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Sunday, 11 October 2009

Love

A man is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. Do we realize that that means he has the ability to do so. Isn't that an awesome thought! We women need to realize and value it above pretty much everything else. Do we value it enough to give up our own way? Do we value it enough to accept his advances whenever they come? Or do we have our own agenda? Do we value it enough to give up our strong likes and dislikes?
I don't think we women comprehend the depth of a man's love, and to our shame, often do things that prevent it, because we don't value it.

Saturday, 10 October 2009

Convictions

Convictions that come from the Word of God and the Holy Spirit are current. They deal with the now. A person that reads I Cor. 11 with a heart to do the will of God will come away with convictions. They won't all be alike as in cookie cutter, but they will come away with some form of being covered for women and uncovered for men. My concern, is that we remain current with our convictions. Youth are quick to see our inconsistencies or at least to sense them, and it breeds a disrespect in them. We have much more impact in the world if we remain current. If I wear a veiling that is mennonite per se other churches shrug it off as, " well, she wears it because she's mennonite." If I wear one that I can buy in Wal-mart it causes conviction because they can't explain it away. With modesty the same thing, being modest is the important thing. What style, not so much. Railing at our youth is only going to chase them away or make them rebellious. Getting down off our comfy chairs and seeing where they're at and spending time with them takes time and is maybe not always comfortable but very important. Staying engaged in their life, being willing to stop what we're doing that we think is so all fired important, and take an interest. Youth know when grown ups just want them to behave so they'll look good, and so there is no bother. Teaching and training does not stop for parents when the child turns 16. If you're engaged in your youth's life teaching takes place with very little effort. Laws and rules are often just the easy way out for parents with youth. Easier than staying engaged in their life and teaching as you go. In case I'm inviting a hailstorm of criticism, I'm not saying laws and rules are bad. I am saying that if you're engaged in your youth's life and paying attention, etc. they probably won't be needed that much.

Tuesday, 22 September 2009

Casualties

The ways are filled with countless casualties of the Crossroads type churches. Some never recover from the cruel, heartless decisions made by their leaders. For years, may God forgive us, we looked the other way when things were done that we didn't understand and that weren't explained. Then it was our turn. Once you're out of it, you start seeing things more clearly. The fear to leave the one best church is replaced by a kind of horror by how people are used in those circles. Over and over it happens, countless testimonies. If there is trouble, or if the leaders are dissatisfied with the church they look for someone to blame, someone to evict. If someone starts being successful in ministry, there is envy and jealousy. John Eichers are a probably one of the worst cases I've ever witnessed and that might be because I know more about it because of being related. "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." Johns were doing this and were stopped because leaders listened to false witnesses and because they wanted them gone. Well, God is not mocked, as you sow so shall you reap. And as we are seeing there is reaping. You can not do these things and not reap. And you that look the other way when there is injustice and wrong doing going on will reap also.

Thursday, 02 July 2009

Failure

   Much of the lack in Christian people is the lack of failure in their lives. Failure takes the hard parts of pride out of us. Not that Christians need to live in failure, but they need failure because they are human.
   Jesus told Peter seated around the table at the Last Supper, Satan would have you, Peter, that he might sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith fail not. Most of us spend time praying that we fail not, but Jesus spent His prayer praying that out faith fail not. Jesus showed no concern that Peter might fail, but that his faith might fail.
   After the Resurrection, Jesus confronted Peter. If we take note, we are surprised by the conversation. It is not at all how most of us have been confronted or confront failure. Peter's denial of Jesus is not mentioned. No scolding, no rebuke for Peter's failure, but what is the concern on the heart of Jesus? "Simon, son of Jonas, loveth thou me?" That is the question of importance. Has your faith failed you? Do you still love God after you have failed? The shipwreck was not the failure; to lose your love for God are the rocks upon which men destroy themselves. That is the loss that matters. The other failure, so what? It took out our arrogance, self-confidence, pride, and cockiness. Was that not good? May our faith not fail us. - from Transforming the Believer