Posted in Bible Journaling, Life Inspiration

Who Do You Think You’re Foolin’

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1 Corinthians 3:1

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

Apostle Paul is obviously speaking to saints, because he calls them brethren. He’s not speaking to the heathen in the jailhouse, or the unsaved adulterer but rather children of God.

Those who he had to preach to in a childlike manner, feeding them on the milk of the word, rather than the meat, because they couldn’t take it.

I think we may have caught our Pastor off guard when he came to Victory Baptist Church because we’re the type of congregation that don’t feel like we’ve been to church unless we leave with sore feet. And the harder a preacher preaches at us, the more excited we get. Because we were raised on meat.

This is an area of the country that can certainly understand that, especially this time of the year. My husband has been getting ready for deer season since the last day of last deer season.

Now, I personally am not a fan of meat, in the literal sense, but in the spiritual sense I love a preacher like Paul that jerks a knot in me if I get out of line. What got me to thinking about this was a little girl in our church who handed me her heart yesterday evening as I left church in the form of a note.

I was tired and kind of out of it, so I stuck it down in- my bag and told her I’d check it out as soon as I got home and put it on the fridge.

Well she didn’t want me to put it on the fridge, she wanted me to take action with it, which was evident by her face when I thought back about her asking me if I’d looked at it yet.

When I finally got home and pulled it out of my bag the front of the note said “Shari Johnson, you are incredible!”

Obviously not, or I would have looked at her note at the church.

But the inside of the note said this:

Dear Shari,

I have one request for a lesson on Wednesday, I would like it to be called, “The road less traveled” It’s about hot the path of sin brings only temporary joy, and how the path of Christ brings everlasting joy.

Love, Brylee

Brylee is 11 or 12, going on 32 spiritually. And she is the product of children being brought up by parents who teach their children, not only right from wrong, but the difference between carnal and spiritual.

Brylee knows that spiritual maturity separates the silly from the saints.

Paul wrote a note to Timothy in 2nd Timothy 3:6 and told him For of this sort are they which creep into house, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, lead away with divers lusts.

What sort was that?

3:2-5 ~

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

That’s a whole list of types of people we should avoid.

So lets just take it one verse at a time.

Have you ever seen a time when people were any more self-centered and arrogant? Children who control parents and parents who are unthankful and unholy without regard for anything God or church related. I don’t remember a time when we were growing up that any kind of school function was held on Sunday. Now, that seems to be a day of preference.

These same parents who say they love their children with all their hearts and will do anything for them are raising them without God. I don’t question their love. I really don’t. I question who’s in charge of who? And how do we help them to realize that the very One who created those children they love, and are in charge of their destiny, needs some recognition in the family.

But it’s not just about raising children, it’s about raising us. We’ve become a generation who embraces what the world says is okay, and doesn’t back it up with Bible.

Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

Whether or not the world says its okay, the bible says that homosexuality is wrong. Breaking a promise is still wrong according to the Bible.  Lying is still wrong. Incontinent (which doesn’t only mean not being able to control your bladder) but it also means not being able to control yourself.  And one that really struck a chord with me this morning, despisers of those that are good. The world resents Christians who are trying to live right, because it makes them feel wrong.

And Paul is telling Timothy that he and his people need to avoid people like that. It’s not that we shouldn’t be kind to them, let them see Jesus in our lives, but when it comes to those people who are tearing us down spiritually, we need to avoid them like the plague.

Verse 5 says From such turn away.

That’s easier said than done sometimes. Sometimes those people are people that we genuinely love. But the problem is, if you hang out with sin, it usually gets on you.

Brylee’s bible journaling art and thought was that sin brings temporary joy. Only the joy that comes from serving Christ will last eternally. This babe in Christ, knows what many adults are clueless to. At her tender age she’s separating herself from the things of the world.

That looks different sometimes at the age of 12 and the age of 56.

For me, separating myself from the world is a little easier because I’m not in the world as much as I used to be when I was in the workforce. But truthfully, when I was in the workforce, I made it a point to show the world I was different. I carried my bible to work. I read it on my lunch break. I had prayer with people that came into my office. I let the world around me know, I wasn’t a silly woman. I was saved by Grace and proud of that accomplishment of Christ, not me.

I was not sinless. But I was aware that I sinned.

I avoided people, and still do, who drag me down spiritually. I don’t hang out with liberals. I’m not going to change their mind, and they aren’t going to change mine. So rather than be frustrated – I’m friendly, but we are not besties.

I can feel the frustration in Paul’s voice as he tells the saints of God, I can’t even have a spiritual conversation with you. I can feel it because I’ve felt it in many Christians today who have allowed themselves to get wrapped up in this world and not wrapped up in the word of God.

I’ve been guilty of it. But we have to try harder ever day to stay away from those that Paul told us to avoid. And we can do that by hanging out more together. The world needs to see us in the public eye being open to the ways of God.

When we dine out… may prayer a big deal.

When you meet a Christian friend, encourage them in their faith, have prayer with them, show them what joy they bring!

You’ve brought joy to me, just by being on line today, or watching me later.  God bless! And I hope that you have a non-manic Monday!

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Leadership, Life Inspiration

Growing Up God’s Way

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:11

At what point does one officially grow up? And are there areas in your life where’s it okay to never grow up? I have questions this morning. Lots of them! My cousin and friend Erin, is speaking tonight on whether or not smart phones have destroyed a generation, and that put my mind on a path to yesterday and what it was that brought me to where I am. Although I was born in the era of hippies and free love, that era didn’t really have too much of an effect on me because of the rurality of where I lived. Yes, the movement was in West Virginia, but not so much in my world. And I certainly didn’t have the exposure to media as the youth today. So what we seen of it was what actually came into our home, via other family members living the life of that era or television; which was limited to 3 channels and only two could be viewed clearly unless someone turned the antenna. Something youth of today cannot even fathom; they have the world at their fingertips, literally!

I had the world of imagination, (the dreamer) which even today gets me into some trouble. It takes my mind on journeys and often puts me in the place of want rather than the place of need. Want being flesh lead, need being Spirit lead. I think that is the difference between where we should grow up, and where we should stay as a child. My spiritual life has always been quite the journey and as much as I try to stay on task… I struggle.

I want to glorify God… but not always in submission to Him. Sometimes I think I have some pretty cool ideas. And God says… “Nope. Not gonna happen.”

Growing up is Good

I think of Apostle Paul, much like my husband David. David is a man of action. He is a “get’r done” kind of guy about the things he is passionate about. Mostly work and rescue. He’s passionate about those two things. He’s very adult about them. There’s no time to horse around. Apostle Paul was very passionate about his work as well. It’s what lead him to persecute the Christians and what drove him when he discovered Jesus as LORD.  It obviously worked for him, look at the impact he has had on eternity.

Growing up is good and necessary in the work of the Lord.

Childishness Has Its Place Too!

Jesus said, in Matthew 18:4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Which leads me to believe there are areas in our lives where it’s okay to not grow up.

Being spiritually lead is getting back into the mode of childhood. It’s there that we learn to listen, be okay with being awkward, dream the dreams that God calls vision and above all let Him take us by the hand and lead.

Like a child I often run ahead of God’s plan and timing and He stops, waits patiently for me to return, and we start the journey again. I’m grateful for grace… I have needed so much lately…

Questions to ponder:

What areas in your life do you feel you’re growing up nicely?

Where have you grown up too much?

Where do you feel God leading that you have either ran ahead, or are lagging behind?

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.