Of all the things that we are to "put on" or "clothe ourselves with," love is the most most important and the most difficult. If we were to examine every conflict on a personal level right up to a national and international level, by the definition provided for us in the Bible, we will see that the lack of love was at the root of it all. Standing back and trying to be an objective observer in this moment, it is clear that if love is the greatest, between faith and hope, and if loving God and people are the two greatest commandments upon which all of the law of God is based, then it is easy to see why love is so attacked by Satan and his minions. Not fully comprehending the meaning of love as the Lord's defines love is also a method of deceit used by the enemy. How many songs do we know or hear or continue to be written that speak of all you need is love? In today's society, love has come to mean tolerance for everyone's beliefs, Godless or not. Afterall, this is America and we are free to believe or choose anything that makes us happy. This is the democratic way. It is a matter of human rights. Yet, God is not a Democrat or Republican, nor is He even an American (or any other nationality or ideology.) He is the Supreme Author of all creation with definitions that He will judge all mankind upon, whether we believe in Him or not.
Now, when one hears the word judge, immediately a negative connotation arises in the mind but this is not necessarily so, when one considers all the situations that required a judgment of some kind. Competitions come to mind. Those who followed the rules and excelled in their efforts were judged to be winners. Putting a more positive spin on the word, this is more of what the judgments of God can be compared to. If He is the Creator and He makes the rules, then those who follow those rules win the prize. Similar words have been used in the Bible to make this very point. Judgments are only negative when the rules have not been followed and there is a penalty or disqualification. (I know it's very simplistic but why must it be complicated?) So the meaning and correct application of love comes under the rules of the Supreme Authority and His judgments, to reward or to punish (not a favorite word of those who don't understand God's ways.)
Back to love and the way of love, the Word of God describes God as love itself. He is all-loving and devoted to all of creation but shows Himself to those who obey His precepts (2 Chronicles 16:9). So without full obedience to God's way, love and its demonstration is incomplete and without truth in its application. It is no wonder that when we began to discuss what it means to put on love, the conversations were filled with all the difficulties we experience in fulfilling God's plan for love. Let's start with the very commandment to love God : Mark 12:30-31, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.” Jesus was quoting from the Law of Moses given in Deuteronomy, Chapter 6. He was teaching that the heart of pleasing God is loving God through obedience to His Word. Jesus is the living example of ultimate obedience through His death on the cross. It is important to point out that the love of God preceeds the love of people. How we love people stems from how God says we are to love people. If the second commandment is placed in first order than, loving people will stem from how we think people should be loved. Not that this is bad or will not be a benefit to others but it will be imperfect and, as can be seen in our society, will leave God's will and plan out of the equation altogether. There are many popular causes today that do good to others but do not carry with it the first order of pleasing God.
All this I've said to establish that love is from God, about God and for God and is the foundation upon which our conversation at our February meeting was based. The scriptures to which the instruction to put on love were given are Colossians 3 and 1 Thessalonians 5 and of course, the classic chapter of 1 Corinthians 13. So to what love is 1 Corinthians 13 referring? (Of course, reading it is necessary and it takes but a minute!) All agreed that it was a higher love than we all had, but to which each aspired. It was a standard to achieve and so even by the definition of the Greek word, agape, it was the love that is God's standard to which we compare all actions. Does our love resemble this standard? Why do we make excuses for not loving and why is love (agape) so hard? These were the questions which fueled our conversation and the realities of our human failures to love came into great debate. Stories were shared about painful circumstances, on-going family issues, personality clashes, domestic issues and more.
After everyone shared as she felt necessary (some sat quietly and listened since no one is required to share anything at all if they do not care to), the most important question was asked so that we could understand after all was said and done, what is God's way for love. The question is, "WHY MUST WE LOVE (AGAPE)? Remembering the command to love God first, He sets the standard for the answer: Because Christ who IS GOD IN THE FLESH, loved us while we were sinners and died for us. He sacrificed ALL OF WHO HE WAS to redeem humanity. He forgave us ALL of our sins and He says WE MUST DO THE SAME FOR EACH OTHER. Because He forgave us and how He forgives us is what we are to offer others and nothing less. (Matthew 6:14 and Matthew 18:21-35) The ability to do this or anything that God says is a must is based soley upon agreeing with God's Word and believing that God sent His Savior for us since we could not save ourselves. Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ brings new birth which makes us children of God and gives us the ability to call God our Father and begin to understand spiritual truth, which includes how to love God and others.
It took us most of the evening's alotted meeting time to get to the place where we were ready to discuss HOW to put on love. Without a foundation of why, how is not possible. How do we get what we know to be right and true into our hearts and outward expressions? The first way to begin is to examine the inner conversation that is going on within yourself. Are you angry, fearful, defensive, discouraged or possess any other negative thoughts toward yourself and others? It is always a good thing to start to realize what's driving our lives and if it's negative. Begin to ask God to forgive you as you have not aligned yourself with His Word and begin to do so. Let the Word of Christ dwell richly in you. Fill yourself daily with God's thoughts. When you do, you will begin to have a new inner conversation with yourself. His Words take up residence in your heart, mind and soul life. Then your choices to behave in a loving manner toward people will be seen outwardly.
Many times we have to make a choice to behave differently than what we are feeling on the inside. This is another aspect of putting on love. Our decision is then motivated by our desire to please God above all, even above ourselves, and sometimes, it is a decision that is humbling to our flesh. Given the choice, avoid the emotional response of self-preservation due to hurt feelngs and choose kindness and mercy and forgiveness. It is better to be humble than to be right. God exalts the humble and avoids the proud. Once again, we are confronted with certain definitions that we do not always apply to our actions. Sometimes it is better to avoid an argument than to defend our opinion, because many times the defense of that opinion stems from pride which can take deeper root into our hearts. This, again, challenges the American way of thinking which allows us all to express whatever opinion, even at the expense of another or that which is contrary to the love of God. Jesus was the ultimate example of humility when they hurled false accusations against Him just prior to His crucifixion. He did not defend Himself but forgave all of His accusors and executioners.
How much we will agree to put on love will depend upon the revelation of how much we have been forgiven! We cannot begin the on going process of love until we really begin to understand that sin separates us from God. He has a standard of absolutes that are rejected by society so sin is not acknowledged today as sin, but that in no way changes what it is. (If you really don't know what sin is, I suggest that you read a list of what God calls sin in Galatians 5, Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3 and the Bible is filled with instructions about what pleases and displeases God.) When I know what displeases God is what I am feeling, I have the choice to respond to what God has made new in my life by His forgiveness. When I choose what pleases Him because of how much it cost Him to give me this ability to choose, I do so because I don't want to fail Him. My heart wants to bring Him joy and so love becomes my decision rather than my feeling, but miraculously, the more I choose to love, the more genuine love I begin to feel for others. The more I extend forgiveness, the more I am able to forgive in any circumstance, however difficult. When I personalize what Jesus took to the cross with Him, my sins, and those sins caused the Father to totally look away from Him while He hung there, then I gain the revelation of His great love and how much we've been forgiven. Had not Christ been rejected for my sins then I would have to bear them and be rejected by the Father, except for me and you, it would mean eternal separation, which is hell.
Loving God first is what fuels our ability to put on His character. Pride will re-define love to mean good deeds and outward behaviors which can also be spiritual without reflecting the character of God in our lives. Putting on love is what we do as an act of worship to God because of who He is and what He has done for us.
NEXT MEETING: Thursday, March 10, 2011, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. at my home. Email me if you wish to attend: nancy@gatewaycitychurch.net Part II of Putting on Love: Falling in Love with Jesus/The Fire of His Love
Monday, March 7, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
RAGS TO RICHES
This was the topic of discussion for the first meeting of the new year, held on January 6, 2011. About a year or so back, I was leading worship in a Sunday service and it was an obvious struggle for people to enter in and get past all the cares and concerns that they came in with. From my perspective, there was no real joy in the room or freedom that occurs when one is fully engaged with the object of our worship - the Lord. I don't like the "cheerleader" style of worship but something had to be said or done to bring the people up and out of themselves. At that moment, I could hear the Lord speaking to me about wearing rags, that when we come into His presence in this sad and pre-occupied manner, we are actually wearing rags for clothing. It dawned on me then that none of us would ever get up in the morning and purposely put on rags and go to work or come to church but in fact that's exactly what we've done when we enter into worship without joy or victory or true praise. It's the same as dressing in rags! So that verse of scripture must be applied from Isaiah 61:3, that we must PUT ON the garment of praise.
Praise is more than lip service. The Lord is always worthy of praise based on who He is and what He has done in Christ and not how we feel at any given moment. The Hebrew text in Isaiah actually means to wear praise or wrap or cover ourselves, leaving no opening through which hostile elements can penetrate. This garment of praise repels and replaces the heavy spirit. Are you oppressed by fear or doubt? PUT ON the garment of praise, the Word says. In Psalm 50:23, whoever offers praise glorifes the Lord and it is to the one who praises and watches his conduct that the Lord will offer His salvation. Let me offer one more scripture on praise to set the tone of the depth of discussion we had at this meeting. Hebrews 13:15 says to offer the sacrifice of praise. Sacrifice denotes that something must die. As Christ died so that we may live, the same principle applies to our walk. Death brings forth life. We must die to self, in other words, we must kill our pride and offer praises instead. Pride keeps us from praising at all times. Pride keeps our focus on ourselves and our problems and our fears and doubts. That's why praise is a sacrifice. Pride is being put to death! Pride is filthy as RAGS!
The discussion held went in an interesting direction. Rather than the reasons why we should praise, which are always centered around the great love and sacrifce of Christ, we discussed the weapon of praise. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 states that we have powerful weapons at our disposal that will defeat the works of darkness that pushes to control our flesh. Praise is one such weapon. Wear praise like a garment and it dispels a spirit of heaviness. Let your mind absorb that a minute. What you feel that prevents you from praising may take the form of sorrow, doubts, fears, worries, angers, etc., but they are actually spirit in nature and cannot be dispelled by natural or physical means. We are not fighting things in the natural yet we behave as if all of our troubles can be cured by therapy, medication, shopping, drugs, alcohol, etc. While some of these are harmful and others are not, and I am certainly not in contention with the good that can come of therapy and medication, these should not be the first response to our life's problems, especially if we call ourselves Christians. Leaving God either out of the equation or making Him the last resort is not how Christ meant for His Church to behave. He said that we would receive power. The Holy Spirit was given to empower us to be like Christ in character and deed and further His earthly ministry. The question is, have we been trying to remove our heaviness or deal with life's problems in the natural when all along it's a spiritual battle?
We must have "sight" beyond the visible or natural world into the invisible or supernatural world. Praise produces sight which works with faith. It is impossible to please God without faith and if we praise in faith something in the spiritual realm is birthed. Sight beyond this world that can see the future glory comes from praising the Lord. A new perspective is formed about one's circumstances. Paul, the Apostle, calls his own troubles light and momentary because faith working through praise produces hope and perseverence in all that the Lord has promised. Praise operates by faith in God's abilities, His victory and His power. It does not operate by our feelings. When praise is offered always and continually it is effective as a weapon because it trains the mind to worship God first. Remember the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, MIND, and strength. As we offer our bodies as living sacrifices (there's that word "sacrifce:" again!) we are transformed in our mind, the way we think, the emphasis we place on earthly things. Praise takes us up to that realm where God is. The reward of a renewed mind is the promise of the fullness of Christ. What is the fullness of Christ? All honor, power and authority belong to Him and by His own words, the Lord Jesus commissioned His Church to move in His fullness, doing greater things than even He did. This is powerful stuff and then you realize that we have been living beneath our calling and potential and if we would begin with a simple act of faith by praising God always, what power is unlocked!
It makes perfect sense that Satan wants to keep us from this because we would be such threats to his kingdom. Praise ambushes the enemies plans, plain and simple! The classic biblical historical occurrence of this truth is found in 2 Chronicles, Chapter 20. Imagine the scene. An army of several nations of surrounding enemies has gathered and you are outnumbered. The only natural outcome is your own defeat. What would you do? This king "inquired of the Lord." HE PRAYED FOR GOD'S DELIVERANCE!!! This is the key. He did not try to take matters into his own hands. He didn't retreat or give up. HE PRAYED AND GOD HEARD HIS PRAYERS with one of the greatest deliverances ever! They totally relied on God. They praised, worshipped and WON! (It's a fabulous story that you must read for yourself and not just once. I read and re-read it because my faith is stirred each time!) Faith, humility, obedience and praise = VICTORY!
This great deliverance came about by a decision. To trust in God is a decision. To praise Him is a decision. "I will bless the Lord at all times...." Give my next statement some very serious thought. The goodness of God is the why of praise and we can affirm that praising God is not about our feelings. So not praising God can easily and subtley become a refusal to enter into praise. Oh, we don't see it that way exactly in the moment because we will self-justify but whittle it down and fears, doubts, pride keeps us from praising. There are always things we will do first before we trust in God. That's been the problem all along...keeping the Lordship of Christ first. The chapter of scripture that formed this lesson (Isaiah 61) was the very scriptures quoted by Jesus when He introduced Himself to the Jews as the long-awaited Messiah. He stated who He was and why He came and what He brings with Him, and best of all, what WE, THE CHURCH, will do because He has come! When we do not praise God first and always we are actually denying who we are and what we are called to be. Praise identifies us with God and who He is and becomes a witness to the world of the one we love and serve. Very strongly put, not praising God identifies us with those who hate the Lord. Jesus made reference to those who will call out to Him to enter the Kingdom and He will say I never knew you. He was teaching the people about a true heart of obedience not just following the law. Praising Him is an act of obedience, a decision to use His game plan to win the battles of life and enter His kingdom.
Satan doesn't want you to praise because he knows how powerful a weapon it actually is and he doesn't want you to know it. Are you going to let him win? I've quoted several important scriptures here and believe me, there are many more. The Word of God gives us the way of praise and the why of praise. NO WORD...NO PRAISE! Know His Word. Love His Word and grow deeper in knowing, loving and obeying Him!!
Our next meeting of the Young Women's Mentoring Fellowship is scheduled for Thursday, February 3 from 7:30 - 9:30 pm at my home. Email me if you would like to attend: nancy@gatewaycitychurch.net
Praise is more than lip service. The Lord is always worthy of praise based on who He is and what He has done in Christ and not how we feel at any given moment. The Hebrew text in Isaiah actually means to wear praise or wrap or cover ourselves, leaving no opening through which hostile elements can penetrate. This garment of praise repels and replaces the heavy spirit. Are you oppressed by fear or doubt? PUT ON the garment of praise, the Word says. In Psalm 50:23, whoever offers praise glorifes the Lord and it is to the one who praises and watches his conduct that the Lord will offer His salvation. Let me offer one more scripture on praise to set the tone of the depth of discussion we had at this meeting. Hebrews 13:15 says to offer the sacrifice of praise. Sacrifice denotes that something must die. As Christ died so that we may live, the same principle applies to our walk. Death brings forth life. We must die to self, in other words, we must kill our pride and offer praises instead. Pride keeps us from praising at all times. Pride keeps our focus on ourselves and our problems and our fears and doubts. That's why praise is a sacrifice. Pride is being put to death! Pride is filthy as RAGS!
The discussion held went in an interesting direction. Rather than the reasons why we should praise, which are always centered around the great love and sacrifce of Christ, we discussed the weapon of praise. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 states that we have powerful weapons at our disposal that will defeat the works of darkness that pushes to control our flesh. Praise is one such weapon. Wear praise like a garment and it dispels a spirit of heaviness. Let your mind absorb that a minute. What you feel that prevents you from praising may take the form of sorrow, doubts, fears, worries, angers, etc., but they are actually spirit in nature and cannot be dispelled by natural or physical means. We are not fighting things in the natural yet we behave as if all of our troubles can be cured by therapy, medication, shopping, drugs, alcohol, etc. While some of these are harmful and others are not, and I am certainly not in contention with the good that can come of therapy and medication, these should not be the first response to our life's problems, especially if we call ourselves Christians. Leaving God either out of the equation or making Him the last resort is not how Christ meant for His Church to behave. He said that we would receive power. The Holy Spirit was given to empower us to be like Christ in character and deed and further His earthly ministry. The question is, have we been trying to remove our heaviness or deal with life's problems in the natural when all along it's a spiritual battle?
We must have "sight" beyond the visible or natural world into the invisible or supernatural world. Praise produces sight which works with faith. It is impossible to please God without faith and if we praise in faith something in the spiritual realm is birthed. Sight beyond this world that can see the future glory comes from praising the Lord. A new perspective is formed about one's circumstances. Paul, the Apostle, calls his own troubles light and momentary because faith working through praise produces hope and perseverence in all that the Lord has promised. Praise operates by faith in God's abilities, His victory and His power. It does not operate by our feelings. When praise is offered always and continually it is effective as a weapon because it trains the mind to worship God first. Remember the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, MIND, and strength. As we offer our bodies as living sacrifices (there's that word "sacrifce:" again!) we are transformed in our mind, the way we think, the emphasis we place on earthly things. Praise takes us up to that realm where God is. The reward of a renewed mind is the promise of the fullness of Christ. What is the fullness of Christ? All honor, power and authority belong to Him and by His own words, the Lord Jesus commissioned His Church to move in His fullness, doing greater things than even He did. This is powerful stuff and then you realize that we have been living beneath our calling and potential and if we would begin with a simple act of faith by praising God always, what power is unlocked!
It makes perfect sense that Satan wants to keep us from this because we would be such threats to his kingdom. Praise ambushes the enemies plans, plain and simple! The classic biblical historical occurrence of this truth is found in 2 Chronicles, Chapter 20. Imagine the scene. An army of several nations of surrounding enemies has gathered and you are outnumbered. The only natural outcome is your own defeat. What would you do? This king "inquired of the Lord." HE PRAYED FOR GOD'S DELIVERANCE!!! This is the key. He did not try to take matters into his own hands. He didn't retreat or give up. HE PRAYED AND GOD HEARD HIS PRAYERS with one of the greatest deliverances ever! They totally relied on God. They praised, worshipped and WON! (It's a fabulous story that you must read for yourself and not just once. I read and re-read it because my faith is stirred each time!) Faith, humility, obedience and praise = VICTORY!
This great deliverance came about by a decision. To trust in God is a decision. To praise Him is a decision. "I will bless the Lord at all times...." Give my next statement some very serious thought. The goodness of God is the why of praise and we can affirm that praising God is not about our feelings. So not praising God can easily and subtley become a refusal to enter into praise. Oh, we don't see it that way exactly in the moment because we will self-justify but whittle it down and fears, doubts, pride keeps us from praising. There are always things we will do first before we trust in God. That's been the problem all along...keeping the Lordship of Christ first. The chapter of scripture that formed this lesson (Isaiah 61) was the very scriptures quoted by Jesus when He introduced Himself to the Jews as the long-awaited Messiah. He stated who He was and why He came and what He brings with Him, and best of all, what WE, THE CHURCH, will do because He has come! When we do not praise God first and always we are actually denying who we are and what we are called to be. Praise identifies us with God and who He is and becomes a witness to the world of the one we love and serve. Very strongly put, not praising God identifies us with those who hate the Lord. Jesus made reference to those who will call out to Him to enter the Kingdom and He will say I never knew you. He was teaching the people about a true heart of obedience not just following the law. Praising Him is an act of obedience, a decision to use His game plan to win the battles of life and enter His kingdom.
Satan doesn't want you to praise because he knows how powerful a weapon it actually is and he doesn't want you to know it. Are you going to let him win? I've quoted several important scriptures here and believe me, there are many more. The Word of God gives us the way of praise and the why of praise. NO WORD...NO PRAISE! Know His Word. Love His Word and grow deeper in knowing, loving and obeying Him!!
Our next meeting of the Young Women's Mentoring Fellowship is scheduled for Thursday, February 3 from 7:30 - 9:30 pm at my home. Email me if you would like to attend: nancy@gatewaycitychurch.net
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
The Women of Christmas
Since this is a young women's fellowship, I thought is appropriate to take a look at the women who took part in the events of the birth of Christ. There were 3 women: Mary, the chosen mother of Jesus, Elizabeth, her older cousin and mother of John the Baptist and Anna, a widow who spent her life serving in the temple.
Let's look at each of these women in the chronology of the biblical text. Elizabeth was a devout woman, wife of the priest, Zechariah, now advanced in years and childless. Culturally in those days, barrenness was a reproach and it meant that God may be judging you. However, both Elizabeth and Zechariah were righteous in God's eyes and the Lord was using these circumstances to do something wonderful in their lives. How many times do we see negative circumstances in our lives and feel a reproach rather than pray for God to do something miraculous? So the angel of the Lord visits Zechariah while he is serving in the temple. The angel tells him that Elizabeth will have a son and he doesn't believe him so his powers of speech are taken from him. Elizabeth does become pregnant. Her reproach is gone and she glorifies God. Obediently, she names the child John. Zechariah , now humbled, signals his agreement and he regains his speech and now glorifies God in a beautiful prophetic song.
While Elizabeth was in her six month, her cousin, a young girl of about 15 years old, Mary, also receives a visitation from the angel Gabriel. She is chosen to be the mother of the Messiah. She asks questions about how this could be but her questions were not like Zechariah's. Zechariah didn't believe the words of the angel, while Mary did. (I want to also venture an opinion here. Zechariah was a priest, a religious leader and rabbi. His knowledge should have led him to the miraculous that is revealed in the scriptures but it didn't. He reasoned only in the natural not the supernatural and he should have known better. God struck him dumb because of a religious spirit that needed to be reproved. Mary, on the other hand was a young, uneducated girl and her question was viewed as innocent, since she was chosen because of her devout heart before the Lord. Her response proved out her heart: Be it unto to me accordingly to your Word!)
When Mary and Elizabeth met each other, they gave glory to God for what was happening to both of them. The contrast of circumstances is interesting to me. Elizabeth was married and barren and now everyone rejoices with her for the impending birth of her baby, which is a miracle. Mary, on the other hand, is betrothed but still a virgin and her future husband knows he is not the father of her child and so her life must have been filled with ridicule and innuendo and filled with reproach from her community. No one understood the scripture in Isaiah and so the rejection of the Messiah by his own people begins with Mary's condition. Only a very few people see the supernatural hand of God in this event. Elizabeth declares that she and Mary are blessed for believing the Lord's promises and then Mary declares a prophetic song and speaks into the generations of the glory of the Messiah. The power of the Holy Spirit comes upon this simple, uneducated vessel of honor and elevates her understanding into the future generations!!
There's one more woman I want to look at as significant to circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus. That's Anna. Only 4 sentences were recorded about Anna in the entire New Testament. She spent her entire widowhood of over 60 years, serving in the temple and worshipping and praying and fasting night and day. And at the very moment that Joseph and Mary brought the infant Jesus to the temple on the eighth day, Anna recognized who He was. Her spiritual eyes were sharp because of her devotion and sacrifices before God. Her heart was waiting for the Lord's promises to be fulfilled.
Each one of these women had special characteristics that brought the favor of God upon them: they were devout in heart, righteous by observance of the Law (Word) and they were women of faith (obedient) . Faith is not mental ascent to a set of rules or hoping that something will happen. Faith is believing which is obeying. There is no faith without obedience. This is what the book of Hebrews instructs, that it is impossible to please God without faith. The entire chapter 11 lists the Hall of Fame of Faith. Everyone obeyed God who was considered a great man or woman of God.
We could live a blessed life with faith. Our hearts would be at peace and our eternity secure. But something changed the lives of these women and others in the history of God's dealing with mankind. God's greater plan had to be fulfilled and He chooses to use those whose hearts are right in His sight. He didn't use the strongest or the richest or the most influential. He used an uneducated adolescent virgin, a barren elderly woman and a widow , and they were women, which speaks loudly that God places a high value on the place of a woman in His Kingdom plans. As the seasons of time unfold, everyday drawing us closer to the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God and His restoration of complete authority over the earth, He seeks out those whose hearts are loyal to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9) to show Himself mighty! These loyal women now received a supernatural visitation from Almighty God. He puts His Spirit on them and in them and allows them the privilege of being part of the plan. They now know Him in a new experience - through the miraculous. No longer do they rely on the writings of their forefathers. They now KNOW that God is mighty on behalf of His people. He is not finished performing His Word.
This is what we must come to know today as well. God is not finished yet. The pages of the Book are still being fulfilled. God is the same. He does not change so raise up your expectation and seek Him for more than merely surviving or attaining just the material blessings of this world. He will perform His Word in every loyal heart He can find. He is seeking for the seeker. We must be women of faith and that faith brings visitation which brings miracles. Jesus' return to rule the earth is closer than ever. And He asked a question, "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:1-8) What will your answer to this question be? Rise to the challenge and say "Yes, Lord!" Do this knowing that the Lord is working His power through your willingness and not through your strength!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Getting Dressed - The Emperor's New Clothes (What are We Really Wearing?)
I had not read this short story, The Emperor's New Clothes, by Hans Christian Andersen in many years, but its title popped into my head when thinking about future lessons and all the avenues that can be approached on the subject of Getting Dressed. Reading it again did affirm that the thought was no coincidence. To summarize, this emperor loved nothing in the world more than dressing up and showing off. One day 2 men arrived in the city with a convincing story about their abilities to weave the finest cloth of a material that was invisible to those who were unfit for their office or very stupid. The emperor heard of these men and their wonderful fabric and commissioned them to make him a new suit of clothes so he could marvel at himself and obtain such knowledge about those around him. He gave large sums of money to produce this cloth, which these men, of course, kept for themselves and produced nothing. No one who was sent to check up on the progress of this work told the actual truth, that they saw nothing, because they feared being considered stupid or unfit for their office. So everyone lied to the emperor, proclaiming how wonderful and beautiful the fabric was. The day for the street procession came and the emperor, who also saw nothing but dare not admit this to anyone, "suited up" and began to walk through the streets. Everyone in the street declared how wonderful the emperor's new suit of clothes was even though they saw nothing, until a little child finally spoke the truth that the emperor was naked! Those watching also began to exclaim the same and the emperor realized that it was true and continued the procession admitting nothing but knowing he had been swindled and humiliated.
So what's the moral of this story? I believe it speaks to issues of pride and vanity. Perhaps this is obvious on the part of the emperor but it's also true of those around him who feared speaking the truth to him or be considered stupid or unfit. How many times in life do we do the same thing - keep up appearances and avoid truth. Many times we convince ourselves that our behavior is acceptable. Do we really know when pride is operating in our lives? Are we training ourselves to recognize and reject it?
The scripture tell us that knowledge puffs up. Pride is the original sin that says I am equal to God and His knowledge. Pride says I am entitled to feel the way I do when someone hurts me; Pride says I can say what I want to say to anyone because it's the truth; Pride says that my way is the best way and maybe even the only way. Pride always asserts the individuals rights and always has a defense of self. Pride always takes credit and looks for the affirmation of people. Pride does not take correction well or at all.
Another question comes to mind. Why would someone believe these strangers? They appear on the scene, make unusual claims about their abilities and everyone believes them. Reading this, it seems that it couldn't happen to me or you but in actuality it happens to us more than we'd care to admit. This story mirrors our daily lives in so many ways. We go through our days thinking we are fully clothed but in actuality we are naked. When we live beneath the promises of God, always struggling with sin, never walking with a new heart and mind, then we are naked! Satan weaves lies everyday, making something appear true. For example, when we have pains or sickness in our bodies, our first thoughts usually are to go to the doctor and get it checked out and accept his diagnosis and remedy. Sickness is a product of the fall of man and Jesus restored us to God even in our physical bodies yet we usually believe what we feel before we believe the promise of God for healing, deliverance and miracles. I have begun to challenge these feelings in my own life. I have seen God heal my body when I ask him to do so first! (I am not discouraging anyone from going to the doctor but I am invoking the work of the cross of Jesus Christ and the Word of God as the greater authority over my body.) There is enough evidence in the Word of God for the miraculous to operate when we expect God to do the impossible. His commission to us is to preach, heal and deliver people. But the miraculous has been weakened by the influence of a liar!
When we allow ourselves to believe Satan's lies we are as naked as the emperor! Nakedness spiritually is allowing sin to rule over your life. Christians are instructed to examine ourselves against God's Word (2 Corinthians 13:5) and to make the necessary adjustments to conform our lives to the will of the Father. Our response to sin should be shame but we live in a society that is redefining truth. Shame of sin should provoke us to repentence but the liar's voice is saying that there is no sin or offense in lust, greed, promiscuity, homosexuality, witchcraft, coveteousness, anger, lying, foul language, course joking and the like. When we justify our behavior we are weaving an invisible garment, all the while believing we are fully dressed. Ask yourself this question: Have I used the Word of God only to get a word of encouragement or an answer to a personal petition or have I allowed the Word to bring correction into my life. The only way we know what pleases God is in His Word. Our opinion means nothing. The opinion of others means nothing. God speaks for HIMSELF! Everyone must look into God's Word and correct themselves according to it or else walk around naked!
The emperor paid lots of money to obtain something that did not cover him. How much have you and I paid into this world that produces nothing for our spiritual growth? We have been buying from the wrong source! Jesus said, "I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love, rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." (Rev. 3:18-19)
What is this white garment we are to wear but Christ Himself! The very work of the cross must be put on! We cannot cover ourselves. We never could! When Adam and Eve sinned, the fig leaves couldn't cover the shame of nakedness that was upon them so God covered them with the skins of animals. That covering was a foreshadowing of the the Cross. God in Christ shed His blood for the sins of mankind. He alone can cover nakedness. The list of clear instructions of what is pleasing to God is right there under our noses, ready to give us life and health. Can you see it? If not, put the salve of humility and repentence on your eyes and your vision will come into focus! Little children, with simple faith can see clearly. Jesus made a strong point about children and their level of faith. We must become like a child!
Our next meeting will be Wednesday, December 8 from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. for a Christmas party and brief seasonal message on our theme of Getting Dressed. Those who are planning to attend should bring a grab bag gift for exchange valued not more than $20.00 and also a tray of hors d'oeuvres of any kind. We will have a smorgasbord of finger foods! We welcome first timers to this holiday get together. Please email me at nancy@gatewaycitychurch.net to let me know that you will be coming.
So what's the moral of this story? I believe it speaks to issues of pride and vanity. Perhaps this is obvious on the part of the emperor but it's also true of those around him who feared speaking the truth to him or be considered stupid or unfit. How many times in life do we do the same thing - keep up appearances and avoid truth. Many times we convince ourselves that our behavior is acceptable. Do we really know when pride is operating in our lives? Are we training ourselves to recognize and reject it?
The scripture tell us that knowledge puffs up. Pride is the original sin that says I am equal to God and His knowledge. Pride says I am entitled to feel the way I do when someone hurts me; Pride says I can say what I want to say to anyone because it's the truth; Pride says that my way is the best way and maybe even the only way. Pride always asserts the individuals rights and always has a defense of self. Pride always takes credit and looks for the affirmation of people. Pride does not take correction well or at all.
Another question comes to mind. Why would someone believe these strangers? They appear on the scene, make unusual claims about their abilities and everyone believes them. Reading this, it seems that it couldn't happen to me or you but in actuality it happens to us more than we'd care to admit. This story mirrors our daily lives in so many ways. We go through our days thinking we are fully clothed but in actuality we are naked. When we live beneath the promises of God, always struggling with sin, never walking with a new heart and mind, then we are naked! Satan weaves lies everyday, making something appear true. For example, when we have pains or sickness in our bodies, our first thoughts usually are to go to the doctor and get it checked out and accept his diagnosis and remedy. Sickness is a product of the fall of man and Jesus restored us to God even in our physical bodies yet we usually believe what we feel before we believe the promise of God for healing, deliverance and miracles. I have begun to challenge these feelings in my own life. I have seen God heal my body when I ask him to do so first! (I am not discouraging anyone from going to the doctor but I am invoking the work of the cross of Jesus Christ and the Word of God as the greater authority over my body.) There is enough evidence in the Word of God for the miraculous to operate when we expect God to do the impossible. His commission to us is to preach, heal and deliver people. But the miraculous has been weakened by the influence of a liar!
When we allow ourselves to believe Satan's lies we are as naked as the emperor! Nakedness spiritually is allowing sin to rule over your life. Christians are instructed to examine ourselves against God's Word (2 Corinthians 13:5) and to make the necessary adjustments to conform our lives to the will of the Father. Our response to sin should be shame but we live in a society that is redefining truth. Shame of sin should provoke us to repentence but the liar's voice is saying that there is no sin or offense in lust, greed, promiscuity, homosexuality, witchcraft, coveteousness, anger, lying, foul language, course joking and the like. When we justify our behavior we are weaving an invisible garment, all the while believing we are fully dressed. Ask yourself this question: Have I used the Word of God only to get a word of encouragement or an answer to a personal petition or have I allowed the Word to bring correction into my life. The only way we know what pleases God is in His Word. Our opinion means nothing. The opinion of others means nothing. God speaks for HIMSELF! Everyone must look into God's Word and correct themselves according to it or else walk around naked!
The emperor paid lots of money to obtain something that did not cover him. How much have you and I paid into this world that produces nothing for our spiritual growth? We have been buying from the wrong source! Jesus said, "I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love, rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." (Rev. 3:18-19)
What is this white garment we are to wear but Christ Himself! The very work of the cross must be put on! We cannot cover ourselves. We never could! When Adam and Eve sinned, the fig leaves couldn't cover the shame of nakedness that was upon them so God covered them with the skins of animals. That covering was a foreshadowing of the the Cross. God in Christ shed His blood for the sins of mankind. He alone can cover nakedness. The list of clear instructions of what is pleasing to God is right there under our noses, ready to give us life and health. Can you see it? If not, put the salve of humility and repentence on your eyes and your vision will come into focus! Little children, with simple faith can see clearly. Jesus made a strong point about children and their level of faith. We must become like a child!
Our next meeting will be Wednesday, December 8 from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. for a Christmas party and brief seasonal message on our theme of Getting Dressed. Those who are planning to attend should bring a grab bag gift for exchange valued not more than $20.00 and also a tray of hors d'oeuvres of any kind. We will have a smorgasbord of finger foods! We welcome first timers to this holiday get together. Please email me at nancy@gatewaycitychurch.net to let me know that you will be coming.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Getting Dressed - Exchanging the Yoke for a Garland
"WISDOM IS SUPREME; THEREFORE GET WISDOM. THOUGH IT COSTS YOU ALL YOU HAVE, GET UNDERSTANDING. ESTEEM HER AND SHE WILL EXALT YOU; EMBRACE HER AND SHE WILL HONOR YOU. SHE WILL SET A GARLAND OF GRACE ON YOUR HEAD AND PRESENT YOU WITH A CROWN OF SPLENDOR." Proverbs 1:8-10
The Garland - a wreath of flowers, leaves, feathers or sometimes precious stones, worn for ornament or as an honor; the crown of a king. Quite a different picture than the heavy burden of a yoke around your neck! Let's compare: Yoke - heavy, burden, slavery or Garland - light, beautiful, victory and freedom.
Jesus said, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30) Clearly, Jesus' own words provide the pathway of exchanging the yoke of slavery for a garland of victory. It's not as mysterious or difficult as we have made it. It's a choice. Most of life is a choice. We are confronted daily by choices and for the most part it's our choices that yoke us. Thoughts, words and actions become choices. The factors that shape these choices are really the central issue of the Christian life. Who do you serve? If we serve Christ then our lives must reflect His victory against sin, death, and the devil. If we do the things that Christ did and have the mind of Christ then we are overcomers. This, of course, is the struggle of the flesh. The things I want to do I don't do and the things I don't want to do I do! How do we get off this merry-go-round and wear the garland of grace?
Let's break the exchange down from the words of Jesus: Come. Take. Learn. We begin by surrender. We come to Jesus when we come to the end of ourselves. We empty our lives by confession and repentence. Then we are able to take His yoke. A yoke becomes a good thing when it's Jesus to whom we are yoked. He leads and we follow and He says that His yoke is easy and light because He is the one who bears the burden. Knowing who Jesus is, is vastly different than being yoked to Him! When we are yoked to Him then we learn from Him. This then is the wisdom spoken of in Proverbs that a garland of grace, peace and rest for our souls is placed upon us.
Simply stated but not so simple in the real world. Once again we go back to the choices that confront us. Without the knowledge of God's word we will always fail to make right choices. His word is the lamp. His word is the light. His word is God himself revealed to us. Obedience is the pathway to His presence.
I cited an article that appeared in the Sunday Daily News on October 3, 2010 entitled The Unbelievable Truth: Why America Has Become a Nation of Religious No-nothings. The survey was unsettling and completely believable when you look at the condition of the world and decisions over the last 40 years that have contributed to our condition. God's Word has been left out of our society, as it has been left out of many Christian denominations. Without the knowledge of His Word and obedience through faith, we cannot please Him. Creation, Heaven, Hell, Sin, Redemption through Christ's blood, Deliverance, Healing - all these things are lost to us without God's Word.
The process of exchanging the yoke for a garland is daily trusting in God through consumption of His word. Choosing to obey the words that you consume is the power behind that exchange. Worship is much more than the songs we sing or services we go to. It is the decision of the heart to pursue God. It is the decision of the mind to obey Him. Where do we find Him? In His Word!
We closed with this verse: "Do not conform [yoke yourself] any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is --His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)
NEXT MEETING: Thursday, November 11 at 7:30 p.m. Email me for more information: nancy@gatewaycitychurch.net
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Getting Dressed - Are You Wearing a Yoke or a Garland?
A month goes by quickly and there we were, meeting in my first floor living room on Thursday, October 7 once again. I greeted everyone at the door wearing an artificial Hawaiian lei which became part of the lesson. (I tried to rig up a yoke using a plank and paint cans to greet people with but that got too complicated, so I stuck with the lei. It was prettier and lighter, which is really the point of the lesson, anyway!)
I believe in knowing the definitions of the words we may read in the Bible. Rather than reading for the sake of saying, "I read my Bible today," as if that is the essence of our relationship with the Lord, knowing what you read is more important, even if it's one sentence. Reading is only part of the journey; Understanding what you read is essential to life application! So I looked up the meanings of "yoke" and "garland."
A yoke is a device for joining together a pair of draft animals, especially oxen (just saw some crossing the street here in Brooklyn!!!), usually consisting of a crosspiece with two bow-shaped pieces, each enclosing the head of an animal (very important point). It's also defined as an agency of oppression, subjection of servitude or slavery; to bring into subjection or servitude. Another picture comes to mind of the stocks that criminals were kept in the colonial days in the public square.
So far these definitions don't really hit us in a personal place, especially that we are not in colonial times nor are we in a rural setting but this word "yoke" is found many times in the Bible (over 60 in the NIV) and requires understanding as it applies to each of our lives. Clearly, a yoke is bondage to something or someone. The Bible speaks of a "yoke of slavery" that was on the children of Israel to the Eygptians (Exodus 6:6; Leviticus 26:13). That seems easy enough to understand but what about when the yoke is not about servitude of one people group over another? The Lord also calls it a yoke of oppression when we point fingers and speak maliciously (Isaiah 58:8-10). Now, that changes the way we must see ourselves. We are not always the victim of circumstances but the very cause of the yoke we may be wearing!!
We, then, discussed some of the "yokes" in which we may be dealing right now in our lives. At first, we talked about the pressures of family, relationships, finances and how we deal with them. The worries and cares of this world have become yokes. We are consumed with the very things that Jesus said to release into His trust (Matthew 6:25-34), food, clothing and the general daily provisions of life. We have "yoked" ourselves to worry, fear and anxiety if these are our responses to our circumstances. Relationally, we "yoke" ourselves to the wrong friends and "significant others," so that we defile marriage and it's original intent or go places and do things we know are not right but just can't seem to take a stand. We "yoke" ourselves to greed and envy when we must have more things or that which someone else has. We "yoke" ourselves to offense when we refuse to forgive someone who has hurt us. We "yoke" ourselves to unbelief when we do the opposite of what God's Word says we can and should do. This discussion was very sobering when we turned the laser beam of the Word of God on ourselves!!!
In continuing to understand how the literal yoke operates, I asked the group, "Who decides the direction when a yoke is in use?" The obvious answer was the master driving the team, but not the ones wearing the yoke. The yoke holds the head in a locked position and prevents an independent movement from the team. Again, us city folk may not get the analogy but here it is: Someone else is driving us when we are yoked to the things mentioned above, and it isn't the Lord!
We give up our freedom of choice when we are yoked in any circumstance. And yet, wasn't it a choice that put the yoke upon us in the first place? Mmmm. Something to think about...
Next installment: How do I take off this Yoke and put on the Garland?
I believe in knowing the definitions of the words we may read in the Bible. Rather than reading for the sake of saying, "I read my Bible today," as if that is the essence of our relationship with the Lord, knowing what you read is more important, even if it's one sentence. Reading is only part of the journey; Understanding what you read is essential to life application! So I looked up the meanings of "yoke" and "garland."
A yoke is a device for joining together a pair of draft animals, especially oxen (just saw some crossing the street here in Brooklyn!!!), usually consisting of a crosspiece with two bow-shaped pieces, each enclosing the head of an animal (very important point). It's also defined as an agency of oppression, subjection of servitude or slavery; to bring into subjection or servitude. Another picture comes to mind of the stocks that criminals were kept in the colonial days in the public square.
So far these definitions don't really hit us in a personal place, especially that we are not in colonial times nor are we in a rural setting but this word "yoke" is found many times in the Bible (over 60 in the NIV) and requires understanding as it applies to each of our lives. Clearly, a yoke is bondage to something or someone. The Bible speaks of a "yoke of slavery" that was on the children of Israel to the Eygptians (Exodus 6:6; Leviticus 26:13). That seems easy enough to understand but what about when the yoke is not about servitude of one people group over another? The Lord also calls it a yoke of oppression when we point fingers and speak maliciously (Isaiah 58:8-10). Now, that changes the way we must see ourselves. We are not always the victim of circumstances but the very cause of the yoke we may be wearing!!
We, then, discussed some of the "yokes" in which we may be dealing right now in our lives. At first, we talked about the pressures of family, relationships, finances and how we deal with them. The worries and cares of this world have become yokes. We are consumed with the very things that Jesus said to release into His trust (Matthew 6:25-34), food, clothing and the general daily provisions of life. We have "yoked" ourselves to worry, fear and anxiety if these are our responses to our circumstances. Relationally, we "yoke" ourselves to the wrong friends and "significant others," so that we defile marriage and it's original intent or go places and do things we know are not right but just can't seem to take a stand. We "yoke" ourselves to greed and envy when we must have more things or that which someone else has. We "yoke" ourselves to offense when we refuse to forgive someone who has hurt us. We "yoke" ourselves to unbelief when we do the opposite of what God's Word says we can and should do. This discussion was very sobering when we turned the laser beam of the Word of God on ourselves!!!
In continuing to understand how the literal yoke operates, I asked the group, "Who decides the direction when a yoke is in use?" The obvious answer was the master driving the team, but not the ones wearing the yoke. The yoke holds the head in a locked position and prevents an independent movement from the team. Again, us city folk may not get the analogy but here it is: Someone else is driving us when we are yoked to the things mentioned above, and it isn't the Lord!
We give up our freedom of choice when we are yoked in any circumstance. And yet, wasn't it a choice that put the yoke upon us in the first place? Mmmm. Something to think about...
Next installment: How do I take off this Yoke and put on the Garland?
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Getting Dressed - How Do I Look?
All agreed that how a person dresses, whether good or badly, brings certain judgments to mind. If we see a well-dressed person, we immediately think that he's got his life in order and is successful and doesn't need anything. Likewise, the opposite is true if the person is poorly dressed or appears homeless and dirty. The well dressed person may be in as much need as the poorest person. The poor person is usually ignored and shunned. We all form some kind of opinion about a person by their appearance, whether good or bad.
So it is a fair assumption that the externals matter to some degree because it is the first thing that the world sees. You may get or lose a job opportunity because of the way you dress. Your clothing tell others whether you are approachable or not. And yet we also agreed that the inner person may not be properly portrayed by the outer garments.
So the next question was posed, "How as Christians are we to be clothed?" The scriptures tell us to "clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." This is now the importance of living and being a Christian. The externals must reflect the internal experience of having received Christ as Savior and Lord and all that it means to have had this experience. That inner work of the Holy Spirit must now be put on display to allow the beauty of Christ to shine. The attractiveness of the attributes that conforms us to the image of Christ becomes the magnet for the world to desire to know Him.
We make decisions daily about how we will dress and look. As Christians we spend too little time making the same decision of how each day we will let the inner work become the outer garments. Somehow we think that it is supposed to happen without any effort on our part. The effort is in the decision. I decide that I WILL PUT ON CHRIST. In other words, "What are you wearing today that let's people know you belong to the Lord?" That was the next questions posed to the group and some very candid answers were shared. Some spoke of always wearing the garments of anger, offense and frustration in dealing with the circumstances of life. Some seem always seem to wear the garments of sorrow. Fear was also a popular garment. All agreed that none of these reflect the victory and joy that we are supposed to live in because of the cross and the resurrection. It's as if we are back in the Garden of Eden hiding from the Lord in naked shame, trying to cover ourselves with useless leaves. Yet, God in His mercy fashioned the suitable covering for the shame of sin as a picture and a sign of the redemption He prepared in Christ. We cover ourselves with excuses for our behavior but today, I challenged the young women to make a different choice. Knowing that we've chosen incorrectly in many and most areas of our lives, what must be done to change this?
The first step to getting dressed in brand new clothes is "getting washed up." Who would put new clothing on themselves with a dirty body. As we prepare our physical bodies to look their best in the new clothes we wear, so we must also prepare ourselves to wear spiritual garments by first washing ourselves as Jesus explained to His disciples at that last Passover supper. He said that they were not in need of a complete bath but just a foot washing. Our feet walk in a world filled with compromise, immorality and political correctness that offends the Truth. We are affected by the world in which we live and the key to recognize, this affect and cleanse our hearts daily in His Word. It is is His Word that washes our feet from the unclean places in which we must walk daily. Jesus said to do this for one another and He meant not merely to do the symbolic foot washing ceremony that many churches do, but that we become responsible for one another, to help each to walk rightly before the Lord. This is only possible with the knowledge of His Word digested into our lives or else how would we know what pleases or displeases the Lord? (I gave a hand out of scripture references for personal study and reflection, some of which are listed on this blog.)
I posed a challenge to all to deliberately take note of the responses we would normally give in difficult situations, whether on the job or anywhere in dealing with people. Start the day with a personal declaration of victory that might sound something like, "Today, it is my choice and decision to dress in peace and love toward all my co-workers, no matter who irritates me. I choose that which pleases the Lord." The more we make these deliberate decisions, the more natural they become because what we are actually doing is renewing the mind and conforming the flesh to the Word of God. We die to self so He lives in us and through us. He increases and we decrease. These are not cliche's but realities of the Christian walk.
In conclusion, our "homework" was to ask ourselves each day, maybe each moment of the day, "What am I wearing?" and decide to put on the clothing that reflects what Christ has done in each of our lives. We may discover that we mentally assent to Christ as Savior but not as the Lord over us and this, too, is part of the journey...letting Christ be Lord!
NEXT GET TOGETHER: Thursday, October 7, 7:30 p.m. TOPIC: Are You Wearing a Yoke or a Garland? E-mail me if you need my address.
So it is a fair assumption that the externals matter to some degree because it is the first thing that the world sees. You may get or lose a job opportunity because of the way you dress. Your clothing tell others whether you are approachable or not. And yet we also agreed that the inner person may not be properly portrayed by the outer garments.
So the next question was posed, "How as Christians are we to be clothed?" The scriptures tell us to "clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." This is now the importance of living and being a Christian. The externals must reflect the internal experience of having received Christ as Savior and Lord and all that it means to have had this experience. That inner work of the Holy Spirit must now be put on display to allow the beauty of Christ to shine. The attractiveness of the attributes that conforms us to the image of Christ becomes the magnet for the world to desire to know Him.
We make decisions daily about how we will dress and look. As Christians we spend too little time making the same decision of how each day we will let the inner work become the outer garments. Somehow we think that it is supposed to happen without any effort on our part. The effort is in the decision. I decide that I WILL PUT ON CHRIST. In other words, "What are you wearing today that let's people know you belong to the Lord?" That was the next questions posed to the group and some very candid answers were shared. Some spoke of always wearing the garments of anger, offense and frustration in dealing with the circumstances of life. Some seem always seem to wear the garments of sorrow. Fear was also a popular garment. All agreed that none of these reflect the victory and joy that we are supposed to live in because of the cross and the resurrection. It's as if we are back in the Garden of Eden hiding from the Lord in naked shame, trying to cover ourselves with useless leaves. Yet, God in His mercy fashioned the suitable covering for the shame of sin as a picture and a sign of the redemption He prepared in Christ. We cover ourselves with excuses for our behavior but today, I challenged the young women to make a different choice. Knowing that we've chosen incorrectly in many and most areas of our lives, what must be done to change this?
The first step to getting dressed in brand new clothes is "getting washed up." Who would put new clothing on themselves with a dirty body. As we prepare our physical bodies to look their best in the new clothes we wear, so we must also prepare ourselves to wear spiritual garments by first washing ourselves as Jesus explained to His disciples at that last Passover supper. He said that they were not in need of a complete bath but just a foot washing. Our feet walk in a world filled with compromise, immorality and political correctness that offends the Truth. We are affected by the world in which we live and the key to recognize, this affect and cleanse our hearts daily in His Word. It is is His Word that washes our feet from the unclean places in which we must walk daily. Jesus said to do this for one another and He meant not merely to do the symbolic foot washing ceremony that many churches do, but that we become responsible for one another, to help each to walk rightly before the Lord. This is only possible with the knowledge of His Word digested into our lives or else how would we know what pleases or displeases the Lord? (I gave a hand out of scripture references for personal study and reflection, some of which are listed on this blog.)
I posed a challenge to all to deliberately take note of the responses we would normally give in difficult situations, whether on the job or anywhere in dealing with people. Start the day with a personal declaration of victory that might sound something like, "Today, it is my choice and decision to dress in peace and love toward all my co-workers, no matter who irritates me. I choose that which pleases the Lord." The more we make these deliberate decisions, the more natural they become because what we are actually doing is renewing the mind and conforming the flesh to the Word of God. We die to self so He lives in us and through us. He increases and we decrease. These are not cliche's but realities of the Christian walk.
In conclusion, our "homework" was to ask ourselves each day, maybe each moment of the day, "What am I wearing?" and decide to put on the clothing that reflects what Christ has done in each of our lives. We may discover that we mentally assent to Christ as Savior but not as the Lord over us and this, too, is part of the journey...letting Christ be Lord!
NEXT GET TOGETHER: Thursday, October 7, 7:30 p.m. TOPIC: Are You Wearing a Yoke or a Garland? E-mail me if you need my address.
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