I'm in the Lord's Army

On April 25, I saw an ANZAC Day parade. (For those who don't know, ANZAC day is the day we remember the Australian and New Zealander people who have served in our defence forces.There's always a parade through the city, with descendants of the veterans marching, as well as any veterans who are still alive or those currently serving.)

The march got me thinking. I like watching the military.
-I like how neat the uniforms are - always perfectly ironed, never stained, and always the right size.
-I love how orderly they march - perfect timing, perfect in unison.
I almost felt like signing up just to be able to wear the uniform and march with them! I didn't want the messiness of fighting, but I wanted to be part of the team.

Then it struck me - I'm already in an army. God's army!

Uniforms: we can come as we are, but have to choose to clothe ourselves in the uniform of "compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Colossians 3:12)

It doesn't have to be ironed, God accepts our wrinkles and creases, and will help us overcome them.\

It doesn't matter if we've got a giant stain in our lives, God will wash us white as snow (Isaiah 1:18 - "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool..."

It doesn't matter if we think we are the wrong size, God accepts us all (Colossians 3:11 - Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all, I'd add "tall or short" to this!)

Marching:
We are not called to march in order with everyone else, but rather, to run the race. We are to run in such a way as to get the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24), and to "run with perseverance" (Hebrews 12:1)

Fighting:
Well, there's no denying it. We're in a battle. So on top of the uniforms, we must add our armour.
Ephesians 6:11-18
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.


May you all be victorious in Christ today.

I thought I would share what struck me out of my Bible study passage this week.

Colossians 3:12-17
12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing
with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving
each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let
the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one
another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

May we be compassionate, kind, humble, meek, patient, forbearing, forgiving and loving! Let us give thanks in everything and teach and admonish one another. I want to do everything in the name of Jesus!

Revelation 5:12&13
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And
I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and
in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the
throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might
forever and ever!”

Like Brittany - this is from our ladies Bible study...

Quote:

Philippians 2:1-4 1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

We struggled with this passage and what the author of the study guide was asking us to do... but in the end we realised it was read sorta like this:

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ: [which is broken down to be] comfort of love, fellowship of the Spirit, and affection and mercy, then fulfill my [Paul's] joy by having the same mind as Christ: have the same love, be of one accord, one mind. [Like Christ,] don't be driven by selfish ambition or vain conceit [pride in yourself], but be humble and esteem [and regard] others better than yourselves. Don't look out for yourself all the time - invest time in others!

Basically Paul was calling the Philippians to be like Christ. Since there IS consolation, love, fellowship in the Spirit and affection and mercy in Christ, then BE like Christ when relating to one another. Put others first.

_________________

I have no idea if I'm late. Maybe.

I have a disorder that haunts me, and has haunted me all of my life. And, I'd loved to be cured from it. There is always a possibility that I could be, but I have no idea. And though I would like to be cured, I have accepted, mostly, that I probably won't be.
I have this disorder for a reason. I have no idea why, and I only get glimpses of how I can use this. God has blessed (although it may seem like a curse) me with something that makes me reliant on him. And even though I fight, I recognize that, really, all I can do is dependent on him.
Genesis 12:22 "I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you. I will make your name great.
You will be a blessing to others.
This talks of Abram, his promise from God. I believe that we can take things from this promise. Namely, that we are blessed to be a blessing.
We can't keep our blessings to ourselves. The way God designs blessings is that it's impossible to keep it to yourself! Just like we are to share the good news, we have to be able to share what has been given to us.
For me, this has many implications for life, and not just with my disorder.
I need to share my experience. Though it hurts to do so, I have helped people. For instance, I was able to give hope to a mother who's son was recently diagnosed with a disorder similar to mine.
I also need to share my possessions. For me, I have trouble sharing my books. I cherish them. To lend them out means maybe never seeing them again. And also, I have to be willing to give up my money for those who really need it. And finally, I have to be willing to sacrifice.
Abraham was able to do this, with his son.
I need to share my King, and the gleamings I learn about him. It's not enough for me to claim something in the bible. I must be willing to share it! To not may be denying someone else peace. I have the power to either keep something to myself, or to heal those around me...
It's like I'm a physician with the cure to all disease. What good is it if I cannot give to others? If I minister only to myself, I will be very lonely in the end. All my cherished ones and others will be dead because of my selfishness!
I need to share pain and gladness with my fellow believers. I am often too wrapped up in myself to do that. It's hard to reach out, but it is necessary.

2 Cor 1:3-5:
3 Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Father who gives tender love. All comfort comes from him. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles. Now we can comfort others when they are in trouble. We ourselves have received comfort from God. 5 We share the sufferings of Christ. We also share his comfort.

This is one of the reasons I have what I have.

I encourage you all, and myself, to give willingly of yourselves, your pains, sorrows, experiences, joys, hopes and dreams. They may be the only reason a friend doesn't kill themselves, a person comes to Christ, and other situations. Never can we doubt ourselves in this matter. We have the experiences and the stuff we have in order to bless others.

A friend told me that the best way to make something grow is to dump poo on it. That got me thinking - it may be true (manure is one of the best fertilisers), but it's still poo! Regardless of its affect on growth, it's still messy, smelly, and altogether unpleasant.

The thing I dind't realise is this: that statement has a biblical basis!

Proverbs 14:4
Without oxen a stable stays clean,
but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.

To be effective, we cannot expect our lives to stay clean, neat, and poo free! We can have a clean life (clean = mess free, I'm not talking about clean = pure), or one that has an effect, a harvest.

Sometimes it seems as tho everything in life is muddled up and confusing. It can be messyand filled witht things that our friends may not understand, but God uses those times. We don't have to have a nice, mess-free life, we just have to be willing to let God use the mess that will inevitably come!

My Mum wrote a song once:

You O Lord are Holy
You are righteous and true,
Forgiving and faithful
You O Lord are loving
You are mighty and pure
Forgiving and merciful

Who can stand before You?
See Your face and live?
Cleanse us from unrighteousness
All our sins forgive...

Its one that always pops into my head when I read a verse about God's holiness... Revelation 4:8 says "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." How holy is God? He is so perfectly holy our minds cannot understand the concept fully. He encompasses holiness, in which is included: righteousness, truth, forgiveness, faithfulness, love, might, purity and mercy. Only a God who is completely holy can be completely righteous, true, forgiving, faithful, loving, mighty, pure and merciful.

We serve an AWESOME HOLY God whom we cannot stand before if we have not been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb. We cannot see His face without our sins being cleansed. Lets ask the Lord to cleanse us from our unrighteousness and sin so we can serve Him fully and make Him fully known.

This week at the Bible study group I go to, the study was on service and I thought I'd share a little bit of what I learned

"God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God's many kinds of blessings" 1 Peter 4:10

So we looked at 4 E's of serving

Example - using Jesus' example of how to serve and also us being examples to others

Educate - teaching others to serve and realizing that sometimes even though it may be easier for us to complete a task faster by ourselves by including others even though it may take a bit longer we're teaching them how to do that particular task

Exhort - be willing to encourage others when you see them actively serving but also if it is necessay be also willing to admonish or even rebuke someone in such a way that they see the error in their ways and seek to change them for the better

Encourage - it's very easy to forget but let's take the time to thank others for their service to us and also other people especially people who serve in a particular way regularly and are often overlooked as people are just used to them doing whatever it is

Today I overslept (parents were out of town, so there was no noise in the house...) and wasn't able to make it to my church for the service. But, there's a church in town that I've gone to a few times that has a service at 12:30. It's pretty big and contemporary, but when I go I usually get a lot out of the sermons and have an amazing time of worship. Honestly, I think it just might have been God's plan for me to sleep too long and go to that church today. The pastor was wrapping up a series on Baggage. I figured for my little devotional today I'd share a couple points from my sermon notes and a couple verses he gave us.

Pastor Mike followed the story of Joseph throughout his entire sermon.

Gen. 42:21-22

Quote:

They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come upon us." Reuben replied, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood."

It had been years and years since Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, yet as soon as something bad happened they all thought "This is our punishment for what we did to Joseph." If you don't deal with your baggage and give it over to God, you will carry guilt around for the rest of your life. What you did or what someone else did to you will constantly be in the back of your mind and chances are you'll think of it every time something bad happens. No one wants to carry that around for the rest of his or her life.

Gen. 45:5-8

Quote:

And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.

Verse eight really stood out to me. No matter what our parents, siblings, friends, exes, spouses, children, and co-workers do to us, God has a plan and he allows it to happen. Romans 8:28 echoes that thought. God will use this for his purpose and holding on to your anger or past hurts may be keeping Him from doing just that. What option do we have but to forgive them? Are we really going to just go through life clinging to all that baggage?

Gen. 50:17-20

Quote:

17 'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept. 18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said. 19 But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Verse 20 (even more so than Gen. 45:8) really truly echoes Romans 8:28. What are you holding on to today? No matter what happened in the past, no matter who harmed you, God will use it for good. Our purposes tend to be towards revenge, while God's purpose is always towards redemption. But, that redemption has requirements. Redemption requires brokenness, surrender, vision (not like dreams kind of vision...), and lastly trust. We HAVE to not only give this baggage over to God, but also trust that He will do great things because of it.

Romans 8:28

Quote:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

When Pastor Mike quoted that verse today I had a thought pop into my head. I thought "yeah, well, except for___________." But God is good. The pastor then said 'I know there's some of you thinking "except for this"' We really need to remember that it doesn't say some, it says ALL. All means all. I know that may sound like a stupid little sentence because obviously all means all, but that's something I have to remind myself. God has no limits and when he says all, he means all.

This hymn was basically the "theme song" of the sermon today, so I thought I'd share it with you. I'm also including a link to the background behind the hymn. It really made an impact on me, and I hope it will on you, as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_With_My_Soul

Quote:

It Is Well With My Soul When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul. Refrain: It is well, with my soul, It is well, with my soul, It is well, it is well, with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll, No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life, Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul. But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, The sky, not the grave, is our goal; Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord! Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul. Horatio Spafford

_________________
Mi familia!
sisters:
Twinkledust
Stylnz
Kris
Berny

cousins:
Rosered
PinkQT

my goodness, I hadn't realized how long that post was! Sorry for the book, guys!

No, no, don't apologise, that was just an AWESOME post!! Thankyou so much!! And I love that hymn... we sang it at a funeral a few weeks back, and the pastor explained the background of the hymn before we sang it... it gave me goosebumps!!
Thankyou again, it's really great to be reminded of that every now and then!!

I too want to write about this verse:

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.


I was thinking about this wonderful verse last night, because all sorts of things were happening that I couldn't see the good in. Nothing was anyone's fault, but circumstances weren't good. God reminded me that even when he doesn't cause things, even if the devil causes them, HE WILL USE THEM FOR GOOD. He doesn't care that I can't see the good in it, He can. That's what matters. He is Lord in all circumstances. And like Katy said, "all" means ALL

Sparkle, I know you did one for today, but I suddenly felt compelled to share. I am such a bad admin, not participating in the devotional section, of all places. *smacks hand* I promise to change that.

Here is something that has been teasing my brain for the past few days. More than a verse to share, it is a thought to chew on. I wrote about it on Pieces, but wanted to copy it over to here while my kids are outside on break.

Quote:

A Christian author just brought up an interesting point on his facebook status. What would life be like if you were the only one? If you were, indeed, God's favorite. His exact question: What if you were God's favorite? I mean, what if everyone else was really an android or something and it was all about you. Heaven and Hell perched on the edge of their seats to see what you will do next... and you don't even know it. Think about it. Set your mind free, my child. No theology lessons please, just run with it and see where it takes you. The discussion has been intriguing to say the least. You have those who sit there and say, "Well, aren't we all God's favorite?" In the sense that Christ would have died for any one of us, yes, of course, we are, but I think the point of the question is "what if you were God's only favorite?" What if you, alone, were the one person in the world who had an immortal soul. How would you love God? Would you feel you needed His love? Would you feel worthy of His love? Can you imagine if all of the powers of Heaven and Hell battled for your time and attention? Can you imagine if angels and demons sat enthralled, waiting, just waiting to see what you did next? You would not only be God's favorite but Satan's favorite... It would all come down to which was your favorite. And isn't that what it comes down to anyway?

Wow, that is very thought-provoking.

I was reading through Proverbs 20 yesterday, and I thought I"d share it with you. Every time I read it, I get excited, because it has some of my favourite verses in it. I've highlighted some of my favourites, as you read, think about that they can mean for you

Proverbs 20 wrote:

1 Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls. Those led astray by drink cannot be wise. 2 The king’s fury is like a lion’s roar; to rouse his anger is to risk your life. 3 Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling. 4 Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest. 5 Though good advice lies deep within the heart, a person with understanding will draw it out. 6 Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable? 7 The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them. 8 When a king sits in judgment, he weighs all the evidence, distinguishing the bad from the good. 9 Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart; I am pure and free from sin”? 10 False weights and unequal measures— the Lord detests double standards of every kind. 11 Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right. 12 Ears to hear and eyes to see— both are gifts from the Lord. 13 If you love sleep, you will end in poverty. Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat! 14 The buyer haggles over the price, saying, “It’s worthless,” then brags about getting a bargain! 15 Wise words are more valuable than much gold and many rubies. 16 Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger’s debt. Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners. 17 Stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth. 18 Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without wise advice. 19 A gossip goes around telling secrets, so don’t hang around with chatterers. 20 If you insult your father or mother, your light will be snuffed out in total darkness. 21 An inheritance obtained too early in life is not a blessing in the end. 22 Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.” Wait for the Lord to handle the matter. 23 The Lord detests double standards; he is not pleased by dishonest scales. 24 The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? 25 Don’t trap yourself by making a rash promise to God and only later counting the cost. 26 A wise king scatters the wicked like wheat, then runs his threshing wheel over them. 27 The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive. 28 Unfailing love and faithfulness protect the king; his throne is made secure through love. 29 The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old. 30 Physical punishment cleanses away evil; such discipline purifies the heart.

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*Larissa*

It may not be your day, but it may be your moment