keep my commandments. John 14:15
Hereby we do know that we love him, if we keep his commandments. 1 John 2:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievious. 1 John 5:3
The commands of God are important in the life of the Child of God. The desire to keep his commands shows us that we love Him. They are not a burden to us, but a delight.
Keeping the commands of God will never add any merit for us in any way. If we have broken one jot of His commands, and we all have – much more than that, we are guilty and are deserving of His wrath. There is nothing we can ever do to gain favor with God.
Only the blood of Christ, applied in our lives can pay the debt owed for our sin. It is only through Christ’s righteousness that we stand before God as righteous. All our good works are but filthy rags.
Yet, as Paul says, since we’ve been saved by grace shall we continue in sin? Certainly not! Because we have been forgiven much, we love much. And if we love we keep His commands. By this we know that we love him.
SDG,
Lisa
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You cannot see God’s glory when your eyes are seeking your own.
SDG,
Lisa
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Is faith spelled R-I-S-K? Is it a jump into the dark? Not biblical faith! Rather faith is seeing the Light, and following it. Faith is Clear Vision, seeing beyond the limitations of your fallen human sight, to the Light of God’s Word. "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word." Faith is hearing the truth of Scripture and the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart, "That is true," and you completely believing and obeying Him.
Doubt is trusting your own eyes that have been darkened, rather than the sight of the One who sees all. Presumption is believing any foolish thing out there, that you thought you heard somewhere, jumping into the dark. Faith is believing and obeying His Word.
"I once was blind, but now I see" – yet still have SO much for my eyes to be opened to —
Praise God for eternity for my eyes to be opened to His Truth.
SDG,
Lisa
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What does Paul mean when he says in verse 20, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us?” Is this a blank check for anything we want? What is the context?
In this chapter Paul is praying, kneeling in prayer, in humility before God asking for certain things for the Ephesian church. Can we claim this prayer for ourselves? Yes, I think so. It is a prayer that expresses God’s will for all His own.
These things Paul prays for are: that you be strengthened in your inner being by His Spirit, that Christ would dwell in your hearts by faith, that you be rooted and grounded in love, that you know the love of Christ, that you be filled with all fulness of God.
May we desire that God do exceeding abundantly above in our lives in all these things asked.
SDG,
Lisa
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Greetings from Me and My House,
At the close of 2006 I feel I should post something profound, but I have nothing profound to say. It’s been a year of much activity, change and growth – much of it internal. Yet, we continue to find that God is God and He does not change. He brings us back around to where He always was/is. He tells us something, we go on for years on that; then He tells us the same thing, and we have deeper understanding and we go on again – ever growing.
My dh and I have been going through all the commands that Jesus gave while He was on earth, memorizing and meditating on them, and applying them. It is amazing how simple they are. Yet man cannot keep them apart from Jesus’ own work in our lives.
So I close with profound words, not my own, but God’s – 2 of my favorite and most quoted Scriptures in my teaching: “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole of man.” This is how man becomes whole.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” The only way we grow here on this earth is to deny ourselves, laying down our own lives, all self-will and pride – presenting our bodies a living sacrifice; and to renew our minds to think God’s thoughts after Him – knowing His will, by emersing ourselves into studying and meditating on His Word.
OK, one more, for this is how He has “given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” His Word was given that we might in it see His will and His ways for Abundant Life that is only recieved through the transforming grace of Jesus Christ, as we apply His Word in our own lives.
I pray that your 2006 was spent in greater growth in God’s will and ways in your life. That you have spent your year wisely, in renewing your mind by God’s Word, that you are loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself to a greater degree than you were in 2005.
SDG,
Lisa
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It appears that after great revival God sends great trials and afflictions to test the faith, to see if it be true and pure, to separate the chaff from the wheat.
Many may come flocking to the physical church through revival, a visitation from God, religious stirrings, or perhaps even church growth programs. But as the dust settles, when the trials and afflictions come, who is left standing? Those who have had an outward reformation rarely stand long when the trials and afflictions come. But those who have been inwardly transformed shine ever brighter as they come through these refining fires.
… but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. – Matt. 10:22
SDG,
Lisa
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Greetings from Me and My House,
I really have started many blog posts this week. But where last week was a week of listening, this week has been a week of reflecting and seeking to reason. I’ve spent much time reflecting on my journey in God, and why the paths taken have been. I’ve spent much time, again, just enjoying His glory.
Where last week my thoughts were toward future roads, this week my reflections have been on the road I’ve traveled thus far. Over my years of being a Christian, I feel so blessed that God provided a solid foundation in the Word for us from the very beginning. Though I’ve certainly deepened, and even readjusted some of that over the years.
There are so many things I’m chewing on right now that I really don’t even think I can write on at present. So I’ll just leave today with a statement – a life message/mission statement, if you will, that I’ve proclaimed for many years, but became more solidified into a concise “statement” last year. It is was I want my life, my ministry, and my church I attend to be about: Pursuing -
Passionate Worship
Pure Teaching
Powerful Ministry
Persistent Prayer
Productive Living
At Jesus’ feet,
Lisa @Me and My House
Blogging Here
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Greetings from Me and My House,
I’m a little “undone” this a.m. Perhaps the lack of sleep (nothing new) and the abundance of coffee (that I very rarely drink) this week could have a bit to do with it. That part is all consumebyfire’s fault 
If she wasn’t moving we wouldn’t have had the going away coffee with the ladies from church, PLUS her and I going out the next day. (By the way, I hope you can keep your consistency in blogging while you’re gone, K, so you don’t drive yourself nuts 
But, really none of these are the real reasons for my “feelings”, for I’m not “undone” in the sense of anxiety or frustration or anything like that, but in being caught up in gloriousness of God, the sense of marveling at the goodness of God in all things.
We all face new roads in our lives, whether forks we must choose between or just new directions that must be walked out. This week I’ve blogged little, but listened much. I’ve listened to Father as I’ve prayed and read His Word. I’ve listened to some great teachers of the Word, and found further joy and steadfastness and passion in knowing my Lord deeper. I’ve listened to a “word from the Lord” that was a personal message of hope.
I’ve listened to my daughter who’s a brand new mom, definitely on a new road in life. I’ve listened to our dear friends (consumebyfire), who are going to IHOP, (no, not the pancake place) talk (over a great dinner last night – and other times,) about this new adventure in God they are heading into – a new road in their lives. I’ve listened to our eldest daughter talk about the new road they are on and being abundantly blessed in, in their new pastorate – and, as we stayed up late one night after all the kids were asleep, talking about her thoughts of her “baby” sister being a mom. I’ve listened to other friends, in our Bible study, on the new road of a new job, that is pure spiritual warfare every step. I’ve listened to another daughter, at a crossroads in her life, where some decisions that needed to be made long ago, are once again staring her in the face.
Many of these new roads affect our lives too, either directly or indirectly. Some of them cause new roads for us to walk too. Each and every day we all face new roads we must walk or perhaps must choose between. These roads may bring a flood of differing emotions; perhaps excitement, perhaps fear, perhaps joy, perhaps doubt and questioning. But each step of that walk on whatever new roads we face, as Christians, must be walked in faith. We must put doubt and fear behind us. It is impossible for the “natural man” to walk in faith. But Christians can be caught up in doubt and fear, too – and leave faith behind.
It is only as we rest, trust, in the sovereignty of God that we can truly walk by faith, not by sight. God does not always (ever?) show us ahead of time how everything is going to work out, let alone what each and every little step is going to be – bring. The walk of faith is truly that, trusting that God is in control of the unseen.
And this trusting that He is in control – not us, not satan – (that’s faith!) is how we please Him. Hebrews 11:6 (from another of my most favorite chapters of God’s Word – I have a lot of them) says: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” And Romans 14:23 tells us: “for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” So not trusting in God’s sovereignty, that is doubting Him, is sin. Pure and simple if I’m not living my life, trusting that He is in control – that nothing is taking Him by surprise; nothing is causing Him to wring His hands, nothing has Him worried – then I’m walking in sin not faith.
There is nothing that He will not work out to His own glory, and “work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son.” (Romans 8:28-29) We can fully believe and trust in that. It is the assurance of our great and good God, that God has a plan for everything we face in life to be used for His glory, and to conform those of us that belong to Him, to the image of His Son. And His plan will not be overthrown.
When we truly know that “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” (Pro. 16:9) we walk by faith down whatever new roads we must walk, knowing that He is God and He has it all under control. So this has been a great week of marveling and resting in the sovereignty and glory of God.
At Jesus’ feet,
Lisa @Me and My House
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Greetings from My and My House,
Are we lazy Christians, habitual creatures, in bondage, or faithless? My guess is a little of all in the area of today’s topic. We definitely show an area of unrenewed worldly thinking. But please don’t take what I write here today to the nth degree of extreme. Just think about HOW and WHERE it DOES apply.
I heard yesterday that self-help books were by far the largest category (I don’t remember if it was the largest section in the library or in bookstores). Our society is looking for help for their problems. And a plethora of writing and reading is done from the viewpoint of the foolishness of man.
From my own observations, I think the same is true of Christian book stores. The majority of the shelves are self-help, “Christian Living” – with “Christian” fiction, coming in a (perhaps close) second, and the Bibles in a small section in the back or tucked into a corner. Christians too are looking for help for their problems. But they aren’t looking directly to the Word of God. They are looking to self-help books. (Perhaps I should say throughout this post, “WE” – and bring this topic closer to home for all of us.)
I don’t believe, as Christians, we are purposely looking to the foolishness of man, but are truly hoping all these books contain the Wisdom of God from His Word. But for some reason we don’t think we can get it from the Word of God itself, by ourselves. Perhaps that’s because we live in a society of “experts” that thinks it needs an “expert” in every area of life to tell them what to do. They need certified teachers to educate their own children. They need licensed doctors to care for ALL their health needs – to the point that now pregnancy and child birth is a “medical condition”. They need registered dieticians to “prescribe” proper menus. And they need psychologists and clinical therapists to tell them what their problems are and how to solve them. The list goes on and on in our society. For being such anarchists that won’t obey any authority, our society sure sets a lot of them up for themselves. But it’s just an indication of the refusal to take any responsibility for themselves. If something goes wrong, there’s always someone else to blame.
I’m NOT saying that we should never consult someone that has more training in a certain area than we have, when we can’t figure things out for ourselves. Just that we should be doing more figuring out for ourselves, and relying less on the so-called “experts” for EVERYTHING.
But back to the “Christian” aspect of this. I believe that too many times Christians have the same “expert” mentality, and think someone else can give them all the answers that will solve all their problems. No wonder we have a Christianity that is so big in self-works and small in faith. Yes, we are creatures of habit, in bondage to the “ways of man”.
But I think it is more than just this. We think we cannot figure it out in the Bible for ourselves. We think we need an “expert” to figure it all out for us, to digest it, and then put it into to an understandable, “palatable” form for us. We think we need another mediator. We can not go to the Word on our own and trust the Holy Spirit to give us what we need, to be our Teacher to explain to us what He says, and desires from us. Bluntly, we do not trust “walking by faith”. We want something proven in the natural to “work”. And if this book doesn’t work, we’ll try the next one, and the next one, ad infinitum.
But we never think of going directly the Bible ourselves. We think that would be too hard. How could we ever figure out what it means and how to apply it, without some expert man interpreting it for us? We heap for ourselves “teachers”. We forget we have THE Teacher, living inside of us. Are we too lazy to expend the effort needed to figure it out for ourselves? We want our milk. We remain babes, by our own choosing, long after we should have grown up and been chewing the meat of the Word for ourselves. Yes, the Bible is not properly understood by the natural (unregenerate) man. It is spiritually discerned, understood by the regenerate spirit. If we are “in Christ”, He will cause our spirits to understand His Word. He will be our Teacher. But will we be good students who study?
The Dark Ages was a time when the common people fell into great ignorance. They didn’t learn for themselves. In the organized “church” this was characterized by a need for a Pope or Priest to read and interpret the Bible for the people. It was a time when man was in great bondage. Have we entered into a Neo-Dark Age? A time when people no longer think for themselves. Even Christians who have available to them individually the Word of God, very easy to find, very cheap to buy. Yet, the average Christian relies on the “Pastor” or books by experts to read and interpret the Bible for him, rather than going straight to the Word themselves. They’ve been sold a lie that the straight Bible itself is complicated and hard to understand, so they need a “dumbed-down” version that interprets for them, or another person to do that.
Rather than seeing the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers as those given by God to help equip them to do the ministry of God. They see them AS the ministers. Rather than being like the faithful Bereans who went to the Word itself to see if the things being taught were true or not, today’s Christian takes what is taught by these, unquestioned. And if the pastor isn’t preaching what is “relavent” to them, i.e. the self-help they currently need, they heap up for themselves teachers in the form of the equipping ministry of Author. Somehow I missed that one in Ephesians.
Now, I hope you realize that I am NOT saying we should not ever read another Christian’s perspective on anything. What I am saying is that when we read these things looking for Biblical answers without searching, studying the Bible itself, we are putting ourselves back in the Dark Ages, a place our society seems to be heading fast – where the common man is not encouraged to think for himself. He is not taught HOW to think, but WHAT to think.
What I am proposing is that we so thoroughly know the Word – or rather, continually study it ourselves to do so, that when we read these other things we compare them to what the Word itself says, to see whether they be built on Truth or not. Too many times, we read a book and think, “Oh, that sounds Biblical. It must be right.” Then we read the next and think, “Oh. No, THIS one sounds Biblical.” We are tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.
We need to be solidly grounded in the Word of God, so these other things we read are just further applications of the Truth, the Bible Principles, we already know – that we have found in the Word for ourselves.
In closing, here’s a favorite passage of mine. I think I quoted it on Me and My House musings last week, but here it is again – from a bibliophile:
And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecc. 12:12-14)
It is the Word of God, not other books, that changes our lives. It is Biblical literacy – studying and knowing the Bible for ourselves – that brings Liberty. We shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set us free. It is the study of God’s unadulterated Word for ourselves that will keep us from the Neo-Dark Ages.
At Jesus’ feet,
Lisa @Me and My House
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Greetings from Me and My House,
I have nothing profound on my mind this weekend, just an awe of God and a joy in my salvation. I don’t usually send posts of just “my life”, but perhaps someone will find the comfort and peace of our Lord in this.
I have spent time in the Word. I have spent many opportunities in prayer. Even though I didn’t join our son-in-law and daughter in their (and their church’s) week of seeking prayer and fasting, I have spent much time this week thinking of this and praying for them. I have a new grandson to praise God for and rejoice over. My 3 grandgirls (and their parents) are coming again to visit – well, to see the new baby more than us, but that is perfectly OK.
Though this week had much to rejoice over, there was also much to bring worry. The need to purchase a new dryer – and then it quitting after 4 loads. The car that overheated, preventing my husband and sons from attending his uncle’s funeral – and now the probable need to purchase another car. The financial “problem” our 14 year old daughter got herself into. I started to toss and turn as I thought of these things, but gave them over to the Lord, realizing that there isn’t a thing I can do about any of them.
Instead I just focused on the fact that: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. ” (Mat. 10:29-31) My Father is in control. Nothing is happening that is taking Him by surprise. There is nothing that He can’t do anything about. He loves me. He takes care of me. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Though I can’t see how He will take us through all this, I know that He is faithful and will. He has brought me through the dark valley. He is with me and I have no fear.
And just to add “icing” to His “cake” of goodness to me, today I heard a message on wisdom, my (hopeful) topic of my posts this week. God is GREAT! All the time. No matter what. As my 6 year old quotes, “Because he loves me and takes care of me.” “I will fear no evil.”
Hope you had a blessed Lord’s Day! I did.
At Jesus’ feet,
Lisa @Me and My House
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