Repentance

“Christian”

/ Jodie / Leave a comment

Luke 24:44-53

44 Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations,[a] beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48 You are witnesses of all these things.

49 “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

50 Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. 52 So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. 53 And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.

In today’s culture, there seems to be a myriad of beliefs and religions lumped into the title of “Christian.” Its original intent of reflecting a Christ follower has been diluted into a politically correct label for everyone to use.

IMG_2961To be a disciple of Jesus Christ, however, is an entirely different matter. For disciples earnestly desire to live their lives as fully devoted followers of the Son of God. They are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. They pray without ceasing. Their minds are opened to understand Scripture. And, they realize the importance of forgiveness, which only comes through repentance. To be a disciple means they no longer follow their sinful nature, but instead follow the Spirit, just as Jesus did, so that they are always, always, always, glorifying the Father.

Romans 8:1-4

8 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power[a] of the life-giving Spirit has freed you[b] from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.[c] So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. 

In order for a “Christian” to become a fully devoted follower of Christ, who believes Jesus is the only way to the Father, and who is submitted to following His teachings, he/she MUST:

  • Stop diluting sin by dismissing it as “struggles”
  • Stop squelching the Holy Spirit because we’re afraid of His power
  • Stop replacing the Word of God with mans interpretation (there are some great bible studies, sermon series and self-help books on the market, but they should NEVER replace the Word of God).

Now, before we all start jumping on our preverbal soapboxes and begin pointing our fingers at those people, we must first get rid of the log in our own eye.

Matthew 7:5

5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

By daily:

  • Praising God
  • Submitting to the power of the Holy Spirit
  • Praying without ceasing; seeking to know and obey His will for our lives
  • Devoting our time and energy to studying Scripture, asking the Lord to open our minds in order that we may understand and apply His truth to our lives
  • Asking the Lord “what do I need to be forgiven for?” & confessing, repenting and fleeing from our sin.
  • Sharing the good news with others, inviting them to follow us, as we follow Jesus.

Only then will we, His Church, be able to love God, love others and go make more disciples by proclaiming Christ’s message to all the nations:

Matthew 22:34-40

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Matthew 28:19

19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

I Urge You

/ Jodie / Leave a comment

1 Corinthians 4:14-16

14 I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. 15 For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. 16 So I urge you to imitate me.

This passage, taken from a letter that Paul penned to the church in Corinth, appears to be written by a pompous and proud leader.

It isn’t.

Paul, who was the church founder, was writing to his beloved children to warn them of the evil that was operating in their midst. These “infant” Christians were still very susceptible to living by the flesh, instead of living in the Spirit. As a result, they were indulging in all kinds of sin; greed, cheating, sexual sin and worshipping idols, just to name a few. In order to continue training them in the way that they should go, Paul, who was their spiritual father- their mentor, urged these new believers to imitate him- as he imitated Christ. He was, as any loving parent would do, imploring his children to obey God so that they could enjoy a long life!

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child [a]in the way he should go,
Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Ephesians 6:2-3

2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

This parent-child relationship that was established in the early church doesn’t just apply to the Corinthians. It applies to today’s church in England, Africa, China, America….the world. It is critical that every part of the Body of Christ (whether we are “infants,” “teenagers” or “adults”) has a spiritual father or mother to disciple us. Without a mentor to teach, encourage, and yes, lovingly rebuke us at times, we, like foolish children are prone to disobey our Father in Heaven. Left to ourselves, we can easily become consumed by the evil in our midst, and succumb to the desires of our flesh. As a result, we (sometimes unknowingly), choose for ourselves a rod of punishment.

1 Corinthians 4:18-21

18 Some of you have become arrogant, thinking I will not visit you again. 19 But I will come—and soon—if the Lord lets me, and then I’ll find out whether these arrogant people just give pretentious speeches or whether they really have God’s power. 20 For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power. 21 Which do you choose? Should I come with a rod to punish you, or should I come with love and a gentle spirit?

“Some people talk a lot about faith, but that’s all it is- talk. They may know all the right words to say, but their lives don’t reflect God’s power. Paul says that the Kingdom of God is to be lived, not discussed.”

-Life Application Study Bible

With love and a gentle spirit, I want to urge to find a spiritual father or mother. The mentor you choose should imitate Christ and live a life that produces good fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). They should be a man or woman whose heart is submitted to obeying the Lord. They should be a person who is willing to humble him/herself, confess and repent for their sins not only to God, but also to others.

James 5:16

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

IMG_2963

And, they should be a person who is willing to invest their time, talent and treasure into training you to become a fully devoted follower of Jesus (NOTE: this person may or may not be your Pastor, Sunday School Teacher or Small Group Leader. In the past, I naively expected leaders in the church to provide the training I needed, but I quickly realized that their role was that of an apostle, prophet or teacher- not a mentor).

“Paul told the Corinthians to imitate him- to follow his example. He was able to make this statement because he walked close to God, spent time in God’s Word and in prayer, and was aware of God’s presence at all times. God was Paul’s example; therefore, Paul’s life could be an example to other Christians. Paul wasn’t expecting others to imitate everything he did, but they should imitate those aspects of his beliefs and conduct that were modeling Christ’s way of living.”

-Life Application Study Bible

I Never Knew You

/ Jodie / 1 Comment

Matthew 7:21-27

21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

I’ve been perplexed about Matthew 7:22 for years. How is it possible for people to prophesy, cast out demons and perform many miracles without knowing God? How can the gifts of the Spirit operate in unbelievers or disciples who are disobeying God? I’ve gone round and round about this with my mentor. Every time I’ve asked her these questions, she’s always given me the same reply, “Jodie, the gifts are without repentance.” Feeling thick headed I usually moan, “I just don’t understand that!”

But one day last week, a miracle happened…..

I was reading this passage again when my friends words echoed through my mind- and the Holy Spirit breathed revelation to my soul:

1)  God is in control

2)  God is able to chose who (submitted disciples, unbelievers or rebellious followers) He gives spiritual gifts to

3)  God is able to chose what type of gifts He wants to give

4)  Spiritual gifts are not a sign of repentance, but a sign of Gods power and ability to Advance His Kingdom through whatever and whomever He chooses

5)  God will judge those who do not know Him and who deceive others through false prophesy, etc.

6)  I am able to choose whether or not to listen to Jesus’ teachings and follow Him

7)  I am able to choose whether or not to use God’s gifts to go make disciples (Matthew 28:19)

IMG_6986

A son or daughter who chooses to listen & follow God will have a stable life. Everything they do, every decision they make that is submitted to God will be rock solid. When life’s circumstances begin to flood in and the wind and rain beats against them, they won’t collapse. They know that their foundation can withstand any storm.

But, I’ve only met 1 person who could listen and follow perfectly, at all times: Jesus Christ.

What then are we sand castle building children to do?

Ignore all the areas of our lives that are collapsing?

Judge others who are breaking God’s law in order to make ourselves feel better?

Complain about all the areas of our lives that are not rock solid?

Uh….no.

1)  We can choose to rest in the truth that The Master Architect has great plans for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11).

2)  We can choose to believe that God is building us into sons and daughters who look more and more like His perfect Son.

3)  We can choose to obey Him in whatever area of our lives He is rebuilding at the time (our lives, our marriages, our children, our jobs, our ministry…..).

4)  We can choose to read His Word and do what it says.

5)  We can choose to repent for disobeying God’s laws.

6)  We can choose not to judge others who are disobeying God’s laws.

7)  We can choose to use the gifts He gives us in order to Advance His Kingdom.

As a daughter of the Most High, I choose to build my life on solid rock, by fearing God above all others, for I have NO desire to hear my Father say, “I never knew you….” on judgment day.

Proverbs 9:10

10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
    Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

All My Fears

/ Jodie / Leave a comment

Psalm 34:4-7 

4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
 He freed me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
  no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
  he saved me from all my troubles.

7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
    he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

IMG_4003Even before WRAL’s Dual Doppler 5000 sees a blip on its radar screen, our dog Maggie alerts us to an impending storm. Her eyes widen as fear consumes her and she begins to pace, drool and pant like she’s run a full marathon. We’ve tried everything we know to soothe her; petting her, lying beside her, whispering assurances, putting a thunder jacket on her, kenneling her, but nothing seems to eliminate the terror inside.

Matthew 14:29-30 

29 “….So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strongwind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.”

Although I don’t tend to drool or pant when a storm arrives in my life, I have some of the same tendencies of our chocolate lab when fear begins to consume me. I start to obsess about the circumstances, my mind becomes bogged down with “what if’s” and my emotions fluctuate between rage and uncontrollable weeping. Unfortunately, by the time I’ve reached these stages, my will has already decided to cling to fear. Even though my mind may not be cognizant that I am trying to control the wind and waves, I am essentially saying to God: “I don’t fear you…..I don’t trust that you can, or will save me.”

Deuteronomy 13:4

4 Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.

Sadly, I tried a lot of things over the years to try to sooth myself; taking prescription drugs, over eating or drinking, engaging in sexual sin, blaming others…..before I decided to lift my eyes above the storm and look to the Lord for help.

Thankfully, however, I’ve since discovered that the “F” word CAN be eliminated from my life when I crucify my pride, discover the Truth found in God’s Word and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where my debilitating fears come from. When I do, He is always faithful to scoop me up out of the water and place me safely in His arms, where I can be still… and know that HE is God.

I wonder if He’d be willing to do the same for Maggie so I can get a little sleep tonight!?

Hebrews 13:6

6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper,
so I will have no fear.

Tree Planted Along a Riverbank

/ Jodie / Leave a comment

Jeremiah 17:5-10

5This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
    who rely on human strength
    and turn their hearts away from the Lord.

6 They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
 with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
    in an uninhabited salty land.

7“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
 and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
  with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
 or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.

9“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
 and desperately wicked.
 Who really knows how bad it is?

10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts
and examine secret motives.
I give all people their due rewards,
 according to what their actions deserve.” IMG_2963Years ago, during a Sunday morning worship service, God showed me a vision of a tree planted along a riverbank. It had incredibly long roots that were reaching deep into the water, but some of its roots were also climbing up the bank, towards a cluster of trees planted on top of the raven. The above mentioned verse immediately came to mind when I saw the roots that reached deep into the water, but it would be many seasons later before I discovered why some of the trees root system was reaching away from its life source. After recording a horrible sketch of the mental image in my journal, I didn’t think any more about it, until a few months ago when I was praying about moving my blogs to another site. God reminded me of that tree and when I finally dug out my old journal and flipped to the sought after page, I realized that tree was ME….with roots that are often divided. I’ve been a follower of Jesus for nearly 15 years. In the early days of my pilgrimage, I tried to do all the “right things;” read my bible, pray (alone- NEVER in a group!), attend worship services, serve on a ministry team, join a bible study….which were all necessary disciplines that I needed to submit to, but they caused me to only know God in an intellectual sense. I was learning to love God with my mind, but my soul and strength were climbing up the riverbank towards the other trees. My desperately wicked heart was torn between surrendering my will to my Creator and surrendering to what I wanted. Once I chose to submit to Jesus’ call to repent, my heart softened to the revelation that in order to truly love God, I must obey His commandments- all of them. In surrendering my will to His, I began to fall in love with the Lord and He began to show me the barren wildernesses of my soul. In what has been a supernatural, marvelous journey of restoration and redemption, God has retracted some of the roots that were going astray and retrained them to turn back towards His living water. Despite life’s circumstances, when I choose to reach deep into the water and trust the Lord (not mere humans) with my life, marriage, parenting, etcetera, I am not bothered or worried by long months of drought. Instead, I am blessed AND able to remain confident that He alone is my refuge and my fortress.

Psalm 62:5-8

5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.

6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

7 My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
 for God is our refuge.

Psalm 91:1-2

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
 will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
 my God, in whom I trust.”

Judging or Identifying?

/ Jodie / Leave a comment

James 4:11-12

11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters.[a] If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

Matthew 7:15-20

15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

 

IMG_2963Recently, during a discussion with a few of my mentors, I was taught the difference between having a heart that is critical and judgmental and having a spirit that can identify bad fruit.

Today, as God had me re-read these two passages of scripture, the Holy Spirit breathed revelation and understanding of His truth -and confirmed the wisdom of my friends.

You see, we are all sinners (shocking, I know!). Therefore, we have no right to judge the hearts of men – or women. If we do, we are guilty of pride- which, as it turns out, is a sin. By criticizing Gods law, we further prove that we are incapable of being a perfect judge. That right solely belongs to the One who has the power to save or destroy.

Seeing the fruit of people’s lives, however, is a gift of the Holy Spirit. People’s words, actions, behaviors, addictions, etc. are an outward sign of an inward issue. Therefore, the Lord gives us His power to identify bad fruit so that we can:

a)   Pray for the person to repent and turn back to God

b)   Lovingly rebuke the person (if we are in a relationship to do so) in order that they will be moved to repent and turn back to God

c)    Follow the wisdom of Matthew and the writers of my study bible: “Beware (act in a way that shows you know that there may be danger or trouble) of those whose words sound religious, but who are motivated by money, fame or power. You can tell who they are because in their teaching they minimize Christ and glorify themselves”

Wait

/ Jodie / 1 Comment

Isaiah 30:18-21

18 So the Lord must wait for you to come to him
    so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the Lord is a faithful God.
    Blessed are those who wait for his help.

19 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,
  you will weep no more.
He will be gracious if you ask for help.
    He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.

20 Though the Lord gave you adversity for food
  and suffering for drink,
he will still be with you to teach you.
    You will see your teacher with your own eyes.

21 Your own ears will hear him.
  Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,”
    whether to the right or to the left.

I will be the first to admit; I am not a very patient person. Time is often my enemy. I hate to waste it and I hate not knowing if what I’m doing with it is advantageous – or not.

Therefore, I am certain that my current wait time is another opportunity for the Lord to teach me His ways. Some days I’m an honor student, eager to hear His instruction and complete my assignments. Other days I’m a rebellious schoolgirl who would prefer to skip class and do what I want to do!

IMG_6013I, like many, have a dream. Mine is of a home, large enough for our family, our school and our ministry, with lots of land and moving water.

When Doug was laid off in 2010, I assumed the dream was dead. When he started contract work the next year, I began to hope again. When a permanent job offer came along the following year I began daydreaming about all the ways I, like Disney, could make all my dreams come true! After I devised a plan, I tried to convince Doug to buy into it- and when he didn’t immediately comply I began talking with our children about it! Control Freak? Ehem….. yes. Looking back over that season, I now realize that I was looking at my circumstances for the answer, instead of to the One who holds all the answers.

I’ve since repented for not coming to God for help, for being impatient regarding my wait time and for not trusting that HE will make my dream come true in HIS time, if this dream is HIS dream for me. I also apologized to my husband and our children for dragging them into my rebellion.

And so, in this current season, I continue to come to Him

And wait….

And feel His love and compassion

And wait…

And know that He is faithful

And wait…

And cry out for an answer

And wait….

And listen to His teachings

And wait…..

And one day, when it is time, He will say: “this is the way you should go…” And I will obey Him, whether its my dream- or not, because I love Him and I know that He will bless me when I surrender my life- and my dreams to Him.

Isaiah 30:22-26

22 Then you will destroy all your silver idols
  and your precious gold images.
You will throw them out like filthy rags,
    saying to them, “Good riddance!”

23 Then the Lord will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock. 24 The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind. 25 In that day, when your enemies are slaughtered and the towers fall, there will be streams of water flowing down every mountain and hill. 26 The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days in one! So it will be when the Lord begins to heal his people and cure the wounds he gave them.