PC Talk April 30

PC Talk- Points of Conviction that Holy Spirit breezes in my soul.


Today it was in 1 Peter.


3:9  Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 

That little bit -  repay evil with blessing - struck me.  Usually I would avoid evil (usually in the form of conflict, bad moods, poor attitude, etc.).  But this does not say to avoid evil when it comes my way.  It says to repay with a blessing.  It means I need to respond and respond to the person that is inflicting evil on me with blessing.  God, I can only do this through you.


4:9  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

 Without grumbling - I usually do fine when I'm out in the world.  I hold it it though.  When I come home I often unload all the stored up grumbling.  And God pointed out an instance this weekend when I did that.  I even allowed "I deserve" thoughts into my head about food.  I repented and He was faithful to bring scripture to me in how I needed to turn to Him amidst the issues and not store up.  I wasn't very hospitable to my husband, grumbling how I suffered at the local pizza place for kids. 

MTC Session 1 and 2

My life group for Made to Crave is coming to a close.  Over the next few weeks I'll write insights I received from this study the second time around.


Session 1:
It was during this session, along with my other Bible study and church messages that I felt the Holy Spirit's conviction to start memorizing scripture.  Do to some health issues over the past two weeks, I've not done so well.  I plan to get a new verse to focus on soon.   


Session 2:
It was during this session that God revealed that my no sweets way of eating wasn't temporary.  Until I live in a different culture, that is the way I need to live right now.  With access to sweets on every corner and lurking in over half the grocery store, I just need to abstain completely.  And I'm Ok with that.  It reminded me of 


No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11


My righteousness and peace is coming through by the self sacrifice endurance of discipline to move from a place of self-reliance to God-reliance.  That the blessings of God are abundant to those who follow His ways.


In all this, I draw closer to my Father.  I know Him and my love for Him is growing.

A heart prepared part 2

See part 1 here.   

God put the parable of the good Samaritan before me several times, although this time I saw something different.  The man did what he could for the injured.  He cleaned him, clothed him, took him someplace to get additional care.  His schedule didn’t allow him to stay, so he made arrangement for care and then moved on, vowing to return.  He did what he could, then moved on - not forgetting - just carrying on his work.

I started to pray for God’s will in what I’m doing.  I finally reached a peace about enjoying the current work I did for Him.  Somewhere in my head I thought that I couldn’t really enjoy the work, because I didn’t want to do it.  How crazy is that?  I did it because last summer God said to do it.  After going back and forth with my attitude at the start, I still harbored a poor attitude about it.  I realized He called me to do the work, equipped me, disciplined me in that work and grew me spiritually.  If I’m doing His work, I should allow His joy to seep down to my very soul, not withhold because I hope He’ll change His mind.

Then there was the sermon on service, using our spiritual gifts.  I hadn’t done a spiritual gift survey, so that week I did.  One told me my gifts were faith, poverty, serve/help for my top three.  The other said administration, teaching and showing mercy.  Being a former accountant, I wasn’t surprised at administration. 

Poverty surprised me.  It spoke of how well I would do in the missionary field for I don’t put a lot of value in material possession.  Yet another unknown praise for my childhood.  During the time I resisted submitting to God, missionary work was my fear.  I just knew He would call me to some third world nation were I would be miserable.

Ha!!!  See how much I needed to learn?  Well I do see missionary work in my future.  I accept it and plan to train for it.  It will start slow with a week mission, but I can see it developing into full time or majority time.  When this all will happen, I know not, God just showed me a glimpse.  I will trust in His timing.

Stay tuned for part 3

A heart prepared part 1

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

God has directed my steps.  Laid out a path for me, even showing several steps that might happen.  He’s given me a goal. 

Looking back, I am in awe of how He prepared me.  Last fall I struggled greatly with shepherding a small group of women.  I felt like a failure to myself, the organization I was serving, to the women in my group and mostly to God.  That I just couldn’t do what I felt certain God asked me to do.

I couldn’t control the response of others in that situation, no matter what I tried to do.  I had to let it go that the women I guided chose not to go into depth with their Bible lesson and that I couldn’t make them have a desire to share.  When I let it go, striving to do what God gave me and trust Him to work in their hearts, amazing changes happened.  It wasn’t majorly different, but I could see glimpses of those truly seeking and wanting to share what they found. 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.  Ephesians 3:20-21

In my study of Hebrews, I drew out that I am to point to Jesus.  That if someone doesn’t know Jesus personally, that is where I start, for without faith in Jesus and the Holy Spirit revelation, we can’t discuss further mysteries of God.

To start this year, my church did a sermon series on Acts.  We heard about what the young church did and laid out how we can follow Acts 1:8 for our life mission.  I also agreed to lead a small life this spring.  I really wanted to do another life group as well, but couldn’t since they were to same time.  God’s hand was there for I couldn’t do that life group, work part time and continue shepherding the women I do. 

It was mentioned at church that there’s plans to start another ministry service, this was set up to promo the other life group I wanted to take.  For some reason I didn’t give it much thought.

I tucked it away for later, which I'm doing with this post.  

Pride before the fall

In this post, I discussed emotional dependency. 

This past weekend we had several opportunities to fellowship with our church family.  In that, several people stopped my husband a gave compliments.  And I had the selfish thought "why wasn't I there, it would have done me good to hear them?"


Well, then in my MTC study, it discussed to unmasked yourself in from of God.  In doing that, I thought over why was my initial response so selfish.  And I thought it was my emotional dependency.  That I again wanted validation from man.  Which is true.


Yet fully unmasking it, asking God for wisdom in understanding it, He revealed my pride.  It is my pride that wanted the compliments.  Ouch, that one hurt.


I do want to disclose, my service and actions were true, wanting to serve God in serving His church.  However, like all good we do, Satan will look for ways to void it, to throw us into a tailspin that sets back the good work because we make it about us, not God's glory.


Yet, another victory, since this little truth was revealed to me.  It is empowering to know it, to look out for it and to keep it in check if ever the thoughts come back.

God reminded me of my good works that He called me to in the above post - "I need to encourage others, not seek the encouragement."

Redeemer

I reflected on my Redeemer the past two weeks.  As a believer, I know Christ as my Redeemer.  He bought my life with His. 

you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Cor 6:20

It’s not an easy concept to fully understand.  But if you accept it, welcome Jesus into your heart (experience Him), He brings the Holy Spirit in you.  The Holy Spirit reveals those things that are hard to understand.  Even if you don’t have the words to explain it, you ‘get’ it.

Does redemption end there?  Is that all my Father redeems?  The old testament is full of instructions how Isrealites are to redeem.  Contemplating redemption brought it into clarity.

Fallen man, with free will, will do something to hurt others, who are often innocent.

God knew about the bad, but allowed the free will, free choices to happen.

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. Romans 8:28

This Romans passage reveals God’s redemption of those bad circumstances for those who trust in Him.  These bad circumstances do not bring Him glory, but in relying on Him through the circumstances, He redeems it for His glory.

There is drawing near to God.  Trusting in the security.  Keeping my confidence in God in my circumstance so that I don’t react, but response in a way that brings Him glory.  God is good!

MV James 1:22-25

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.  James 1:22-25

This weeks memory verse is a bit longer than I normally do, but it's so good and I need to remember it!  I come across so many who share their problems with me, yet they are not applying God's word that they are studying to their life.


And before I don't sound humble, I do this as well.  I often forget what I just read.  The important part is to keep in the word so that it eventually sinks in and I remember.

Temperate

This word jump out at me while I read 1 Timothy.  In 3:2, temperate is a quality of an overseer.  Then scan on over to the qualities of a deacon wife in 3:11.  Anytime God states qualities of a wife, I take notice, since I am on and want to improve as a wife.

In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.  1 Timothy 3:11

What does temperate mean?  Merriam-Webster says: not extreme or excess: MILD. Moderate in indulgence of appetite or desire. Moderate in the use of alcoholic beverages.  Having a moderate climate.

OK, the last one didn’t apply to me, but ouch the rest is motivation for change.  An adaption of the line in Father of the Bride movie, “I’ve come from a long line of over reactors.”  How can I become temperate?

Well, just like anything else, I can’t do it on my own.  I’ll mess up when I try to do it on my own.  God drew this out for me for He desires me to be temperate. 

I can go from calm to extreme in about a half a second.  In patience, in rational thinking (which I’m not always good at), I can become temperate.

To be temperate I must submit to God’s desire rather than my own.  My desires are to indulge in food, alcohol and doing my own thing without thought to most people.  Yet God calls for better. 

Cut off excess goes with retrench.  This is a process.  I’ll have to post again on what God is doing to teach me to be a temperate wife.  I sit in awe of how He brings things together.  His plan is revealed in how all things are perfectly woven together.  It may look like a mess on this side of heaven, however in light of eternity, it is a beautiful tapestry of love.

Spring Break

We're on spring break.  I am recovering from another cold.  I was very healthy all winter.  Spring is beating me up.  I pressed on with our busy schedule until Sunday.  I was up coughing most of the night. I was suppose to serve in the children's department, but I didn't have the energy.  I missed all the fun, but it allowed me to recover.  I enjoyed services online as well as I caught Andy Stanley on TV.


This week I have the privilege of both D and K home.  We have a mini trip that will include:

eating here:

and this:

and enjoying at home:

And of course celebrate Resurrection Sunday this week.  My Lord is victorious!