Still small voice...

I want to be like Elijah...

In 1 Kings 19 he goes out to find the presence of the Lord...He stands on a mountain, a HUGE wind comes by...not just a gust or two, but wind that "tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks"...that is SOME wind! Then to top off the WIND that broke rocks and mountains, there comes an EARTHQUAKE...we have witnessed MANY of these around the world lately so I will leave those images to your imagination. THEN as if that weren't enough a FIRE breaks out. REALLY!?!?!

So, you mean to tell ME that he just stood there through all of that and STILL didn't find God's presence??? How many times in this world are we so quick to point the finger at God when these kinds of natural disasters occur? Yet, Elijah didn't find God in any of it...

He waited for the GENTLE WHISPER that followed...

I would like to say that I am quiet enough to hear that GENTLE WHISPER if and when it comes...but I am not always that quiet...

I fill my days and time with so many things...things that many times are just meaningless in the eyes of God and if I am honest with myself, meaningless to me!

So...I want to be still. I want to hear His voice, because HIS VOICE IS THE ONLY ONE WORTH HEARING...

"The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

-- 1 Kings 19:11-13

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Judgment

Several times in the past month or two the subject of "judgment" has come up in my life. It came up on facebook, with my boyfriend, and at zumba of all places...

So, I ask myself, and God...what role do Christians have in judging and/or holding each other accountable, and are we to hold non-Christians to the same standards?

The following is what I deduce from the little bit of Biblical research I have done today. I don't feel comfortable AT ALL saying that my opinions are 100% correct so I am open to discussing what others think, however I would ask for you to back up your opinion with evidence, not just what you THINK should be right.

Judgment...Deuteronomy repeats, many times to "purge the evil from among you." This IS under the old law so I do not think that we are to stone anybody (21:21), or put anyone to death. I do believe that the sin itself must be put to death.

In 1 Corinthians 5 Paul speaks of sexual immorality WITHIN the fellowship. He says that TOLERANCE is NOT appropriate and that behavior would not even be appropriate among the pagans. I urge you to click on the link and read it for yourself since I am not quoting it in it's entirety here.

He says that we should not associate with those who CLAIM to be a brother or sister and continue in sinful behavior knowingly. We are not to associate with them, or to even eat with them. IN MY OPINION...by doing this we are NOT judging them...we are keeping the body healthy, just as if we were to expel a virus or infection from our physical body.

He says, "hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord."(1 Corinthians 5:5) WOW! Makes me want to mind my P's and Q's for sure!!!

So...that also brings me to my second question...Are we to hold non-Christians to the same standard?

In 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 it says, "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. 'Expel the wicked person from among you.'”

The word "wicked" is defined, "evil or morally bad in principle or practice; playfully malicious." This is to say that in verse 13, the wicked he refers to are the people who are KNOWINGLY doing what is wrong. It means we have already gone through the steps spoken of in Matthew 18:15-17, they are aware of their sin and if they continue in it, are not healthy for themselves or for the body of believers. They bring in illness.

I cannot finish this without saying that our God is a gracious God. He came so that our sins can be forgive and so we are called to do the same! I am so thankful for that gift and though I find it hard to forgive at times I am called to it! Luke 17:3-4, "If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

Don't forget that part!

There are many other places in Scripture that speaks to this topic. For the sake of this blog and the time I had before going to work today, I had to narrow it down. So, I am sure there is much more I could have covered but that is it in a nutshell. I hope it is glorifying to my God! BLESSINGS!

Blessings...

There are times when we struggle and times when we just feel blessed.

Right now I am basking in the blessings and soaking it up until the next struggles come along...I am blessed with a GREAT GOD, family, friends, and boyfriend.

I have ESPECIALLY been enjoying memorizing God's word. One verse every two weeks, along with Beth Moore and all the other Siestas...This has especially been a blessing as I have been able to use each verse that I have been memorizing at least once since I began memorizing each of them. I love it when they come to mind and I can recite it and KNOW it is true...because it is God's word! :)

Here are a few pictures from my weekend with Ryan over Valentine's day. We like to cemetery hop...actually, he mostly does...but I take my camera and stay occupied! :)











"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

-- 1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)

My Inheritance

My dad died almost 5 years ago.

He left me a house, for which I am SOOO grateful! Well, I decided long ago that I want my life to be available for Jesus to use as He pleases, meaning, I don't want to be tied down by property or any other number of things that could have the ability to hold me back for His cause.

So, several years ago I sold my house. My paternal grandma apparently had issues with me selling the house. I could not have a conversation with her on the phone without her being negative about me and my decisions and life. She told me to "take care of your inheritance, it is all you're going to get." She would also make comments about my cousins and how certain ones were better than me because of the stage of life they were in. So, instead of putting up with the negativity, I eventually stopped calling her. I stopped for my own health and well being, however I kept in contact with her by sending letters, cards, etc. so that she would know what was going on in my life. I never received a call or card back. It was silent for about 2 years, maybe a little more.

February 2nd was her birthday. I sent her flowers, like my dad used to do, and I have done since he passed away.

The following day I actually received a call from her. She was thankful for the flowers yet she verbally told me she didn't do anything wrong and she was not going to apologize for any wrongdoing.

I have never been fully accepted by her, not that anybody in her life has. I don't think she has it in her to extend her acceptance to anybody, probably because she has never felt and or known acceptance herself.

Today the Lord hit me full force in the gut with His love for me...

When I doubt my decisions or if someone else doubts my decisions...I am reminded that I belong to HIM...

My inheritance on earth PALES in comparison to the inheritance I will receive in Heaven. I am SO thankful for HIS love. It is so much more than ANYONE on Earth can extend to any one of us...and it is impartial and perfect.

And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as “foreigners in the land.” For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.

Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.

1 Peter 1:17-21 (NLT)

Meditating

If you know me and have been a reader of my blog you probably know that I took a 40 day journey with God a few years ago. I went seeking answers to several things and though I didn't necessarily get clear cut answers to those questions I was seeking I found a special relationship with my Father that I hadn't really known before.

I had so much fun as I drove, each day deciding which road to take, two lane road, or highway...north first then west or west then north? I let each day be directed by God and absolutely had one of the most fabulous times ever. Part of that fabulous time was just discovering His creation, how vast and beautiful it is. The details of the world around me are so beautiful and He created it all. I love to get lost in my thoughts and meditations.

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." --Colossians 3:2

Lately I have been trying to direct my thoughts Heavenward instead of toward myself and the world around me and thinking about the experiences I had on my trip help because I have such beautiful memories of His creation and our time together. When I think about the times we had, all other thoughts and worries fade away. I am able to focus my thoughts heavenward...

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." --Isaiah 55:8-9

I think we gain so much when we take our focus off of our needs, our insecurities, our future, our pride, our fears, the situation we are currently in, the situation the world around us is in, etc. We HAVE to focus Heavenward to be effective for Christ. It is NOT about us...

"I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes." --Psalm 119:99

By meditating on the "higher things" we are able to see things in this world more clearly and take them on.

My encouragement for you is to find your avenue to meditating on things higher. Find a way to focus your mind upward whether it be through His creation, or through another means.

How do we spend our time?

I have been thinking a LOT lately about what I think I deserve sometimes and what I deserve in reality.

In our current world, we are so used to thinking that we "deserve" a break, or we "deserve" a treat, or we "deserve" relaxation. When we look to the Scriptures, the ways that they did these things are supposed to be our examples of how to live AND they were so different.

For example, I want to be alone sometimes...yet when I am alone, what do I do with my time. Sometimes I choose to watch some TV, sometimes, read a book, etc. Most of the time my alone time includes eating...HA! When we look at Jesus, our example, his alone time was with the Father in sweet conversation and fellowship.

What things do I get excited about? Well, I LOVE shopping, coffee, UK basketball, Facebook and a lot of other things. And I think that these things can all be ok...but how much time do I devote to these other things, when I could be devoting time to my God. And how much more effective would we be as Christians if we ALL took this time and devoted it to fellowship with Him and each other, building each other up as He builds us up?

I have just been convicted that my God is so much more deserving than I give Him credit for. In my mind and heart I know without a doubt that He deserves more but my actions fail to show Him and the world just how much I love Him and honor Him.

Though I am convicted to try and "do" better, I know that I will fail...Lord willing, I will improve but perfection is beyond my reach. That is why I am so thankful for the Savior who came and gave His life for me, that I might be covered by His blood and made righteous through my faith in HIM.

"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood."

--Romans 3:22-25a