Happy New Year’s!

Now that the year is coming to a close, I thought that I’d just put up something. It’s a time of year right now when it’s good to thank the Lord for the blessings He’s given us for the last year. Psalm 100,

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
   come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
   It is He who made us, and we are His;
   we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving
   and His courts with praise;
   give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the LORD is good and His love endures forever;
   His faithfulness continues through all generations.”

And as the new year comes to us, remember that we are a light and salt to the world. Acts 20:24,

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

And another verse where Paul talks about the Good Race again . 2 Timothy 4:1-8,

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.”

Happy New Year’s everyone! May it be a blessed and lovely one, and for all of us to be good servants of the Lord!

 

Shalom

“I have become a sign to many…”

I wish wearing a headcovering would automatically make me a better person. This morning, I was pretty rotten in my attitude. I quite honestly acted in a very juvenile manor. This may in part be due to my sickness making me grumpy, but that excuse can only go so far, and the rest of the attitude is really due to me just not wanting to act the way I should.

In the morning, before I get ready for the day, I don’t wear a headcovering. And in the time (this time it was a rather short time) between me getting up and me having contact with my family members, I had a stupid, useless, and as I said, juvenile argument. I wasn’t wearing my headcovering, so I guess I felt I didn’t need to be as great of an example. I never thought that to myself, but I’m sure those thoughts seep into my subconscious. But after it was all over, and I had left the room to cool off, I came out, and I was wearing my headcovering. I not sure how much it had to do with the covering or not, but I noticed a difference in everyone, myself included. I was not so aggressive, and everyone else seemed to be more gentle towards me. I almost think that this had nothing to do with my headcovering, but I still feel that it is a good reminder. I think that I have heard other people say that others treat them differently when they wear different clothes or wear a headcovering, and I think that gives an excellent reason for doing it. It is our sign to the world that we are not the same as the rest of the world. And I’m not saying that people who don’t cover are any less Christian then those who cover, but I am saying that those who cover should never let it be the only difference in their lives. It should just be the outward sign. The moment I put on my headcovering and to the end of the day, I should be a champion for Christ, a person who runs to His strong refuge, a humble spirit and an eager worker.

Even if this morning may have been a fluke by the standards of this world, it wasn’t by the standards of the Land I’m going to! He meant it to show me that there will be times when people will see the headcovering, and think, “that’s a Christian”, and “so that’s what Jesus would have done!” It’s not up to me to say the actual moment when that thought will pass through their head will be. I should, therefore, always be ready to show the Good Way.

 

Shalom

Stand with Israel

My mother showed me this link a few days ago... if you go to it, you'll understand what their all about, but I'll just say that its an organization of Christians and Jews, and this is a "Statement of Support for Israel". I signed it. I think that it is so very important for Christians to show their support for Israel. They are the Lords chosen people, and I believe that He wants us to not ignore or despise the Jewish people... but more about that later! I know that it is one thing that I know that God wants me to talk about. But for right now, I just wanted to post about this organization, and ask that you too will stand with Israel.



http://www.ifcj.org/site/PageServer?pagename=lgms_isfi_homepage_calendar&s_src=pmd_r&s_subsrc=EWF1010XXECBN


Shalom

Excuses! Excuses! Excuses!

I always hate it when my mum says, “I don’t want to hear excuses” or “don’t give me excuses.” I probably hate it for the same reason I hate a lot of things—because she’s right!

I’ve been doing this writing marathon for this month—the one that I talked about in my earlier blog entry—and from practically the beginning, I’ve been steadily becoming worse! I’ve snapped, I’ve yelled, I’ve avoided, I’ve complained, and I’ve made excuses. I’ve said that this was a hard month and that I was only rude because of it! And I’ve said that I’ll get around to it—whatever it may be—later, as a NaNoWriMo song says, “after I write another thousand words!” And the worse of it all is that I’ve made NaNoWriMo more important than my God! I’ve stopped listening to Him, I’ve stopped talking to Him, I’ve stopped wanting to hear about Him! And the funny thing is that, throughout my writing, I’ve still felt His influence. I’ve known that I had a practically impossible plot hole, and then, out of the blue, everything has changed—and changed for the better! I’ve several times this month been writing so quickly and then something in the story strikes me as wrong, and then I find myself changing the whole section. I know that I can come up with a story—it takes a while, but I can do it—but I also know that sometimes, I just can’t make it the best or the smoothest of tales. I know that haven’t been trusting in God the way I should, but I have somewhat. And that’s why I think that that is where the verse that says, “trust in the Lord… and He will make your paths straight.” Sometimes it seems like everything is not working out (and not only in writing, I mean) and things just do not seem to have any clear way of going. Those times, I believe, are not any different than the times when God is speaking really clearly. I think one’s heart—or more like, the Holy Spirit speaking to us—knows right away which way is the right way. It’s just our minds and our earthly ideas and our cowardly bodies which are speaking and which we think are just as important as the other voice we here. It’s not so difficult to hear His voice. He says what He wants for us to do often enough!

There’s another thing that my mum says and that most of the time I hate to hear. It’s to serve with a cheerful heart. I hate it when she talks about that! It would be so much easier to just serve, and with whatever attitude I want! So many times in His Word, He talks about obeying His laws and how whoever does that, lives easier and completely enjoys it. Psalms 19:8,

“The precepts of the LORD are right,
   giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
   giving light to the eyes.”

And Psalms 119:32,

“I run in the path of Your commands,
   for You have broadened my understanding.”

And Isaiah 48:18,

“If only you had paid attention to my commands,
   your peace would have been like a river,
   your well-being like the waves of the sea.”

We, as fallen humans, keep on making the mistake of thinking that to put ourselves in His hands, to follow His commandments, would be like a horrible kind of servitude. I do that so much! I even said to God that I would have to put Him aside somewhat, so that I could keep up my word count. But I keep on forgetting that God doesn’t work that way. If you lay Him aside, then He will lay you aside too. But if I had just stayed with Him, listened to Him, talked with Him, then I think that I would not have been such an irritation to my family. I love that middle verse that I quoted, “I run in the paths of Your commands, for You have broadened my understanding.” That is so COOL!!! He really does do that! And it is a joy to follow Him whole heartedly! I know it is a joy! I have, many times, experienced the joys of just being able to fall into His arms, as I find myself confronted with a rushing river of troubles. He carries me through! He straightens my paths.

I think that I have already made a blog entry something on these lines, but I feel that it is a big thing for me to keep in mind. His commandments really do need to be always before me. It makes our lives worth living and a whole lot less painful. I urge you to listen to His Words, to His commandments! They are not as hidden as they may seem. They are a blessing, so let us consider them to be a blessing!

 

Shalom

1 Corinthians 11

 

I’m not at all certain about this verse. I’m sure that many Christian women out there know this verse and have had the same problems as I. Perhaps Paul was referring to the women of Corinth, who were a sinful race and it would be an extra sign of godliness for them to cover their heads. Or maybe, since our culture has changed so much since the writing of that part in the Bible, it would have to mean something else for us now, and not mean that we should cover. Or maybe women should just have long hair—or hair at all!—to fulfill what Paul is asking here in this verse. I don’t know about these questions. I can’t answer them.

But ever since my mother has brought it more and more to my attention, I have wondered. She herself does not cover—at least not very often. But the fact that she took notice of it made me wonder. I looked into it. And that verse really is quite amazingly downright in what it says. 1 Corinthians 11:2-16

“I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man,and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.

A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.

Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.”

Sorry for quoting all of it… but actually—isn't it interesting that he said so much about it? The Bible doesn’t say much to women in particular—I think mainly because what God says to men, He usually means it for women also—but when He does, I think He really means it. He talks in Timothy about women, and He isn't making it one of those points that you can just glance over and forget. So why is it that this part in Corinthians gets forgotten? I’m not saying that it is a life and death, salvation or Hell situation, but I do think that it shouldn’t be forgotten. And I do think that it should be carefully looked into.

It still don’t know if I should cover, but I have been doing it for some few months. These questions that I stated earlier, I have asked. But most of the time, I have found sufficient answers to make me want to cover, of at least the time being.Firstly, that question asking if Paul was only talking to the Corinthian Church, I found something online that I found to be quite interesting. He pointed out that at the beginning of this book he says,

“Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be His holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

He says right their, in the beginning of this book that he is talking—by the will of God—to “all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He isn’t just talking to the Church in Corinth.

I want to wear my headcovering because God said these words for me too.

And about that question that refers to the difference in culture, well, for one thing, I know that our culture is different. We probably will never get back parts of the culture that Paul lived in. But I believe that some of those things need to come back. That some of those things were made by God for a reason, and that they should therefore be still a part of ours. Like in the family, in the culture of the Bible times, the man was the head of the family—he made the decisions, he lead, and the rest of the family followed. The women, Paul points out, if they believed something different—something that they believed God wanted—then they were to be a gentle witness of God and Christ Jesus. God set up marriage to be a representation of Christ—the Bridegroom—and the Church—His Bride. If a wife dishonors her head, she dishonors what God has set up as a representation of Christ. I want to wear a headcovering because I don’t want to dishonor the representation in my life of Christ.

I read something recently talking about this last question about if hair is the covering. I can’t remember how it was said, but it said something like there were two words used here in this chapter for cover. One, the word that Paul used for covering your head with a veil or a cap or a scarf or a hat, and another word that he uses right at the end that just means that God gave us women hair as her glory, as a blessing, as her natural cover. The word doesn’t mean that it is the definite article, it doesn’t mean that you can use to cover. And the whole point of putting something more than your hair on is to show to the world—and for yourself—that you have a sign of authority over your head, as sign that says to the world, God is covering me. He is protecting me. He is keeping me safe from my sins. I want to cover so that I can remember that God is my cover.

There are plenty more things that I’d like to say about this. I am covering now, but I have really a lot of problems with it. One of the big ones is my pride. I’m sorry if I came down too hard here. I am having a lot of struggles with it, and that usually makes me a bit excitable about things. I don’t know if there is anyone out there who is reading this, but I really would love your prayer on this. I especially need prayer for a gentle spirit when I choose to wear my headcovering.

 

Shalom

"I was blind, but now I see!"

Recently, I've been noticing a pattern in my listening and my reading... the sinful life means blindness. I know that the sinful life is so much worse than that. It is blindness, but it is also lying and hurting and hating and cheating and so many other things. But several times recently, I know that the Lord is pointing out that the sinful life is especially blind. Think about it. I don't know where it was, but there's that verse where it says, "the blind leading the blind." And there is that old favorite song of so many people across the ages, "Amazing Grace."

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see."

And another two songs, more recent this time, "Take Me Higher" by Jars of Clay:

"To where the blind can see the stars

So do you see the stars, do you see the stars?"

And a song from Newsboys, which at the moment I can't remember. But my point is that what happens after you go through the incredible Grace of God, but finally get to see. We, who are Christ followers, can see the stars now! We are saved from our blindness!
And just tonight, I read Isaiah 42:16:

"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them:
I will turn the darkness into light before them
and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them."

I love that last part, "I will not forsake them." But it's creepy the way He follows it up with:

"But those who trust in idols,

who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’
will be turned back in utter shame."

Wow! That is actually really scary, at least for me! Just change that word, "idols", for words like "news anchors", "reality TV people", "American Idol" or characters on my favorite show. I don't have problems with some of those, but I have to admit to some. And they are idols of my eyes. Of what I say I can see, but of which I only know whats on the surface. I do trust in them--far too implicitly!
I think it's time I start to be led on those "unfamiliar paths", and stop pretending I know more through what I already know will deceive me. We are blind; let's let the Lord show us how to see.

Shalom

Next Month

First of all, I'd like to say that I'm sorry I have not posted for some time. I don't want to make that a habit--to forget about my blog. I want to make this an important part of my life. I want to make it a part of my ministry to the Lord and to His Church. And to those who read this blog, I ask that you would pray for wisdom and guidance for me from the Lord as I write this blog and do other work in His Kingdom. I need His help; I would not be able to do a good thing without Him.

I also wanted to post something about what I'm going to be doing next month. A couple of years ago, I and my family found out through a friend about this website that, internationally, has a goal of writing in the confines of the month of November a 50,000 word novel. It is an utterly ridiculous, and totally fun way of getting through writing a novel. I have done it these last couple of years, both times not making it to 50,000 words. But I had a blast doing it anyway, and it was a creative way of making myself work harder then I would naturally. It was a wonderfully refreshing challenge, and I plan on taking up the challenge again, starting November 1st and trying my hardest to finish. You can go to the website by following this link. If I could ask for prayer for this goal to be met, but especially for Gods peace and the joy that He gives as I go into this task. I intend this story to be written to God, and I need Him to direct my words and my thinking and my heart as I go into this. Please pray that He would be glorified in this upcoming month.

Shalom

His Understanding

One upon a time, there was a Man who understood the hearts of man. He understood the simplest things and He understood the most complicated. He understood because He took the trouble to understand.
He understood when He looked at a boy who walked down the street that he had just played with his friend and the feelings that go with those precious times.
He understood when He looked at a woman as she stared out in front of her, that she had just been told that she was dying.
He understood when He picked up the basket of fruit for an old woman how much she needed to be shown that kindness.
He understood when He saw a man hitting another man; He understood both their hearts and the hate that caused pain and the hate that resulted from that pain.
He understood all of these things and more. And He still loved them and will always love them.
I am a part of the Body of Christ—but I don’t love like He loved. I am a part of His Bride—but I don’t respect or love those He loves. In fact, I more often hate them. One day, I will be married to that understanding Man, and I will repent of my hates, my dislikes, my grudges, my discriminations, and He will wipe them from my life. But why make Him do more when I know, if He were in my place, He would stop the moment He thought of it? With His love strengthening me, I too can see and understand the hearts of all who I encounter.


Shalom

Clothed by Christ

Last night, I read Romans 13 and was struck by the last part of the last verse. I had not been really thinking about what I was reading, but when I got to that part, I had to stop. "And do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Wow! "Gratify the desires." There are so many sins in my life--some of which are extremely real and unrelenting to me--that I just want to go back to again and again; to "gratify." The Lord just really showed that to me, that when I realize a thing is wrong, I stop doing it, but sometimes, when I like doing it so much, I "think about how to gratify" my sinful desires. But when God says stop, He means it!
But the rest of the verse is great! "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ." I love that idea! He is our protection. He is there to keep us safe. I want to live my life with Jesus covering me, helping me to look away from my sinful desires.

Shalom

"Trust in the Lord..." Why is it so hard?

Sometimes, I feel like giving up. I feel like giving up on my life, my way of living, my friends and family... I just feel like it doesn't work anymore! Like if I tried to do anything harder than breathing, I'd just fail. I say one thing, and it comes out like poisonous, cruel words, when all I wanted to do was talk. Something might go wrong around the house or with the car, and all I want to do is worry and worry about it. Or things just generally seem to by ganging up against my. All I want to do is be messed up and worried about them. All I want to do is be mad.
One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 3:5-6:

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make your paths straight."

My parents just got me a beautiful bookmark that has that verse on it. I didn't realize it till then, but that really is one of my favorite verses. But it is one that I find incredibly hard to follow! Those times when I just say the wrong thing; that is when I trust in my own understanding. And the times when things break or go wrong around me; that is when I don't trust in Him. And the times where the whole day seems to be going wrong, from start to finish; that is when I don't acknowledge and trust in Him. All of these times, I almost enjoy doing what hurts me more. Today, there was a minor problem with the car, and I immediately started to worry. And then He nudged me, reminding me that I need to trust in Him, and be ok with the situation. I was so happy after I put the situation in His hands. It really does feel amazingly great! But what about the rest of those times? Those little times when all I can do in a situation is either worry or put my trust in Him, I find it incredibly easy to do. But what about when I say something that I didn't mean to? I don't ever, at those times, want to lean on His understanding! But how great would that be if I could just say the good things He gives me to say. And what about those times when I just want to have a pity-party? I don't acknowledge Him! But how peaceful it would be to know that He was always taking care of me, even when things are going wrong. To acknowledge that He is all powerful, all seeing, all knowing and loving all!
It's wonderful that God finishes off those two verses with, "and He will make your paths straight." He does give something in return for trusting in Him! I pray that I keep my trust and my understanding and my thoughts set on Him!

Shalom

"Save Us from Ourselves"

Recently, I've been reading through some of the Pauline epistles, and last night I read the first chapter of Romans. My pastor has mentioned many times before that this chapter could be very well applied to the modern times, and having read it, I would have to agree! It is incredibly sad to see that no point that he made in the chapter could be dismissed. I have been thinking a lot about that last part, "they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." That one is a big problem for me. There was this one time, a little while ago, where this guy who had gone to Egypt was saying how he'd like to talk about his sojourn there, and I was talking to someone else, say how much I'd like to go there and other places like Israel. But I was again reminded of the danger involved in a journey to places in the Middle East and I said as much, in a laughing way that encouraged sympathy--in fact, I asked them to join in my cowardice. So many people are like that nowadays! They feel cowardly about something, and want everyone else to feel exactly the same. Or there's the opposite way of thinking, which is just as sinful, and of which I have just as much tendency; to lean on my own understanding, to lean on my own strength. I saw on a sign just today, "Inside of you is a hero" or something like that. Almost every time I see that word,  hero, I have to think of the song by Jars of Clay. It is one of my favorite songs! But I just love that part where it says, "we need a Hero"... I know that that Hero is my Savior, Jesus Christ! We can never be our own hero. We need someone else to be that for us. A Hero to save us from ourselves!

Shalom

First Post

Well, this is my first post. I'd love for it to be the best that I'll ever do, but I know that that just wont happen so easily.
My friend and I planned on making our blog at the same time and  posting our first entry together, but we couldn't get it to work! But today, around a week later, I got the blog thing to work. I think a big reason was due to it's being very late when I was trying to make the blog last time, and also because I was always losing my temper. My anger has been and I think will always be a big stumbling block for me in my life.
That and my pride! It seems as though I'll never come to the end of my pride! For instance, when someone might ask me to help with something, I'll probably want to help because the Lord has been more and more laying it on my heart to help with things, to serve more. But since I haven't done it that much--or that willingly--in my life before, I'll probably want to shirk helping out now. I pray that God may help me to drop that very bad habit!
I don't think I want to make this a long entry--I'm still getting used to it! But I can't wait to share my thoughts on so many things! The Lord has blessed me with so many things, and I feel like if I stayed quiet about them, I would not be doing justice to the one who blessed me!

Shalom