Monday, May 31, 2010
I am counting on God
So, today I go through my list and remind myself and God that I am indeed counting on Him! We are living in a battle that is not of this world, and God has already proclaimed victory over this battle. I will count on God, and God alone!
What are you Counting on God For?
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Fruit of the Spirit
I'm going to take them one at a time (cause that's about all I can handle, unless I've really had a lot of Spark!):
Love: love comes in many forms, even in the Bible the Greek translation for love can be very different. For example, the Greek language has 4 words for love: eros, storge, philia and agape. Since the NT was written originally in Greek, I think it is wise to know well the meaning of each of these.
Eros=love=this is the word that we get erotic from. It is basically that animal attraction kind of love. It is the sensual kind of love or romantic love.
Storge=love=committed love, love between family and/or friends/familial love.
Philia=love=good Samaritan kind of love/brotherly love
Agape=love=the highest form, unconditional love
I believe that the type of love that we possess when we are portraying the fruit of the Spirit is agape love. As I was studying the word meanings for each of these, I noticed that agape got the most written about it. It is the most difficult for us to achieve. I believe that is because society does everything to steer us away from this kind of love. Certainly we are always asked to have philia love, by helping others, we naturally possess storge love for our spouse, children, parents, etc. and eros love is also a natural instinct that appears to come once our hormones develop.
So, as I strive to be more like Jesus, I will keep my mind centered around agape love and more importantly start showing my agape fruit at home. We CAN change the world, however we MUST start at home. what kind of witness would I be if I was mean, selfish, distant or non-communicative at home, then went out and tried to be God's hands and feat in the community? What would people have thought of Jesus if he was short tempered and distant to the disciples and then went out and loved on others? They would have thought he was a hypocrite!
Lord, give me the strength to bloom fresh with your agape love! This love can only come from You! Until I put my life continually in the control of the Holy Spirit which have so gracefully left within me, I will never be able to reach this high form of love that you desire for each of us. show me when my fruit is starting to wilt. Open my eyes that I may see as You see Lord.
Lord, thank you for the Spirit is there always, will guide me when I ask and that wants to live in and through me to glorify You!
Your humble servant,
Jenni
Monday, March 15, 2010
Paths
I think I'm going to think on this for another day or so and come back to it. I love how God's Word challenges me and brings me to new heights.
But, for today, I will choose the path that causes me to fear my Lord!
Under His grace and presence,
Jenni
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Perspective
When God calls us to humble ourselves, I believe He means in every area. We are not God, thus our perspective is not always right. To be humble is to "show differential or submissive respect"....OUCH... submissive respect. What's up with that? It seems like it all goes back to the "R" word again. Respect. It's all come full circle again. I take my eyes off of myself, I do not focus on my own understanding, I humble myself in all circumstances and perhaps I'm getting closer to the Godly respect that He is asking from me.
Hmmmm. Points to ponder for the day ahead.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Trust in the Lord
I know this post is really rambling, but I feel like that's what my mind is doing today, it's rambling. I go back to the beginning about all of those hurting so deeply. My heart is absolutely breaking for teens right now. I know of so many that are hurting and have such a difficult time getting out of the world to get their eyes back on God. I wish I could just reach in, wrap them up in a big hug, whisper in their ears that God so loves them that He gave His one and only precious baby boy to DIE for them. How can you look in the mirror and not see how preciuos you are?! God LOVES YOU!!!! I feel like Satan is on the war path to destroy marriage and our God has said "It's not time yet". I do know that I can storm the gates of Heaven on behalf of each marriage and each teenager and pray the blood of Jesus over each one. I do know that God has given me the power throught the Holy Spirit to stand in the gap for them when they can't seem to see the light (yet). We WILL win this battle. This is not a battle of flesh and blood, but a spiritual battle. Satan is already defeated in the Heavenly realm, we just need to keep up the good fight and defeat him here. I'm donning my spiritual battle gear today; my breatplate of righteousness, my sword of the His Holy Spirit, my feet are firmly planted in His truth, my helmet of salvation (no one can take that away!), and my shield of faith. Most days I do totally have the faith that can move mountains. I believe with all that is in me that God will restore marriages, he will save these hurting teens, He will cure these babies of cancer. God is on the move and He is much, much more powerful than that nasty, ugly Satan who is also prowling in our midst. We will defeat him!!!!!
Thank you Lord for the power of the cross! You have given each of us the power through the Holy Spirit to put Satan under our feet! I see Jesus riding the white horse to battle asking who will join him. I say to him "yes Lord, I will ride with you!" Some days the ride is so hard and I want to throw in the towel, but then I remember again that God tells us to not trust in our own understanding, His ways are so much higher. I will trust God today!! I will keep my eyes up not focusing on what I can see but focusing on His Word that shines the light on all that is evil. Light whens over darkness every time. We don't shine dark into the light, we shine light to overcome the dark.
I will ride with Jesus today!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Respect
16 As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.
17 They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings f]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[f] before the LORD. 18 After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.
20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!"
21 David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor."
23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death."
After my last post, I went on and read this.... I'm ashamed that I've probably felt this very same way before. I'm ashamed that I would look on my husband, whom I love, yet am called to respect, and have thought "look at you, how could you?". Do you see what God did to her? He struck her barren. Michal is the daughter that was given to David after he struck down Goliath. David had gone all the way back to Saul's camp to retrieve her. After the disgrace of Saul's death, he saved her from this same disgrace. Wow! I pray that I will never again be so disrespectful to my husband. God knows his heart and God has purpose in everything. When I read this text I am struck how ugly Michal seems. I can only imagine David coming and being so excited saying "Honey! Did you see?? We brought the ark back! Can you believe how good our God is?!" and then Michal turning to him with look of disgust and basically telling he is an idiot. How sad that moment must have been for David.
Lord,
I pray that I will remember how this text made me feel. I pray that I would never disgrace my husband by my thoughts or words. I pray I would never again judge my husband. show me how to respect him the way You have ordained for me to respect him. Give me a heart of gentleness, patience, kindness and goodness (particularly towards my husband whom I love).
In Christ's worthy name,
Amen!!!