Ask The Why

A story is told of a young bride that was baking a ham.  When her husband asked why she was cutting off the end of the ham, she replied that her mother made the best hams and she always cut off the ends.

He asked if she would mind if he called her up and asked why she cut the ends off the ham.

"Sure. Call her up."

"Hello mother. May I asked you a question?," he inquired.

"Sure."

"I noticed my wife is cutting off the end of the ham, and when I asked her why she said that you always did and you baked the best hams. May I ask why you cut off the ends of the ham?"

"My mother made the best hams in the county and she always cut off the ends."

"Hmmm, do you mind if I call her up and ask her why?"

"Sure. Call her up."

"Hello grandmother. I noticed my wife is cutting off the ends of the ham and when I questioned why she said her mother always did.  When I questioned her mother, she said it is because you always did and you baked the best ham in the county. May I ask why you cut off the ends of the ham?"

"Oh yes son, I cut off the ends because my pan was too small."

THE PROBLEM WITH TRADITION:

Matthew 15:1-3 (NKJV) Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?"

You Mean I Have to Love Everybody?

I need to make a confession, because I need the blood of Jesus to cleanse me of it.

I recently went on a retreat where I was alone for five days. I knew the Lord was present, He had been dealing with me about issues in my heart. I was also getting answers to long-standing questions so there was no doubt that I was not totally alone at the cabin. I just didn't have any face-to-face human interaction.

About halfway through the retreat, I confessed to the Lord that I was missing that human presence. It actually came as a surprise to me because I am very, very introverted and love my times of isolation. One of the things that I enjoy about writing is that I am most alive when left alone. But there at the cabin, the opposite occurred. Being so isolated made me miss human interaction. The Lord said of Adam, "It is not good that man should be alone."

The very next day after I got home, we had guests in our home. For some reason, I kept getting barraged with questions about why I kept things as I did in my home. Who and what and where and when and why and how. I felt like I was on trial for my housekeeping, organizing skills, or lack there of.

Suddenly, I began to resent the presence of human beings in my house. I could have returned to the cabin right then and there and been totally at peace with total seclusion. The frustration I felt that day has not left me, and I'm still feeling some kind of way about it. It didn't seem to offer me the feeling I was longing for at the cabin.

Since I've been back from the cabin, I happened to run across a passage of scripture in Matthew where Jesus was teaching on love. Whoops.

Jesus taught that we are to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, do good to both evil people and good people, imitating the Father perfectly in this regard. Whoops again.

At the cabin, there was no one there to offend me therefore, I had an opportunity to miss them. Back home for one day, and they came into my house and offended me, and weeks later I am still struggling.

The book of James says we should confess our sins, trespasses, unfaithfulness, and iniquities to one another so we may pray for one another. The prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up. Pray for me y'all.

Heavenly Father,

   I know I am a work in progress. The epistle of First John asks how can we say we love You whom we have not seen, and not love our brother whom we have seen. I don't know the answer to this question, but You can change my heart to love my neighbor as myself, and to walk in the fruit of the Spirit while I am still on this earth. I need to somehow put aside thinking of myself, so I'm not so easily offended, and learn how to come to love the unlovely. Let Your love abide in my heart toward my fellow man. Where ever there is peace on earth, let me play a part in it by sowing my peace with it. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

When faith is tested

Endurance grows

When endurance is fully developed

We will be perfect and complete.

All Things Working Together

In every single aspect of our lives, God is weaving together the threads to make something beautiful. When you look at the backside of an embroidery piece, the stitching is wild and messy. That's life. Messy. But God has a purpose for everything He allows. He is the great artist of our souls, intertwining every single thread of our lives to weave an extraordinary masterpiece.

We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Eph. 2:10 (NKJV)

Nothing we go through in life is wasted on God, He uses all of it. He takes our messy lives and works it together for our good. We are the work of His hands, and His work is not inferior. You're a one-of-a-kind work of art, even when all you can see is the backside of messy life.

Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

And we know that all things

work together for good

to those who love God,

to those who are the called

according to His purpose.

 

Souls Under Construction

Our tender souls have been embodied by this world’s value system… love those who love you and hate those who hate you, for example (Matt. 5:43). But the believer in Christ must not be governed by the behavior of this world’s system. Once we receive Christ through faith and belief, we are indwelt by His Holy Spirit who begins to change us by guiding and re-shaping our thought patterns, which ultimately governs our behavior. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them (Matt. 7:20).

Our souls begin to gradually change form when our minds and hearts are renewed and reconstructed. New wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved (Luke 5:38). The more we become Christ-like the greater our effectiveness in the body of Christ and in His kingdom. We become beacons of light on a motion sensor, shining in a dark world… when you walk by it, the light come on. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16 NKJV).

Regeneration of the soul is instantaneous at the time of conversion, but transformation takes time and is a steady, continuous effort.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom. 12:2 NKJV).

Shortly after my conversion, the Lord showed me a vision. I was looking at my reflection in the mirror and my facial features began to change. My eyes, nose, ears, mouth, jawbone, and forehead all began to morph slowly one-by-one until my reflection in the mirror was Christ’s. The apostle Paul says, “All believers behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from faith to faith and glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).

And I am certain that God, who began this good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns (Phil. 1:6 NLT).

#myperspective