DF – day 2 – Fair?

I am disabled right now, because I cannot get up and move around and make my own food for the Daniel Fast.

Most folks that are doing the fast are starting this coming Sunday – and are preparing this week. I didn’t get preparations made, because I was preparing for surgery. So, if I am ‘sacrificing’ food, shouldn’t I be the one sacrificing the time to prepare this special allowed food? Is it really a fair fast if I CAN’T choose to eat anything other than what I’m given?

I don’t know about that, but what I do know is that I am sitting here craving ice cream, wanting to make excuses for Jim to buy me some Wendy’s burgers so my leg will heal, and saying I’ve been through so much, I really should treat myself.

WAIT!!!
That is how I got to be 250 pounds…with weight bearing damage to my malformed ankles and knees.
That is how this temple of the Lord became inefficient in doing things FOR the Lord.
That is how my energy levels dropped, and diabetes took over, and blood work messed up.

Maybe the first part of this fast is to NOT mention my cravings…but to REALLY take them down, alone, me and GOD.
Maybe the first part of this fast is to SET THIS PERSON FREE from the bondage of all the cravings, so that I can be focused to pray for the freedom of others.

It’s worth thinking about!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

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People of the Bible – Joseph

The story of Joseph takes up a rather large part of Geneses.
If you include the whole story about how his father ended up with the wrong wife…and had to work for 7 more years to get to marry Rachel, Joseph’s story is HUGE!

Sister Wives – the original series! Rachel and Leah used their children to win favors with Israel/Jacob. Trading mandrakes from one’s son to win time in Israel’s tent just seems wrong.
Israel loved Rachel more than Leah, and loved Joseph more than the other sons. To prove it, he set Joseph up with a very colorful coat. One that could be seen a long way off! Distance that enabled a bun ch of jealous boys to plan a way to rid themselves from this favoritism!

Everyone assumes that Joseph shared his dreams in an arrogant fashion. I don’t read it that way in the Bible. I think that is an added, personal projection by the reader upon Joseph’s actions.
“what do these dreams mean?”
Apparently, his brothers and his father KNEW what those dreams meant…and they reprimanded him FOR HAVING THOSE DREAMS! The poor boy, he’s lost his mom, he’s got funky dreams going on, and no one to share them.

With all that going on, and actually listening to your brothers discuss whether they are going to kill you or sell you, I’m thinking that those dreams didn’t seem very real right then.

Did Joseph lose hope? He was raised up in Potipher’s house, in the Jail, and eventually in Pharoah’s house. The dreams indicated that his family would be bowing down…and his family is no where to be around.

I have dreams and visions that I believe that God has given me. When they haven’t come to pass as I think they should, I start to second guess myself…”did I hear that right? ” “did I make that up?” “did I just want something bigger to happen?”
And, then, “who do I think I am that God could use me?”

Joseph went to jail – falsely accused. Everything, except this woman’s lies, acknowledged that Joseph was an outstanding slave. This powerful person’s lies ‘destroys’ Joseph’s life.

I’ve been falsely accused by people that know the truth. The lies are so interwoven into the fabric of our lives that without God’s divine intervention, there is no way to clean up the mess. The lies can, and probably will effect some effectiveness of God’s ability to use me. Then again, God put Joseph in the prison for a time, and in order to get him set up for the real placement – at Pharoah’s right hand.

The last two years of foot and ankle and elbow surgeries have left me feeling like I’ve been in jail. I have not handled myself like Joseph – and I have not been put in charge of my ‘prison’, but that will end today. Is 58 talks about a fast that God can get behind…and part of the reason for that fast is to set the captives free.

Many people that were in concentration camps, death camps, held captive for one reason or another have said that the victory came when they realized that no one can jail their spirits! I have allowed the physical ailments to jail my spirit – to hold me back – to hold me down. I am allowing these things to keep me in a box, and I am not someone that fits into a preconceived box!

When Joseph settled in to his new life, married, two kids, then God brought about the fulfillment of the dreams. Then his brothers came and bowed down before him – like bundles of grain bowing to the one that would prevent their starvation.

I don’t know what will come about with the dreams and visions that I have had, but I know that I have to keep my eyes on the prize.
Ultimately, God used Joseph, and a famine, to bring the Israelites into the land of Goshen…setting them up for a prison of slavery…so that HE could set them free in a mighty way.

I can’t see
what God is doing with me.
I can only choose to be
everything God created in me
flowing, growing and yeildedly free.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

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DF day 1 – New Year!

Today is a new day.
Today is the first day of the rest of my life.
Today I start the Daniel Fast.

Isaiah 58 – this is the fast
:6 [Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
:7 [Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.

There is so much in this chapter….
I want to lose the bands of wickedness from off of my family…Jim, myself, and my children.
I want to undo the heavy burdens of familial sickness and wounds, and set the captives free!

And I want my light to break forth as the morning(by the morning star – Jesus), and my health to spring forth…and I want to walk in righteousness, and be rewarded by God’s glory!

I want this chapter of scripture to be released into my family and my life.

I need to review what came out of last year’s time of fasting…and seek the Lord to continue to move towards Christ likeness.

Strengthen me, O Lord, to glorify You in my body – to make this temple a place for You to dwell within.
Make me, a sanctuary

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

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100 Spiritual Walking Steps – #35 Looking toward the goal

From where I’m standing
Lord it’s so hard for me to see
Where this is going
And where You’re leading me
I wish I knew how
All my fears and all my questions
Are gonna play out
In a world I can’t control

This song really makes it clear that when we look at our current circumstances we rarely can see our future clearly.

Ruth “Bunny” Graham wrote a book:
Fear Not Tomorrow, for God is already there.

Casting Crowns:

When I’m lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You’re already there
You’re already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You’re already there
You’re already there

When I think about my tomorrows, I wonder what I’m going to do, and will I be prepared, will I be happy there, will there be others there with me. Wondering is one thing, but fearing is another. wondering can lead to anxiousness, which is stress, and can lead to fear.

Nothing is going to happen to me that the Lord and I can’t handle. ~AA

The will of God will not lead me to a place where the grace of God cannot protect me.~Folk wisdom

Casting Crowns:

From where You’re standing
Lord, You see a grand design
That You imagined
When You breathed me into life
And all the chaos
Comes together in Your hands
Like a masterpiece
Of Your picture perfect plan
When I’m lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You’re already there
You’re already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You’re already there
You’re already there

This is all about God’s sovereignty…Everything that happens to me has to go through HIS hand. No need to fear.  So, why plan? Because, we don’t know the hour or the time for His return, and we must work while it is night, until the morning light.

So, looking toward the goal –

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

This is my whole purpose in life…to press on toward the prize.

1 Cor 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

Heb 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

As I press on towards the goal, I can rest that Jesus is already there, and will not be surprised by anything, but is waiting for me with open arms. And when this life is over, we will look back together, and HE will show me the great masterpiece that HE has created.  I just have to make sure to keep headed in the right direction!

~Casting Crowns

One day I’ll stand before You
And look back on the life I’ve lived
I can’t wait to enjoy the view
And see how all the pieces fit [x2]

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

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100 Spiritual Walking Steps #34 – Prayer to be a light on my Path

This blog is not so much what I’ve been learning as it is a prayer to practice what I’ve been learning.  In one week, 12/29/2011, I will have Achilles tendon surgery, with some bone deformities repaired and many spurs removed.

There is an insurance issue. Someone changed our insurance policy – causing us to supposedly need to pay 1000 deductible(and ‘only’ 200 has been met…totally bogus) and 10% of the surgery. On 9/27 and 11/2, surgeries were covered 100% – but, a person, somewhere, did something…and we are having trouble THIS WEEK getting things approved for next week. Christmas is Sunday and no one will be at work tomorrow or Monday. New Years is coming…and with that, a new program with higher deductibles.

I’m sure anyone can imagine what stress that adds to getting together with family. And we have an additional family member attending our weekend that is especially caustic.

A dear friend shared Rom 15:13 with me…

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

it goes nicely with Phil 4:7 –

And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

I have been battling down fear for this 12 week situation – 8 in which I am non weight bearing(cannot walk)…and I guess the enemy has not enjoyed the fact that I have been in victory over this, and has been throwing all sorts of things in my path. I have stumbled. I have fallen.
But Ps 37:24 says

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth [him with] his hand.

I am trying to hold onto Is 41:10 and 13

Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

Victory is mine – in the Lord, and I know

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.(Phil 4:13)

My desire is to

Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That (I) may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom (I) shine as lights in the world;(Phil 2:14-15)

Hebrews 11:1 reminds me that

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Just because I cannot see the manifestation of my faith in this situation, does not mean that God isn’t working in me.
I will always be in a battle – until the day I see HIM face to face…but in the mean time, I need to dwell in the secret place that is so eloquently described in Ps 23.

So, what is my prayer request?

  • That I will hold fast to the truth,
  • that I will stand fast in the Word of God,
  • that I will be a light shining on a hill to all in the next week, and in the 12 weeks that follow.
  • I pray that the joy of the Lord will be my strength(more specifically,
  • that I will run into the name of the Lord, that strong tower,
  • and absorb that joy that is in His presence, and be strong), and
  • that the Prince of Peace will reign in my heart in the midst of the storms swirling around me.
  • I pray that I will hear HIS voice saying – PEACE, BE STILL –
  • and that I will instantly obey.

Total healing would be great, too…but, I have no problem believing for that.

It’s for my walk with the Lord that I am asking for prayer – and not just that, it’s that my life will shine to all who meet me. I can get so self focused when I am in pain, and I want to be a blessing to those that help, serve, and care for me.

This is my prayer.

I hope that these songs bless you, as the Word of God will bless you – in the midst of storms. I pray that I will dance in the midst of the storms.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

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There Are Giants in my Land – part four

I’m so confused about numbering this series. This is the fourth time I’ve written about this, but this is the third giant I’m talking about.
First I talked about giants,
then the giant of fear,
and then the giant of depression.

The next giant that I’ve had to battle is the giant of bitterness. Actually, that is the giant’s sugarcoated name. The real name is unforgiveness.

Unforgiveness is a party giant.
If you are living with the giant of fear, and someone has caused that fear, un-forgiveness comes along to party with.
If you are living with the giant of depression, and you are hurt by a lack of compassion, un-forgiveness comes along to celebrate.
If you’re living with the giant of anger, and you feel misunderstood, unforgiveness comes along to stir the pot.
Unforgiveness is the last one to leave the party, really enjoying the pity parties in particular!

But as Christians we don’t like to say that we struggle with unforgiveness, because that’s the big thing that Christians do, forgive! But if we hold on to irritations, frustrations, aggravations, and stir those up in the pot of our hearts, we call that bitterness.

Mark 11.25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

“when you stand praying, forgive, if you have odds against any.” That sounds like part of the Lord’s prayer.

Luke 11.4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

The key isn’t it asking God to forgive us, but rather for us to forgive others.

Mark 11.25–26 that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

In everyone’s life there is something that seems to be unforgivable. This last week I watched the movie for the second time entitled “Amish Grace.”

When a gunman killed five Amish children and injured five others in a Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania schoolhouse shooting in October of 2006, the world media attention rapidly turned from the tragic events to the extraordinary forgiveness demonstrated by the Amish community. Through the eyes of a grieving mother, Ida Graber, and other devastated families, this movie explores the Amish’s astonishing reaction to the horrific shootings – of forgiveness and compassion.

A quote by Gideon Graber, “Hate is a very big, very hungry thing… with lots of sharp teeth. It will eat up your whole heart, and leave no room left for love.”

The only reason to not forgive is because of a lack of love. The opposite of love is hate or indifference.

!!!I need to get this book so that I can use it for the quotation!!!
Or I need to watch the movie again – pointing out that unforgiveness is a giant that I need to keep being reminded to take down!

Forgiveness is a choice.
This Giant is HUGE!
I started this post back in September or October, and I am closing it up(not finishing, you understand) on 12/21/2011.

Unforgiveness is a daily giant that at times it presents itself as a little imp…
self protection – “I don’t deserve to be treated that way”
boundaries – “he’s in my space, he’s not respecting my boundaries”
energy drainer – “I just don’t have it in me to keep letting this go”

The big things, anger, greed, jealousy – those are easier to see, and recognize the unforgiveness that hangs around after the fact.

To take down this giant, I am trying to recognize times that I make excuses to NOT let go of an irritation.
My goal is that I will stand in a mindset of forgiveness – so that irritations will not be an issue. Impossible you say? Maybe true, but aiming for the goal of Christ keeps me moving forward in living more and more like HIM.

He is my example of forgiveness:

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.(Luke 23:34)

Out of Christ’s HUGE love, He forgave me of my HUGE debt – and for that, I am eternally grateful!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
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100 Spiritual Walking Steps – #33 – Remember from whence ye came

I have spent quite a bit of time these last weeks looking back.

Memories – light the corners of my mind…misty watercolored memories – of the way we were.

I spend the end of the year looking back on the year – and often, it’s about what did I do and what didn’t I do and who did I hurt and did I make that as right as I could.
This can lead to depression – and yet, I do think it’s a biblical principle. And as with most principles, it’s about the purpose.

Ps 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if [there be any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

In Barbara’s song, there’s a bit of self deprecation:

Can it be that we were all so simple then?
Or has time rewritten every line?

Memories –
may be beautiful and yet
what’s too painful to remember
we simple choose to forget

God has written down every line of our lives. He has every word written down(Rom 2:16; . We will be judged by our actions(Matt 16:27)…
UNLESS –
unless we recognize our sin – and from whence we came!
We were sinners – and we are saved by grace!(Eph 2:5)
We are sinners – and we have an advocate with the Father!(1 John2:1)
We are sinners – and there are two ways to rewrite our history:
We can choose to forget – and rewrite it by lying to ourselves OR
We can choose to take it to the Father, through Jesus Christ – and have our sins washed away, as far as the east is from the west, NEVER TO BE REMEMBERED ANYMORE!

Ps 103:8 The LORD [is] merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
:9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep [his anger] for ever.
:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, [so] great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
:12 As far as the east is from the west, [so] far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

So, when I look back over the year, I have to remember, from whence I came –
I came out of darkness – into Christ’s glorious light.
God knows I’m but dust (Ps 103:14) – and HE has chosen to work with my weakness to show himself strong!
So, look back, repent, and turn…learn the lessons of last year, and start over!

Casting Crowns – You’re Already There!

Happy New Year – every day!

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

M. Christine Wildman“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

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Spiritual Walking Steps – #31 – With what shall I go?

BEFORE GOD’S INTERVENTION IN OUR LIVES – NOTHING TO OFFER

MOSES

And Moses said unto God, Who [am] I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? Ex 3:11

And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I [am] not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I [am] slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. Ex 4:10

ISAIAH

Then said I, Woe [is] me! for I am undone; because I [am] a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Is 6:5

GIDEON

And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family [is] poor in Manasseh, and I [am] the least in my father’s house. Judges 6:15

ZECHARIAH

Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” Lk 1:18

PETER

When Simon Peter saw [it], he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. Luke 5:8

PAUL

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not.Rom 7:18

AFTER GOD’S INTERVENTION –

1John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Matt 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Luke 1:37 For nothing is impossible with God.

THE DIFFERENCE?

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Lk 1:35

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.Acts 4:13

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Eph 5:17-20

If ye love me, keep my commandments.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
[Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
John 14:15-17

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
John 15:26-27

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Mark 16:15-18

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matt 28:19-20

I have nothing – except to offer a broken and contrite spirit…and allow HIM to use me.
As Mary said:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. Lk 1:38

It’s only by yielding to the Holy Spirit coming upon me, and overshadowing me, that I can see fruit birthed from my life.(Lk 1:35)

Lord, may I live like my name, may I have a heart like Mary, in Jesus’ name.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi(Mary Christine)
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
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Naomi's Heart Mission

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100 Spiritual Walking Steps – 30 – the first festival

In step 27, I wrote about my concerns about what we are to do with the festivals along the way. I discussed Halloween and Sukkot.
There is one festival that I cannot shake the requirement to celebrate, and I confess that I have not always been diligent to honor it.

Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in it]

  • thou shalt not do any work, thou,
  • nor thy son,
  • nor thy daughter,
  • thy manservant,
  • nor thy maidservant,
  • nor thy cattle,
  • nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates:

11 For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

The 10 commandments. Exodus 20 – And God said these words:

  1. 2 verses – no other gods
  2. 3 verses – no graven images
  3. 1 verse – no disrespecting His name
  4. 4 verses – HONOR THE SABBATH
  5. 1 verse – honor thy mother and father
  6. 1 verse -no killing
  7. 1 verse – no adultery
  8. 1 verse-no stealing
  9. 1 verse- no lying
  10. 1 verse -no coveting

Of all the 10 commandments – God spent more time, more words, explaining why the Sabbath should be holy. As Christians, we have a negative approach to the 10 commandments as rules, the “do nots”.  Jews have a different view of the Sabbath.

From Judaism 101

“The Sabbath (or Shabbat, as it is called in Hebrew) is one of the best known and least understood of all Jewish observances. People who do not observe Shabbat think of it as a day filled with stifling restrictions, or as a day of prayer like the Christian Sabbath. But to those who observe Shabbat, it is a precious gift from G-d, a day of great joy eagerly awaited throughout the week, a time when we can set aside all of our weekday concerns and devote ourselves to higher pursuits. In Jewish literature, poetry and music, Shabbat is described as a bride or queen, as in the popular Shabbat hymn Lecha Dodi Likrat Kallah (come, my beloved, to meet the [Sabbath] bride). It is said “more than Israel has kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept Israel.” “

Why did God set apart one day for rest?

Mark 2:27 And he(Jesus) said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

Sabbath isn’t supposed to be this strict, solemn, boring thing.  God created it FOR MAN!

 Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Deuteronomy 5.15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and [that] the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

There is something special that God intended for the Sabbath, but in the attempt to break free from the law, in the teaching of liberty, peace, and love, we may have lost the very blessing that God created for us!

how did the Israelites learn about the Sabbath? in the Exodus!  Manna!

Exodus 16.4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. 5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare [that] which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

Exodus 16.23 And he said unto them, This [is that] which the LORD hath said, To morrow [is] the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake [that] which ye will bake [to day], and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.

Exodus 16.26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, [which is] the sabbath, in it there shall be none.

God provided food for the Israelites miraculously. God had two rules about the food,

  1. gather only what you can eat, not too much or too little
  2. don’t gather on the Sabbath

Oddly enough, the people tested God to see if the food would keep, and it got wormy.  And they tested God to see if there would be any manna on the Sabbath, and there was none. this was God’s response:

Exodus 16.28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?

God set up a plan for these people who had been in slavery for hundreds of years.  They didn’t have days off.  And he is trying to bring them into his rest.  But their flesh is getting them in trouble.  And it’s the same today.

1Peter 2.11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

Why don’t we celebrate the Sabbath?  And I’m not talking about whether it’s Friday to Saturday, Saturday to Sunday, or only Sunday. I’m talking about one day a week given to rest as the Lord commanded. Commanded

Command:

  • to order, require, compel
  • to direct with specific authority or prerogative; order:
  • to require authoritatively; demand:

Commandment:

  • a command or mandate.

Hebrew: Mitzvah

  • precept
  • commandment
  • law
  • ordinance

Commandments.  We talk about being freed from the law, I were talking about being freed from the curse of the law, or from the law in general?  Why is it so important to “not be bound by the law”?  Why was the law given?  And right now talking about the 10 Commandments.  Are we guilty of picking and choosing which ones we should obey?

Do we honor our mother and father because it will go well with us and we will live long in the land?

Ephesians 6.2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Do we not steal, because of the Golden rule?

Luke 6.31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

I say that all Scripture is God breathed,

2 Tim 3:16 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

I want to be made perfect.

Matthew 5.48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Romans 12.2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The ways of the world are not going to get me where I want to be in my walk with the Lord Jesus. it is more comfortable for my flesh to rule out honoring the Sabbath under the teaching of liberty. But if I’m going to claim the promises of Ephesians 6.2, or any other promises for obedience, I need to seriously look at keeping the Sabbath.

Exodus 31.14Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it [is] holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth [any] work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh [is] the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth [any] work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, [for] a perpetual covenant.

Exodus 35.2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.

Num 15:32-36 A man gathering wood on the sabbath

that’s pretty serious punishment for not keeping the Sabbath. I don’t think God considers the Sabbath as lightly as we do.

 Isaiah 56.1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation [is] near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. 2 Blessed [is] the man [that] doeth this, and the son of man [that] layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.

BLESSED!!!!

Isaiah 58.13

  • If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath,
  • [from] doing thy pleasure on my holy day;
  • and call the sabbath a delight,
  • the holy of the LORD,
  • honourable;
  • and shalt honour him,
  • not doing thine own ways,
  • nor finding thine own pleasure,
  • nor speaking [thine own] words:
  • 14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD;
  • and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth,
  • and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father:
  • for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it].

Jeremiah had a warning about Sabbath obedience – and they didn’t harken, in Jeremiah 17.

We want the blessings of the Lord, but not the responsibility that goes with it.
We want our cake and eat it too. We want to pick and choose what things, what principles, what part of the Bible are actually for today.  Everyone agrees the 10 Commandments  are a great set of rules, and many of societies have a similar set of laws.  In fact the different societies just change up the first four verses two worshiping their God rather than the God of Moses.  there is a whole chapter in the Bible that both excites me and frightens me.

Deuteronomy 28.1-2 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe [and] to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

Deuteronomy 28.15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

I leave the details for you to read.

But there are verses in the New Testament that give me just as much pause:

John 14.15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

That verse is a condition for a serious promise that follows it in the next verse. how do we show that we love Jesus?

John 14.21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

John 14.23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

for clarification:

John 14. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

what are the commands of Jesus Christ?

Mark 12.29  And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.31 And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

did Jesus abolish the 10 Commandments by stating only two?  His first commandment encompasses all of the first four commandments, and his second Commandment encompasses the other six of the 10 Commandments.  If we look at it closely, just as he did in the Beatitudes and the sermon on the Mount, he has commanded us to a deeper obedience of the Commandments.  He is called for us to love the Lord our God

  • with all our heart
  • with all our soul
  • with all our mind
  • with all our strength

what else is left?  And then he raises the bar for the other six by making it about loving others at least as much as we love ourselves.

So what is this have to do with Sabbath?

Jesus was not legalistic about the Sabbath, if you’re hungry, eat; if you’re sick, see a doctor; if something happens to your donkey, help it out.  But He did not say to not celebrate the Sabbath, He said He was Lord of the Sabbath!

God ordained a day for us to separate ourselves from all the worldly cares and burdens and fears and stress, to spend in His presence, by the grace purchased for us through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Speaking of the blood of Jesus, there is another interesting point in the New Testament that I think illustrates the current importance of celebrating Sabbath correctly.

1 Corinthians 11.27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink [this] cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of [that] bread, and drink of [that] cup.29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.30 For this cause many [are] weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

Is this the current manifestation of God’s curse on those that pollute the Sabbath? This is the one commandment that Christ gave us in order to remember him, and with it comes the curse of death if we participate unworthily. it’s our responsibility to make sure that we are ready for the Sabbath.

1 Corinthians 11.31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

I want to say is for me in my house we will serve the Lord, but has to confess I have not kept the Sabbath holy.  I pray for wisdom, grace, and mercy to glorify the Lord in my life.

 
Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

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100 Spiritual Walking Steps – 29 – did I bring the…..?

hmmmmm, where did I put that?  missing files, missing workbook pages, missing tools, missing camping equipment, missing check book…where did I put that?  Why didn’t I bring that?

“Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity” Henry Hartman

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Seneca

“Be prepared” Scout Motto(boy and girl)

Today, I was led to go up to the clubhouse and do the workout with ladies in my community. I found out that two ladies will be leaving, and the manager will have no one to do the workouts with when the Winter Texans flow in. Apparently they are coming in next week. She asked me to come up and do the workouts with her….

I have been praying about how I could be of help here in this RV Resort in which we live. I have friends praying that I would know what to do, and what to say when God opens up the doors. Now, to understand more fully what happened this morning, you have to understand what happened last week.

I took a flying jump into the walking workouts at our clubhouse. And the poor Achilles tendon did not respond well to the firmer calf, no matter how much better that calf looked! So, I bowed out for the rest of the week, and yesterday. I was going to workout at home, on my own.

But this morning, I woke up, and had the sense that I was supposed to go up and participate. Now to the preparation part. I knew I was to workout this morning…and so I had dressed for the part. But I had not

  • put on my heart rate monitor…because I assumed I was doing the simple stuff here in my trailer!
  • prepared a bottle of water…because the sink is right by my workout place at home
  • grabbed a sweat towel or headband…because those are all available in the laundry basket right beside my workout place in my home.
  • tested my blood sugar…ditto.

I was able to pace myself, with Gabriel’s discouraging looks when the heart rate got too high, though he got mad at me, and wouldn’t look at me when I wouldn’t sit down. That’s his job. My job is to listen! But, we made it through!

But if I am going to be doing this on a regular basis, I need to set up some keys! I need to BE PREPARED! Keys –

  • I need to go to bed per the days of creation time line(rest at night, up with the light)
  • I have to make sure I get up early enough to have my devotional time, and write something on this blog.
  • I have to wear the heart rate monitor…so I can keep track of my heart rate
  • I have to say “I’m done”…when I’m done.
  • I need to take treats for Gabe when my Heart rate goes to high….

We have to be prepared so that when the opportunity comes, we can say yes…and I guess that is what everything is about…being prepared so that when opportunity knocks, we are ready and able to open the door and walk right through.

This morning, I did not want to get up and even consider a workout…because workouts tend to cause me pain…yes, good, but also bad. If I had not, I might not have spoken with the manager about supporting her in this endeavor.

OPPORTUNITIES

There are many things that I am called to do, that I do not WANT to do…such as,

  • be nice to my husband on those rare occasions that he is a jerk.
  • I don’t FEEL like smiling at the clerk that snorted hello to me.
  • I really want to yell at the driver that almost cost many of us our lives because of the swerving in and out.

Why don’t I? PREPARATION

  • A soft answer turns away wrath,(Pr 15:1)
  • “if you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours,”
  • seriously, what good does yelling at another driver? And it could cause me to be distracted about what else is going on.

Success comes from opportunity and preparation meeting each other.  I know that I have not been prepared for many opportunities that have come my way. On the other hand, I know there is only one way to cure that…prepare!

He that is faithful in few things will be trusted with bigger things(writer’s summary/paraphrase).(Matt 25:14-30)

The opposite is also true, he that ISN’T faithful in the small things will not be trusted with anything bigger, but rather, even that small thing will be taken away from him!

If we can’t be trusted with our own devotionals, why would He trust us with Bible study for others?
If we can’t be scheduled about our own life(speaking mostly to me) how can He trust us to be faithful to a schedule with impact on other’s lives?

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Col 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Prov 22:20  Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, 21 That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

As Christians, we are to be ready always to give an answer…are we?

As Christians, our conversation is to be always full of grace and seasoned with salt…how’s our spice rack looking?

As Christians, we have no excuse…because God has provided us with the words of truth…so that we could go into all the world, preaching the gospel, making disciples of all men.

I need to check my spice rack daily, make sure my fruit of the Spirit is in good shape, check out my armor to make sure it is in good repair, BEFORE the opportunities arise!

How about you?

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!

Or follow me with the RSS feed.

Barbs Drawing

Naomi's Heart Mission

Help a child in need. Check out Naomi’s Heart Mission or Compassion International. The life that changes will be your own!