Femininity is in tatters. The family has been split apart. Churches worldwide are weakening. What must be done to regain the purity of a life that seeks to honour Jesus? How can we re-capture the depth of His love for us? How can femininity and true beauty be regained?

It starts with the Gospel. It starts with an almighty, sovereign God who “did not spare His own Son,” a Saviour who “for the joy set before Him endured the Cross,” a Holy Spirit “who is in you,” empowering you to do His will.

The Gospel is Jesus Christ

He came, He gave
He is mighty to save
To all who will repent and believe

This blog is dedicated to re-capturing femininity; femininity as God designed it. Femininity in our culture is desperately lost. Scripture testifies of this in Proverbs 31. “An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.” A wife of excellence is more rare that precious gems. In the 21st century, this is sadly apparent.

So let us raise the bar to a level of excellence that is rare and mysterious. Let us live our growing years with patience, our single years with dedication, our waiting years with service, our longing years with purity, our married years with faithfulness, and our entire lives under the blessings of our eternal covenant with the Prince of our souls, Jesus Christ.

May He have all the glory!

Monday, November 15, 2010

God Answers

"Ladies, don't tell me how busy you are because I know. I'm busy too. We all are, and I just think sometimes, all this activity—God would rather have a lot less of it and just more of us.

You know what? I find I have to be ruthless with my schedule. There are people I can't meet with. There are people I can't see. There are letters I can't write. There are places I can't go. There are speaking engagements I can't take.

Now, I'm not saying I never do any of those things, but I have to limit those things. Sometimes people don't understand why I'm not doing more things, why I'm not more social.

You know what? It's because I've decided that in this life I want to be getting ready to meet God, and that means I want to be listening to Him. That takes time.

You've got to make time. It's not just going to happen in your schedule. You've got to carve out the time. Set it apart. Set it aside.

Go to your watchpost. Go to your tower. Look out to see what God will say to you, and in His way, and in God's time, He will answer you."

-Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

A Sad Cycle


Nancy Leigh DeMoss: Over and over again I've seen a destructive cycle
that leads women into bondage. First, a lie is planted in our mind.

"When I was six, I don't remember who said it, but I was told that I
had no right to be born."

Nancy: Instead of countering the lie with the truth of God's Word, we
dwell on it and start to believe it.

"I thought I was stupid--that I wasn't normal."

Nancy: Eventually we act on the lie . . .

"I withdrew and had a really hard time talking with people."

Nancy: . . .and we find ourselves in bondage.

"I wanted to go to sleep and never wake up."

Nancy: Now, here's the truth. When God sent Jesus to this earth to
bear your sin, He declared the value of your soul to be greater than
the value of the whole world. First John says, "How great is the love
the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of
God!"

And that's the truth.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Monday, October 18, 2010

Thursday, October 14, 2010

If I Feel Something . . .

" "I was always taught that God loves me, but I didn't feel loved."

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: Feelings aren't always very reliable. It doesn't
take much to put our feelings on an upswing--a sunny day, a nice
compliment. But when the clouds roll in or we put on a couple of
pounds, we easily fall into emotional lows.

"I know God created me and that Jesus died for me, but I've just
never felt very valuable."

Nancy: Regardless of what our emotions tell us, we need to learn to
counsel our hearts according to the truth. Paul gives advice on how
to do that in the last chapter of Philippians. "Rejoice in the Lord
always . . . do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
God . . . Whatever is true . . . think about such things" (4:4,6,8).

Let's dwell on these words today, no matter what our emotions say.

With Seeking Him, I'm Nancy Leigh DeMoss"

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Hospitality: A Quiet Service

In the book “Becoming a Woman who Pleases God”, hospitality is defined as “the art of creating a generous, cordial, pleasant, or sustaining environment.” Whether you have a home of your own or you are still living under your parent’s roof, all of us should practice hospitality to others. Actually, God lists the attributes His children must have in Romans 12:9-13 which says, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.” It is very important for us as God’s children and as young women, to cultivate a heart of hospitality in our lives.

I want to give you a little acrostic of the word HOSTESS from the book “Designing a Lifestyle that Pleases God” that can help you remember the most important aspects of hospitality:

H – Home: this is the place where we practice hospitality. Our home is the environment that we are most comfortable in. It is our shelter and the place where we live the majority of our lives. When we invite people into our homes, we are inviting them to share in enjoying what God has to given us.

O – Open: this is the kind of attitude we need to have towards showing hospitality. We need to have willing hearts that desire to serve others without showing partiality. The Bible calls us to display hospitality to fellow believers, widows and orphans, those who don’t believe the poor and needy, those who are working for the Kingdom of God, and those who are strangers or travelers. Jesus said in Matthew 5 that we are to love our neighbours and our enemies.

S – Submissive: A submissive heart is one that desires to be obedient to God with a joyful spirit, which is not always easy to do. We may not always feel like it, but when we obey, our feelings follow. I know, for myself, that I am not always comfortable with talking to people that I don`t know very well. This is an area that God is changing in my life. Part of that change involves me stepping outside of my comfort zone and reaching out to people who may need encouragement. God wants me to do this, so I must put on a submissive heart and a joyful spirit.

T – Teacher and Teachable: Part of being a hostess is being both able to teach and able to be taught. This ties very closely with being submissive. We all need to be taught by the godly, older, and wiser men and women in our lives. However, the more we learn and grow, the more responsibility we have to share with others what we know. I would encourage you young ladies to seek out an older, godly woman (don`t forget your mom!) who can encourage you in the faith. Also, read books by godly women (Elisabeth Elliot, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Mary Kassian, Pat Ennis, Lisa Tatlock, Martha Peace, Elyse Fitzpatrick, etc.) that will help you to become a woman after God`s own heart. And be an older woman to those girls who are younger than you! Take advantage of opportunities you see to reach out to them.

E – Encouragement: One of the main purposes of hospitality is to be an encouragement to others! Though you may not be able to invite people into your homes or prepare a meal for someone, seek to encourage both your friends and those who are strangers to you by encouraging them. Remember, hospitality is a quiet service, so reach out to others with a simple card, a plate of cookies, or a sacrifice of your time to serve. Make sure that in talking with others, you keep your conversation on things that honor the Lord, avoiding all kinds of gossip and empty chatter.

S – Serene: To be serene means to be peaceful, calm, and still. When we have people into our homes or if we try to encourage others, we must have order in our lives! This doesn`t mean that our homes must be cleaned to perfection or that all our ducks must be in row, but we do need to have a grasp on organization! Often, we may be ministering to people who are facing very difficult things in life, so we need to make an effort to see that our lives are steadfast in the Lord to effectively encourage that person.

S – Spontaneous: This means without effort or premeditation. When we practice hospitality as a hostess, we need to remember that Jesus desires our lives here on earth to be abundant. We see this in John 10:10 where Christ says, ``I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.`` In light of this verse and living the abundant life, we need to be willing to have open hearts when opportunities to serve others are dropped on our laps. Remember, if we obey God with joy even if we don`t feel like it, we will experience His blessings! Nehemiah 8:10 says, ``The joy of the Lord is your strength.``

For us as women, our highest calling is to glorify God in whatever He gives us in life. For almost all women, that calling is to be a wife, a homemaker, and a mother. However, whether married or single, you are a woman, and God has given you clear instructions on how you are to live. As we become adults, get married, and have homes of our own, it is important for us to make our homes places of warmth and security. Jesus, our perfect example in everything, is right now homemaking. I bet you never thought about that before! I had never understood this either until I heard Nancy Leigh DeMoss speak about it on her radio broadcast Revive Our Hearts. When Jesus says in John 14:2&3 that in His Father’s house are many rooms and that He was going to prepare a place for us there, He is showing us the importance of homemaking. When we as women prepare to make homes for our families here on earth, we are creating a visible environment that mirrors the invisible one that is being prepared for us by our Savior. Our homes must be places of peace. When we experience the blessing of homemaking, we have a glimpse of heaven, a picture of Christ, and a taste of the eternal glory we will soon enjoy!

So use the gifts God has given you to serve others!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Series: The Counter-Cultural Woman: Part 2

Teaching By Example

First aired on Tuesday, February 13 2007

You can listen here:
http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=9462

Leslie Basham: Children learn many things simply by watching. This is Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Isn’t it shocking to hear some negative thing come out of your child’s mouth and then you realize they learned those things from you? Since kids pick up so much so quickly, we’d better learn how to set a good example. Nancy’s showing us how in a series called The Counter-cultural Woman.
Nancy: What are the very most important things that you want your children to remember? When they’re grown, when they’re gone from your home, what do you want them to remember? What do you want to be a part of their lifestyle as an adult, man or woman?
We’re looking at Proverbs chapter 31, this week. Today we’re still in the very first paragraph where we’re reading about the instruction that a mother gave to her son. Her son was going to be the king, King Lemuel. And when he became an adult, he would go on to teach others the things that his mother had taught him when he was still a young prince.
We think that perhaps this king was King Solomon. If so, then his mother would have been Bathsheba. She had learned some things the hard way as a result of her illicit relationship with King David, Solomon’s father. There were some things she was very concerned to pass on to her son, the young prince, to prepare him to be a good king.
So as we come today to verse three, we see this woman is going to give her son some cautions and some counsel in verses three through nine. We’ll just look at the first part of that today. Just by way of overview—cautions and counsel—she’s going to warn him about things like moral impurity and what that can do to a king.
She’s going to warn him about being intemperate and about the need for self-control and sobriety. She’s going to warn him against over-indulgence. Then she’s going to give him some counsel about the importance of being a king, of being compassionate and executing justice.
Beginning in verse 10, she’s going to give him a lot of counsel about choosing a wife, about the qualities to look for in this life partner, and the importance of choosing a partner who will be a blessing and an asset to him through all of his life. So she’s going to give him counsel and cautions, and it’s going to be very important that he heed this wisdom.
Let me just say parenthetically here, by way of reminder. Though we are now adults, how important it is for us to continue to heed the counsel and the cautions of godly parents, of teachers, and of pastors, because if we violate godly counsel, we will not be an exception to God’s rule. We will experience consequences that will be highly destructive.
That’s what we see here in verse three where this mother says to her son and then, as an adult, he’s telling what it was that she taught him. She said to him in verse three, “Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.”
Now if you would think about the first thing you’d want to have recorded about what you taught your sons, would this be one of the first things? She says to her son—she taught him as a young prince—number one: “Don’t give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.”
This is a warning against, I think, two things. First, against losing his masculinity, and secondly, against moral impurity. Two things she’s cautioning him about here. Don’t give your strength to women.
Now the word strength here, interestingly, is the same word in the original language that is translated “virtuous” or “excellent” when we get to verse 10. Who can find a virtuous woman or wife, an excellent woman, a virtuous woman? She’s saying here . . . That’s the same word that could be translated in that verse strength.
We’ll come to that when we come to verse 10, but she’s saying here don’t give your strength—your manly strength—that which is distinctively your virtue as a man. Don’t lose it. Don’t give it up.
You see God made men and women different. I don’t have to tell you that. But God gave to men a distinctive type of strength and virtue. God gave to women—as we’ll see when we get to the latter part of this chapter—a distinctive kind of feminine strength and virtue. This verse, I think, is saying in essence, "Men, don’t give up your distinctively masculine strength or virtue."
When we get to verse 10 and the rest of the chapter, the message will be, "Women, don’t give up your distinctively feminine strength or virtue." See, our culture has today such a twisted, perverted, distorted sense of the differences between men and women. We’ve twisted the God-created differences, and now we have men acting like women and women acting like men.
So what do we end up with? Confusion. Chaos. The battle of the sexes. Competition. When what we should have . . . If men were keeping their masculine strength and women were keeping their distinctively feminine strength, what we would have is a beautiful rhythm, a harmony, a oneness, a complementarity. She’s saying . . . “Be a man” is what she’s telling her son.
Then she’s going to tell him, “Look for a wife who is a woman, a distinctively feminine woman.” So she warns him against the loss of manliness and then against adultery and immorality. She says it will debilitate your mind and your body. It will destroy you. Don’t give your ways to that which destroys kings.
Perhaps she was thinking of another leader: Samson, who not too many years earlier was one of the judges of Israel who had given his strength to women. This woman knew and she warned her son that violating God’s standards of moral purity will render you powerless.
Moral impurity, she’s telling her son . . . You need to be telling your sons and your daughters. We need to be reminding ourselves that moral impurity, sexual impurity will destroy your relationship with God. It will destroy your relationship with your mate, with your children, with other family members.
It will destroy your testimony as a Christian. It will destroy your future. It will destroy your sensitivity. It will destroy your reason. People who give in to moral impurity often become irrational. It will destroy your capacity for joy. It will destroy your conscience.
She’s saying no one is invincible. Just because you’re the king and you have all this power and you have all this authority, you are not invincible. You’re not past sinning in this way. You are not invincible. I am not invincible. The moment we start to think that we are, we are in the gravest of danger.
So she warns her son and then her son puts these words in the Holy Scripture to warn us. Not just to warn men, but men are not likely to be immoral without women being immoral, so it’s a warning for both men and women.
Now if this son was Solomon, then he apparently did keep his mother’s counsel early in his life, but later on he wandered from this counsel. He gave up his distinctive manliness to women. He gave up his distinctive strength as a man of God and he gave himself morally to other women. First Kings 11 tells us that his wives turned away his heart from God.
He started out with a heart for God. You need to remind your children and we need to be reminded, you can start out with a heart for God, but you can end up shipwrecked if you do not trust in God to preserve and maintain you in the area of your morals. Immorality will turn your heart from God.
Have you warned your children, your sons, your daughters about the importance of moral purity and the destructiveness of sexual activity outside of marriage? Have you been clear with them? Have you been specific? Don’t wait for the sex ed program in your kids’ school to teach them what’s right and what’s wrong. God gave you that responsibility to teach your children. If you’re not teaching them, the world is teaching them a whole different way of thinking.
Are you letting God guard your own heart? Or is it possible that even now you’re playing with fire? You’re involved emotionally on the computer, at work, even at church in a relationship that has the makings of something that’s immoral. Can I just say to you, “Get out.” Don’t stop to think about it, just get out.
Be ruthless in dealing with this whole area of sexual purity. The blessings to be had are incredible when we keep ourselves pure for God—when a man and woman keep themselves pure for that marriage relationship. The damage and the destruction is incalculable when we do not heed the warnings.
She says, “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine nor for princes intoxicating drink.” We come now to a caution or a warning that this king’s mother gave to him when he was still a young man. A caution against over-indulgence. She warns him about failing to be temperate, about the dangers of the lack of self-control. She reminds him that he is going to be a king. He’s a king in the making.
As you’re raising your sons and your daughters, remember that you are rearing young men and women to be kings and queens for God, to be spiritual royalty. You are a royal priesthood, Peter tells us. You want your children not just to be ordinary, not just to fit in with the crowd, not just to fit in with our culture or to survive it, but to be spiritual examples and leaders and revolutionaries.
So she reminds him, “You have a high and a holy calling. Remember who you are. You’re a king, and you're destined to lead.” Then she reminds him, “You cannot govern others well if you are a slave to your own appetites, your own passions and your own lusts. Remember your calling,” she says. “Remember your position and then act in light of it.”
That says to me what this mother told her son, “That means you better learn to rule yourself here and now if you’re ever going to rule others effectively.” Moms, you will never be able to govern your children effectively if you can’t govern your own passions, and you won’t be able to teach your children sobriety and temperance and self-control if you’re not a model of sobriety and temperance and self-control.
Now, in the Old Testament, kings were warned against drunkenness, against drinking too much, and this warning from a mother to her son who will be king is one of those warnings. But it wasn’t just kings in the Old Testament. It was also priests—those who served in the temple or the tabernacle who were told that they were not to drink when they were fulfilling their priestly role.
Leviticus 10, verse 9, tells us, “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die.” This is a command given to the priests.
Most commentators agree that when Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu, offered strange incense to the Lord and were killed (you read about that in Leviticus, chapter 10) . . . Most commentators agree that it was because of their drunkenness that they had done something wrong. There was an error in their judgment. Their thinking was clouded when they went in to serve as priests, and it was drunkenness that resulted ultimately in their deaths as priests.
Ezekiel 44 tells us no priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court. So for priests to drink or for kings to drink in the Old Testament was considered dangerous. It would hinder them from fulfilling their God-given calling and role.
That’s what this mother understands and warns her son about. “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink.” Verses 5-7: “Lest they drink [kings drink] and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart. Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.”
What she’s saying in effect is, though others may drink as a means to escape from their problems and their pain and their pressures, kings are not to do so.
Now, this paragraph is not promoting drinking for people who aren’t kings. In fact, it’s really a description—and a graphic one—of what alcohol does to the mind. Alcohol abuse, drug abuse results in a mind that is not clear or not sharp. It dulls your senses. Twice we read this person forgets. They forget the law. They forget their poverty. It dulls their senses.
Those who have, as we do, a high and holy calling as children of God will find that when we give ourselves to overindulgence in anything, including alcohol, drugs and substances like these, that we will forfeit our effectiveness. We will forfeit our calling.
She’s pointing out to her son that people use these types of things (drugs, alcohol) to escape from reality as a narcotic, to dull the pain, to drown out their sorrows. She’s saying, “You’re a king. You can’t do that. You cannot afford to have your senses clouded.”
Now, you say, “Okay, that’s for the Old Testament. I’m not a king. I’m not a priest.” But the Scripture tells us in the New Testament that Christ loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood and has made us kings and priests to God.
We read in 1 Timothy chapter 3, that this is a qualification for spiritual leadership in the church. That elders in the church, spiritual leaders, are not to be addicted to wine and that deacons are not to be given to much wine. Lest you think, “Well, I’m a woman. I would never be in that position,” 1 Timothy 3, verse 11, tells us, “Likewise, their wives must be . . . temperate.” So if you are not temperate, you actually can disqualify your husband from a position of spiritual leadership in the family of God.
Titus 2 tells us that we are to follow after the things which are appropriate for sound doctrine, and one of those is that older women are not to be given to much wine (see verse 3). “Given to” means to be enslaved, to be addicted. Let me just say, if you’re not temperate as a younger woman, you won’t just wake up one morning and find yourself now an older woman being temperate. We are becoming older women and need to be learning habits of temperance and discipline now.
I think it’s so important that we not allow ourselves to indulge in or to become enslaved to anything as women of God that could make us less alert, less sensitive, less tuned to God, or that could make us less effective at fulfilling our God-given tasks. It can be other things. I would just ask, what are you using in excess as a drug to numb the pain that’s maybe dulling your senses and sensitivity to God?
I talked some time ago with a woman who had been abused as a child growing up and had a dad who was not able to give her what she needed. I talked to her about how God wants us to be willing to walk into the pain rather than numbing it as she for years had been doing in various ways.
She wrote me back and she said, “I realized that one way I was numbing myself was with the TV, so I turned it off about a month ago. I wanted to connect with Him or with people and not with the TV.” Then she was able to walk into the pain and to let God take her into a process of healing. There are so many ways that women today have of escaping the pain.
Now, this mother says to this son, “Don’t do that. Don’t run from the pain. Don’t escape it. Don’t drown out your sorrows. Don’t get into anything that will enslave you or addict you or cloud your reason or your thinking.”
She goes on to say in verses 8 and 9 Here’s why—it’s because you have a mission fulfill—“Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”
She’s saying, “You don’t live for yourself. Your calling is to live a selfless and sacrificial life, so instead of using your wealth and your resources to hurt yourself, to drown out your sorrows, to cloud your thinking, use those resources to do good to others, to minister to others who are in sorrow or pain or need.”
It’s a call to get involved, to look around and see what the needs are and to use your position as a woman of God, to use your influence to do something about the problems around you. You will not be able to do that if you yourself are enslaved to anything other than the Lord.
What’s keeping you in bondage? What’s numbing your capacity to experience all that God has for you and to be used of God? You’ve got to be willing to say, “I’m not going to live in bondage to anything or anyone other than the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Father, would You please identify for us ways that we may be running from, escaping, numbing our pain? Would You give us the courage to run into it and to say no to anything that would enslave us? We want to live as women who are free under the lordship of Jesus Christ.
I pray for women who are wrestling with addictive behaviors and substances, whether it’s alcohol and drugs, illicit sex, or something that can be in and of itself harmless, as in friends or books. I pray that You would help us to identify what are the things that have enslaved us and then to be willing to walk in the power of Your Spirit to say no to anything that would be addictive in our lives and yes to Your lordship and Your rule in our lives that we may become instruments of mercy and grace to help others in their time of need. I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss is an outreach of Life Action Ministries.
All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Psalm 67

"God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us -
That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations.
Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You.
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the peoples with uprightness
and guide the nations on the earth.
Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You.
The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God, blesses us.
God blesses us, that all the ends of the earth may fear Him."

Thursday, August 5, 2010

A Counter-Cultural Woman

The women in our family have been listening to a series by Nancy Leigh DeMoss on the counter-cultural woman of Proverbs 31. Please take the time to read these critical and powerful messages that will grow you into becoming a woman who is driven by the desire to know, love, and obey Christ and not driven by the culture around you. You can also listen to the message at the link below. Whether you are single, married, a young woman or an older woman, God has a purpose for your life. Discover His plan for you in these messages. Please explore Nancy’s ministry, Revive Our Hearts, for more excellent recourses and encouragement.

http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=9461

The Most Important Lesson
Series: The Counter-Cultural Woman: A Fresh Look at Proverbs 31
First aired on Monday, February 12 2007
Leslie Basham: Do you ever feel intimidated by the superwoman described in Proverbs 31? Over the next several weeks, Nancy's going to explain why you don't have to be intimidated. But Proverbs 31 isn't just about the “Proverbs 31 woman.” It's also about a son who had a lot to learn. Here’s Nancy to explain, kicking off an in-depth study of this important chapter. The series is called The Counter-cultural Woman.
Nancy: I'm almost a little bit hesitant to tell you what it is we're going to be teaching in this next series. Over the past weeks, as I've been studying, women have asked me, "What are you going to be teaching next on Revive Our Hearts?" When I've told them that it's going to be a series on Proverbs 31, I've had almost uniformly the same reaction. It's something like: eyes rolling or a gasp or a sigh. "I'm not sure that I want to sit through a whole series on Proverbs 31."
I can understand a little bit why people would have that reaction. I have to tell you what I think has happened in me over these last weeks as I've been studying is going to happen in you as a result of what God is going to do in our hearts through this series these next days. I don't even know how long we're going to take on this series. I can tell you it will probably be several weeks.
I've just been soaking and getting saturated in what is becoming one of my very favorite passages in the Scripture. I want to encourage you over these next days, to read Proverbs 31 for yourself. You may have read it many times in the past, but let me encourage you—since the number is 31—over the next 31 days to take a challenge of reading this chapter every day for the next 31 days.
As you do, you might just want to take a blank piece of paper or a journal (maybe something you record your quiet time notes in), and just take notes about what God shows you from this passage—not just from what I'm saying, but even more importantly, what the Holy Spirit shows you as you're reading it for yourself. Jot down, "Here's what this says," "Here's what this means," and "Here’s how God is applying this to my life."
When we talk about Proverbs 31, we usually start at verse 10. Now I'm not sure why that is. Maybe it's because that's where the part about women specifically begins. But I want to start with verse one and have us work through the entire passage, not skipping those first nine verses.
So let's look first at verse one, which gives us the setting and the context of Proverbs 31. Beginning in verse 1: "The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him." The words of King Lemuel. Now you won't find that name anywhere else in the Bible. There's no reference if you go through Kings or Chronicles where all those kings of Judah or Israel are listed. There's no reference to a King Lemuel. It occurs just here in the Bible.
But there's an ancient Jewish tradition that identifies King Lemuel as the name that Solomon's mother gave to him; so thinking that this is perhaps King Solomon; and “Lemuel” being another name for him. If that's the case, who would be the mother who's doing the teaching here? Remember who Solomon's mother was? Bathsheba, which makes this a very interesting passage considering it in that light.
"The words of King Lemuel [perhaps King Solomon], the utterance which his mother [perhaps Bathsheba], taught him." Now that phrase, when you put it with some others in Scripture, speaks to me of the incredible power and impact of a mother's teaching.
Now all the way through Proverbs, we have a lot of references to the teaching of a father. We don't have a lot of references to the teaching of a mother. One that comes to mind is Proverbs 1:8-9. We read, "Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck" (NIV).
Proverbs tell us, that both our father's instruction and our mother’s instruction is something that can make us beautiful; it can adorn us. It’s an ornament we ought to make sure that we wear, and it will adorn us with grace and with beauty. This is the utterance which King Lemuel's mother taught him.
Now the word utterance—and in some of your translations, like the NIV, I think it's the word oracle—it's a word that means, “a prophecy or an announcement of truth.” This word, utterance or oracle carries with it the sense of weightiness. It's something heavy; it's something important. Sometimes in other parts of the Scripture, this word is translated "burden." You read that in Malachi 1—“the burden of the Lord” (verse 1, KJV). It's an important message that comes from the Lord.
These words that this mother taught her son are not just a mother's words. They are words that a mother got from the heart of God. As a mother, you can know that when you are teaching your children the ways and the Word of God, that what you are saying to them is very, very important. It's weighty. It carries divine authority with it if you're teaching your children and your grandchildren the words of God.
These are, according to this verse, “The words of King Lemuel,”—words that his mother had taught him. So apparently, this king is recalling some things that his mother had taught him years earlier, when he was not yet king; when he was a young prince; a king in the making. If the king was Solomon, and the mother was Bathsheba, you can see that these words come from the heart of a mother who knew about the grace of God—about the mercy of God.
We think of this passage, Proverbs 31, as being this impossible standard of God's law that no one can keep. Yet, if Bathsheba was the woman who taught these words, she was a woman who knew a lot about the broken law of God and what the grace of God could do to restore people who had broken God's law.
She knew how God had taken her, as a woman who had been greatly wronged and perhaps who sinned greatly herself . . . We don't know if Bathsheba was complicit in the sin with David. But certainly, she had been wronged and potentially had failed herself in this matter—maybe both. Nonetheless, she had been restored and God had made her fruitful and given her a son who would lead to the line of Christ the Messiah. Here is the woman who had learned a lot from a hard, painful personal experience.
Now she's teaching her son, this young prince who is going to be a king. She's teaching him the importance of things like faithfulness—faithfulness as a husband, faithfulness in a wife. Maybe, if this is Bathsheba teaching her son Solomon, she is certainly teaching with some degree of remorse or regret, that she and her husband had not lived out to the extent that they should have, the things that she is now going to teach her son.
You can just sense that here's a woman who doesn’t want her failures to be reproduced in the next generation, so she's going to speak words of warning and caution and exhortation and pleading with him to take God's heart and God's words as his own and to live them out.
So her husband, who'd experienced some serious consequences as a result of his adultery, she's saying now to her son, Solomon, "There are a lot of things in your dad to emulate, but there are some that you need to avoid." Learn from our example. Learn from what we have learned the hard way, and don't repeat the failures of your parents. So she's speaking words of protection, caution.
Then she's speaking words of preparation. Remember that when she spoke these words, her son was not yet the king. He was a young man, a prince. But she knew that one day he would be the king, so she's helping to prepare her son for his future. She knows that he is going to have a lot of responsibility on his shoulders.
Your question ought to be, "How can I best prepare my children for a lifetime of spiritual service, as kings and priests to God, to live as sons of God and daughters of God and as royalty? How can I prepare them to fulfill God's calling in their lives?
Sometimes you'll do that by teaching. Sometimes you'll do it by prayer. Sometimes you'll do it by example. We're going to see in this passage that this is a mother who has done all of these for her children. You want to prepare your children to live and to serve the King of Kings; to live and serve themselves, as kings and queens under God's authority.
“The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him.” He's now speaking these words. He's remembering back to what his mother taught him years earlier. Aren't you glad, those of you who are still in the child-rearing years, to have this encouragement that your children will remember what you teach them?
Now, you better make sure you're teaching them the right things because they will remember what you're teaching them. You are teaching them something. They're going to remember those lessons, and they're going to reproduce those lessons, for better or for worse, in the next generation.
What do you want your children to remember about what you taught them? What do you remember about what your parents, your mother, taught you? What do you want to pass on to your children? What are you passing on to your children and to your grandchildren? What are you teaching them? What do you want them to pass on to the next generation when you're no longer here?
“The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him.” She taught him; he grew up and taught others. Notice, by the way, she didn't leave all the training to the dad. He has a role of course of teaching and training, but this is a mother teaching.
I think that should be an encouragement for those of you whose husbands may not know the Lord, or may not be walking with God, or may not be actively committed to teaching the children. Now of course, they have a calling and a responsibility. But don't assume that because your husband doesn't have a relationship to God that you can't be actively involved in the training and the teaching and the discipling and the nurturing of your children.
Either way, with or without a husband who is training, you have a calling and a responsibility to train your children, to protect them, to prepare them—to speak to them weighty words; words that have the authority of God's Word behind them—so that your children will be prepared and equipped to go and provide godly leadership in the next generation.
She says in verse 2, "What, my son? And what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?" Now these sentences, unless you really take some time to dwell on them, meditate on them . . . They are not even complete sentences! What we're getting here is kind of the groanings, the longings, the outpouring of a mother's heart, a mother who can hardly even finish her sentences—not because she's not smart—because this is coming from so deeply within her that she hardly knows how to express what she's feeling.
It expresses the intensity and the passion of a mother's heart who's feeling love and tenderness and connectedness to this child who is her own flesh and blood. This is the child that she carried in her womb; she feels responsibility for her child. This is the son of her womb. This is a picture of a woman who has dedicated her child to God.
When I think of that phrase "the son of my vows," I think of another mother in the Old Testament. Her name was Hannah. She longed for a child, prayed for a child, wept for a child, waited for a child. Then came the day when God blessed her with a child. She said, "Lord, if You give me a son, I will give him back to You. He will be Yours." He was the son of her vows. We realize how important it is for mothers to recognize that their children are dedicated to God.
I was just thinking, over the last 24 hours, of what it has meant in my life to know that from the womb I was set apart for God; that my parents realized they didn't own me. That's what this mother is feeling. She is expressing the intent of her heart to raise this child in the fear of the Lord.
Someone has said, "If there were more Hannahs, would there not be more Samuels—great men of God, spiritual leaders?" If we only had more women: mothers, grandmothers, who were dedicating their children to God and crying out to God on behalf of their children.
So she says, "What, my son? What, son of my womb? What, son of my vows?" It's as if she's saying, "What shall I say? What shall I teach you? What shall I pass on to you?" She wanted her son to come to know God, in the ways of God, and she knew that she had a responsibility to show her son the ways of God; to communicate the heart of God to her son. It's as if she is saying, "What shall I say to him?"
Here's a woman who is taking very seriously her responsibility to train her son in the ways of God. She's looking to God, as if to say, "Lord, show me what to teach this child."
What are the key things you want to pass on to your children? If you couldn't teach them anything else, what would be the most important thing you would pass on to your son or to your daughter? How can you best prepare your sons and daughters to be all that God made them to be? How can you best protect them from what they will face later in life? How can you best direct them into the plan that God has for their life?
God has given those children to you. They are a sacred trust. They are a precious stewardship. You have a responsibility to those children that is greater than your responsibility to anyone else on the face of this earth, except for your husband. “What shall I say? What shall I teach you?”
In the next couple of sessions, we're going to look at the mother's instruction, what she taught to her son. But let's just take an overview of what she teaches her son. I want us to see that in these next verses, she's going to give her son some instruction that includes some absolutes.
There are absolutes. She's teaching her son that there is right and there is wrong. She's indoctrinating her son. There are some things she is going to say, "Don’t do this, and do do this."
Today, the concept of the post-modern generation is that there are no absolutes. Every child has to grow up and choose for himself what he'll believe. This mother did not believe that. She knew that there were absolutes on the basis of the authority of God's Word—there were things that she was to indoctrinate into the heart of her son.
Her instruction over these next few verses is very specific and practical. It's direct. She's practically applying the Word of God and the ways of God to everyday life. She's going to talk to him about marriage, relationships, women, habits, about areas of bondage, about lifestyle—practical teaching from the Word of God.
There are negatives and there are positives in her instruction. Don't be afraid as a mom to say, "That's wrong," or to say, "You must do this." In a practical sense of everyday life, "This is right; this is wrong. This is what you must do. This is what you must not do."
I got an email or a letter, actually, from a woman last week who was thanking me for talking on Revive Our Hearts about the importance of indoctrinating children in the ways of God. She said, "I'm doing that with my children."
She told me about a white board that she has in the dining room where her family eats their meals. She says sometimes she has a thought or something she wants to teach her children. She says sometimes it's something from the Scriptures. Sometimes it's something about math or about a practical issue of life. She says she just makes a note on the white board.
Then she said they use meal times for teaching their children practical things about life. She's teaching her children practically the ways of God by means of that white board, even as this mother did teaching her son the ways of God.
She's saying to him in the instruction that is going to follow, "Remember who you are. Remember that you're a king. You're a king in the making." She's giving her son a vision for how his calling in life puts some requirements on him.
I’m so thankful for the way that my parents, in many ways, gave us a vision for the fact that God wanted to use us. That meant that there were some responsibilities. There were some things that we had to be willing to make a part of our lifestyle, if we wanted to fulfill all that God had made us for.
She’s saying there’s a higher standard. There are responsibilities and requirements and accountability. "Others may; you may not. You’re going to be the king."
Then we see that she also teaches him—in this paragraph we’re going to look at, starting tomorrow—that choices have consequences. She’s saying you will have consequences for sin if you choose to sin. She paints a graphic picture of what some of those consequences will be.
The power of a mother’s instruction, given to a young man—and I assume—from the time he was very, very little. That instruction starts from the moment you first lay eyes on that child and all the way until that child leaves the nest and you send that child out as an arrow into this world to be a king, to be a leader, to be a godly man or woman.
That mother’s instruction that you’ve invested in all those years, in the son of your womb, the daughter of your womb, the son, the daughter of your vows; that instruction will go with those sons and daughters all through life.
Make sure that you’ve been giving the instruction that’s clear, practical, and specific. Don’t be afraid to say no. Don’t be afraid to say, “There will be consequences for your choices.” Then give them a vision for the future. “Remember who you are,” tell your children. Know that with that high and holy calling comes some very important responsibilities.
Leslie: I still remember some of the lessons I learned as a child, don’t you? Lessons that to this day influence the way I live. You’re influencing your children, whether you like it or not. Nancy Leigh DeMoss is so good at training us in biblical teaching, so we can pass that teaching on to the next generation.
Maybe you know some new moms who could get a lot out of Nancy’s practical, biblical teaching. You could also order a pack of Nancy’s booklet called Becoming God's True Womanand then share the copies with your friends.
Just visit ReviveOurHearts.com to discover all the ways you could share this important message.
We’ve heard about the importance of a mother’s teaching. Tomorrow, Nancy will explain why a wise
mother uses more than just words to teach. Now, let’s pray with Nancy.
Nancy: Thank You, Lord, for mothers we have had, who’ve taught and trained us. Some of them godly mothers, who’ve taught us directly from Your Word. Some perhaps with a mother who did not know You, but who still, as a mother, was teaching and training just basic life skills and modeled some important things about what it means to be a successful man or woman. We thank You, for those who’ve trained us and taught us.
Now, Lord, we pray that as women, You would show us how to teach and train the next generation; that we may raise up young men and women who will be kings and queens— spiritual royalty—who will provide spiritual godly leadership to the next generation. We pray it in Jesus’ name, amen.
Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss is an outreach of Life Action Ministries.
All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted.
Copyright © 2001 - 2010 Revive Our Hearts

Monday, July 19, 2010

The Prodigal Daughter

I often get discouraged by my sin. I feel unworthy of Christ, His calling, His love. But this I am sure of: Christ Jesus has overcome Satan, sin, and death, and upon my proclamation of guilt, He has written "forgiven", with His life the quill and for ink, His blood.
May you fix your eyes on Jesus during the times of discouragement. Sing praises to Him. Read His Word. Thank Him for what He has done for you, and watch the discouragement melt away in the glory of His grace.

"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God." ~ 1 John 3:1 ~

Saturday, July 17, 2010

A Pure Woman has One Desire

'Whom have I in heaven but You and there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You.' Psalm 73:25

"God wants us to know what it's like to desire nothing but Him. That's why He allows us to find such little lasting satisfaction with the world's toys and joys. We get something we've always wanted, or a dream comes true, yet it quickly becomes just part of life's routine. So what do we do? We set out to lay hold of some new earthbound pleasure. We don't stop to consider that our inability to find lasting happiness in earthly blessings and personal dreams is because God designed us for something else. Our dissatisfaction is His way of wooing us to find our all in Him." - Lydia Brownback, Purity

Friday, July 2, 2010

Go to my other blog www.washmyfeetlord.blogspot.com over the next couple of days for recaps on the 2010 Resolved Conference!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Promises...from Matthew

..."Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which translated means, 'God with us.'" Matthew 1:23

..."It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'" Matthew 4:4

..."Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great." Matthew 5:3-12

..."Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

..."Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul...are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword...he who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it." Matthew 10:28-39

..."Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Monday, May 31, 2010

Psalm 18:1-3

"I love You, O Lord, my strength."
The Lord is my rock and my fortress
and my deliverer, my God, my rock,
in whom I take refuge; my shield
and the horn of my salvation, my
stronghold.
I call upon the Lord,
who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

A Sweet and Bitter Providence

“God’s purposes for his people is to connect us to something far greater than ourselves. God wants us to know that when we follow him, our lives always mean more than we think they do. Naomi had no idea in the land of Moab that God was making her the ancestor of the Messiah. For the Christian there is always a connection between ordinary events of life and the stupendous work of God in history.

Everything we do in obedience to God, no matter how small, is significant. It is part of a cosmic mosaic that God is painting to display the greatness of his powers and kingdom to the world and to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:10). A deep satisfaction of the Christian life is that we are not given over to trifles. Serving a widowed mother in law, gleaning in a field, falling in love, having a baby—for the Christian these things are connected to eternity. They are part of something so much bigger than they seem" (p. 121).


~John Piper, A Sweet and Bitter Providence

Monday, May 24, 2010

A Real Woman...Does Hard Things!

We had the privilege of hearing Alex and Brett Harris speak this past Saturday in Surrey, BC at their first stop of the 2010 Do Hard Things Tour. If you have never heard of the Harris', please stop by their website, www.therebelution.com , and be encouraged! Their "Modesty Survey" is a very convicting and inspiring tool!

I was so grateful to be able to attend this conference because God was glorified in every word that was spoken and every song that was sung. Alex and Brett have challenged themselves and our generation of young people to rebel against the low expectations of our ungodly culture and strive to "Do Hard Things" for the glory of God and the advancement of His Kingdom.

The most wonderful part of the conference was when Brett presented the true Gospel message. It was so amazing and humbling to see God's Holy Spirit open up the hearts and minds of some of the young people. This was not a "bow your head and invite Jesus in your heart" event. There was no manipulation or emotional music to draw people in. It was an opportunity for every person there to public pronounce Jesus Christ as Lord! It was not about just accepting, believing, and confessing. It was about repenting and turning from sin; about living a radically different life. It was about obedience to the One who suffered and died for us. It was not about us, but about Him and giving Him glory! It was a life-changing day!

Alex and Brett and the entire Harris Family would covet your prayers at this time as their mother is very ill with stage 4 colon cancer. Praise God that she is resting in Jesus for her strength and that Alex and Brett were able to remain bold in their message. Please lift them up, along with their dad, Greg Harris, and siblings Josh, Joel, Sarah, Isaac, and James as they watch God's sovereignty and love unfold in their lives.

I want to share with you the definition of "A Real Woman" taken from The Rebelution:

A Real Woman...

...seeks to make God her number one desire and the Lover of her soul, knowing that only He can fully satisfy. Psalm 73:25 "Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth."

...realizes her imperative need to allow the Holy Spirit to control her emotions and expressions of them. James 1:19-20 "This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God."

...does not complete for equality with men or chafe at God's design for male and female, but delights in and understands the importance of her calling to complement man's role. Ephesians 5:22-24 " Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior or the body. But as the church is subject to Christ so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything."

...does not wallow in self-pity or make a habit of voicing complaints, but radiates cheerfulness and joy. Proverbs 17:22 "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones."

...portrays chastity, modesty and reverence in her manner, and wears the ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is her true beauty. Titus 2:4-5 "Older women...encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God would not be dishonored."

...does not have a nagging, contentious or manipulative manner in which she deals with others. Proverbs 21:9 "It is better to live in a corner of a roof than in a house shared with a contentious woman."

...appreciated her father's protection, and respects and submits to his authority. In so doing, she is preparing herself to exercise the Biblical role in her relationship with a possible future husband.

...is trustworthy and gains the respect of those around her. Proverbs 31:10-11 "An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain."

...is glad she's a woman and rejoices in her femininity, expressing it through her attitude, appearance and bearing. 1 Timothy 2:9-10 "Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness."

...encourages and builds up those around her instead of criticizing and tearing them down. Ephesians 4:29 "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear."

...is not offended by respect shown her through gentlemanly courtesies (opening doors, etc.) but cultivates the differences between the sexes that make her worthy of this deference. 1 Peter 3:7 "You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered."

...holds her virginity before marriage sacred and will not compromise it for anything. (This one is for guys too!) 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 "Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body."

...uses her years of singleness to seek and serve God without distraction, and is content to leave the details of her future to Him. 1 Corinthians 7:34 "The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit."

...values the cultivation of her mind and diligently seeks after wisdom and knowledge. Proverbs 22:17-21 "Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge; for it will be pleasant if you keep them with you, that they may be ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the Lord, I have taught you today, even you. Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, to make you know the certainty of the words of truth that you may correctly answer him who sent you?"

...does not relate to members of the opposite sex in a flirtatious or forward manner, but instead saves all her passion for her future husband. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 " For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to posses his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentile who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warn you. For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification, Se he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you."

...restrains herself from listening to, or participating in gossip, but instead speaks with wisdom and discretion. Proverbs 11:12-13 "He who despises his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding keeps silent. He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy conceals a matter."

...is not boisterous or loud in her speech or actions but is characterized by a gentle and quiet spirit. 1 Peter 3:3-4 "Your adornment must not be merely external - braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God."

A Real Woman...Does Hard Things!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Rose From Brier ~ By Amy Carmichael

Thou hast not that, My child, but thou hast Me,
And am not I alone enough for thee?
I know it all, know how thy heart was set
Upon this joy which is not given yet.

And well I know how through the wistful days
Thou walkest all the dear familiar ways,
As unregarded as a breath of air,
But there in love and longing, always there!

I know it all; but from thy brier shall blow
A rose for others. If it were not so
I would have told thee. Come then, say to Me:
My Lord, my Love, I am content with Thee.
"I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
Phillipians 4:11-13

Thursday, April 22, 2010

1 Peter 3:18

"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit."

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Flesh Versus Spirit

Dear much neglected blog readers! Forgive me for not posting in such a long time! I have been so busy with life, but God has been teaching me so many things that I want to share with you. O, to have all the time in the world! I have some exciting changes happening in my life right now that I will be able to share in the weeks ahead.

Once a month, the young ladies at our church meet together, along with many of our moms, to learn how we can better live the set-apart life as set-apart girls! I truly love those times of fellowship together. This past time we were learning about how we as Christians can know how to reflect Christ's glory in our lives. This is a difficult subject because it goes back to the basis of Christianity: surrender. Remembering that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice by giving His life. Now we must deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him in all areas of our lives.

This can be really, really hard because of one thing: our flesh.

Our flesh could be defined as the part of us that reflects our sin nature. Each one of us was born separate from God and going our own way. When God, by His amazing grace, choose to save us, He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within us. Our bodies are now temples of the living God. However, we are not yet perfect. (That will happen at glorification, when we are made like Him.) In the mean time, we live in a constant battle between our flesh and the Spirit of God. Our desire is to be like Christ, but often, sad to say, our flesh gets in the way and we choose to feed it by going our own way.

In Mark 8:31-38, Jesus is giving His disciples some final words before He prepares to go to the Cross. The passage says, "And (Jesus) began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, 'Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's.' And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for His soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.'"

Jesus knew He had to die. He knew it was the Father's plan for the salvation of mankind that His life would be given. We must remember that Jesus was fully man and fully God. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said, "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death." The burden of what was about to be laid upon Him was immense. He knew the wrath of God and the sin of the world was to be laid upon Him. Yet in His despair, He fixed His eyes on His calling, saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will." (Mark 14) In John 10:17-18, we see Jesus relationship with the Father and His desire to do His will with a willing spirit, "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father."
As Jesus wept and prayed in deep distress at Gethsemane, Peter, James, and John were with Him. In verse 37 of Mark 14, Jesus comes to them and finds them asleep. He says to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

How often is it that we come to a point of decision during our walk of life? The answer is every hour of every day. It is at these hourly crossroads that we must choose whether to feed the flesh or yield to the Spirit of God.

When we choose to feed our flesh, we are choosing to do three things: 1.) serve ourselves, 2.) love ourselves, and 3.) make irresponsible decisions. Most of the time, when we choose to feed our flesh, we do it because it is the easier choice. It brings immediate but temporary satisfaction, and each time we make the decision to disobey, it becomes easier. This is because we are searing our consciences. However, though we may feel like we are enjoying ourselves, we are actually beginning a downward spiral into dishonoring behavior patterns that displease God. And if we truly our His children, He will disciple us, because He loves us.

Instead of choosing to feed our flesh, we have the second option, which is to please God by yielding to His Spirit. This is a decision that shows love to others, honor to God, and results in responsible choices. It is harder and without God's guiding hand, it is impossible! Yet it moves us heavenward in our sanctification, the process of becoming like Jesus Christ! And how much better that is than pleasing ourselves.

If you are ever tempted to sin or are discouraged by its presence in your life, remember the words of the hymn, "Before the Throne of God" and more importantly, remember Jesus, your Savior, "who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." He pleads for us before the throne of heaven. He is our God.


Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

I Will Glory in My Redeemer

I will glory in my Redeemer
Whose priceless blood has ransomed me
Mine was the sin that drove the bitter nails
And hung Him on that judgment tree
I will glory in my Redeemer
Who crushed the power of sin and death
My only Savior before the Holy Judge
The Lamb Who is my righteousness
The Lamb Who is my righteousness

I will glory in my Redeemer
My life He bought, my love He owns
I have no longings for another
I’m satisfied in Him alone
I will glory in my Redeemer
His faithfulness my standing place
Though foes are mighty and rush upon me
My feet are firm, held by His grace
My feet are firm, held by His grace

I will glory in my Redeemer
Who carries me on eagle’s wings
He crowns my life with lovingkindness
His triumph song I’ll ever sing
I will glory in my Redeemer
Who waits for me at gates of gold
And when He calls me it will be paradise
His face forever to behold
His face forever to behold


© 2001 Sovereign Grace Worship; Steve and Vicki Cook

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Wait

Right now God has been encouraging me from His Word. I was writing a card to a friend, sharing with her my favorite verses from Psalm 62. I began to feel a bit discouraged about something, but it was then that our gracious heavenly Father encouraged me with the same passage I was using to encourage someone else. I will share that passage with you:

"My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." Psalm 62:5-8

Sometimes I get so distracted or worried about things that I forget to "be still and know that (He) is God." It is always His Word that rings true and brings me back to reality: the reality that He is in control, He is my rock, my salvation, my stronghold, my refuge, "I shall not be shaken."

When I am unsure about my future, He says to me, "Wait." (Psalm 62:5)

When I am longing to be married and have children of my own, He says, "Delight yourself in Me." (Psalm 37:4)

When I am afraid, He says, "Trust in Me with all your heart." (Proverbs 3:5)

When I feel like life is too hard or I can't go on, He says, "My grace is sufficient for you." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

He is our great God. Wait for Him, dear sister in Christ, and see the blessings that come from obedience to Him.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

This song speaks clearly on how we as young women should live our lives. Having such pure devotion to Christ and being so in love with Him will cause the young men around us to see that our lives are hidden in Him. A true man who loves God will understand what Maya Angelou meant in this quote, "A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first to find her."


She's In Love

by "According to John"

What a beautiful smile
A radiant girl
Fell in love first time I saw her
She stays on my mind
I’d give anything
To know everything about her

There’s light in her eyes
And I know it’s all for Him
She carries on and on
Like He was her best friend

She’s in love
It’s not hard to see
But I would like to believe it was with me
Someone got a hold of her heart
And He won’t let go
And I know
She’s in love

She looks to the sky
When she talks about Him
She believes He hung the moon
Said He had to go away
She waits for His return
Says He’s coming for her soon

How can this be fair?
This guy can walk on water
Don’t guess I’ve got a prayer
He’s written love letters - to reach her

She worships the ground He walks on
She just smiles when she says His name
It’s a match made in heaven
I can’t compete with the King of kings!

Friday, March 5, 2010

Surrender

I am excited about this blog because it is simply an outpouring of all that Jesus is teaching me. All this I am learning fresh and new and want so deeply to share with you. Be encouraged, ladies, as we strive to live the set-apart life!

God calls us to live the set-apart life. He commands us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him.

This means surrender.

According to Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language, surrender means "to yield to the power of another, to resign in favor of another, as to surrender a right or privilege, to give up, to resign, as to surrender the breath." Sounds like our very lives.

Sometimes when we think of surrender we think of praying things like "O Jesus, I give you my life." This is a wonderful thing to pray, but sometimes we tend not to specify the direct areas of our lives that we must cut out in order to serve Him better, fuller, and deeper. I once read an anonymous poem portraying God speaking to His child saying,

"But this you must remember, this one thing you must know...
I cannot take your burden until you let it go."

So often we are so caught up in our many trifles and burdens. We want relief, but we don't realize that there are things we must let go. And sometimes letting go is hard.

The best thing we can do is draw a circle around ourselves. This is where you start. The things that are in the heart are what must change first. Jesus said this in Matthew 5:29 &30: "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell." Jesus, the Savior, calls for drastic measures to be taken in the process of surrender, but O the blessings flow when we do!

Christian author Leslie Ludy speaks about surrender in her books "Authentic Beauty" and "Set-Apart Femininity." I will share with you a very direct and convicting excerpt.

"If any pastime, activity, habit, relationship, or friendship in your life tends to pull you away from Christ, that's a sign that it doesn't belong in your life. What about you? Is Jesus Christ merely a part of your life? Or is He your entire life?
We each have our own sororities - dreams, activities, or pastimes that distract us from our one true Love. When Christ says, "Rise up and come away," He is asking if we are willing to walk away from those things - to leave them far behind - and ride off into the sunset in the arms of our precious Prince.
This "coming away" from the world must apply to every dimension of our lives as set-apart young women; areas such as music, entertainment, dress, and language. Take some time to think and pray through each of the following areas of your own life, allowing God's Spirit to gently reveal any worldly attitudes or patterns that need to be trans formed by His grace.

Entertainment Questions:
  • Have I been surrendering my mind and emotions to Hollywood's ungodly messages?
  • Do I watch movies and shows that glorify darkness or perversion, mock God, or make sin seem noble, even in subtle ways?
  • Do I justify my participation in Hollywood's ungodly messages? (Hint: If you catch yourself thinking things like, As long as I don't agree with the bad stuff in this movie, it's okay for me to watch it, or This movie has a good message if I just ignore the sex and profanity, or Every other Christian I know would watch this movie, and it's only rated PG-13, so it's probably fine, then it's time to let Christ reshape your standards.)
  • Do I turn to TV or movies or lean upon novels for a counterfeit version of rest, refreshment, and enjoyment instead of going to Christ for the real thing?
  • Do I allow romance novels to define my perspective on relationships or make me discontent with singleness?
  • Do I allow Christian books to take the place of really digging into God's Word?
  • Am I addicted to movies, TV shows, books, or novels? (Hint: If you are unwilling or unable to go without these things, that's a sign they have an unhealthy hold on your life.)
  • Am I willing to use the time I would normally spend being entertained by Hollywood or reading novels to further my prayer life and deepen my relationship with Christ?

Music Questions:

  • Do I listen to music that glorifies darkness or perversion, mocks God, or make sin seem noble, even in subtle ways?
  • Do I justify my participation in the ungodly messages of secular music? (Hint: If you catch yourself thinking things like, As long as I don't agree with the bad stuff in this song, it's okay for me to listen to it, then it's time to let Christ reshape your standards.)
  • Do I idolize any music artist or music group? (And remember this applies to both secular and Christian artists. At a Christian music festival Eric (Leslie's husband) and I spoke at, a Christian "guy band" emerged onto the stage amidst hysterical cheers from thousands of Christ-professing young women. After a couple of hip-swiveling tunes, the singers wiped their sweaty faces with towels and then threw them into the crowd of girls, who clawed and fought over the towels in an idol-worshipping frenzy. The irony of the whole scene was that a banner hung over the stage with the words, "A Tribute to our Creator.")
  • Am I addicted to music? (If you can't let it go, it's got an unhealthy hold on your life.)

Internet Questions:

  • Do I visit Internet sites that glorify darkness or perversion, mock God, or make sin seem noble, even in subtle ways?
  • Do I allow the Internet (Internet dating sites, chat rooms, and so forth) as a form of selfish control or manipulation in the area of guy/girl relationships?
  • Do I use sites like MySpace or Facebook to draw attention to myself, gain popularity, or be notice by the opposite sex? (Note: Having a blog or personal web page might not be harmful in itself, but be sure to examine your heart's motives and your method of presentation first. Make sure it truly brings glory to God and not merely attention to you. Also consider the kind of site you are endorsing by participating in it. Does it glorify God or glorify sin and selfishness?)
  • Am I willing to use the time I would normally spend online to further my prayer life and deepen my relationship with Christ?

Magazine Questions:

  • Do I read magazines that glorify darkness or perversion, mock God, or make sin seem noble, even in subtle ways?
  • Do I allow magazines to influence me toward materialism, idolatry, or pop-culture preoccupation?
  • Do I allow magazines to define feminine allure and make me preoccupied with my own body, my own style, and my own external beauty?
  • Am I addicted to magazines?
  • Am I willing to use the time I would normally spend reading secular magazines to further my prayer life and deepen my relationship with Christ?

Language Questions:

  • Does my daily speech reflect the holy nature of Christ?
  • Do I allow crude or coarse joking, vulgarity, or profanity to come out of my mouth?
  • Do I allow criticism, gossip, slander, or cruel words to come out of my mouth?

Are there any practical changes that Christ's Spirit is asking me to make (by His enabling grace) in these areas of my life?"*

Wow! This list was really convicting for me and I need to apply so many of these things to my life. As women seeking to be set-apart for Jesus Christ, let us take an honest and deep look at these areas of our lives, asking God to prune out anything in us that is dishonoring to Him. Let us pray with David Psalm 139:23 & 24,

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way."

Jesus calls us to surrender.

And through the joy and the pain, He is with us every step of the way.

*Set-Apart Femininity by Leslie Ludy

Monday, February 8, 2010

"Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes
All my own desires and hopes and accept Thy will for my life.
I give myself, my life, my all
Utterly to Thee to be Thine forever.
Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit
Use me as Thou wilt, send me where Thou wilt
And work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost now
and forever."

~Betty Scott Stam

Sometimes we pray a prayer, a beautiful prayer of dedication to God. We want Him to take us, to take all of us and use us for Him alone. Do you know that God hears our every prayer? And do you know that He always answers us, never according to our wisdom or planning or understanding but always according to His perfect wisdom, His perfect planning, and His perfect understanding? Be careful not to pray this prayer of Betty Scott Stam unless you really mean it. He just might take your life and use it to build a Kingdom that will not fail, to speak a Word that will not return void, and to light a flame that kindles a fire of light to a lost and dying world.

For Betty Scott Stam, it cost her her life.

The Gospel calls us to complete surrender.

Jesus gave His life.

Will you?