"Let it be known". These 4 words have been in my head for the past couple weeks. They are from the book of Daniel; before Daniel's friends were going to be thrown into the fiery furnace because they would not bow down to an idol that was erected in the image of King Nebuchadnezzar.
Here's a little review: Judah was captured by the king of Babylon and the king brought some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding, and discerning knowledge and the king ordered these young men to be taught the language & customs of the Chaldeans; the names of the young men were changed too--to represent the Babylonian gods, so they would be truly be absorbed by the culture of the Babylonians. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah made a courageous choice to not eat the food from the king's table and chose instead to eat vegies & water only. God's favor was on them and the Lord increased their abilities and gave them knowledge & intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom. King Nebuchadnezzar found no one like these 4 young men, so they entered the king's personal service. Daniel is moved into the king's court because he interprets a dream the king had.....our 3 young men are still in the king's service.
16 years have passed and "King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide..." (Dan. 3:1) and made a decree that whoever does not fall down and worship the golden image will immediately be thrown into the fiery furnace. Mishael, Hananiah and Azariah (they are better known by their Babylonian names: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) would not fall down and worship and so they were summoned by the king. The king was very angry and asked the 3 men if this was true, that they wouldn't bow down & worship. He gave them one more chance and said, "if you will not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?" (Dan. 3:15). It is at this point that our brave friends stand up to a raging king, understanding their fate and they respond: "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But, even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
Those words~let it be known~that shows the strength and courage that those men had. What is it that you will let it be known? Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael knew that the furnace of blazing fire awaited them, and yet they said, "LET IT BE KNOWN"! We all face fiery trials. There are several outcomes that the Lord will work out in these fiery trials.
1) We can be delivered from the fire. He is able!
2) We can be delivered through the fire....to get to the other side (I Peter 1:6-7)
"In 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 your faith--of greater worth than gold, which
perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise,
glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."
3) We can be delivered by the fire into His arms.
When the furnace of blazing fire awaits you, what do you say? What do you do? Do you stand strong in the faith that you know is true and say LET IT BE KNOWN:
1) that my God is the one true God and HE can save me,
2) that I have seen my God's faithfulness in the past to know that He will see me through
3) that God is good all the time and all the time God is good!
4) I will serve my God even when I can't see what lies ahead
5) that He has taken me through the fire and I have been refined and I trust Him to do that again
6) that I serve the living God
7) that God loves me and He has my best in mind
8) that I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
9) that I trust in the name of the Lord; He is my refuge, my strong tower, my Rock, my Redeemer, my Savior, my fortress, my deliverer, my shield, my stronghold, my strength....
So, what will you "let it be known"? What will your list look like. I want to be strong & courageous like the 3 men who were thrown into the fire (turned up 7 times hotter than usual). The Lord met them in the fire and delivered them from the fire. The men came out of the furnace and "the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were there trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them." (Dan. 3:27) WOW! What a faithful God we serve! Don't bow your knee to any other....say, instead, "Let it be known"....
Monday, April 28, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
The Core
"My core is sore." My husband & I said that to each other for a couple months. In January, we went to a personal trainer to help us get our "core" in shape! I love to run & my husband has played hockey for 40 years, so we know cardio....however, we felt that we needed to spend some time (at 6:00 in the morning~yuck) to strengthen our core. We spent 2 months working on the core & what a difference it has made, even in the way I run.
Mayo Clinic has this to say about the core muscles:
"Your body's core is the area around your trunk and pelvis. When you have good core stability, the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen work in harmony. Strong core muscles make it easier to do most physical activities — from swinging a golf club to getting a glass off a top shelf or bending down to tie your shoes. Weak core muscles leave you susceptible to poor posture, lower back pain and muscle injuries."
When the core is stable & strong, it strengthens the whole body! Weak core muscles leave you susceptible to injury. Interesting...once again there is a connection between the physical principles and the spiritual.
My daughter went to a conference recently whose theme was "CORE: Life should resemble the inner existence through the outward expression". What a powerful statement. Our inner life should be stable & strong, so it strengthens the whole body~inside & out, then others will recognize Jesus in us.
How do we strengthen our core? Here's a great start......
1) Get the Word in your heart. Meditate on a scripture each week. Write it on a note card or sticky note & carry it with you where you go. (read it over & over; asking the Lord to make it personal to you; speaking the Word out loud over you life).
*If you are not sure where to start, go to the little epistles (letters) in the New Testament: Galations, Ephesians, Philippians or Colossians. These are great books that teach us how to live.
2) Be connected in a body of believers (church) where you are strengthened by the teaching of the Word of God.
3) Hang out with people who love Jesus~whose lives are the "inner existence through the outward expression".
4) Spend time with Your Savior (He is so in love with you)! Get to know HIM. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you insight and wisdom into His living Word.
Just as the physical "core" muscles will be sore as they are built, so too, will our "core" muscles be sore in a spiritual sense. You may say, "My core is sore" as you press into the things of God. He may reveal things to you that will allow you to grow and be strengthened. There may be sin issues that need to be repented of, time or priority issues that need to be put back into place, forgiveness to be asked or given, healing to be received, changes in what is spoken or attitudes or behaviors exhibited, etc. But, living in relationship with Jesus is worth it all! As Paul addressed Timothy in his first letter, he said, "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." (I Timothy 4:8) Let's live as God's holy people whose inner core is strengthened to support us & make us strong on the inside, so that our outward lives reflect the inner life of Christ.
My prayer for you is this:
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."
Mayo Clinic has this to say about the core muscles:
"Your body's core is the area around your trunk and pelvis. When you have good core stability, the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen work in harmony. Strong core muscles make it easier to do most physical activities — from swinging a golf club to getting a glass off a top shelf or bending down to tie your shoes. Weak core muscles leave you susceptible to poor posture, lower back pain and muscle injuries."
When the core is stable & strong, it strengthens the whole body! Weak core muscles leave you susceptible to injury. Interesting...once again there is a connection between the physical principles and the spiritual.
My daughter went to a conference recently whose theme was "CORE: Life should resemble the inner existence through the outward expression". What a powerful statement. Our inner life should be stable & strong, so it strengthens the whole body~inside & out, then others will recognize Jesus in us.
How do we strengthen our core? Here's a great start......
1) Get the Word in your heart. Meditate on a scripture each week. Write it on a note card or sticky note & carry it with you where you go. (read it over & over; asking the Lord to make it personal to you; speaking the Word out loud over you life).
*If you are not sure where to start, go to the little epistles (letters) in the New Testament: Galations, Ephesians, Philippians or Colossians. These are great books that teach us how to live.
2) Be connected in a body of believers (church) where you are strengthened by the teaching of the Word of God.
3) Hang out with people who love Jesus~whose lives are the "inner existence through the outward expression".
4) Spend time with Your Savior (He is so in love with you)! Get to know HIM. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you insight and wisdom into His living Word.
Just as the physical "core" muscles will be sore as they are built, so too, will our "core" muscles be sore in a spiritual sense. You may say, "My core is sore" as you press into the things of God. He may reveal things to you that will allow you to grow and be strengthened. There may be sin issues that need to be repented of, time or priority issues that need to be put back into place, forgiveness to be asked or given, healing to be received, changes in what is spoken or attitudes or behaviors exhibited, etc. But, living in relationship with Jesus is worth it all! As Paul addressed Timothy in his first letter, he said, "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." (I Timothy 4:8) Let's live as God's holy people whose inner core is strengthened to support us & make us strong on the inside, so that our outward lives reflect the inner life of Christ.
My prayer for you is this:
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."
Monday, April 14, 2008
CRAVE
During each of my 3 pregnancies, I craved certain foods. While pregnant with my first child, I craved cottage cheese of all things! We kept cottage cheese stocked in the fridge. With each pregnancy, my husband learned what the cravings were and would be willing & able to run out to get the desired food to satisfy my craving. Unfortunately the cravings did not disappear after giving birth to our babies. They've just changed (& I no longer have any real excuse). For example, after I eat a salad, I just have to have a little chocolate~I crave it! When I walk into a movie theater I crave popcorn!
To crave means "to long for; want greatly; desire eagerly; to have an intense desire for"...
This "craving" principle is spiritual as well as physical. I crave what I feed myself. Physically, after a yummy salad, my body craves chocolate. If I stopped giving in to that craving, eventually it would stop. I would starve my craving. That's a physical reality. If I fill my time with watching TV, I will crave TV. If I work out 2 hours a day, my body will crave working out. The principle again~I crave what I feed on.
I have become a woman who craves the Living Word. That craving did not just happen, I really trained myself to "hunger and thirst after righteousness". I had read the scripture "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8) and the Lord began to place that desire within me. Over the years, I have noticed gradually that I cannot live without tasting the Word daily. It is a craving. I must have it. My Bible goes with me everywhere~it is packed first when I am leaving on a trip. I keep notecards in my car & kitchen that have scriptures written on them. I am meditating on God's Word throughout the whole day...why? Because I crave it!
Galations 5:16 -17a says this, "So I say, live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires/cravings of the sinful nature (flesh). For the sinful nature (flesh) desires/craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature (flesh)."
When I feed the flesh, the flesh will win and when I feed my spirit (with the things of the Spirit), the Spirit will win. As believers, we need to recognize what we are feeding....the flesh or the spirit. A good way to find out what you are feeding is to ask this question:
What do you crave? Is what you are craving feeding your spirit man (to strenthen you & transform you into the image of Christ) or is what you crave feeding your flesh (your selfish desires~getting what you want, when you want it). This is a conflict all our lives until we meet Jesus face to face. Even Paul writes at the end of verse 17 "They (meaning spirit & flesh) are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." So, I am in good company. Paul , the great apostle, wrote of the struggle!
I am working on some "starving" in my life right now. Starving myself from cravings that were feeding the flesh, not the spirit. So, as my body cries out to satisfy these cravings, I remind myself that "I live by the Spirit and do not satisfy the desires of the flesh". My heart's desire is to "long for; want greatly; desire eagerly; to have an intense desire for"....JESUS! How I want to CRAVE HIM!
To crave means "to long for; want greatly; desire eagerly; to have an intense desire for"...
This "craving" principle is spiritual as well as physical. I crave what I feed myself. Physically, after a yummy salad, my body craves chocolate. If I stopped giving in to that craving, eventually it would stop. I would starve my craving. That's a physical reality. If I fill my time with watching TV, I will crave TV. If I work out 2 hours a day, my body will crave working out. The principle again~I crave what I feed on.
I have become a woman who craves the Living Word. That craving did not just happen, I really trained myself to "hunger and thirst after righteousness". I had read the scripture "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8) and the Lord began to place that desire within me. Over the years, I have noticed gradually that I cannot live without tasting the Word daily. It is a craving. I must have it. My Bible goes with me everywhere~it is packed first when I am leaving on a trip. I keep notecards in my car & kitchen that have scriptures written on them. I am meditating on God's Word throughout the whole day...why? Because I crave it!
Galations 5:16 -17a says this, "So I say, live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires/cravings of the sinful nature (flesh). For the sinful nature (flesh) desires/craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature (flesh)."
When I feed the flesh, the flesh will win and when I feed my spirit (with the things of the Spirit), the Spirit will win. As believers, we need to recognize what we are feeding....the flesh or the spirit. A good way to find out what you are feeding is to ask this question:
What do you crave? Is what you are craving feeding your spirit man (to strenthen you & transform you into the image of Christ) or is what you crave feeding your flesh (your selfish desires~getting what you want, when you want it). This is a conflict all our lives until we meet Jesus face to face. Even Paul writes at the end of verse 17 "They (meaning spirit & flesh) are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." So, I am in good company. Paul , the great apostle, wrote of the struggle!
I am working on some "starving" in my life right now. Starving myself from cravings that were feeding the flesh, not the spirit. So, as my body cries out to satisfy these cravings, I remind myself that "I live by the Spirit and do not satisfy the desires of the flesh". My heart's desire is to "long for; want greatly; desire eagerly; to have an intense desire for"....JESUS! How I want to CRAVE HIM!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Metamorphosis
My son & I were reading about the metamorphosis of Monarch butterflies last week and as we were reading, the word "metamorphosis" became BOLD as I read. The Lord was standing that word out for me. As we were reading, 2 Corinthians 5:17 stuck in my head, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" That was it! The developmental stages of metamorphosis demonstrates the life of a believer! So, that is how the title of this blogspot was formed.
1) The 1st stage is the "egg". In the Monarch's life, the eggs are laid on milkweed, the only plant the monarchs can eat. And, the eggs are laid singly.
So, for the believer's life, the "seeds" of faith (egg) have been planted in his/her heart by various means (a Gospel message, a neighbor telling of the grace & mercy of Jesus in their life, a prayer answered in miraculous ways, etc.). The seeds will bear fruit if they are laid on the rich "soil" in the heart. In the life of a believer, the decision to accept Christ is a "singly" decision--each person needs to make that choice to follow Jesus.
Q: Is the soil in your heart ready to receive the seed (egg) of faith? Have you made a decision to follow Jesus?
2) The 2nd stage in the process of metamorphosis is the caterpillar. The eggs hatch and the caterpillar is so small it can barely be seen; it grows very fast though, feeding on NOTHING BUT THE MILKWEED LEAVES!
When we accept Jesus, we have entered the 2nd stage. We need to feed on NOTHING BUT THE WORD OF GOD so that we can grow very fast! If we do not feed on His Word, we stay so small that our faith can barely be seen; there isn't much change. We need to meditate on His living Word to grow & change quickly.
Q: Are you feeding on the Word of God? Is there a change in your life since giving Jesus all of you?
3) Pupa is the 3rd stage. When the caterpillar is full-grown, it crawls 30-40 feet away from the milkweed, to find a safe place to pupate. The chrysalis is a protective shell for the caterpillar inside; dramatic changes occur inside the chrysalis.
Often the Lord takes us into the wilderness for our dramatic changes to occur. These are times of refreshing with the Lord and also a time of stripping away the old nature. This can be painful, yet the changes that happen are magnificent. We trust God to do what needs to be done in this wilderness time. Moses spent 40 years in the desert for the dramatic changes that would occur (he then met with Pharaoh). Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness and came forth with his public ministry begun. Hosea speaks of the Lord alluring His people into the desert; leading her into the desert to speak tenderly to her (to begin the stripping process of all that is not of Him). Joshua wandered in the desert for 40 years (being trained) to take possession of the land the Lord was giving the Israelites.
Q: Have you had or are you experiencing now a wilderness experience with the Lord? What dramatic changes have you seen in your life?
4) The last developmental stage of metamorphosis is that the Monarch butterfly breaks free from the chrysalis; the transformation is complete; a total maturity is achieved.....so begins the next generation.
With the believer, maturity is the goal. We want to be transformed into the image of Christ. As our journey continues (because we are not totally mature until we see Jesus face to face) we share our story with another of Jesus' grace & mercy upon us....and so the next generation begins. The metamorphosis starts all over again.
Each believer is a new creation in Christ; the old has gone, the new has come. The butterfly is a totally new creation. There is not a remnant of the old egg or caterpillar--it is something brand new. Jesus does that with each one of us who say "Yes" to Him. We are changed, dramatically. The old nature is gone, and the new nature is upon us....something totally new & different!
The goal of this blog is to present ideas, thoughts, scriptures that will speak to our spirits and our souls--for a metamorphosis--a transformation of a life!
Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."
1) The 1st stage is the "egg". In the Monarch's life, the eggs are laid on milkweed, the only plant the monarchs can eat. And, the eggs are laid singly.
So, for the believer's life, the "seeds" of faith (egg) have been planted in his/her heart by various means (a Gospel message, a neighbor telling of the grace & mercy of Jesus in their life, a prayer answered in miraculous ways, etc.). The seeds will bear fruit if they are laid on the rich "soil" in the heart. In the life of a believer, the decision to accept Christ is a "singly" decision--each person needs to make that choice to follow Jesus.
Q: Is the soil in your heart ready to receive the seed (egg) of faith? Have you made a decision to follow Jesus?
2) The 2nd stage in the process of metamorphosis is the caterpillar. The eggs hatch and the caterpillar is so small it can barely be seen; it grows very fast though, feeding on NOTHING BUT THE MILKWEED LEAVES!
When we accept Jesus, we have entered the 2nd stage. We need to feed on NOTHING BUT THE WORD OF GOD so that we can grow very fast! If we do not feed on His Word, we stay so small that our faith can barely be seen; there isn't much change. We need to meditate on His living Word to grow & change quickly.Q: Are you feeding on the Word of God? Is there a change in your life since giving Jesus all of you?
3) Pupa is the 3rd stage. When the caterpillar is full-grown, it crawls 30-40 feet away from the milkweed, to find a safe place to pupate. The chrysalis is a protective shell for the caterpillar inside; dramatic changes occur inside the chrysalis.
Often the Lord takes us into the wilderness for our dramatic changes to occur. These are times of refreshing with the Lord and also a time of stripping away the old nature. This can be painful, yet the changes that happen are magnificent. We trust God to do what needs to be done in this wilderness time. Moses spent 40 years in the desert for the dramatic changes that would occur (he then met with Pharaoh). Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness and came forth with his public ministry begun. Hosea speaks of the Lord alluring His people into the desert; leading her into the desert to speak tenderly to her (to begin the stripping process of all that is not of Him). Joshua wandered in the desert for 40 years (being trained) to take possession of the land the Lord was giving the Israelites.
Q: Have you had or are you experiencing now a wilderness experience with the Lord? What dramatic changes have you seen in your life?
4) The last developmental stage of metamorphosis is that the Monarch butterfly breaks free from the chrysalis; the transformation is complete; a total maturity is achieved.....so begins the next generation.
With the believer, maturity is the goal. We want to be transformed into the image of Christ. As our journey continues (because we are not totally mature until we see Jesus face to face) we share our story with another of Jesus' grace & mercy upon us....and so the next generation begins. The metamorphosis starts all over again.
Each believer is a new creation in Christ; the old has gone, the new has come. The butterfly is a totally new creation. There is not a remnant of the old egg or caterpillar--it is something brand new. Jesus does that with each one of us who say "Yes" to Him. We are changed, dramatically. The old nature is gone, and the new nature is upon us....something totally new & different!
The goal of this blog is to present ideas, thoughts, scriptures that will speak to our spirits and our souls--for a metamorphosis--a transformation of a life!
Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."
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