don't even believe demons exist, but here it says they do exist and that they have to obey Jesus. An eye opener and such a good demonstration of not just power, but authority.

Simplified military command structure

If you look at the military, there is a clear chain of command. Authority must be obeyed. But what happens when a country has been overthrown? The military (if allowed to live) has to obey the new rulers. Satan and his following were sent to earth, and have done all they can to rule and destroy us. Jesus overthrew any dominion Satan had, becoming earth's ruler. We just live in a time where the defeated Satan is still around and trying to win back any authority we will give him. When Christ returns we will see what it is like to live in a world that Jesus reigns over without Satan's interruptions, like the demon did in the temple when Jesus first taught after His baptism.
Did you know that in Christ you have the same authority over demons? But that is another topic for another day.
As part of the ruse to win any authority we will give him and hide the earth's new ruler to us, Satan keeps his minions busy telling us they, themselves, don't exist (that has to be the best lie ever), that God doesn't exist, and that we are only animals, higher up in the chain of evolution. That means we don't know that we have authority over Satan through Jesus. The name alone is to be obeyed, that is how much power it has. But as soldiers in Jesus' army, with the help of the Holy Spirit in us, we can know when Satan and his demons attack us or others and use the Word of God against him.
His Authority. Who can stand against it? None!

May you find all things new in Him,
Frontier Woman @ FrontierChristianLiving