Scott was teaching Sunday morning and just in passing he said this simple but profound statement..."I often find myself wondering...where would I be without Christ?"...I immediately began to ask myself that question...the answer scared/scares me to death! You see I understand completely that I am only standing by the grace, love and forgiveness of my Lord and my Savior! I KNOW I would be a failure at everything in life without Christ...He is were I get my hope...my strength...I desire for life...
I have struggled the past few months with discouragement...feeling tired and weary...in my flesh...thinking maybe I'd like to just sit down and take a break...not from the Lord...but from serving...I mean...that's what the American church does isn't it? We are tired...what is the first thing we take a break from? Not work...and NOT play...so Church...and in many cases...God...We are weary and discouraged...what do we do...assume God needs to change something or someone so we complain...or quit...but God has shown me very clearly that usually if not ALL the time...it is ME who needs to look in the mirror...the mirror of HIS word and see what needs to go...or change inside myself...and when I look in the mirror of HIS word...then I see the reflection God has been trying to talk to my heart about...I can assure you that it is usually not a pretty view!
As I began making notes for this post Sunday morning...Pastor Saeed Abedini came to my mind...I mean truthfully...lets talk about someone who has the right to say he is tired...weary and discouraged...and yet he can't and hasn't quit...I understand it's not like he has the freedom to walk away from the prison he has been held in for far to long...but he DOES have the freedom to deny Christ...in order to gain his freedom...and he has remained faithful to the Lord...he surely asks the question...why...and yet he follows hard and fast after Jesus...he must miss his family and wonder when or even if he will see them again...and yet...he continues to stand on the Truth of Jesus Christ...he is a living testimony of Philippians 1:20-21... I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body,whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Pastor Saeed is in a battle...a physical battle for his very life...and yet he remains faithful to the One who gave it all for Pastor Saeed. However, we too...are in a battle...and while we may not be in a physical prison...we are still in this battle...a spiritual battle (please understand Pastor Saeed's is also very much a spiritual battle!)...this spiritual battle is just as intense as other's physical battle...my fear, however, is we don't see nor do we understand how intense this battle is...for some of us we are just playing church...not truly understanding an intimate walk with Christ...for others we are so fearful of the things going on around us here in the states...that we focus on the what ifs and the what will we do when...and we forget who, ultimately, is in control...and focusing on HIM and not the thems or the whens around us! We find service hard and time consuming and we forget to look at the individuals...be that an adult of a child...that God places in our path...we forget as believers we are still here walking this earth...because they need someone to tell them... How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! Romans 10:14-15...that is why we are here...
We get wrapped up in our own lives...and the activities of our jobs, free time or our kids and we forget none of that will matter at the end of life...none of it...if they got a scholarship...if we got a huge promotion...if we had an important position in the church...none of that matters...only what matters is what we did with Christ...He demands and deserves the number 1 spot in our lives...we can't walk in fear of what if...we aren't promised tomorrow anyway...we can't walk in a hunger for success...we aren't promised tomorrow anyway...we can't live our lives sold out to the desires of our children...ultimately we will INDIVIDUALLY stand before the Lord...I will stand...my husband will stand (and it won't be together)...and our children will stand before Him...pouring into one another's spiritual life is more important than the busy activities we can so easily get wrapped up in...
Our pastor said last Sunday...humility is understanding who we are in light of who God is...and low self esteem...when I walk in that (those of you who know me, understand why I'm sharing this...) am I giving God praise and honor for what I KNOW He has done in and through me...never thought of it like that before...eye opening...because even though I have and will continue to mess up...I KNOW Christ has done a miracle in my life...
So I close with this thought...maybe it is time I get over myself...but may I NEVER get over HIM...
In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. Eph. 4:1-3...the Message
same verses...different version...
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love
I have struggled the past few months with discouragement...feeling tired and weary...in my flesh...thinking maybe I'd like to just sit down and take a break...not from the Lord...but from serving...I mean...that's what the American church does isn't it? We are tired...what is the first thing we take a break from? Not work...and NOT play...so Church...and in many cases...God...We are weary and discouraged...what do we do...assume God needs to change something or someone so we complain...or quit...but God has shown me very clearly that usually if not ALL the time...it is ME who needs to look in the mirror...the mirror of HIS word and see what needs to go...or change inside myself...and when I look in the mirror of HIS word...then I see the reflection God has been trying to talk to my heart about...I can assure you that it is usually not a pretty view!
As I began making notes for this post Sunday morning...Pastor Saeed Abedini came to my mind...I mean truthfully...lets talk about someone who has the right to say he is tired...weary and discouraged...and yet he can't and hasn't quit...I understand it's not like he has the freedom to walk away from the prison he has been held in for far to long...but he DOES have the freedom to deny Christ...in order to gain his freedom...and he has remained faithful to the Lord...he surely asks the question...why...and yet he follows hard and fast after Jesus...he must miss his family and wonder when or even if he will see them again...and yet...he continues to stand on the Truth of Jesus Christ...he is a living testimony of Philippians 1:20-21... I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body,whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Pastor Saeed is in a battle...a physical battle for his very life...and yet he remains faithful to the One who gave it all for Pastor Saeed. However, we too...are in a battle...and while we may not be in a physical prison...we are still in this battle...a spiritual battle (please understand Pastor Saeed's is also very much a spiritual battle!)...this spiritual battle is just as intense as other's physical battle...my fear, however, is we don't see nor do we understand how intense this battle is...for some of us we are just playing church...not truly understanding an intimate walk with Christ...for others we are so fearful of the things going on around us here in the states...that we focus on the what ifs and the what will we do when...and we forget who, ultimately, is in control...and focusing on HIM and not the thems or the whens around us! We find service hard and time consuming and we forget to look at the individuals...be that an adult of a child...that God places in our path...we forget as believers we are still here walking this earth...because they need someone to tell them... How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! Romans 10:14-15...that is why we are here...
We get wrapped up in our own lives...and the activities of our jobs, free time or our kids and we forget none of that will matter at the end of life...none of it...if they got a scholarship...if we got a huge promotion...if we had an important position in the church...none of that matters...only what matters is what we did with Christ...He demands and deserves the number 1 spot in our lives...we can't walk in fear of what if...we aren't promised tomorrow anyway...we can't walk in a hunger for success...we aren't promised tomorrow anyway...we can't live our lives sold out to the desires of our children...ultimately we will INDIVIDUALLY stand before the Lord...I will stand...my husband will stand (and it won't be together)...and our children will stand before Him...pouring into one another's spiritual life is more important than the busy activities we can so easily get wrapped up in...
Our pastor said last Sunday...humility is understanding who we are in light of who God is...and low self esteem...when I walk in that (those of you who know me, understand why I'm sharing this...) am I giving God praise and honor for what I KNOW He has done in and through me...never thought of it like that before...eye opening...because even though I have and will continue to mess up...I KNOW Christ has done a miracle in my life...
So I close with this thought...maybe it is time I get over myself...but may I NEVER get over HIM...
In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. Eph. 4:1-3...the Message
same verses...different version...
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love
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