tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62574036782299258702012-08-02T07:19:17.514-05:00Living in the Shadow of His Handby Faithie RobertsonFaithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-54496928011331678322012-08-02T06:47:00.000-05:002012-08-02T07:19:17.532-05:002012-08-02T07:19:17.532-05:00The Christ from Before Creation<h2 style="text-align: center;">
The Christ from Before Creation<o:p></o:p></h2>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kurf9TFYQn0/UBpokX4KDVI/AAAAAAAACws/_Xphy8FiXB0/s1600/foreshadowings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kurf9TFYQn0/UBpokX4KDVI/AAAAAAAACws/_Xphy8FiXB0/s320/foreshadowings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>“<span class="text">For by Him all things were created that
are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or
dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and
for Him. </span><span id="en-NKJV-29483">And He is before all things, and in Him
all things consist. </span><span id="en-NKJV-29484">And He is the head of the
body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in
all things He may have the preeminence.</span>” – Colossians 1:16-18<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Foreshadowings of Christ wasn’t something I
was taught when I was saved, or even any time soon after.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, it was many years after that I
discovered that the Bible is full of these events and things, and maybe that’s
why they fascinate me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A foreshadowing
of Christ is something God has given to point us to Christ BEFORE He was born
as man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s to show us that God always
had a plan to redeem us from our sin, and that plan was Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s to reveal Christ to us as the Son of God
from before creation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are several foreshadowings that
are in the Bible. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To just mention a few:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Passover Lamb, spotless
and without blemish, killed as a sacrifice for sin<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Melchizedek, the priest
that had not mother or father and no beginning or end of day<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Manna given in the
wilderness, which was “bread of life” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hosea 6, where Israel
says that God will “On the third day” raise them up from their sin to live in
His sight.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The foreshadowings of Christ in the Bible are
awesome, but I find the ones that were established in Creation to be even
greater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two in particular are amazing
to me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">First, there’s the Crucifix shell. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is something I recently saw in Sanibel
Island, Florida, on display. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Genesis
1:20 God created all the living creatures that are in the ocean on the fifth
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That would include the Crucifix
shell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it wasn’t until Genesis 1:26,
the next day, on the sixth day, that He created man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even before man was created, He molded this
beautiful shell in the shape of the cross, with a definite sculpting of a man
on it, to point us to Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The second foreshadowing I find amazing is
something you may have seen from the teachings of Louis Giglio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s in our bodies, at the very core of each cell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the “glue” that holds you together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s called Laminin and it is shaped like a
cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In every cell of your body there’s
a reminder that Christ would be sacrificed for our sins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="text">Colossians 1:16-18 says <em>“For by Him all
things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things
were created through Him and for Him. </em></span><em><sup><span id="en-NKJV-29483"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></sup>And He is BEFORE all things, and in Him ALL
THINGS CONSIST. <sup><span id="en-NKJV-29484"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></sup>And He is the head of the body, the
church, WHO IS THE BEGINNING, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things
He may have the preeminence.”</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
authority over us and all creation is found in creation itself in so many foreshadowings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="text">Revelation 13:8 calls Jesus <em>“THE LAMB SLAIN
FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.</em></span><em>”</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Before you were born, before your first ancestral family member was born,
God had already planned Jesus as the Lamb to be sacrificed for your sins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before the first sin was committed, God knew
you would need a Savior, and He planned for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He didn’t plan for it just to cover you with righteousness, but out of
love, so that you would never be separated from Him because of your sins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In all of these little ways, from sea shells
to cells in our body even, God has shown His love for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-5449692801133167832?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-28595178478697258762012-08-01T06:57:00.006-05:002012-08-01T06:58:33.664-05:002012-08-01T06:58:33.664-05:00<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Stubborn Sheep</h2>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“<span class="text">For
Israel is stubborn</span> like a stubborn calf; Now the <span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"> will let them forage like a lamb in open country.” – Hosea 4:16<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hosea has to be one of the most obedient
children of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God used Hosea’s love
life to give a living picture of how He felt about the disobedience and sin of
Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s sort of like God’s very own
Performance Art, only the artist can’t walk away from the stage at the end of
the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hosea lived out the art
performance God created.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">First God calls him, Hosea, a man of God,
to marry a prostitute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you imagine
that wedding?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder if they were
seated brides family and friends to the left and grooms family and friends to
the right!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine the whispering in
that church! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="text">Then He gives Hosea three children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That sounds like a blessing doesn’t it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But God names them after the disobedience of
Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jezreel, his first born and a
son, was to represent God’s revenge on Jezreels behalf on Jehu, and bringing an
end to the family and kingdom of Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His first born daughter was named Lo-Ruhamah,<sup value="[<a href="#fen-NKJV-22101a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></sup></span>because God would no longer have mercy on the house of
Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The third child was a son, named
<span class="text">Lo-Ammi, which I believe has the saddest name of all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As God said it, “For you <i>are</i> not My
people, And I will not be your <i>God.”</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> (Hosea 1:8).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If
having God name your children in such a way wasn’t enough, then Gomer, his
prostitute/wife, decides to return to the streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is Hosea allowed to turn from her and move on
with his life? NO!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God instructs him to
go buy her back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So Hosea, faithful to
God over all things, does!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This represents
Israel’s return to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After they have
lived their lives worshipping other gods, going after everything that looks to
be better than God, they realized how good they had it and returned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But
not all of Israel returns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ephraim, one
tribe one tribe in particular is named to show that a portion of them does not
return to God from the sin they are in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">This
is when God says he will “</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">let them
forage like a lamb in open country.”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On first read, this seems like God has blessed them. But no, it’s not a
blessing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lamb, given to its own
means, will eat too much grass from the pasture and become what my granddaddy
use to call ‘founded’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It means
basically they become unable to digest what they have eaten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s why farmers give grain to their sheep,
cows, horses, etc…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">let them forage like a lamb in open country”
</i>is to allow them to get their fill of their sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s basically saying, “ok, if that’s what
you want, have at it!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in doing so,
God knows that sin has its own price to pay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If there was any good in it, He’d chose that lifestyle for us.<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">God’s
mercy does grow weary with us at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is when correction comes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You may look around you today and see Ephraim’s – those that know to
follow God, but are not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead they
live the life of non-believers, creating jealousy in God by chasing after every
new “spiritual awakening”, self-help course, stone with special powers to keep
in their pockets, or necklace that wards off evil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God does see, and God is offended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though His mercy is new every morning, and
His mercy endures, God is perfectly capable of sending punishment as well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">God’s
mercy does not have to end for His wrath to begin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His wrath is mercy as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two work together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as cool water is water and hot water is
water too, mercy and wrath come from the same source.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometimes
we see God’s mercy a blessing and His correction as a curse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But everything God gives His children, even
correction and punishment, are blessings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The worst thing you can do for a child that has a strong willed,
rebellious spirit is to leave him to his own ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our prisons are filled with those who have
had parents allow their rebellion to remain in them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But where the parent withheld punishment, God
has not.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe you’re in one of those lifestyles that
you know is not as God has taught you, but it’s suddenly comfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re no longer feeling His conviction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re able to go through your life day after
day without feeling guilt or shame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
should ask yourself if you’re the lamb God has let roam freely in the open
country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sooner you return to His
care, the better your life will be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
ways aren’t to fence us in to control us, but to fence us in to protect us from
what is not best for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-2859517847869725876?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-88490301689818588712012-07-31T06:53:00.001-05:002012-07-31T17:21:48.538-05:002012-07-31T17:21:48.538-05:00<h2 style="text-align: center;">
The Rules of Engagement for Christian Opposition</h2>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>“<span class="text">And who is he who will harm you if
you become followers of what is good? <span style="font-size: small;"><sup><span id="en-NKJV-30439"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></sup>But even if you should suffer for
righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. </span></span><span class="oblique">“And do
not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.”</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text"><sup value="[<a href="#fen-NKJV-30439c" title="See footnote c">c</a>]">
</sup>But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give
a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with
meekness and fear; </span><sup><span id="en-NKJV-30441"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></sup>having a good conscience, that when they
defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be
ashamed. <sup><span id="en-NKJV-30442"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></sup>For it is better, if it is the
will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” – 1 Peter
3:13-17<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I read these verses today, Mr. Dan
Cathy, owner of Chick-Fil-A, and his recent battle over his open confession of
his beliefs on homosexuality came to mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now don’t turn me off yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m as
tired of all that drama about him coming out-of-the-closet with his beliefs and
all the haters as anyone!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like
playing a scratched record.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually
you stop hearing the music and all you hear is the scratch!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fully agree with Mr. Cathy, as does God the
Father and His Holy Word. But this really isn’t about Mr. Cathy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But is this winning souls?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fear that all the anger Christians have
pushed out against the angry non-believers has done nothing but widen the gap
between us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">These verses tell us how to handle
conflicts in beliefs both with non-believers and other believers (aka “the opponent”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s what He says:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t be afraid of them
or worry about what they say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
are, consider the Holy chain-of-authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No one will harm you or hurt you without God’s either allowing it, or
causing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is in charge of all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some battles aren’t meant to be won, but are an
exercise to grow you or your opponent.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Be ready to give a
reason for your beliefs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s Word is
either believed or it’s not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re
talking to someone who sees it as just another book, you might as well stop
talking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But to those who believe God is
true, His Word does prove as the source for all truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you know why you believe what you stand
for?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not, it’s best you find out
before you discuss it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Discuss it with Meekness
and Fear. You don’t pound your beliefs out upon the opponent as if you were
driving nails through their skull, you answer in meekness, and fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fear of what? Fear of offending them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not about convincing them as much as it’s
about not offending them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you offend an
opponent with your steadfast beliefs that are true, you close a door that God has
opened for you to discuss Him with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s about keeping that door open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No one can learn when they turn a deaf ear, and all your shouting will
certainly deafen them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re all called
to be gentle, and part of being gentle is knowing when to just shut up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You have a choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can suffer for doing good, or YOU can
suffer for doing evil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God takes no
pleasure in seeing His children proclaim His word through hatred.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can either persuade with a tongue that’s
as gentle as a morning breeze and be blessed, or you can slice and dice that
heart God loves in front of you with the blade in your mouth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if you choose slicing and dicing, know
that your reward for pushing out God’s word just went up in smoke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Few are the chances to see a Christian at
work actually being a Christian at heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But when you do, and when the opponent does finally believe, is it not
worth it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it not worth their seeing
the truth as God reveals it to just let Him take over?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can affect what the opponent hears and
knows, but God can affect how they feel about it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The heart is His territory. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t go stomping on God’s ground and making
them feel angry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you will be gentle,
even with all your passion, you will find that they will be drawn to Him like
water running downhill.</span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-8849030168981858871?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-30512342319980512782012-07-30T06:42:00.001-05:002012-07-30T06:42:08.027-05:002012-07-30T06:42:08.027-05:00<br />
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span class="text">MONDAY'S GOAL</span></h2>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“By those who come near Me I must be
regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.” – Leviticus 10:3
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today is Monday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today there is one thing that must be accomplished:
Glorify God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, there’s 8 hours or
more of work ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s doing
laundry and cooking dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s
having polite conversations with people who may not be polite back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s resisting the urge to say what’s
really on our mind because we know it would be hurtful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, today is a work day from all
corners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But God needs to be glorified
in it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Glorifying God means to make Him the V.I.P.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It means to point all good towards Him, and
acknowledge what He has done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
just one way we come to know Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
look around us at the things created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look
at the tall trees that bend in the wind and don’t break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as an artist is revealed in his
painting, God is revealed in His creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Look at the daisy that takes the same wind and doesn’t lose a
petal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So if God’s creation is to declare His
glory (Psalms 19:1), then aren’t we part of that creation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it not our daily – even minute by minute –
goal to glorify God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every morning before beginning work I look
at the stuff I have to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look at
which client has the most urgent need, take care of that first, then the
others, and work by deadlines and other criteria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when I’m done reviewing it, I have a list
of goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I work on each goal for the
day until they’re done, or until I’m completely exhausted.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What if we took the task of glorifying God
on with the same routine?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who needs to
hear about His greatness most?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who needs
to know what He is capable of?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What has
He done lately that needs some publicity to grow someone else’s faith?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we were to work for God with the gusto
that we work for a living, imagine what we could accomplish…even on Monday.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-3051234231998051278?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-74388304914014280132012-07-29T08:29:00.001-05:002012-07-29T08:30:50.745-05:002012-07-29T08:30:50.745-05:00<h2 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
JESUS, MY ONLY SAVIOR</h2>
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<br /></div>
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<br />
<br />
“<em><span class="text">But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable
priesthood. </span><span id="en-NKJV-30090">Therefore He is also able to save TO
THE UTTERMOST those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make
intercession for them.</span> <sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></sup>For
such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; <span id="en-NKJV-30092">who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up
sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, FOR THIS HE DID
ONCE FOR ALL WHEN HE OFFERED UP HIMSELF.</span>” – Hebrews 7:24-27<o:p></o:p></em><br />
<br />
<span class="text">If you lived in a country where you were not allowed to
wear the color purple, and today that law was broken, what color would you wear
tomorrow?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m betting it would be purple
– and for some of us it would be head to toe!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’d be so thankful for being out from under such a hard law that we’d immediately
move into the freedom of not having the law.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text">That’s why I have such a problem understanding why people
want to pin additional deeds to being saved beyond believing in Jesus and
accepting Him as your savior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Word
is crystal clear on the matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But some
want to live under the old laws, thinking they have to obey all the laws given
to man in the Bible in order to achieve righteousness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen carefully, if we could do it on our
own – Jesus’ life and death were unnecessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Listen to what God’s word says:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<em><span class="text">“</span>whoever <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">believes</span>
in Him should not perish but have <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">everlasting</span>
life.” – John 3:16<o:p></o:p></em><br />
<em>
</em><br />
<em>“He who <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">believes</span> in the Son
has <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">everlasting</span> life; and he who
does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on
him.” – John 3:36<o:p></o:p></em><br />
<em>
</em><br />
<em>“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">believes</span> in Me has <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">everlasting</span>
life.” – John 6:47<o:p></o:p></em><br />
<em>
</em><br />
<em>“<span class="text">This is a faithful saying and worthy of all
acceptance, that Christ JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS, of whom I am
chief. <sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></sup>However, for this
reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all
longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to BELIEVE ON HIM FOR
EVERLASTING LIFE.” – 1 Timothy 1:15-16<o:p></o:p></span></em><br />
<em>
</em><br />
<em><span class="text">“let it be known to you all, and to all the people of
Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom
God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. </span><span id="en-NKJV-27034">This is the </span><span class="oblique">‘stone which was
rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone. NOR IS THERE
SALVATION IN ANY OTHER,</span><span class="text"> FOR THERE IS NO OTHER NAME
UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMOUNG MEN BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED.”</span> – Acts 4:10-12<o:p></o:p></em><br />
<em>
</em><br />
<em><span class="text">“that if you CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH THE LORD JESUS AND
BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD HAS RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED.
</span><span id="en-NKJV-28199">For with the heart one believes unto
righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. </span><span id="en-NKJV-28200">For the Scripture says, </span><span class="oblique">“Whoever
believes on Him will not be put to shame.”</span><span class="text"><sup value="[<a href="#fen-NKJV-28200a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]">
</sup></span>– Romans 10:9-11<o:p></o:p></em><br />
<em>
</em><br />
<em>“<span class="text">even the righteousness of God, THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS
CHRIST, TO ALL AND ON ALL WHO BELIEVE. For there is no difference; </span><span id="en-NKJV-28015">for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, </span><span id="en-NKJV-28016">BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRADE THROUGH THE REDEMPTION
THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS” – Romans 3:22-24</span><o:p></o:p></em><br />
<br />
I think it’s pretty clear that all that’s required of us for salvation is to
believe in Jesus for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the A-B-C’s
of Christianity again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Admit you are a
sinner (“<em>for <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">all</span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">have</span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">sinned</span> and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23</em>), Believe
that Jesus is God’s son, crucified for your sins and risen to Heaven, and
Confess Him as your savior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Why do we want to complicate things saying that we can lose our salvation if
we don’t live a perfect life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is the
life He gives eternal or temporary?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
does the Holy Spirit who moves into your heart at the time of salvation
suddenly vacate the temple of your soul?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tell me where that is in scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead, let me show you want it does say on the matter:<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<em>“<span class="text">For it is impossible for those who were once
enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift and have become partakers of the
Holy Spirit, </span><span id="en-NKJV-30050">and have tasted the good word of God
and the powers of the age to come,<sup> </sup>if they fall away, to renew them
again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God,
and put Him to an open shame.</span>” – Hebrews 6:4-6<o:p></o:p></em><br />
<br />
<span class="text">Would you have Jesus to be crucified again?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was His death not enough?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, then why did My High Priest SIT DOWN
at the right hand of God when He arose?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A priest never sat in the days of the earthly priesthood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His work in offering sacrifices was never
over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text">My Savior has done enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And He did it all because there was nothing righteous in me to make it
happen on my own – and there still isn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Don’t complicate salvation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
meant to be reachable by all – even to the weakest of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-7438830491401428013?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-37390294989951606232012-07-28T07:01:00.000-05:002012-07-28T07:02:57.982-05:002012-07-28T07:02:57.982-05:00<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Humility and the Little Child</h2>
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<br /></div>
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<em>“<span class="text">At that time the disciples came to Jesus,
saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a
little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, </span><span id="en-NKJV-23731">and said, </span><span class="woj">“Assuredly, I say to you,
unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means
enter the kingdom of heaven.</span><span class="text"><sup> </sup></span><span class="woj">Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the
greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”</span><span class="text"> </span><span id="en-NKJV-23733"></span>– Matthew 18:1-4</em></div>
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<br /></div>
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<em>
</em><span class="text"></span></div>
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<span class="text">The disciples were looking to Jesus to
define for them the government of Heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Who’s the leader? Who must we impress?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Who is in charge?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus answered
that question by showing them not a strong man with bulging muscles, a wise man
with a degree from the local college, the richest man in town, or even the most
righteous priest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He showed them a
little child. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="text">So what’s so great about a little child
that we’d need to be like one to be in the Kingdom of God? Humility. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="text">Humility is often misunderstood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not a weakness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not derived from a lack of anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Humility isn’t even grown from a neglect of
the gifts and talents God has given you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s the absence of pride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pride
says, <em>“Look at me, look what I’ve done, look at who I have become, look at my
bank account, check out my position in my church, do an inventory of my works
upon this earth.”</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Humility says <em>“Look
what God has done for me, look at how He has used me.”</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not neglecting the gifts God has given,
but acknowledging that He has given them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s “Tebowing” – acknowledging God openly. Its understanding we are not
independent of God, but reliant on Him for everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="text">John 15:5 says “</span><span class="woj">I am
the vine, you <i>are</i> the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears
much fruit; FOR WITHOUT ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING.” A little child knows they are dependent
upon their parents for food, clothing, crossing the street, getting better when
they’re sick, protection, </span><span class="text">learning how to live,
EVERYTHING.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="woj"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="woj">So if we’re bearing fruit, who is the fruit
for?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t see a tree take its limbs,
pull them around to another limb, then pick and eat of its own fruit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, someone comes along and picks the
fruit from the tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s an old song
by Mac Davis that says <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Oh, Lord, it's
hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way…”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As funny as that song is, it can be
true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is hard to be consistently humble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When people praise us, it can be easy to just
say <em>“Thanks”.</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But God gets no glory from
that if we don’t point it to Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
fruit then just rots on the tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
doesn’t choose to build us up for the sake of making us some sort of overloaded
fruit tree, bent to the ground and heavy with fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His goal is to lead others to Him by using our
“fruit” (blessings, talents, revelations, answered prayers, money, time,
etc…) as an example of His goodness. Where pride says “<em>Thanks</em>”, humility says, <em>“Thanks,
but all the praise is to God who did it through me.</em>”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-3739029498995160623?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-33266165908314333042012-07-27T06:44:00.003-05:002012-07-27T06:44:16.729-05:002012-07-27T06:44:16.729-05:00<h2 style="text-align: center;">
The CEO of Your Life</h2>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-062Dior6Lu4/UBJ--zINAuI/AAAAAAAACuE/RzK2QBVmVgc/s1600/jesus5f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-062Dior6Lu4/UBJ--zINAuI/AAAAAAAACuE/RzK2QBVmVgc/s1600/jesus5f.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“<span class="text">And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, </span><span class="woj">“ALL AUTHORITY HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH.</span><span class="text"> </span><sup><span id="en-NKJV-24215"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></sup><span class="woj">Go therefore and
make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,</span><span class="text"> </span><span id="en-NKJV-24216"><span class="woj">teaching them to observe all things that I
have commanded you; and LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN TO THE END OF THE AGE.” </span>–
Matthew 28:18-20<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the crucifixion, the eleven remaining
disciples felt abandoned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their leader
had been unjustly murdered; they were seen as accomplices to his popularity,
and worried for their lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus knew
their hearts and appeared to them and gave these words of comfort.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We often fail to read what’s really there,
and see only the great commission to go and make other believers in other
nations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s the words I’ve put in
capitals we need to hear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are
words of encouragement, given not only to the disciples, but just as the great
commission is ours, the encouragement is ours as well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, consider this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Jesus, who has not been dethroned in the
nearly 2,000 years since His death, has authority over all things, what does
that mean to you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What problem do you
have that He does not have authority over?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Authority is a chain of leadership. Sure,
you can go to your next-in-command with your problems, but why not just go to
the Commander and Chief?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not take it
to the CEO of your life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can get on
the phone and talk it over with your best friend, or you can get on your knees
and give it all to Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frankly, as
wonderful as my friends are, they aren’t in the problem solving business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as sweet as they are, none of them can
make the promise that they will be with me “ALWAYS, EVEN TO THE END OF THE AGE”.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Can you say as the psalmist said in Psalms
121, that you know where your help comes from – that it comes from the Lord? <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Find courage in knowing that there is ONE who
sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24), and you have never left His
sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of your problems are a
secret to Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in His eternal
vision, they are already solved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So why
wouldn’t you drop that problem at His feet?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s a dead issue anyway in His eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pray for courage, pray for more faith to trust Him, pray for strength,
and leave the rest to Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is
there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-3326616590831433304?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-40216589887341158802012-07-26T06:22:00.003-05:002012-07-26T06:22:58.946-05:002012-07-26T06:22:58.946-05:00<h2 style="text-align: center;">
The Blessing of Day and Night</h2>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YCM82h2Ip8U/UBEoa4vr-MI/AAAAAAAACt4/5wKHIJ0q16A/s1600/sunrise_39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YCM82h2Ip8U/UBEoa4vr-MI/AAAAAAAACt4/5wKHIJ0q16A/s320/sunrise_39.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“<span class="text">But, beloved, do not forget this one
thing, that with the Lord one day <i>is</i> as a thousand years, and a thousand
years as one day.” – 2 Peter 3:8<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today is Thursday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All 24 hours of it are just Thursday, the day
before Friday, the day after Wednesday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But in God’s eyes, it’s not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
God, time is without the period at the end when we sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To Him who neither sleeps nor slumbers
(Psalms 121:4) time is just time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
yet on the very first day of creation, even as the very first act of creation, He
chose to make day and night.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think the reason He made them was for
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to split our days up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to have yesterday with all its
troubles pass, and rest before starting today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We need the hope of tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
need to know that His mercy is “new every morning” (Lamentation 3:23) so we don’t
feel like every day is a failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Imagine if there was no period at the end
of the day with nightfall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine the
dread that would become each and every hour as we dredge through life like
soldiers cutting hours off of life one by one. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How would we make a fresh start? How would we
number our days?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There would be no
calendar, no birthdays, no holidays, just time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="text">I think this gives new meaning to Isaiah
55:8 which says ““For My thoughts <i>are</i> not your thoughts,</span><br />
<span class="text">Nor <i>are</i> your ways My ways,” says the </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="text">.” And I think it shows even again His great love for us that He
would begin and end our time on earth with mornings and nights.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-4021658988734115880?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-1317383801081984892012-07-25T06:57:00.001-05:002012-07-25T06:57:16.954-05:002012-07-25T06:57:16.954-05:00<br />
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
Praying Mercy For Others</h2>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T06xyCZJ4so/UA_e7ZSe8GI/AAAAAAAACgQ/F4fdOWn_7iU/s1600/woman-praying-silhoutte-300x198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T06xyCZJ4so/UA_e7ZSe8GI/AAAAAAAACgQ/F4fdOWn_7iU/s1600/woman-praying-silhoutte-300x198.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“<span class="text">Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,</span>
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days!<br />
<span class="text"><span id="en-NKJV-15394">Make us glad according to the days <i>in
which</i> You have afflicted us,</span> the years <i>in which</i> we have seen
evil. </span>
<span class="text"><span id="en-NKJV-15395">Let Your work appear to Your servants,</span>
and Your glory to their children. </span>
<span class="text"><span id="en-NKJV-15396">And let THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD OUR GOD
be upon us,</span> and establish the work of our hands for us; </span>
<span class="text">Yes, establish the work of our hands.” – Psalms 90:14-17<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Moses was the writer of Psalms 90, and it begins by
acknowledging God’s sovereignty over man and His goodness as He has been their
refuge for years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He then confesses man’s
frailty in life as being cut down and withering, and their evil ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He expresses that God’s wrath has been upon
them because of their sins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>And then He
says “<span class="text">So teach <i>us</i> to number our days that we may gain a
heart of wisdom.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The heart of wisdom
comes from knowing and applying God’s word to our actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not the “head” of wisdom he desires for
his people – it’s a heart change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only
when the heart is changed will the head and the actions follow.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And then Moses does what all leaders should
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He cries out for mercy. He asks that
the “BEAUTY OF THE LORD OUR GOD” be upon them, and that He would again lead
them and establish their daily actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="text">We are all leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter who you are, there’s someone that
looks to you as their unofficial role model or guide in this life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could be your children, your friends, or
even perfect strangers from time to time that will watch to see how you handle
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="text"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I think far too often I myself cry
out to God for mercy for me, rather than mercy for others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s quite easy to pray to God that they
change their ways, that they see a better life, that He send the punishment that
corrects, but what about asking Him to be merciful?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What about asking Him to just go after that
one that left the ninety-nine?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
about asking Him to grant them time here on earth to come to an understanding
of His </span>sovereignty<span class="text">? What about asking Him for the
beauty of the Lord God to be upon them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-131738380108198489?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-19819628296894031232012-07-24T10:38:00.003-05:002012-07-24T10:38:24.559-05:002012-07-24T10:38:24.559-05:00<h2 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The Beauty of the Lord</h2>
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<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/r2bEuHo1dbs/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/r2bEuHo1dbs&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/r2bEuHo1dbs&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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There is so much more to understand about the Beauty of the Lord. The study is a deep one. Be blessed by the lyrics to this song. His love is so overwhelming.<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-1981962829689403123?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-68122940447898120702012-07-24T08:59:00.000-05:002012-07-24T09:01:47.605-05:002012-07-24T09:01:47.605-05:00What is the Beauty of God?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qb5aAhzDdhg/UA6pzZy_7DI/AAAAAAAABrE/OzgDFH13-L8/s1600/womanpraying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qb5aAhzDdhg/UA6pzZy_7DI/AAAAAAAABrE/OzgDFH13-L8/s320/womanpraying.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">What is the Beauty of God?</span></h2>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><em>“One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life,<br /> To BEHOLD THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD, And to inquire in His temple.”</em> – Psalms 27:4<br /><br /> </span><br />
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">Angels have it pretty good in my opinion. They behold God’s beauty every day. But what is that beauty? Surely it’s not hair, skin, eyes, figure, and the things we call beautiful. I believe He explained it to me this morning like this:<br /> <br /> Two angels are talking as they oversee the operations of Heaven. One says, “Look, there He is! He saw what she did! Will He forgive her for that too? She’s done that so many times, and He’s forgiven, and forgiven, and forgiven. Surely this will be the time that He sends punishment and correction! After all, she is His child! He has to punish her!”<br /> <br /> The second angel says, “Yes, but He has said that His mercy is new every morning, and it endures forever. He’s also said that for those who much has been forgiven love much. Maybe He seeks to forgive her to gain more of her love? Or maybe you are right. Maybe this time He will….but wait, look what she’s doing! She’s asking for mercy again!”<br /> <br /> “Then it’s a done deal. He never fails to forgive when they ask.”<br /> <br /> Now that’s God’s beauty: a love overflowing. It’s an unquenchable, unending love, that we cannot comprehend.<br /> <br /> <em>“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.”</em> – Psalms 86:5</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-6812294044789812070?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-19040180319970212452011-09-06T09:46:00.008-05:002011-09-06T10:06:10.573-05:002011-09-06T10:06:10.573-05:00An Antibiotic for Fear<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yoss6Vv_IWU/TmY2d_gBr_I/AAAAAAAAAHU/gO8cO6iWPcg/s1600/boat_storm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yoss6Vv_IWU/TmY2d_gBr_I/AAAAAAAAAHU/gO8cO6iWPcg/s400/boat_storm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649262671472734194" /></a><br /><em>“And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” – Mark 4:41</em><br /><br />Since I was a little girl I’ve loved fishing. There’s just something about being by the water, holding a fishing pole, watching the red and white bobber, and waiting in anticipation that gives me such excitement! But I don’t care to fish from a boat. I don’t swim well, and being in a boat sort of makes me uneasy. I’m far more at ease being on the banks, able to move around, and feeling that good solid earth under my feet. <br /><br />The other day my husband and I went fishing. This was a real treat since it was only the second time all year we’ve had time to go. As I stood there, this time fishing on the bottom and trying to feel the fish bite from my line, the waves were ripping! The wind defeating me every time, pushing against my line and removing the tension I’d had in it. It was then that the words of the disciples from Mark 4:41 came to me when they said “<em>even the winds and the sea obey Him</em>”. <br /><br />They learned this not through Jesus preaching to them, not by explaining to them how He controls the waves, nor by revealing the chain of command of the elements under His feet. They learned His authority over the wind and waves by Him showing them in an example they would never forget. <br /><br />Jesus had been teaching a large group of people along the shoreline from the boat. But when it began to get dark He told them to cross over to the other side. In fact, Jesus said “<em>Let US cross over to the other side</em>”, telling them His very intent for the future. Jesus then took a nap in the front of the boat.<br /><br />And then the windstorm came. <br /><br />And then the giant waves came. <br /><br />And then the boat began to fill with water!<br /><br />Where was Jesus? He was still asleep - asleep in the FRONT of the boat. One of the lessons I’ve learned on a boat, thanks to my brother, is never – ever – be in one when there’s a storm! The other is to stay in the back when the water is rough because the front of the boat takes the hit of the waves first. <br /><br />I think Jesus purposefully placed Himself in the front of the boat to be an example to the disciples. What was the example? His statements when they woke Him say it all. He stood up, spoke to the wind and the sea and said two things.<br /><br />First He said to the wind and the sea, “<em>Peace, be still</em>.” Whenever we are in a fearful condition, we need to be able to remain calm, and take control of our fear. <br /><br />Having lived in fear for years after being mugged, I can tell you the only way to overcome it is to control it, and the only way to control it is to remain calm, and control your mind. The more you allow fear to enter into your mind, the more it will control you. As Christians we are to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). That means we control them. We harness them, we cuff them, and we decide how long they stay in our minds. We do not fear what we control. <br /><br />The disciples were looking at the waves and the water rushing into the boat. In their minds they had thoughts of drowning, of death. What they’d overlooked was the one controlling it in the front of the boat.<br /><br />The second thing He said was directly to them, and spoke to the root of the problem. He said “<em>Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” </em>He didn’t say “<em>that you have just a little faith</em>”. He said “<em>that you have NO faith</em>”. <br /><br />To have faith you have to have an understanding of who Jesus is. When you know Him, you know His power and His care for you. You trust that all things – fearful or not – are in His control. The disciples admitted their lack faith when they said “<em>WHO can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” </em>Faith is the antibiotic for fear. Where there is faith, there is knowledge and understanding of the power of God, who is in control of all things. Where there is faith, there is trust in God. Where there is faith, fear dies.<br /><br /><br />Faithie Robertson<br />09/06/2011<div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-1904018031997021245?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-22593139503415761092011-09-01T18:34:00.003-05:002011-09-02T15:46:36.084-05:002011-09-02T15:46:36.084-05:00The Robe, The Ring, and The Sandals<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_S4L7H4fTQI/TmE-DZawwWI/AAAAAAAAAGw/_r64gTGDghQ/s1600/robe-ring-sandals.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 90px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647863635782975842" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_S4L7H4fTQI/TmE-DZawwWI/AAAAAAAAAGw/_r64gTGDghQ/s320/robe-ring-sandals.jpg" /></a>
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<br /><em>“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.” – Luke 15:22-24</em>
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<br />Being the mother of son who spent the last two years living away from home, I know how it feels to wonder about your child’s welfare. I know the worry of all the questions that would come in the early morning hours. Is he healthy? Is he eating right? Is he cold? Does he have clean clothes? Are his friends the right group of people? These are the things that occupy a mother’s head. It’s not that my son has caused such worry, it’s simply love.
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<br />I guess that’s why the story of the Prodigal Son, as told in Luke 15, is one that always speaks to my heart. I can imagine how the father felt those years waiting for his son to return home and waiting for him to “<em>come to himself</em>”. I can imagine him hearing sounds coming down the road the first few months and running out the door thinking maybe, just maybe, his son was coming home. Then I can imagine that one day life just continued on without the father running to the door, but with some sadness.
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<br />But then on that day when the son “<em>came to himself</em>” and realized his state of affairs, he realized who truly loved him and returned home. And yes, his father ran out of the house to meet him with open arms. Hollywood could not create a scene so touching!
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<br />Of course, this story is an analogy of one coming to Christ and receiving him through faith. Some call it salvation, some call it conversion, and some don’t know what to call it. But what it’s called isn’t half as important as what creates it. It’s an admission of whom you are, “<em>coming to yourself</em>”, and that you aren’t who you should be. It’s then a trust, faith, that God does love you enough to intervene for you, to save you from yourself. And once that faith is born, it is realized in the renewal of your identity. It’s an understanding that you are not who you were, but that you are a child of God.
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<br />There were three gifts given to the son that day, and they’re all meaningful, and give insight to the gifts given to the children of God when He receives us as His children.
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<br />First, he was given a robe - a covering. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve lived the carefree life before sin, and did it completely naked. Stark naked! There was no shame because there was no understanding of right, wrong, or not living up to an expectation of what they should be. But once they committed the sin of not obeying God, one we’ve all committed, they realized their nakedness and covered themselves with leaves. The leaves hid their nakedness.
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<br />The robe given to the son represented the salvation received from Christ. It is His righteousness, His perfection that covers our sins. We’re no longer subjects of shame or guilt. Because we accept Christ as our savior, He does just that. He saves us from ourselves.
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<br /><em>“For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,” – Isaiah 61:10</em>
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<br />The second gift the prodigal son was given was a ring. The ring was a symbol of identity. Often a signet ring would be used with wax to mark a document as having been written by the one owning the signet ring. When we come to Christ, we do receive an identity. We are no longer children of flesh and blood, but children of God, through the gift of the Holy Spirit that connects us to Him.
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<br /><em>“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name…” – John 1:12
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<br />“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” – Romans 8:16</em>
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<br />The last gift he was given was the one I found most intriguing. He received sandals for his feet. To understand the meaning of the sandals we have to go back to verse 15, where it says the prodigal son “<em>joined himself to a citizen of that country</em>”. To “<em>join himself</em>” meant to be taken into slavery. Once a slave, his sandals would be taken from him to prevent him from running away.
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<br />When we are living without God we are slaves. Why? Because there really is no freedom found without Him. Living without Christ as your savior means that you are living on your own merits – under the condemnation you bring upon yourself through sin. There’s no freedom in following sin. That road leads to death.
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<br /><em>“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23</em>
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<br />Have you ever read the Ten Commandments? They weren’t written for the purification of people, but to show us where we fail. They’re a mirror of our guilt in sin. No one can keep all of the Ten Commandments. No one ever has, and no one ever will – except Christ. This is why there’s no freedom without Him. You’re condemned to the life you have. You have no way to free yourself from the bondage of sin, which leads to death. But when Christ comes, when you accept Him as your savior, His righteousness becomes your righteousness in the sight of God. You become an heir to all that Christ owns as a child of God. You’re not just a slave being taken care of, but a child of God.
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<br />“Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” – John 8:34-36</em>
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<br />There’s just one more thing about the sandals. Do you know why the child of God can wear the sandals? Because once you’ve found Christ, and understand the joy that comes through knowing him, there is no struggle, no war of wills, no shame, no guilt, and no inner turmoil. There is love without condemnation. You’re content to stay with Him, to live in that love, and not run away.
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<br />For someone living without Him, what I just said is a mystery. There is no way to fully understand the joy of knowing someone who doesn’t reside physically on this planet until you’ve experienced the joy of knowing Him who lives spiritually within you. And that is what makes it so hard to explain to someone who is without Christ why they should be saved. That is why Jesus says in John 6:44 “<em>No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.</em>” When God draws you to Himself, then you will understand. Friends, I pray that understanding has or will come your way. There is freedom in Christ, sweet freedom!
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<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-2259313950341576109?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-79900566652953584872011-03-28T05:56:00.006-05:002011-03-28T06:02:34.328-05:002011-03-28T06:02:34.328-05:00Luck, Karma, and Mother Nature<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BwFJHRFSudY/TZBqCAJHarI/AAAAAAAAADw/C0GSr4HQs4Y/s1600/LKMN.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 111px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BwFJHRFSudY/TZBqCAJHarI/AAAAAAAAADw/C0GSr4HQs4Y/s320/LKMN.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589083720197302962" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Luck, Karma, and Mother Nature…what do these three have in common?<br /><br />They are three ways in which Christians and non-Christians deny God and the power of God. It’s not something we intentionally do. We do it unconsciously – not considering how our words feel when God hears them. We don’t consider how they conflict with what we believe in our hearts to be true about God. They’re just sayings - words that we’ve heard all our lives. But the fact that we don’t consider what we’re really saying doesn’t decrease the weight of the sin in saying them. <br /><br /><em>“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”</em> – Matthew 12:36-38<br /><br />Luck is seen as a force that causes unmerited good in our lives, or unmerited bad. “Good Luck”, “Better luck next time!”, “a string of bad luck” and other sayings are so commonly used that we sometimes say them without even considering what we are agreeing to with our words. If you believe in God – you cannot believe in luck. Instead you know that all things that happen are according to God’s will. That includes the good, and the bad. He allows bad things to happen in our lives to make us stronger, and blesses us with good things. Thinking that some other force can bring us good or bad diminishes our belief in God’s power over the circumstances in our lives.<br /><br /><em>“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” </em>– James 1:16-17<br /><br />Karma is actually a Buddhist and Hindu belief that an unseen force will cause the good we do to others to bring good into our life, and the bad we do to others to bring bad into our life. Belief in Karma is the opposite of believe in God’s judgment and mercy. <br /><br /><em>“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. …. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” </em>– Matthew 7:1-2<br /><br />Mother Nature is the name we’ve given to weather and environmental change. She’s often blamed for things like floods, hurricanes, and even recently the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. To believe that anything other than God could control the weather is to doubt God’s power over the earth that He created. This includes Global Warming. The whole idea that man can cause the earth to be destroyed prior to the day that God decides to destroy it is just another way we deny God’s power. <br /><br /><em>“Whatever the LORD pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places. He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries.” </em>– Psalms 135:6.8<br /><br />It’s hard sometimes to believe things like what we’ve seen in Japan could be caused by a loving God. But to think we could even understand the thoughts and ways of God is to place ourselves on His intellectual level. I know I don’t have His wisdom, and I cannot understand His thoughts. I choose to leave the things of this world in His hands, and as Job said, take the good with the bad. <br /><br />God holds us accountable for not only our actions, but our thoughts and our words. It’s important to see these three sayings as what they really are – idolatry. They replace the powers of God with other forces.<div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-7990056665295358487?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-82467355941937240362010-11-12T08:10:00.003-06:002010-11-12T08:16:39.298-06:002010-11-12T08:16:39.298-06:00Overlooking the True Gift<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_no6jISb9LvY/TN1ML8z-6vI/AAAAAAAAADg/RG9QTxzV-dA/s1600/box_car.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_no6jISb9LvY/TN1ML8z-6vI/AAAAAAAAADg/RG9QTxzV-dA/s200/box_car.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538666884922010354" /></a><br /><br /><em>“Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” – John 6:26</em><br /><br />When my son was little we got him a ride-on toy for Christmas one year. He was so excited to take it out of the box and scoot it around the room. But by nightfall, the toy was shoved aside and the box became the center attraction. He climbed into the big box, got markers and began to transform it into a house. He played with the box day after day, taking several items into it. At one point it even became a car – something he could ride in! The ride-on toy sat quietly to the side while he focused all his energy on that box.<br /><br />Jesus went through this very same thing with His followers. When they were hungry, he fed them with 5 loaves of bread and two small fish. They continued to follow Him, not because of who He was and what a relationship with Him could bring, but because he provided food. He showed them signs and wonders. Even in feeding the 5,000 with only 5 loaves of bread and two fish they had missed the miracle and focused only on the food they received. Jesus told them in John 6:26 <em>“Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.”</em> How disappointing it must have been for Jesus to see how easily we are distracted.<br /><br />Even today we miss out on what Jesus has to offer. We find salvation in Him, and often stop there. We never explore the gifts He can give, such as peace, joy, love, and self-control. We take our ticket to Heaven, and walk away holding it high with a sense of accomplishment. Yet the entire time we’re living our lives in misery not understanding that we need Christ most for life – not death.<br /><br />He’s sitting there quietly, just waiting for you to stop playing with the box and pay attention to Him.<div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-8246735594193724036?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-18354085775033448512010-10-24T06:01:00.002-05:002010-10-24T06:05:34.020-05:002010-10-24T06:05:34.020-05:00Vitamin F<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_no6jISb9LvY/TMQSowacILI/AAAAAAAAADQ/1YVEO_acBBU/s1600/cuban-hurricane.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 219px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_no6jISb9LvY/TMQSowacILI/AAAAAAAAADQ/1YVEO_acBBU/s320/cuban-hurricane.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531566733717676210" /></a><br /><br /><em>“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” – James 1:2-4</em><br /><br />Have you ever experienced a time in your life when frustrations and stress were so heavy that you just wanted to crawl out of your skin and your life and be someone else for a while? <br /><br />I’ve had a very frustrating week. Chaos has been all over me. It’s as if nearly every angle of life that affects me suddenly decided to go wrong, create stress, put my stomach in knots, and really just wring me out to dry. It was little things, big things, continual worries, and things that just zoned in and stomped on my very last nerve.<br /><br />Frustration is like being in the middle of a hurricane. You know exactly where you are, you want it to stop, but you just cannot seem to find your way out of it. And the longer you stay, the more stressful it becomes. Life’s whirlwind begins to tear you down, take away your faith and hope, and torment you.<br /><br />After almost two weeks of trials, I began to ask God why I was in this state. What was He doing with me? I know God is all powerful and satan does not have free reign over me, so I knew He was behind it all. Was I not pleasing God? Had I been slack in my relationship with Him? Was I moving away from Him? I began to see the trials I was under as punishment.<br /><br />Then I remembered several times hearing people say that as soon as you begin to serve God, look out for satan to begin to mess with you. Was that it? Was it because of a responsibility to serve I’d recently accepted? I began to question whether I was strong enough to undergo all this, and whether the opportunity to serve was something I should drop.<br /><br />I thank God that at that point He gave me clarity about the situation. I wasn’t being punished - I was growing. God was giving me a healthy dose of “Vitamin F” (Frustration) to allow me to be tried. <br /><br />When silver comes from the earth, it’s not shiny and pretty. It’s a metal mixed with a lot of other minerals. But when it’s put through a hot fire, a refiner’s fire, the minerals all break apart and turn to ash while the silver is purified and made even more precious. <br /><br />Sometimes God has to take us through a refiner’s fire to produce from our lives the experiences and strengths that allow us to be even more precious a tool for His work. In order to understand what it’s like to endure any hardship fully – you have to have borne that hardship yourself. <br /><br />Maybe if I could have seen God leading me through the storm of frustrations, and understood this was a growth opportunity to begin with, I wouldn’t have fought against it so hard. If I knew He was at work, maybe I wouldn’t have broken down, used bad language, given sharp answers, and ran my mouth! But then again, maybe I wouldn’t have experienced the full scope of the trial I needed to in order to be a tool worthy of helping someone else who’d be going through the same things. <br /><br />A patient person I am not. But God is growing me. I do find joy now in the trials He took me through simply because I know that He wouldn’t bother with me if He didn’t love me so. He chooses to sharpen this tool because He still finds it useful. He chooses to teach me patience so that He can complete the work He has started in me. I will never be perfect, but I will always be under the influence of the One who seeks perfection in me.<div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-1835408577503344851?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-85328067965418602612010-03-21T10:07:00.005-05:002010-03-21T10:23:12.874-05:002010-03-21T10:23:12.874-05:00How are your sheep?<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_no6jISb9LvY/S6Y4QqIARiI/AAAAAAAAACc/vUrXhjheMN4/s1600-h/sheep.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_no6jISb9LvY/S6Y4QqIARiI/AAAAAAAAACc/vUrXhjheMN4/s200/sheep.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451106257815488034" /></a><br /><br /><em>“Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” – John 21:16</em><br /><br />I remember an assignment from high school when our English teacher has us list all the roles we have in this life. For example, today, I am a mother, a daughter, a girlfriend, a best friend, a niece, a cousin, a neighbor, an employee, a co-worker, a customer, and the list could go on and on. These roles define those that my life impacts. The people who I interact with are those that Jesus would call my sheep. As a shepherd tends to his sheep, so I am to tend to those that I am in contact with.<br /><br />Simon Peter, one of the 12 disciples that followed Christ, had come to a tough spot in his life. He had told Jesus that he would never turn from him – he would always be by His side and on His side! But seeing Jesus in the hands of the enemy and about to be taken to prison, he became fearful and denied he even knew Jesus – not once, not twice, but three times. Soon after that Jesus was crucified and died with Simon Peter still broken and out of fellowship with Jesus.<br />But Jesus would not leave him out of fellowship!<br /><br />After Jesus had risen from the grave three days later, he met with Simon Peter and the other disciples. As they were having breakfast, John 21 tells us that Jesus asked Simon Peter three questions. If we were to put this into a movie scene, the disciples would all be present around the breakfast table, probably passing the biscuits and gravy, and the conversation would go something like this:<br /><br />ACT ONE:<br /> Jesus: <em>“Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” </em><br /> Simon: <em>“Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”</em><br /> Jesus: <em>“Feed My lambs”</em><br /><br />ACT TWO:<br /> Jesus: <em>“Simon, Son of Jonah, do you love me?”</em> <br /> Simon: <em>“Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”</em><br /> Jesus: <em>“Tend my sheep”.</em><br /><br />ACT THREE:<br /> Jesus: <em>“Simon, Son of Jonah, do you love me?”</em><br /> Simon: <em>“Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you.”</em><br /> Jesus: <em>“Feed my sheep.”</em><br /><br />Jesus gave Simon Peter three chances to redeem himself – to come back into fellowship with Jesus - because he had three times denied him. I think that He wanted Simon Peter to understand that each one of those times had hurt their relationship. <br /><br />Each time Jesus asked, He also gave Simon a way to show his love. He asked him to feed and tend to His sheep. Jesus wasn’t talking about a herd of real sheep. He was talking about His followers. The feeding and tending they would need would not only be a physical one, but a spiritual one. Simon Peter was instructed to spiritually tend to the needs of the followers of Christ by teaching them and leading them. His duty would not be to show love to Jesus, but to show love to those that Jesus loved by serving them. <br /><br />Today we’re often in the same situation as Simon Peter found himself. We have a love for Christ that we will admit to Christ, but often deny to the world. It’s sometimes easier to deny Christ - or just keep silent, which is also denial - in a group of people that would ridicule us as “greater than thou” or “Jesus Freaks”. Christianity is not popular in all circles!<br /><br />Not stepping up to the plate when God gives us an opportunity to stand for Him causes us to lose fellowship with Him. It is sin. Many of us don’t realize we’re not in full fellowship because we’ve not once stepped out of the batter’s box. We go to practice every Sunday morning, and learn how to swing the bat, but we never step up to the plate to find out how wonderful it can be to hear God, our audience, cheer for us! We’re either afraid of failure or, as Simon Peter was, the other team.<br /><br />Jesus instructs us just as He did Simon Peter, to prove our love for Him through our actions. We are to tend to, take care of, and feed spiritually those around us. <br /><br />So who are your sheep? They are those people you interact with every day. They’re your children, your family, your friends, your coworkers, your employers, your neighbors, your mail carrier, your auto mechanic, your hair dresser, your cashier, your plumber – anyone you come in contact with. <br /><br />If these people were asked if you were a Christian, if you loved Christ, what would they answer? <br /><br />Would they know? <br /><br />Have you shown them?<br /><br />How are your sheep?<div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-8532806796541860261?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-39335861735472889392010-01-02T12:01:00.017-06:002010-01-02T12:29:53.763-06:002010-01-02T12:29:53.763-06:00The Reprobate Mind<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_no6jISb9LvY/Sz-OExYR68I/AAAAAAAAACU/vi8ni81C88g/s1600-h/Man_Woman.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_no6jISb9LvY/Sz-OExYR68I/AAAAAAAAACU/vi8ni81C88g/s200/Man_Woman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422208689003162562" /></a><br /><i>“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.”</i> – Romans 1:18-19<br /><br />After that verse, I’m sure several readers are saying, <i>“So what’s this about?”</i> I’ll tell you. It’s about a little tugging of my heart God delivered this morning saying to me that I cannot complain about this not being preached from our pulpits if I’m unwilling to step up to the plate and deliver what He has taught me. My grandmother use to say, <i>“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander”</i>, meaning the rules you set for others have to be the rules you follow. So get ready for this to be hard medicine, because today I’m cleansing my own soul of the sin of silence. It’s easy for me to deliver the things God gives me that don’t condemn and hurt others. I suppose that’s why it’s been hard work for God to pull this one out of me. Today I have no choice.<br /><br />My heart has been broken for the plight of the gay community. God seems to have focused my heart on it many times. We have made this sin so politically correct that no one dares to stand in adversity to their lifestyle. To the gay community, and my gay friends, I have to say this: The most UNLOVING thing I could do is not tell you what keeps you from having a more intimate relationship with Christ. This is written in love. To those who judge me as being “a hater”, I ask you: Is God is also a hater since He has made a stand against it many times in the Bible?<br /><br />I can first remember our media presenting this lifestyle to us as a joke back in the early 70’s with shows like “Sanford & Son”, where Fred thought his son Lamont was gay, and was accepting of it, and joked about it. There was also “Three’s Company”, where they pretended that Jack, played by John Ritter, was gay so that the Landlord would let him live there. It was presented to us time and time again as funny, as just something different. Then we began to see the media take a different stand. <br /><br />It was mainstreamed to us as just another lifestyle choice by shows that made the opposition to the lifestyle out to be uneducated, haters, and greater-than-thou types. We were given shows that portrayed HIV sufferers as innocent victims. The Armed Forces adopted the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that in effect, accepted this lifestyle. Our schools were inundated with teaching that we were all free to make this lifestyle choice. Gay talk show host, gay musicians, gay politicians – they all came out of the woodwork in droves. Today we’ve been so conditioned to accepting the gay lifestyle that even our preachers don’t want to stay up and say what God has said for thousands of years: This is wrong.<br /><br />Nothing I can say on this subject, or any other, is worthy of anyone hearing if I don’t have God’s word to back it up. So what you will read here is God’s view of homosexuality from His Word. <br /><br />We’ve all been taught the story of ancient Sodom and Gomorah, who in Genesis 19 were destroyed by God. It was after the flood – after man had become so wicked that God had said in Genesis 6:6, <i>“And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”</i> God instructed Noah to build an ark to save himself and his family because God’s intent was to punish the wickedness of man. <br /><br />Yet just a few short decades later, when Angels went to the town of Sodom to visit Lot, the men of Sodom tried to rape them. God’s wrath against their sin caused him to destroy both cities with fire and brimstone. The archeological remains of those cities show great amounts of sulfur to this day, which is found in brimstone.<br /><br />But even with the evidence of what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah, there are still those that say <i>“but that was the Old Testament, we’re not under grace.”</i> Yes, this is an Old Testament account of God’s wrath. Yes, we are under a new covenant with God of grace, and not the law. But does God change? Hebrews 13:8 says <i>“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”,</i> and that’s New Testament teaching. God’s view of sin doesn’t change because we become morally corrupt. <br /><br />So what does Jesus say about homosexuality? It’s certainly not a God-given lifestyle. It’s not genetically implanted by our Creator. In Matthew 19:4-5 Jesus says <i>“…Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female… For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?”</i> Jesus was pretty specific in what God considers to be a marriage relationship: a man and a woman. <br /><br />Also in the New Testament we read in Romans 1:24-32 we read what the Apostle Paul said about homosexuality: <br /><br /><i>“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”</i> <br /><br />The word <i>“debased”</i> in the sentence <i>“God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting”</i> has been translated from the Greek word “adokimos”, which means rejected, failing the test, castaway. God has basically dusted off his feet from those who practice such sins. <br /><br />Some of you may be saying “But God doesn’t give up on His people!” Well, He gave up on the angels that followed Satan and cast them out of Heaven, He gave up on Sodom and Gomorrah, and He gave up on all of those living before the flood. In the words of Jesus Christ from Matthew 10:13-15 even we are instructed to give up on those that won’t listen to God’s word: <i>“If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”</i> Would God ask us to do this without being willing to do it Himself? Of course not! When He has <i>“given them over to a debased mind”,</i> He has walked away. But punishment is inevitable.<br /><br />I find it ironic that we see mentioned in this text the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, don’t you? These cities are also mentioned in Jude 1:7 where it says they are <i>“set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”</i> They are to be an example to you and me! <br /><br />2 Peter 2:4-10 also mentions the destruction of these gay cities, as well as God’s inevitable punishment of homosexuality, when it says <i>“and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; … then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed.”</i> Note that he says they are <i>”self-willed”,</i> indicating that they are not born gay, but choose to be men who lust for men and women who lust for women. God does not cause sin. <br /><br />The question then comes “Can a saved person live the lifestyle of a homosexual?” I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer that one. We look upon the appearance of men, and we are told that we will know them by their “fruits” (Matthew 7:15-23). But only God can look upon the heart of man.<br /><br />The question then arises, can a man be given over to a debased mind, and still receive the mind of Christ as we are told we receive in salvation? 1 Corinthians 2:11-16 says: <i>“For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy[d] Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”</i> <br /><br />What Paul is saying is that through salvation (which is, admitting we are sinners, believing in Jesus Christ as the son of God, and confessing Jesus to others as our Savior) we have received the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Christ dwells in us, and NOT the spirit of the world. He also says that <i>“natural man”,</i> which is man before salvation occurs and we become spiritual, doesn’t receive the things of the Spirit of God, and perceives them all as foolishness. But because we have the Holy Spirit within us, we have been given the mind of Christ. Can Christ have a mind that is <i>“debased”</i>? No.<br /><br />Paul has more to say about the ability of the saved to live in sin. Romans 6:1-11 says: <i>“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”</i><br /><br />Paul explains that because we have been saved, we have accepted as our own death the death of Jesus Christ. We have been buried through baptism just as Jesus was buried. We were raised from that baptismal grave just as Jesus was resurrected, so we could receive <i>“newness of life.”</i> He says we should consider ourselves dead to sin, but alive in Christ Jesus. We are <i>“united together in the likeness of his death”</i> just as a man in taking a woman as his wife is united to her and they are one in God’s eyes. <br /><br />Does that make saved people perfect? No! But just as a man and woman become more and more alike the longer they are married, the longer you’ve been saved, the more like Christ you should become. Salvation gives us a new way of life. It’s a life that is lived under the grace and mercy of God, in that we are not sinning blatantly as a child who rebels in the face of its parents with a “what are you going to do about it?” attitude! We confess our sins daily and try to become more like Christ, because the Holy Spirit that lives in us requires it for us to have peace.<br /><br />Paul continues on in Romans 6:12-16 by saying: <i>“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”</i><br /><br />We’re instructed to turn from sin, and not to <i>“present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin.”</i> If we give into sin, we allow it dominion over us, and we become a slave to the life of sin. Paul continues on in this chapter referring back to the acts of <i>“uncleanness”</i> and <i>“lawlessness leading to more lawlessness”</i>. <br /><br />Throughout the New Testament you will find the words uncleanness and lawlessness. Uncleanness is translated from the Greek word “akatharsia”, which is defined as “a state of filthiness, especially in relation to sexual sin”. <br /><br />As Christians, we are expected to rise above sin, to be transformed into the image of Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:17-18 tells us that the Spirit is working this within us. It says <i>“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”</i> The work that God has begun in us He will complete when we get to Heaven. But that doesn’t mean we have the right to live freely in sin here on earth. What kind of light can we be to those around us if we continue to live in sin?<br /><br />There are those that will read this and say that I have no business talking about the sins of others because I myself am a sinner like all the rest. To those I say yes, I am a sinner, and proudly saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. And just as Jesus spoke out against sin, I’m supposed to do the same thing. Philipians 2:4-5 says <i>“Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”</i> What kind of friend would I be if I sat silently by while I watched the sins of my friends pull them further and further from God? What kind of Christian would I be if I didn’t follow the words of Christ which instructed me in John 13:34 to <i>“love one another as I have loved you”</i>? <br /><br />May the wisdom of God’s word guide you. <br /><br />May the love of God be with you. <br /><br />May the mind of Christ be within you.<div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-3933586173547288939?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-36061050651743179852009-12-06T10:57:00.003-06:002009-12-06T11:23:10.616-06:002009-12-06T11:23:10.616-06:00THE REGRET OF DISCERNMENT<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_no6jISb9LvY/SxvoVh6ik2I/AAAAAAAAACM/MBHEzdhSV3s/s1600-h/GoodEvil.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 198px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_no6jISb9LvY/SxvoVh6ik2I/AAAAAAAAACM/MBHEzdhSV3s/s200/GoodEvil.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412174833794585442" /></a><br /><br /><em>“But the manifestation of the Spirit is GIVEN TO EACH ONE FOR THE PROFIT OF ALL: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another DISCERNING OF SPIRITS, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually AS HE WILLS.” – 1 Corintians 12:7-11</em><br /><br />A few months ago I prayed and asked God to give me the gift of discernment. I didn’t make it an earnest prayer. I didn’t beg God for it, or even become broken wanting to receive it. I just asked, and God gave it. The Bible says that He gives these gifts as He wills, and it pleased Him to give it to me.<br /><br />Has I known then what I know now, I would have never asked for discernment. The old cliché holds true, <em>“Ignorance is bliss.”</em><br /><br />The spiritual gift of discernment is one of seeing what God sees on a spiritual realm. It’s one of being able to tell the truth from lies, what is fake from what is genuine, and what is good from evil. This has opened my eyes to things around me that have broken my heart and changed the course of my life. Because these gifts are given to each of us “for the profit of all”, and because it is so powerful, I have to share what God has shown me. <br /><br />There will be those that think I’m a lunatic…and that’s okay. At the end of the day, there will always be some that understand us and some that don’t. But at the very end, I only have to worry about what ONE judges me to be, and in Him I will be found faithful.<br /><br />All around us there are forces at work that are evil. Some are small, and some are great. But just as it takes a tiny rock to start paving a road of detour, the tiny evils are just as important to understand as the great ones. <br /><br />In case you don’t believe there are evil spirits around us, let me tell you what the Bible teaches. Ephesians 6:12 says that “<em>we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” </em>The question usually arises as to where they come from, especially since God looked on all He created and said that it was <em>“good”</em> (Genesis 1:31). These evil spirits are the result of a revolt in Heaven. Lucifer (a.k.a. the Devil) was created as the angel of worship (Ezekiel 28:11-15). But when he decided to try to become higher than the <em>“Most High”</em> God, he was cast out of Heaven (Isaiah 14:12-15). He took with him one third of all the angels of Heaven with him (Revelations 12:3-9), and those are the evil spirits we war against.<br /><br />If you have doubts about any of what you just read, don’t go further. Don’t take my word for it – look it up. It’s important you believe the enemy is real, or you won’t see the battle and you won’t fight.<br /><br />What God has shown me is that there is a war going on here on Earth. It’s a great war, but one not seen by human eyes. It’s spiritual, and it’s deadly. Because of it we see many evils in our world that otherwise would not exist. We see children killing their parents, parents killing their children, same-sex relationships, false religions, addictions, spiritual possession and oppression, and I could continue till tomorrow. In short, if it were not for the evil that surrounds us, there would be no news but good news to report.<br /><br />The problem is because the enemy is not seen we choose not to fight. We deny the power of the force that is rising up against us, and we sit comfortably and silently on our sofa’s. Like I’ve already said, ignorance is bliss. But ignorance is also dangerous!<br /><br />The overwhelming thread of what God has shown me is this: anything worshipped or held higher than God in our lives is evil. It may have its very roots in Christianity, or be something completely non-Christian. If it takes your focus off God, it’s evil.<br /><br />So you went to church today. That’s great. But why did you go? Did you go because it was expected of you by your friends? Did you go to prevent a post card from your Sunday school class saying they missed you, or a call from your pastor? Did you go because you didn’t want to disappoint your pastor? What is good can be made evil. When an archer pulls back the string on his bow and sights in his target, it only takes a glimpse of something else to cause him to miss his mark. Likewise, even when we have worship in our target, it only takes putting anything else in our sights as a goal to cause us to miss our mark.<br /><br />I have seen worship that is not for God but for man. Raise your hands, pray loudly and long, shout out to God…but if you do it for man to hear and not for God…you’ve missed the mark. Sing beautifully of the works of our Lord…but if you do it to get the praise of men and not of God, you’ve missed the mark. What was your focus at church? Was it on what you were wearing? Was it on what someone else was wearing? Was it on anything other than putting your heart in the hands of God and hearing what He has to say to you? <br /><br />Paul said in Galatians 1:10 <em>“For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” </em>We make ourselves a bondservant – a slave – to men by choosing to please them instead of God. When you choose to follow another, you oust God from the throne of your heart, and you place that other person or persons on that throne. Whoever sits on that throne rules over your circumstances. Do you really want to relinquish that throne to anyone other than God?<br /><br />It may be you didn’t go to church today. Maybe you had a child that didn’t want to go, and you just gave in to not going yourself. Who sat on your throne today? Maybe you decided to go Christmas shopping instead of going to church. Who sat on your throne today? Maybe you were too tired from your Saturday night activities to give God your worship today. Who sat on your throne today?<br /><br />Anything and any one that comes between you and Christ becomes your god. Look back at the Israelites during the times of 1 Kings and 2 Kings when the nation of Israel was split between Judah and Israel. God split the Israelites into two nations in the first place because Solomon chose to follow the women in his life instead of God. <br /><br />When he married women who were pagans he took on the worship of their gods. He didn’t stop worshipping God, but he asked God to “share” the throne of his heart with those other gods. He worshipped Ashtoreth, Milcom, Chemosh, and other gods. But that small stone that paved the way to his path of destruction was his love for his pagan wives. 1 Kings 11:4 says <em>“his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God.” </em> Are you not worshipping God because your wife or husband isn’t? Who’s sitting on the throne of your heart?<br /><br />When the Israelites had worshipped their idols and gods for a time, God’s jealousy finally grew into anger. He destroyed thousands because of their sin and tore down their elaborate cities and temples of worship. The book of Jeremiah tells of what God told Jeremiah he would do to the Israelite people because of their sins of worshipping false Gods. God warned them, pronounced their punishment, and delivered it. Punishment from God always comes with a warning. <br /><br />Another form of evil in our world today is completely non-Christian. Perhaps you don’t realize the pagan worships that surround us today. They still exist, but many times are not recognized because we’ve stopped preaching against them. Here are just a few.<br /><br />One of the oldest pagan forms of worship is astrology – the worship of the stars and moon. Deuteronomy 4:19 says <em>“And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the LORD your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.”</em> <br /><br />Do you read your horoscope, which is based on astrological signs and beliefs? In God’s eyes, this is evil. You may say “but I don’t believe the horoscope, I just do it for fun!” God has said in Ephesians 4:27 not to <em>“give place to the devil.” </em>If God has pronounced this as evil, and you take part in it, you take part in something evil – regardless of whether you believe the horoscope or not. You’ve given it an opening to your mind and heart by reading it.<br /><br />Another ancient form of pagan worship is witchcraft – which is the worship of spiritual things in the evil realm (a.k.a. satanic). This one is one that is sneaky! Paul himself said in 1 Corinthians 11:14 that satan himself will disguise himself as an <em>“angel of light”, </em>which means a Godly apostle. Witchcraft has many names, and many forms. The best way to define witchcraft is that it is the worship of any supernatural power that is not God. <br /><br />Witchcraft is centered on tonics, spells (a.k.a. “blessings” or “curses”), and belief in the “energy” of things. There are those that believe certain stones contain powers or energies that can benefit them, and carry stones that are to provide energy, harmony, peace, or prosperity. You can even buy these rocks on the web with instruction booklets of how to “charge” your rocks! This is witchcraft because it is the pursuit and belief of supernatural powers other than God. Do you own such a rock? How about a magnetic bracelet that’s suppose to heal you? How can expect God, who made all the rocks, to sit on the throne of your heart if you believe these rocks can bring you supernatural power?<br /><br />Witchcraft has become a religion that is growing in our nation today and taking many by surprise that it is what it is because it has been renamed to Wicca. (Note: Not all who practice witchcraft are Wiccan’s, just like not all Christians are Baptist!) <br /><br />There are also those that visit or call psychics in search for answer, which is called Divination. God even warned against these things when He was describing the promised land to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 18:10-12 when he said <em>“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you.” </em>A psychic, hypnotist, fortune teller, voodoo practitioner, tarot card reader, bone reader, tea leaf reader, herbalist, or anyone that presents themselves as being able to supernaturally tell you things about yourself or your future – which is called divination - is evil in the sight of God. <br /><br />Owning the devices that are used and believed to provide these supernatural connections and powers is also evil because it gives an opportunity for evil in your life. Some of these are Ouija boards, tarot cards, books of superstitions, books of tonics (which are sometimes referred to as herbal remedies), and so forth. <br /><br />Likewise, watching movies that are violent, horror movies and those that take part in evil acts are also a doorway for evil to enter into your life. Paul said in Philippians 4:8 <em>“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”</em> Giving your mind over to evil for even a few minutes of watching these things gives an opportunity for evil to grow in your life! Ever watch a horror movie and wake up in the night terrified? Who is reigning over your circumstances then? Certainly not God!<br /><br />I am amazed at the number of people I’ve seen since God has given me discernment that are Christians and yet they play in these areas that are satan’s playground! It breaks my heart because some of them are people I hold dear to my heart. There is no place in any of these for a Christian. They are evil and will lead to the same destruction that God brought up on the children of Israel in the Old Testament. Yet we as Christians do not take a stand against it. I myself was watching Wife Swap on TV one day when a family that practice witchcraft was brought on and was to exchange mothers with a Christian family. Of course, as Hollywood always does, the Christian woman was not your average Christian, but one that in all respects seemed to be deranged and bent! <br /><br />You may see these things as small and insignificant. So what if you read your horoscope in the Saturday paper! So what if you watch horror movies at Halloween! So what if you visit the palm reader at the fair! Be forewarned. The path of destruction is paved not with large boulders, but tiny little stones.<br /><br />I think the greatest challenge facing Christians today is not in fighting the fight against evil, but in understanding – discerning - that it exists all around us. We cannot fight what we do not identify as the enemy, and far too often when we do see it, we choose to remain silent and be “politically correct.” Unfortunately, being politically correct is often being wrong in God’s eyes because He has commissioned us to proclaim the truth. Who is sitting on the throne of our hearts if we sit silently when God has asked us to speak?<div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-3606105065174317985?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-71709445237421015452009-11-08T20:12:00.003-06:002009-11-08T20:14:43.759-06:002009-11-08T20:14:43.759-06:00UNTIL IT'S COMPLETE<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_no6jISb9LvY/Svd6zn8JemI/AAAAAAAAACE/2kc4jAqFHWU/s1600-h/AppleTree.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_no6jISb9LvY/Svd6zn8JemI/AAAAAAAAACE/2kc4jAqFHWU/s200/AppleTree.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401921305367378530" /></a><br /><em>“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:6</em><br /><br />A great part of being a Christian is having the Spirit of God within you. This, because God is love, gives you a great love for those around you. 1 John 4:8 tells us that <em>“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”</em> When you’re a child of God, loving others is inevitable. <br /><br />That can be a wonderfully warm and beautiful thing, but it can also be a grevious burden.<br /><br />There are times when we see those around us slipping into their past, forgetting that God has redeemed them and brought them out of the lifestyle they are returning to. It’s hard to see this happen because those of us that have lived with and without God understand that true joy only comes from living in His will. <br /><br />It can be painful to watch those you love as God teaches them this very same lesson. You pray. You beg. You exhort and try to teach them because this is what God has instructed us to do (Hebrews 3:13). But nothing happens. <br /><br />I was struggling with this a few months ago when God opened my eyes to HIS work. Philippians 1:6 says <em>“He (God) who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” </em>I had always read this verse and thought it was talking about me – God was going to complete what He’d started in me. But this time He showed me something more. This verse isn’t just a promise to me about me, it’s a promise to me about those I care for as well! He is telling us that we can rest and be confident in that if our loved ones are His – He is always at work, and He is always going to be at work. <br /><br />When an apple tree is planted, it’s an apple tree. But sometimes it will take years before it bears fruit – even a single apple. Then after it’s had apples for year after year, you’ll sometimes see years of no apples. The tree hasn’t changed. It’s still an apple tree. But because of it’s environment, sometimes all that tree can do is hold onto life! But wait and rest assured. Apples will come again!<br /><br />Thank you, Lord, that we can leave our loved ones in your hands, and be confident in your work in their lives. Thank you that we can rest assured that you are at work even when the fruit is not there. You will not stop the work you have begun in them – or us - until Christ returns!<div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-7170944523742101545?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-19338090518915455642009-11-05T07:02:00.001-06:002009-11-05T09:19:46.280-06:002009-11-05T09:19:46.280-06:00We're Sorry Children<img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_no6jISb9LvY/SvLsZ1MHWyI/AAAAAAAAAB8/Et7r-D5JpNM/s200/holdinghand.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400638831689423650" /><em>“I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD.” – 2 Kings 22:8</em><br /><br />His Grandfather was Manasseh, one of the most evil of all Kings of Jerusalem. His evil was in the form of idolatry. He was an astrologer – one who worships the sun, moon, and stars. He practiced witchcraft. He got his answers for life’s decisions from mediums and spiritualist instead of God. He worshipped the carved images of the gods of those God had removed from the land of Israel before giving it to the Israelites. But he really can’t be blamed completely. Manasseh was one of a long line of kings who had turned their backs on God.<br /><br />God is patient, but He is also just. He will always punish sin. The problem is sin is never personal – it always affects others.<br /><br />Manasseh’s sin was so great that it caused God to declare in 2 Kings 21 that he would bring such calamity on the children if Israel that the ears of whoever heard it would “tingle”. He said he would “wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.” He would forsake the few of Israel that remained and deliver them into the hands of their enemies. Why? Because they had provoked him to anger with their continual sin.<br /><br />But Manasseh dies, and still no calamity.<br /><br />His son Amon reigns, and still no calamity.<br /><br />Then Amon’s son Josiah reigns. He became king at just eight years old. It’s often said that the heart of a child is pure, and Josiah’s was. He ordered that the money being taken at the temple be used to restore it, which was a decree given years ago by another King that followed God’s commands. And in the clean-up of God’s house, something happened. The priest found a book.<br /><br />It wasn’t just any book. It was “The Book of the Law”, which is most commonly known as the Pentateuch, the first 4 books of our Holy Bible. The fact that it was lost and even the priest didn’t know where it was when it was in the House of the Lord tells you how little respect they had for God at this time.<br /><br />The priest sent it to King Josiah, and it was read to him. As it was read to him, his heart broke. He saw the evil of his forefathers. He saw their neglect for the very God that had brought them out of slavery and given them the land they now trashed. He saw God’s love for them. And he felt the shame that years of idolatry had brought on his people. He tore his clothes in anguish and cried because he knew they had broken the heart of our loving God.<br /><br />Immediately, he wanted reconciliation with God. He wanted God to speak, and at this time that was only happening through prophets. He sent a messenger to the prophetess Huldah, who had heard from God. God in fact had decided to bring destruction on the children of Israel, and all because of their idolatry. He said “My wrath shall be aroused against this place and shall not be quenched”, which in our terms means God said “enough is enough…this time you’re going down!”.<br /><br />But that isn’t all God had to say. God still is the God of love, the God of forgiveness. He spoke to the prophetess concerning Josiah. He said in verse 19, that because Josiah’s heart was tender, humbled, and broken when he learned of their sin, that he would let him live out his days before the destruction would come.<br /><br />Can you imagine living as Josiah after that day? How would you look your children in the face knowing they would live on after you, and suffer God’s wrath. How would you look at the face of a newborn and feel anything but anguish and pain?<br /><br />Today we live in a world much like Josiah’s. We read our horoscopes to see what the day will bring…and ignore God. We call up fortune tellers to see what mysteries of our life they can show us…and ignore God. We use tarot cards, have our own “spiritual journeys”, and meditate to find our inner energies…and ignore God.<br />We seek answers where they cannot be found… ignoring the one with all the answers. Sure, we may escape the wrath of God in our generation, but what about our children?<br /><br />Parents…seek Him while He can be found. Look at the faces of your children and see the destruction that the lack of Christ in your lives is already bringing upon them. They don’t value life. They’re starving themselves to feel better about themselves, or eating themselves to an early grave. They’re cutting themselves out of the pain that’s in their hearts. They’re turning to drugs, to alcohol, to sex and perversions, and anything they can find to make it “better”. We’ve given them violent games, violent moves, and violent music and said “here, have fun!” We’ve dismissed proper discipline because it’s not politically correct. We’ve stopped teaching them the Bible and taking them to church because life is just too busy.<br /><br />Is this really what we want for our children?<br /><br />Are we so selfish that we won’t take time to help them find the God they need?<br /><br />God have mercy on us all. We have become the people that were destroyed…again.<div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-1933809051891545564?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-83029506476123873142009-09-10T12:01:00.004-05:002009-09-10T12:04:32.174-05:002009-09-10T12:04:32.174-05:00Doubting God's Voice<a href="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/lnh6513/worship.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 285px; height: 183px;" src="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/lnh6513/worship.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><em>“He said to him, “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (He was lying to him.)” – 1 Kings 13:18</em><br /><br />I got up the other day expecting a phone call. I picked up my phone, unplugged it from the charger, and carried it into the bathroom with me. When I laid it down it lit up with the calculator application on the screen. It said ‘425’ in the display. The strange thing is I never use the calculator application, and there was no reason for it to come up at all…let alone with ‘425’ in the display.<br /><br />As I stood there thinking about it an almost heavy feeling came over me that I should play that number in the lottery. I should tell you that I never play the lottery. In fact, I believe the lottery to be a method for making the poor even poorer by giving them false hope. But on that morning, I had to talk myself out of buying a lottery ticket!<br /><br />The next day I felt I thought about that phone and ‘425’ again and felt compelled to go online and check the winning lottery numbers for that day. The pick three numbers on that day were ‘542’. I would have one $100. God was trying to bless me. But the blessing He wanted me to receive was for more than $100. It was an understanding of something much greater than $100. It was a lesson in understanding how important it is to not doubt the voice of God. It’s no mistake that he’d had me stuck on 1 Kings 13 for days when this happened.<br /><br />In 1 Kings 13 we read about an unnamed “man of God”. He was told by God to go to the idolatrous King Jeroboam and deliver a message. The message was that the altars which he had built for worshipping his gods would be destroyed and the priests he had ordained would be sacrificed on them. The man of God courageously went before the King and delivered the message. But there were also three things God told the man of God NOT to do. He was not to eat in Bethel, drink in Bethel, and he was to leave a different way than he came into the city.<br /><br />When King Jeroboam asked the man of God to stay with him and “refresh himself” and eat with him, the man of God boldly said he wouldn’t even for half of the King’s household! He was steadfast and confident in the words God had spoken to him. He was sure of God’s command even if he didn’t understand it. <br /><br />But before he left the city of Bethel an old prophet from the city came to him and asked if he would come home and eat with him. The man of God again recited God’s orders that he was not to eat or drink in Bethel. He still believed God’s voice.<br /><br />But the old prophet said to him in verse 18: <em>“I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” </em> A conflicting message from what the man of God had received indeed! At this point the man of God could have asked God for confirmation. He could have prayed and asked God to speak to him about this matter. Instead, he chooses to believe a stranger over the voice of his God. The remaining 5 words in verse 18 tell us the man of God should not have been so quick to believe the old prophet: <em>“He was lying to him.”</em><br /><br />The man of God in that very instance doubted God’s voice. He probably though “maybe this prophet is closer to God than I am”, “maybe God changed His mind and hasn’t told me”, or “maybe I wasn’t hearing from God after all.” Regardless, he traded the words of a stranger for the words of God, and it ended up costing him his life.<br /><br />While they sat there eating God again spoke. This time, instead of to the man of God, who had stopped listening to Him, He spoke to the old prophet which he was listening to! His message was: <em>“Thus says the LORD: ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD, and have not kept the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you, 22 but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the LORD said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’” </em> The man of God saddled his donkey and rode out of town only to be attacked and killed by a lion. The lion guarded his body, not eating it or destroying it, until the old prophet rode out and picked it up and buried him in his own tomb.<br /><br />Far too often we are willing to accept what someone has told us to be God’s will in our life over what God himself has told us. We doubt our relationship with God, or view ours as somewhat less than someone else’s and therefore assume they have heard what we have failed to hear. We assume that God isn’t communicating fully with us in our one-on-one conversations. We begin to doubt what God has said, and we give in to following the voice of others over the voice of God Himself. <br /><br />Be assured that if God wants you to do something – the One that used His voice to speak into creation the entire world can surely speak to you! Pray and ask Him for guidance. He’s already said in John 16:24, <em>“ask and you will receive”. </em>He also said in James 4:2, <em>“you do not have because you do not ask.” </em>Following anyone’s voice other than God, even if it seems to be fulfilling a purpose in God’s work, is being out of God’s will if He didn’t lead you there. Listen for that “still small voice”. He will never fail you.<div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-8302950647612387314?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-67141935379401481202009-08-21T23:04:00.004-05:002009-08-21T23:06:22.142-05:002009-08-21T23:06:22.142-05:00Reflecting the Son<a href="http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo1/SmickyXfactor/Crossatthecemetary.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 212px; height: 225px;" src="http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo1/SmickyXfactor/Crossatthecemetary.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br><br />“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16<br /><br /><br />I use to have this old t-shirt that I loved. It was black and had a moon on the front that glowed in the dark. Under it was one sentence…”Be the Moon….Reflect the Son”. The misspelling was intentional.<br /><br />I think as Christians we sometimes lose sight of why we’re to do good things like feed the hungry, visit the lonely, clothe the poor, or teach a church class. We consider that we’re doing is a great favor for the people that we’re helping. They become our focus, and it’s then that we lose our focus. <br /><br />As much as it’s never about us….it’s never about them either. It’s about Him. It’s about glorifying God. Matthew 5:16 says we are to do good things “that they may see your good works and glorify your Father”. They see us, and see the glory of God. They see us reflecting Him.<br /><br />As a mom we keep a mental record of those times when we were just blessed to be our kids mom. Times like when I saw my son spend his own money to buy a homeless man a sandwich and wouldn’t let me pay him back because, as he told me, he wanted to get the blessing. Times like when I saw my daughter in the altar praying for her brother. Times like when my son was called “Lev the Rev” and lead prayer with his team before each middle school football game. Times like when my daughter prayed in her room with a dear friend of mine who was troubled. It’s moments like these that make us so darn proud that we could just stand on a ladder, point and scream “Hey! That’s my kid!”<br /><br />I know there are times when God feels that same way, but it’s not every time we do a good work. Sometimes we do good for selfish reasons. We do it for recognition, to cover a guilty conscious, or even to be a part of a group of people. But God, who looks upon the heart, knows our reason. It’s only when He is reflected in our heart that glory comes to Him. It’s only when He sees Himself shining through that he steps up on the ladder and shouts “That one’s mine!”<br /><br />Be the moon…reflect the Son!<div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-6714193537940148120?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-48566983274548075362009-06-21T10:21:00.011-05:002009-06-23T07:13:41.300-05:002009-06-23T07:13:41.300-05:00Gertrude Garmin<a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e249/Artistkat101/Mischelanous/Forest.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 800px; height: 600px;" src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e249/Artistkat101/Mischelanous/Forest.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><em></em><br /><em>“Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.” – Psalms 25:4-5</em><br /><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>This past Christmas my “from-me-to-me” gift was a Garmin Nuvi GPS unit. After several trips to places in Nashville I never intended to go, and decided I needed a travel companion that knew the way and could tell me where I was. Once we heard the GPS’s somewhat pushy and controlling female voice, we decided to name her Gertrude.<br /></p><p>Yesterday I took a trip with my best friend, my daughter, and her friend to Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana. That’s about a 3 hour drive…but Gertrude will tell you it is precisely 2 hours and 46 minutes! Along the way when we would pull over or miss a turn she would begin to whine at us “Recalculating directions!” We could miss a turn by 30 feet and she’d start in “Recalculating directions!” She’d then recite to us the left turn followed by another left turn to turn us around.<br /></p><p>On the way home Gerty decided to take us home a different route. On the way up we’d travelled through Evansville, Indiana. That’s actually the most direct route in my opinion. But Gerty decided we would be best to travel to Owensboro and then to Beaver Dam and get on the West Kentucky Parkway. Once we figure out what she was telling us, we found out it really was a better route in that it was on major highways with less curves, less traffic, and yes, just a little bit faster.<br /></p><p>But the problem with Gerty is that she doesn’t show her hand! When she tells you “continue travelling 23 miles” she doesn’t tell you why. She doesn’t show you the next turn. She doesn’t tell you the full course. You’re given information on a need-to-know basis. You get what you need to know right then…and you have to trust her for the rest.<br /></p><p>It dawned on me this morning that my path in life is very much like that. God hasn’t shown me the whole path – just what He wants me to do next. Once I reach that destination, then He proceeds to tell me the next step. I have yet to see the full path, although, by God’s grace, I do know that one day I will reach the destination!<br /></p><p>Not long ago I became involved with a client that is part of Africa Inland Missions called Rift Valley Academy. They run a school for the children of Africa and children of Missionaries. When I originally heard they were in Kenya, my heart almost stopped because I remembered my pastor’s prophecy that someone from our church would go to Africa this year on a mission. </p><p>When he’d given the prophecy I’d immediately prayed “Please Lord, not me!” I felt God telling me, this is your mission, but I waited on God.<br /></p><p>Then the invitation came to travel to Africa – with RVA paying the travel. But as a single Mom, I couldn’t go and leave my kids. Then God opened another door when they offered to provide travel for my kids…and a safari trip too.<br /></p><p>The next obstacle was vacation time, which I don’t have much of being new to my company. But while having dinner one night with one of my company’s owners, I was informed that this wasn’t a problem because they had only weeks ago discussed RVA and doing some pro-bono for the client. They would offer 40 hours of my time to RVA as pro-bono work, which meant I didn’t have to take any vacation time to go.<br /></p><p>My heart literally flipped! I almost cried just sitting there at the dinner table! I could see God charting my path to Africa as clearly as I could see it if Gerty Garmin had it on the little purple highway on her screen! I got the passport application filled out, checked on the immunizations I’d need, and was looking for the kinds of needs RVA had for me and my children to fulfill while we were there.<br /></p><p>Then a funny thing happened. God said “Recalculating directions”, and I wasn’t supposed to go.<br />I still don’t know why because God has yet to show me the path I’m on and why this is not my time to go to Africa. Maybe it was a test of obedience, and God just wanted to see if He sent me, would I go.<br /></p><p>What I do know is that right now I’m on the path He has designed for me. Right now, I’m to stay put, be an active mother to my children, a friend to my friends, write what He gives me, and wait for the next instruction.<br /></p><p>This is a matter of trust, just like we had to trust Gerty yesterday to give us the right path home. For about an hour and a half we were wondering what she’d gotten us into! Then she showed us West Kentucky Parkway, and we knew she was right.<br /></p><p>I know God’s plans for me are the best plans. He seeks to prosper me, and to provide the best possible future for me. Sometimes I wish He would show me His ways, but perhaps if He did, I’d be less likely to follow. So in His infinite wisdom, He just says “continue travelling 23 miles” and I have to hold His hand and follow where He leads me.<br /></p><p>The minute I let go and decide to chart my own path, He’s quick to “recalculate directions” as well. That’s called grace. Sometimes it’s a rocky path to teach me to stay on course, and sometimes it’s just a detour that leads to nothing and He gives me a contrite heart of repentance to realize I was wrong and turn around. But He never leaves me without direction.<br /></p><p><em>Thank you, Father God, for being my life travel companion. Thank you for charting the best course for me. Thank you for keeping the path hidden to shield me from the fear of its hills and valleys. Help me to wait for your directions. Amen.</em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-4856698327454807536?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257403678229925870.post-18587870812780978682009-06-19T08:43:00.006-05:002009-06-19T08:56:28.809-05:002009-06-19T08:56:28.809-05:00The Lame and The Blind<a href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f70/thuridanna/an.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 232px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 328px;" border="0" alt="" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f70/thuridanna/an.jpg" /></a><br /><div>“And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,” thinking, “David cannot come in here.” Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).” – 2 Samuel 5:6-7<br /><br /><br /><br />When I was either a junior or senior in high school I went to visit my grandmother one day. She was out on her back porch breaking string beans. I sat down with her to help and we began to talk and somewhere during the conversation I told her I was going to college.<br /><br />Now you have to understand that no one in my family at that time had been to college. In fact, only one had graduated high school. Her immediate response was, “You’ll never go to college. That’s just a dream.”<br /><br />It cut through my heart. She’d shown me one thing – she had no confidence in my ability to succeed. I took it all in and then just as quickly replied, “Oh yes I will! You just watch me.”<br /><br />I could just have easily let her ideals of my future become my own. I could have taken on the discouragement and lost focus of what I wanted in life. But praise God on high, He didn’t make me that way!<br /><br />David encountered something similar at the beginning of his reign over all of Israel. After reigning in Hebron over the tribe of Judah for seven years, King Isbosheth, Saul’s son, died. David was then anointed King of all Israel. When he went to Jerusalem to reign he found the Jebusites had occupied the land.<br /><br />The Jebusites cried out a taunt to David, telling him that he would not be able to come in there because if he did, it would take nothing more than their lame and their blind to kick him out. Jerusalem was on a hill, and the grounds around it rocky and rough. They thought they were safe from David.<br /><br />David could have easily said to himself, “Look at this place! It’s occupied by those<br />who hate me, it’s rough to travel into the town, I’ve already lost several of my men in wars, and really, I could settle for Hebron. I could go back and reign there over all Israel.” He could have backed down.<br /><br />Instead, I imagine David’s thoughts were on where God had taken him so far. God had allowed him to kill a bear and a lion while just a shepherd boy. He’d allowed him to kill Goliath, the Phillistine and become a hero to his people. He’d allowed him to escape the death hunt of King Saul, and twice given him opportunity to kill Saul himself. He’d protected him in war after war, allowed him to gain back a wife that was stolen from him, and made him ruler over all of Israel by not only his being Jewish and being chosen by God, but by the love of his own people. David knew one thing that brought him success. He knew from who’s hand he had received it.<br /><br />God’s faithfulness to us should never be forgotten. The greatest encouragement we can know is to understand that without God, we would be nothing, and as Christians we will never be without Him.<br /><br />Not only did David take the city of Jerusalem, which was also called Zion, but he renamed it. He called it the City of David, and it is called that to this very day. He made their taunt of “the lame and the blind” a victory cry and even sang about it. When God is on your side, nothing and no one that can stand against you.<br />Verse 10 of this passage tells the rest of the story so simply. It says “So David went on and became great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him.”<br /><br />Friends, as sure as God lives in you, he desires to prosper you. Don’t accept the discouragement of the world. Accept the future God has designed for you. Accept it and know that it comes from His Hands. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"Living in the Shadow of His Hand" is a publication by Faithie Robertson. All rights and permissions are reserved.<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6257403678229925870-1858787081278097868?l=faithielewis.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Faithie Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16879839612124761497noreply@blogger.com0