Doubt Steals Your Joy; Faith and Belief Releases It!

Good morning to all on this last Sunday in March. Waine and I are in Thomaston. We have been traveling for the past two (2) Sundays. The second Sunday found us in Las Vegas a Brooks' Taekwondo tournament and last Sunday we were in Phoenix for Mackenzie's robotics tournament. Brooks' took two (2) 1st place finishes and one (1) second place finish. Unfortunately Mac's group didn't place.  It was good to see them and how much they have grown and matured. Mackenzie will be graduating high school in May and going on to Harvey Mudd college in Claremont California. What a milestone--our 1s grandchild going off to college. Has it really been that long?? Building family history with your loved ones is so precious -- those memories will keep all of us a live even when we are gone.

I am continuing my journey in Romans, chapter 15 verses 1 - 33, "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”  For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;  I will sing the praises of your name.” Again, it says, “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people.” And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;  let all the peoples extol Him.” And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, One who will arise to rule over the nations; in Him the Gentiles will hope. ”May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." 

 I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.  I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.  It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.  Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about Him will see, and those who have not heard will understand. ”This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. 

But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.  Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ. I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.  Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. The God of peace be with you all. Amen. " May God add a blessing to the reading hearing of His Word, amen and amen.

I felt compelled this morning to read and reflect on the Word of God. It has been an especially tiresome time for me physically. When I started practicing and God started building ZOe through me, my feet have taken the brunt and toll of 12-14 hour days. The tops of my feet hurt on a daily basis. At times its all I can do just to walk through the day. I am on a constant quest for shoes that will support me. I had Xrays done on my feet and the bones are twisted and I have calcium deposits where the pain is at its maximum intensity. Now I know that ZOe is where I am supposed to be. ZOe is God's measure of blessing to Waine and me so I have been puzzled about the pain I am experiencing. So now I am reading this passage in Romans. Paul has been everywhere preaching the Gospel of the Good News in Europe, Asia, Asia Minor and Africa. He has had to rely upon the kindness of Jews as he then spreads the Gospel to the Gentiles. I am sure it was a confusing journey for Paul. Yet Paul didn't dwell on the confusion and strife. He kept his eye on his mission and that was to be the Drum Major for Christ to the Gentiles. I am sure he was weary on many a day. I am sure his feet hurt more than mine and yet he kept pressing on preaching the gospel --the Good News that God through Christ is able to release JOY in our lives and present life as God intended.

I am proclaiming the ZOe of God on my feet. I will not be defeated by circumstance or fear but will rely on the very Promises of God that got me here. God knows my future and has forgiven my past. He wants me to have joy this day and every day. He wants me to be free of doubt and worry so that I can experience God's ZOe.  I am sure Paul had doubts at time. He was a pioneer for Jesus. He not only was proclaiming something other than the Law as given to Moses, Paul was proclaiming that the Gentiles were children of God and also heirs to His Promises. The early Christian Jews also had to struggle to erase 3,000 years of teaching that they were the Chosen of God. The death and sacrifice of Christ makes all of us His Chosen.

Be triumphant today. Its Palm Sunday.  Christ entered Jerusalem today some 2000 years ago to the cheers of many. He was not fooled and knew His day was coming when He would be the sacrifice and atonement for our sins. Embrace this Gift today and be joyful!  Have a GREAT day and a Good week. Experience the ZOe of God.

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

The Kingdom of God is Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit. Our Best Future!

Good morning to all on this 1s Sunday in March. Waine and I are in Thomaston this weekend and it is still winter! When I looked back over my spiritual blog entries I noticed that I did not post for the month of February. I was stunned and amazed that the month had gone by so quickly. We did many things in February. We spent the 1st weekend in Colorado with Freddie, Tracy, Kai and Hailie. Being at 10,000 ft above sea level was not conducive for too much introspection or thinking. My brain worked at 75 % of capacity for the entire time. I am definitely a sea level person. The next weekend we were in Jamaica and last weekend I was picking up Waine from Jamaica--so here we are. I can say I have grown spiritually in the past month and have learned and internalized many lessons. Thank God!

I am continuing my journey in Romans 14 verses 1 - 23 " Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.  You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.  It is written: As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God. 

So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.  Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall. So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin. Amen and may God add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

When is the last time you experienced JOY? You didn't have a care in the world. You acted as though all was taken care of and there was nothing that could harm you? This is how children act. They are oblivious, really, to any problems because we shield them from it. They don't know whether we can pay the rent or mortgage. They don't know whether the car note will be paid. They don't know whether there is a health calamity--and its because the adults in their lives shield them from anything that can cause worry. Matthew 18:2-4 says "He called a little child to Him, and placed the child among them.  And He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." We are to be child like and trust that God has our best future in mind for us. OUR BEST FUTURE!

Whatever you can imagine is a great future for yourself--God has exceeded that already! Are you living your best future? Do you wake up each day without a care in the world? If not its because you are still sitting on the throne of your life and not Christ. If your life is filled with strife and worry then you have not given that portion of your life to God through Christ. If you hold any enmity toward another person, then you have not turned that person over to God. If you cannot be your best self today because you are mired in the trap called "self" then you are not living your best future.

God has nothing to do with confusion or strife. When you see those twin sisters. then run the other way because that confusion is not of God. One thing I can say with assurance--There is no confusion, condemnation or strife in God's presence. Christ said, "My peace I give unto you. Not as the world gives, do I give unto you." The world will give us calamity and Christ offers His peace. It is our choice to choose.

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