ENCOUNTERING GOD

 

If you are longing for an encounter with God today, he will not disappoint you. There is no basic hunger in the human heart that is unmet by His loving touch, if the heart intent is right. For the one whose ambition in life is to know God and makes the effort to take the journey in approaching Him on His terms, will never be disappointed. Disappointment only come as they try to reach Him on their own terms and in their own strength and flesh as did Cain the son of Adam, when he gave the offering of his choice to God and it was rejected. Psalm 84 describes beautifully the correct way to come to the Father. For the Psalmist knew that to be where God is was the better place to be. He confessed that time in God’s presences is better than any other time: Better is one day in God’s courts; than a thousand elsewhere, he said. As a matter of fact he goes on to say that he would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked. You see he had learned and knew firsthand what it was like to encounter the real Jehovah God. If your journey is going to take you to God, then you must be willing to let go and allow your aching senses to be your driving force.  He will guide you to Himself, but be careful; because when He tells you to let go of something, you must let go in order to get there. You see every person will at some point encounter God and when they do, they must make the decision as to what they will do with what he ask of them. When Cain experienced God concerning his offering, he opted to be angry. His anger was an eternal anger, that was never repented of. In return, he lived a cursed life, apart from the better plan that he could have had, if he had repented and turned to God. When it is all said and done, it is really God that wants to encounter us. For some will run to Him in order to encounter Him and they will surely find Him. But for the most part, it is God that comes to us, reaching out His hand to offer us a better way. He is worthy and He will not disappoint those that come to Him on His terms. Our encounters with God can be for different reasons at different times. Sometimes it is to bring people into a personal relationship with God through salvation, for those that know God, it may be to draw their attention to something that He is trying to show or reveal to them. It may be just to enjoy His presence. Whatever the case may be, we should learn from the tenacious Jacob in Genesis 32:24-30, that once we get His attention, hold on to Him until we get His blessing and all that He has for us! Jacob held on to God until God changed his nature, his name and blessed him marking him as belonging to God! What marks your life today sweet friend, that you have encountered God and that you belong to Him?

 

Loving on you today,

Bren

WHEN YOUR FLESH STINKS

 

Growing up, we use to burn our garbage outside in a big metal drum. Sometimes the smells that came from the burning garbage would be so bad that you would have to walk off and get away from it in order to breathe. There were many times that I would stand and watch the garbage as it burn. The odor would seem to attach itself to my clothes, flesh and hair. Upon returning to the house I would have to change my clothes and bathe because the odor would become trapped deep in the fibers of my clothes and in my hair and on my flesh and only a good washing would eliminate it. Had I continued to wear those clothes and not make the effort to change them nor bathe, I am quite sure that over a period of time I could have gotten used to it, even to the point that it no longer bothered me. It’s kind of like going to someone’s house and you notice a foul odor and wonder how the people who live there are able to stand it. Yet they can and if you ask them about it, they will say that they do not smell it.

You see they have chosen to live with the odor so long that they are unable to even notice it anymore. Often times our choices and decisions in life can be like those odors. Both right and wrong decisions can attach themselves to us and we feel helpless or even worse, our laziness keeps us from doing anything about it. The result is, that others around us will notice as well.  We can make wrong choices so long, without doing anything about it until we reach a point that we will not even see them as wrong anymore. The reason for that goes as far back as the Garden of Eden. Since the fall of man, every human is born with a sin nature.  The Bible refers to our human or sin natures as the flesh. The flesh is our natural desires to obey that sinful nature. Upon salvation a person is regenerated and receives a new nature whereby God begins the process of refining and changing their desires to become His desires. As they respond to their new nature and no longer listen to their fleshly nature, they begin to take on the characteristics of God. They begin to act more like Him and less of their sinful natures.  

Many people do not understand this concept of the new birth or nature because they have never received that new nature through salvation. For those that have received salvation and yet choose to live in their fleshly nature God will discipline them until they, understand that which He is trying to teach them and they will not grow much spiritually until they have learn how to feed their spirit and starve their flesh. The reason that many are unable to discern properly the things of God is because most of the things of God are only understood within the new nature, not the flesh. Some live in the flesh because they have never been regenerated or ever received a new nature. They have only one nature and that is their flesh. While they may be able reason between good and evil, the difference is that they have no spiritual power to overcome what the child of God is able to overcome and understand about God through their new natures. This is why it is so very important to study the Bible and obey the things therein. For the child of God, Galatians 5:15-18 talks about whichever nature you feed or gratify will grow and whichever nature you starve will die. Our fleshly nature puts out an ungodly odor to the world, while they may not can see it in themselves, they can sure see it in the child of God. We must bathe ourselves in God’s Word and strive to obey what it says in order to wash off that which our flesh produces in us as foul.

Loving on you today sweet friend,

Bren

YOU KNOW THAT CHURCH IS FULL OF HYPOCRITES, DON'T YOU?

 

“Why do you go to Church all the time and make your kids go?”, a friend ask me one time. Oddly, her question kind of startled me. I guess I was startled because someone would even ask me that question. The way that she had approached me with it was not to ask me because she wanted to know for her own personal spiritual quest, but because of her personal reasons, she chose to be a little sarcastic. I know this because she followed her question with this comment, “You know that churches are full of hypocrites don’t you?”. At that comment, I busted out laughing, but she did not think it was very funny! As a matter of fact, she insisted that she chose to worship God at home and in her car because she did not want to be a part of, a bunch of hypocrites who claimed to be Christians. Well, I must tell you that as hard as I tried to hold back, I just plunged right in with this comment. “Well sister”, I said, “If you do not go to church because it is full of hypocrites, then you are disobeying the Word of God and you are no different than the hypocrites that attend church”, “What” she said, “I don’t sit around talking about other people and then go to church, thinking that God is going to bless me”. In love I responded to her by saying, “You are right that God will not bless a mouth that speaks ill will of others, but sister may I tell you that if you are a child of God and you neglect the fellowship of other believers, then you are deliberately disobeying the Word of God and he will not bless that either!”. As we continued talking about this issue, I shared with her some things that I myself had learned about what God expects of us and how I am no better than anyone else; only saved and covered by His grace which enables me to live for and serve Him the way that He commands in scripture to do so. He also enables me to have the power to love those that claim the name of Christ but by their lifestyles, do not live it.

There is a parable in the scripture that refers to exactly what my friend was talking about in Matthew 13:24-30, The parable states  that,  the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then, hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?  But he said, Nay, lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."

 

You see, Jesus was saying to them that the wheat are the true believers, the enemy is the devil who places his children amongst the true believers for his evil purpose. Those that are not of the household of faith are mere counterfeit Christians. If we tried in our own strength and wisdom to separate the two, we would end up hurting those that belong to God, because even though we may be saved, we are not perfect; and those that attend church, but are not real believers, can act like they are. However, our spiritual fruit should always distinguish us from those that are not true believers and may I tell you that God will hold us each accountable for every word and deed that we commit. I cannot recall who said this, but I like to remember it whenever the temptations come to be frustrated with those that I may be attending church alongside that God refers to as the tares in the church, it is simply, “although the tares hinder the wheat, yet they make it the more beautiful to behold”. You see if the true believer is living like he ought, then the world can see the “real thing” and be able to smell the sweet aroma of the living Savior and feel the kindness that He exhibits in their lives. They walk in true love and forgiveness. God’s word tells us that the World will know us by our love for one another. In the end God’s angels will separate the true wheat from the tares in the Church, but for now, we have but one job and that is to love others, forgive seven fold and stay steadfast in our walk with Christ and do not shrink back.

In my response to my friend’s comment about worshiping God at home and in the car, I said this, “You sure can do that and you should, because there is no place that we can be that we cannot reach God nor He us. But His word is clear in that we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25”. If we are in the habit of forsaking the assembling, I can assure you that God does not agree with our reasons no matter what they may be, if they are in direct violation of His word. There are times when someone may not have transportation, then they are to ask for help. There are times that health and age may hinder someone’s attendance, and if so, they are to take that to the Lord and see what His answers may be for them. But I can assure you that if we have developed a habit and our reasons for neglecting the assembling of ourselves with other believers are shallow and born in our flesh, then we stand without excuse.  In closing I say this, I rejoice with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord”. Psalm 122:1

 

Loving You Today,

Bren

THE LESSON OF THE FLY

 

Once there was a spider who built a beautiful web. He kept it clean and shiny so that the local flies would patronize it. The minute he got a customer, he would quickly consume it and clean up the mess so that his future customers would not get suspicious. One day a fairly intelligent fly came buzzing by the enticingly clean spider web. “Come in and sit a while”. the spider called out to the fly, “no”, the fly said, “I don’t see any other flies around your house and I will not come in alone”. So he flew off. Not long after the fly had passed by the spider’s beautiful web, he saw a clan of his old friends dancing around and having fun on what looked like some shiny brown paper. He was so delighted and was not afraid at all, after all if all the other flies were doing it, it must be okay for him as well. Just before he made his landing he heard a bee zoom by and holler out, “don’t do it, it’s not safe, that’s flypaper”. But the fairly intelligent fly shouted back, “don’t be silly, there’s a big crowd down there and some of those flies are my friends, they are dancing and having fun! Everybody’s doing it! That many flies can’t be wrong!”, so he joined them. I think you can figure out the rest of the story.

Friend, some folks want to be like that fly. As a matter of fact, they want to be with the crowd so badly that they do and in the end, they find themselves in a mess and can’t get out. What does it profit a fly if he escapes a spider’s web only to end up stuck in glue. We live in a society that beckons our allegiance to another system other than God’s, for our lives. We must always be on the alert, and take heed to those warnings that God will send us if we will be sharp and on your spiritual toes to see and hear them. The world constantly lures us to come over and join in the fun. However, it is crucial that we understand the wiles of the devil and how he lives to lure us away from truth and will stop at nothing to do so. He spares no expense on our behalf to lead us as far away from God’s will and ways for our life as possible. For some, it may be an effort to keep them from hearing the gospel message of salvation, while others may be to hinder their walk in Christ and yet still others to keep them stuck in the darkness and lies that he has created for them and they have believed. Whatever it is for, it is always to steal truth from us and distract us from God’s perfect will for our lives; and if he has to, he will even use the very word of God by whispering in our ear the misrepresentation of what God means about a thing, to lead us astray.  Just as he did Eve, he can and will cause us to question that very thing that we know to be truth and before we know it, we have compromised God’s truth and when this happens, there is always folly that follows.

 

We will adopt the world’s system or we will reject it. Jesus Himself said in the gospel of Matthew that no one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will hold to one and despise the other, you cannot serve God and mammon. We are told not to love the world nor the things of the world. Yet, the pull for us to love the world is strong and unrelenting. To fight it requires more that an occasional shot in the dark. It requires embracing the truth as God give it to us moment by moment. The Bible tells us that God has overcome the world and if we are in Him we too will be able to overcome it through His power. However, God’s power is only released through our obedience to Him. No matter what rut we get in, if we belong to Him, we have the power through God, to get out! But we must choose to do it God’s way. A rut is only a hole with the ends kicked out of it.  So, if the grave will not hold those that are in Christ, then friend what makes us think a dirty old rut will! If you find that you are in a rut, maybe one that you have allowed yourself to be in, then start kicking friend and don’t stop until you no longer feel the dirt flying back in your face. God is able, but are your willing?

Let us learn the lesson from the fly, don’t do it just because your friends are doing it, for those friends may be headed in a different direction than you ultimately will want to go!

Loving on you today!
Bren

THE PURPOSE OF A WOMAN

 

 

"She was adorned with all of heaven and earth that they could bestow upon her to make her amiable." Grace was in her steps. Heaven was in her eye, and every gesture possessed dignity, poise and love. Perfection was stamped on her. The sons of God shouted for joy, the morning stars sang together, and Eden was Transformed. Now Adam has what he needed.
–Milton                                                            

All that God had made before Eve, was made for man. It was called the Garden of Eden. God had made it and the entire universe for one person and that was Adam. He had everything he would need; though it seemed, in this idealists bliss something was missing! Adam found his first need and it was for companionship. Though he did not realize it at first, his heart longed for someone to share with him the beauty that his eyes embraced at every sunrise and sunset.  Adam needed someone to whom he could say, "Look at those blinking lights, I call them stars!  He longed for communion with a kindred soul, one whose wants and joys were like his own. The new virgin world was beautiful in almost every way, yet his soul longed for something else.  In Gen 2:21-24, God met Adam’s first need, He put Adam to sleep and from his side produced the first woman.

 

When Adam awoke, the winds were a thousand times more refreshing now that she was there. The flowers were a thousand times more fragrant. The trees were more beautiful and it’s fruits even more delicious. The sun seemed brighter and the moon more lovely. Even the animals felt the difference because she was there. She was created because all of the perfection that the Garden of Eden had to offer, did not give to Adam what he needed. Nothing is happy, until it fulfills its purpose for existence. God has made everything with its own purpose. He makes nothing by accident. He was still working on His plan for Adam. Now that Eve was on the scene, Adam would have someone to cheer for him as he gave names to all of God’s creation. He finally had someone to say, “yes, Adam you are so right about those blinking lights, and yes sweetheart, I did know that you named them”.

 

You see God has a plan for your life and mine. We were created for a purpose. We were created for each other. Often times people will talk about their rights, when they should be talking about their purpose. We have only one right in this life and that is to find God's will and purpose for our life. Then sit securely and work actively right in the center of God's purpose and place for us. As a woman I am convinced that I was created to complete someone else. Someone like my husband, who longed for someone just like me. In watching my little grand boys riding their bicycles one day, I noticed they were competing for my attention and praises as they often will naturally do. One of them would stick a leg out and say, “Hey Granna, take a look at this” while the other one was saying at the same time I might add, “Hey Granna, have you ever seen anybody do this as good as me?” I am sure that you can guess the answers that I gave them. You see, that is why I believe God made women. He made us to cheer on the sidelines while our fella’s strive through life to make touchdowns; and when they don’t, we are their private cheerleaders that will always give them audience as we see them doing things that others will oftentimes fail to see. We were made to finish in them what God stared, I like that, it makes me feel good inside!

 

Loving on you today!

Bren