Have you ever heard the song "Be An Example" by Ron Hamilton? Well, today's "Seeking Him" devotional by Nancy Leigh DeMoss reminded me again of that song that reminds us of the importance of our Christ-like example as a believer:
"We don't always think about the way our actions affect others. It started with Adam, who had no idea how the effects of his sin would be felt throughout history. Our disobedience, even in little areas, can affect others in ways we can't imagine.
I need to remember that when I'm tempted to indulge my flesh with over-sleeping or over-eating or to be harsh with my words or to yield to self-centered emotions. It helps me to stop and think about the people who look to me as an example.
Jesus said, "For their sakes I sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified by your truth."
When you're tempted to sin today, remember that we need to choose the pathway of holiness—not only for God's sake and our own sake; we need to be holy for the sake of others." [emphasis mine]
Wow - what a powerful, necessary reminder of the example that we are to others (whether we recognize it or not) as a Christian! What kind of an example are you showing by your actions and attitudes today? Even in trials and suffering (see my previous post from earlier today) as well as in rejoicing, be encouraged and challenged that, by God's grace and strength, that you will be a Christ-like example this very day. Meditate on these Scriptures...
I Timothy 4:12, "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
John 13:15, "For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you."
Monday, January 21, 2008
Suffering...
Just wanted to post a portion from an "e-devotional" regarding suffering that I often read in the mornings (http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/daily.light/):
"...we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.—It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. . . . For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees. [emphasis mine]" (Romans 5:3-5; Hebrews 12:7, 8, 11, 12)
My hope and prayer is that in whatever we face today that the Lord would strengthen us through our sufferings by understanding our humble reliance on His sufficient grace (II Corinthians 12:9&10)
"...we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.—It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. . . . For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees. [emphasis mine]" (Romans 5:3-5; Hebrews 12:7, 8, 11, 12)
My hope and prayer is that in whatever we face today that the Lord would strengthen us through our sufferings by understanding our humble reliance on His sufficient grace (II Corinthians 12:9&10)
Friday, January 18, 2008
Biblical Womanhood - Submission to Authority...
Wow - the last two days of messages on Revive Our Hearts have been SUCH A CHALLENGE to my heart... and my specific heart prayer is that the Lord would keep me faithful by His grace to apply what I've learned specifically in these areas of submission that I've been challenged and convicted about!
Here are the two links from John Piper's messages on "The Beautiful Faith of Fearless Submission":
Part 1 - Learning to Live Without Fear: http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=9784
Part 2 - What Submission Means: http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=9785
At a glance - from Part 1:
I Peter 1:3-7
Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct.
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.
For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
"The focus in this message is on the meaning of the submission of a wife to a husband. I’m very, very eager that men and women, old and young, even children, single and married, would hear this as a call to something very strong, very noble, very beautiful, very dignified, very worthy of a woman’s highest spiritual and moral efforts."
At a glance - from Part 2:
Number one: Submission does not mean agreeing with everything your husband says.
Number two: Submission does not mean leaving your brain and your will at the wedding altar. It’s not the inability or the unwillingness to think for yourself.
Number three: Submission does not mean avoiding every effort to change a husband. But if you believe what the Bible says, you conclude paradoxically, “This text calls for submission as a means of changing him.”
Number four: Submission does not mean putting the will of the husband before the will of Christ. And it’s for Jesus’ sake that she submits to him. That’s number four.
Number five: Submission does not mean that a wife gets her personal spiritual strength primarily through her husband.
Number six: Submission does not mean a wife is to act out of fear toward her husband. Submission is the divine calling of a wife to honor and affirm her husband’s leadership and help carry it through according to her gifts. I’ll say it another way. It’s a disposition to follow a husband’s authority and an inclination—notice these are heart words here, not behavior words only—a disposition to follow a husband’s authority and an inclination to yield to his leadershipSubmission does not follow the husband into sin
Nancy Leigh DeMoss comments at the end of the program, "What a beautiful picture Dr. John Piper has given us of marriage the way that God intended it to be... I think it would be appropriate for us to take an Old Testament selah. That means “pause.” Stop and think about what you just heard. [Lisa's note - I would strongly encourage you to make the time to listen to these messages...] And if you’re married, I’m going to ask to you to consider this question: Does your marriage tell the truth about Christ and His church?
I so appreciate the way that Dr. Piper has helped us understand what biblical submission is and what it is not in the context of marriage. When it comes down to it, the ultimate issue is: “Is my heart submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ?” If it is, then a reflection of that submission will be seen in my willingness to come under God-ordained human authorities.
So I just want to encourage you to say, “Yes, Lord” to whatever God has said to you today. Maybe there’s even a need for repentance, saying, “Lord, I’ve resisted the authority and the leadership of my husband. I’ve not modeled what it means for the church to submit to Jesus Christ.” And oh, how I pray that our lives as women will model to the world the beautiful faith of fearless submission. "
Dr. John Piper's prayer at the end of these two Revive our hearts programs was, "Father in heaven, I so long for the husbands and wives of our church to grow up into this calling of headship and submission, biblically understood. I long for single people to embrace their singleness, while they have it, as Your calling on their lives and to embrace this vision as You summon them to it.
And I pray for children to get it and to want it, to dream about it someday, and to mature into it sooner than many of our young people do today because they’ve been so ill-taught on the maturities of manhood and womanhood.
And I pray for those who are 60, 70, 80, maybe alone, that they would embrace this vision, pray this vision, teach this vision, command this vision. And God, grant that the world would see Your Son and His covenant-keeping love, and His church modeled in wives in her covenant-keeping love. I pray this now in Jesus’ name, Amen."
May these words continue to challenge and convict our hearts as we desire to not just "say" we want our lives to reflect and glorify our Lord, but actually "act" upon these words by God's grace alone! May you see the Lord's strength and true joy in your life today through acting upon what you've learned...
Here are the two links from John Piper's messages on "The Beautiful Faith of Fearless Submission":
Part 1 - Learning to Live Without Fear: http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=9784
Part 2 - What Submission Means: http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=9785
At a glance - from Part 1:
I Peter 1:3-7
Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct.
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.
For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
"The focus in this message is on the meaning of the submission of a wife to a husband. I’m very, very eager that men and women, old and young, even children, single and married, would hear this as a call to something very strong, very noble, very beautiful, very dignified, very worthy of a woman’s highest spiritual and moral efforts."
At a glance - from Part 2:
Number one: Submission does not mean agreeing with everything your husband says.
Number two: Submission does not mean leaving your brain and your will at the wedding altar. It’s not the inability or the unwillingness to think for yourself.
Number three: Submission does not mean avoiding every effort to change a husband. But if you believe what the Bible says, you conclude paradoxically, “This text calls for submission as a means of changing him.”
Number four: Submission does not mean putting the will of the husband before the will of Christ. And it’s for Jesus’ sake that she submits to him. That’s number four.
Number five: Submission does not mean that a wife gets her personal spiritual strength primarily through her husband.
Number six: Submission does not mean a wife is to act out of fear toward her husband. Submission is the divine calling of a wife to honor and affirm her husband’s leadership and help carry it through according to her gifts. I’ll say it another way. It’s a disposition to follow a husband’s authority and an inclination—notice these are heart words here, not behavior words only—a disposition to follow a husband’s authority and an inclination to yield to his leadershipSubmission does not follow the husband into sin
Nancy Leigh DeMoss comments at the end of the program, "What a beautiful picture Dr. John Piper has given us of marriage the way that God intended it to be... I think it would be appropriate for us to take an Old Testament selah. That means “pause.” Stop and think about what you just heard. [Lisa's note - I would strongly encourage you to make the time to listen to these messages...] And if you’re married, I’m going to ask to you to consider this question: Does your marriage tell the truth about Christ and His church?
I so appreciate the way that Dr. Piper has helped us understand what biblical submission is and what it is not in the context of marriage. When it comes down to it, the ultimate issue is: “Is my heart submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ?” If it is, then a reflection of that submission will be seen in my willingness to come under God-ordained human authorities.
So I just want to encourage you to say, “Yes, Lord” to whatever God has said to you today. Maybe there’s even a need for repentance, saying, “Lord, I’ve resisted the authority and the leadership of my husband. I’ve not modeled what it means for the church to submit to Jesus Christ.” And oh, how I pray that our lives as women will model to the world the beautiful faith of fearless submission. "
Dr. John Piper's prayer at the end of these two Revive our hearts programs was, "Father in heaven, I so long for the husbands and wives of our church to grow up into this calling of headship and submission, biblically understood. I long for single people to embrace their singleness, while they have it, as Your calling on their lives and to embrace this vision as You summon them to it.
And I pray for children to get it and to want it, to dream about it someday, and to mature into it sooner than many of our young people do today because they’ve been so ill-taught on the maturities of manhood and womanhood.
And I pray for those who are 60, 70, 80, maybe alone, that they would embrace this vision, pray this vision, teach this vision, command this vision. And God, grant that the world would see Your Son and His covenant-keeping love, and His church modeled in wives in her covenant-keeping love. I pray this now in Jesus’ name, Amen."
May these words continue to challenge and convict our hearts as we desire to not just "say" we want our lives to reflect and glorify our Lord, but actually "act" upon these words by God's grace alone! May you see the Lord's strength and true joy in your life today through acting upon what you've learned...
Thursday, January 3, 2008
PTP - Practice the Presence...
"Your circumstances may not change, but you can change in the midst of your circumstances if you will learn to PTP — practice the presence." Today's Revive Our Hearts radio program by Nancy Leigh Demoss gave this simple yet profound encouragement. What does it mean? Here is a portion of today's transcript that really heped me...
"What presence? The presence of Christ. He is there. If you’re a child of God, He is in you. He is moving through you. He is around you. You are in Him. God’s desire for your life is that you would walk this day, regardless of your circumstances, in the fullness and the joy of the presence of Christ. But you've got to be willing to say the number one priority in my life, in my day, in this moment, my number one priority is my relationship with Christ. To know Him, to walk with Him, to love Him, to seek Him, to respond to Him. Even as I’m doing all the other things that I need to be doing in my day, it’s always under the umbrella, the covering, of that number one commitment."
That's quite a challenge in this day and age... In fulfillment of my single determintation to better understand who God is and what it means that I am His child in every day life, this portion of the program today was so helpful! If you are interested in hearing or reading the entire transcript of "An Inward Work of God", please go to http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=9769. May God show you His grace through His word in each moment of your day!
"What presence? The presence of Christ. He is there. If you’re a child of God, He is in you. He is moving through you. He is around you. You are in Him. God’s desire for your life is that you would walk this day, regardless of your circumstances, in the fullness and the joy of the presence of Christ. But you've got to be willing to say the number one priority in my life, in my day, in this moment, my number one priority is my relationship with Christ. To know Him, to walk with Him, to love Him, to seek Him, to respond to Him. Even as I’m doing all the other things that I need to be doing in my day, it’s always under the umbrella, the covering, of that number one commitment."
That's quite a challenge in this day and age... In fulfillment of my single determintation to better understand who God is and what it means that I am His child in every day life, this portion of the program today was so helpful! If you are interested in hearing or reading the entire transcript of "An Inward Work of God", please go to http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=9769. May God show you His grace through His word in each moment of your day!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
The New Year - 2008
It was hard for me to think of a title for this posting, but the decision to call it "The New Year - 2008" is based on the fact that so many look at a "new year" as a "new beginning" in so many ways... Physically, Socially, Emotionally - but the consideration here will focus on how the Spiritual aspect of life should be the focus of all these areas we encounter in our lives. For me, the "new year" has brought a goal to read more literature that will, by God's grace alone, help challenge my each and every thought to be Christ-centered. A list of my first "reading goals" for the year are as follows:
1) The Bible - I will continue my "Proverbs for the day" as well as additional reading on specific subjects/books relevant to this season of my life (Proverbs 31, Titus 2, Ephesians 4&5)
2) Tabletalk daily devotional - for the month of January we are beginning to study the book of Matthew as well as the life of C.S. Lewis (www.ligonier.org)
3) Heart Aflame by John Calvin - a daily commentary reading on the book of Psalms (this has been an EXCELLENT read so far...)
4) Desiring God by John Piper - developing the understanding of how to "glorify God by enjoying Him forever..." This book will be the book I will read at night time before bed. Let me give just a few of the things that "hit me" last night as I was reading... "Nehemiah 8:10, The joy of the LORD is your strength... [we] find strength from spiritual joy, not natural supplies... not only does the pursuit of joy in God give strength to endure, it is the key to breaking the power of sin on our way to heaven... The joy of the Lord will arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies and put our mouths out of taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks. (taken from pages 11&12)"
Over the holiday time I was able to make some "Biblical Womanhood 2008 Goals" and list out many ways of necessary spiritual growth as well as how this should work out in practical ways in my life. Lord willing, as the year continues to go by rapidly (today is the 2nd already!), the gospel will be evidenced in my life by the ways the Lord is clearly working in my heart and life to draw me closer to Himself. No matter the trials to come, the joy the Lord gives must be evidenced by a life of clear God-ward direction. To God be the glory for all He has done, is doing and will continue to do... (I Corinthians 10:31) Have a "Happy New Year 2008" by glorifying the Lord in your daily life!
1) The Bible - I will continue my "Proverbs for the day" as well as additional reading on specific subjects/books relevant to this season of my life (Proverbs 31, Titus 2, Ephesians 4&5)
2) Tabletalk daily devotional - for the month of January we are beginning to study the book of Matthew as well as the life of C.S. Lewis (www.ligonier.org)
3) Heart Aflame by John Calvin - a daily commentary reading on the book of Psalms (this has been an EXCELLENT read so far...)
4) Desiring God by John Piper - developing the understanding of how to "glorify God by enjoying Him forever..." This book will be the book I will read at night time before bed. Let me give just a few of the things that "hit me" last night as I was reading... "Nehemiah 8:10, The joy of the LORD is your strength... [we] find strength from spiritual joy, not natural supplies... not only does the pursuit of joy in God give strength to endure, it is the key to breaking the power of sin on our way to heaven... The joy of the Lord will arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies and put our mouths out of taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks. (taken from pages 11&12)"
Over the holiday time I was able to make some "Biblical Womanhood 2008 Goals" and list out many ways of necessary spiritual growth as well as how this should work out in practical ways in my life. Lord willing, as the year continues to go by rapidly (today is the 2nd already!), the gospel will be evidenced in my life by the ways the Lord is clearly working in my heart and life to draw me closer to Himself. No matter the trials to come, the joy the Lord gives must be evidenced by a life of clear God-ward direction. To God be the glory for all He has done, is doing and will continue to do... (I Corinthians 10:31) Have a "Happy New Year 2008" by glorifying the Lord in your daily life!
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