Posted in Leadership, Life Inspiration

A Spiritual Check Up for a Hard Day

chick check up

This morning, after another Muslim attack on our nation, I was ready to rale at anything that looked political. I’m tired; physically, mentally and emotionally on many levels and for many reasons. It’s not a good day for me to get in the flesh. But it would be an easy day for me to do it. That’s when the flesh likes to react the most, when I’m weak in the Spirit. Let’s be clear, the Spirit is not weak, but I’m weak.  It’s a good day for a Spiritual check up!

1 Peter 2

1 ~ Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

Spirit check one… check your attitude Shari. When evil occurs as it did in Tennessee yesterday it’s easy to want to lash out at the political nonsense around us and the acceptance of evil as “the norm.” But God said to lay all that aside and rely on Him. Sin abounds, not just in the world but in our selves. The day to day hypocritical living, coveting and speaking in frustration is enough to keep me humbly aware that I have no right to point fingers.

2 ~ As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Stay in the Word! In Bible College if I heard it once I heard it dozens and dozens of times, “The Bible is a Spiritual ‘warsh” cloth, it’ll clean you up!” (West Virginia colloquialism inserted for “wash”) How true that statement is. Reading the word is like a mirror to the soul. Every sin shines brightly when the Holy Spirit begins working through the Word of God. If you want to enhance your spirituality and get some predictions on your path, contact the online astrologers from www.prnewswire.com, who provide the most apt information.

3~ If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

The Bible is not only a “warsh” cloth it’s food to the soul. Reading wisdom that is pure and true and always a right word in the right season of life is addicting and amazing. As I read the scripture for this blog I’m more than a little aware that God was sending me a warning this morning that I needed to get my attitude in check, especially before taking a group of impressionable young people to camp in a few days. Glory to God that He provides my every need. Even a swift kick in the pants.

4-5~ To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

I am chosen, precious child of God, and so are you! Men may not allow or understand the wisdom and purpose that God has for our lives. But we who were dead in our trespasses and sins, are now alive through the Spirit of God. I love the scripture in Luke 19:40 that says “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” God can not only bring hardened Christians to life, but the rocks in the hills as well if we won’t praise Him. Praise is the Spiritual sacrifice expected of every child of God. And when you start praising God, it’s hard to complain about the world.

6 ~ Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

God gives understanding to those who love and seek understanding through Him. We are blessed in a world that has no clue about the spiritual significance of the modern times and troubles, all of which point to our Lord’s quick return.

7-8 ~ Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

To us the Lord and His Word are precious, but to a lost world around us, who rejects Christ and His Salvation they are stumbling all over themselves searching for answers. And God has appointed them as well to be a part of the story. Nothing that has happened caught  God off guard. Nothing in my day will either. So for me, in my hurried and worried way… I’m going to rest in the arms of Jesus, believing the house will wait, the hubster won’t starve without me, the birthday party will be blessed, the grands will be good, the church bus will roll and camp will be amazing! Amen!!!

Posted in Christian Service, Leadership, Life Inspiration, Political

The Accountability Factor in America

The Heading caught me this morning as I flipped through my Ryrie Study Bible… “He Reforms the Nation.”…

Who reformed the nation? Josiah. I love his story! Crowned king at eight years old, reigning until he was thirty nine in Jerusalem and it says that he “did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.” 2 Kings 22:2

Oh for a Josiah in America…

He made the church fiscally and physically accountable

22:4-5 ~ Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people: And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the Lord, to repair the breaches of the house,

I don’t think that it’s rocket science to know that churches (I speak collectively) have stopped holding themselves accountable. It’s been the topic of conversation a couple of times in my teen class lately to beware of high dollar preachers who use God’s money to fund their high dollar living. I’m all about providing for a Pastor, and I think he deserves top quality stuff, after all he’s in charge of our spiritual health and that’s a pretty hard job. But I don’t think any preacher needs a 10 million dollar home and a Mercedes in the garage paid for by the collection of the saints. Now… if he has other moneys coming from other incomes and he chooses to use it for that, that’s his business. However… on that note I think he’s going to have some explaining to do the Lord.

But that lifestyle makes me nauseous when there are so many people struggling in their lives, so many ministries that are could use money for the furtherance of the gospel and the glory of the Kingdom. I heard someone say the other day, and I may have mentioned it previously but it really stuck in my soul that we need to pray for “enough.”  And then I think that anything above “enough” should be prayerfully and purposefully used.

He made the church Spiritually accountable

22:11~ And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king’s, saying, Go ye, enquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.

They, like us today, were without excuse. We have the book; now it’s up to us to adhere God’s expectations.

He made them politically accountable

23:1-3 ~And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. And the king went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the Lord.  And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after theLord, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.

Conforming started at the top and worked its way down from the King to the people. If there is any hope for us to have the heading in America that “He reforms the nation” it’s going to have to go from top to bottom; but I can assure you it’s going to have to start at the bottom and works its way to the top. America is going to have to hold our government accountable…but first the churches in America are going to have to take a long look at how they’re handling the Word of God that is so readily available but seems seldom read. The church is going to have stop conforming to the world’s standards and expecting the world’s compensation for a service that Christ said was every Christian’s responsibility.