Simplify

That’s what we have been hearing from God for the past few months. At first we thought it was the material things we needed to simplify, so we began weeding through things. We soon realized that is was more than material clutter affecting our lives. People in general, are chocked full of spiritual clutter which makes their lives more difficult than it needs to be. What does spiritual clutter look like? Most people continually seek more “teaching” to get to know God and have more revelation; they are constantly looking for new “Bible Studies”. Is that what we really need? We are to continually seek God and He is new every morning so there is always something new to learn from His word, but “study” has become clutter to many Christians. So many believe they need this great revelation before their lives can get better and they start serving God, but in reality what they need is to just start doing what they already know. 

I have been walking this path of righteousness for over 13 years now and I see people who have been walking longer than me behind me and some that have been walking less than me ahead of me. We are all on the same path so why the different speed? It wasn't necessarily that those ahead of me received this great revelation. It was the hunger, the drive, the surrender to the love of God that moved them along so quickly. It was their willingness to yield to something greater than themselves.

Last night we went to hear some good friends of ours speak about their missions work in South Sudan. I wrote this blog a few days ago but God didn't release me to post it. After hearing what Brad had to say, I knew I had to add some of his words to this. He shared their story of their willingness to yield and go to South Sudan to minister to the children there.  When they first went, they didn't necessarily know everything that they were doing, but they went in obedience to God. Over Christmas they learned the meaning of “there’s safety in the will of God”. The American church believes that means that if they are following God’s will then no harm will come to them. Brad reminded us of all the people in the Bible who were in God’s will yet suffered beatings, imprisonment, poverty, etc. So what does “there’s safety in the will of God” mean? It means that God’s will is safe and perfect (Romans 12:2). They may not have been fully qualified and definitely were not prepared for everything they were to encounter in South Sudan, especially when they were caught in the middle of a war and had to leave the children they had loved and cared for in order to eventually get them to a safer place. They walked out every step in full dependency on God not knowing what each step would bring.

Brad taught on Matthew 9:37 “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few”. Years ago Jason and I heard the word “go”, so we went to our pastor at the time and was told we needed to go to school and do all this stuff before we could go. Last night Brad talked about the qualifications needed to go. “Qualifications come from obedience to Him, not waiting till you get it right… The 72 were sent out and they didn't even know how to pray.” When you go, you are “dependent on His power”. “Jesus didn't tell us to pray for people to be healed, He told us to heal them. We are supposed to have authority. Working out our character issues is keeping us from the truth… You just obey the Lord, let God make it workable. Let the Lord decide when you are ready to go. If you will say yes, He will reveal Himself in us and manifest Himself through us.”

Instead of more “teaching” and fellowship we have been told to simplify, “seeking first His Kingdom, praying, continually yielding our lives to be His instruments for His kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. Many are not going to understand what we are doing but we are going to continue to walk in this freedom and righteousness and plant the seeds of the kingdom wherever God sends us. 

Brad and Kim Campbell are missionaries with Keeping Hope Alive Ministries. They are currently in the United States raising awareness and funding to return to Africa and be reunited with the orphans in their care.

A Woman Is Not an "IT"

I just read an article about "Modesty in the Church". It was a very good article for Christians, unfortunately, the article wasn't about a "Christian" woman dressing inappropriately, It was about a visitor to a church coming in dressing that way. I understand it is a struggle for men, to be quite honest, its a struggle for women too, but that's a subject for another blog. However, this article refers to the reactions of Christian men; what standards are they being forced to hold up to? 

A comment in the article was, "After all, Sunday mornings were supposed to be a time when Christians should feel safe from temptation, not worrying whether it will sit next to them."

 Really? Really? there is so much wrong with this statement I don't even know where to begin. I guess I will start with the fact that  the church is not a place "to be safe from sin". I hate to tell you this, but sin will always be crouching at our door and it is our responsibility to seek the presence of God and allow the Holy Spirit in to keep it at bay.The church is not a place where we can bubble wrap ourselves to protect us from the world it is supposed to be a place where we hold each other accountable and build each other up in the faith. It's a place where people come to seek the presence of God and get to know the love of our Creator.

Now lets talk about the authors use of "it" in this statement. I sincerely hope that was a typo. The woman was NOT AN "IT". she was a human being and Jesus loves her just as much as he loves us. to diminish her to an "it" contributes to the reason why us woman have to overcompensate in modesty because of the weaknesses of men. The woman who was the inspiration for this story was most definitely not an "it", she was a visitor, someone who may have been seeking  a loving God and yet just because of the way she was dressed, was probably met with sneers and whispers, instead of the loving arms of the church. Didn't Jesus hangout with the prostitutes and tax collectors.

This article shines a light on something much deeper than modesty. It's the hearts and thoughts of the "mature" Christians. They selfishly were so wrapped up in their own sin struggles they more than likely missed an opportunity to bring someone into the Kingdom. 

 I have 4 beautiful daughters and I'm the spiritual mom  to at least 10 other girls, so I'm all about teaching modesty. That's why I read the article , and it was a good reminder to Christians. But just as you cant tell an orange to dress like an apple, you cant write an article to Christians based on something a non-believer did. That is just being judgmental. Jesus came for the broken, He came for the hurting, He came for the sinners. We, HIS Church, are supposed to represent Him; but instead, the broken, hurting, and those trapped in sin are met with judgement and hypocritical jeers if they try to approach our God. Maybe instead of judging the actions of those who don't know God the church needs to be dealing with it's own temptations and sins. If we were a victorious church the inappropriate dress of  someone seeking a loving God would not be an issue.

He Who Sows...

As I was reading my devotion book today it just really tugged on my heart. I am a professed health nut. I often refer to myself as "granola". My family may not eat as healthy as I want them to and I admit I do indulge in "junk food" every now and then, but I am fascinated how God gave our bodies the ability to heal themselves and gave us the proper food to aid in that healing. In our society though we miss it. Nutrition effects every aspect of our lives; not only nutrition but our thought patterns. That is what my devotion was about and I would like to pass it on. It is from the devotional book Come Away My Beloved by  Frances Roberts. For my regular readers I have often quoted  from this book, this time I share the whole passage.

Whatsoever You Sow

He who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, 

and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully...

He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food,

supply and multiply the seed you have sown

and increase the fruits of your righteousness.

2 Corinthians 9:6,10

How can I give healing for your body when there is anxiety in your mind? So long as there is disease in your thoughts, there will be disease in your body. You need many things, but one thing in particular you must develop for your own preservation, and that is an absolute confidence in My loving care.

It is written, "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Only when your mind is at rest can your body build health. Worry is an actively destructive force. Anxiety produces tension, and tension is the road to pain. Fear is devastating to the physical well-being of the body, Anger throws poison into the system that no antibiotic can ever counteract.

"Be sure you sin will find you out," the Bible states (Numbers 32:23). One of the most common ways that hidden sin is revealed is through the maladies of the body. Resentments and ill will bring about more arthritis than is caused by wrong diet. More asthma is caused by repressed fury than by pollen or cat fur. 

There is no illness in the body of Jesus because there was no sin in His soul. There was weariness as a natural result of labor and sacrificial service, but there was no undo fatigue and exhaustion brought on by anxiety.

Ten minutes of unbridled temper can waste enough strength to do a half day of wholesome work. Your physical energy is a gift from God, entrusted to you to be employed for His glory. It is sin to take His gift and dissipate it through the trap doors of the disposition's evil emotions. 

Do not condemn others for jeopardizing their health by harmful habits and wasting their energies on vain pursuits while you undermine your health by unworthy emotions. You wast time by entertaining such things as self-pity and remorse and evil  surmising when you might be keeping your mind in an attitude of praise and faith. Your mind could be constructively employed, but instead you allow this to be a period of destructive action.

You cannot risk giving your thoughts free rein. They will never choose the right path unless you bridle them and control them by your own disciplined will. You are master of your own house. You do not have to invite into your mind the foul birds of evil thoughts and allow them to nest there and bring forth their young.

Whatever you sow in your secret thought life, that you will reap. Sow love and kindness, and you shall be rewarded openly. Sow charity and forgiveness, and you shall reap in kind. Sow generosity and gratitude, and you shall never feel poor. Sow hope, and you shall reap fulfillment. Sow praise, and you shall reap joy and well-being and a strong faith. Sow bountifully, and you shall reap bountifully. Sow! You shall see your seed and be satisfied.

God wants us to be healed, not just in our bodies but in our minds and our emotions. Negativity only feeds negativity. God's very words says it all I don't need to add anything else.

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

Deuteronomy 30:19