Wow, it has been a while since I posted. Please forgive me. God has been working in my life more than I could ever have imagined.
I could not say that God has commanded me to be silent. It just seems to have worked out that way. I got a gentle nudging to post so here I am.
There has certainly been a lot going on. Our church got its tent up and we have been meeting there on Sunday Mornings. The service has changed to 10:30 AM (was 9:30) due to the cold weather as we need to warm the tent up hours before starting service. Last Sunday we could see our breath as we sang! Brrr! Don't think I have seen a pastor with a beanie and gloves on while preaching the Word either!
There was a terrible forest fire near us in August. There were two huge fires that threatened the Aeneas Valley for over a month, the Tunk complex and the Northstar complex. Both were south of the valley, but from the east and west sides and were about to meet. God showed up. The firefighters were amazed that the fire would threaten the ridges that would allow the fire to overtake the valley and the flames would die down as if not allowed to go further. Many of us evacuated as the valley was on level 3 evac notice. That means get out now.
We left and gave it to God. Our travels are a story in and of themselves which I will not go into here. Let's just say that God was with us in every step, along every mile and with every situation. Praise the Lord! All is well in the valley as the fire went around the sides of us. Others were not so lucky and need our prayers and help.
Frontier Hubby (FH) and I took a break from Growth group meetings. These are discipleship meetings to help others grow into small group, home-meeting leaders. Awesome time of fellowship and learning how to incorporate God into our lives!
We are starting growth group meetings again. Just one. We said we had thought about it and a bunch of people said, "How about Thursday?" People are hungry for God and fellowship.
In the next few months, FH and I are looking to start a marriage solidarity group. It's purpose is to bring couples together stronger than ever. It is a Christ centered ministry. FH and I have experienced a tremendous leap in the strength of our marriage (it was spiraling downwards) as we have put God first and gotten some good information. This helps to mend us more and more into the oneness mentioned in the Bible. We expect the sessions to be about four months long if we meet weekly for 2-4 hours. No start date or curriculum is finalized.
There are announcements being made this Sunday at the church. Important ones. Please be there if you can. For location and other church related info, visit avefc.org.
May you find all things new in Him,
Frontier Woman @ FrontierChristianLiving
Showing posts with label Lord. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lord. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Monday, April 20, 2015
Snowy Day Proves it is Not Spring Yet
Silly conclusion isn't it? Looking at a day in time does not prove the season. Yet that is how science makes conclusions now and usually how we make conclusions too.
Is the Bible true? This is an eternal questions with eternal consequences. I do not pretend to be so knowledgeable to give a grand and fully reasoned answer. All I can offer is my experience (in a very shortened version) and another question.
I had my doubts. I thought maybe God's days were longer than ours. I have reasoned that God uses parables to teach and that maybe the Bible was just a collection of stories. Maybe God is so distant from us, that we don't matter to Him, it's just us against the world.
Then, I found some teaching that presented the Bible as fact. They read the stories as if we were a part of them. What were the people in the stories thinking, experiencing? How did they feel and what did they do right or wrong? Easy to see when sitting in a pew, but what if that was us? It's like the difference between playing football and sitting on the couch telling the players what they should be doing. The stories such as Jonah came to life like a movie and Frontier Hubby and I would talk for hours, sometimes days afterwards.
OK, if you are bored jumped down to the section after the line to read the second question.
There is a whole 'nother discussion about creation vs. evolution that I cannot do justice. It boils down to your underlying belief system. Science in no way disproves God. It totally depends on your basis of belief. In fact, there are a lot of scientific proofs for God and creation. Here is a website that discusses scientific finds from both perspectives. creationrevolution.com
I loved physics and biology in school. Loved them. I was fascinated by how things worked and getting down into cell structures and reproduction, how muscles worked, how the body was put together and all that was of great interest. I liked physics for how it showed how things worked. It also showed me the difference from hypothesis (educated guess), theory (testable guess) and law (proven consistency when tested). I could apply laws and theories to things in nature and get an outcome. Cause and effect. Story of my life in a way.
Now, I see these words tossed around like people do not understand their meaning. The "Big Bang Theory" can only be a hypothesis since it cannot be tested, but hypothesis does not sound strong enough. Global warming can only be a hypothesis too as it is a suggested conclusion to some facts that many scientist (even some who worked on the project) do not agree with. The world goes through heat and cold cycles over years. In the 70s we were told an ice age is coming and that no one could live north of California by the year 2000. Doesn't that sound silly now? But it was what the people were told to get laws made and give the government more control. Same 'ole same 'ole.
So what has all that to do with the Bible? I believe God shows Himself in His works. Go out and visit the mountains, deserts, beaches, rivers, valleys and such where there is little or no sign of man. Wow, it is breathtaking. Look in a microscope at a cell reproducing. The complexity of all things individually and then together, shout there is a God.
Spiritually, I have had a couple of scary moments that I could only describe as spiritual attacks and the instant I finally got the name "Jesus" out of my mouth, the attacks were gone. That convinced me right then and there that there is an unseen world.
Now as I read in the Bible, I can see God is consistent, yet surprising. He is loving, yet just. He had a plan from the beginning and it works.
I read a book, Cold-Case Christianity, that was written by a guy who was actually out to prove Jesus didn't exist and even if he did, Jesus was not the Son of God. He was a cold case detective and started reading the first books of the New Testament. He used his skills from his job to read the testimonies of the gospel writers. What he did convinced himself that Jesus was real and that God is the one represented in the Bible. He states that you have to go into any evaluation with an open mind and let the evidence take you where it will. Deciding beforehand that someone is guilty, does not bring justice. It only brings your own desires into play. There are a lot of stories about people who set out to disprove God exists by reading the Bible and God shows up. It's awesome.
------------------------------------------------
So why did I write all the above? Because of the second question I have. We ask ourselves this at church and growth groups (small Bible studies that review Sunday's sermon.)
"If the Bible is true, what does that mean to us?"
If God is God and he is the personal, caring God that the Bible represents Him as, shouldn't we somehow change? That question has rocked my world. I want to just fit Him into my life and keep on doing things my way, but that question makes me stop and wonder what it is that I have to change to fit better into His world.
How have the changes that I have been making affected me?
1. My marriage is better. Frontier Hubby was a diehard atheist and even he came to see the reality of God through Jesus since we have been in Aeneas Valley. We both have made Biblical principle based changes into our marriage. Our fighting is reduced to about 10% of what it was and is less emotionally harmful to each other.
2. We have a lot of friends. Now, understand I have had a few friends all my life and make new friends fairly easily. Frontier Hubby does not like people that much. In fact, we moved here to "get away" from everyone. But God in His infinite wisdom has put us in a place that has a multitude of exceptionally bright people in similar circumstances. They have built, with God's help, an extensive community interwoven with folks of different backgrounds and skills that help each other and get along fairly well. They are a blessing to us!
3. I am growing emotionally and spiritually. I look to God much more often. I love people more than ever. I am so grateful for what I have and no longer feel like I need more to be happy. These are all works in process and I feel like I am improving in so many ways I cannot write about them all.
If you are interested in learning more about God but have been put-off by hypocritical Christians, find a church that isn't put-offing. They are out there like AVEFC. It is worth the effort!
Are we going to change our life to be more like what God wants us to be? How? Each lesson we learn helps us do just that and that is the purpose of this blog, to share what I am learning.
May you find all things new in Him,
Frontier Woman @ FrontierChristianLiving
Is the Bible true? This is an eternal questions with eternal consequences. I do not pretend to be so knowledgeable to give a grand and fully reasoned answer. All I can offer is my experience (in a very shortened version) and another question.
I had my doubts. I thought maybe God's days were longer than ours. I have reasoned that God uses parables to teach and that maybe the Bible was just a collection of stories. Maybe God is so distant from us, that we don't matter to Him, it's just us against the world.
Then, I found some teaching that presented the Bible as fact. They read the stories as if we were a part of them. What were the people in the stories thinking, experiencing? How did they feel and what did they do right or wrong? Easy to see when sitting in a pew, but what if that was us? It's like the difference between playing football and sitting on the couch telling the players what they should be doing. The stories such as Jonah came to life like a movie and Frontier Hubby and I would talk for hours, sometimes days afterwards.
OK, if you are bored jumped down to the section after the line to read the second question.
There is a whole 'nother discussion about creation vs. evolution that I cannot do justice. It boils down to your underlying belief system. Science in no way disproves God. It totally depends on your basis of belief. In fact, there are a lot of scientific proofs for God and creation. Here is a website that discusses scientific finds from both perspectives. creationrevolution.com
I loved physics and biology in school. Loved them. I was fascinated by how things worked and getting down into cell structures and reproduction, how muscles worked, how the body was put together and all that was of great interest. I liked physics for how it showed how things worked. It also showed me the difference from hypothesis (educated guess), theory (testable guess) and law (proven consistency when tested). I could apply laws and theories to things in nature and get an outcome. Cause and effect. Story of my life in a way.
Now, I see these words tossed around like people do not understand their meaning. The "Big Bang Theory" can only be a hypothesis since it cannot be tested, but hypothesis does not sound strong enough. Global warming can only be a hypothesis too as it is a suggested conclusion to some facts that many scientist (even some who worked on the project) do not agree with. The world goes through heat and cold cycles over years. In the 70s we were told an ice age is coming and that no one could live north of California by the year 2000. Doesn't that sound silly now? But it was what the people were told to get laws made and give the government more control. Same 'ole same 'ole.
So what has all that to do with the Bible? I believe God shows Himself in His works. Go out and visit the mountains, deserts, beaches, rivers, valleys and such where there is little or no sign of man. Wow, it is breathtaking. Look in a microscope at a cell reproducing. The complexity of all things individually and then together, shout there is a God.
Spiritually, I have had a couple of scary moments that I could only describe as spiritual attacks and the instant I finally got the name "Jesus" out of my mouth, the attacks were gone. That convinced me right then and there that there is an unseen world.
Now as I read in the Bible, I can see God is consistent, yet surprising. He is loving, yet just. He had a plan from the beginning and it works.
I read a book, Cold-Case Christianity, that was written by a guy who was actually out to prove Jesus didn't exist and even if he did, Jesus was not the Son of God. He was a cold case detective and started reading the first books of the New Testament. He used his skills from his job to read the testimonies of the gospel writers. What he did convinced himself that Jesus was real and that God is the one represented in the Bible. He states that you have to go into any evaluation with an open mind and let the evidence take you where it will. Deciding beforehand that someone is guilty, does not bring justice. It only brings your own desires into play. There are a lot of stories about people who set out to disprove God exists by reading the Bible and God shows up. It's awesome.
------------------------------------------------
So why did I write all the above? Because of the second question I have. We ask ourselves this at church and growth groups (small Bible studies that review Sunday's sermon.)
"If the Bible is true, what does that mean to us?"
If God is God and he is the personal, caring God that the Bible represents Him as, shouldn't we somehow change? That question has rocked my world. I want to just fit Him into my life and keep on doing things my way, but that question makes me stop and wonder what it is that I have to change to fit better into His world.
How have the changes that I have been making affected me?
1. My marriage is better. Frontier Hubby was a diehard atheist and even he came to see the reality of God through Jesus since we have been in Aeneas Valley. We both have made Biblical principle based changes into our marriage. Our fighting is reduced to about 10% of what it was and is less emotionally harmful to each other.
2. We have a lot of friends. Now, understand I have had a few friends all my life and make new friends fairly easily. Frontier Hubby does not like people that much. In fact, we moved here to "get away" from everyone. But God in His infinite wisdom has put us in a place that has a multitude of exceptionally bright people in similar circumstances. They have built, with God's help, an extensive community interwoven with folks of different backgrounds and skills that help each other and get along fairly well. They are a blessing to us!
3. I am growing emotionally and spiritually. I look to God much more often. I love people more than ever. I am so grateful for what I have and no longer feel like I need more to be happy. These are all works in process and I feel like I am improving in so many ways I cannot write about them all.
If you are interested in learning more about God but have been put-off by hypocritical Christians, find a church that isn't put-offing. They are out there like AVEFC. It is worth the effort!
Are we going to change our life to be more like what God wants us to be? How? Each lesson we learn helps us do just that and that is the purpose of this blog, to share what I am learning.
May you find all things new in Him,
Frontier Woman @ FrontierChristianLiving
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Easter Sunday
This service was one that I think many people will remember. Pastor Shane showed us the perspective of the criminal on another cross, the one who acknowledge Jesus. The Holy Spirit was sweet and convicting. Easter always brings up in me what Jesus went through on the cross. This offered an aspect I had not seen before. How even through the horrid pain He was suffering, He was able to give the criminal salvation and hope. WOW!
Songs:
Joyful
Crown Him
Jesus Loves Me
Above All
Jesus Messiah
We started with a reading of Psalm 139. This is a psalm where David says "Lord search my heart . . ."
Luke 23: 32-43
This seems to be a time of reflection for me. I do not have many words to write. I highly recommend you take some time to watch the video. You can do so at avefc.org and pick the video from 4/5/15.
As Jesus hung from the cross, there was a lot of mocking going on from different groups: the crowd, rulers, soldiers, and a criminal also hanging on a cross. But the other criminal rebuked him, confessed his sin, then asked to be remembered by Jesus. It was a really beautiful moment of faith and by that faith he was saved. There was a lot packed into this message, so please watch the video and God bless you.We missed the previous Sunday as we were traveling over the weekend. So I did not post last week. We did go over it in our growth groups and got a lot out of it. It is also posted in the same place as the Easter service. Mark 2:13-17 on 3/22/15.
May you find all things new in Him,
Frontier Woman @ FrontierChristianLiving
Monday, March 16, 2015
A Cleansing of Sorts
Today is beautiful. It is a day of sunshine after a day of snow and rain. The land has a clean white covering. A lot like what Jesus has done for us on the cross. This snow covering will bring new life with it as it waters the plants over time as Jesus is our living water.
The AVEFC camera was broken, so we do not have video. This post might be a little longer so I can capture as much as possible for us. Still, I am giving you Pastor Shane's sermon from my perspective with my thoughts during and after the service.
Songs:
Blessed be Your Name
Crown Him
I Will Rise
Exalted
March 15, Mark 1:40-45. A leper came begging Jesus to heal him if He would. The man submitted himself to Jesus' will. He was humble and desperate. Being a leper meant being cut off from life and all you hold dear: family, friends, home, land, job, everything. They lived in a cave dependent on others for food and clothing, yet no one would go near them. And to the Jews, touching a leper was like touching a dead thing and you had to be cleansed at the temple using special rights. It was a big deal. For a leper to leave their cave to wander the streets was also a big deal, yet this one came to Jesus to ask for healing.
Jesus felt compassion. Do we?
Touching the leper, Jesus said "I will." He wants to heal us. "Be clean!" He commanded. The leprosy left and he was cured. The word cured here also means cleansed.
Jesus then sent him away with instructions to go to the temple, show the priest, make his required sacrifices and to tell NO one about this. Well, just like the rest of us, he went away not following instructions. Apparently, he never made it to the temple. He was told to show the priest. He did not. Was there a specific response that Jesus wanted from that priest? We will never know. The leper was told to make the sacrifices for his cleansing but he did not. As Jesus had not died yet, the sacrifices were still in place.
Jesus was trying to keep His notoriety low, but the leper told everyone. Jesus had to stay out of towns, where He wanted to teach because of the pressing crowds.
We silly people get excited and dance away from a divine experience, jabbering to anyone who will stand still long enough to hear. Do we look to God for His will at that point? Probably not. Our joy and the thrill of seeing God work overcomes us. His timing is perfect and we get in the way. He being all powerful can still circumvent the disobedience, but the impact may not be what He wanted. He still gives us free will and in doing so is probably constantly making up for our downfalls. He is a gracious God.
Can you imagine being a disciple at this time? They agreed to follow a rabbi. Priests taught about God. This one acts like God. How does someone comprehend what they are seeing. Are they questioning the daunting task of healing and casting out demons themselves someday? That was not done, much like our times. I bet there was a lot of backroom discussions between them.
Some other scriptures regarding the word that was used for cured: Matt 4:24, 1 Jphn 1:7, Heb 9:22-23, Acts 15:9.
Jesus is the source of healing. He does not worry about catching "it" whatever the sickness is. 1 Cor 6:9-11 tells us how we are sinners and lists some of the yuck we come from. Then the cleansing word is used again in 11. "You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." Washed, sanctified and justified. Jesus and the Holy Spirit cleansed us as though we had gone through the process of sacrifice at the temple.
So here is where things get a little tougher. If this study is true, if Jesus was here on earth to heal us and bring hope, what should our response be? More than just a cursory thank you and move on I should hope.
What is it like to follow Jesus? Like nothing on earth that is for sure.
We should be praying to be used for the kingdom no matter where it leads. He wants us to be ready to leave everything; that does not mean he asks us to actually do it. But there is a letting go of ownership and control that is difficult to do, but His blessings outweigh any loss.
We should empty ourselves like Jesus did for God. Offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God to cleanse and use us as He sees fit. I feel so far from there.
I am beginning to pray with less hesitation to be in His will. There is a feeling of awe and wonder at what that might entail. Will I be asked to give up my home and family? Oh, I hope not. That is my Achilles heel so to speak. I don't feel like that is what He will be asking. I think He wants me to get out of my comfort zone and speak up. That is certainly not my nature and will be all Him. I am drawn to the concept of healing and pray that someday I will know why He is putting healing in my path. Maybe just to have a better understanding. Maybe someday He will have me pray for a healing and I can watch Him work. I just want to be in His will so I am praying for that.
On another note, God has given me some wonderful friends here. Seems lately that they are going through some very rough times. I ask you help me pray for them. Just ask, God knows who they are and the circumstances. Thank you.
May you find all things new in Him,
Frontier Woman @ FrontierChristianLiving
The AVEFC camera was broken, so we do not have video. This post might be a little longer so I can capture as much as possible for us. Still, I am giving you Pastor Shane's sermon from my perspective with my thoughts during and after the service.
Songs:
Blessed be Your Name
Crown Him
I Will Rise
Exalted
March 15, Mark 1:40-45. A leper came begging Jesus to heal him if He would. The man submitted himself to Jesus' will. He was humble and desperate. Being a leper meant being cut off from life and all you hold dear: family, friends, home, land, job, everything. They lived in a cave dependent on others for food and clothing, yet no one would go near them. And to the Jews, touching a leper was like touching a dead thing and you had to be cleansed at the temple using special rights. It was a big deal. For a leper to leave their cave to wander the streets was also a big deal, yet this one came to Jesus to ask for healing.
Jesus felt compassion. Do we?
Touching the leper, Jesus said "I will." He wants to heal us. "Be clean!" He commanded. The leprosy left and he was cured. The word cured here also means cleansed.
Jesus then sent him away with instructions to go to the temple, show the priest, make his required sacrifices and to tell NO one about this. Well, just like the rest of us, he went away not following instructions. Apparently, he never made it to the temple. He was told to show the priest. He did not. Was there a specific response that Jesus wanted from that priest? We will never know. The leper was told to make the sacrifices for his cleansing but he did not. As Jesus had not died yet, the sacrifices were still in place.Jesus was trying to keep His notoriety low, but the leper told everyone. Jesus had to stay out of towns, where He wanted to teach because of the pressing crowds.
We silly people get excited and dance away from a divine experience, jabbering to anyone who will stand still long enough to hear. Do we look to God for His will at that point? Probably not. Our joy and the thrill of seeing God work overcomes us. His timing is perfect and we get in the way. He being all powerful can still circumvent the disobedience, but the impact may not be what He wanted. He still gives us free will and in doing so is probably constantly making up for our downfalls. He is a gracious God.
Can you imagine being a disciple at this time? They agreed to follow a rabbi. Priests taught about God. This one acts like God. How does someone comprehend what they are seeing. Are they questioning the daunting task of healing and casting out demons themselves someday? That was not done, much like our times. I bet there was a lot of backroom discussions between them.
Some other scriptures regarding the word that was used for cured: Matt 4:24, 1 Jphn 1:7, Heb 9:22-23, Acts 15:9.
Jesus is the source of healing. He does not worry about catching "it" whatever the sickness is. 1 Cor 6:9-11 tells us how we are sinners and lists some of the yuck we come from. Then the cleansing word is used again in 11. "You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." Washed, sanctified and justified. Jesus and the Holy Spirit cleansed us as though we had gone through the process of sacrifice at the temple.
So here is where things get a little tougher. If this study is true, if Jesus was here on earth to heal us and bring hope, what should our response be? More than just a cursory thank you and move on I should hope.
What is it like to follow Jesus? Like nothing on earth that is for sure.
We should be praying to be used for the kingdom no matter where it leads. He wants us to be ready to leave everything; that does not mean he asks us to actually do it. But there is a letting go of ownership and control that is difficult to do, but His blessings outweigh any loss.We should empty ourselves like Jesus did for God. Offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God to cleanse and use us as He sees fit. I feel so far from there.
I am beginning to pray with less hesitation to be in His will. There is a feeling of awe and wonder at what that might entail. Will I be asked to give up my home and family? Oh, I hope not. That is my Achilles heel so to speak. I don't feel like that is what He will be asking. I think He wants me to get out of my comfort zone and speak up. That is certainly not my nature and will be all Him. I am drawn to the concept of healing and pray that someday I will know why He is putting healing in my path. Maybe just to have a better understanding. Maybe someday He will have me pray for a healing and I can watch Him work. I just want to be in His will so I am praying for that.
On another note, God has given me some wonderful friends here. Seems lately that they are going through some very rough times. I ask you help me pray for them. Just ask, God knows who they are and the circumstances. Thank you.
May you find all things new in Him,
Frontier Woman @ FrontierChristianLiving
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
March 8, Sermon at AVEFC
Another week has raced by. I can hardly believe it is Tuesday. Every day is filled; no time to turn around even.
To help get you in the right spirit, you can use these links to sing along to the songs we did. Enjoy. (It is good etiquette to let the ads run if they do not offend. It helps the artists make something since we are not buying their songs.)
10,000 Reasons - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtwIT8JjddM&list=PLfeMYZA1gW6ZlIFHbxfhXwBqVs6eqQHOU&index=6
Jesus Loves Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8gKXu6J2wE
Knowing You - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69tDg_m3lvw&list=PL5UNCqFDiVjimZN8-RkoZxcqw-G5uuxfd
Jesus Messiah - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdxSC1tHJn0
The sermon was from Mark 1:29-38. Go here to see it, as my writings are only a part of it.
Jesus went to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law was sick. Jesus helped her up and she was healed.
Hmmm. She didn't ask. She didn't need faith. She didn't do anything. Her proximity to Jesus healed her. He didn't command it, he touched her.
I have been trying to learn what it is God wants of us to be healed. I am still not sure. But seeing this account of a healing where one's faith is not involved means a lot to me. I don't think it is all based on our faith. Although God's ways are beyond our knowing, He has made things pretty simple when you find the right verses or experience. I have been healed from a death-bed. I did not participate in coming back, but I did believe He was with me, near me, near enough to touch me. Was that it? Then why am I not always healed of everything?
Guess that is what keeps me coming back is that there is so much to learn. Maybe He does not want me to feel like He is in my back pocket and I can just access Him whenever I like. I am pretty sure God is bigger than any pocket!
Did you see that the sick and demon possessed were brought? The two are common occurrences in those times and today we only allow for sickness. It seems the 2 overlap some, too. But Jesus is the cure for all.
I am sure that knowing Jesus personally makes a huge difference. Knowledge of Him and His deeds and words are not enough. One of my favorite songs is "Whom then Shall I Fear" and the line is "The One who reigns forever, He is a friend of mine." Wow, do you think of Jesus as your buddy, your friend? I am learning to do that as well as my Brother, my Advocate, my Savior and my Lord.
Now, if you have not noticed, God is a big fan of timing things just right. We went to John 2:1-11 where Jesus turned water to wine for his mother. He said it was not His time, yet his mother pressed Him into doing something by telling the servants to do whatever He says. I wonder how many times He performed small miracles for His household.
So after a day of teaching at the synagog, walking to Simon's house and healing his mom-in-law, that evening a crowd shows up with all their sick and possessed. Jesus healed many and drove out demons without letting them talk because they knew who He was. More of that timing thing showing up. Jesus got up before dawn the next morning, tired but determined to spend time alone with God. The disciples went looking for Him as people were showing up again. But Jesus said, No he wanted to go preach in other villages because, "That is why I have come." So Jesus is here to speak words to the lost. Jesus is the Word and he came to tell us about the Word, through the scriptures! I was really blown away about that revelation. Jesus = The Word of God and he his here to speak about himself using words he gave the prophets to write! How simple and yet it is so intricately wound into the fabric of the scriptures. I never saw it. Thank you Jesus for showing that to me. He is restoring God's word to the people and the people to God.
Matthew 7:21-23. I pray I am not going to be in the "I never knew you. Away from me." group. Don't get caught up in doing that which looks Godly, but is not called of God. It is so easy to be deceived, I must make sure I don't get into thinking I am doing right when it is not what God wants me doing or for the right reasons.
Luke 19:6-10 Jesus went to the house of Zaccheaeus, a sinner, which was frowned upon. but Zacc said he would give away much and make reparations to those he harmed. Jesus answered his actions, "Today salvation has come to this house . . . For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
We look for the easy way to do things and God has another way, sometimes harder, but always better. Will you say "I will do it Your way. I will follow you."
May you find all things new in Him,
Frontier Woman @ FrontierChristianLiving
To help get you in the right spirit, you can use these links to sing along to the songs we did. Enjoy. (It is good etiquette to let the ads run if they do not offend. It helps the artists make something since we are not buying their songs.)
10,000 Reasons - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtwIT8JjddM&list=PLfeMYZA1gW6ZlIFHbxfhXwBqVs6eqQHOU&index=6
Jesus Loves Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8gKXu6J2wE
Knowing You - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69tDg_m3lvw&list=PL5UNCqFDiVjimZN8-RkoZxcqw-G5uuxfd
Jesus Messiah - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdxSC1tHJn0
The sermon was from Mark 1:29-38. Go here to see it, as my writings are only a part of it.
Jesus went to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law was sick. Jesus helped her up and she was healed.
Hmmm. She didn't ask. She didn't need faith. She didn't do anything. Her proximity to Jesus healed her. He didn't command it, he touched her.
I have been trying to learn what it is God wants of us to be healed. I am still not sure. But seeing this account of a healing where one's faith is not involved means a lot to me. I don't think it is all based on our faith. Although God's ways are beyond our knowing, He has made things pretty simple when you find the right verses or experience. I have been healed from a death-bed. I did not participate in coming back, but I did believe He was with me, near me, near enough to touch me. Was that it? Then why am I not always healed of everything?
Guess that is what keeps me coming back is that there is so much to learn. Maybe He does not want me to feel like He is in my back pocket and I can just access Him whenever I like. I am pretty sure God is bigger than any pocket!
Did you see that the sick and demon possessed were brought? The two are common occurrences in those times and today we only allow for sickness. It seems the 2 overlap some, too. But Jesus is the cure for all.
I am sure that knowing Jesus personally makes a huge difference. Knowledge of Him and His deeds and words are not enough. One of my favorite songs is "Whom then Shall I Fear" and the line is "The One who reigns forever, He is a friend of mine." Wow, do you think of Jesus as your buddy, your friend? I am learning to do that as well as my Brother, my Advocate, my Savior and my Lord.
Now, if you have not noticed, God is a big fan of timing things just right. We went to John 2:1-11 where Jesus turned water to wine for his mother. He said it was not His time, yet his mother pressed Him into doing something by telling the servants to do whatever He says. I wonder how many times He performed small miracles for His household.
So after a day of teaching at the synagog, walking to Simon's house and healing his mom-in-law, that evening a crowd shows up with all their sick and possessed. Jesus healed many and drove out demons without letting them talk because they knew who He was. More of that timing thing showing up. Jesus got up before dawn the next morning, tired but determined to spend time alone with God. The disciples went looking for Him as people were showing up again. But Jesus said, No he wanted to go preach in other villages because, "That is why I have come." So Jesus is here to speak words to the lost. Jesus is the Word and he came to tell us about the Word, through the scriptures! I was really blown away about that revelation. Jesus = The Word of God and he his here to speak about himself using words he gave the prophets to write! How simple and yet it is so intricately wound into the fabric of the scriptures. I never saw it. Thank you Jesus for showing that to me. He is restoring God's word to the people and the people to God.
Matthew 7:21-23. I pray I am not going to be in the "I never knew you. Away from me." group. Don't get caught up in doing that which looks Godly, but is not called of God. It is so easy to be deceived, I must make sure I don't get into thinking I am doing right when it is not what God wants me doing or for the right reasons.
Luke 19:6-10 Jesus went to the house of Zaccheaeus, a sinner, which was frowned upon. but Zacc said he would give away much and make reparations to those he harmed. Jesus answered his actions, "Today salvation has come to this house . . . For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
We look for the easy way to do things and God has another way, sometimes harder, but always better. Will you say "I will do it Your way. I will follow you."
May you find all things new in Him,
Frontier Woman @ FrontierChristianLiving
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Love by Choice
Love is one of the most overused words around. What meaning does it hold? Is it a feeling? Is it measurable? Does it come and go?
Yes and no.
I first thought love was a feeling, and it is. I thought love was commitment. It can be. I thought love was forever. Not the kind of love I had then. I thought I loved more than anyone else, but that was not enough. I thought love was freedom without bounds. It is not without bounds.
We love so many things such as: our spouses, kids, pets, sports teams, ourselves, trees, homes, cities, collections of this or that, even money. Some of the things we are related to and others we relate to. But what would you die for? Anything?
That is a way to measure love. I would die for my family. I would not die for much else. To describe something we need adjectives and analogies. To measure something, we need a standard to measure against. To really understand something we need to experience it.
God is all of these and we need to experience Him to get to know Him.
We are to love the Lord our God. Wow, how is that possible? Without knowing God it is hard to simply love Him.
One of my first lessons learned is that to love God is to get to know Him. As I learn about Him by reading His words in the Bible, He ever so slightly uncovers the mystery of Him. The more I learn about who He is, the more He reveals Himself and the more I can love Him.
Is God only love? No. He has all the emotions we do. He certainly has different motivations than we do. All His emotions have to be contained within His goodness. He has no evil in Him. He is just, which means there are consequences. He shows mercy when we ask for mercy as those consequences were completed with Jesus on the cross. We only need to believe that, and ask God to show us mercy and forgive us for the unlovely things we do. Repent. That means asking for God's mercy and forgiveness with no hidden agendas or intentions to ever do it again. As humans, we tend to lean toward doing stupid things over and over. He knows that and every time we come to Him through Jesus with repentance in our heart, He is true to His word and forgives us.
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| Picture from clipart in Office |
God gives us choice, always, even when we tear up the curtains or "miss" the litter box. Love out of choice is so much more meaningful than if it is forced.
Choose to show love to others, without judgment, and do for them as we would like to have done for ourselves. Have you ever needed help and wished someone would just help you get through something? Start helping others get through their needs and you will find others helping you, too.
God made us to willingly love Him and each other. Don't hoard your energy and love. Give it away, and it is returned to you many times over.
Frontier Woman @ frontierChristianLiving.blogspot.com
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