The God Who Loves The Sinner

Lately in my world there has been much talk of the love of Jesus. Many people believe that I (along with my family) are one sided and view God as a scary judge ready to pound you once you do something bad.

I am here to clear the air.

My writings are often a call to Christians to come out and be separate. Many times, they are earnest pleas and warnings to stay away from "this" or flee from "that." As a result, I have been told on more than one occasion that I am judging and hating and should talk more about the love and acceptance of God than of "blasting" worldly things.

I prefer truth.

Oh friend....if you were ever to know my heart, you would KNOW that I want to love like Jesus loves! I want to have His heart. I want to have His passion. And I want to shine Jesus! As His daughter, I desire to love what He loves and hate what He hates. As a Christian, I am to live as He would live. As His ambassador, I long to proclaim my Lord's Word. As His redeemed, I must declare that He is not willing that any should perish! As His servant, I have to warn others of sin.

Sin has already been judged. The world has already been condemned. Those who are in Christ are free from condemnation (thanks be to our awesome God!), but should we not go and tell others about the gravity of sin, the blackness of our flesh, and the amazing redeeming power and love of God??? YES! But so many think that we should only love. Love IS the key, yes, but it is also only half of the full Gospel. His Word says that if we are FRIENDS with the world, we're ENEMIES with God. That is serious!!....and yet we take that so lightly. We agree that God hates sin, but we shake our heads and say "God didn't mean that" when we read where He tells us to confront sin and call it out. But regardless of what we do or don't do, the Bible still stands as the absolute truth and authority.

His Word says to love as Jesus loves (John 13:34; John 13:35; Romans 12:10; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:9). His Word says to be kind, not repaying evil for evil (1 Thessalonians 5:15; 1 Peter 3:9; Luke 6:35; 1 Corinthians 13:4; Ephesians 4:32). His Word says to walk humbly and in love (Ephesians 5:2; Luke 6:32; Colossians 3:12).

But His Word also says to warn the wicked and unruly of their sins (Ezekiel 33; Isaiah 58:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; 1 Timothy 5:20). His Word says to repent and tell others to repent (Mark 6:12; Luke 5:22; Luke 13:3; Luke 24:47; Acts 3:19). His Word says to both encourage and correct one other (Luke 17:3; Proverbs 29:17; 2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 10:24; Galatians 6:2; 2 Timothy 4:2).

The Gospel must be lived and taught in its entirety.

All of Scripture is meant to give us a painful realization of our own wretchedness. We are supposed to read Scripture and understand that we can never fulfill the requirements of God’s law. We are supposed to feel “clobbered” by the truth of our own hopelessness.


That’s what makes the Gospel so beautiful!

God is love. We all know this. As 1 John 3:1a says, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God...." What manner of love! That WE should be called the sons of God? US??? You and me??

Paul said that he was the chief of sinners. I beg to differ. I may not have committed murder or robbery, but I was as guilty as the thief upon the cross. I deserved death. I was charged with first degree sin and the only payment was that of my own life.

......until Jesus.

When God came in flesh and died for me, He not only forgave me, but He adopted me! Being free from the death penalty would have been satisfactory, right? It would have been enough. But no, God didn't just save me, He elevated me to the highest position I could have....as His own child.

But that wasn't enough!

He then gave me a job to do. He made me, not only His child, but His ambassador. And from then until now, wherever I go and whatever I do and whatever I say, I am a Representative of Him. I am to be His mouth and proclaim the very same things Christ proclaimed. I am to be His feet and go where Jesus would go. I am to allow Him to live through me because I bear the name, the very image, the very reputation of Almighty God.

THAT'S LOVE!!!

Normally when one Christian stands up for the complete and total Gospel of Christ, the wolves come out and ferociously attack!
              
When a Christian upon the wall sees the enemy near and shouts "DANGER!!! The enemy is coming!" many times the people look up and scowl and say, "Stay out of our business!"

When a Christian sees their fellow brother and sister in the Lord engaging in harmful or sinful things, and rebukes and bring correction, many times their "thank you" is a hateful, "QUIT judging me! It's not your place to judge me!"
              
Ouch. To my complete horror, I have seen professed Christians defend the most ungodly and sinful activities and lifestyles: Prom, Harry Potter, divorce, living together before marriage, homosexuality...on and on it goes! When the people of God stand against the things of the world, they are attacked with statements like:
             
"YOU are not the judge!
              
"It is not your place to say anything negative about this!"
         
"God LOVES everyone and ALL have sinned....even you!!"                 
          
Yes indeed, even me. And because He saved me, I am His temple (and it's not to be defiled). And when He saved me, I became automatically drafted into the army of King Jesus. No, I am not the judge, but I can sure repeat what the Judge has said. I can inspect the fruit (Matthew 7:16-20). I can most certainly make "negative comments" about things that are sinful, worldly, and abominable (Titus 1:13; Titus 2:15; Jeremiah 3:12; Jeremiah 7:2; 1 Corinthians 10:14, etc, etc, etc.).

Jesus has so much love that He is not willing that any should perish. He did not come to this earth to love everyone so much that they couldn't help but get saved. He came to fulfil the law and to save sinners. The law shows us how rotten we are and how desperately we need grace and mercy. It is our condemner that says we deserve hell. Jesus came to fulfil that law and offer grace to those who 1) see their sin, 2) repent from their sin, 3) and accept the free gift of Christs' saving grace.

Do you see?? People must be shown that they are sinners. They will not see it by us simply living nice and sweet and loving. They have to, first, see a change in us. They have to see that their sin is black and evil, and separating them from God. They have to be TOLD that Jesus is the reason for the light in our eyes and the remedy for the blackness that is their sin. That is why Jesus sends us and commissions us to GO AND TELL! What do we tell? We tell them the full Gospel - "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."  (Luke 13:3)

There is no greater love then that of telling the full Gospel; The complete truth that shows you who God truly is. He is a God of love who loves us old sinners enough to become sin for us. But He is a God who demands that we repent.

The Proverbs 31 Quest || pt 2

In the last post, we learned that Miss 31 is a rare find. She is valiant and strong and worth more than precious gems. Verse eleven explores another area of Miss 31's life; her role as a wife.

Proverbs 31:11
"The heart of her husband doth
safely trust in her, so that he shall
have no need for spoil."
                  

                   

"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her...."

* Heart - thoughts; the whole inner man

* Trust - refuge; secure

What an interesting thought. The whole entirety of this husband and who he is can be safely deposited in Miss 31. His innermost thoughts are kept under lock and key. In her, he can find refuge. In our society, it is very normal for wives to spill out secrets of their marital life and literally bring their husband shame. I have heard more than one wife reveal to her friends personal issues that her husband is dealing with. I have listened as wives have put down their husbands, mocking them, and even making fun of their shortcomings. After reading Proverbs 31:11, I saw that not only did Miss 31 refuse to gossip with her friends about her husband's private affairs, she literally protected her husband as a whole. Every fear he had that she knew, she kept to herself. Every sin he struggled with, every hurt he had, and every personal issue that he dealt with was safely trusted in her. As a wife, that is both convicting and inspiring! 

"...so that he shall have no need for spoil." 

* Spoil - the goods of others

Mmmm. So we have seen that the Proverbs 31 woman is a refuge for her husband. Now we see that because she keeps her husband's private matters under lock and key, he has no need for the goods of others; he has no need for anyone else.

Thinking on this, I can recal numerous times when a wife has drug her husband and his name through the mud and as a result, he has left her for another woman who, instead, is kind and trustworthy. Because he was not safe with his wife, he had a need for "the goods of others." What a troubling thought! If we, as wives, are careless and inconsiderate of our husband's privacy, we might very well lose our marriage altogether! God, grant us wisdom.

I don't know about you, but I want to be virtuous and valiant. I want to live as a royal, redeemed gem of God should. And I want to be a secure fortress that my husband can trust and rest in, having no need of anyone or anything else.

May it be so.
           

Proverbs 31:11
"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need for spoil."

Christian Separation

Here is question every Christian should ask themselves every day:

"Am I separate from this world?"

Many have the belief that the gospel should be appealing and welcoming to everyone. Though it is most definitely welcoming (Jesus came and died for the "whosoever's"), it is not appealing. When we are told to die to self, that goes against our nature. When we are told to pick up our cross, that's downright uncomfortable! When we are told to follow Christ, it sounds awesome....but we forget that by following Him, we travel a narrow road; a less populated road; most times a lonely road.

But we are commanded to be separate.

2 Corinthians 6:17a
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord..."

I have noticed that Christian separation is becoming nearly non-existent. Instead, we try to win more people to Jesus by being cool, hip, and involved in many worldly activities and interests. We use the "love and grace" card, yet never confront sin at its core.

YES, Jesus loves you!!! YES, His grace abounds!!!! And praise our God for this fact! But He still calls us to be transformed; to totally revamp and renew our minds. He still commands us to be separate. We are to have a different way of thinking and a desire to flee everything worldly and cleave to all that is Godly and holy.

"But why not just love everyone and live our lives in love? That will show them Jesus."

Yes, that will show them one side of Jesus. But the world needs to know that though Jesus loves you, He loves you TOO MUCH for you to stay the way you are. He loves to you too much for you to look like, act like, and be like the world of sin that He saved you from.

"But why can't I look like and act like the world in order to show others that Jesus loves them and wants them?"

Zacchaeus figured it out. So did Paul. Paul was not converted by observing a Christian who lived or acted just like him. The thief on the cross was not converted by Jesus being a thief like he was. NO. Those who were converted were saved the way they were by the God who never changes. Jesus does not morph into a Gothic to reach a Gothic. No, He comes to them just the way He is and knocks on the door of their heart and asks to come in. And once He enters our hearts and minds, HE changes US! WE are the ones who should change and who should, then, be separate.

So how can we do this? How can we be separate as a Christian? Let's talk about some ways...


1) We are to be separated in our beliefs.

The heathen have their own system of beliefs. As believers, we must obey the Bible, whether it feels good or not. We must constantly be on guard against adopting worldly quotes and reasoning into our mind. We must analyze everything we hear using the Bible as our measuring stick. Carnal thinking is completely backwards from the Bible. As Christians, we need to seek the truth, asking God's Spirit to guide us.


2) We are to be separated in our lifestyles.

We should not go to taverns, nightclubs, and other heathen establishments. No Christian should ever spend a dime to go to ungodly movies or ungodly music concerts. We should not support sinful things produced by the Godless world. We are surrounded by Satan. Let us be separate in our daily lifestyles.


3) We are to be separated in our fellowship.

Christians should have little dealings with those who are openly living in sin. We should never be unkind or mean to anyone, rather we should always be loving. The Bible commands us to be blameless and harmless as believers, not rendering evil for evil. The Bible tells us to go and preach and win the world to Christ, yet there is still to be a clear separation between people of the light and people of the darkness.

  
4) We are to be separated in our conversation.

From listening to many professed Christians, you'd never know that they were a child of the Most High God. I have always been shocked and burdened when I hear a professed "Christian" use foul language or take God's name in vain (or anyone for that matter). I used to work in an establishment around many people who claimed to be Christians. I heard cursing and ungodly language by the very ones who professed Christ as their Savior. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying that they were not saved. However my point is that we are the only Jesus that someone may know. If we are worldly, others may miss Heaven because of our tarnished and "conformed" testimony. We should be very careful what we say. God tells us to "season" our words with grace (i.e., look for opportunities to include God in our conversations). Sadly, many people look for opportunities to make sexual innuendos because their mind is continually in the gutter. This should not be the testimony of a child of God. If nothing else, keep your mouth shut.

    
5) We are to be separated from the world in entertainment.

Most movies are full of complete and total ungodliness. Sexual innuendos abound. Foul language is the norm. Crude speech is labeled as funny. Fornication, adultery, homosexuality, witchcraft, and paganism is accepted. Support the movies, you support the mentality. It is no different with music. The average believer is very immature in the Lord. I can sadly say that I have only met a small handful of truly mature Christians in my life. Any music, movie, or TV show that glorifies sin is evil. And anything that has the APPEARANCE of worldliness and evil is to be fled from at all costs. (1 Thessalonians 5:22)


As a fellow sister in Christ, I am asking my brothers and sisters in the Lord to come out and be separate.

Monday Meanderings - 08/01/2011

It's August. August 1st. Christmas is in less than five months. 2012 begins exactly five months from today. Can someone please tell me how this year is flying by faster than last year???

I have a busy week ahead of me. What's it look like? I will show you.

Bible Study... Proverbs 31

Memory Verse... Proverbs 31:30
"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised."

Husband Encouragement...
♥ Encourage him in his diet
♥ Don't wear my feelings on my sleeve
♥ Pray for him more
♥ Laugh

Train Them Up...
* Continue working on rolling over (he's so close!!)
* Begin next phase of sleep training
* Begin "Church Training" (didn't get to this last week)

Personal Goals...
* Pray more
* Study early before Nathan wakes up
* Work on scrapbook
* Update Baby Book

New Habit of the Month...
* Speak gently

MUST Do...
* Arbonne
* Get Grant's suit from the cleaners
* Go to post office
* Doctor's appointment Friday morning
* Finish packing bag for camp

Zone...  the kitchen

     
FUN THINGS!
* "Back-to-School Boot Camp" this week
* Fellowshipping with friends and family
* Mrs. K's Birthday dinner Thursday night
* Get nails done Saturday afternoon

  
3 things I'm thankful for today...
1. Grant
2. AC
3. Clean clothes (in everything give thanks)

1 Corinthians 13 for Moms

We all know that 1 Corinthians 13 is called "The Love Chapter." When you really study it out, it is quite mind blowing. Patient? Kind? Doesn't envy? Doesn't brag? Doesn't think about itself? Rejoices in truth? Never fails? etc. etc. etc.

THAT'S love? Boy, have I got a lot to learn then!
 
While reading a book today, I came across a humorous, yet rather startling "revamp" of 1 Corinthians 13 and I thought I would share it with you all. It's the "Love Chapter for Moms," I guess you can say. Though it is a bit funny, it reminded me that love - God's kind of love - endures.

I can read bedtimes stories till the cow jumps over the moon and sing "Ten Little Monkeys" until I want to call the doctor - but if I don't have love, I'm as annoying as a ringing phone.

I can chase a naked toddler through the house while cooking dinner and listening to voicemail, I can fix the best cookies and Kool-Aid in the neighborhood, and I can tell a sick child's temperature with one touch of my finger, but if I don't have love, I am nothing.

Love is patient while watching and praying by the front window. Love is kind to my teenager. It does not envy the neighbor's swimming pool or their brand-new minivan, but trusts the Lord to provide every need.

Love does not brag when other parents share their disappointments and insecurities and rejoices when other families succeed.

It doesn't boast, even when I've multitasked all day long and my husband can't do more than one thing at a time.

Love is not rude when my spouse innocently asks, "What have you done today?" It is not easily angered, even when my 15-year-old acts like the world revolves around her. It is not self-righteous when I remind my 17-year-old that he is going 83 in a 55-mph-zone, rejoices in the truth.

Love trusts God to protect our children when we cannot. It perseveres through blue nail polish, messy rooms and sleepovers.

Love never fails. But where there are memories of thousands of diaper changes and painful labors, they will fade away. But when we get to heaven, our imperfect parenting will dissappear. (Thank You, God.)

When we were children, we needed a parent to love and protect us. Now that we are parents ourselves, we have a heavenly Father who adores, shelters, and holds us when we need to cry.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Deer Wraps

Okay, so Grant and I are on a diet. He is doing Weight Watchers. I am counting calories. I have lost 3 lbs this week. He has lost....actually, I don't know how much he has lost. Maybe I should suggest we compete on who looses the most, yes? :)

So anyway, doing the diet thing is always (and I repeat - ALWAYS) absolutely horrific for anyone who enjoys food....like me....and Grant....and anyone normal. But it hasn't been so bad for me. ESPECIALLY when you have the delicious dinner we had last night.

I was hungry for deer meat and we have a bunch in our freezer. I always cook it the same way. Fried, with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and biscuits on the side. Incredibly yummy....and incredibly fattening. So I got out of my box and did something new and at the end of the night, I was proud of myself. While the deer meat was thawing, I kept thinking, "What can I do with this that will be good for us both?" And BING! The light came on and I made Deer wraps (or Venison wraps for you northerners). Grant and I both love grilled chicken wraps, so I used the same concept, and....it....was....awesome! Want the recipe? Of course you do!

Ingredients:

6 pieces of deer meat
1 Tbls of Garlic
2 Tbls of Salt
1 Tbls Pepper
1 tsp Onion powder
1 tsp Oregano
1 1/2 cup of Italian dressing
1 half of a bell pepper
1 tomato
1 half of an onion
4 flour Tortillas

Directions:
First, tenderize your deer meat then cut your meat into long, thin pieces. Then let marinate in 1 cup of Italian dressing with garlic, salt, pepper, onion powder and oregano. Prepare grill (I used our little George Forman). While grill is warming up, take your tomato, onion, and bell pepper and cut long-wise into slices. When grill is ready, cook your deer meat until fully done. While meat is cooking, warm your tortillas. Pour remaining 1/2 cup of Italian dressing in with chopped veggies. When ready, spoon veggies into the tortilla and add deer meat.

YUM!

** Variation **  If you don't want to grill your meat but would rather fry your pieces, then marinate your meat in Italian dressing alone, then roll in 2 cups of flour and your seasonings. Then fry on medium heat. Also, delish!

He Will Be Faithful To You

Four years ago, today, my grandfather (whom I affectionately called PaJim) went home to Jesus. It's hard to believe it's been four years. Sometimes it seems much longer. Anyone who truly knows me and my family can tell how much we miss him and long to see him again. He was a great and steady man of God who could speak words so simple, yet so profound. For example, he would often say "Just do right." Simple enough, right? No, it isn't always so simple to just do right, all the time. One of my favorite sayings he had was, "God is big....and He's good." Have we ever truly grasped that?? That God is BIG and what's more - He's good!

Thinking of him, months ago, I tried to write a song. I began with:

An old man lying in a hospital bed,
His family gathered in the room.
The clouds have never looked so grey,
Even with Heaven minutes away
With teary eyes, they say goodbye...

The writing stopped there, unfortunately. But a few weeks ago, Grant was pickin' around on his guitar in our living room and I had been hitting my head on the wall due to writer's block. I was desperately trying to write this song but the words wouldn't come and my tunes were....shall we say....lame. But as Grant began strumming a tune, my ears perked up and I ran for my notepad. In less than 30 minutes, we had written our first song together.

Simply put. God is faithful. We often forget that. It is very hard to see at times when things are at its worst or when life is hard and trying.

When I was single and trying to wait patiently on God's timing for romance, even when I was sick to death of the sarcastic and derogatory remarks, I had to remember - He is faithful. And looking back now, after one year and three months of marriage, I can say even louder, "YES, He is faithful."

When we were experiencing the decline of health in my grandfather four years ago, watching him slowly fade away, it was hard to keep in our minds that God is still faithful. But He was. He always has been. And He still is.

Different people have different situations that are difficult and painful....

A young mom of two in a little old shack
Trying to keep the faith
Working to make her house a home
Even though she's all alone
She don't understand, she can't see God's plan...

A man and wife with mouths to feed
And a stack of bills to pay
He's out looking for a job or two
Anything that'll get them through
Trying to believe, they get on their knees...

But no matter what you're situation is, we MUST remember that our Father in Heaven, our Savior, King, and Lord is faithful. So remember.....

When you're face-to-face with mountains
That seem impossible to move
When you're on one side of Jordan
Watching the ones you love pass through
When you're tired and weak and weary
And you don't know what to do
Oh REMEMBER He will be....FAITHFUL to you

           
Hebrews 10:23
"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)"
                    
1 Thessalonians 5:24
"Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."
        
2 Timothy 2:13
"If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself."