Be Holy Just as Your Father in Heaven is Holy!

Good morning to all on this glorious Sunday morning. Waine and I are in Hawkinsville this morning and it is on the chilly side. It was a warm high 70's on Friday but then a storm came through and it has been in the 40's and 50's yesterday and today. Georgia is having a real spring! Nonetheless it hasn't detoured the golfers so I an sure my beloved will be heading out soon. The practice is still growing so continue to pray for us as we go into the usually slow summer season.

 

We have finished James and I thought we would tackle Peter which has 2 book. 1 Peter chapter 1 verses 1-25, " Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,  who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. 

 

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”  Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.  For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.  For,  “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,  but the Word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the Word that was preached to you." Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

 

What does it mean to be Holy? Does it mean to be religious? To have the trappings of religion? Is the Pope Holy? Is Billy Graham holy? What Peter is teaching here is that being Holy has nothing to do with religion which is like grass which will wither and die. Religion is a man made institution and cannot make you holy no matter how many times you attend mass, or Sunday School, or church service. What makes you Holy is Jesus and acceptance of Jesus as your Savior. That makes us Holy. When we accept Christ into our lives we are "COVERED" by the blood of His sacrifice and thus God the Father sees us as Holy.

 

I looked up the definition of Holy and it is defined as being set apart and consecrated. This is what our faith in Christ does. It sets us a part from people in the world which is why it is confusing to them when you profess a faith in God through Christ yet have their traits. When you bear the fruits of the world you will worry, you  will fret, you will be angry, your will be selfish, you will have "Me" on the throne of you life. As Christians we are set apart and consecrated--made Holy so that we can bear the fruits of the Spirit -- love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. This is what is meant to be Holy, to be like Jesus. We have the power to be Holy because we have the Holy Spirit! If you see any other trait emitting through your life then you know you have stepped out of the protection of the Holy Spirit and are in the world. When you approach your life in the world then you are not set apart. When you are involved in chaos then you know it is not of the Spirit. I had a situation in the past 2 weeks that was truly not of the Holy Spirit. There was the potential for so much confusion that instead of reacting, I just got quiet. I didn't want to be part of the confusion, the "mess" so I prayed. I encouraged all around me to pray, because the God we serve is not a God of confusion or strife but of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control.  When you see any other finger-print you now know that it is not of God. Now you can choose to participate in confusion and the father of lies, Satan, will have you tied up in so much fear and chaos you will think you are losing your  mind. We all have the choice when there is CHAOS and CONFUSION all around us just to STOP, DROP and ROLL into the arms of the Savior who loves us and died for us. The way we do that is to become quiet and pray. Not to try and "fix" things but to simply pray.

 

Remember the battles of this world are not about flesh and blood but are about the spiritual principles that God has ordained. To know Him is to love Him. To Love Him is to Love one another. Have Peace today and be Holy and separate yourself from confusion.

 

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace,

 

Stephanie

That's Not How the Story Ends.

Good morning to all on this glorious Sunday morning. Waine and I are in Atlanta this morning and you should see our yard!!!!! The azaleas are just beautiful! We are the 3rd owners of this home and the 1st owner was the President of the Atlanta Botanical society. During her life time she planted wonderful and exotic azaleas in her yard and this year they are "singing" with their deep and rich pinks and reds. Breath taking! There is a blanket of green pollen that covers everything so my beloved is suffering from the sneezing that this landscape brings. This is one of the benefits of living in Atlanta. All the beautiful and ornamental plants.

I am continuing my journey in James chapter 5 verses 1- 20 "Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.  Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!  Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned. 

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.  Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.  Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.  Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.  My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back,  remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins." Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

Those that know me, know that I truly believe in the Power of Prayer. I have learned through time how to pray with the power of belief. This type of prayer is not a prayer of supplication it is a prayer of confirmation and affirmation. You pray "as if it has already happened". You pray in thanksgiving for the answer you are affirming. Now let me be clear. These prayers always come from a Contrite Heart. By this I mean God and you have already worked through what ever junk in your trunk was blocking the blessing you are looking for. That's the hard part! In my case I had to acknowledge and get rid of things in ME that caused the situation in the first place. Now the situation I found myself in had nothing to do with me on the surface, but had everything to do with me. I had to evaluated very seriously what it was I truly believed. Did I really believe in the power of the Christ that lived in me. Was the situation I found myself in the result of my not listening to the "still small voice of God" that He needed to use a 2X4 to get my attention. Well He had my attention and He had my Heart and that's when I was free to pray with knowledge and affirmation. You see the important journey is the journey you take so that God can have your heart. When He has your heart then He is happy and you are blessed.

If you are wondering what is blocking your blessing then look at what is in your heart. If it is not God then you have your answer. He wants your heart and He knows your mind and behavior will follow. How will your story end today. The key is in your heart. I trust you will give it to Him today.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Stephanie

 

You Bear What You Are!

Good morning to all on this 1st Sunday of April. Waine and I are in Thomaston, GA this weekend enjoying the new house. My husband has really gotten into planting/gardening and is raising seedlings from seeds. I think he is practicing for our retirement in Jamaica in a few years. Last weekend we enjoyed Hailie and Kai at the new house. Nothing like the pitter patter of little feet to make you feel like you belong to a family. The weather in Georgia is finally starting to turn warm. The nights are still cool but the days see a balmy mid-70's. The dogwoods, cherry blossoms and azaleas are in full bloom and the pollen is everywhere. Waine and I hosted a 1 year anniversary for our practice on Thursday with the Community and Friday with the staff at our home. A good time was had by all.

 

I am continuing my journey in James 4: verses 1 - 17, "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that He jealously longs for the spirit He has caused to dwell in us? But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.  If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them." Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

 

My devotion for the week centered on the Fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Humbleness, Peace, Forbearance, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness,  and Self-control. I examined my life to ascertain how many of the Fruits came naturally to me and how many didn't. When I studied further I came to understand that none of them come "Naturally" to me because they are ALL Spiritual Fruit--they reflect my life when I allow the Spirit of Christ to REST, RULE and ABIDE within me! This is what James is talking about. Our natural self will always be in some sort of battle because our natural self has to feed the desires of the flesh. Our natural self only thinks about one thing and that is WHAT IT WANTS. The natural self is always concerned about ME. What happened to ME? What didn't happen to ME? Why ME can't have everything that ME thinks it deserves? Its always about ME, ME, ME. What James here and Paul teaches in Galatians, is to bury ME with the Word of God so that the Spirit of God can occupy the throne of your life. When that happens YOU will bear the Fruits that Paul talked about in Galatians. Bearing these fruits will never come "naturally" to anyone. If you don't have Christ you will not bear these fruits no matter how moral you may be or think you may be. Likewise, as Christians, when we are living in the flesh and not in the Spirit we will not be able to bear these fruits.

 

Practically speaking I find it impossible to bear these fruits until I put on my spiritual armor. I am assailed from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep by the roaring lion Satan who wants me to live in the flesh and rely upon my own skills. My spiritual journey allows me to remember to then STOP, DROP and ROLL and regain my spiritual mind so that the Holy Spirit takes over and I am able to relax and ENJOY life. When the Holy Spirit is in control, I don't need to be because I know He has my back, my front, my sides, my bottom and my top. Nothing the world through Satan tries to do can assail me. I am protected. I am in the Bubble of God's love. 

 

If you are feeling assailed today from any thing then you too need to STOP, DROP and ROLL back to the safety of your walk with Jesus. Leave the world behind; it does not love you. Don't worry about what others my say or think about you. You are the Child of the King. Relax and enjoy your status and the privileges that come with it.

 

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His face toward you and and give you peace.

 

Stephanie