WRESTLING WITH GOD

Have you ever wrestled with God?  I've read the story so many times of Jacob wrestling all night with the Angel of the Lord, nice story, but until you actually are "on the mat" you really don't get it.  I've been "on the mat" with the Lord for the past couple of weeks.  It doesn't end until He gets you in a head hold and pins you to the floor.  I'm finally there, head to the floor, weak from the battle, exhausted but exhilarated.  

The wrestle began last week when I read a "thread" on a friends Facebook page.  She NEVER posts, but when she did, she caused some controversial chatter.  She was attacked by non-Christians who had done their Bible homework and neither she nor I were prepared for the onslaught.  The discussion is too long and too detailed to play out here, but the "attackers" used Matthew 5:31 and 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 toward my friend who is divorced and remarried.

Now most of you know that prior to being born again, I was married and divorced twice. Two years after I was saved Jeff and I met and married.  Only God could have orchestrated our meeting, courtship and marriage.  We have built our almost 20 year marriage on the foundation of Jesus Christ. We love the Lord and try to live a life worthy of Him.

So I talked with two women, that I highly regard, who are spiritually sound and extremely knowledgeable of the Word. They agreed God did not agree with divorce or remarriage, but He is a God of grace and forgiveness.  I accepted that and moved on. 

Then I ran across a link to a John Piper website and as I perused the site I came to a Position Letter that he had written to his church concerning Divorce and Remarriage. http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/divorce-remarriage-a-position-paper  I was devastated.  Was I really an adulterous in the eyes of God, am I really continuously living in a state of sin and am I a hypocrite to the highest by teaching the Bible to other women?   GOD help me understand!  

So the wrestling match began.  

Finally with my head held to the floor by God himself I understood.  The answers to all my questions were "No".  I am forgiven, I am covered by God's grace, I am His and He is mine.  BUT...... there was a plank in my eye that needed to be removed.  Again, that was another familiar verse that I have read a hundred times and although I totally understood it, I never could really personally apply it to my life.  Until now.  

I have been so busy looking at the speck in other peoples eyes, concerned over their sin, wanting to expose their sin to themselves and others, that I didn't see the plank in my own eye.  Who am I that I should judge?  I am not better nor am I worse, and I have no right to judge others, that is God's position.  I must let go and let God take care of the sins of others.  

I can only hope that when He lets me up off the floor, I walk away with a limp that will serve to remind me every time I start looking at the speck, that my plank is bigger.  

Praise be to God for loving me and saving me!  Thank you, Jesus! 

JUST TRYING TO HELP

When studying the life of David we are always perplexed and vexed when we come to Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab being struck dead by the LORD for touching the Ark of the Covenant to keep it from falling off the cart into the dirt.  We think that was awfully strong punishment for an innocent mistake, after all they were only trying to help.

But the mistake was far from innocent, or at least, it shouldn't have been innocent.  Abinadab was a Levite, his sons were Levites.  Look at Numbers 18:5

 “You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar, so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again. ⁶ I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to do the work at the tent of meeting. ⁷ But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”

In the very beginning the Levites had been given the responsibility for caring for the tabernacle and the ark.  God had given strict instructions for transporting the Ark, found in Numbers 4:4, 15, 17-20:

Abinadab should have passed down to his sons the requirements for transporting the Ark. His sons should have know the correct way to not only transport the Ark but how to treat it reverently.

In reading these Scriptures I am awe-struck by the huge responsibility God has given us as parents and grandparents to pass down His law to each generation. 

In Deuteronomy 6:6 - 7 God says  "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children. talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."  

He was serious!  We are to pass down from generation to generation God's Word and the seriousness of abiding by His laws!

GOD'S MAN ENTERS HEAVEN

"Watergate's Colson, 80, dies"

"Watergate figure turned evangelist, Chuck Colson dies at 80"

So glad God forgives and remembers no more, because it seems the press never does. He was still mentioned in the headlines as "Watergate's Colson"  NOT "Prison Fellowship's Colson.   All the good things Chuck Colson has done in the past 35 years were barely mentioned in the AP Obituary published in today's newspapers across the country. 

If you do not know of Charles "Chuck" Colson, do some research, but you may find only his background as one of Richard Nixon's henchmen.  To find who he has been since, search Prison Fellowship, Angel Tree Ministries, Break Point Radio program, or books he has written.

I read "The Good Life" by Charles Colson several years ago.  Looked for it today in my library, and remembered giving it to my son, Jason.  It made an impact on me.  I remember thinking it was a "manly" book, strong and to the point.

I did find this Obituary for Chuck in The Christian Post which gives a clearer picture of the man who is in Heaven today.

"Since his faith conversion, Colson has dedicated his life to helping prisoners experience the radical transformation possible in Christ through his non-profit Prison Fellowship. For over 30 years, Colson kept the tradition of ministering to prisoners in jail every Easter Sunday. This year was the first time in 34 years that Colson did not spend Easter Sunday ministering in prison due to his hospitalization for the blood clot.

"Whatever good I may have done is because God saw fit to reach into the depths of Watergate and convert a broken sinner," said Colson in a statement in 2008 in response to receiving the Presidential Citizens Medal. "Everything that has been accomplished these past 35 years has been by God's grace and sovereign design."

President George W. Bush in 2008 awarded Colson the Presidential Citizens Medal – the second highest honor to a private citizen – for his Christian-based outreach to prisoners, ex-convicts, crime victims and their families. The award was created by President Richard Nixon to recognize citizens "who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens."

"Through his (Colson) strong faith and leadership, he has helped courageous men and women from around the world make successful transitions back into society," the White House had stated in the recipient citations. "The United States honors Chuck Colson for his good heart and his compassionate efforts to renew a spirit of purpose in the lives of countless individuals."

Prison Fellowship currently has programs in some 1,300 correctional facilities in all 50 states in the United States. The ministry partners with some 7,700 churches and has some 14,000 volunteers nationwide. Globally, Prison Fellowship's programs reach prisoners and their families in 110 countries."

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

A SPIRIT FILLED LIFE

From the study "Anointed, Transformed and Redeemed"  Priscilla Shirer says "The Spirit lives in us, and we are sealed and anointed by Him to accomplish God's preplanned purposes. So, if you are a believer, you are anointed - right now. Your task is to rely on the power of God who indwells you so you can be empowered to do what you cannot do on your own."

In Flying Closer the Flame, Chuck Swindoll lists marks of a Spirit-filled life:

We have an inner dynamic to handle life's pressures

We can be joyful....regardless.

We have the capacity to grasp the deep things of God that He discloses to us in His Book.

We have little difficulty maintaining a positive attitude of unselfishness, servanthood, and humility.

We have a keen sense of intuition and discernment; we sense evil

We can love and be loved in return.

We don't need to fear evil or demonic and satanic assault

We are enabled to stand alone in confidence.

We experience inner assurance regarding decisions as well as right and wrong.

We can actually live worry-free

We are able to minister to others through our spiritual gifts.

We have an intimate, abiding "Abba relationship" with the living God.

Look carefully at Swindoll's list and consider your life in relationship to these things.  Put a plus sign beside the ones most evidenced in your life and a minus sign beside those least evidenced.

I know I'm going to be working toward more plus signs!

"In Him,you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation - having also believed,you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance"  Ephesians 1:23-14 NASB.

GOD'S RADICAL PROMISE

I am reading the most powerful book I have read in a long time.  Actually I am listening to Anne Graham Lotz read her book "The Magnificent Obsession, Embracing the God-Filled Life". I also have the hard copy to reference. 

The book is written about the life of Abraham, from Genesis 12 - 24.

"Abraham walked out of Ur of the Chaldeans not only challenged by God's personal command but also encouraged by God's radical promise to saturate him in blessings.  Five times in Genesis 12:2-3 God distinctly promised to bless Abraham.  Thousands of years later, we see how those promises were fulfilled:

" I will make you into a great nation."

Today's Jews and Arabs descend from Abraham.

"I will bless you."

At one hundred years of age, Abraham fathered Isaac, the longed-for desire of his heart.

"I will make your name great."

No name in all of human history is greater than the name of Abraham, except the name of Jesus Christ.

"You will be a blessing."

Abraham not only longed to receive God's blessing, he began to long to impart it to others...and he has for the past four thousand years.

"I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse."

God would so fill Abraham's life, so identify with him, that the way others treated him God would consider to be treatment of Himself. God blessed Abraham's friends and destroyed his enemies.

"All peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Anne says "These were God's radical promises. They were promises to enlarge the scope of Abraham's life beyond anything he could have thought to ask for.  God desires to enlarge each of our lives, usually beyond what we can imagine, if we are willing to let Him."

She says "It's also important to understand what is meant by "God's blessing." God's blessing is not the same thing as wealth health, prosperity , and a problem-free life.  Blessing is the presence and peace and power and provision and pleasure of God in my life".

This is what I desire...God's blessing, the blessing of His presence, His peace, His power, His provision and the pleasure of God in my life.  Is this too much to ask for? Not at all.  He says in His word that He will give me the desires of my heart.

"Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

TASTE AND SEE

For the past 5 days I have been basking in the teaching of three magnificent women bible teachers. Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Billy Graham, Priscilla Shirer, daughter of Tony Evans and Nancy Leigh DeMoss, ministry leader of Revive our Hearts. I have had the privilege to be at conferences led by Priscilla Shirer and Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  I have not heard Anne Graham Lotz in person, but that is at the top of my "bucket list".

Saturday as I drove 2.5 hours each way to the best junk show in Texas I listened to "The Magnificent Obsession, Embracing the God Filled Life" by Anne Graham Lotz.  What a powerful book!  

She opens with "...I made the initial choice to pursue...

                                                                           Knowing God and making Him known.

                                                                   Receiving His blessing to be a blessing.

                                                            Fulfilling all the potential He has for my life.

                                                     Living a life of step-by-step obedient faith.

                                              Embracing the God-filled life...

                                     ...a life of eternal significance.

                 This is my magnificent obsession....

Tuesday I began leading a new Bible study at Churchill Baptist Church.   "Anointed, Transformed and Redeemed, A Study of the life of David" by Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore and Kay Arthur.  The first week's video is by Priscilla Shirer.  If you have not had the opportunity to hear Priscilla, she is dynamic and motivational.  Priscilla is a true Texas girl with a Texas size love for the Lord.  

Priscilla said: 

"God chose you! Let that sink in...GOD chose you. You may have been turned down by your boss, rejected by your spouse, ignored by your parents, looked over by your friends, or refused by your children, but you can rest in the loving arms of God.  He tore Himself away from heaven to come and be with you - the one He loves and chose to be His own to accomplish His purposes in this generation."

Tonight, as I walked on the treadmill,  I chose to tune it to Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  Nancy is a wonderful, down to earth teacher, with a heart for women.  She has a daily radio broadcast that can be listened to anytime from her website www.reviveourhearts.com. 

Nancy said:

"We can never exhaust or fully explore the ways of God. We cannot see the end. We cannot see the outcome. We cannot fathom the means that God has devised to fulfill His holy purposes."

I encourage you to seek out biblical teaching from many avenues and venues.  We too often focus on our "favorite" and don't explore all the wonderful teachings that are available.  God has empowered many women to bring His Word in a fresh and exciting way.  Partake!  Absorb!  There's a banquet out there just waiting to be tasted!

"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." Psalm 34:8

AMAZING LOVE

"Amazing love, how can it be? That you my King would die for me."  

My heart leaps every time I hear these words.  Why would Jesus die for me?  Full of sin, undeserving of love from the King of kings, LORD of Lords and He DIED for me!  For me and for you.  No matter where you are, what you've done, what you haven't done, or what you've become God loves you and He sent His Son, His one and only Son to die for your sins and provide you with the forgiveness that will allow you to stand in the presence of the Almighty and live forever. 

Oh glorious day!

On a sunny day in May  "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God." Psalm 40:2-3.  21 years later I am still amazed at His love.  How can it be that the King of kings, the Son of the Most High God would die for me? 

Praise you LORD, Jesus!  You are my everything!

FORGIVENESS

A friend of mine wrote this wonderful poem and gave me permission to share.

FORGIVENESS

 

What do you do, how do you pay for your sins.

You can ask for forgiveness but the hurt never ends.

You can walk different paths and you strive for a change.

But the demon remains and won’t let life re arrange.

You look to a power that’s much greater than yours.

And simple life's blessings no longer seem chores.

This is the time that you must simply let go.

And realize the One is the Father that knows.   

So walk down the path and remember your place.

The option for freedom is built on His grace.

He has laid down the gavel and hopes you will follow the road.

Because your deepest of concerns have been put on His load! 

"If You, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared."  Psalm 130:4