Relationship 101

I wrote a little bit about it but a few weeks ago my pastor challenged us to make Jesus the centre of everything we do. I thought long and hard about that and how to implement that in my Sunday School class. How do I make Jesus the centre of our class time and how do I encourage the children to have personal relationships with Christ?
As it happened, it was Easter Sunday and God led me to talk about Gethsemane and Jesus' heavy prayer before enduring the cross. I thought about prayer and it occurred to me that one of the biggest difference in my relationship with Jesus came when I made prayer a continual part of my day.

Here is how that happened:
I was born to saved, church going parents and grew up in church. Both my parents love the bible and it's something they instilled in their children. Knowing the bible, however, is not indicative of a relationship with God.
Before I really got to know God I had a very ridged relationship with Him. I literally looked at Him like He was some sort of Santa Claus figure doling out good to believers who obeyed and actively chastising believers who rebelled. I would pray but I had created some rules in my mind so that God would 'hear me'. I confessed my sins by saying 'please forgive me for all my sins', then I'd say what needed to be said, rattled off 'in Jesus name, amen', not knowing what on earth anything was about.
One day a church friend lent me a novel by a christian writer. It was about a saved girl and some things she went through. I think it was part of a series. Clearly I don't remember much about the book but the novel was written in the first person and every so often she would just pray in her mind. She would address God, make a request or give thanks or whatever she wanted to say, and that was all. See, I always thought I had to say 'amen' or the prayer wasn't complete and God wouldn't take it seriously. I was 10 (all this occurred when I was 10).
She basically had a continual conversation with the Lord throughout the day.
I remember being very fascinated by it, wanting that, and starting on that right away. Needless to say, my relationship with God grew after that.
If you have open communication with God all day every day, you are much more aware that He is watching what you do and that He knows what you are thinking. My pastor always says to keep short accounts with God and it's a lot easier to do when you're constantly going to Him and recognizing you need to be right with Him to communicate properly.
I hope this is making sense. It's hard for me to explain. When you talk to God a lot and you keep that line open there's a lot He shows you. It's really neat.

So something I'm trying to impart to the young ones I teach every Sunday is to continually talk to God. Instead of always asking for prayer requests I mix it up and ask if any one has answered prayers. They're all little prayers that have been answered but those little, every day proofs that God cares about the smallest details of their lives are the building blocks they need to grow their relationship with God.
The other thing these discussions have done is given me a little insight into the children's view of God. In other words- do they really believe in Him or is He just something they learn about at church?

One preacher said, 'the closer you get to God the more your faith is as a little child's'. He went on to explain that like little children know they need their parents to provide everything, those that are close to God realize that absolutely everything they need-including strength for every day- comes from Him. That is what your prayer life reveals- it reveals what sort of faith you have in Him. If he really is 'Lord of all' in your life, that is how you will communicate with Him and you will conduct your life accordingly.
It is amazing the difference a little Holy Spirit discernment will do in your life. Not only do you make right, wise, and good decisions but you're able to be a bigger blessing. If you're constantly questioning if something is right to do in God's eyes rather than your own, you'll avoid a lot of messes.

A few months ago we covered prayer in a discipleship series we're going through on Wednesdays. Listed below are a few things my pastor said that I found really thought provoking.

-There is no problem that isn't a prayer problem

-God will either answer the prayer or change the request
-Nothing reveals a person's spiritual life like their passion for prayer
-Prayer reveals who the believer really is
-Prayer is a backstage part of life that makes a huge difference on stage
-Praying and having a prayer life are two different things
-Your prayer life either magnifies problems or magnifies God
-Your prayer life reveals who you think God is

I hope this was an encouragement, a help, or just a blessing to you!

The Most Useful Thing My Pastor Has Taught Me

Dilbert Terry said 'often what prevents us from having an overflowing testimony is not having the right priorities'. He said that referring to this verse:

And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them

asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch

with me one hour?

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation:

the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Matthew 26:40&41

When we have the right priorities and God is in His proper place in our lives, we will do right and have an overflowing testimony.
That quote of Dilbert Terry is something I remember often- especially when I'm in the perfect position to give someone an invitation to church and I don't have a tract/invitation on me. The closer you walk to with the Lord, your burden for lost souls grows greater, and your priorities shift greatly. When you are right with the Lord and your priorities are His priorities, your dealings with the unsaved become more about winning them to the Lord than anything else.
The salvation of lost souls ought to keep you in line when dealing with the world. 

When it comes to reaching the lost my pastor has taught me more than anyone. It's not just the things he says during preaching but the way he conducts his relationships with the unsaved and how he treats visitors to church. It is clearly a priority of his to tell people about Jesus.

Last summer I was at the park with my son on a very hot Sunday afternoon when I saw two Jehovah's Witnesses set up and stand in the shade. I got into a bit of a friendly debate with them (though I could see one of them getting frustrated) and left unsatisfied with myself and my conduct.
I told my pastor about it and he told me that two Jehovah's Witnesses' approached him one day while he was working and he simply asked them, 'if you died today do you know for sure that you would go to heaven?' They said no. My pastor told me that no matter what they tried to get at during the conversation he kept steering it towards salvation. He said they finally gave up.
It's not about disproving false doctrine, it's about promoting the truth.
So I armed myself with that knowledge.

In the last week God gave me two great opportunities to talk to people.

Last week I was in the community putting invitations to our church's Easter Event in people's doors when a lady who was passing by asked if so and so lived in the house I was just leaving.
I told her I had no idea and I was just passing out invitations and gave her one. I asked her if she went to church and she said she goes to a big baptist church just over the hill from my little baptist church. I then asked her 'when did you get saved?'
She told me she was saved when she was nine- a relative had died and it got her thinking about it so she asked her mom about it and got saved.
It was a really lovely conversation and I think she needed it. She told me her and her husband are moving to Chilliwack so I told her I'd pray for her and she had tears in her eyes when we said bye to each other.
I really have no idea why God led me into that conversation but I'm very grateful for it and this lady, Debbie, is on my prayer list. I kind of wonder if I was put in that position to prepare me for Saturday:

My husband left for work on Saturday morning and just as my son and I were digging into breakfast a knock came at the door. When I opened the door a very friendly man wearing a suit and holding a pamphlet greeted me. I knew as soon as I saw him that he was a Jehovah's Witness and the Lord immediately said 'give him the gospel'. This man, Jason, made small talk, then opened his pamphlet to a page with the word 'anxiety' in big bold letters. He said he wasn't trying to convert me to any religion but he knew that lots of people suffer from anxiety and this pamphlet had some 'biblical' help. I said 'oh, is that by the Watchtower Society?' he said yes and I told him I don't suffer from anxiety because I have peace through Jesus Christ.
I then asked him if he died today did he know for sure he would go to heaven and with the biggest smile on his face, almost joyful, he said 'I have no idea,'
I won't go through our whole conversation but I told him the gospel several times while he just nodded, smiled, and subtly dodged the issue. He realized quickly that I was a Christian and he kept telling me how Christians all believe different things. True true but I told him it does not matter what our opinions are and what we believe- it matters what the bible says.
He said a few things I really wanted to argue with- I mean, a new heaven and a new earth just means a new government? adlkfas;kfj asdkljaskl ;jals;dfkj no.
BUT I didn't argue with him, I stuffed down my fleshly urge to run up and grab my bible. I listened to him peacefully and whenever I got a word in edgewise I would repeat that we can know we're going to heaven because of Christ's sacrifice and all we need to do is believe. I kept telling him about my peace.
We didn't talk for long and before he went on his way I told him that he's welcome to my church. He didn't offer me the pamphlet again.
I feel very sorry for this man. He clearly is fighting something inside and hiding it with a cheerful demeanour. God wanted him to hear the gospel and me to give it to him.

My pastor's simple instructions on just asking people who claim to be saved when they got saved and asking the unsaved if they would go to heaven would not be as effective if he didn't prove it from his conduct. Soul winning is something he talks about a lot and 'making Jesus known' is our church's vision for this year.
It's not us trying to win people through our conversation skills, charms, or knowledge of the bible. It's us showing the love of Christ, sharing his mercy, and telling them about the peace we have with God through Jesus Christ. Submission is always the first step; yielding our will to His and letting him work through us.
It's not natural to want to talk to people, learn about them, and tell them about Christ. It's not natural to be cheerful and discerning when dealing with people you will likely never see again. This is where your priorities show. If you're all about yourself and your own, you won't consider that the people you are dealing with every day are headed to hell.
I have to say, it helps when you are challenged almost every time you go to church to reach others.
So there. Next time you're talking to someone who may be unsaved, ask them if they died today do they know for sure they would go to heaven. You may just have to throw it out there randomly, but it will get the conversation started and if they run away, at least you put a life saving bee in their bonnet.

Lastly, my pastor showed this video at church one Sunday night. It is a huge encouragement and a wonderful story:

I hope this was an encouragement and a help to you.

Keeper at Home

My tulips finally bloomed! Aren't they just lovely? These are actually three of maybe a dozen or more tulips scattered around my garden. Tulips happen to be one of my favourite flowers. I think it's their simple beauty that attracts me.

So I have an exciting announcement- exciting for me that is- I have started a sister blog to this one called Keeper at Home. You can find it here at thekeeperathome.blogspot.com
Of course I don't blog here for a month and I come back with two blogs- ha! The Lord was putting it on my heart for a while so I've finally done it!

Keeper at Home is a place for me to share recipes, needle work projects, things I do to make my life easier, and stuff like that. I had originally intended this blog to be like that but the Lord led me in a different direction.
I'm not the ultimate keeper at home by any means- you should see my home right now... glad no one's scheduled to come over- but like on this blog I share the things the Lord teaches me to stay close to Him, on that blog I'd like to share things I like and maybe others will like too.

I hope you take a look at it and that it helps you in some way, gives you ideas, maybe a new staple at your dinner table. I'm looking forward to sharing!

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due,

when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

Proverbs 3:27

The Sweetest Name I Know

Please excuse my month long absence- I got sick.
I think most of us are creatures of comfort and I know I am to a fault so when I am in an uncomfortable situation- like being sick- I can't do anything I normally do, make good decisions, and exercise common sense.
I am very grateful, though, for the way my illness worked out.
I got sick on a Tuesday and I couldn't move- I had all sorts of aches, pains, irritations, and nonsense going on in me and I had to sleep it off. Only my husband was working and I had to watch our son.
I blocked the stairs off and the dear child just played by himself for the better part of the day- not getting into any trouble and letting me sleep in peace. He took a nap with me in the late afternoon.
He got sick the next day and since I had been through the worst of it I was able to meet his needs and nurse him better.
I haven't been sick like that since before I was married and I am so grateful God took care of us like He did.
That was almost three weeks ago now and I'm *just* beginning to feel like myself again. It took two weeks for me to be back to normal energy and my appetite has finally revived. Now that I'm more comfortable I'm in a better mood and able to write.

Easter is this weekend and whatever you may think of this holiday that originated as a pagan holiday, you must admit it is the one time of the year we really emphasize the sacrifice Jesus made for us.
Christ's sacrifice is something we should emphasize all the time.
For instance, my pastor once said, 'is what they did to you worse than what Christ suffered on the cross? No? Then forgive them'. Bitterness, emnity, and wrath come all too easily out of those little, pointed comments people make to us but we have to remember what Christ forgave and move on.

Because of the nature of this weekend, my bible reading, and my pastor's teaching this past Wednesday, I've been thinking a lot about Jesus.
Obviously, I love Jesus and I can't wait to see His face. I'll admit, I'm most excited to see Him in all His glory with the most violent God haters who ever lived bowing before Him in absolute submission. One of my favourite verses of all time- definitely in my top three is this one:

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a

white horse; and he that sat upon him was

called Faithful and True, and in

righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Revelation 19:11

Well, I'm excited about that- it's going to be awesome.

Anyways, I thought I'd share some of the things the Lord has put on my heart about Jesus recently and over the years. 

This verse has convicted me for a long long time:

Behold my servant, whom I have chosen;

my beloved, in whom my soul is well

pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he

shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall

any man hear his voice in the streets.

A bruised reed shall he not break, and

smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send

forth judgment unto victory.

And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

Matthew 12:18-21

I am not a gentle person. I can be but I have to think about it and put effort into it. If I want something done I jerk everything (and everyone) around until it's done. Sometimes I'm trying to wipe my son's nose and he's struggling and I'm finding myself with a strong hand holding his head straight while the other hand is aggressively wiping his face.

Then I remember this verse- a bruised reed shall he not break. Our Saviour is a gentle Saviour. He won't even break something that's a rough wind away from falling over. It's such a small, little thing, but the Lord brings it to my heart on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis.

Here's a great one in Psalms:

Thou hast also given me the shield of thy

salvation: and thy right hand hath holden

me up, and thy gentleness hath made me

great.

Psalm 18:35

I'm not a great person, by any means, but I will tell you that the Lord's gentleness has made great differences in my life. Where other's have failed me there, God's gentleness has brought me around and kept me by His side.

My worst Christmas in recent memory was during my pregnancy with my son. I was having the worst time at work, an important authority in my life had wounded me deeply, I fell and was limping around on a swollen ankle, and I was massive- not a bad thing but it was uncomfortable.

In all that I listened to a sermon series by Dilbert Terry called 'God's Lost and Found Department' based in Luke 15 about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son (aka the prodigal)- find the series here close to the bottom of the page.

What man of you, having an hundred

sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave

the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go

after that which is lost, until he find it?

And when he hath found it, he layeth it on

his shoulders, rejoicing.

Luke 15:5

In the sermon about the lost sheep he said this, 'isn't it a comfort that Jesus carries you all the way home'.

Think about it- you're a lost sinner, hopeless, headed to hell and Jesus, searching and searching finds you, you accept His sacrifice for your sins, He lifts you up, puts you on His shoulders, and carries you all your life long until you're home with Him.

I can't even describe how much strength that one thought gave me at the time. It makes me all the more thankful remembering that Jesus carries us, He doesn't just lead us.

One of the things I love reading about Jesus is how He came and threw a giant wrench at the religious leaders of that day.

The Pharisees were very protective of the Sabbath and I'm thinking, 'well that guy got stoned in Moses' day for picking up sticks on the Sabbath so I sort of see their point...' 

They don't have a point, though, because Jesus was intolerant of them. Jesus doesn't mess around with them- their problem is their hearts. They were utterly dedicated to being clean on the outside while they left their inside to rot away and stink. (See these passages: Matthew 15, Matthew 23)

Christ did miracles in front of people but still the pharisees were not satisfied:

The Pharisees also with the Sadducees

came, and tempting desired him that he

would shew them a sign from heaven.

Matthew 16:1

In the previous chapter he had healed a Gentile woman's daughter and fed over 4000 people. Um, I think those are signs, guys.

The Pharisees and the Jews did not accept Christ because He didn't do things their way. They wanted a conquering King. Notice how the wisemen said

Saying, where is he that is BORN king of the Jews?

Matthew 2:2a (emphasis is mine)

Herod was king of Judea but he had got that position from Rome and he himself wasn't even a Jew. He was an Edomite. 

So the Jews were expecting a King (Matthew 2:2, John 1:45, John 1:49) but the one who was performing miracles was born in a barn and laid in a manger (Luke 1:7). He had no where to lay His head (Matthew 8:20) and He came into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey (Matthew 21:1-7). None of the religious leaders of His day approved of the company he kept (Mark 2:15-20). He was subject to Rome and instructed the people to do likewise (Matthew 22, Mark 12, Luke 20, Romans 13:1-7).

All those things are wrenches Christ threw at the people He came to save and they did not accept Him (Matthew 11:20)

God never does things the way we think He should. He always fixes things in, what we think is, the strangest way. The Jew's rejection of Christ is great for us Gentiles- we're in! We get free salvation!
Sometimes, though, we really want something to go a certain way, someone to do a certain thing, or God to intervene in a certain way, and He just does something different that you wouldn't expect to teach you something you would have never learned otherwise.

The biggest wrench in my life is my husband. I call him a wrench in a loving way- he teaches me so much. See, I have all my beliefs down pat and M comes along, questions this, throws out that, makes me seriously consider this that and the other thing, and I'm always left with a new conviction that I would never have arrived at on my own.

Here's an easy example: what to wear to church. My honest conviction about dressing for church is that I should look better than I do all week. I should take care to wear clothes specially set apart for worship and the best way to honour and respect God is to make sure they are modest, neat, and ironed. ****Please understand that this is MY conviction for what ME, MYSELF, AND I wear to church. You don't have to look at my conviction and be convicted. God dealt with ME about how I should dress. He will deal with YOU about how YOU should dress. I am not saying any of this to try to tell YOU what YOU should do. GOD DEALS WITH US ALL INDIVIDUALLY.****

To be more clear I'll let you in on how God dealt with me and my clothes:

I used to dress like a slob (still do most of the time), I wouldn't put any effort into ironing, wiping dirt off my leather boots, and so on. God came down pretty hard on me about it at the place I was working. Sure the people around me at work put a lot of stock into what is worn and how you are presented, but God showed me through them that it does not glorify Him to look like a slob. I actually began to be really convicted about it when a preacher was talking about this verse:

And David behaved himself wisely in all

his ways; and the LORD was with him.

1 Samuel 18:14

The preacher (Dilbert Terry) I have never found to tell people how to dress, but here he mentioned that when David behaved wisely in all his ways it also means he dressed properly, looked neat, and kept himself tidy.

When he said that I realized that I don't do that. I did not take care of my appearance. It began to bother me and eventually embarrass me that I didn't take care to glorify God by being tidily dressed. 

Now, when I choose my clothes I choose them out of respect for the Lord. Comfort is a close second (I'm really not myself when I'm uncomfortable), modesty is third, and pleasing to my husband is fourth.

Back to my example- My husband wears jeans to church. He wears dress shirts on top and nice shoes but he's still in jeans- he always wears jeans.

It bothered me for a while and when I finally asked him about it he told me this:

When he was young and living in one of the maritime provinces his dad was the pastor of a big church that had a Christian school. There were well respected men who held high positions at the church and the school who wore three piece suits every Sunday. These were assistant pastors, deacons, principals, teachers, and so on. It came out, little by little, as these things do, that quite a few of these men were sexually harassing their own children.

Yeah. Horrific. Most of those children ended up committing suicide.

It didn't matter that those people dressed impressively. Their fancy clothes were just hiding-briefly- what was inside.

My husband told me that people try to use clothes to one up each other- especially women. He said its no longer about glorifying God but looking better than everyone else. 

My husband honestly is not convicted about wearing jeans to church. That throws a wrench at me very often because my honest conviction is that I should wear clothes that are set aside for special times.

I say all that to say this: my husband keeps me humble when it comes to what I wear to church. If he was all stuffy and had a similar conviction as me we might lose focus and think we're better just because of what we wear. Instead, my husband's jeans constantly remind me that what I wear doesn't matter if I don't have the right heart.

That's just one wrench in hundreds of other ones. My husband keeps me honest about myself. It's frustrating sometimes but it's what God wants for me.

Jesus shook them up really good and few came out of it better (the apostles were among the few that did). Now I look at people who have different convictions in a different light. If what they do bothers me I have to ask myself 'why? Is it pride?'.

I was having a conversation with some people the other day and we were talking about children's movies. I mentioned that I really look at the message behind the movie. I gave the example of The Little Mermaid and how Ariel disobeyed her father. Even though it turned out alright in the end, it was still rebellion and it could've turned out horribly if it wasn't a disney movie. I don't want my son getting the subliminal message that disobedience turns out alright in the end. It occasionally does but it often doesn't. A person in the conversation- who I consider very wise- said that they weren't as concerned with that as much as the attitudes of the main characters.

Now that was a wrench because I'm thinking the message of any movie/TV show makes or breaks it. To hear someone I respect say that the attitude is what they look at threw me for a loop. I hadn't considered it but now that I do, my son is a lot happier after he watches more positive characters than surly ones. It makes a lot of sense and along with the overall message of a movie/TV show I'll definitely pay closer attention to the attitudes of the main characters.

I could've left that conversation thinking that person is an idiot and that I know better, instead I'll use their conviction to learn from and gain a perspective I wouldn't be able to otherwise because I've had different experiences in life.

On Wednesday evening my pastor spoke about making Jesus the centre of everything we do.
That really convicted me and it has almost been all I've thought about since Wednesday. I've mostly thought about it concerning my ministries- this blog, my class, and outreach.
Out of those three, my class has been most heavily on my mind. I know God was telling me that a lot of the things I plan and do in class are with the children in mind.
I think it has a lot to do with the type of children they are. They are all very confident and interactive and I find myself thinking up interesting ways to teach them 'for them'.
God has been showing me that when I ask the children questions in our review games I need to focus more on what we can learn from the lesson and put more emphasis on learning from the bible characters rather than learning about them.
This week God showed me that I need to emphasize personal relationships with Christ. I need to teach the children how to be close to their Saviour.
Looking at my class in this light I can see that a lot of the things spoken about are 'I, me, us' and whatnot. What I need to do is take the focus off the children and toward Christ.
My church did an Easter event for our community this past week. I took some invitations and got out a few. On Friday I was struggling because I started to question why I was going door to door to leave the invitations. I honestly felt I should not go if I was doing them for myself. I decided I needed to go but before I went I prayed to God that I would have the right heart about doing them, and do them for the right reason.
I don't know if I bore any fruit or will bear any fruit. I do know that it is my sincere endeavor, though, to make Jesus the centre of everything I do.
My husband's great grandmother was saved and then cast out of her home by her family. She read this verse:

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus

Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy

house.

Acts 16:31

My father-in-law told me this, "she said, 'God, I'm claiming that verse'" and, sure enough, her whole family eventually got saved.

She married and had lots of children- 12 I think. She prayed every night with each one of them and all of them except one (who became a farmer and was saved) was called to the ministry.

I think about that a lot when it comes to my son. I don't know how she prayed or what she prayed or how she taught them but she instilled a love for the Lord in her children.
Whatever she did, I know that Christ was the centre of it because the boat won't sink if Christ is on board.

Well, there you have it, some of the things I love about Jesus.

If you don't know Jesus as your Saviour, you have no idea what peace is.

Accepting Christ as your Saviour is absolute liberty. You don't have to worry about 'being good' or 'doing good'. All the wrong you've ever done will be washed away by His blood and you don't have to feel guilty any more.

It's the easiest thing and it is the difference between eternity in heaven and eternity in hell:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth

the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine

heart that God hath raised him from the

dead, thou shalt be saved.

Romans 10:9

I also have a post that breaks it down a little more: Salvation

I hope this was a blessing and a help to you!

Something Satanic

Are you able to be taught?

Are people able to tell you things?

Can you recieve instruction and act according to it?

Are you able to take correction?

Can you admit you were/are wrong?

Are you able to assess your motives for doing something honestly and fairly?

Are you able to learn in any circumstance from any one at any time?

You know what separates the children of God from the children of Satan?

The realization you are a sinner destined for Hell and that you cannot get to Heaven on your own. In my experience, the hardest thing for unsaved people to accept is that they are sinners: they cannot work their way to heaven, and nothing good they have ever done is worth anything in God's eyes.

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our

righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade

as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken

us away.

Isaiah 64:6

A wise man said this- God can't save you if you're trying to save yourself.

Jesus is God (John 1) He was there from the beginning, even so:

Though he were a Son, yet learned he

obedience by the things which he suffered;

and being made perfect, he became the

author of eternal salvation unto all them

that obey him;

Hebrews 5:&9

He was perfect yet He still had some things to learn, and those things He learned made Him perfect and brought about our salvation. 

On the other hand:

How art thou fallen from heaven, O

Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou

cut down to the ground, which didst

weaken the nations!

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will

ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne

above the stars of God: I will sit also upon

the mount of the congregation, in the sides

of the north:

I will ascend above the heights of the

clouds; I will be like the most High.

Isaiah 14:12-14

Instead of humbling himself, Satan exalted himself.

Fast forward through our time, past the tribulation, armageddon, the millennium kingdom, and the judgment seat-

And the devil that deceived them was
cast into the lake of fire and brimstone,
where the beast and the false prophet are,
and shall be tormented day and night for
ever and ever.
Revelation 20:10

You can't misread that, the devil, Satan, will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
This is the end of self exaltation and the inability to see wrong in yourself.

This account of Satan's judgment has been around for two thousand years give or take. Satan knows this. He knows, better than we do, what his end will be.

So the question is: why does he continue?

Thou art the anointed cherub that 

covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast

upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast

walked up and down in the midst of the

stones of fire.

Thou was perfect in thy ways from the

day that thou was created, till iniquity was

found in thee.

--skip to verse 17--

Thine heart was lifted up because of thy

beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by

reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to

the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that

they may behold thee.

Ezekiel 28:14-15,17

He continues because he thinks he can rewrite the Book. Satan was upon the mountain of God, the anointed cherub that covereth- he knows God, he knows God's power, he knows his destiny in the lake of fire and still he rebels and resists God.

That is frightful wickedness. That is satanic.

So

A high opinion of yourself

One upping people

Always thinking you're right in every situation

An inflated sense of your abilities

Inability to grant others the right to their own opinions

Inability to listen, learn, or obey

Inability to see truth where it contradicts you

Irrepressible disappointment when no one acknowledges the work you did on something

Trying to be in control of every situation

Thinking your way is the best way
High mindedness 

Allowing your assumptions of people to dictate the way you treat them

Lack of personal/spiritual growth

The above list are just a few of the fruits borne by people who, like Satan, will not be told the truth- by themselves or others.

Saved people can be just as guilty of this as unsaved people.

As a saved person, these things will not land you in the lake of fire but they will prevent Spiritual growth by keeping you from walking with God.
Not only that but your testimony will be ruined.

One of the best proofs of humility is being able to learn from others, situations, and being able to 'parent' yourself.

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God

resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the

humble.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the

devil, and he will flee from you.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.

Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your

hearts, ye double minded.

Be afflicted and mourn and weep; let your

laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to

heaviness.

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he

shall lift you up.

James 4:6-10

If you don't humble yourself, God will do it for you and that is the very last thing anyone wants.

I hope this helps in some way!

Control

I've tried to write this post a few different ways. It's hard for me not to let my personal feelings and flesh run with it. There's a lot I could say about others in this post but I'm attempting to focus on the things I've learned through my own experience in my own self.
I can't speak for others- no matter what impression they give- but more on that later.

Today I'm not talking about self control and things that you must control.
I control myself, my household, and my son (not really but you know what I mean). Controlling myself is a giant task, by household I mean the physical things like cooking, cleaning, making sure everyone has clean clothes, etc, and I am the primary caretaker of my son which eventually means I'll be supervising his education. These are things that I am given to control and I am not talking about those things today.

Today I am talking about things we are not given to control but try to any way.
I think there is that tendency in many people to try to subtly control everything around them. We generally- whether we want to admit it or not- think- consciously or sub consciously- we know best, the right way, how it should be, etc.

For example: we just moved and there are a few different ways to get to church.
When I drive to church I turn right off our street and head straight to the highway.
My husband turns left and drives down a residential street to a big street and then to the highway.
Of course I think my way is more efficient and less annoying but we've never timed the routes so we can't know for sure.
I know my husband well enough to know why he takes the route he does, but when we're running late I can't help but feel that rise of irritation at the (possibly) longer route to church. Its a very small thing and I just squash the annoyance when it comes up but it is a constant reminder of how strongly I think my ways are superior and how much I like to be in control.

That is the kind of thing I am talking about in this post: those little things that come out occasionally that can only be explained by the fact that we need to control everything around us. The above example has never brought about an argument between us- because I just let it go- but there have been plenty of similarly small things that I've commented on in the wrong tone with the wrong spirit and ka-boom.

One time I was called on to testify about God's tender mercies in front of my church (not my current church)- tender mercies being the little blessings and mercy drops God daily bestows. I had a week to prepare and different examples came to mind- one in particular was about sometimes missing the sky train on my way home from church. I'd have to wait ten minutes sometimes for the next train but when it came it was usually almost empty (SUCH a blessing on an almost 45 min train ride with an active toddler). I don't remember my exact reasoning for not using that one, I think I thought it was bridging on obsequious, but I didn't use it and once my testimony was done I knew I was wrong not to. People came up and thanked me for the testimony but that didn't ease my guilt. I ultimately knew that trying to control the message of the testimony prevented me from really glorifying God and really giving a true testimony.
I believe this is happening more and more in churches where preachers are trying to be 'politically correct' and going out of their way to avoid offending people. Paul said this to the church at Ephesus:

For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the

counsel of God.

Acts 20:27

The most powerless preaching I've heard happens when the preacher tries to tailor the message to the congregation. Seriously, just preach the what God gave you, how He gave it to you.

Sunday was Valentine's Day and my preacher did not have a message about love- and praise God for that. As another preacher said, 'Praise God for preachers who go to their knees and not a calendar to find out what to preach'.

Back to my controlling ways and speaking of preaching: I used to listen to preaching rather critically. I would create lists in my mind of BETTER verses the preacher could have used, a better route he could've taken in the message, and things like that. (I never vocalized it) I can't tell you how it happened but one day I just stopped.
I think it had to do with me really learning what real submission is. God gave that sermon, to that preacher, to preach that way, knowing I would be in the congregation listening that Sunday.
I'm only responsible for what I learn from that sermon. If God gave that sermon to that preacher and the preacher did not preach what God really wanted him to preach it's none of my business and God will deal with him.
At the heart of the matter was that I thought all preaching should be powerful, hard, and sharp- the kind of preaching that is so convicting it makes you want to throw up. I've since learned that there is a time for that, there are people who need that, and there are people who that will strengthen and edify all the time. Some people can only take that once in a while.
Deep inside, I wanted to control what was being preached to me because I thought I knew best. Now I sit down for preaching completely focused on myself and what I need from it. My mind is peaceful and I learn so much more. 

My husband doesn't try to control me- he governs our home, sets the boundaries, leads us but he does not tell me what to do. On the other hand, I am always tempted to tell him how he should do things, when he should do things, and so on.  I realized early on that if we were ever going to be happy I had to just let him be- he knows what he has to do, how to do it, and when to do it- he's a big boy, he's fine.
He is currently starting his own business and he talks to me about almost every aspect of it. I just listen to him and only give my opinion when he asks for it. Now, I have a lot to say about things and I could tell him exactly how to do everything he talks to me about but I don't because I'm not the one starting the business, I'm not the one doing the work, and I'm not in charge of finances.

It's like Mary and Joseph when the angel told them to flee to Egypt:

And when they [the wise men] were departed, behold, the angel

of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying,

arise, and take the young child and his mother, and

flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring the

word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

When he arose, he took the young child and his 

mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

Matthew 2:13&14

If it was my husband and I, I'd be thinking 'do we really have to leave TONIGHT? I'm sure the angel didn't mean for us to leave right away. Can't we go tomorrow? and so on and so forth and what have you...'

Again if it was M in Jospeh's place I'd have to remember that the angel appeared to HIM and not me for a reason and I have no say in the decision about when to leave. God chose him.

This thought process keeps our marriage peaceful and it allows me to be happy in my marriage.

Lastly, other people.
I think we drive ourselves mad trying to give the right impression of ourselves and beat ourselves up when we fail. We want others to see us for what we are and what we do.
I worked for a company that was very big on being bright and bubbly. I am not bright or bubbly. In high school my basketball coach told me I have 'this poker face' (his words) that makes everyone think I'm angry. I also think, based on all the times I got written up for not having the right face on (not kidding), that something about my natural expression gives the impression that I'm not approachable and affable. Working for that company showed me that, despite what I know inside me about myself, what is inside will never fully show on the outside. (I'm talking about character and personality here. Hidden sin in the heart will always manifest on the outside if not dealt with)
Recently a man left a message on my husbands phone. We listened to it and thought he sounded angry and rude. A few weeks later- when moving calmed down- we listened to it again (the same message!) and he sounded pleasant and friendly. What people see of you is coloured by what they are themselves, their mood, and how they feel about you. No matter what you do, people will never think of you the way you want to be thought of.

A long time ago I was watching an interview with a former basketball player who won the NBA Championship. The interviewer asked why this man does not wear his ring.
The basketball player said, "I don't need to wear it. I know what I did."
That's become my attitude about who I really am and what I really do.
I know what I am, I know what I do, and more importantly, God knows.
God shows me where to change and and gives me grace to grow.
I am not saying, just be who you are and don't consider others. That is not what God wants- read Romans 14 for more.
Be kind, watch what you say, dress appropriately, take care of the things God gives you- but don't go out of your way just to prove you're smart/ talented/ quick witted etc.
When I was in grade five I wrote a paper and I mentioned I had a second cousin who rowed in the olympics. My teacher crossed that whole paragraph out. There was no point in me adding it to my paper except to show that I had a talented cousin. Similarly I've said a lot of things and done many things just to show who I think I am and what I think I can do. There's no point. It's just the pride of life.

The other thing is, if I know people will give themselves their own impression of me, then I have to be gracious and allow that I will never have the right impression of them. I can't control their thoughts about me but I can control my thoughts on them.
My rule now is not to think about people, not to take things personally, and just let everything be.
I pray for people, I try to be helpful, I try to love be and kind to everyone but I will not spend any time dissecting someone's words or actions.
It can be hard sometimes but:

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that 

ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

With all lowliness and meekness, with

long suffering, forbearing one another in love;

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the

bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:3

and:

And above all things have fervent charity among

yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of

sins.

1 Peter 4:8

Charity does many things (see 1 Corinthians 13) and its not something you just have. Charity comes from God. Charity is selfless and that's what it takes to give up yourself up and allow others to have their way and their mind.

A preacher once said, 'you are who you are when you won't get caught'. With that in mind, know who you really are, humble yourself, and keep your eyes and your pencil on your own paper.

This topic has been on my mind for a while and as I said earlier, it's taken a few tries to write. What I hope to convey is that you are so much freer and happier when you wholly give up what you can't control.

27

I turned 27 yesterday and looking back on 26 I know that the biggest area of personal growth for me was knowing myself better. I don't mean personal preferences, faults, strengths and things like that. I mean the deeper things that make me do what I do.

Before this last year a lot of my knowledge of myself was based on ideals and things I wanted myself to be. In the words of the dowager Lady Grantham I'd 'read too many novels'. I've learned a lot this past year just about myself, what I really am, my real motives, and what is at the heart of everything I do.

Something that's helped me learn about myself, is looking at myself as the source of all my problems. I know to the world that sounds horrendous but it's absolutely liberating.

For instance, I was hurt by some people not too long ago.

I was really struggling with it when God pointed out that it wouldn't be what it was if I wasn't carrying on. While their actions were indeed hurtful, my holding it against them was what was really hurting me.

As soon as He showed me my error, I got it right and moved on.

Another example is my husband not doing things I think he should be doing. I realized that there's a lot of things I should be doing that I'm not and looking at him wasn't improving my lot at all. A preacher once pointed out that maybe our spouses' get away with things we think they should be doing so that God can test us and reveal what's really in our hearts.
Turning my critical focus from other people to myself has made a world of difference in pursuing peace in my relationships- especially that of my marriage.

Another thing that's helped me learn about myself is leaving social media. I know I keep going back to it and I wrote a whole post about it here. I don't want to delve into a topic that I've dealt with before, but its really amazing what you'll learn about yourself, learn to do, and accomplish when you're not drawn to your phone/tablet/computer to see if someone posted something new or post something yourself.
The other temptation or tendency, even with blogging, is to spend your time thinking about what to post. There are better things to occupy our minds.
For me, social media is a weight that besets. It puts things into my mind that wouldn't be there otherwise. It gives me impressions of people I don't need to have. It makes me want to 'attain' what others have 'attained'.
Getting out of it was a good clean cut. All the clutter in my brain left when I left social media.

It comes down to being honest with yourself- seeing yourself for what you really are. It is allowing God to use those trying times to build character where you are lacking. It's also being able to pinpoint those things that keep us from moving forward and getting them out of our lives.

Having cut out a lot of unnecessary issues in my life, I've come to this place where I am able to pursue meaningful things fully and freely.

Fully as in I'm able to give good time to the pursuit, and freely as in without need for validation from people.

This blog is a good example of that. In almost a year of writing I still have no idea if anyone actually reads what I write. Whether people are reading or not it does not matter because this blog was God's idea, it's God's work, it's for God's glory, He gives me the time to write, He gives me the words to say, He gives me things to write about, and I am just an instrument.

I've heard a few things from my sister about some of my posts but if I never hear anything from anyone about it again, it really doesn't matter because it's not about me or anyone else. It's about my relationship with God.

My bible class is another example- It's God's class and I try to follow His directions as closely as I know how. I may never know what kind of impact I have on those children- hopefully its a good impact if any- and that's okay. I only need to worry about following God's leading in the class and letting Him work. If I've done that, I'm a success. 

Knitting is a non spiritual example- for me it's a blessed pursuit, given to me by God. It's something I keep to myself but pursue passionately.

I think, as I attempt to bring this to a conclusion, that learning of myself has enabled me to yield control, yielding control has liberated me, and my liberation has helped me find satisfaction in the things my hand findeth to do.

(1) Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which

are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of

meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be

tempted.

(2) Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law

of Christ.

(3) For if a man think himself to be something, when

he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

(4) But let every man prove his own work, and then

shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in

another.

(5) For every man shall bear his own burden.

Galatians 6:1-5

I just want to focus on verse 4 but I needed to establish the context of the passage- The work God gives each one of us is our own burden and proving the work gives us rejoicing.
My bible class, for example, is a good burden that is mine to bear. I love those children, I want the best for them, I want them to love God and His Word. Those are my burdens that I must bear and I must prove my own work in them. Teaching those children gives me joy- it's not that my pastor or the parents, or anyone appreciates that I teach them- it's that I'm doing God's will God's way.

The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own

ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from

himself.

Proverbs 14:14

This is an incredible verse that says so much. It's interesting how you can do everything your way and not be satisfied. A good man shall be satisfied from himself, not because he does everything his own way, but because he does it God's way.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD:

and he delighteth in his way.

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down:

for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

Psalm 37:23&24