Joyful Obedience

I am a big advocate for obedience. I firmly believe that there are many situations in our life that simply require it. Instances when we don't feel like a doing a particular thing or feel any joy in the matter demand it. Joy is a by-product of obedience, a perk of sorts. It can be said without a doubt that I would not be married today if it were not for obedience in the midst of great pain. Through the obedience came great joy, love and thankfulness at what God can do in our lives.

This brings me to what the Lord has been working on in my life. I haven't written publicly for a while. Since I last wrote, I have traveled cross the country and back, stood by and prayed (more like poured out my heart) for my sister in the final days of her battle with cancer before she went on to live with Jesus. I have watched her husband mourn his great loss and the temporary separation from his best friend. I have stood beside four girls whose hearts have been ripped apart at at the loss of their mother. I watched my parents mourn the loss of their daughter and their second child who now stands in glory, cried with my brothers and sisters, my children, friends, and so many others who loved my sister. Basically a piece of my heart was torn out and I miss her.

The stages of grief are real. Lately I simply questioned everything. I questioned the importance of doing anything here on earth cause what does it matter if we are just going to die at any moment. I felt like everything I was doing didn't matter. I lost my motivation to do anything, even good things. It's that morbid sense of reality and a reality that sadly some people go through everyday of their life. To know Jesus gives me the hope that this stage will pass and HAS passed and I continue to stand on what God has done and has called us to.

This past week we visited a different church, but I felt the need to make sure I went to my regular church also that day. I knew God had something for me. And He did. To sit there and here the Pastor say in His message that "Our prayer is for clarity for why we are doing what we are doing" and then to hear him say "What you do matters" was a message from the Lord for me and I'm sure for many others that day. I would like to think it's all about me but. . . . .

Last night I was able to go to a mini seminar on "Two kinds of Righteousness." There was the vertical righteousness (between me and God) and the horizontal (earthly). The vertical Righteousness in my life is sure. I stand before God, covered by my Lord and Saviour Jesus. Because of what Christ did on the cross and through His resurrection I stand before God blameless, clean and full of right-ness. It's that horizontal righteousness that brings me back to obedience. Knowing full well that my horizontal righteousness, what makes me right in the eyes of the world, plays NO part in my eternal salvation, there are still commands that I long to follow, a walk I desire to keep, a hunger to love and serve as Jesus did.

The "good deeds" that we do on this side of heaven earn me NO points or salvation, but they testify to our Lord and Savior and bring glory to Him. The speaker last night touched a little on motivation. What is my motivation for doing these good things here on earth. Yes, we want our motivations to be pure, but as the speaker said we really need to look back on obedience. He stated that if we are constantly checking our motivations we tend to draw more on I and less on Him. There is a balance. I think the reason why this resonated so deeply in me is because I know that there is nothing good in me (without Christ). My heart is dark, my flesh is weak, I walk in constant need of Him. I daily have to check myself as to why am I doing what I do. The battle with my flesh side never ends. I am prideful, I look for glory, I complain, I am never satisfied and the list goes on.

Because my motivations tend to be on myself, I have to die daily to live for Him. So I choose not to follow my heart, my heart leads me astray. I choose to follow the heart of God through obedience. Joy will come, Joy HAS come. The joy that I receive for doing what I do out of obedience overflows. I just know that if I were to follow my heart and my motivations I would be lost. I love the law as it guides me. It does not restrict me, but frees me to walk with clarity and His grace, alone, saves me.

So I continue to answer the call of God on my life with the help of the Holy Spirit. I literally can't do it myself. "When I function the way God intended, I function as fully human doing what God intended. The law fades and I simply do what God intended. The law is simply the will of God for His creation." Dr. Joel Biermann.

The flesh is not pointless. God created the flesh to be perfect. He created us in His image. It's that stinkin' separation and the creeping in (more like slam dunked in) of sin that messed it all up. God intended was for us to live in this flesh, so what I do in this flesh matters. It matters to those in this world that don't know Him. My vertical righteousness that spills over into my horizontal righteousness testifies to people, so it matters. My flesh walk matters to God.

Oh Lord Your beautiful
Your face is all I see
and when Your eyes are on this child
Your grace abounds to me

I want to take Your word and shine it all around
First help me just live it Lord.
And when I'm doing well help me to never seek a crown
For my reward is bringing glory to You Jesus Culture

Weak Sauce

My children have this saying "weak sauce". I don't really get it or fully understand it and that is probably a good thing. I'll just go with my limited understanding of something being weak, lame or insufficient.

As I meditated on this verse today with my sister from Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen, I found that I go before the Lord with little prayers. Sometimes even half believing that He will even answer them the way that I hope in Him too. I have had "weak sauce" prayers.

My prayers in faith, God says that He can do more. He can do more than I can imagine to even ask for. Wow, how glorious that must be. How amazing to have His spirit interceding on our behalf. This truth was spoken by Paul in the book of Ephesians just after he, Paul lifted up and amazing prayer to the Father for God's people. One of the most beautiful prayers and this prayer was not even touching the greatness of what God has to offer.

In awe of God, I kneel before Him in prayer, knowing fully that he hears my cries, and wraps them into the cries of the Spirit who prays for me. I never know sometimes how theologically correct I am, but I do know, I have a God that is able and willing to do more than I could ever ask and my weak sauce prayers are beautiful music to His ears as they are lifted up in the faith that He first gave me.

Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayers. And Your mercy is great!

Life

I need to do a reality check. . . I am in Chicago, IL. In the past week, I have been in three different states. Yesterday after church, I asked my friend what time it was at my sisters house. Needless to say I was 10 miles from her house.

This morning was my first day with her. Julie is on year three of fighting cancer and now needs 24 hour companionship. I count it a blessing to be able to spend the daytime hours with her, praying with her, talking, and giggling with her. Most of our conversation go to us talking about how great and faithful our Lord is. That's the foundation. That's what it is all about.

This morning as I began our devotions and prayed for the Lord's blessings, I was reminded that His Word is Life. As I thanked the Lord for His word, the tears flowed. Not tears of sadness, but tears of knowing that His Word is Life. Life that leads to salvation. He has given us life in Him, eternally. When you sit with someone and pray for healing and you look into the future which could include leaving this side of heaven, you chew on the word, LIFE. His word is Life. It is what we are about. It is what we breath. I have never wanted Life so bad. I want it so badly for my sister.

My sister has life and life abundant. As I sit with her the only thing that she wants to breath is the word. In and out it flows. My frail bodied sister breaths LIFE. My sister is living Life and living it abundantly.

I love my sister so much. I praise God for her life and how she ministers to me. How she testifies of God's greatness, faithfulness, His strength. How she believes and does not doubt that He is fully able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine. My sister ROCKS!!

Thank you God for your Word. Your word is life, Your word is life unto salvation. Thank You Jesus!

Body Parts

As I was reading in I Corinthians today it stuck me, it again amazed me at how wonderful it is that we are all made differently. We all have different gifts. As the body of Christ, we move and function together, each doing our part, each given by God a different function. We all have different gifts and different passions.

I Corinthians 12:7-11 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

So many times we look at others and say "I want that gift, their gift is so much cooler than mine and everyone can see their gift." How much time is wasted when we watch others using their gifts and not acknowledging our own. We loose out on being the most wonderful instrument of peace that God intended for us to be. If we don't start living the specific life that God called us to live, who will? I can't live out your calling and no one can live out my calling.

I Corinthians 12:15~If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not FOR THAT REASON cease to be part of the body.

Because we do not acknowledge our function in the body of Christ, that does not change the fact that we have received a calling or that we have received a gift. It simply means that we are not living up to the potential that God intended for us, His church and His people.

Now I don't know about you, but I don't want to waste time pretending like I am an ear when I am not. I don't want to act as if because I am not an elbow in the church that I don't belong. The part that I am, I want to be a be FULLY. I just want to acknowledge who Christ made me and be the most wonderful, spirit filled me possible. No matter what part we are, as called Christians, we all have the Spirit of God dwelling with in us. Now that is a gift that we can not deny.

"Oh Praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead"

What's In a Name?

Band Names. I came across a blog offering up band names. I really liked some of these. Looking for a new band name out here in the AZ.

Temple Outcasts  (in the book of John)

Ora Software  (ora being Latin for Pray)

Any thoughts?

God is Good

Things that I know today. I know that God is Good. I know that He is Faithful. I know that He does not change and that He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

But today I find it hard to sing these words "God is Faithful". Today I just want them to be in my heart. Today I want to remember that I know this to be true. Today these truths are going to be words that minister quietly to my soul.

This is the hymn that we sang at the close of my brothers funeral so many years ago. This is the song that my sister sings each day as she stands in need of a miracle. This is the song that I now sing too, praying for a miracle for her. Lord in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Now Rest Beneath Night's Shadow

"Lord Jesus who dost love me, Oh spread Thy wings above me, And shield me from alarm. Though evil would assail me, Thy mercy will not fail me. I rest in Thy protecting arms."  ~Paul Ger­hardt

I'm Just sayin'. . . . . .

So part of me (and all of my family) laughs at the things I say. Sometimes I can't believe the things that come out of my mouth. Lately my new catch phrase has been "I'm not judging, I'm just saying. . . . ". I have coined a new way to put a disclaimer on all of my ridiculous judgmental statements that I make. My husband likes to remind me that if I have to start the statement out like that there is a strong chance that I am doing exactly what I'm claiming not to do. I would like to credit this to him as wisdom, but this one is a no-brainer.


How many times do I get into the habit of judging others, comparing myself to them, finding their faults in all they do. Shame on me. How many times does the Lord have to remind me to look at the plank in my own eye. And yes, I have been known to ask him to remove it in order that I might be able to see others specks more clearly in order to "help them". I'm a sad case. But I am a perfect example of why the Lord tells me to pick up MY cross daily (not others) and die to myself on a daily basis. When days, weeks or sadly months go by without a self crucifixion, I find myself in a place of saying "Lord, how did I get here and how do you continually deal with me?"

Thankfully, so thankfully, I am reminded each day and especially this past week of how he deals with my failure. He dealt with them on the cross. He dealt His blood for my life. He sacrificed everything to allow me to walk in Victory to be covered by forgiveness and grace. Not only for me, but for EVERYONE!

So what does He require of me?
Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

When ever I see a verse where the Lord is asking me to do something, I always try and picture what that looks like in my life. Acting justly and loving mercy looks different in different people. The Lord desires these same things in all of His followers, we just all look different walking it out. So I'm going to go walk my walk and die daily along the way. Won't you walk your walk to?