Elyse Fitzpatrick Coming to Speak

Elyse Fitzpatrick is coming to speak at a conference in Port Orchard, WA. Anyone interested in going? This website has more information:

http://www.northwestwomensconference.org/?nc=1228161551073

From the website:

Women Discipling Women: Am I My Sister's Keeper?The hustle and bustle of our lives have formed a disturbing alliance with the belief in our individualism resulting in a disconnect among people in God's very instrument for fellowship, caring and growth: the church. An overview of godly relationships among women in the body including mentoring, forgiveness, and accountability will be presented and practical encouragement to become Women Helping Women will be given.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

Schedule
Friday, January 30th
5:30-6:30pm Registration (Book Store Open)
6:30-8:10 Main Session #1
8:10-9:00 Dessert Reception (Book Store Open)

Saturday, January 31st
8:30-9:15am Registration Continental Breakfast
9:30-11:00 Main Session #2
11:00-12:45 Lunch (off-site)
1:00-2:00 Main Session #3
2:00-3:00 Book Store Open (Book Signing)

(Register Before Dec. 10th and it's $25. Hotel Specials are available for around $75 for a double room.)

Dead Weight

“Nearly half of the people responding to an online survey about obesity said they would give up a year of their life rather than be fat, according to a study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale. The 4,000 respondents in varying numbers between 15% and 30% also said they would rather walk away from their marriage, give up the possibility of having children, be depressed, or become alcoholic rather than be obese. Five percent and four percent, respectively, said they would rather lose a limb or be blind than be overweight.”—Yale University Office of Public Affairs article found here: http://opa.yale.edu/news/article.aspx?id=1787

Is it just me, or is that is crazy?!

All of us know what the world thinks of being overweight. My problem has always been drowning out the voices of the world in favor of hearing and heeding God’s voice on this issue in my life. I know it is not a sin to be overweight. However, in my case, being overweight is symptomatic of sins in my life. In the course of my life, I have indulged in the pleasure of food without regard to the effects of this indulgence on my body. I have been an idolater by seeking comfort or fulfillment apart from God. I have been a coveter and regularly thought “if only I was as thin or as pretty or as disciplined as she is!” I have been lazy and have avoided exercise. I have been selfish in my indulgence and laziness—not caring that my body belongs to my God for worship and to my husband to enjoy, not caring that being overweight effects my energy and physical strength to serve God and others. I have been a bad steward of my health, which is a gift God has given me. I have been greedy with eating poorly, with not making time to exercise, and with buying things to make me feel better about being overweight. I have been deceptive in trying to hide my humiliating sin.

Rather than listening to God’s truth, I have listened to Satan lies—“You’re not an athlete, you can’t do that,” “You can’t change, that’s just the way you are,” “You are disgusting and worthless,” “Your husband will never really love you until you lose weight,” “You’re not that overweight,” “There are worse sins” I know these are lies because Philippians 4:13 tells me “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” As the Lord told said to Abraham in regard to blessing him with a child in old age, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” I know that God does not tell me that I am disgusting or worthless. Rather than turning away from me in disgust, while I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me! Romans 5:8 says “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I know that my husband loves me because Christ first loved Him. I John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us.” I know that I underestimate my sinfulness and that my heart is deceitful and my sin is deceitful. Jeremiah 17:9 says,“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” and Hebrews 3:13 says “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today', that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” I know that sin is sin—there are no gradations. As a sinner, I have fallen short of the glory of God according to Romans 3:23. The wages of sin is death. The wages of my sin is death, and Jesus paid that costly price for me. I am grateful to serve a God who redeems, who does not leave me on my own, who changes me, who loves me, and who speaks truth to me in His Word.

God has been growing me in conviction and repentance in this area of my life for the past couple years. My walk through this repentance has been slow, but God has been patiently and gradually changing my heart to bring it more inline with His. I know that in order to get my body to a healthy state, I will need to take restorative measures in the areas of diet and exercise. My cousin, who is gifted in the area of fitness and shepherding, has graciously agreed to help me with a training plan. I want to be pure in my motives for this.

Here are some ungodly motives I must take to the Lord and fight by the Spirit to resist:

1) Buying the lie of the world that being thin is a virtue or would make me more valuable. (This contrasts with Proverbs 31:31 “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised,” and 1 Peter 3:3-6 “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.”)

2) Wanting the admiration of the world for my own glory and pride (In contrast to: Proverbs 25:27 “It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory,” Isaiah 42: 8 “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols,” Romans 11:36 “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”)

3) Idolatry—because losing weight or being attractive has somehow become an end in itself and not a means to glorify God (in contrast to Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.”)

4) Works-based theology—thinking I can merit God’s favor by improving in this area of life or thinking that God can love me more or less depending on my success or failure in this area. Romans 3:21-26 “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 5: 15 “But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.” Romans 8:1-4 "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 11:6 “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.” Galatians 3: 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham 'believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness'? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.”

5) Worldly Sorrow—because I am sad for worldly reasons (i.e. because I do not feel pretty or admired, because I want to fit in, etc.), not for godly reasons like the fact that I am not loving God and not loving people in this area of my life. 2 Cor 7: “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

Here are some motives that I desire to have:

1) Loving God and loving people—Luke 10:27 “And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’” Proverbs 23:20-21 “Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat,21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.” Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

2) Living in freedom instead of bondage to sin—Galatians 5:1 “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. 13 ‘Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food’—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” Romans 6: 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

3) Not allowing weight issues to distract me from savoring God and blessing people--Hebrews 12:1 ”Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

4) Helping and loving my husband by making myself attractive for him and by keeping myself strong and healthy to be his helpmate in life. Genesis 2:18 "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’” Proverbs 31:10-13 “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. 13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.” Proverbs 31:17 “She dresses herself with strengthand makes her arms strong.” Song of Solomon 4:9-12 “You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. 10 How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine,and the fragrance of your oils than any spice! 11 Your lips drip nectar, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue; the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon. 12 A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed.” Song of Solomon 7:10 “I am my beloved's, and his desire is for me.” Proverbs 5:18-19 “Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, 19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.” 1 Cor 7:4 "For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does."

5) Imaging God and the Gospel and reflecting order and beauty because God is a God of order and beauty. Revelations 21:1 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Psalm 96:6 “Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.” 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

6) Exercising faith in God and His ability to change and redeem me. Matthew 21:22 “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” Ephesians 6:16 “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” James 1: 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

More resources on this topic:

My friend, Crystal, gave a very helpful talk on the issue of gluttony and body image and it can be downloaded here: http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/christian-womanhood-/gluttony

Books that I have found to be helpful on this topic:

The Bible

"Thin Within" by Judy and Arthur Halliday

"Love to Eat, Hate to Eat: Breaking the Bondage of Destructive Eating Habits" by Elyse Fitzpatrick.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for not leaving me as I am. Thank you that I am yours and that you have already forgiven and paid for all of my sin. Thank you that I cannot make you love me more or less because you already love me infinitely and unconditionally. Thank you that you are all powerful and nothing is too hard for you. I confess I have so many bad and worldly motives in my heart when it comes to weight loss. Please forgive me and change my heart. Replace the worldly motives with biblical ones. Fill my heart with love so that I would always be motivated by love for you and others in this. I confess that this is an area of my life in which I struggle with doubt and despair. Please fill me with faith and hope instead. Thank you so much for my cousin who loves you and who is lovingly exercising the gifts you have given in order to help me. I pray that you would bless him for it! Please help me be faithful to you in all things. Fill me with your Spirit. Holy Spirit, please enable me. You are my only hope. I am so dependent on you!! Holy Lord, may you get all the glory in my life and in this journey you have placed me on. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Walking in the Light

We live in a world where people airbrush, spin, whitewash, sanitize, market, strategize, cover up, etc. Why? We live in a world where image and accolades are everything. We want recognition. We want to be adored…..

…I want recognition. I want to be adored. I want people to think well of me. I want glory. I want praise.

Praise and glory do not rightfully belong to me. All praise and glory belong to my God. He alone is worthy. He alone is sincere and righteous and pure in His own right. I am clean, but not because I have done anything righteous or pure. I am only clean because He cleansed me. He took me while I was stained and marred by sin. He took me knowing my sin (my nature, my inclinations, my actions—past, present, and future) and He paid the price for all of it. He cleansed me from the filth of it, it so that I can be pure in His sight and so that I can have peace and relationship with the One who is Pure, Holy, Righteous, and True. He is even doing the work in me to transform me into the image of Jesus the Perfect One so that I not only get “counted righteous” through Jesus’ work, but I get to experience redemption, restoration, and freedom from the sin that burdens me through the process of sanctification (shedding of sin and putting on of Christ-likeness). This is a process that God does in me, that happens gradually over a Christian’s lifetime, and that is incomplete in this lifetime. We get to experience complete freedom from sinfulness on the day that we are finally with Him in glory! What wonderful news!!!

Why then do I still want to look good in the eyes of others? Why then do I mourn damage to my reputation? Why then do I want to be liked and admired—not just so that others would see Christ in me, but so that they would see ME? This is so wrong!

Proverbs 25:27 “It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory.”

Isaiah 42: 8 “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.”

Romans 11:36 “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

Furthermore, when God is glorified, I have joy, peace, and hope!

Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

1 Peter 1: 3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

Since I want to seek His glory and not my own, it is important that I walk in the light (i.e. that I am real, sincere, and honest with God, myself, and with others rather than trying to look like someone I am not). Here are just some reasons I ought to walk in the light:

1) God commands it (see all the Scriptures below).

2) So that others might see God’s workmanship and goodness in my life despite me, and that this would cause them to give glory where it is rightfully due--to God and not to me….

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

2 Cor 4:7 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”

3) So that others might believe in God because of the testimony of what He has done in my life, and so that others would be encouraged that there is hope in Him for them too...

1 Timothy 1:15-17 “15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

2 Cor 1: 3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

4) So that I would not be a stumbling block in causing despair in a brother or sister in Christ who sees a false façade of self-righteousness in me while they struggle secretly with their own sin….

Romans 14: 13 ” … but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.”

John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

Matthew 18:1-5 "At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, 'Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.5 Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.' 7 'Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!’”

5) To experience forgiveness and freedom in Christ….

1 John 1: 5-10 “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

6) To be aware of and to acknowledge my utter dependence on Him…

2 Cor 12:9-10 “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

7) To remain humble, submissive, and ready to receive God’s grace…

James 4:1-9 “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

8) So that others in the body can help me (and I in turn can help them as they are honest with me about where they need help)…

James 5:13-18 “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 7 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.”

1 Peter 4:10 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.”

1 Cor 12:4-7 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

9) To expose myself (motives and actions) in such a way as to enable godly brothers and sisters to speak into my life with truth as they can sometimes see what my deceitful heart refuses to see…

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

Proverbs 27:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.”

10) So that I do not get puffed up or fall into thinking that I have reason to boast in anything but the Lord…

Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

11) So that I would not find my worth in the accolades of the world, but rather in the fact that I am a daughter of the Most High...

Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Matthew 10: 29-31 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Romans 8:14-17 “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

12) So that I would worship no other God but the One True God (not myself, not my accomplishments, nor any other thing)...

Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.”

Dear Heavenly Father,

Please forgive me for all the ways I try to steal your glory by desiring affirmation from the world rather than from you! Forgive me for wanting to hide my sin like Adam and Eve rather than to come into the light and receive your forgiveness and restoration and to show others how gracious you are to someone like me. Help me to walk in the light. May you ever get the glory in my life as you enable me to walk in the light. May my life be an encouragement to others because of what you have done for me and what you can do for them. I love you Lord. I thank you that in your glory I get joy, peace, and hope. I thank you that the more you are glorified, the more we get to experience joy, peace, and hope. Be glorified in our lives. Help us to be real with one another—Christians and non-Christians alike. May we always be led by your Spirit in what we share with others. May your Spirit produce sincerity in us. May your Spirit produce real and sincere fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control and the like. Help us to stop trying to fake it. In Jesus’ Glorious Name, Amen.

This one's for you, Em!

I made one of the meal suggestions--chicken pot pie! I used chicken breast and frozen veggies from our freezer and spices I already had. I had made homemade chicken stock from the rotisserie chicken I used the other day for our "easy tortilla soup". The only ingredient I bought was the puff pastry crust. I found the ramikins on super sale. I also made the pumpkin bread from the Trader Joe's mix that was in our pantry. Kristian liked the pot pie and the pumpkin bread. Yay!

Inspired by the Sermon

This year, the Lord has been teaching me much about what it means to be the Body of Christ. This is one of the passages through which He has been doing this in my heart:

Ephesians 1:15-23 “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

God further used this Sunday’s sermon to develop what He is teaching me: http://www.gracepugetsound.com/sermons/Golike11-16-08.mp3

As our pastor, Scott Golike, pointed out, God’s people are God’s glorious inheritance! You and I are God’s glorious inheritance.

Here is a segment from the sermon: “Everything God has done in creating and bringing to pass in this history that you and I are part of has been for the purpose of redeeming a people for Himself. He loves and values it so much that it is His glorious inheritance the riches of which just in His mind overflow! God wants you to feel the way He feels about His inheritance. That is why Paul is praying over and over and over again that our eyes would be opened to see this and to know this and to get this!... I want us to have as a unifying understanding in principle…we’re not calling you just to come to the service faithfully. We’re not calling you just to help us make the program good and successful and just asking you to see if we can get more people to come. That is such a pathetic vision! We’re asking you to so value the Body of Christ that it shows up in your life, it shows up in your priorities, it shows up in your decisions, in what you do with your time and your money…do you love the Bride of Jesus, so that it is not words or talk…do you love His Bride?...[The church] is rich and glorious to God my Father and Jesus my King, therefore it will be rich and glorious to me.”

Pastor Scott then took us to Ephesians 5 to give us the image of the Church as the precious bride of Christ!

Ephesians 5:25-33 “25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.; 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

He also directed us to Paul’s words to the Ephesian elders:

Acts 20:28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Jesus paid for the Church with His precious blood. His Church is that important to Him!

This morning I was reading in 1 Corinthians 12: 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

All Christians are part of the Body of Christ, regardless of what local expression of the Body we call our church home. We are all united to Christ and to each other. We cannot cut ourselves off from one another without cutting ourselves off from Christ Himself. I wonder if we really, truly considered and believed what the Bible says of the Body of Christ whether that would change the we treat our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ—whether or not we go to the same church, agree with their theology, or have a natural affinity for them. How would it change the way that we are toward people who are part of the local body we call our church home? How would it change the way that we love sacrificially and without an agenda, the way that we pursue each other, the way that we don’t give up on each other even when things become inconvenient for us, the way that we forgive one another, the way that we serve one another, the way that we get to know one another, and the way that we allow others to get to know us with humility and transparency so that the glory of God may shine through our vessels of clay?

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for teaching me more and more what it means to be the Body of Christ. Thank you that I get to be a part of it. Help me to treasure it as you do and may that affect everything I do. May I treat all of my brothers and sisters in Christ as the very ones purchased by Jesus’ blood and who are counted His glorious inheritance! Help me to love more with all sincerity and truth. Help me to earnestly forgive and be gracious and merciful. Help me to seek out ways to serve and love sacrificially by your Spirit. Help me to speak truthfully with kindness in a way that imparts grace to the hearer and in a way that is obedient to you. I thank you for making me part of your glorious inheritance—not because I am good, but because you are good and I am yours by your work. Help me to be real, humble, and honest so that the world would see how great you are and how marvelous are the deeds you have done for me (even though I was poor, wretched, naked, and blind apart from you) so that they too may have hope in you! Give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of you, that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened, that we may know what is the hope to which you have called us—the riches of your glorious inheritance in your people and the immeasurable greatness of your power toward us who believe! Thank you. We love you. In Jesus Name, Amen

Blessed By Friends

Today was such a wonderful day. My friends Emilie, Nora, and Jentry came over with their sweet kids. We had a delicious "easy tortilla soup" from our friend Jessie's blog http://jessieheaviland.blogspot.com/. It was a lot of fun to have a girls' lunch with the moms and to hang out with the kids. I got to hold all the cute babies (6 mo twin girls Brynn and Chloe and newborn boy Emerson). I got to play with Charlie who is so fun and has so much personality. Then, Emilie and Jentry went through my pantry and freezer and helped me plan 12 menu items from ingredients we already have! What a service that was to me! I am amazed by their resourcefulness and culinary talents. This will save us a lot on groceries for probably two weeks or more! Thank you ladies!

Here's a rough version of the Tortilla Soup recipe:

Chicken Taco Soup

1 box of chicken broth (or homemade)
Cumin to taste (I used a lot)
Salt and pepper
Chicken shredded (I used rotisserie)
1 jar green salsa mild or medium
1 green onion chopped finely
Couple cans of beans--any kind

Bring to boil.  Add freshly chopped cilantro at the end if you'd like.  Serve with (or without) sour cream and tortilla chips. (I ate mine without).  I would think you could also add rice if you wanted.  Yum!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the blessing of friends in my life. Thank you for the love you show me through them. Thank you for the help you give me through friends--especially in areas where I am naturally weak. Thank you for their willing hearts to serve and to love. Thank you for their fellowship. Thank you for the laughter and good conversations. Thank you for the sweet little ones who bring us such joy. I pray for your blessings on these friends in all the areas of their lives. I pray for your blessings on these little ones--may they grow to know and love you! Help me to be a good friend and please show me ways to bless them too. I pray all of this in Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

The Joy of the Lord

In the past few days, God has been teaching me this simple truth--He wants me to enjoy Him. I wonder if this might be the biggest thing He wants from me? I wonder if joy in the beloved is the pinnacle of love? Out of enjoying Him flows faith/trust, hope, obedience, thanksgiving, love for others, etc. The more I know about God (primarily through His Word), the more I realize how enjoyable He is and how He does satisfy me like no one and nothing else (including my sin)! I don't mean this in a trite way, that is I don't mean this in a way that does not acknowledge the real pain of this life. Today I listened to the testimony of a beautiful woman of God. I have not known her long and I do not know her well, but upon meeting her, I immediately noted that she has a quiet, sincere, deep-rooted love and joy that simply radiates from her. Today I was very surprised and saddened to hear that she lost her husband to a horrible and sudden bout of cancer some years ago. She is a widow and single mom. If anyone ought to be bitter or angry or incapacitated by grief, I would think it would be a woman who lost the love of her life to a painful and devastating disease and was consequently left to raise her children alone. Yet, this woman is anything but bitter, angry or incapacitated. Hearing her testimony just reminded me of how great God is. His greatness is greater than the devastation of the deepest heartache this world can bring. This is the only reason this woman could have a real (i.e. not fake, not conjured, not a facade) kind of joy, love, and peace that truly eminates from her. This woman knows what it is to be satisfied by God with a joy that supercedes circumstances, and I think this is because she has tasted that God is truly good:

Philippians4:4-7 "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

God wants joy for us! Our deepest joy is found in Him. Now that IS a light burden!

Matthew 11:28-29 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls"

I love this account from the book of Nehemiah. See how good God is, that He is glorified in the rejoicing of His people!:

Nehemiah 8:1-12 "And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel. 2So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 4And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. 5And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. 6And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. 8They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
9And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." 11So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved." 12And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them."

Dear Heavenly Father, Please help us to know you more, so that we can enjoy you more! Give us an ever-increasing hunger for your Word because it is how we can know you and your glorious character! Open our eyes to see you! Thank you for revealing yourself to be utterly enjoyable in a way that supercedes circumstances. Thank you that you want joy for us! What a Loving, Kind and Gracious God you are! In Jesus Name, Amen

Power

Other than my husband, Kristian, John Piper is probably the theologian/pastor who has had the biggest influence in my faith and theology in the last couple of years. I am pretty sure that John Piper has been the most influencial theologian/pastor in my husband’s life in the last couple of years as well. Here’s a great Piper quote from a sermon I listened to today:

“My authority is nothing, except in so far as it accords with The Book (the Bible), and that’s why you must measure it that way. I want us to be a church-- in the pulpit, in our songs, in our prayers, in our small groups, in our meetings, in our conferences-- that are not only in a vague way based upon the Bible—which everybody says they are—but explicitly visually, verbally, manifestly saturated with the Bible because there is the authority, the power, the life. Human words accomplish nothing if they are not clearly echoing God’s Truth. He has the power, we don’t.”

Amen!

My words in this blog are nothing apart from God's Word. God’s Word is everything. It has the power to change lives by revealing the glory of God to the hearts of men!

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 "Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, '“Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

Excellent Sermon on a Wife's Submission

If any of you, like me, are trying to figure out what it means for wives to submit to their husband, I highly recommend this excellent sermon by Wayne Grudem on 1 Peter 3:1-6:

http://www.scottsdalebible.com/sermons/the-actions-of-gods-people/gods-wisdom-for-wives.cfm

(I had trouble with the video, so I downloaded it from iTunes:
http://www.scottsdalebible.com/Main_Downloads_Sermons.cfm)

I listened to it twice. I loved it because: 1) it was practical; 2) it addressed common questions and misunderstandings about submission; 3) it tied the concept of submission to the Trinity and the glory of God!

Here is an outline of the sermon (my notes in parenthesis):

1. What if you are not a wife? (1 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. I think anyone would find this sermon to be helpful—husbands, wives, or unmarried folks--because it ultimately points to the glory of God)

2. Does this ancient text still apply today? (Yes! “There are some physical actions with symbolic meaning that change their application from culture to culture” i.e. kissing one another with a brotherly kiss, washing people’s feet, etc. Also, there are some things that were written in the Old Testament that pertained to the Jews and the Bible makes that clear. However, Biblical principles certainly pertain to us today! Some of the methods of application of these principles vary by culture because the significance of the physical actions vary by culture--ie meeting each other with a brotherly kiss means something different in our culture than it did back then, but the principle is hospitality and kindness. Today a brotherly kiss might look more like a hug or a warm handshake. The concept of submission is a principle, not an application).

I. What submission does NOT mean:

A. Your husband is smarter or wiser.
B. Your opinions don’t matter.
C. You should follow your husband into sin. (i.e. Esther who disobeyed her husband and king)
D. You are less valuable than your husband.
E. It’s OK for husbands to be selfish or cruel.

II. What submission DOES mean:

A. An inward gentleness of spirit that supports the leadership of your husband.
B. An imitation of both Sarah and Jesus.
C. An attitude that is precious in God’s sight.

III. The blessings that God promises

A. Salvation of some unbelieving husbands.
B. The joy of having inward beauty and peace.
C. The freedom from focusing on external beauty.
D. Knowing the favor of God on your life.

Other insights from this sermon:

Affirming someone else’s leadership is a natural part of life—we see this in the workplace all the time.

The barrier to submission is fear…not fearing comes from trusting in God, from a quiet confidence in God.

“Submission is an attitude that is precious in God’s sight. Do you hear the amazing promise of this verse? It says when you have a gentle and quiet spirit in your marriage—not contentions, not striving or shrill or harsh, not always fighting against your husband’s leadership, when you have a peace within that comes from walking with God and trusting in Him to protect you, God looks at your heart and takes great delight." GOD actually delights in our submission!!!

“Jesus is behind all submission to authority everywhere in the Bible because Jesus is not only fully man, He is also the Eternal Son of God who is equal to the Father in deity but eternally subject to God the Father in relationship.” 1 Cor 11:3 tells us that the head of Christ is God the Father.

“Submission and authority have existed eternally in the very being of God!...Wives, that means that when you submit to your husband’s authority, you are acting in imitation of God the Son and the glory of God the Son…it’s not demeaning, it’s not wrong… the glory of God the Son is that He submits eternally to His Father to whom He is equal in deity and value and every other way, except they are different in role.”

"You know what else this means? Wives if this is hard for you, you can talk to Jesus about it. Hebrews 4:15-16 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Here are the sermon notes: http://www.scottsdalebible.com/docs/ppt/Inserts101908.pdf

Exposed

I’m a big picture person. I’m an ideas person. That is why this verse terrifies me:

James 1:22-25 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

It is much easier for me to study what the Word of God says than it is to do what the Word of God says. In my last post, I laid out what God taught me about being my husband’s helpmate and about God’s call for me to submit to my husband. Early on in our marriage, I asked my husband what are the ways I could best serve him (he has asked the same of me). He told me that I could be helpful to him by: 1) tending to my health and appearance; 2) keeping our home orderly; and 3) being a good steward with spending money.

I should not have been too surprised. After all, I read Shaunti Feldhahn’s book, “For Women Only”. Apparently these areas are important to many men.

These are my weakest areas.

I used to wonder, “Lord, why would you choose me to be the wife of a man who values these things so highly, when these are my weakest areas?” I know the answer to that question now. God does not want to leave me as I am. He wants to root out sin in me, grow the fruit of the Spirit in me, and to conform me to the image of Jesus.

My least strong fruit of the Spirit is self-control. One of my biggest propensities toward sin has to do with self-indulgence, gluttony, laziness at home, lack of discipline, lack of endurance, and poor stewardship of time at home, and poor stewardship of money. These qualities in me pertain to what the Bible refers to as my “flesh”.

In some upcoming posts, I am going to address each of these three areas in which I am struggling to serve and submit to my husband, looking at these issues from Scripture.

How about you? Have you ever asked your husband about ways that you can serve him and submit to him better? Are there areas in which you are struggling?

Dear Heavenly Father, Please forgive me for my self-indulgence, gluttony, laziness, lack of discipline, lack of endurance, poor stewardship of time and money, and most of all my lack of love for you and others. I pray that I would not take my sin too lightly and that I would not cheapen the grace you have shown me. I pray that I would remember the price you paid for my sin. I often feel overwhelmed by my sin and weaknesses. I thank you that you have a solution to that. I thank you that there is no condemnation in You. Thank you for not leaving me as I am! Thank you for putting challenging circumstances before me to cut away sin from my life. Thank you for your divine purpose in marriage, which is multifold. Thank you that one of those purposes is to make us both more like your Son. Thank you for my husband and for giving him love in his heart for me. I pray for myself and for all the women who read this blog. Please keep us from believing lies. May our attitudes and actions conform to your Word. Help us to live by your Spirit and not according to our flesh. Help us to have sincere love and a servant heart for others, especially for our husbands. In Jesus Name, Amen