I thought about the definition of the word Christian, which is “belonging to Christ.” I thought about Jesus as my Life, not just in my life. And finally I thought about the verse found in Galatians 2:20,

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

I know, I know, that’s probably way too much thinking for someone like me but rest assured no one, myself included, was hurt during this long, strenuous process. I’m sure the padded helmet helped tremendously.

Anyway, this morning my mind seemed to be headed into a new direction, or so I thought. I awoke thinking how foolish I was at times to seek after happiness, fulfillment, contentment, even godliness or righteousness. I thought about how many times I had heard different people witnessing to non-believers say that Christ could save them from hell, if they would just believe in him. Even worse, I had heard others say that they should believe in Jesus to find peace.

While all of the outcomes may be good, right, pure, and true, should we really be seeking the benefits above the benefactor? Should our goal be to have it all together, to be faultless? Is that what makes us a Christian? Should we be telling people to believe in Christ for the benefits it brings to their life? And if I’m seeking after these things rather than the one who provides them, is there anyway I can ever find them? I think not.

I’m sure many of us have, even if we don’t relish admitting it, flipped on TBN just in time to catch Benny Hinn or another word-of-faith teacher tell us to send in our seed money or our $1000 faith gift, “even if you can’t afford it, in fact especially if you can’t afford it.” Their reasoning is that God can not be out given so if we give, then God will have to give. The more we give then the more we get, and if we don’t have it’s because we haven’t given. It’s easy to see the discrepancy in their teaching versus the Word of God, they aren’t teaching obedience to His Word but rather seek the benefits, with their own little twists of the truth thrown in for good measure.

But how is seeking righteousness any different? Isn’t righteousness the outcome of a life surrendered to Christ, one that is laid down in sacrifice to the one who gave His all for us? If I truly no longer live, as Galatians says, but Christ lives in me, then wouldn’t Christ be doing the same today in me, as He did 2000 years ago? That is to say, wouldn’t He be about His Father’s business, living in complete obedience to God? So then the only thing I should be seeking is to allow Christ in me to be obedient to God’s Word.

There will come a day when each of us stands before the God of all creation and answers to Him for our life here on earth. Some will have nothing to say for themselves at all, they never believed, some even boldly denied, that the God of the Bible is the one true living God.

Then there will be those who claim the name of Jesus as their VIP pass into heaven, they’ll stand before God and say, “I believed in Jesus, I read the Bible, I went to church every Sunday, and I even put my children in Christian school.” Yet Jesus will have been standing there listening to them the whole time that they spoke and they will not recognize Him until they hear Him say, “I never knew you, depart from me…” And off they’ll go sporting the perfect do, the perfect education, maybe even the perfect reputation. As 2 Timothy 3:5 puts it,

“having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.”
I don’t want to be found standing in either of these lines. I’d rather take the service elevator to my Savior’s throne and be cleaning the leather or polishing the jewels encrusted in it when this is going on.

When all is said and done, the fires of judgment will diminish, and only those things done by Jesus himself through me will remain to be rewarded. The rewards are not the benefit I seek but only to stand approved before God, and it is only Christ in me that can accomplish this goal. Christ in me the hope of glory!

Colossians 1:16 says, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him…” It seems silly to write an entire book concerning our purpose here on earth when it could so easily be summed up in just a few words – to glorify God. We were created for Him; only He knows each individual’s purpose. Wouldn’t it be more prudent to ask God what He would have us do to glorify Him?

In Revelation 4:11 we read, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” So here’s another reason that the Lord Almighty has created us – for His pleasure. But wait Hebrews 11:6 also says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Was this mentioned to all the non-believers looking for a purpose driven life? Was the Gospel clearly laid out to those who don’t know that the Lord Jesus Christ died for their sins and made it possible for them to be reconciled with God through faith in Jesus Christ? Without this life-giving information, it’s impossible for any one to know their true purpose and live it.

God wrote a book too and although it may be the number one best seller of all time, I don’t believe it’s the most read. Every time I search out wisdom from man on my life’s purpose, no matter how well known or how large their church has grown, it’s time taken away from what could have been direct communication with the God of the universe on the subject. I’m not opposed to reading anything other than the Bible but what we do read should always point us back to God’s Word.

I don’t need a purpose driven life. In the long run that simply makes this life all about me and that’s my natural, fleshly inclination anyway. What I need is a Bible-driven life, a life that is centered on and motivated by the Word of God. The Lord has so much He wants to tell us; won’t you let Him speak to you today through His Word?

Father God,
Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Forgive me for looking to others for their advice and teachings on the purpose of my life. Your Word clearly tells me in Job 36:22 that no one can teach me as you can. I pray that from this moment on I will come to you and you alone for your wisdom. I pray that I would glorify you Lord for this is my heart’s desire.
In the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen

She knows me well.

She knows the beating that 2009 gave us.

She cares

No matter how badly last year treated you, just walk tall with your head held high. This is a brand new year, baby!

Yeah, it may have just been a forward but it was a funny one nonetheless.

Actually, I really haven’t been avoiding this blog as much as I’ve been busy creating two others. Quit laughing. These two others are not going to depend on me to write for them. It’s pretty obvious by this blog that the last thing I needed was another, let alone two more.

No the other sites are very different from this personal blog.

The first is a hosting website that is located at createdforHISglory.org. On the about page I explain the reason why but basically this hosting company will be using 100% of all incoming fees towards missions work. It’s a great opportunity for anyone who has their own website to rest assured that they are being good stewards of their finances. The entire $10 a month fee is used to fund missions.

If you are looking for a web host or thinking of switching web hosts, please visit and sign up at createdforhisglory.org and we’ll be happy to get you all set up.

The second blog is named MyLifeisHIS.com and is a place where believers in Jesus Christ can go to share their testimonies of God’s faithfulness, answers to prayer, praise reports and salvation testimonies. The difficult economic times and the upcoming holidays both seem to be good reasons to start a blog of this type. Everyone at one time or another needs to be reminded that God is still on His throne and always will be.

Please take a moment to visit MyLifeisHIS.com today. I’d really appreciate your participation in this project. You can submit your testimony/story anonymously or you can register to be a contributor and leave your blog or twitter link at the end of your post.

I’m going to occasionally publish – with a few tweaks – some of those that are still applicable today. Since you can’t turn on the news nowadays without feeling the cloud of depression moving in I’ll start with the post below.

Fellow saints, I pray that our God may count you worthy of His calling and that by His power He may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. I pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11)

The Lord’s Spirit is working greatly on this earth during this troubling time. I along with so many other Christians have a renewed sense of boldness. His Spirit confides in those who fear Him and He is speaking words of hope and promise. People are lamenting, “… things will never be the same …” Praise God! Let this be true, Oh Holy One.

Show me your ways , O Lord, teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
Psalm 25:4,5

The world does not open it’s heart to truth easily, sometimes that heart has to be broken to be opened at all. Now is the time to tell this hurting world about Christ. We as Christians should not be talking of fear, for the Lord has not given us the spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord. (2 Timothy 1:7,8a) Only His love and forgiveness can heal the pain in this world. We can be bold in our witness regardless of what the future holds because we know personally the One Who holds the future.
Our faith declares that the times ahead will be difficult, but our faith in Christ also comforts us with “a peace that transcends all understanding”, we need to show this peace to others. Strength through adversity and peace in turmoil, these are attributes of true Christianity. If you are finding these difficult to display to the world then you must do something about it. Spend extra time with the Lord; ask Him to reveal Himself through you to others. We need to be in His Word and in prayer for the country. Our witness is not in our words so much as in our actions and if we aren’t truly different than non-believers, what then do we have to offer? If our faith isn’t giving us hope and peace then what exactly does if offer to others? All that we do should be to the Lord’s glory, keep this in mind as you interact with the people around you today. The world is looking for hope and by our words and actions we can either lead them to or away from Him Who offers it.

It’s hard for me to believe that just a couple of years ago making sure I had something to post daily meant everything to me. I remember spending hours and hours each evening typing away. God forbid a post, if even just a meme, wasn’t ready for public viewing the following day. Blogging was my drug of choice I suppose.

Today I am free from the addiction and it feels good. It makes for a whole lot less posting but nonetheless it feels good.

On another note, have you ever thought about what life might be like in the future and then, when you were actually living that future, pondered how different it was from what you thought it would be? I do. Often.

Life is never what I thought it would be.

I’m the kind of person who loves to imagine the miraculous happening. Life usually isn’t all that miraculous though, on a grand scale anyway. I like the thought of a white knight, a good dragon slaying and lots of happily ever afters. I want to witness the impossible, better yet, to be a part of making it happen.

But life is much more mundane than I imagine it should be. For me anyway. For now.

My prayer is that Jesus would compel me to change it.

God has done so many amazing things in me and my family in the last year that I don’t think I can keep silent anymore.

After moving into this house and being led to join a wonderful Spirit-led church family, God has not stopped teaching, stretching and growing each person in this household.

Have you ever prayed for something for more years than you can even recall and then watched as God put all the pieces into place? If you have, you know the joy and amazement that is, well that is my life right now.

Is everything perfect? No, no don’t let me give you that impression. Are we in God’s will and experiencing the shalom and joy from being right where we are supposed to be? Yes, yes we are.

God is amazing albeit a bit hard to understand at times. Well “a bit” might be an understatement. I rarely get what He is doing and I’m not always sure how I’m to respond but He is faithful to guide and use His rod and staff if necessary. Thank you, Sir, may I have another? – (Don’t ask, it’s just how my mind works.)

Annnnnnyway… He’s been answering prayers of mine that I got tired of begging for years ago. I gave up because I thought the answer must have been NO but I guess I misunderstood His silence.

The point is, God is doing a work and I want to document it here. I don’t want to debate theology or convince others that the way I view the meaning of a particular scripture is the right way. I just want to write what God is up to in our lives. If the comment section ever gets in the way of that then comments will be turned off. Until then feel free to use the comment section to tell me what God is doing in your life too.

In Christ’s Love,

Lauren

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

At the beginning of our life with Jesus Christ, we were sure we knew all there was to know about following Him. It was a delight to forsake everything else and to throw ourselves before Him in a fearless statement of love. But now we are not quite so sure. Jesus is far ahead of us and is beginning to seem different and unfamiliar— “Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed” (Mark 10:32 ).

There is an aspect of Jesus that chills even a disciple’s heart to its depth and makes his entire spiritual life gasp for air. This unusual Person with His face set “like a flint” (Isaiah 50:7 ) is walking with great determination ahead of me, and He strikes terror right through me. He no longer seems to be my Counselor and Friend and has a point of view about which I know nothing. All I can do is stand and stare at Him in amazement. At first I was confident that I understood Him, but now I am not so sure. I begin to realize that there is a distance between Jesus and me and I can no longer be intimate with Him. I have no idea where He is going, and the goal has become strangely distant.

Jesus Christ had to understand fully every sin and sorrow that human beings could experience, and that is what makes Him seem unfamiliar. When we see this aspect of Him, we realize we really don’t know Him. We don’t recognize even one characteristic of His life, and we don’t know how to begin to follow Him. He is far ahead of us, a Leader who seems totally unfamiliar, and we have no friendship with Him.

The discipline of dismay is an essential lesson which a disciple must learn. The danger is that we tend to look back on our times of obedience and on our past sacrifices to God in an effort to keep our enthusiasm for Him strong (see Isaiah 1:10-11 ). But when the darkness of dismay comes, endure until it is over, because out of it will come the ability to follow Jesus truly, which brings inexpressibly wonderful joy.

Feel like chatting?

Then friend request me on facebook ’cause lately you’ll find me there a whole more than here.

I’ll be back at some point. You know me, I can’t stay away from writing for too long. But until then… you know where to find me.

Later.

He has shown me so much truth over the last few months. I’ve talked for endless hours on the phone with my sister and other dear friends (who know well how much I dislike the phone) but it seems so hard to put words to page here about it.

The Lord is not only teaching me things but giving me opportunity to apply it immediately. I learn best that way but of course He knows that. He is stretching and molding me and I am so pleased to feel the warmth of His touch. At times there is discomfort in the process but I look ahead to the possibilities of what He is showing me and I pray He doesn’t stop.

Spiritual warfare and prayer are foremost on the list of things He’s shining His light on for me. Thirteen years of being a Christian and finally now I’m beginning to grasp the miraculous power we have available to us through His resurrection? Years of crawling, not even walking, by faith with no real understanding of the power that my union with Christ in His crucifixion avails me?

Why do so few pastors preach on things like our need to daily put on the Armor of God? I don’t get it.

We are in a battle people! Look at the evidence, there are dead bodies all around us. Christians too are being defeated by this unseen enemy. Why are there so many casualties when the battle has already been won?

More than likely it’s simply a lack of strength for the battle. So many of us are starving to death for lack of spiritual sustenance.  There is a feast of astounding proportions waiting for us to feed on daily in His Word and instead we nibble. A little bit here, a little taste there, wouldn’t want to get too full now would we?

Well not me. No, I’m gobbling up His Word like it’s a chocolate cream pie, hold the whipped cream, thank you very much. No utensils, no hands even, just mouth to food and here I sit with verses strewn all over my face. It may not look pretty but I’ve never felt so full and content. Even better? I’ve never been so ready for this battle that I’ve always been in the midst of but never really known how to fight.

How about you, are you starving or feasting? And how’s that going for you?