Where is the Truth?

I have been trying to study deeper in the Word lately. To increase my faith, to prepare myself for what is to come and just to get to know God more and more fully. But it seems that when I get online, read books, and listen to others, I get so many different angles, opinions, and interpretations that I end up more confused and fumbling than when I started. It seems like the devil uses these times to attack me and try to get me to doubt my faith and foundations.  These days you can find someone who has a pretty good argument for anything.  As I have prayed about this I have been lead further into the Word itself and away from the writings and ideas of men. I am not saying that it’s wrong to listen to the research that others have done, but I am getting more and more convinced that we should be ever wary and check everything with the word of God. I believe many churches and Christians these days have fallen into the trap of what men say and have no real knowledge or understanding of what the whole Word says on the matters.

Amos 8:11 …’Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.’ …

2 Timothy 4:3-4 …’For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.’

We have to study the Word and know it well enough to recognize when a teaching doesn’t line up.

¹⁵Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.2 Timothy 2:15

Rom 12:2: Do not conform 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.

We must check everything in the Word. Be very cautious of the words of men.  So how do we tell if what is being said is God’s Truth or not?  In my prayer and study I have come up with a couple of telltale signs.

1. Every bit of teaching must line up with the whole word of God, not one or two verses taken out of context, and if a preacher has some things that line up but others that don’t, I would find someone else to be taught by

2. The fruits of the person’s life should also line up with God’s Word, if they don’t show the biblical tells of a real Christian I will be very cautious of taking to heart what they have to say. Not saying to go and bad mouth them, but the word clearly says that if we have the Lord, we will bear good fruit, especially love, if a man does not have love, he needs to study the Word more and I am not going to listen to his advice on biblical things.

 ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, ²³Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.  Mathew 7:15-20

³ We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. ⁴ Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. ⁵ But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. 1 John 2:3-6

⁹ Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. ¹⁰ Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. ¹¹ But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. 1 John 2:9-11

¹ Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. ² This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. ³ In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, ⁴ for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ⁵ Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:1-5

So what are these commands that we should see them do?

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40

I don’t think we have time to get false words.  When it comes down to it, we must rely on teh Word’s of God, not men, so be careful, and study the Word and be lead by the Holy Spirit so that you wont be deceived. Pray for the Holy Spirit to come and lead you into the Word, and to open your eyes to the truth.  Spend more time in prayer and in the Word than in sermons and books. When times get hard you can stand on God’s Word, but the words of men will wash away like sand.

God’s Will not mine

I have been thinking lately about how to really know God’s will in situations.  I want to do only what God has for me in my life from finances to relationships and everything in between.  But how do I kow what is God’s will, what He wants for me in every situation, not just the big ones.  I have heard preachers say that we should take care of what we can, and let God take care of what we cant.  I disagree, I think God wants us to live completely through Him, not just when we need help with something.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galations 2:20

So I know I should live every part of my life in God’s Will, or strive to anyway.  I also have some very big decisions that I really want to be sure of God’s will on.  I want to be sure that it is God and not me that is making the decision.  But how do I do that.  After studying the matter and listening to sermons that just happen to have brought up the issue (I love how God works!) I have come up with a few ways to garuntee I am hearing from God and not my own emotions, and feelings.  I dont want to follow my heart or my feelings. After all:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9

In order to hear from God and know it’s Him I am going to strive for the following:

1. Stay in His presence – whether through prayer or praise I am going to stay with Him all day, it is possible

2. Stay in what I know is His will already through the Word

3. Get in the Word like I have never before, memorize, understand, and just drink it in

4. Learn to pray and stay in the Spirit- He is the one who will guide me

My confirmation on this was this verse that I am memorizing today:

2 Do not conform 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

I am praying that whatever in my life is keeping me from getting closer to God will be made know to me so that I may tear down the walls between us and communicate with God as He wants to do with me. I welcome any comments on anything I left off, as I am still learning.

What are you living for?

DON’T WASTE YOUR LIFE, BUT LIVE YOUR LIFE FOR A PURPOSE THAT IS BIGGER THAN YOURSELF. WHAT ARE YOU LIVING FOR? – Jaeson Ma

I have seen a lot of people wasting their lives, in fact for a few years I was doing the same thing, so I am not approaching this subject with judgment, but with love.  It hurts my heart to think of where some people are headed with their lives. They are running as fast as they can in the wrong direction.  I have been noticing the younger generation, those who are beginning to take their places in the adult world.  Their vision of life is taken from television.  Party your way to the top, and if others don’t like what you do who cares. They live for nothing but to please themselves. Now I know that this is not a description of every young person, but it is a general description of the populace.  I recently had a former student of mine get killed leaving a party at 2 in the morning.  He was driving home and missed a curve. The reaction of his friends at the party have been to glorify his behaviors and throw a kegger in his honor.  More drunk drivers on the road instead of less.  What are they living for? What are they dying for?  What do they have to live for? Nothing.  They are taught in school that they came about because of a big accident (the Big Bang Theory) and that they are cousins with monkeys.  They either believe that there is no God or that when they die they will all go live in a “better place” where they can smile down on all their friends.  Life has no purpose to them other than to get a job, make money, get more stuff, and have fun while you are doing it.  On TV and in movies they learn that morality is of no concern, it is doing what pleases you that matters.  Why should they live any different? To them, their lives have no real purpose.  They need a purpose.  They need something to live for.  They need to know the TRUTH. They need to know about the real God. It is so sad to me to watch as millions are mislead, millions are deceived, and millions reject Him.   What if somehow they could be reached.  What if they were actually told the truth. What if they actually knew the truth about life and death  and why we are all here.  Would they listen? Would they change? What if they actually knew about God’s glory? Could they resist? Could you resist?

Don’t take mine or anyone else’s word for it.  Pray for God to open your eyes and read the Word yourself.  See what it really says, all of it.  Find the purpose. Find the Messiah.

Take care of your Seed

I was listening to Joyce Meyer today and heard her use an analogy that I had never considered, but I really like. She was talking about how people “get saved” but they never really allow God to work in their lives or see any real difference. Where is God? Why isn’t He working in them? Then she spoke of the seed God plants in us. So I decided to look further into this and meditate on it for a bit. 1 John tells us that God plants a seed in us when we accept Him, and because of that seed we change.

1 John 3:9 CJB
No one who has God as his Father keeps on sinning, because the seed planted by God remains in him. That is, he cannot continue sinning, because he has God as his Father.

I think in order to understand what is going on here we have to consider what John chose to explain what God does in us. He plants a seed. A seed left alone will just sit there. It will not grow or produce anything. It must be nurtured, given light and water. The better it is cared for the stronger and larger it will grow and the more fruit it will produce. Our heavenly seed is the same way. If we do nothing, it will not grow. However, the more we do to nurture it, apply the Word of God and prayer, the stronger it will grow and the more it will produce. We expect God to do some major things in our lives, but we don’t take the time to nurture what He has given us so that victories can be won.

If things aren’t going right, don’t question why God is not working, question where you yourself are not taking care of what God has already given. He has already given us everything we need and accomplished everything that needs accomplished, we just have to get past ourselves and take a hold of it. The growth of  your seed in in your hands.

Who can find a virtuous woman? part 3

Continued from my earlier posts.  Color codes are the same.

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; since all of them are doubly clothed (clothed in scarlet). Here she isn’t worried because her family is already prepared for what could happen.

22 She makes her own quilts; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. (purple was a color of royalty and honor in the Bible, Exodus 26 describing the tabernacle, Esther 8:15, there are more)

I think it is interesting to note here that she has nice, fancy things. If we live how God tells us to live, we will be blessed.  He wants us to have our desires, Psalm 37:4, and He wants His blessings to show. I think we as Christians really are missing out on a lot of blessing, but that’s another entry.

23 Her husband is known at the city gates when he sits with the leaders of the land. Her husband is respected by the leaders of the land, I imagine he speaks very highly of her and she is known as well. He can probably do his job better because of her, Proverbs 21:19, 27:15

24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchants with sashes. She is making money for her family, a business woman, the difference to me here is that her family is her priority and she takes care of them first.

25 Clothed with strength and dignity, she can laugh at the days to come. I love this, she has already got her bases covered, so she is not worried about what is ahead.  God is her foundation and by following his teaching she is prepared for anything.  If we would just do the same, would we not be able to feel the same way.  Arm yourself with the Word and follow His instruction and see what happens.

26 When she opens her mouth, she speaks wisely; on her tongue is loving instruction (law, torah, of kindness)  Whenever she opens her mouth only good things come out.  She is teaching God’s torah, His teaching. We should gain an understanding of this otherwise we are missing out on who God is and what he wants for us, that is also another post.

27 She watches how things go in her house, not eating the bread of idleness(sluggishness, laziness) She pays attention to the things going on in her house, and she is not lazy or idle.  She doesn’t sit around and watch TV, or play on Facebook, or surf the web,  she gets things done.  I think allot of us have a big spirit of laziness, we just don’t work hard and get things done like we should, myself definitely included. If we would just get up and get our work done, we wouldn’t be so far behind and we would have more time for other things. I am not saying we shouldn’t have times that we sit and relax, but we should get our work done first.

28 Her children arise; they make her happy; her husband too, as he praises her: She is happy because her husband and children are happy and proud of her.  How much better our lives would be if we had our household in such a way that our children and husband respected us.  We can’t just expect them to, we have to earn it, as anyone does, could you respect a lazy whiny husband?

29 “Many women have done wonderful things, but you surpass them all!”  enough said

30 Charm can lie, beauty can vanish, but a woman who fears ADONAI (the LORD) should be praised.  This is the foundation of the whole chapter, she FEARS the LORD.  If we actually feared Him, we would do everything  in our power to follow His commands and live as He wants us to live.  If we would just do this, He would pour blessing on us, we would be happier, more successful, fulfilled, you name it.  But even though we say we do, most of us really don’t.  Then we sit around and complain about how God hasn’t helped us in this or that, and how our lives are miserable, blah, blah, blah.  You know we complain to Him about things and why this and why that, when we don’t take the time to read, know, and APPLY the Word He gave us that has all the answers.  Consider this. We have all the answers to a great life right in front of us, but we don’t use them. 

31 Give her a share in what she produces; let her works speak her praises at the city gates.  Here is some of her reward for her work.

I think the passage merits prayer and meditation.  Here is a formula to change our lives. Below I have listed 16 characteristics of the warrior wife pulled from Proverbs 31. Personally I am going  to apply them, it will take the help of my husband and God’s Word in my heart.  Here are the first steps I am going to take:

1. Pray and ask God to shape my heart and mind into the woman He wants me to be.

2. Have my husband begin to pray Proverbs 31 over me.

3. Use my list of characteristics to begin to fix the areas in my life where I am not conforming to God’s will for me.

4. Memorize passages of God’s word that help me and speak them over myself, my family, and my efforts.

I am confident that even though it may not be easy, and my old habits and self may not like it, that I will be blessed because of this change. Blessed in my life. Blessed with my children. Blessed in my marriage.  Blessed in my relationships.

Characteristics for the warrior wife:

1. Trustworthy

2. helps benefit her husband

3. doesn’t cause problems

4. does her work with joy

5. she gets up early and gets things done

6. She strengthens her mind and body

7. helps the poor

8. Is prepared for bad weather, times

9. She adorns herself in nice clothing

10. Her husband is proud of her and is respected bc of her

11. She makes money for her family

12. she is not worried about what is to come

13. She only speaks good things

14. She is not lazy or idle

15. Her family respects and is proud of her

16. She FEARS the LORD

Who can find a virtuous woman? Part 2

In my last post I began to consider the meaning of Proverbs 31, but I got no further than the first verse of section about the virtuous wife.  I found that the virtuous, capable, or noble wife (depending on the translation)  was really a mighty, strong, and efficient woman.  It went way beyond my past understanding.  This is not just a morally sound woman, but a highly effective one. A strong one. I was reminded of the images of Rosie the Riveter from WWII.  If this is God’s model for a wife, and I want to be the wife God made me to be, I want to keep digging into this passage, so here goes. I am using the Strong’s Concordance to show definitions that aren’t pretty much what the translation says in RED. GREEN is my own understanding.

Proverbs 31

¹⁰Who can find a virtuous (strong, mighty, effective) woman? for her price is far above rubies.

 ¹¹The heart (mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory) of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need (to be lacking) of spoil(dubious gain). Her husband completely trusts her to do what needs done

 ¹²She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. Everything she does will benefit the family, not hinder it.

 ¹³She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly (with delight) with her hands. She gets what she needs for her family and does her work with joy.

 ¹⁴She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar. I am not completely sure here, maybe she gets the best things? or foreign things, I need to pray more on this one.

 ¹⁵She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion (prescribed task) to her maidens. This girl is not lazy. Seriously, if I would get up and get things done, I would have more time with my family later.

¹⁶She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She is making money on her own and investing it.

 ¹⁷She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She is mentally and physically strong.

 ¹⁸She perceiveth that her merchandise (profit)  is good: her candle goeth not out (to be quenched) by night. She knows that she is doing a good job

 ¹⁹She layeth (to send) her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff (whirl of spindle).

 ²⁰She stretcheth (to spread out, display) out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. How many of us really do this, I know I can do much more.

Characteristics for the warrior wife:

1. Trustworthy

2. helps benefit her husband

3. doesn’t cause problems

4. does her work with joy

5. she gets up early and gets things done

6. She strengthens her mind and body

7. helps the poor

So far this lady seems pretty amazing and a far cry from me. No wonder her husband is proud of her.  I really think that if we as woman would quit griping and complaining and just try to acquire some of the attributes of this lady, our married lives would be allot better. I will finish up in the next post. As I am not claiming to be an expert, but doing my own study to learn, I welcome any thoughts or comments that may help me in understanding the woman God wants me to be.

Who can find a virtuous woman?

As I was running and praying this morning, I asking God to change me and shape me into who He wanted me to be.  Someone who could be useful to Him.  As I continued a fact that I had recently read came to mind.  Many Jewish husbands read Proverbs chapter 31 over their wives on a routine basis.  When I first read this a while back, I thought of it as a submission thing, of the husbands ruling over their wives and speaking this over them in order to make the wife be a better worker and all that.  But today as I was running what I knew of the chapter through my head I realized something completely different. In all the times I have read this passage I have never seen it in the light which I am beginning to see.  I have been praying for God to help me get my home in order, to have a better relationship with my husband, to have better control over my children, and to be able to do God’s will.  This chapter is speaking a blessing that includes all that over a wife!  I began to get excited as I ran to think of the possibilities of me aligning myself with the model God himself gives us as wives. So I decided when I finished my workout to dig a little deeper into this portion of scripture. All the scriptures below are from Proverbs 31.

 ¹⁰Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. KJV

¹⁰ A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. NIV

10 Who can find a capable wife? Her value is far beyond that of pearls. CJB

Yesterday someone asked me what a virtue was.  It’s interesting to me now that this came right before I was inclined to study this, so I decided to get a full grasp of the word and look it up in a dictionary.

vir·tu·ous

1. conforming to moral and ethical principles; morally excellent; upright.

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In verse 10 the word virtuous, (capable, noble) is the Strong’s 2428, the definition shocked me.

1) strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army a) strength b) ability, efficiency c) wealth d) force, army

This didn’t sound right to me, this had nothing to do with what I thought about the word or God’s ideas for women. This same word appears in 2 other verses, still speaking of women:

¹¹And now, my daughter, fear not. I will do for thee all that thou requirest, for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.Ruth 3:11 kjv

⁴A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband, but she that causeth shame is rottenness in his bones. Prov. 12:4 kjv

At this point I realized I may have just opened a really cool can of worms.  This may take me deeper than I had expected.  This virtuous women was not the weak and passive homemaker I had always envisioned her.  In fact, this definition sounds like someone who is pretty impressive. Is this strong, mighty, efficient woman what God has in store for me? and for any women who seek to be in His design? My image of this wife just went June Cleaver  to Rosie the Riveter. Or maybe it’s somewhere in between. I have to know more. I am going to go farther into this study in my next posts.

The Power of Speaking God’s Word

After rereading my earlier post about mind control, and talking with a friend today about speaking God’s word, I realized that the two work hand in hand.  We can learn to control our thoughts by training our minds not only to think positively, but to think God’s Word.  You know one of the thousands of already available truths located in the Bible.  As my friend was saying today, we all have a few verses memorized, we may not know their exact location, but we could find them if we needed to. Anyway, those are a start.  If we trained our minds to react to situations by thinking and then speaking God’s Word, just like training the runners from the earlier post, we could begin to automatically react to situations with God’s Word, rather than our own attitudes, opinions, complaints, even ideas.  Those things that tend to get us into trouble. How powerful that would be.  Not only would we be using God’s Word to help us in our situations, but we would be aligning our minds to God’s truths.  This, I believe, could open up doors to a faith that operates outside of this world’s way of thinking.  Where things that the world sees as impossible are possible.  It’s really not to far out there to imagine. All it is is truly believing what we say we believe right?

9 “As high as the sky is above the earth are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For just as rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return there, but water the earth, causing it to bud and produce, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth – it will not return to me unfulfilled; but it will accomplish what I intend, and cause to succeed what I sent it to do.” Isaiah 55:9-11

According to this, God’s Word will not return to him void, if we speak it, pray it, think it, it will be accomplished.  That is an awesome, exciting prospect.

I have a great book that I want to dust off and use to get the training thoughts to get started.  It is The Secret Power of Speaking God’s Word, by Joyce Meyer.  She really pushes the idea of using God’s Word in our lives, and has already compiled a categorized list of verses that apply to different life situations.

His Mercies Are New Every Morning

As I sat and stretched after my run this morning, I watched the sun as it came up over a tree across our field. I was thinking about how beautiful mornings were and how much I loved getting up and enjoying them when a verse came to mind.

²²It is through the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
²³They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3: 22-23

I had to look up its address to post it, but the words echoed through my head as I sat there stretching on my deck. If you are one who enjoys waking up with the sun, then you know that a clear morning is clean, fresh, and pure. It is the most beautiful and most uplifting part of the day. I have sat in a tree stand many mornings and marveled at how the sun’s rays chase away the gray of night. The day loses this freshness as the sun gets high and life begins to catch up with us. By night we are tired and our minds are worn. The darkness falls around us and for me, I go to bed and think about my day, my actions, my regrets. But then the morning comes and His mercies are new again. We can start over, clean, fresh, and pure. What an awesome God. This verse touched me incredibly this morning. I cannot do the feeling justice with words. Maybe next time you are out as the sun comes up, pray and remember this verse, and let God take it from there.

Couch to 5k

I think one the most frustrating things in the world is not being able to do things you know you should be able to do, or used to be able to do. I used to be able to run, jump, and play very well and feel good doing it. Now, after 10 years and 3 babies, not so much. In fact rem though I coached and trained runners I never had to deal with anyone as out of shape as I am now. I have attempted a lot of times to get back in shape and run, usually injuring myself and then not keeping it up. I try too hard to start out with workouts that younger, in shape people do. It has never worked. So I have decided to try a new approach. Start slow. I am going to use the Couch to 5k program to slowly get back into running, and the Nike Training Club women’s workout app for my iPod for aerobic and strength exercises. I will have completed the first week of the Couch to 5k program in the morning. To celebrate I got some new Nike Free Run +2 running shoes. I know it’s early but I gotta have some motivation on my feet.