Sharing the Lord's blessings in the areas He has given me to enjoy: writing, photography, women's ministry, fashion, home décor, food, etiquette, life in L.A., enjoying the seasons. Hope this blog is a blessing to you!
"And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” vs 29-30
The place was shaken, they were filled with the Spirit, and continued to speak the Word of God boldly.
The believers were OF ONE ACCORD.
Barnabus was an ENCOURAGER.
Ananias & Saphira, husband and wife, were both struck dead for lying to the Holy Spirit. They had allowed Satan to fill their hearts and test the Lord. They were carried out of church and buried.
See 1 Corinthians 11:17- For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. We are to examine ourselves and our relationships with people in God's body of believers. We are to forgive and obey the Lord and His Word.
This is one of my favorite spots. You will find me here on most Sunday mornings praying, reading the Word,listening to the praise team rehearse, getting ready to greet those the Lord leads in.....and thinking...listening...pondering...enjoying the Lord's peace and this view. Thanking Him for His ways and letting me be here.
Today I came across this photo of some of my sermon notes. One of the women who attends our church asked me for them because she is from another country and still learning English. The title is ARE YOU CHURCH OR DO YOU JUST "ATTEND"? As I reread them I am also thinking of those who think they are church but don't need to attend.
The Lord's instructions are easy to understand and if you do things His way it works. When you go your own way it doesn't. This verse comes to mind: "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:25) I am thankful to be around others who get this and am so encouraged by them. I get the joy of being on the receiving end of the gifts He has given them and I get a chance to share what He has given me to bless others. We stir each other up. It's God's way. Simple. And it works.
My questions to those, who for one reason or another, have decided they don't need to go to church are:
How can you encourage me and the others believers when you are not there?
How can we encourage you when you are not there?
How do you use the gifts the Lord has given you to bless His people? Do they work on trees and sky and rocks?
How can you justify serving yourself when God clearly says do not neglect meeting together?
I am reminded of so many blessings that can only come from being an integral, participating part of God's church. What a blessing it is to see the Lord lead people in, to see them come back, soaking the Word up like a sponge. To see them come to know the Lord, repent, and obey Him by getting baptized!
In our country church the whole family is there, from young to old, to witness and be a part of what the Lord is doing and it's a wonderful thing!
Some of our baptisms take place in homes with cookouts and wonderful fellowship. What a joy it was watching all the children as they watched their friend being baptized by her Dad plus got to go swimming afterwards. What a memory for everyone that was there!
If you stay home or go to the park you miss out. Here are four beautiful sisters the Lord has brought into my life that I would never get to meet if I didn't show up. I love these women! Each one has come to the Lord and have become our friends standing up and declaring their support for our church family. What a blessing!
And then there are multitudes of fun times like yesterday when those of us who were led to wear gray stripes joined together for a pic and had laughs over what good taste we have! LOL! Again the fellowship is multi-generational in the Lord and it's a beautiful thing.
Thank you Lord for this place, your people, and your ways. Thank you for the variety people and gifts you have bestowed on us. This pic being evidence of those who serve and bless us with their gardening skills. Where would these flowers be if those folks decided not to show up or decided that they didn't "need" to actually "GO" to church? Don't you know these gardeners are as blessed doing this for us as we are to enjoy the fruit of their labor? It's God's way. It's one of the ways we encourage one another.
Oh the blessings of meeting other believers at night for Bible study. For over 30 years the Lord has used this to strengthen me and help me grow. On this night we were all cozy inside looking out at the vivid blue night sky and full moon. Glorious!
Are you a believer In Jesus? Are you obeying Him by faithfully going to church? If not pray, and seek out a fellowship that teaches the Word of God. Forget the past and put behind you any wrong thinking, offenses, and unforgiveness. Look for the good in others and stop dwelling on what is wrong with everybody. Put others ahead of yourself and your own comfort zone. Do what the Lord says do and you will be blessed. It doesn't work well any other way.
Last weekend we had the joy of attending a "Ladies Tea" at our sister church. It was a day we looked forward to and prepared for. I myself was intrigued with the name "Ladies" tea versus tea party, etc. It's not a description you hear very often these days. I had some fun reminding everyone they must act like a "real" lady to attend. You know, versus those "other" ladies.
Well the day to make the hour and a half journey south arrived. Those in my car were excited, dressed up, and looking forward to the tea. We had lots of time to talk and catch up and the subject of "ladies" came up. I am intrigued by it. We were talking about the world's definition of a lady versus what God says a lady is. My friend asked "What does the bible say about being a lady?" A LOADED question. I quickly rattled off a few things but find myself days later wanting to revisit the subject.
You know there's something about reading the bible that is like no other book. It is ALIVE. The living word of God. No matter how many times you think you have read something you go back and it speaks to you again in a different way. It is the Lord showing you something you need to hear at that time. Well this morning here is what He showed me.
There are several places that speak about being a lady. Probably the most well known is the Proverbs 31 woman. But today He led me to Timothy and Titus, two of my favorite books because they are so clear and practical. Now I could go on and on, but I am going to practice the 9th fruit of the Spirit, self control, and stick with the three words that really stood out to me today. Ready?
"Their wives likewise must be DIGNIFIED" ( 1 Timothy 3:11)
hmmm...DIGNIFIED...what does that mean? Of course I had to look it up.
a way of appearing or behaving that suggests seriousness and self-control
the quality of being worthy of honor or respect
To help me further understand dignified I looked up the definition of what it means to be UNDIGNIFIED....unseemly...inappropriate...improper...unbecoming...unrefined...UNLADYLIKE
Now I'm getting the picture. There are some behaviors that are just not appropriate for a Godly woman. Does this mean you can't have fun? Of course not. Joy is the second fruit of the Spirit. However we are to "keep a CLOSE WATCH on ourselves" (1 Tim 4:16) and "TRAIN OURSELVES in godliness" (1 Tim 4:7). This stuff does not come naturally.
Ready for word #2?
"Not SLANDERERS" (1 Timothy 3:11)
A slanderer is one who attacks/maligns the reputation of another with false statements and opinions. It can be so easy to do, especially when others don't meet up to our standards or do things our way. Slandering is closely related to gossip. Ouch! The Lord wants us to think before we speak. We've all heard the saying "if you don't have anything good to say don't say anything at all". I think of Haley Mills in the movie Pollyanna. If you look for the bad in someone you will surely find it. Why not focus on what's good?
And here is word #3. It comes from a great list of ladylike traits in Titus 2.
"women are to be KIND"...having or showing a gentle nature and a desire to help others : wanting and liking to do good things and to bring happiness to others.
Well now I have a better picture of what a lady is and intend to further ponder and pray about these things. How about you? The bible has much more to say on the subject. I am thankful to have lived long enough to see the Lord transform women into His image and ways over time and it is a glorious sight to behold. We are all a work in progress. Lord help me to act in a dignified manner, not slandering others, but instead being kind.
Ahhh, the New Year. If there is ever a time to sit back and pray about where your life is headed and things you would like to accomplish, this is it. Last year the Lord put it on my heart to begin sharing what He has shown me concerning manners and being otherminded, specifically in regards to our Christian witness and calling as ambassadors for Christ.
On New Years Day I found myself downloading the original Emily Post book "Etiquette" written in 1922. It's FREE on Amazon Prime right now! I also downloaded a sample of their 18th (!!!) edition "Etiquette, Manners for a New World". In it they begin with the idea that manners are born out of a RESPECT for others. It looks to be interesting reading especially in regards to practical do's and don'ts.
Biblically we are told to honor one another above ourselves. (Romans 12:10). But how do we learn to do that? Simply, the best way to start is to regularly study God's Word. I am thankful to have examples in my life of people who have been walking with the Lord, and consistently prioritize His Word, His ways, and His fellowship. I have been an eyewitness to their graciousness, kindness, and peace and seek to follow their example.
This 3rd article on manners has "set the stage" so to speak to prepare for future writings of a more practical nature. Here are some of the topics we may look forward to as the Lord leads.
* Manners When Visiting Someone Else's Home
* Manners When Someone Else Is Visiting Your Home
* Manners on the Internet
* Manners In a Community Meeting
* Manners In Gift Giving & Receiving
* Manners in Church
* Manners When Dining in a Restaurant
* Manners When Attending A Sales Presentation in Someone's Home
* Manners In Being A Good Neighbor
* Manners in the Workplace
In reading the Emily Post books and other sources it is emphasized that good manners begin in the home. Some of us were given good examples by our parents growing up, others were not. Regardless of what our background is, we can seek to change and learn. Others are watching. If you have small children they are watching... and learning your ways. Let us seek to be good ambassadors for the Lord... peaceable, orderly, other minded, patient, kind, and loving. January 2015 is the start of a new year. Crack open that book and see what He says to you. It's the only book that is alive and sharper than a two edged sword. He will speak to you...don't wait...Take a moment and listen to this song. It's just for you...yes you.
"One who is faithful in very little is also faithful in much..." Luke 16:10
BEING ON TIME...it seems like such a simple thing, a little thing, yet as I begin this series on manners it comes to the forefront as a foundational principle of order and honoring others above yourself to set the stage for your witness to others. Being on time takes discipline and planning. It doesn't just happen.
A few weeks ago I came across a list of 49 godly character traits. I found it interesting that the #1 trait listed was ALERTNESS. Alert means "the state of being watchful". They described it as "Being aware of that which is taking place around me so I can have the right response to it" (Mark 14:38) It takes ALERTNESS to be ON TIME.
Back in my corporate Revelation days I had a great example of the importance of being on time from my boss. Being the owner of the company, he was always the first one there despite the fact that he had a large family and one of the longest commutes. I watched this man's example for 20 years as each day he rose long before the sun came up to pray at home, enjoyed a full breakfast prepared by his wife, and was the first to arrive at the warehouse in downtown L.A. where he began the day at 7 am sharp with a prayer meeting. I was required to be there at 7:30 am sharp for our executive meeting. Because of his diligent leadership Revelation Inc. was a well run, orderly company with high standards resulting in a lasting effect on those of us who were privileged to work there.
Imagine if the owner were habitually late! The result would be confusion, chaos, a mess and a poor witness that would affect all who worked there as well as the customers.
I myself greatly benefited from this 20 year lesson in the importance of being on time. Since I'm not a morning person, it took diligent planning on my part to get there on time. I had to change my habits, which meant getting to bed early, buying an alarm clock, and allowing enough time to get ready for the day. I found that when my day started off in order everything else worked better also.
If you are seeking a leadership position of any kind, whether in the workplace, in the home, or in the church, it is imperative that you learn to be on time...for the sake of others and as unto the Lord. When you arrive late it disturbs others and often causes confusion. By arriving late you have shown disrespect for them so in turn how can they fully respect you?
In doing research for this blog I came across some very valuable and succinctly written sites dealing with the subject. One I particularly enjoy and would recommend reading is "THE IMPORTANCE OF PUNCTUALITY". In it they extoll the habits of President George Washington. I particularly liked this quote:
“The habit of being prompt once formed extends to everything — meeting friends, paying debts, going to church, reaching and leaving place of business, keeping promises, retiring at night and rising in the morning, going to the lecture and town-meeting, and, indeed, to every relation and act, however trivial it may seem to observers.” –William Makepeace Thayer, Tact and Grit, 1882
Are you in the habit of being on time? Perhaps the Lord has led you to read this as you seek to be a good witness for Him and to grow in learning what it means to truly honor His people.
And now for a little humor from Jerry Maguire...THESE FISH HAVE MANNERS.
"Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" Mark 14:38
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