Fighting The Battle of Fear

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I am not the only woman who battles fear.  I am guessing that I am not the only one who can take one simple thought and have it blown WAY out of proportion in less than two seconds.  I am pretty sure that I am not the only one who has suffered from panic attacks when I allow my mind to wander and dream up scenarios.  

Fear and worry have been a huge area of sin in my life and I am confident that it has hindered my spiritual growth along the way.  Fear and worry are hallmarks of a heart that refuses to trust who God is and what He has promised His children.  When I am in this battle, I often go to 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.  The second half of verse 6 is often quoted and used when talking about fear, but you shouldn’t miss what comes before.

³ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

-Verse 3: As a believer in Christ, I don’t fight battles the same way that a non-Christian does. 

-Verse 4: As a believer in Christ, I have the DIVINE power to demolish strongholds.

-Verse 5: As a believer in Christ, I must DEMOLISH arguments and every PRETENSION that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.  The ESV version says “we destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God.”  What does it mean to “destroy” and “demolish” arguments, pretensions, and lofty opinions?  It means that believers in Christ must use the weapon of God’s word and through the power of the Holy Spirit demolish and destroy any fears, worries, or doubts that we know are contrary to the character of who God is and what He has promised to his Children.  

It is impossible to take captive every thought to Christ, if we don’t replace the lie with the truth of Scripture.  What does it look like in practice? 

Lie: I can not continue to walk in this difficult situation without seeing some sort of answer.

Truth: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 

This week, I was tempted to be filled with worry and doubt about a situation, but I was reminded of this passage and quickly went to it and repeated it over and over in my mind.  I also listened to this great podcast by Martha Peace on “How to Think Biblically.”

As women, we are prone to have worrying and fearful hearts, but as women who are daughters of the King, we must learn to replace our fear and worry with trust.  We must train ourselves to replace the sinful thoughts with the truth of scripture and the truth of God’s character. 

How are you growing in your knowledge of who God is so that you can replace lies with the truth?

What are you currently worrying and fretting over? Will you take the thought "captive"?

What To Do With The Rest Of The Year?

“Momma, where are you putting baby Jesus?” Drew asked, as I put away the nativity.  “We will put Him up and bring Him back out next year.” I replied.

“Momma, let’s listen to Christmas music,” he asked as we pulled out of the driveway.  “How about Veggie Tales instead?” I asked.  “No! Christmas music ... for baby Jesus’ birthday!”

Goodness have I been challenged by my little man over the last few weeks.  Have you tried to explain to a three year old why we only leave the nativity scenes out for one month of the year and why we don’t listen to “Silent Night” the other eleven months?  As I wrapped baby Jesus and put Him in the box amidst his questions, it hit me.  Is that how often I dwell on the birth of the incarnate Savior?  Once a year?  

Not only am I challenged by the amount that we focused and talked about Jesus in the month of December, but it has also caused me to stop and take a look at how much I am really teaching him about the Bible.  It is easy to use the excuse that he is three, but that just won’t work anymore.  As I put away the Christmas decorations, including the felt board we had done, I asked him to tell me the story and he did.  Granted, it was in the words of a three year old so every little detail wasn’t precise.  But he got it.  He knew that an angel appeared to Mary and told her she would have a baby.  Then he put Mary on the donkey and told Joseph they had to go to Bethlehem.  He then placed Jesus in the stable and brought the shepherds (who take care of sheep) and the wise men to see Jesus.  He then said, “Today in town of David, a Savior been born. He is Christ Lord.” Luke 2:11  He got it ... on a three year old level, but he got it.  And so did his momma.  These years are precious and they are few and that mind is a sponge.  What am I putting in it?

Mary on the way to Bethlehem.

So we will focus this year.  Focus on training and teaching.  My good friend Kim who did a lot of Advent activities with her boys is going to focus on a different story each month.  I am thinking we may tag along with that and keep up the felt board fun.

And we will listen to Christmas songs all year long if that is what he would like to listen to.  Besides, it will really never get old to hear him sing “Gloooooria, in exces e deo” from the backseat.

25 Days of Christmas: The Christmas Story

I don’t think you can read the Christmas story enough during the Advent season!  I mentioned that we have many children’s books, but we have also read it straight from scripture.  If you have older children, read the accounts of Jesus’ birth from the different Gospels and then talk about what additional details are mentioned in each book.

Jesus Storybook Bible = Great Gift

"It's not a book of rules. It's not a book of heroes. It's most of all a Story. And Every Story Whispers His Name...The Bible as novel for kids."

Whether you are buying for one of your children, grandchildren, niece or nephew, finding a gift that they don’t already have or one that they won’t toss a side quickly is always a challenge.  I always love it when I can find gifts that will work for my boys in different stages.  We received the Jesus Storybook Bible from a good friend when B was born and I am in love with this book!  Of course we pray daily that the Bible will never be something our boys toss aside, but the best thing about this format is that I feel like it will grow with them.  We have several different children’s Bibles, but so far this is by far my fave!  

Right now at 3 years old, D is captivated by the pictures and we break up the stories into several parts to keep him interested and I can see him reading the Jesus Storybook Bible for himself in just a few short years!  If you are looking for a gift for a child, you won’t be disappointed with this purchase.  I have seen them at Lifeway and Family Christian and of course you can find them online.

How Does The Jerusalem Council Apply To Me?

Acts 15 and the Jerusalem Council ... when you first read it, you will probably respond like I always have that it was a problem that isn’t really relevant to me.  After all, I really have never given a single thought to believing that circumcision is necessary for salvation.  But as you dig into the passage you see that the issue at hand goes much deeper than circumcision and it is actually very relevant to life today and central to maintaining the integrity of the doctrine of justification.

What was the heart of the problem at the Jerusalem Council? Pride ... and it manifested itself in two different ways.  

The Loss of Stature

The Jewish Christians were terrified at the thought of the new Gentile believers destroying the traditions that had characterized their faith and their families for centuries.  I wonder if they were even terrified at the thought of even including the Gentiles at all ... that somehow by including the Gentiles they wouldn’t be as special or set apart.

Do you hold the traditions of your faith so hight that you are unwilling to accept new believers who may look different into your circle?

The Loss of Control

The Jewish Christians felt that if the new Gentile believers weren’t circumcised then they were not truly believers of Christ. This thought implies that Jesus and His atoning sacrifice on the cross wasn’t enough to pay the penalty of our sins and that somehow something more was needed.  This too is prevalent in our culture and if I am honest I can say that it is even prevalent in my life at times.  We may say that we don’t believe in a works based gospel and that works aren’t required for our salvation, but so often that is not what we live and the gospel that we impose on others. Recognizing our sin and our separation from a Holy God and then repentance and acceptance of Jesus’ work on the cross is enough for salvation and for entry into the family of God. No other requirement is necessary for that salvation.  Church ordinances, membership, or traditions aren’t necessary for salvation.  Jesus’ work on the cross is enough.  When we put ourselves in this position where we are striving and working to meet some bar or level of achievement we are pridefully saying that the work of Jesus isn’t enough.  You are powerless to save yourself ... there is no work you can do.

What gospel are you living out in your life? Is it the true gospel of “salvation by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone” or does your life reflect a Jesus (+) gospel.

Justification

Justification.  Such a big intimidating word yet it can be the most beautiful word you have ever heard if you are a believer in Jesus Christ.  The doctrine of justification is the heart of what the gospel is.  Our position in Christ and our relationship to Christ hinges on this doctrine.  Simply, justification means that salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone through grace alone.  

Who are we?

Our flesh nature is nasty and sinful.  One of my favorite passages to remind myself exactly what my flesh can look like and who I am apart from Jesus Christ is Romans 3.  Apart from Jesus Christ, we are dead in our sins.

10 As it is written:

   “There is no one righteous, not even one;
 11 there is no one who understands;
   there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
   they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
   not even one.”
13 “Their throats are open graves;
   their tongues practice deceit.”
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
 16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”
 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

This passage reminds us that NO ONE is good.  Who we are in our flesh isn’t pretty.  I talked about what this looks like in my life in part of my testimony, The Good Girl Syndrome.  

Who is Jesus?

Jesus is the second person of the Trinity.  Fully God and fully man, He was born of a virgin and lived a sinless life while on earth.  He died on a cross where He bore the full weight of the sin of mankind in order to pay the penalty that is required for sin. He was resurrected on the third day and then ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father.

Why is justification necessary?

God is Holy and can not tolerate sin. In our sinful state, we can not enter the presence of God.  We can not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ here on earth nor can we spend eternity in heaven with Him.  Sin separates us.  Jesus’ work on the cross removes the barrier and Christ’s righteousness is imputed (transferred) to the sinner.  Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, a sinner is declared righteous in the sight of God.

How are you justified?

A believer is justified when they are drawn to faith by the Holy Spirit.  They recognize their separation from God and their need for a Savior and in repentance confess this sin and need.

When does justification occur?

A sinner is justified once at conversion and does not have to “earn” God’s favor.  Once a believer is declared “not guilty” and “now righteous,” it is a complete work.  It is common for our flesh to want to feel like we have to work for or earn the work of justification, but when we do that, we diminish Christ’s work on the cross.  Tomorrow’s post will look further into this temptation as we look at Acts 15 and the Jerusalem Council.

Have you come to the point in your life where you believe that being aware of your sin and separation from God, you have repented of your sin and believed that by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone you can be declared righteous in the eyes of God?

How Do I Wait: Panicked vs. Peaceful?

As the book of Acts opens, we see the disciples gathering together after the crucifixion of Jesus.  Jesus appears to them several times and gives them proof of His resurrection body.  Before His ascension into heaven, He instructs them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the Helper He has promised them, the Holy Spirit.  He doesn’t tell the disciples how long they must wait.  He doesn’t tell them why they must wait and He doesn’t even give them details about how they will recognize and know the Holy Spirit.  He just tells them to wait.

We don’t know if the disciples questioned Jesus, but every time I am faced with a wait, I am full of questions. I want to know how long I must wait, why I have to wait and how in the world I am going to know how to recognize the answer I am waiting for.  I can’t even tell you how many times those feelings have been present in my life.  I often find myself struggling through the waiting period.  How I long to be able to wait peacefully and with an expectation of what God will do rather than having a constant battle through the wait.  

Each time God asks me to wait, it as if I am violently treading water in the shallow end of the pool.  It isn’t pretty.  I spend my time worrying, trying to figure out the situation, and fretting over when and how it will all be answered. I panic: imagine arms flailing about and gasps for air while all along my feet are able to touch the bottom.  At every moment in the wait, I have the opportunity to put my feet on the bottom and rest by trusting in God’s timing for the wait and in God’s reason and purpose in the wait.

The Panicked Tread vs. The Peaceful Tread

The Panicked Tread

Pride: Often times of wait can reek of pride.  By struggling in the wait, we are saying that we don’t trust God.  His timing, His purpose, or His provision.  We are pridefully saying that we could do it better and faster.

Vain Imaginings: How I wish that I could have all the moments back I spent in vain imaginings and worry over situations.  You know what I mean, those minutes and HOURS that we let our minds dwell on situation trying to figure it all it.  I could probably add months or even years to my life. 

The Peaceful Tread

Expectantly: We need to be not only looking for an answer, but we need to be firm in our resolve that God will answer.  It may not be as quick as we wanted and it may not be the answer we want, but we should wait with an expectant heart and be content with whatever His will brings.  We also need to have our eyes open to see what God is trying to teach us about Himself in the wait.

Completely Surrendered: God wants our heart.  He wants our trust.  Often the lesson God wants us to learn is in the actual wait.  The wait itself may be the entire reason you are facing a particular situation.  God uses the waiting to prune away sin in our lives like the desire to be in control and manipulate the situation.  He uses the wait to capture our whole heart.  To trust Him fully.

Obediently: We can use Abraham as an example here.  His life was full of numerous examples of God giving him a direction and then he had to wait on God’s answer.  In Genesis 12, God told him to leave his family and all that was familiar and to go to another land.  It wasn’t until many years later that he saw the fulfillment of that promise.  He also had to take his only son Isaac and lay him on the altar as God had asked him to.  He did it.  He put him there and then he waited for God to answer.  He didn’t know how, but he trusted that God would answer.  In both of those examples, he was obedient.

Questions to Ponder:

How would you characterize your waiting experiences?  Peaceful or are they full of struggle?

What do you need to do in order to be more peaceful in your waiting periods?

The Excellent Wife

A few weeks ago I mentioned being introduced to Martha Peace in a Links and Resources post.  Since then, I have listened to all of her podcasts and picked up her book, “The Excellent Wife.”  I am pretty sure I have listened to her podcast on having a gentle and quiet spirit at least 5 times and I will probably listen to it several more!  It is by far the best teaching I have heard on what it means to have a gentle and quiet spirit.  

I am also loving reading her book.  It is blowing my mind and I so wish that I had read this before I ever met Hal and I am sure he does as well!  I was able to get a copy at Lifeway and I am sure most Christian book stores have it.  I will probably be sharing a lot from this book over the next few weeks.  If you are looking for a book or study I encourage you to pick it up!

I wanted to share this closing paragraph from Chapter 4.  This chapter focuses on a wife understanding God’s pattern for marriage.  I love how it reinforces the pattern of submission and order we see in the Trinity.

“Because our natural tendency is to “self,” it is important to be daily in God’s Word which is “living and active” and “able to judge the thoughts and intentions of (your) heart” (Hebrews 4:12).  The Holy Spirit will use the Holy Word of God to convict you at your deepest level so that your motivation in your relationship with your husband may be for the glory of God instead of the glory of self.

“In your relationship with your husband, God wants you to communicate in love and experience a righteous intimacy through sharing thoughts, present and future desires, aspirations, goals, struggles, and spiritual insights.  He wants you to be open, honest, and transparent.  Your words are to be edifying.  Your tasks sacrificial. Your motive for the glory of God. Remember that your pattern for the oneness is the Trinity. He wants you to be not only to be holy like the Lord Jesus, but He also wants you to help your husband become as much like Him as is possible.  Your becoming more and more like Jesus is the process of progressive sanctification.  You and your Christian husband helping each other become more like Jesus is the process of mutual sanctification.”

Exploring the Trinity: Part 4 The Holy Spirit

Who is the Holy Spirit? How does the Holy Spirit work in our lives?

Salvation

We talked earlier this week about the role that the three members of the Trinity play in salvation. The Holy Spirit’s work in salvation is to call a sinful, spiritually-dead person into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Sanctification

Have you ever wondered that if all three members of the trinity are fully God, which means they are holy, why is the Spirit the only one that has the word “holy” in front of their name? Is it because the Spirit is more holy than the Father or the Son? 

The Spirit is holy, but no more than the Father or the Son. Perhaps it is called the Holy Spirit because one of the main works of the Holy Spirit is to make us holy by acting as a sanctifier in our lives.

“But just as the he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’ ” 1 Peter 1:15-16

Theologian R.C. Sproul defines sanctification as the process of being made holy or righteous. (2) The Holy Spirit aids in the process of believers becoming more holy. We must also participate. 

Counselor

The word helper can also mean “comforter” or “counselor.” These words come from the Greek word paraclete. In the ancient world, a paraclete was someone summoned to give assistance or help in the court of law. The Holy Spirit fulfills the role of paraclete in a believer’s life in a couple of different ways.

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever ... the Spirit of truth.” John 14:16

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all of these things and will remind you of everything I said to you.” John 14:26

Intercessor

The Holy Spirit helps in our prayers. When we don’t know what to say or how to say it, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. When we refer to the Holy Spirit as a paraclete, this also shows us that the Holy Spirit is a comforter. 

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness! We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words can not express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26-27

Power

It is because of the Holy Spirit that we as believers have the power to be a witness for Jesus Christ and share the Good News of the Gospel message.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

We may be tempted to think of the Holy Spirit as a power or force, but the Holy Spirit is the third PERSON of the Trinity whom we can have a real relationship with.

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14

It goes against our human logic to think about a relationship with anything named “Spirit,” but as the third PERSON of the trinity, it is possible! The Holy Spirit is a real, powerful person. 

We only covered a few of the roles or ways that the Holy Spirit is present in our lives. The verses below list additional ways the Holy Spirit impacts our lives.

Isaiah 44:3, Mark 13:11, John 7:37-39, Acts 1:5, 8, Romans 8:9-11, Romans 8:14, Romans 8:26-27, 1 Corinthians 2:10-14, Titus 3:5-7, 1 Peter 1:2

Source

Questions to Ponder:

What is present in my life that is hindering the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit?

Will I stop viewing the Holy Spirit as a power or force and see the Holy Spirit as the powerful third PERSON of the Trinity? Will I spend time cultivating that relationship?

Exploring the Trinity: Part 3 The Son

Who is Jesus? What do we know about Him? What was His role? We may often think of Jesus in a manger or on the cross, but we know less about Him as our high priest/mediator and the incarnate Word of God. 

From Scripture we know that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18-23) and that He perfectly revealed and did the will of God when He took upon himself human nature and lived His life without sin. We know that Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life and that no other human has lived a perfect life and met every requirement of God’s law. By fulfilling His purpose and coming to earth in human form, He was able to become a sacrifice for our sin. 

You may have heard the term High Priest, also called an advocate or mediator. Jesus serves as our High Priest before the Father. He mediates before the Father and explains that we are worthy because of His sacrifice.

When we say that Jesus is the Incarnate God, we are saying that Jesus, who is God, took on a human nature. Just like it is hard to think about each member of the Trinity being fully God and yet there is one God, it is hard to think that Jesus was fully human and fully God. Although it is hard to wrap our human minds around this truth, it is a very encouraging and comforting truth in our Christian life.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

 “‘He will command his angels concerning you, 

 and they will lift you up in their hands, 

 so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. (Matthew 4:1-11)

I know what you are thinking … of course it was easy for Jesus not to sin, He is God! Although Jesus is fully God and fully man, when He faced temptation, He faced it in the same manner as you would. He faced it as a human. Jesus didn’t overcome temptations in a divine way, but used the same outlets that you as a believer have to overcome temptation: the Holy Spirit and God’s Word. Each time that Satan came at Him with an attack, Jesus used specific Scripture to respond. Jesus did not use anything to overcome Satan’s temptations that a believer today does not have access to. 

Source

Questions to Ponder:

How do I view Jesus? Do I view Him only as a baby in a manger or do I view Him God incarnate the second person of the Trinity?

Do I know enough of God’s Word to be able to fend off the attacks of the enemy?

Exploring the Trinity: Part 1

Today is our first day to dive into the Trinity.  This post will help explain what we are up to this week.

What is the Trinity?

There isn’t one specific passage in Scripture that spells out what the Trinity is. It can be seen from Genesis to Revelation, and all of Scripture testifies to its truth. We will look at many of these passages this week. I won’t be able to talk about each one, but I do encourage you to take the time to look them up. They build upon what is mentioned here.

The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the deep mysteries of God. Whether you are hearing the word for the first time or haven’t heard it since children’s church, it is hard for us to wrap our finite human minds around this deep truth. 

What is the definition of the Trinity? 

 It means that God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God. (1)

What does it really mean to say that God is a Trinity? 

What it means to say that God is a Trinity can be explained by looking at the words essence and person. Essence answers the question “What are you?” Person answers the question “Who are you?” So when can say that God is a Trinity, we are saying that God exists as “one essence” (God) and “three persons” (Father, Son, Spirit). The Trinity is made up of 3 “who’s” and 1 “what.”

How can one person be three distinct persons?

Source

Some may falsely say that God isn’t three distinct persons, but that He plays three different roles and is really the same person. That He just takes on different roles as needed. The Bible clearly indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons.

When we read Mark 1:10-11, we can see the three distinct persons of the Trinity.

“As Jesus (Son) was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit (Holy Spirit) descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased. (God the Father)” Mark 1:10-11 NIV

So what does it mean then that the three persons of the Trinity are distinct? It means that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. They are all three distinct from another, yet they are all fully God.

You may be thinking ... how can each part of the Trinity be fully God, yet there is only one God? So maybe each part of the Trinity is one-third of who God is, but God is not a circle you can divide into three parts. All three parts, Father, Son, and Spirit, are 100% God!

I know—it seems that I have lost my mind because it sounds impossible to say that each member of the Trinity can be 100% God. It goes against everything that we have ever learned about math! We can also see this when we look at the character of who God is. We can’t divide God into pieces or percentages.

Incorrect View Correct View

God God

Mercy—10% Mercy—100%

Judge—20% Judge—100%

Love—30% Love—100%

Wrath—40% Wrath—100%

Colossians 1:19 tells us “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Him (Jesus).” 

The three persons of the Trinity are fully God. There isn’t a difference in their attributes or essential nature, they are each fully God and have all the attributes of God. Each member of the Trinity is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. The only distinction between the members of the Trinity is in the ways they relate to one another and to creation. They are “equal in being but subordinate in role.” (1) 

Source

Questions to Ponder:

How does the truth that God’s character isn’t something we can divide into equal parts (10% justice, 10% love, etc.) change the way I view Him?

How do I view each member of the Trinity?