The Swirling Winds Of Change

What do you do as the winds rip and tear, sucking the life, sucking your faith. When you hear, read, and feel the force of words spoken on public sites from people that claim the name Christ in their title of "Christian." Fighting a word war over orphaned children. What happens when you see your dad suffer daily, his body racked with pain from a disease that breaks the bones. When you hear of babies drowning under rubble. My faith shakes, swirls, it breaks, and bends. I cry out this morning, "God forgive me! Forgive me when I doubt, when I allow the enemy to sift me and rattle my soul when the winds rage."

I turn to His word, His infallible truth, the letter He left as a balm to my soul, all the answers are found there. To the weather and destruction I say, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells." 2 Peter 3:10-13 Heaven is my eternal dwelling place. This material that surrounds me today will be destroyed now or at His coming. I have the promise in His word that after His patience with humanity is played out He will come for me and take me HOME.

To the Christian that is fighting with their brother, picking up and hurling swords over babies orphaned, I say, "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them." 1 John 2:9-11 Hate should never transcend truth. I believe truth should be spoken and children should be spoken for, but our hearts must remain pure in the process.

To the pain and anguish that attacks and kills our physical bodies I say, "Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our LORD JESUS CHRIST. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:51-58


The promises of God are my strength and my shield in the time of trouble. When the storms rage, the winds blow, the rain pours, I know and I'm persuaded that this trouble is meant to change me. I wrote a blog yesterday titled, "The Calloused Christian." I don't think I will ever post it, it was only meant to show me the condition of my own soul. I was becoming calloused (hardened) to this world. Steeped in self-pity and condemnation I was wallowing in the mire of my own sinfulness. The sin of doubt had taken me captive. As I watched the news and saw the crumpled buildings destroyed by the winds fury, I was changed. When my dad called to tell me his neighbor across the street that we had just seen on Friday being resuscitated died, I was changed. As I sat with my children today and taught them the importance of LOVE over the need for things, I was changed. Winds change us!

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:16-18

Are you willing to be changed? Will you let the HARD winds rip through your pride, envy, and selfish ambition? Tearing apart your flesh and ripping out your sin. Can we forgive today as if it were our last chance? Repair and restore broken relationships, apply love to open wounds, seek the kingdom and it's riches of mercy. He says if we seek we will find, if we ask it will be given. Will you ask today for the winds of change to rock your world for the sake of HIS kingdom and glory?

I praise the MAKER OF THE STORM for walking with me through it.

This Little Light Of Mine

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5: 14-16

The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130

I have been pondering for months now, pondering Christianity. Thinking on things that are high and looking to obtain wisdom from above. I have been walking with Christ for fourteen years now, trudging along on this narrow path. I have been burdened for months now, burdened for the Christian. You see, it seems to me that it has become so mainstream to call yourself a Christian. There are post all over facebook and in the social realm of "Christians." I keep thinking about my children. I want them to have an organic and real relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. I don't just want little "Christians." 

Unfortunately we are living in a time where people are calling evil good and good evil. If you follow the scripture and walk out your faith in complete abandon and obedience you are labeled misguided, legalistic, or strange. If you call sin, sin you are judgemental. As Christians we have a clear revelation from God in His holy word. We don't have to walk blindly wondering how we should live our lives. We walk by faith. 

This woman walked for miles to attend church in Haiti. The little girl below rode her bicycle with her bible on the handlebars.I sat in that church service. There were no lights, no power, complete darkness...except....except for a tiny light at the front of the church. I stood there recognizing the tune of the songs they were singing in creole. We Americans singing in English the Haitians in Creole. I was overwhelmed in the worship. I focused on that tiny light and how it dispelled the darkness. One small light reflecting on the faces, some brown, some black, and some white. All these faces around me lifting up the name of Jesus. Singing in one accord to the ONE true God, the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. Our voices melded together in praise. That night changed me. 

My mind is so consumed with the thought of the church and the Christian walk. What are we supposed to look like? Our deeds are to reflect our faith, but our deeds do not mean we are faithful. Let me explain. If we are truly in a love relationship with Jesus Christ our lives will look different. Our love for Him will compel us to do....faith in action. There is self imposed religion that is rampant in our society today that equates works with salvation, that is not what the bible says. There is nothing we can do to earn salvation, it is a gift straight from God. But the bible also says that faith without works is dead. We as Christians should know the word, know the giver of the word, and know what we are supposed to be doing. We are all called, we are all gifted, we are all equipped at salvation. I believe it is high time we stopped drinking the milk of the word of God and desired a great big steak. Be learners of the word so you know what is acceptable to the Lord. 

This cathedral was destroyed by the earthquake that shook Haiti in 2010. Beautiful, whitewashed stone,  an architectural masterpiece, shaken, fallen, broken, collapsed. Churches built with bricks and mortar, high ceilings, stained glass windows, carpet, and soft pews, that's not what God desires. He desires to take our hearts of stone, this temple of flesh, and make the church. We as a body of believers should be coming together, knitted together, serving, edifying, and discipling one another. We shouldn't be tearing one another down. "If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other." Galatians 5:15 

The world IS watching, they are watching to see if what you say lines up with what you do. Are you loving like Christ? Look at the little naked boy. Are you feeding him? He's very hungry. That's his mommy holding his hand. Are you willing to help her? Those little boys holding hands, one white, one black. Are you racist? Do you think because someone has a different pigment in their skin they are less than you? Are you helping them? 

LOVE......it is what compelled God to send His only son Jesus. Jesus left glory, perfection, and came, lived, walked this earth, He showed us great compassion and mercy. He took up your sin and LOVED you! Love is an action, love is a Christian, love is the Church. Let's love like him today. Be a true reflection of His grace and mercy. Don't just call yourself a Christian act like one! Be a light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Shine God's perfect love into this dying world. People are getting so calloused to sin, we see it everyday. Abortion is right, having a large family is wrong, seeking worldly wisdom is good, seeking the wisdom of God is evil, homosexuality is okay, saying it's not isn't. Wake up oh man and woman of God! Light your candle and shine..........

Breath Of Heaven

I sat there at my daddy's bedside, I sat and I watched the heaving in his chest. Up and down, up and down, struggling for air. The doctor's baffled not knowing what was happening in his body. Rushing, spinning, the room, my heart. After surgery we were called in to visit. There lay my strong daddy, the man that used to lift me over his head, with a tube breathing for him. I had to stay strong for those around me, but after I found a room and I collapsed. I cried, I cried out to the Lord, I ask Him to please let me have my daddy a little longer. Selfish, I know. I want my kids to know how blessed they are to have such a wonderful Papaw, I want Rebekah to meet him, I want to have more time with him. We went to a hotel close by since he was so critical and again I found a place. I sank down in the bathtub on my face before God, begging.

My daddy is coming home today, not going home to his eternal home, but home. This situation has drained me physically, spiritually, and emotionally, but it has me thinking too. I have been pondering heaven. A place of complete peace and rest. To be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord. It's so hard to find Him here sometimes. There are principalities and powers of darkness waging a war for our souls, for our affections, for our trust. I couldn't feel His presence even though I knew He was there. There was no emotional experience. Having His word in my heart is what held me. Knowing what He says and knowing it is true. This is not our home. We are pilgrims here. There is a place that awaits those of us that belong to Yahweh. He says in His word that He is preparing that place just for us. When we remain earthly minded we forget the heavenly realm. Ministering spirits sent to aid us in this world, perfect light, perfect love, perfect peace. Jesus Christ forever!

This life is so hard, babies dying every day, sick loved ones, pain, poverty, orphans, bombings, hate, death. We have hope in the eternal, a new body, consuming beauty, loved ones that have died in Christ, the cloud of witnesses that have watched our story unfold. I can't imagine not having hope in heaven through Jesus, struggling through this time here, this vapor of a life with no hope. How do those of you without Christ cope?

Lord, what is man, that you take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. Psalms 144:4-5

Junk Drawers

God gives us the strength to live godly.

Titus 2:11-15

11. For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12. It teaches us to say "no" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, 13. While we wait for the blessed hope--- the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14. who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. 15. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

This lesson started with me and 7 junk drawers. 7!!!! I had 7 drawers filled with mostly junk, stuffed away, hidden from sight, and in cleaning them God started cleaning me. I have a hard time with biblical submission. I wasn't raised to submit. I was raised like most women in our culture to be self-sufficient, strong, and fight for my rights. So when God started showing me and teaching me that I have a very stubborn heart the heat was on. I was broken by the 7 drawers. I saw the junk in my own heart that needed to be cleaned and purged out. So I pray the same for you! I pray that you will take this lesson and apply it to your heart, those secret places that are hidden away for no one to see.

To have a clean heart we first MUST be saved! The key to living a godly life is to be converted and filled with the Holy Spirit. Apart from Him we can do nothing.

So examine yourself and ask God to reveal the condition of your heart. This is for everyone, the Sunday School teacher, the ones of you that made a profession of faith at a young age, you that prayed a prayer, everyone needs to examine their heart. If you are converted there are things that we all need to be delivered and set free from. Women carry a lot of baggage and stuff a lot of junk. Thankfully we have the Holy Spirit and God's word to teach us.

Look at verse 12--- Gods grace teaches us to say "no" to ungodliness and worldly passions.

I love the word "teaches" in this verse. It says to me that it is a process that is not yet complete. We are continually being taught to say no to our flesh and to live a self controlled life.

Let's look up at verse 10. Here Paul is telling Titus to teach slaves how to obey their masters (WE ARE BACK AT SUBMISSION). Read verse 10 "They will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive." !!!!!

Are we making the teaching we do about God attractive through our lives? Can we be trusted with the holy word of God?

What are areas you lack self-control? Write them down.

What secret sin do you need to clean out of your junk drawers? Write it down.

What are some worldly-passions we lust after? Read Titus 3:3 List some worldly passions.

We should live godly in this present age. Our present age is defined by social media, texting, entertainment. We have a lot of temptations to fight against in order to live godly. We shouldn't look like the world. If we are watching what they watch, wearing what they wear, listening to what they listen to, are we living godly? Can they see a difference?

This brings us back to submission to Gods authority. He created us for good works. He has equipped us beforehand to live upright, godly, and self-controlled lives.

Verse 13--- We live this way while we wait for our blessed hope to return. We live with GREAT expectation of the life to come. When our obedience is full-filled and we are with Christ forever. He is coming for His people a pure people. Verse 14--- a purified bride.

The end of Verse 14 says: "We're eager to do good."

Are you eager to do good? It is not always the easiest thing to do, but we should want to do good.


Homework

Clean and organize a space in your house, a drawer, a room, a closet, etc. As you are cleaning ask God to reveal any area in your life that is junkie. Ask Him to purify you and help you in this area. We all need help. There is none perfect except Christ. Open the drawers of your heart today and let God cleanse you!

Housekeeping

Submission in the Greek is Hupotasso- A Voluntary placement of oneself under the authority and leadership of another.

We are going to peer into this idea, seek it out, and ask God to help us learn the reason for our submission and the blessing that will come when we submit.


Goals for our 4 week study

• Learn God's idea for women
• Clean our junk drawers
• Learn how to serve and why
• Learn the gift of hospitality

All through biblical submission. 

Week 1- God's idea for Women

Let's start at the beginning in Genesis 2:15-18 (Please Read)

The man Adam was the first created human to dwell on the earth. God commissioned him to work and tend the garden that God had made for him. He issued the first command to man in verse 17 when he told Adam not to eat of the fruit. 

So we start out with man, Adam, he is in submission to God. God gave him very specific instructions on how to live, what is expected of him, and what he is not allowed to do. 

God gave Adam a choice to submit to His power and authority. God did not lock the tree up or put a wall around it. He said, "I set before you life or death, choose life." 

1.) Submission gives life

Then we see in verse 18 that God saw it wasn't good for man to be alone. There are many ways God could have chosen to form Eve. The animals came forth and Adam was made from the dust of the earth. He chose however to take her from man. 

Read verses 18-23

I find the next verse very interesting. Verse 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. God took Eve from Adam then He states that they are to leave their father and mother and become one flesh. Let's dissect the term one flesh. 

Read Matthew 19:4-6

The becoming of one flesh means physical through sex, spiritual the covenant before God, and social the picture of Christ and the Church before men. 

Lebasar-(Hebrew for flesh)- It describes the entire human nature. So with marriage we have the father and the mother giving their children in marriage. The headship of the parent's in the marriage relationship transfers to the husband. The couple leave their father and mother and cleave to each other. There is something to be said of the family participating in the paring of two people. (that's another lesson on the importance of courtship rather than casual dating.)

I think in order to understand the importance of biblical submission we must understand the importance of the marital relationship. 

#2 Submission was God's original design. 

What is the wife's role? 

Let's take a look back at the first wife Eve. She was created to help her husband. What are ways you think she helped her husband? List them. 

She was also created to submit to her husband as the leader that God placed over her. She was the weaker vessel and needed direction. God is a God of order and design. He created the order of the universe: God, Man, Woman, animals. Man was the head of the woman from the beginning. 

What does God require form us as wives? Read Ephesians 5:22-24, 33

The word respect  in verse 33 is the Greek word Phobetai- it literally mans "fear". It can refer to the fear we have toward God. A reverence and respect. 

If we look at our role as wives in relation to the church and Jesus it may put things into perspective. If the church is the bride of Christ and He is her husband we can see the love, fear, respect, and reverence the church has for Christ. That is what we are to imitate. 

#3 Submission shows the world Jesus!

Submission goes against our sinful nature. In Genesis after the fall God told Eve she would desire her husband. This means she would desire to Lord over him. We by nature want to control our husbands. We nag, we boss, we pout, we stomp, we want our own way. And our husbands by nature let us do it. So when you see a godly woman that truly has a converted heart the seeks after God submitting to her husband it shows the world and us a picture of Christ. This is why the enemy is seeking to destroy the marriage. 

HOMEWORK!

1.) PRAY! Pray for God to open your heart to submission. Ask for God to show you areas in your heart that you don't want to give up. 

2.) Speak kindly to your husband! Even if he is irritating you or being ugly to you. 

3.) Submit your body to your husband. Push pass NO! Become one this week in the flesh. 

Reflections of Grace

The past six months have been life changing for me. The purging, cleansing of this temple. This temple not made by human hands....but by God. My body fashioned before the foundation of the world to serve and praise the one who formed me. I have faced myself in the mirror and ask, "does my reflection mirror His?" What is it like to be poured out like a drink offering? No religious cliches or verses of the day posted on facebook, but a life that is poured out for Him. Not a saying of the word, but a doing. We can all quote the word. The Pharisees did that and they were called a brood of vipers. satan himself knows the word. What is doing the word? I've struggled with that. I've seen how easy it is to go and serve with wrong motives. Not motives that are unholy, just wrong.


I love missions and I have a heart to serve around the world. I will go wherever God calls me. What I have found in the last six months is I'm right where I'm supposed to be. It started with SEVEN
junk drawers. I had seven drawers full of junk, trash, things I had been holding onto for one reason or another. As I started to clean the drawers I started to see my life as God sees it. He sees the innermost parts of my heart the parts that need cleaning. He began to surface my junk, my unsubmissive heart, my quick temper, the anger that raises it's head so quickly, I saw myself in the mirror. "As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects' the heart." Proverbs 27:19 I saw my calling as a mother and how great it is. I realized how I had been comparing my home to the "perfect home-schooling mom's" home posted on her blog. I saw how defeated I had become in my home.

Then the most BEAUTIFUL thing happened on January 19, 2013! The fruit from the seeds planted!

My First Born was washed in the blood of the Lamb!

Filled with the Holy Spirit!

God's workmanship....His masterpiece...created to serve Him!

The monotonous days of school work, bible study, cleaning, cleaning again, changing dirty diapers, wiping snotty noses. Living out, repenting, asking for forgiveness, following, THEY see! 

We are cleansed from all our sin to follow Him and serve Him. It may be in a nation far away, it may be in your church, but mostly it is to those around you. Loving Jesus in spite of your circumstance, keeping your motives in check, following Christ out of a relationship with Him. Not for the sake of "doing" but for the sake of Christ. Have you looked into your junk drawers? I encourage you today to take a break from mindless internet surfing, comparing, and saying. Take a moment to see your reflection, see your life, and you will see your heart.

A Christmas Poem

The Swaddled Gift

The Gift that came in winter’s night was the gift that changed my life. A baby birthed in pale moonlight from a virgin womb that night. Angels proclaiming hallelujah all around the King of Kings from heaven came down. He lay there swaddled in a cloth, born in a manger, the stench so great, a place for animals our King was laid. 

Our ransom was born that night our souls He came to buy. He purchased us with His blood as His body was nailed to wood. In anguish and in pain upon the cross He would hang. The babe in the mire and stench God would send to earth, our souls He came to save. His blood has now ransomed us in, into a kingdom to call His own the babe came down and left His throne. 

So as you hang your light’s this year please remember this gift so dear. He came from heaven swaddled tight the greatest gift to change your life. 

 Merry Christmas

With Much Love,

Kimberly