Set Apart

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called--one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

--Ephesians 4:1-6

I heard a quote in a sermon this week, “The closer one gets to God, the more you grieve over sin.” I am not sure who originally stated this.

Jesus wept over Jerusalem and the sin that had corrupted them.

Jesus grieved over the sin of the world.

This made me think.

When I am walking close to Jesus and in a consistent state of sweet communion with the Spirit, I am more aware of the sin in me and around me in the world. Not only am I more aware, it absolutely hurts me more to see it.

This week I was at Kennywood, an amusement park in Pittsburgh, with Ryan. We were walking through Noah’s Ark, a fun house sort of thing with the theme being the same as the name! There were a couple of teenage boys a few people in front of us who were blatantly cursing the name of Jesus. It hurt me. Physically my stomach turned. I was praying and just telling Jesus that I was sorry that they didn’t love Him yet but I DO!

Other examples of sin that I see and that bother me occur mainly within the church. I think that it bothers me more when I see a brother or sister sinning because they know and understand the consequences of sin as I do.

There are also examples in Scripture who, upon reviewing their own pasts, grieved the sin in their own lives. David grieved over his sin with Bathsheba. Peter grieved when the rooster crowed after he had denied Jesus, 3 times. Paul grieved over persecuting Christians.

So many times in my own life I have justified things. I have made fleshly desires my priority over Jesus. I am realizing that it isn’t how close I can get to the line, whatever that line may be...It is how set apart and pure can I remain.

When I meet Jesus I want to be found pure and blameless.

“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
--2 Corinthians 7:1

“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in His own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who live in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.”
--1 Timothy 6:11-16

Sovereignty

One thing that I lack in so many of life's circumstances is "security" or "assurance." It seems that one thing after another can plague us and we could most certainly let it get to us and knock us down, however God is God and He is sovereign! Praise the Lord!

I am doing a study on the names of God, and the lesson today spoke of God's sovereignty.

Sovereign itself means, being above all others in character, importance, excellence, etc. God is above all others...

In the study I am doing it says, "Just as a grain of sand cannot rightly be called a beach, other deities likewise cannot rightly be called gods. There is no other god beside Him (Isaiah 44:6)."

Many tend to think that God being sovereign, or above all others, or in control of all things, means that we are robots and that we do not have freewill, on the contrary we certainly are fully responsible for the choices we make in life but we do not have the ability to act independently of God. We are always under his sovereign rule.

How does that make you feel?

It makes me feel secure and assured in a world full of chaos and uncertainty, that He is working toward a predetermined goal and I am a part of that plan. His greatness is my anchor and when all is said and done, it will be good!

A sovereign God=a God I can trust!

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.
O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name!

--1 Chronicles 29:11-13

Things that make life beautiful!

Just wanna share that...

--I love Jesus more than air or life...He fills my cup to overflowing!

--I miss home and my family and I visited today, but I also KNOW that I am not supposed to be there anymore. I am where I should be! Praise the Lord for that assurance!

--I am looking forward to a lot of things...

--I absolutely LOVED the thunderstorms during my drive today, and the fact that I got a call from somebody who is at the beach because he wanted to walk on the beach with me...too bad I couldn't hear him over the wind and we had to end the call early...but oh how the thought woos me and makes me grin! :)

--AND...the sun peeping out from behind the storm clouds and shooting glorious rays through the sky...reminds me of what I think Heaven might look like, even though I know it is a smidgen of the glory found there!

--I love my 6 year old nephew, his honest candid remarks, how he laughed today when I caught him in a lie...He told me he hugged Ariel for me at Disney and when I asked his Paw paw (the one who took him) he said, "YOU WOULDN'T GO NEAR ARIEL!" And my nephew just giggled...oh dear how I love that boy! I love kissing his face and will miss the day he won't let me anymore...

I think I am done with my blog...but not done praising Jesus for the things that make life beautiful!

Constant suspense...

At the Beth Moore conference in Pittsburgh Beth talked about being in a state of “constant suspense.” I have most certainly been experiencing the state of constant suspense in one area of my life. While in that state it is so hard to remember what is true. The words I speak to myself and hear from others, has mostly been negative. I have a couple of close friends have been encouraging through this phase however some that I thought were close have asked me, “why do you keep waiting? Why don’t you just move on?” and other such questions and then proceed to tell me it is a lost cause.

It is so hard to keep moving forward with these thoughts that are plaguing me and beg me to give up. I have been so close several times to giving up and just moving in a different direction, but I KNOW that God has called me this way for a reason. I know that His glory will come from it, no matter what the outcome, even if the outcome is not what I want, I know that God is in control and He has my best interest in mind!

So...as Beth spoke of “constant suspense” she also said that when experiencing this, we need to have 10 truths that are Biblical to focus on and recite daily. That is what I am currently working on. I am seeking Scriptural truths in particular because if it is Scripture, it is certainly true and not something I am saying to make myself feel better, it was placed there by God for a time such as this.

I have mentioned some of this in a previous post, but I have been so focused on it, being in the state that I am, that I had to write about it again...

Here are the truths I have gotten so far:

• “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’” (Exodus 3:13)--God’s name here is YAHWEH...background to this Hebrew word reveals several truths...God is self existent (not created), God is self sufficient (He doesn’t depend on anyone or anything), God is self directed, God is eternal, and God is consistent (He is true and consistent.)
• I am His child whom He loves. “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” --Romans 8:15-17
• "Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on earth below. There is no other.” --Deuteronomy 4:39
• ”but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” --Isaiah 40:31
• “Who I am and what I struggle with are not the same thing.” --Jennifer Rothschild from her book; Me Myself and Lies.
• “The mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.” --Matthew 12:34 (All the more reason to fill it with these truths!!!)
  

That is all I have so far, but I am taking my time toward the 10 because I want to make sure they are what I need in this present time...I pray that you all would seek and know the truth that God is trying to speak to you!

Because your love is better than life...

Even when everything seems so bleak, my soul feels completely at ease and joyful when I remember God is in control. I am not necessarily immediately happy go lucky but I am at peace.

His Word fills me, strengthens me and reminds me of who He is.

"O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you."

--Psalm 63:1-3

Weary

Well...not many words to describe how I am feeling right now except weary.

I am straight up tired.

I am tired of being unsettled, tired of waiting (on many things), tired of driving, tired of not having privacy while being tired of being alone, if that makes any sense at all...

I am just tired.

Friday night at the Living Proof conference, the Lord began speaking through Beth and the worship band. Since I have moved to Ohio I have had fears and many ups and downs. What stood out to me Friday night was that I have been battered by some storms...maybe more than one storm at a time and I am tired of being tossed around in them! I have thrown cargo overboard, a LOT of it, and I have been trying to follow God as close as possible but still doubts plague me and there are so many unknowns.

Then Beth said, DO NOT BE AFRAID...

I had quite the evening, got lost on the way to eat, broke down sobbing in my car, and then Friday evening in the hotel room, Tammy hit the nail on the head by saying, "You're just weary aren't you?" DING DING DING!!!

It clicked...and I am...

As in Acts 27:33, and Beth said...I am in a state of "constant suspense" right now. I need to hold tight to what I know is TRUTH because everything around me is so shaky and unreliable right now.

The first truths God gave me are the following...

”but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” --Isaiah 40:31

"Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on earth below. There is no other.” --Deuteronomy 4:39

Living Proof Live video

Watch for me and some friends!!! We are to the left...if you know us you'll see us!!!

Living Proof Live from Kris Seidenkranz on Vimeo.