The Devoted Woman | Fresh Flowers (Blog)

the sanctity of our testimony

2012-02-13T00:00:00.006-05:00

Your Christian testimony...

Your belief displayed...

Your living witness acknowledging that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life.

How important is your testimony?

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. You see, many of us would do anything to protect our possessions, our careers, our interests, our loved ones, even our own reputations. But how many of us really, REALLY make an effort to protect the sanctity of our Christian testimony? Sure, we can strike a good pose in church. We can talk a good game in small groups. We can claim that Jesus is our One and only. But the statistics don't lie, do they? For many Christians are still divorcing their spouses. Many Christians are wasting precious hours feeding fleshly lusts and admiring their televisions, their computers, and their what-not's in idolatry. Many Christians are lying to get ahead, laughing inappropriately to feel included, and frivolously spending their resources toward unholy, unhealthy endeavors. Sadly, those who are claiming to be children of the Most High know very little about the Lord. And rather than uplift His Way, they have become center stage contributors to a generation that is numb to practicing holiness. As such, our Christian witness is in contempt. Our loyalties display treason. Our active testimony is in disarray and considered void when measured against God's unchanging and perfect Word.

Really, how important is your testimony?

A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies. (Proverbs 12:17)

Ladies, God created you and me to glorify and exalt His Name. That's it. That's why we are here. To love the Lord with all our heart! To lift Him up and love others as He instructs. Our purpose is to be living witnesses of His love, His grace, and His promise to all mankind. We cannot do this when we smear ourselves in selfishness. We cannot point others to Jesus when we are focused on our own opinions and well-being. Jesus tells us to hand over such concerns to Him and then trust that He will take care of us. He does not want us distracted with the fairness of life or the desires of our heart. No, He already knows us better than we know ourselves. He has plans to grant us every blessing and give us a full life in His grace. But to receive this, we must joyfully live as He has created us to do. We must become valid witnesses to His Name - living models who support His truth. We must do all we can to know and be like Jesus always!

Christian, how precious and valuable is your testimony? How monumentally important is the proof that Jesus has saved you and is actively restoring your life into His holy Way? Is Jesus the only King in all areas of your life? Or do you still have other gods distracting you away from the Shepherd? For God alone is MOST important! He is why you are alive today - this very second. I encourage you to stop living for yourself and claim the name of Jesus Christ this very hour. Stand in agreement with His Word. Live as He instructs and allow Him to change you into a valid, productive, most-favored witness for His Holy Name!

Today, if you do not consider your testimony to be vitally important... if you have abused your time alive and find that you are still pursuing things different than what the Lord has decreed, then perhaps it is time to repent and turn back to the path of the King of kings. For such a time is this to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, strength... at all times, in all moments, in every single breath. He is your story. He is your song. So, praise your Savior, dear Christian... praise Him all the day long!

Blessings!

Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

Names of Christ: Restorer

2012-02-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hi ladies. As we grow together and follow Jesus Christ, seeking to know God more intimately in our day-to-day lives, let's continue learning the many names of God in our Sunday blog posts. Each of God's many names describe a different aspect of His character and teaches us more about who He is. We are moving into the second part of the Trinity and now focusing on the many names of Christ. These will be shorter blog postings but equally important as we get to know the character of our Redeemer and King. Today, let's worship our Savior as we learn about Him... Restorer.

Restorer

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. (Psalm 23:3)

We wander from God and from the paths of righteousness - from following Him beside the still waters - till we lose the way, lose joy, lose the sound of His voice. Then the Master "restores [the only use of this form in the Old Testament] our soul"; "brings us back into His way," into the paths of righteousness.

O, gracious "Restorer," bring back my wandering soul as a straying sheep and lead me on in the paths of righteousness "for Your name's sake." Lead me in the everlasting way as Your obedient servant. Amen.

Thank you, Jesus, for revealing yourself to us. We praise your Name forever and ever!!!

Blessings!

(Please Note: The majority of today's notes were taken directly from Names of God, Copyright 1944 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago by Nathan Stone and were given originally as a course in the Radio School of the Bible over WMBI, Chicago. The writer acknowledges a measure of indebtedness to such works as those of Webb-Peploe, Andrew Jukes, R. B. Girdlestone, and Parkhurst's Hebrew Lexicon. The Scripture quotations are from the King James Version and the American Standard Version (A.S.V.), while some are free translations from the Hebrew. In addition, The Devoted Woman has included data from other resources where we felt more explanation was necessary. For further study on this topic, we highly recommend the book, The Names of God by Ken Hemphill.)

STAND FIRM & PRAY PRAY PRAY: The Full Armor of God Series (Part 6)

2012-02-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:11-18)

As we wrap up our study on The Full Armor of God, it is most important to review the first and final instructions noted in Paul's letter in Ephesians 6. Paul wrote this passage knowing that mankind is unable to defeat Satan alone. He was full aware that without Christ and the armor of God, we would be overwhelmed and defeated by our enemy. So, Paul made sure to repeatedly tell us to stand firm in our God-given armor and hold true to our position in Jesus Christ.

Personally, I think one of the hardest things in the whole world is to stand firm. It goes against my best instincts to not hold up my fists while formulating my own plan of attack against those who want to hurt me. But this is not about me. Nor should it be about something that I accomplish to gain glory for myself. Rather, this is about how we are to ward off the enemy while giving God all the glory. It is clear that the only place our Heavenly Father expects us to be before, during, and after an attack from Satan is standing firm in God's armor and alert - in constant communication with our Maker.

Since Paul makes the point for us to stand firm and pray in the Spirit on ALL occasions, we should rethink the whole battle plan. For in truth, the exercise to stand firm should take place irrespective of Satan's presence or not. Regardless of our enemies, sin, or circumstances, we are to be most concerned about furthering our spiritual relationship with our Creator and lifting up our fellow believers to do the same. We must focus on the fact that our Master is really the One who has already defeated the prince of darkness. No matter how hard things can get or how tragic this world seems, He is the Shepherd who will ward off all danger and make His sheep lie down in green pastures while restoring our souls. He is the only One we should know... the only One we should be listening to... the only One we should follow and trust... the only One we should seek after.

Read these wonderful words of our Savior from John 10, "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life — only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

Yes, we must be branded with the armor of our Lord. We must wear every piece with full confidence of God's intention and power to protect us, and we must be aware and ready for any attack that may challenge His authority by being equipped with His word. But to do this, it is most important that we make every effort to BE WITH OUR ALMIGHTY GOD.... ALWAYS!

Look again at what Paul says in Ephesians, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." So what does a life of PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT look like? I think it is taking to heart Jesus' own words in John 15:4 when he tells us, "Remain in me, and I will remain in you." I especially love the wording used in the King James translation which says, "Abide in me, and I will abide in you."

Abide in Jesus. Commune with Him. Live with Him in ALL occasions. Worship and pray and communicate... eat, breathe, sleep, exercise, work, play... EVERYTHING with Him. Let your Spirit rejoice in His presence always. Experience this alone and together as His church. But remain with Him always! Because apart from being with Christ, we can do nothing.... we are nothing. Our identity is with Him. Our security is in Him. Our existence and life is only because of HIM.

With that in mind, let's not diminish the importance of being prepared and putting on the full armor He gives us. Each piece is vital to our life, and He calls us to wear His armor to remain free from the devil's schemes and avoid struggling with this sinful world. But let's not give Satan center stage on this (or any) matter. No, let's keep our focus on our wonderful Master. Let's give Him our full and undivided attention when it comes to His instructions regarding our safety and growth. Let's worship His Name when we read these verses because we know the battle is His. He took it all on. He saved us from eternal hardship when He died on the cross. He paid for us with His own blood.

Yes, the war is still on - and it is raging! But, ladies, the battle has already been won!!! Jesus is the victor! He is the King over all other kings and will not share His glory with another. The only fitting response to His love and protection for us is seeking Him daily in all occasions... praying... worshiping Him in the Spirit... remaining fully devoted to our Messiah.

Let's follow Paul's instructions and lift up Jesus name and seek Him in all forms of prayer: in public or in private... with our families, during small group meetings, in worship services, convocations... in our personal devotions, quiet meditations, with our families at mealtime... first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening... sporadically and scheduled. With our armor secure, let's confess our sinful inadequacies and lay them at His feet. Let's intercede for one another praying for those in danger, sickness, or crisis. Let's petition together to receive every gift of physical life and spiritual grace that He wants to bestow upon His people. Let's bow down in thanksgiving to Him for all He provides and gives us.

Yes, we can pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. We can stand firm in His armor to live fully and without worry about the attacks of our enemies. All we must do is abide in our Savior. For He has promised to abide in us!

Thank you, dear Jesus, for being our Shepherd. Thank you for giving us the necessary armor to protect us and ward off the wolves who wish to destroy us. We give you our full adoration that you are so worthy of and deserve. We focus all our energies on knowing and loving you with all our hearts. Help us to stand firm as we encounter your infinite holiness, majesty and perfection. There is no greater Master and Commander than you, our Holy Holy King. We will praise and trust you FOREVER!

Blessings!

Blog Post Written By Victoria Anderson
Copyright © 2012 The Devoted Woman, A Non Profit Corporation

THE WORD OF GOD: The Full Armor of God Series (Part 5)

2012-02-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

"To the Christian armed for defense in battle, the apostle recommends only one weapon of attack... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. It subdues and mortifies evil desires and blasphemous thoughts as they rise within; and answers unbelief and error as they assault from without. A single text, well understood, and rightly applied, at once destroys a temptation or an objection, and subdues the most formidable adversary." ~Matthew Henry

God's Word is so important. In fact, EVERYTHING He has said... and not said... has proven to be instrumental and monumental for His people.

Think about it. God said, "Let there be light."... and by-golly there WAS light! Jesus said, "Peace. Be Still."... and a raging sea instantly became silent. If I tried that, nothing would happen. My words don't have that kind of power. To even get a glimpse of our Mighty Creator who spoke such words, we would need to be plugged in to the ultimate power source that He has preserved for us throughout all history... THE WORD OF GOD.

God's Word furnishes us with the ultimate offensive weapon... The Sword of the Spirit. It contains ideas which no philosophy or human theory could furnish. It stands on it's own and is alive and at work - even this very day. This living sword is faithfully backed by the mighty presence of the Holy Spirit and reinforced with our Savior's spoken promises. No enemy is capable of overcoming the Word of the Almighty God! NO ENEMY!

This is why it is so important to know scripture like you know your own name. You see, if we take the time to understand the truth of our redemption, and then further grow in knowing God's thoughts, and seeking to be guided by the Holy Spirit - our words will become His Words... our ways, His Ways. The more we become like Jesus, the more HE will guide us in how we are to live.

So, if we know what God has said... when the enemy appears, the right words at the right time will be available to us. We will be able to ward off an assault from the enemy as well as strike a telling blow for the sake of TRUTH. And the best part is, irrespective of Satan's attempts to thwart God's plan... if we confidently know the Words of our Master amidst all spiritual warfare, the love of Jesus Christ will work through us and claim the victory!

How cool is that?

By speaking His Holy Words against evil, we can be effective warriors in Jesus Name as well as avoid getting bogged down from strongholds presented by the enemy. That is how I want to live!!! I want my weapon against that old snake to be Divine and not from my own bumbling lips!!! My own words will NEVER produce what His Words already have!!!

His Word is our lamp! If we treasure what God says... if we keep it safe in our heads and hearts, we can walk through life without fear. For with our Spirit's sword, we are able to boldly speak truth and drive away temptation and defeat. Because of this, we should study the Bible regularly so that we understand what TRUTH really is. We should have texts of Scripture at a ready command, just as Jesus did when He was faced with temptation. Most importantly, we should always avoid seeking dependence on the reasoning of men. The fact is, one truth from scripture is better than all the philosophy and mental wisdom the best minds of this world could ever offer. NOTE: Satan is able to successfully debate and reason plausibly with the rational of mankind, but he is unable to resist the direct and unchanging commands declared by God Almighty!

Lades, we must be ready and at the offensive in this matter. Temptation often appears suddenly and is easy to ensnare us. We do not want to be confused as Eve was by the wicked enemy. We must be prepared with a solid understanding of scripture to drive the Tempter away. Otherwise, we can lose our bearings and eternal focus.

I encourage each of you to ask God to give you a mind to study His Word daily. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and prepare you for what is to come. We must carry His sword with us - always ready to combat the enemy's assaults. (And trust me, he will assault us.)

So study God's Word and show yourself approved. Rightly divide the word of truth. Meditate on His commands day and night. KNOW HIM and you will be able to ward of Satan in Jesus Name!

"Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy; and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand." (Revelation 1:3)

Lord Jesus, give all DW Flowers your DIVINE POWER! Help us to withstand the enemy with the armor you have provided us. Thank you for Your powerful Words of LIFE, that we may not only defend ourselves - but go on the offensive to advance your Kingdom! We will hide your commands in our hearts so that we will not sin against you! Help us to always be aware of the evil that surrounds us. Give us Your scripture and guide us in TRUTH. See us through each trial successfully. We wish only to please and glorify you, Father. Provide us with intimate glimpses of how wonderful eternity will be in your presence - secured in your gracious, loving arms. You are faithful, precious Lord! We love and trust you FOREVER!

Blessings!!!

P.S. Tomorrow, we will wrap up this series by discussing PRAYER and STANDING FIRM! WOO HOO! Keep that armor secure, ladies. LOVE YOU ALL!

Blog Post Written By Victoria Anderson
Copyright © 2012 The Devoted Woman, A Non Profit Corporation

FAITH & SALVATION: The Full Armor of God Series (Part 4)

2012-02-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:11-18)

Are you headed in the right direction?

For me, it is interesting and very sad to observe the many, many, MANY people who claim Christianity as their "religion of choice". I refer to claiming a "religion", because it is not really about seeking the presence of Jesus. Rather, it is about people who state that they are followers of the Messiah, but who do not produce any actual fruit in their lives. Their profile is generally the same... They do not participate in any form of regular public worship or bible study. They do not hold claim to a church family. They rarely step outside of their comfort zone to love those that are viewed unlovable. They never, never, NEVER tithe or give a percentage of any amount of income to further God's kingdom or rely on His provision. They hardly consider reading scripture much less worry about memorizing His Word. They rarely pray or make time to be alone with God. They are undisciplined in seeking their Savior daily... in fact, it is often the least important matter to them and falls last on their long list of priorities - - as an afterthought that they didn't meet on their daily to do list. Frankly, in my eyes, these people appear to be the same as the lost and unsaved of this world. Their only difference is their need to say otherwise by making a point to appear and sound like other Christians (just enough to get by). But if you look closely, if you focus on what they do rather than what they say - you will see a person that remains in in the same spiritually place year after year after year.

No place.

Interestingly enough, these are the same "Christians" that are the most vocal about questioning God's intentions and complaining about what is wrong with Christianity. They are usually hot tempered or easily depressed... or both! They truly believe that their life on earth should yield the worldly mindset of "living their best life now" and are unable to find rest without some kind of assurance that God will produce as they have imagined. So, they seek answers from everyone who claims to be an expert... even non-Christians. They are not convinced that just being with God is enough... they must KNOW the purpose He has set out for them to do and do it... NOW! They must KNOW the outcome and timeline of how long their trials will last. They must have the blueprints to how this whole "life" thing will turn out. They must KNOW everything so they can best control and plan and scheme. Usually, somewhere between the joyful and difficult circumstances of their day-to-day, they may hear a motivating statement that puts their restless heart at ease. With that motivation, they fool themselves into thinking they are close to God. Of course, at the first sign of trouble, their "faith" wavers according to their present situation and mood... after which they begin the cycle all over again. They are followers, just not of Christ. They seek only to learn some great quotes and possibly a little scripture through others who are more wise than them... but never, ever do they turn to God's Word and trust the Holy Spirit to lead them in their walk. No, the Bible is just too difficult to read and study. It requires entirely too much time and energy. Surely, God will show them His truth some other way... an easier way.

These are the lukewarm people that make-up the majority of our "Christian" society. The lost who state they are found and turn faith into opportunity. These are the "Christians" who are consumed with SELF rather than SERVICE... POWER rather than HIS PRESENCE... WISHES rather than WORSHIP... COMFORT rather than CHRIST. I know these "Christians" all too well. In fact, I was once one of them. Sadly, they show up here on DW, in our churches... even in our families. They are relatives, friends, acquaintances... and, if you look close enough, you may even see some leading as pastors, spiritual teachers, musicians and authors. Worse yet... perhaps this "Christian" is you...?

It is here where I will begin our study on the Shield of FAITH and the Helmet of SALVATION. A shield and helmet that compliment their effectiveness against a wicked, relentless enemy that wants us DEAD spiritually and physically. These pieces of vital armor will offer us the cornerstone of Jesus Christ who by his abundant grace and mercy offered HIMSELF as a sacrifice on our behalf, so that we may find fullness and true love while living in His presence forever. Please read the following quotes below... these are some of my favorites concerning faith and salvation:

"The real issue in life is not the search for God's will; it is the search for God. The issue in faith is not knowing what God is doing, rather it is knowing that God knows what he is doing. The issue of faith is seeking God's presence, not God's plan for my life, because there is no plan outside of my knowing Him." ~Mike Yaconelli

"Faith is God's work in us, that changes us and gives new birth from God. (see John 1:13). It kills the Old Adam and makes us completely different people. It changes our hearts, our spirits, our thoughts and all our powers. It brings the Holy Spirit with it. Yes, it is a living, creative, active and powerful thing, this faith. Faith cannot help doing good works constantly. It doesn't stop to ask if good works ought to be done, but before anyone asks, it already has done them and continues to do them without ceasing. Anyone who does not do good works in this manner is an unbeliever. He stumbles around and looks for faith and good works, even though he does not know what faith or good works are. Yet he gossips and chatters about faith and good works with many words. Faith is a living, bold trust in God's grace, so certain of God's favor that it would risk death a thousand times trusting in it. Such confidence and knowledge of God's grace makes you happy, joyful and bold in your relationship to God and all creatures. The Holy Spirit makes this happen through faith. Because of it, you freely, willingly and joyfully do good to everyone, serve everyone, suffer all kinds of things, love and praise the God who has shown you such grace. Thus, it is just as impossible to separate faith and works as it is to separate heat and light from fire! Therefore, watch out for your own false ideas and guard against good-for-nothing gossips, who think they're smart enough to define faith and works, but really are the greatest of fools. Ask God to work faith in you, or you will remain forever without faith, no matter what you wish, say or can do." ~Martin Luther

Ladies, to wear the armor that God has provided us as stated in Ephesians 6... to fend off the enemy from the horrors that he most certainly will throw our way... we must believe in Jesus and accept His gift of salvation. Then we must continue to ask Him to keep our faith strong while we spend the rest of eternity seeking God's Holy presence and believing He is who He promised. It is true freedom to be able to give everything to Him. It is freedom to know the promises of our trustworthy Creator. We are to love Him more than our own families, more than our spouses, more than our children... MORE THAN OUR OWN LIVES! For He is bigger than all that... what we see and know in this world is temporary. He is eternal. To hold His shield and wear His helmet... to wear His belt, to secure His breastplate, and to strap on His shoes... we must pick up each piece of His armor and PUT THEM ON... FOREVER! We must never remove them... we must always SEEK HIM. Our lives will be abundant and full, not because we find something to do, some purpose to fulfill. HE is our something.... JESUS is our purpose!!! Our lives will be abundant and full... BECAUSE WE ARE WITH HIM... ATTACHED AND CLINGING TO HIM! SEEKING HIS FACE! WEARING HIS GRACE! SHOWCASING HIS MERCY! BELIEVING HIS WORDS! SHARING HIS MESSAGE! TRUSTING HIS PLAN! Ladies, all we must do to LIVE is remain close to Him.

Tomorrow, we will continue our Sunday series on The Names of Christ. But on Monday, we will return to discuss the Sword of the Spirit... THE WORD OF GOD. Until then, I encourage you to take time out to assess your relationship with Christ. Are you a real Christian or a lukewarm "Christian"? Do you follow Him as He has called you to do? Do you seek Him over anyone/anything else? Is He greater to you than your own life? Do you trust Him no matter what? Be honest... do you produce spiritual fruit in how you live? Are you headed in the right direction... or are you in the same spiritual place year after year after year?

I pray the Holy Spirit will work in each of us. I pray for spiritual revival in all DW's. I pray that this little ministry will produce fruit that domino effects the love of Jesus to our homes, churches, communities, and countries. I pray that our Christianity will represent following Jesus at all cost! I trust my Savior and know that He is EVERYTHING! I pray you will join me and know His fullness personally. When the enemy attacks and tries to steer me away, I will raise my shield and secure my helmet with the assurance of His salvation and the hope found safely with my Master!

Sweet Jesus, please show me more and more of You. I seek you alone and put aside EVERYTHING! I ask of You only this... Be Thou My Vision.... nothing else, precious King.... only YOU!

Blessings!

Blog Post Written By Victoria Anderson
Copyright © 2012 The Devoted Woman, A Non Profit Corporation

READINESS: The Full Armor of God Series (Part 3)

2012-02-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

When I was a little girl, every Thursday my father would walk several blocks with me so that I could attend my weekly piano lesson from a kind musician in our neighborhood. My father would faithfully sit in their living room and listen to me tinker away at the keys for an hour. He never said a word, he would just sit and smile and listen. It didn't matter to him how many times I missed a note or rushed through a piece, he just enjoyed the music and the fact that his little girl was learning and growing in his presence.

Before I continue in my story, I must tell you a fact or two about my father. At the age of 14 years old, my father was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. Throughout his life, he always took great care of himself physically to try and offset the problems that were promised to exist from this hindrance. By the time he married my mother, he was required to take an insulin shot every morning. By the time I was old enough to take piano lessons, he had lost both his eyes to blindness as a result of the disease. Years after that, his body ultimately began to break down, his kidneys and heart began to fail him, and he passed on to be with Jesus when I was a young teenager. Unaware of all he truly endured due to childish naivete, I have always felt extremely blessed that for the short part of my life that he was alive, I happily and selfishly had him home all to myself to enjoy as my daddy and playmate... I was his little princess and we loved every second that we were together. Before his vision got worse... before his eyes had to be removed, he slowly and graciously gave up the things he had always known and taken for granted. He no longer would be able to work in his job downtown, drive a car, watch a movie, see a sunset or have the simple freedom to go anywhere without an escort or aid of a cane.

Although my parents were faced with a great challenge to raise their two children AND deal with all the emotional and physical matters surrounding blindness... from my perspective as a young, blondie-blonde ball of fluff... to have daddy home all the time was HEAVEN! Sure, we all had to learn quickly to keep everything in its place so that he would not trip and fall over toys. But daddy also made it fun... He would institute "blind days" where my brother and I would be blindfolded for a period of time so that we too could experience the "fun" and try and manuver as daddy was learning to do.

So fast forward back to my piano lessons. One Thursday, on our walk to my lesson, daddy was hanging on to me with one arm and using his cane to "feel" ahead on the sidewalk. He wore a cowboy hat, because earlier he learned it was a great way to protect his face and head against any unwelcome damage if he accidentally walked into something. The height and wide brim were perfect for such a need. As strange as it sounds, daddy's blindness was as normal to me as breathing. He and Momba had always made a point to keep us all in tune to issues and work together as a family. So, this challenge was just another thing that made our family unique. As we walked down the sidewalk, I noticed a small branch hanging from a tree. Because I didn't consider my father as "handicapped" in the traditional sense, my "stinker" side saw an opportunity to zing him. When we reached the small branch, I stopped walking and yelled in haste, "Daddy, JUMP!"... to which my poor father without hesitation, well, jumped!!! The small branch bopped the top of his cowboy hat and I giggled. He realized that I was pranking him and started to laugh as well. He then hugged and tickled my sides and we proceeded on to my lesson where he could enjoy the live performance of his only daughter. Later, this little story was told and retold (and even published in a few newspapers who were reporting about my father) because God had used my father to become a great speaker and witness for Christ to the blind community. God used my daddy's blindness as a means to teach others with disabilities how to still LIVE an abundant life.

As we continue our study on God's armor, let's think about fitting our feet with the READINESS that comes from the gospel of peace. Are you ready? Are you prepared and available for service, action, and progress for the sake of God's kingdom? If God stops you in an uncertain path where you cannot see what is ahead... and if He tells you to JUMP... are you ready to JUMP without hesitation? Do you trust His leading? I promise you, God will never try to pull a fast one on you. He will never zing you. He will never be a "stinker". He always has good intentions and a plan to get you where you need to go to best serve His glorious purpose. All you need be is willing. Despite any handicaps you may feel you have, God has a purpose that you alone were created to fulfill for the sake of His Kingdom.

As Christians, we should lace up our shoes and always have a mindset of eagerness to walk where He needs us to walk. We should be prepared for God to do a great work in us. We should be ready to do whatever He tells us, without question... always seeking His ways with an earnest mindset so that no matter what trials we may face, we will conquer them all in Jesus Name.

Ladies, remember that you are not your own. You are His. Secure His TRUTHS around you. Clothe yourself in His RIGHTEOUS authority. And BE READY to follow Him at all cost! Even if you can't see ahead... trust Him and march on!

Blessings!

Blog Post Written By Victoria Anderson
Copyright © 2012 The Devoted Woman, A Non Profit Corporation

RIGHTEOUSNESS: The Full Armor of God Series (Part 2)

2012-02-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

TRUTH: The Full Armor of God Series (Part 1)

2012-02-06T00:00:00.001-05:00

TRUTH: People believe lies. Lots of lies. Lies about God. Lies about their identity. Lies about true beauty. Lies about real love and intimacy. Lies about security. Lies about what is healthy. Lies about EVERYTHING. People believe these lies over and over and over again.

One of my husbands favorite movies is The Usual Suspects. Although it is definitely a "guy movie" that poses too much violence and vulgarity for my taste, I do acknowledge that it does have a great line in it where the villain makes a very profound statement. He says, "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn't exist." The statement was actually coined from an early piece of literature entitled The Generous Gambler written by Charles Pierre Baudelaire, a nineteenth century French poet. Nonetheless, it is an interesting concept to consider, don't you think? The devil lies to us about EVERYTHING, including himself. Instead of acknowledging his plans to derail us and calling him out as the snake he clearly is, we forget his corrupted existence.... we forget his sinful motives... we forget his malicious intent, and instead... we believe his lies. I must admit, that is a good trick... but not one that I wish to be the patsy of.

So, to avoid further confusion, let me tell you a few things about Satan. (a.k.a. - The Father of Lies!!!) Let me share the TRUTH about who we are up against... who is behind the deceptive schemes and half-truths that we easily fall prey into believing.

Satan can only produce evil. His goal is to blind the eyes of those who don't believe in Jesus, and to cause those who do to stumble and question their faith and worth. He is an accuser, a tempter, a deceiver, a slanderer, a thief, a counterfeit. He is tireless to destroy and ruthless to mislead. His very name means “adversary” or “one who opposes.” Even though he was cast out of heaven, he still seeks to elevate his throne above Almighty God by fraudulently imitating all that God does with the hope to gain the worship of men and encourage opposition toward God's kingdom. He is tireless in his quest and extremely intelligent, clever, full of pride, and powerful... but not more powerful than our God. Satan will do anything and everything he can to oppose God and those who follow Jesus. He is Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. The constant enemy of God, of Christ, of the divine kingdom, of the followers of Christ, and of all truth; full of falsehood and all malice - seducing to evil in every possible way. He is a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He has no mercy, no grace, no hope. His only wish for mankind is to separate us from our Creator. He wants us defeated, shamed, guilt-ridden, tormented, depressed, heavily burdened. In short, he wants us DEAD.

So, do you really want to continue believing what Satan has to say? I sure don't.

WHY do we believe Satan's lies? I am convinced it is because many people accept Christ's gift of salvation but then forget to unwrap and use the contents of the fitted armor that accompanies that gift. So, let's take a look at what that armor includes. Let's read Ephesians 6:11-18 and see what the scripture says about the Armor of God...

"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

The first element of our armor is the Belt of Truth. How wonderful would it be if we actually secured this around our waist, wrapping ourselves with God's promises in our daily lives? God considers deception to be an abomination. In Proverbs 6, He tells us that a “lying tongue” is detestable to Him. We are therefore exhorted to "put on truth" for our own sanctification and deliverance, as well as for the benefit of those to whom we witness. What would happen if we just decided to do this... to speak only truthful words to ourselves and others, and to secure our position in the truthful promises of our King rather than believe the lies of the enemy? We would be free indeed! Freedom to look at ourselves, our future, our capabilities, our existence in an entirely new way. This is not news to be put aside or forgotten. This is all part of the GOOD NEWS that must be told and re-told... studied and memorized... sought after and lived every single day - for all eternity!

As Christians, we must be confident in what God has promised to us. His truth assures us that God is good. We are royalty and children of the King of Kings. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. True beauty is a reflection of who we are in Jesus because all things become new and perfect in Him. There is no greater love than the love of our Father in Heaven. The Lord will provide and take care of us because He treasures us over all other creation. We were lost but are now found. And most importantly.... nothing.... NOTHING can separate us from the love of our Father!!!

Ladies, secure that belt and believe these promises. Put your whole trust in the ONE who is faithful, constant, righteous and holy. No matter what happens in your life - remember that those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior have been redeemed and belong only to God. Satan does not have ANY authority over us! So, measure and evaluate what comes your way by these guidelines: (1) Everything that is good is from God and is TRUE; (2) Everything that is not good is of the devil and is a LIE. (3) If you find yourself in a situation that is not good - WAKE UP, GIVE IT TO GOD, AND TRUST YOUR KING! (4) If you feel yourself reverting to old belief systems that tear you down - WAKE UP, GIVE IT TO GOD, AND TRUST YOUR KING! (5) No matter how many issues Satan thows your way with the intent to convince you that you are "less" or that God is unfaithful... DO NOT BELIEVE SATAN'S LIES! WAKE UP! GIVE IT TO GOD! TRUST YOUR KING!

Tighten that belt strap and BELIEVE THE PROMISES OF YOUR KING!

TRUTH: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Believe the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ. He is Truth. He is King. He is the Christ who came to reveal God to man and redeem all who believe in His Name. Believe Him and be FREE!

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the TRUTH and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

Blessings!

Blog Post Written By Victoria Anderson

Names of Christ: A Friend That Sticks Closer Than A Brother

2012-02-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hi ladies. As we grow together and follow Jesus Christ, seeking to know God more intimately in our day-to-day lives, let's continue learning the many names of God in our Sunday blog posts. Each of God's many names describe a different aspect of His character and teaches us more about who He is. We are moving into the second part of the Trinity and now focusing on the many names of Christ. These will be shorter blog postings but equally important as we get to know the character of our Redeemer and King. Today, let's worship our Savior as we learn about Him... A Friend That Sticks Closer Than A Brother.

A Friend That Sticks Closer Than A Brother

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24)

Stay, lonely pilgrim, searching long for fellowship. Stop here and find "a Friend." "There is a Friend," though all the world deny it. One who is always true and faithful. One who never leaves and never forsakes. No brother will, or can, abide with us as He does. Will you be friend to Jesus, as He is friend to you?

We worship You, we trust all to You, and we take from You all peace, all grace, all needed power to do and be what pleases You, our never-absent Friend. You have called us friends rather than servants. May we live up to our calling. Amen.

Thank you, Jesus, for revealing yourself to us. We praise your Name forever and ever!!!

Blessings!

(Please Note: The majority of today's notes were taken directly from Names of God, Copyright 1944 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago by Nathan Stone and were given originally as a course in the Radio School of the Bible over WMBI, Chicago. The writer acknowledges a measure of indebtedness to such works as those of Webb-Peploe, Andrew Jukes, R. B. Girdlestone, and Parkhurst's Hebrew Lexicon. The Scripture quotations are from the King James Version and the American Standard Version (A.S.V.), while some are free translations from the Hebrew. In addition, The Devoted Woman has included data from other resources where we felt more explanation was necessary. For further study on this topic, we highly recommend the book, The Names of God by Ken Hemphill.)

today... roar!

2012-02-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today...

Today so much is going on... so much weight is upon me.

Today, I am torn between empowerment and helplessness.

For in my head, "I am woman! Hear me roar!"

But in my heart, oh Lord, I am beaten down.

I am weakened by fear, and troubled by earthly disappointment and expectation.

Today, outwardly I appear fine. But you know how deeply I am shaken.

I am fragile... broken... barren... helpless.

I am bogged down and my vision is clouded with earthly details.

Today, there is too much and too little...

Too much to think about. Too little that I can control.

Today, it is clear that "I" am more than I can handle.

Today, this world is bigger than I can manage on my own.

And yet, today...

This is the day.

You tell me this is THE DAY to rejoice and be glad.

Why? Because YOU are my God.

Thankfully, in Jesus Name, YOU have promised me peace and health and life and freedom and love.

(And oh, how I love YOUR love.)

When I consider all this, indeed, I can rejoice in YOUR truth.

I am certain that what you say is accurate, unchanging, eternal.

You have proven your headship and your hope is apparent!

So, rejoice... be glad... Yes, I can. I will. I must!

For you alone are worthy of this honor.

You alone are worthy of my praise.

You alone are strong enough to rule as KING!

Today...

Today, I do trust that you've got me covered.

Today, I do believe I am new in YOUR grace.

Still in my effort to praise, how quickly my feet can sink...

How easily my eyes can lose focus.

For logically, I know I cannot walk on water.

It is not reasonable. It is not scientifically possible. It is not human.

Yet, here you are - inviting me to step forward in faith.

You are eager to show me that anything is possible in YOUR Name!

For you are not limited by human reason, science, or even boundaries.

YOU are God! My God!

And you alone have offered to prevent my drowning by extending out your heroic hand so that I will not sink.

You patiently allow me to regroup and instruct me to fixate my eyes on you alone.

And when I do take notice, I am reminded how truly beautiful you are, dear Savior.

So, yes... with your help, I will fixate, abide, trust, rejoice and focus...

Today, I will proceed forward YOUR WAY.

A WAY higher than my own.

A WAY insuring me victory!

Today...

Yes, today I choose to believe.

And today, Lord, please help me believe.

Strengthen my faith and carry my yoke.

Guide me through these turbulent storms.

I trust YOU and wish to always follow My Shepherd's call.

So, continue to lead me to safety...

Lead me outside my own will.

Introduce me once again to your holy place.

And let me walk wisely, fully, relaxed, renewed.... intimately embraced within the safety of your loving, protective arms.

Today...

Today, I am yours, dear Jesus.

Use this little lamb as you see fit.

Today... for your glory!

Today... for your kingdom!

Today... I will rejoice and be glad!

Today is THE DAY!

Today is YOUR WAY!

Today, my dear Master... may YOUR ROAR be heard!

And today, my precious Redeemer... may my roar be YOURS!

Ladies, no matter what is going on in your life - this is the day to proclaim Jesus is LORD!!! All hail the power of Jesus Name and allow Him to rule your life this day!

Consider this: How will you live and WHO will you give TODAY?

Blessings!

Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

lead me, Lord!

2012-02-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)

O Lord, to lose my life daily?
To deny myself for Your sake?
What would I lose?
For all things truly good and pleasing exist in Your Name.
All things pure, holy, and right are exactly under Your care and will transcend into everlasting.
So what must I lose?
What part of "ME" must I deny whilst still being the "me" You intend, dear Jesus?
Sorrow... Yes.
Fear... Yes, please take it.
Pain... Oh, yes! I willingly lay every discomfort before You, dear Master.
Guilt... I'm in favor of losing all these horrors, Father.
Selfishness...
Selfishness...
Selfishness...
Hmmm.
Now You've done it!
Now You've penetrated my core.
For giving up "self" is the leap of a lifetime, isn't it?
That involves complete surrender.
That involves true denial of will, want, way.
Can I do this?
Is it truly possible to stop feeding my own inflated ego?
Isn't my sense of entitlement valid?
No, for I am consumed with sin, aren't I?
I am not valid.
I am nothing.
Nothing.
So, how do I forsake myself and instead revere and glorify You more than "ME"?
O Lord, position my heart in the lowliest state of submission,
So that I might be blanketed in your divine wisdom...
So that this world's normalcy of sin is no longer an expectation of entitlement.
For such evil expectations are false and dark and evil.
Satan's whispered suggestion to know more... to be more than You, is not of Your kingdom, is it?
So, change my thoughts.
Change my desires.
Change my tastes.
Change "ME" to be more like YOU!
And use whatever means necessary to break down my defiance!
If I am to live... if I must come after you each day...
If I must grasp at your sacred cross,
A cross that promises freedom,
A cross that promotes a future of hope, and a way of love,
A cross that will save all that is good and pleasing,
Then yes, Jesus, I choose to follow Your path.
Under your grace, I give you every horror to be washed away.
Yes, I will choose to trust Your Way.
For it is better than my own.
Yes, with You, I will deny self!
I will embrace the good life You saved,
In order that I might flourish.
I will live with Your purpose and plan... not my own...
Never my own again, dear Lord.
Let this be, all in Your Name.
All in Your Holy Holy Holy Blessed Name!
This is the day to rejoice and be glad in You!
This is the day to deny myself and follow You, precious Shepherd!
Here I am...

Just as I am...
Lead me, Lord!

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

the ten: conclusion

2012-02-02T02:00:00.000-05:00

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

It has been an honor sharing "the ten" with you and breaking down God's prescribed way for us to live in His holy will. You may have noticed that in each blog of this series, I deliberately posted the verse (above) from Jeremiah. I did so because I am certain that if we are to joyfully receive and follow God's commandments, we must first remember that He gave them to us with a Master plan. A plan that was meant to deliver us from our sin by one day offering His Son, our Savior, as the ultimate model to receive and follow after. For without Jesus, no man will ever be able to keep these commandments. It is impossible because of our sin. But with Jesus directing our path, we can celebrate a promised hope and future because our Heavenly Father can accept us as co-heirs to His kingdom alongside his perfect Son. Because of Jesus sacrifice for our lives, we can live richly in our Father's kingdom forever!

So, in closing of this blog series I'd like to share with you a little story I recently heard...

Once upon a time, there was a very successful art collector. He would travel the world wheeling and dealing to obtain masterful works from the greatest artists ever known. This art collector had a son whom he loved more than life itself. As the son grew older, the art collector realized that his boy also had a wonderful eye for art. So, he began to bring him on his business trips and together they increased their private collection. As the boy grew into a man, they had traveled to every corner of the world together collecting rare masterpieces from Picasso, Monet, Renoir, etc. Their collection was world-renowned and unmatched by any other collectors. In fact, several museums, galleries, and art enthusiasts would regularly contact the father and beg him to sell his collection... but he refused. These were treasured family pieces that the father and son had accumulated together. No amount of money could compare.

One day the son was called away to serve in the war. The father was terrified that his beloved boy would become injured or worse. So, he insisted that his son write him every day. Unfortunately, one day no letter arrived. The father began to worry and started calling anyone he could to find out if his boy was in danger, injured or worse. Two days later, his fears became a reality when he received word that his son was killed in the line of duty while trying to save another soldier. The father was heartbroken. He looked around his home filled with priceless masterpieces and felt so alone.

A few weeks later, on Christmas day, the father received a knock on his door. In wonder, he opened the door to receive the mysterious visitor. Before him stood a soldier in uniform holding a wrapped package. The soldier shook the father's hand and introduced himself. He was the very soldier that the son had saved. In fact, the father learned that his son had saved many soldiers in the line of duty before ultimately being hit by a lethal bullet to the heart. The soldier shared many stories about the son - especially his fondness for his dad and the special love or art they shared together. He then informed the father that he was an amateur artist and handed him the package. The father looked perplexed and opened the box where before him was a portrait of his beloved son. The soldier's gift had perfectly captured the love and facial expressions of this heroic man. The father burst into tears and informed the soldier that this was the best gift he could have ever asked for. Disregarding all his famous works of art, the father promised to hang his son's portrait in the most predominant place of his home. Every day after, he lovingly looked up at the portrait and fondly remembered their time together.

Years later, the father passed away and the buzz on the street began. Art collectors from around the globe where chomping at the bit to get their hands on this famous collection of masterpieces. Per the father's will, an auction was arranged. On Christmas day (years after he had received his son's portrait from the soldier) many collectors came to bid at this once in a lifetime opportunity.

The auction began. The first piece was introduced... it was the beloved son's portrait. But this portrait was not painted by a master. Nobody cared about it, for it was an amateur's work. The auctioneer started the bidding at $100. But nobody bid. He asked again, "Can I get $100 for this lovely portrait?" Nothing. One gallery owner yelled out, "We don't care about that worthless painting! Let's get to the good stuff!" The auctioneer informed the crowd that according to the father's will, this would be the first painting in the auction and no others would be shown until this particular painting sold. The crowd grumbled.

Finally, a neighbor raised up his hand and said, "I knew the boy. He was such a great kid and his dad loved him so much. I'll give you $10 for it." The auctioneer agreed. $10... going once... going twice... sold for $10. With that, the auction was closed. The crowd began to yell, "Wait! What about all these other treasures? What about these masterpieces? We didn't show up on Christmas day for a picture of some old guy's son! We came for his millions of dollars worth of riches!!! We demand to know what is going on!"

The auctioneer calmly replied, "It is very simple. According to the will of the father, whoever chooses the son... gets it all."

And so it is with us, ladies. If we accept the Son and follow His way... if we submit ourselves to His will and allow Him to change us... we will receive it all. We will be blessed with a life in Jesus that promises us eternal abundance that includes all the richness and worth of God's kingdom. We don't deserve it. We can't possibly afford it - for we are nothing. But according to the will of our Heavenly Father, whoever chooses His Son... gets it all! Amen!

Let's fondly remember the portrait of Jesus before us each day and mirror His image in how we live. He has wonderful plans for us. Plans to prosper us. Plans that give us hope and a future in His presence. Praise God for giving us "the ten" so that we can become more like Christ every day! Blessed be the name of our Savior! We have life... we have worth... because He loves us!

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

the ten: when or now?

2012-02-01T02:00:00.000-05:00

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (Exodus 20:17)

We hit #10 of "the ten" and I feel like cutting straight to the point on this one. So here we go...

Our value does not lie in what we possess. It does not come from what we wear, what we drive, who we are married to, where we live, how new our furniture is, what job we have, what school our children attend, how fancy our purses are, etc. etc. etc. No, our value is based on one thing alone: God loves us. Because of this, Jesus (God in human flesh) paid the price for our sin and purchased our salvation so that we could live with Him forever in His eternal kingdom. We hold value, because our Messiah, our King, loves us. Period.

Once you see this... once you really understand it... you will realize that acquiring more and more material things or gaining more and more attention from anyone else cannot ever satisfy or compare to God. The tenth commandment is all about contentment. In showing us the best and healthiest way to live, God wraps it all up by telling us to be content... content with who we are... content with what we have... content with Him... no matter what!

A covetous person is one who greedily hungers after the life conditions or possessions of another rather than living contently in their own circumstances.

When we are covetous, we see the world only in terms of how it can benefit us. Short-term acquisitions win over long-term values while we deceive ourselves into thinking we will find satisfaction, "If only we could get _____________." The problem is, that once we have gained _______________ we are still not satisfied. We move onto the next thing we think we need and the cycle starts again. Advertisers know this and do everything they can to feed our greed. So much so, that people live their lives believing fulfillment is waiting around the next corner at the Jones' house. If we could just be like them... if we could have what they have... all will be good. The result of this belief system is that we end up living in the WHEN rather than the NOW.

"When I find that right person and get married, then I'll be happy."

"When my husband stops drinking, then we can grow closer to God."

"When we have a child, our marriage will definitely improve."

"When I lose this extra weight, then I will be able to do more."

"When I can afford a new car, a better house..."

"When I get a better job..."

"When this project is done..."

"When when when when when....."

"We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." (2 Corinthians 10:12)

Ladies, this earth will never satisfy. It is corrupt and dying. In the end, it won't matter if you wear a Rolex or a Timex for your time either way is temporary. True joy can only be gained when we submit to our Master and believe that only He is able to fulfill us. For only Jesus is able to give us LIFE. When we accept this truth and are able to praise His name in any and all circumstances (good or bad), we will leave our dead-end "when's" of this world and start living in the "now" of His eternal, holy kingdom!

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it." (1 Timothy 6:6-7)

Discontentment has little to do with what you have. If you are unhappy as a single woman and believe that marriage is going to make you happy... I'm sorry, but you are deceived. If you are not satisfied in who you are, where you are, and what God has given you TODAY... changing your circumstances will never bring you lasting joy if it is outside of where God has placed you. To live in the hope He has promised, we must learn to be content in whatever our circumstances are RIGHT NOW. For only God knew what would happen a millennium ago and what will happen a thousand years from now. We must trust that His ways are best for us because He lovingly is able to oversee and manage our lives in whole.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Whatever situation we are in TODAY... let us be at peace and thankful. For God's way is enough. Our cups are full if we have accepted Jesus. He has promised to give us exactly what we need and when we need it. Whether we are physically or emotionally uncomfortable should not trump our trust in His perfect plan and authority. Through poverty or plenty, sickness or health, happiness or heartbreak, peace or persecution... our eyes should always be fixed on Him first. We must focus vertically, not horizontally, because He is enough. In Him alone can we find true peace. Next to Him, everything else is rubbish.

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ." (Philippians 3:7-8)

Ladies, let's stop worrying about what we don't have and be content with what we do. Let's stop looking at what this world dangles before us and instead run into the arms of WHOM our worth and completeness really comes. Our Redeemer is perfect. Period. Let us focus on all that He continues to bless us with in every situation. Under His holy headship, we are complete because we have life in Jesus Christ! Let us live secure in Him and enjoy His kingdom NOW! Let us live in praise and contentment of our salvation TODAY!

"We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18)

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

the ten: an intermission and realization that God is able

2012-01-31T02:00:00.000-05:00

Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." (Exodus 4:10-13)

This morning, I woke up very early with my to do list circling around in my mind... kind of like a plane waiting for clearance to land at the airport. You see, my week is turning out to be very busy on both a personal and professional level. So, to begin my day right, I decided to spend time alone with God and start praying. I have learned that life works better when I spend quiet time alone conversing with my Heavenly Father before proceeding on with the many to do's of the day.

Anyway, as I laid in bed praying, I found myself mentally stumbling over my words while addressing my King. In frustration, I would stop and apologize to God because I was not articulating my prayers well. My thoughts were all over the room and I was feeling defeated. Sure, I am a busy mamba-jamba. That is not unusual. But today was different. I could not seem to find stillness or focus... nor could I enjoy the time alone with my Creator because I was so disappointed in my inability to communicate.

Immediately the verses (above) from Exodus came to mind and I thought, "But Lord, that is not my issue!?? I am not worried about speaking on Your behalf. I'm not shy or nervous about presenting you to anyone." But indeed, that was my issue... and God knew it.

For in the midst of my writing this blog series, I had just today started to give in to the subtle, internal questioning of the enemy. Questioning of my own validity and competence to share God's life-giving instructions. Questioning of my understanding about this topic against those who are likely more knowledgeable than I. Those who hold higher degrees and have extensive understanding of theology. Those who have attended seminary. Those who are biblical greats... leaders of our time. You know, those who impress the masses with their great wisdom coupled with a dedicated team of experts and advisers of holy scripture. No, today I was not overwhelmed by my many to do's, I was demotivated and struggling because I was stressing over my capacity to teach effectively. And it was affecting my prayer life! I had fallen into Satan's trap of comparing my own abilities to a standard that God is not at all concerned with.

I can totally relate to Moses in these passages. He is not eloquent, and He knows it. He is nobody in the economy of Biblical theologians, and He knows it. He is a sinner. A murderer. A coward. A loser. He'd rather beg God to send someone else to do the job... someone more equipped. Someone more "worthy". Sigh. Yep, I was right there with Moses this morning.

However, when I thought about it more, God was gracious to remind me that later on in scripture it was Moses who met God in person to receive the ten commandments. Wow! It was Moses who had overcome many obstacles and trials that were instrumental to free God's people from slavery. How cool! It was Moses who would now present a new way of living to the Israelites... to share with them a perfect plan that would keep them free from sin and shame. A criteria that would show every man, woman and child how to flourish and exist with the hope of an eternal promised land where they would be blessed with the presence of their Redeemer. What an honor! Finally, it was Moses who later stood in full support of our Messiah at the transfiguration. What a u-turn from, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."

Today, I am grateful that God reminded me of this truth: When Moses presented "the ten" to Israel for the first time (and every time thereafter), he did so with the full authority of God behind him. God's commands are perfect and for our benefit. They are meant to be shared and followed. They are life-promoting and healthy. As his children, we must keep His promises close to our heart and freely share them anytime and everywhere God calls us to do so. Sure, none of us may feel capable, worthy or able to speak... but God is not concerned with that. God is able.

Ladies, this morning God reminded me that we each have mouths to speak, ears to hear, and eyes to see all that God has lovingly provided and promised for His people. Let us not be handicapped by the enemy's lies and give into the belief that we are sinfully crippled and lacking persuasiveness or poise. Rather, let's be bold and deliberate to share our Savior's truths without hesitation or reluctance. God is able!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Hurray! Thank you, Lord! From your simple instruction today, I will now stand taller for YOU. I am more determined than ever to press on with this race and share Jesus as the only solution for our lost and dying world. Join me, ladies. Let us share our freedom from slavery and defeat. We have so much hope in our Lord. He is able to make us more than we are when we stop procrastinating and rotting in self disappointment pertaining to our own abilities. Instead, let's stand up on behalf of His authority and share share share His grace!!! Glory will always be given when we speak His words and when we promote His truths. Yes, God is able. This morning, I praise Him for the much-needed reminder!

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

the ten: being a benefit to those who will listen

2012-01-30T02:00:00.000-05:00

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." (Exodus 20:16)

Chuck and I were discussing this blog series and chatting about which commandment was next in God's line of loving instructions. As we reviewed the commands that I had taken time to write about for DW, we soon realized that we had reached #9 of "the ten". (Wow - we made it to #9!) We decided to remind ourselves what #9 was all about and soon remembered that it was God's command to not giving a false testimony against a neighbor. From there, we looked at each other perplexed. What does that really mean? For as many times as I've read this direction, I never gave it much consideration - except to perhaps think of it as an instruction to not gossip about another or to always tell the truth in a judicial setting. So, I spent many hours during the insomniac moments of several evenings studying and praying over this matter. Here is what I learned...

"Bearing a false witness" or "Giving a false testimony" is all about guarding our mouths and understanding the tremendous impact our words can make on others. It is about submitting our tongues over to our Almighty Father for holy correction and guidance. What we say, and what we don't say.... how we say something, and how we don't say something - these words will either build up an individual or tear them down. We are capable of lifting a person up with truth, honor and love OR we can tear a person down (smashing them brick by brick) into a pile of broken rubble. When we are not walking with God and seeking the counsel of His Spirit, our fleshly nature (equipped with a tameless tongue) can cripple and destroy anyone in our path. In short, whenever we say something to an individual or about an individual that does not mirror or represent what God would say to or about them, we are bearing a false witness and giving a false Christian (Christ-like) testimony.

When I began to realize the magnitude of commandment #9, I was able to understand that this is a big deal to God. This short and sweet command is filled with so much wisdom and covers so much territory that it is life changing!!! For we all have the power to shape those around us merely by the words we speak. With just a few small words, we have the ability to deeply damage and destroy our husbands, our children, our friends, our churches, our co-workers, our acquaintances... ANYBODY! And when we are reckless to do so... when we pose as God's church while saying less about a person than Christ would say about them - we are choosing to work against His kingdom, and thus... sinning.

"The tongue has the power of life and death." (Proverbs 18:21a)

"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." (Proverbs 12:18)

"You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue!" (Psalm 52:4)

As a race full of sin, mankind does not hold the power to tame the tongue. Scripture assures us in James 3:8 that the tongue is "a restless evil, full of deadly poison." POISON!?? Ouch! Poison kills! Poison is lethal! Poison must be avoided at all cost! God knows this. So, He made sure to teach us that our objective when speaking and representing His kingdom should be to produce words that heal and restore - not words that wound.

"The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit." (Proverbs 15:14)

So, how do we use our tongue without administering deadly, evil venom? How do we prevent sickening our marital relationships, alienating our loved ones, destroying our friendships, and dishonoring our leaders? The answer is not found in our own ability, but in God's authority. He alone has the power to change us and mold us into Christlikeness. To live in the Name of Jesus is to be willing to submit everything (especially our tongues and speech) over to our Maker and follow His call to live godly. Rather than maul one another with words and attitudes that lash out in annoyance, sarcasm, anger, hatred, bitterness, jealousy, dishonesty, gossip, disgust... God wants us to speak truthfully, wholesomely and compassionately to and about each other.

"Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:25; 29; 31-32)

God wants His church to be a living example of Christ - showcasing His message of grace. Because of this, the greatest form of evangelism is to always show His love to others. Simply love. Real love. Godly love. Committed love. If we take care to follow God's way and express the love of Christ through how we speak and treat one another, we are making the most of every opportunity to be effective witnesses of our Savior. We are mirroring Jesus to the world with the very breath and body He used to bring us to life. Christ said it Himself in John 13, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples."

God is love. And in love, we were made to live together as His people. This is the eternal hope that those who believe and follow Jesus can look forward to. As His children, we will one day be standing in His holy kingdom and free to live without the burden of sin and death. We will receive a new life filled with rejoicing, praising and singing in the glorious presence of the great and worthy I AM! Knowing this, the only thing we should ever strive to be is a benefit, a blessing... so that others may see the joy we have in our salvation!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Ladies, as Christian women, we are accountable to The Holy Spirit in how we speak to and about others. And when I say "others", I am not only referring to the faceless crowds who occupy space on this planet. I am referring to our husbands. I am speaking about our children, our siblings, our parents, our friends. I am directing your attention to those who are a close to you in your day-to-day lives. These are the people in whom we make the greatest impact. So, we need to consciously decide to listen to our Great Counselor and speak to those we are socially intimate with holy appropriateness. We need to follow His call to represent God sweetly with our words... to hush our mouths and listen respectfully... and to bite down hard and determinately when The Spirit makes it clear that we should... well, shut up! (Really - put some teeth in that tongue if you must!) Secondly, we must be honest with each other when we do screw up. We must not delay in confronting whomever we treated falsely and ask for their forgiveness and prayer. Lastly, we must discipline ourselves to always praise God - no matter what the circumstance, situation, or trial... no matter what happy or hard moments may come... no matter what evil men or those who seek goodness will say or do. In EVERYTHING we must make our focus ALL ABOUT GOD and not about ourselves. We must start every day deliberately - remembering WHO our loving Master is. And we must continue to praise, acknowledge and uphold His many names through every hour we are blessed to live. For He is our Almighty, Unchanging Father. Our Redeemer. Our Refuge. Our Shepherd. Our Teacher. Our Counselor. The Author and Finisher of our faith. The Day Spring. The Way. The Truth. The Life. The Mighty King of kings. The Holy Holy Holy Lord of lords.

We are His living church. A church that follows the One who always speaks truth... the One who will forever love, encourage and build up... the One who holds authority over life and has overcome all sin and death. The One who wants the VERY BEST for our lives! As His church, we must each be a benefit to those who will listen... a "safe place" of holy comfort and peace - just as Christ continues to be a for us.

This is #9 of "the ten" commandments. Yes, it is short and sweet in it's instruction. But, let us follow it's example and keep our words few - full of hope and praise - as we live our lives celebrating The Prince of Peace!

"Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few." (Ecclesiastes 5:2)

"I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence." (Acts 2:25-28)

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

Names of Christ: Shiloh (Peacemaker)

2012-01-29T02:00:00.000-05:00

Hi ladies. As we grow together and follow Jesus Christ, seeking to know God more intimately in our day-to-day lives, let's continue learning the many names of God in our Sunday blog posts. Each of God's many names describe a different aspect of His character and teaches us more about who He is. We are moving into the second part of the Trinity and now focusing on the many names of Christ. These will be shorter blog postings but equally important as we get to know the character of our Redeemer and King. Today, let's worship our Savior as we learn about Him... Shiloh (Peacemaker).

Shiloh (Peacemaker)

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. (Genesis 49:10)

Israel must walk in darkness under law until the years may seem eternity, but "Shiloh" comes at last and peace with Him. Has Shiloh come to you? And has the peace which passes understanding, the peace He made, entered into your soul? For Shiloh came and conquered every foe that could harass you, and He stands today offering the peace He made "that passes knowledge." Have you received it? Has Shiloh come in vain for you? Begin today and "in everything by prayer and supplication make your requests known to Him," and Shiloh's peace shall "calm your heart."

Lord, Your peace passes all our earthly understanding. Help us to remain obedient and faithful to You so that Your peace will remain. Amen.

Thank you, Jesus, for revealing yourself to us. We praise your Name forever and ever!!!

Blessings!

(Please Note: The majority of today's notes were taken directly from Names of God, Copyright 1944 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago by Nathan Stone and were given originally as a course in the Radio School of the Bible over WMBI, Chicago. The writer acknowledges a measure of indebtedness to such works as those of Webb-Peploe, Andrew Jukes, R. B. Girdlestone, and Parkhurst's Hebrew Lexicon. The Scripture quotations are from the King James Version and the American Standard Version (A.S.V.), while some are free translations from the Hebrew. In addition, The Devoted Woman has included data from other resources where we felt more explanation was necessary. For further study on this topic, we highly recommend the book, The Names of God by Ken Hemphill.)

the ten: property vs. provision

2012-01-28T02:00:00.000-05:00

"You shall not steal." (Exodus 20:15)

Have you considered the benefits of your own plasma (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets) that are circulating in your vascular system to ward off disease while continuously pumping through a four chambered muscle sitting in the middle of your chest? Have you given any time to appreciate the coral reefs that offer a critical habitat for a wide variety of fish and marine invertebrates while protecting shore lines against erosion and harsh waves. How about the necessity of water - a colorless, orderless compound of hydrogen and oxygen that covers about three quarters of our planet's surface and circulates through our atmosphere so that all life receives nourishment? Or, what about the pollination of plants in cooperation with wind and insects? Have you considered that this very moment our sun is stationed 93 million miles away from earth and sports a diameter of approximately 864,000 miles, which is equal to about 109 earth's? Have you appreciated that every day God's hand oversees the rotation and warmth of the sun while insuring that it's light travels to our planet as fast as 8 minutes 19 seconds. The energy from sunlight supports us all via photosynthesis (go ahead, I dare you to look up how important photosynthesis is), and drives climate and weather conditions to stay "just so" on our little planet. Clearly all these things hold an enormous impact on our lives each and every day. And God chose to make them. He chose to make everything... including us. Why? Because God deserves glory and wished to share Himself with a people He would love over anything or anyone else. Wow!

God is indeed our provider and protector! But as a sinful people, we are self centered and dense. Just about every second, we forget the infinite number of ways that God oversees our existence to insure that we are taken care of. Instead, we habitually listen to an enemy that has made nothing and has done nothing for the sake of our survival. Yet, rather than consider all the wonderful things God continues to do, we listen to Satan's lies and become desperate with what we think we need and don't have. This mistrust in our Creator causes us to become worried and unsatisfied... decisions that do not support our Master's perfect plan to give us a full, abundant life.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

The eighth commandment boils down to us trying to take ownership of what doesn't belong to us. It is a selfish sin that causes us to attempt to supply for ourselves in a dishonest way rather than trust God to provide for all our needs. Through this command, the Lord was promising Israel (and us) that He was committed to always take care of us. Even more important, we must understand that He wants to take care of us. Why? Because He loves us. To live healthy, we must trust that. God has pledged His devotion to us to satisfy and supply for our needs.

Stealing is our desire to find instant happiness. It is a counterfeit form of security that is coupled with a sinful thrill that makes us think we have gotten away with something in our own way, rather than in God's prescribed way. In truth, however, it is really an act of defiance that favors self over the Creator. But here is the thing, whether we accept it or not - we do not own anything. It is ALL God's. We do not even own ourselves. He is in control of our existence. So, when we steal and think we are sneaky to deceive and gain from another's loss - in truth, we are really the one's who are being deceived and losing a bigger battle to the enemy. Satan knows this better than we do, so he has posed stealing as attractive, mainstream entertainment for society to subtly accept. I mean, who hasn't enjoyed watching George Clooney and Brad Pitt's characters skillfully plan and execute the perfect caper in Oceans 11? It is thrilling. It is fun. But, I'm sorry to say... it is promoting something wrong.

WHOA! Wait a minute, Victoria... now you are hitting a nerve. I enjoyed that movie. I thought it was cute and witty!

Hmmm - cute and witty.... Stealing. Mission accomplished, Satan.

Most will not accept that our willingness to accept and follow God and His commandments will separate the wheat from the chaff... the men from the boys, if you will. We will either show up fully committed to give Him everything... or we will not. The love of money, the love of possessions, the love of anything other than God... is sin.

"Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, than great treasure with trouble." (Proverbs 15:16)

God's provision for us, however modest it may seem at the time, is always... ALWAYS better for us than trying to grab for ourselves and make our own way. That is why Jesus gave little thought to the value of one's possessions when He told people to leave everything and follow Him. He knows He is better. He is more fulfilling. He is everything we will ever need. Period.

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? (Luke 9:23-24)

Ladies, we must look at this command broader than we have done so in the past. For it is not just about physically stealing possessions and cheating "the system"... it is about spiritually assessing if we seek and desire anything before God. For if we do, we are stealing life from ourselves! We must ask ourselves some very hard questions. Do we love money and things too much? Do we look to them as a form of security that outweighs the provision of our Redeemer? Are we more concerned about how wealthy we appear and what we seem to have than who we are emulating and how we can give more of ourselves to Him? We are told in scripture that money is the root of all evil. This is so true as wealth and possessions cause us to feel bigger than we actually are. But in the end, glory will only be given to One... and that One will be God. Nothing we acquire here on earth will matter. Nothing we defend to hold onto will last. It will come down to each individual standing before God... alone. There, He will recognize those who believed and followed Him and will deny those who rejected Him. Unfortunately, many cannot let go of what they can grasp in their own hand over what they are promised to receive according to His plan. This is the greatest tragedy.

Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first." (Mark 10:21-31)

It is clear that Jesus loved the rich man mentioned in Mark 10. In fact, it is clear that Christ loves all mankind. But even in loving us, God will not excuse us from our sin and grant us access into His kingdom if we cling to treasures on earth and disregard The Shepherd's call to follow His way. We must leave EVERYTHING aside and love and trust Jesus MORE. That is His call to live in His name. There is no greater gift we could receive!

Ladies, let's not rob ourselves of God's gift. Let's not walk away sad with mere trinkets and piddly coins clutched into our hands while losing the key to our eternal freedom, wealth and security. There is no greater necessity than our being close to God.

This world... this universe... will never belong to any human. Every person we love, every object we use, every color, every taste, every sound, every smell, every substance, every distinct molecular composition know, every empty space, every realm, every mass, every form of matter - what we have seen and what we have not seen... it all belongs to God. EVERYTHING BELONGS TO GOD... FOREVER!

He is the sole proprietor... the legal possessor... the primary owner of all that was, that is, and that will ever be. No matter how big our appetite, we will never acquire anything or overshadow any glory that is His - - nor should we dishonestly make the attempt. The only thing that should matter to us is God! For He is all that we can we truly claim as our own.

If we submit ourselves over to Him, He has promised us great reward and life in His presence. He has offered us a relationship... a friendship that He wants to develop and grow. Yes, our Creator loves us and wants to be with us. How blessed we are that He is a good and faithful King. Let's direct our hearts back to the Savior who freely gives to those who follow Him a living inheritance in His holy, eternal kingdom! He is worthy. He is in control. He will be glorified. He will remain true. He is Jehovah God who provides for His people. THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5-6)

There is nothing we should grab onto more than God's attention, His friendship, His eternal presence, His love. He will never forsake us and will provide us everything. For HE IS EVERYTHING!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:3-9)

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

the ten: adult or adultery?

2012-01-27T02:00:00.000-05:00

"You shall not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:14)

In 1975, Jimmy Carter bravely told an eager reporter that while he never physically committed adultery, he knew that he had failed God in this commandment because mentally he had entertained adulterous thoughts in his mind. Of course, the press did not know how to receive such honesty from a man who openly shared his Christian beliefs, so they reacted in typical fashion and mocked the then-presidential hopeful for his candid interview. Rather than uplift this man as a refreshing example, one who transparently admitted an area of weakness where he openly struggled to remain pure in the eyes of God, the world scoffed and belittled. (Isn't that just like this sinful world!) But Mr. Carter wisely shared his story knowing that every battle against adultery always begins in a person's mind... none of us is immune to it's bidding.

Just as he did with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Satan continues to tempt us with distractions and sinful pleasures that continually challenge our faithfulness to God and commitment to do what is right. When we start longing for what exists outside of God's healthy structure, and when we begin focusing on what we want over what God has instituted for our benefit and well-being, we begin to forget the seventh commandment and seek hollow, temporary forms of gratification. The result: we sin.

I'm certain that many will not like what I am about to say, however, I firmly believe that the greatest cause for divorce is irresponsibility and immaturity... not incompatibility! On average, virtually every couple goes through the same challenges together in marriage, but the difference between couples who make it vs. couples who don't boils down to one word: commitment. What is commitment? Commitment is a covenant, a solemn agreement, a pact, a promise, a purpose, an oath, a pledge. It is unchanging... unending.

Filled with feelings, emotions and romantic desires, most couples blurt out their lifelong "commitment" to one another without fully considering the covenant they are entering into. Without thought, they swear a solemn oath before God, "Til' death do us part." That is quite a statement. However, the statistics show us that many do not hold true to their promise and break their word at the first sign of unmet expectation. It would be better if they had entered into marriage stating, "Til' desire do we part," for that is more fitting to what really takes place. Instead, we irresponsibly enter into marriage looking for someone to serve us, rather than someone to serve. And we do so by immaturely pledging our lives to be bound to one another without thought to the Creator of this universe - the Maker who dictates the intake of oxygen into our lungs this very moment! When things get difficult in marriage, I wonder what would happen if more couples would consider their oath to God and follow His plan at all cost. What if we made it a priority to keep our promises to each other as He has kept His Word to us?

"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." (Matthew 5:33-37)

Jesus shows us that true love is lasting - anchored in service to those with whom we've committed ourselves. While many view love as a "feeling", Christ shows us that genuine love remains - even when feelings cannot be found. No, love is not a feeling... love is a commitment. Think about it. Was it a warm, mushy feeling that kept our Savior on the cross? Is it a feeling that drives our Father to love and forgive us when we sin? No. It is love - real love. Lasting love. Committed love. It is imperative that we understand this so that our commitment to love God first, to keep our oaths to Him and follow His ways before our own, overshadows our desire to follow through with the flesh-feeding act of adultery.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." (Matthew 5:27-30)

Seems to me that although the text above is speaking first to how a man can fall into lust after a woman... the principle must still be applied to how any one of us can fall into lust with one another. In general, men and women lust after things differently. Men are visually stimulated by anything that reminds them of physical intimacy. Women are emotionally stimulated by anything that reminds them of relational intimacy. There can be cross-over in these two forms of stimulation depending on how prone an individual is to lust. However, in God's eyes... lust is lust. There is no getting around it. If anyone (man or woman) looks lustfully (in any way - at anyone) outside of God's biblical plan of marriage, they have already committed adultery in their heart. The grass is never greener in God's eyes. Desiring a different pasture than what He has given you will only cause you to sin and lead you away from His presence and healthy way of living.

The road to adultery carries so many sins with it. While those may jump to look at the parade of nudity, seduction and suggestive sexuality out there... while some may be misled into the trap of false romance driven by feelings and excitement... God warns us that behind such lust and irresponsibility lives shame, deceit, betrayal and ugliness. He knows that if we fall prey to follow our fleshly hunger, we will be imprisoned by the sin of adultery and burdened by many, many troubles.

God will not stay near to those whose sin is fed to flourish. No, God is holy and will only encourage what is best for you. Irrespective of how you "feel" at any given moment, your Redeemer wants you to be blessed with His perfect intimacy and the rewards of His marital union. God takes our commitments very seriously. To lust after what is unholy is to ultimately cheat against your relationship with The Almighty. So, by engaging in adultery when married, not only are you being unfaithful to your spouse, but you are being unfaithful to your Creator. This is a big deal. You can not have it both ways and still receive God's blessing. You must choose who you will follow. If it is God... you will find LIFE. If it is Satan and flesh... you will find death and destruction. It is that simple.

Pornography, infidelity, emotional affairs and self-gratification are all traps of the enemy that will move you farther away from God. You will either stand firm against them in Jesus name and remain close to His presence or you will not. If you choose the latter, you will be consumed with your fleshly desires, imprisoned by your sin, and unable to experience the true love, joy and intimacy God has planned for your life. In short, you will destroy yourself.

Who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself. (Proverbs 6:32)

Although adultery is not the only irresponsible reason that couples divorce, it is one of the biggest issues on the table. Unfortunately, such temptation will never be removed while we are alive on this earth. For Satan's greatest goal is to lead us away from our relationship with God. In doing so, he is resolved to do all he can to break up God's structure for marriage and church. Why? Because God made these sacred institutions to represent His perfect love. The enemy wants us to think that our struggle is only against our own flesh and blood, but God knows that our struggle is bigger than that... WE ARE AT WAR! We are fighting against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms that are against God. In this war, the enemy wants us to be destroyed... plain and simple. Flesh is an easy avenue for him to use, since we are full of sin and hungry to feed our selfish desires.

It is important to note that adultery is not a sin exclusive to married couples. Singles are easily able to fall into Satan's trap and be caught up in activities that go against purity and holiness. Furthermore, the desire to be married to another sometimes becomes so great that many single women forget that keeping God first in their life is more important than nabbing a husband. We must all realize that God gave us #7 of "the ten" to help us avoid pain and trouble brought on by this self-serving sin. By keeping our hearts and minds pure and focused on our Creator, we are promised great reward for all eternity. In Him, we have a blessed, exciting future!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Ladies, I encourage you to pray over this matter individually as well as with your husbands (if married). I challenge you to not lay idle and allow Satan to tempt and distract you and your family away from God. We must always make the effort to keep our eyes on what is eternal and, in Jesus name, attack the ongoing issue of lust with prayer and appropriate biblical repentance. For those married, we must build up our husbands and give them the physical and spiritual nourishment they require by serving them sexually and walking with them as holy help-mates. For those single, we must give up romantic notions that lead us into ungodly relationships merely because they hold a potential for marriage. We must stop lowering our standards while thinking, "I'll change him." or "I'll save him." No... I'm sorry, but if God has not touched their hearts to seek after Him, what makes you think YOU will be able to change them? End ungodly intimacy NOW, singles. Only court potential mates who are also resolved to seek Jesus first!

Lastly, as ladies, we must act and dress accordingly so as not to lead another into temptation. Our beauty should reflect Christ's beauty and our sexuality and heart should be exclusively reserved as gifts for our husbands. I am always amazed at some of the things Christian women wear and allow into their homes. Ladies, we must remain committed to our God and our spouse. We must love each other as God loves us. We must present ourselves as pure and clean - washed by the blood of Christ. Take an inventory of how you dress, what pictures you post online, what shows you watch and encourage your girlfriends to watch - are they holy? Do they support purity? If not - lose them and gain more of God's presence!

I am certain that we have all allowed an impure thought or adulterous idea to linger in our mind. No one is immune to this sin. That said, when it happens, it is critical for the sake of our spiritual growth to repent and confess our sin to God immediately and change our course. When we do so, we have the security in knowing that the Lord is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

I once heard of God's ten commandments referred to as a fence at a rodeo. (I know, weird huh?) But here is the premise... when a cowboy rides a bull and falls off, he immediately realizes he is in danger. His first instinct is to seek safety. So, he gets up and runs as fast as he can to the fence surrounding the parameter of the rodeo. He does this while barely escaping the inevitable pain, destruction and death that would surely await him had he stayed in front of the raging bull that was charging at him with eyes blazing in hatred. In this parallel, the fence was likened to God's commands. The fence was not put there to keep the cowboy confined and imprisoned from living. Rather, the fence was put there to keep the raging sin that so desperately wants to destroy the cowboy contained. This way, the cowboy can live safely. When on the right side of the fence, the cowboy is relaxed and unharmed and free to go live his life. Before Christ, we too were riding a violent, angry bull of sin. At one point, we fell hard and realized that we were in danger. So we ran to the safety of our Savior. We ran to Christ who had a greater life waiting for us outside the rodeo of this earth. When we jumped to our safety over His fence, we were free to enjoy His promise of a new life. To jump the fence and return to the rodeo would be foolish. To get back on the bull would sooner or later lead us to fall again and be destructive. No, the fence was put there for our good. We must stay on the correct side of it and move past our desire to ride the bull so that we can enjoy the abundant world that God has prepared for us. We must leave the rodeo with our faithful Shepherd and remain committed to Him alone.

Lord Jesus, help us to remain pure and faithful to You (and to the husbands we have made an oath to love til' death do us part). In every word, every thought, every deed we act out... give us Your grace and example to follow. Keep our eyes focused on Your ways always. Let us stand firm against the enemy in Jesus name. Keep our hearts pure and protect us. Keep us fresh and renewed each and every day we are on this earth so that we are victorious followers of our King. We are at war and we trust Your headship and wish only to look to YOU longingly... and forever. Praise Your name, dear Father in Heaven. We love You more than life... more than our own flesh. Give us the strength and resolve to live holy and honor You in all we say and do. Amen.

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

the ten: life and love... not murder

2012-01-26T02:00:00.000-05:00

"You shall not murder." (Exodus 20:13)

God gave us this command because the evil present in the heart of mankind, if left unchecked, will ultimately lead to each of us destroying ourselves. Were it not for God, we would truly have no hope to survive. For because of our sin, we are an angry, evil race of souls that walk the face of this earth.

Did you know that in the United States, by the time a child grows to adulthood he will have already viewed tens of thousands of murders and acts of violence merely from watching television, movies and even commercial advertising? If that wasn't enough, there are video games that are easily accessible for our kids to play that hold only one objective: killing. I'm not talking about the killing you see from a war game (not that it makes it any better). No, there are games available that promote "fun" to our kids by simulating their killing of innocent bystanders, the elderly, the cripple, women, children, etc. It is terrible.

Yes, no one can deny that violence and killing is a horrible part of our sinful culture. Turn on the news any night of the week and you will see it first hand. You will hear about the latest murder, what countries are at war, and how our civil liberties are being preserved by groups that want us to maintain "rights" to murder innocent children before they have ever emerged from their mother's womb.

Now, I am fairly certain that the majority of those reading this blog have not physically murdered another individual. (At least, I hope that is the case.) That said, please do not disregard this commandment just yet. Read with me the words of our Lord in Matthew 5.

"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift." (Matthew 5:21-24)

The word "Raca" mentioned in these verses is translated to mean "empty headed". Wow. According to Christ's statement, I have murdered in my heart. For how many times have I been so angry or annoyed at someone that I have written them off as an idiot... as empty headed... as a fool? How many times have I left an issue with a burning tumor of resentment in the pit of my stomach? How many times have I allowed a matter to fester so much that I ultimately end up having a tantrum with whomever is unlucky enough to be standing next to me? How many times have I retired for the day without first going to my husband, my family, my friends, my co-workers for forgiveness or reconciliation? Wow... too many times to count, I'm afraid.

"In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." (Ephesians 4:26-27)

Murder is not just the unlawful act of brutally killing another human being in the physical sense. It is also the act of destroying, putting to end, spoiling and sometimes annihilating a relationship... a hope... a spirit. As women, we have such a power to suffocate the feelings of our families and friends. Our spouses, parents, children all look to us as the heart of our homes, yet how often do we shatter their dreams or deflate their egos merely because we cannot keep our own selfishness in check? How many of us have sucked the air out of their lungs or taken the wind from their sails by speaking cruel words or giving venomous glares? Have we not thought out in our frustration at one time or another, "I wish I never got married," or "Why did I have children?" or "I hate my parents." Furthermore, have we even massacred our own existence with self-degrading thoughts such as, "I wish I was never born," or "I'm useless to anyone."

Ladies, these are all forms of murder in the eyes of God.

God gave us #6 of "the ten" to remind us that any form of murder is not acceptable to Him for us to live fully in His abundance and grace.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Anger and resentment, if left unchecked, will only bring us down one road if not confronted by God's law... destruction and death. Without Jesus, we will indeed offend, slander, hurt, humiliate, destroy, write off, injure, and kill each other. It is a certainty because we are sinners. The Lord has given us this command the same way He reasoned with Cain before he chose to kill Abel in anger. Like Cain, we have the choice to follow God's command to love and do what is right, or we can walk right around God and destroy one another. (Let me give you a tip: option #1 is the way to go!)

When it comes to anger, God wants us to look at it as a symptom that requires holy correction. And He wants us to address it immediately. To uproot it. To deal with it. To attack it head on. Satan has nothing to stand on internally if we address our anger biblically. Our Messiah tells us not to give the enemy one inch to stand upon within the walls of our hearts. Do not allow him to infiltrate your thoughts, then words, then actions. Let me be clear... Satan will move in to destroy us like a covert assassin if he has the smallest platform of hurt or impatience to work with. He has and will do anything in his power to ruin our marriages, our friendships, our worth, and our relationship with our perfect, holy Creator if we do not wisely heed our Father's command on this matter.

So how do we deal with anger? The simple answer is this: we need be upfront with one another and we need to take our concerns, hurts and frustrations to the Lord. Sometimes, we may be so sick in a place of anger that the only way out - the only light we have - is the choice to honestly and transparently ask God to help us move past our desire to retaliate against another. He is able to teach us how to treat others as He has so generously and mercifully treated us... with forgiveness. Learn from this parable offered from our righteous Teacher:

"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.'" (Matthew 18:21-35)

Ladies, let us not lose ourselves in anger and give into the selfish ways of this world. Let us not murder and be led into destruction by the enemy's evil prodding. Let's be like the psalmist who goes directly to the Lord with his frustrations and complaints only to realize the health and wealth gained in seeking the company and relief of our Master's presence and infinite wisdom.

"Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, 'How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?' This is what the wicked are like - always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning. If I had said, 'I will speak thus,' I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." (Psalm 73)

So again, how do we deal with our anger? By taking our pain, discouragements, and perplexities into the sanctuary of our King. Let's trust Him to rule over all matters. Let's bring our tangled, twisted grumblings to His holy temple and lay them before His feet so that He may guide ours down His correct path. Let's seek after more of our Savior so we see less of ourselves. Let's run toward Him so that we may reflect His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self control toward one another. Let us value the life of each other as Christ has valued our own. Let us draw near to Him and put our trust in Him. For He is the answer to every issue. Believe and follow Jesus, the Redeemer, and you will LIVE! Let's be promoters of life and love... not murder.

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

the ten: forgive, love, honor your parents

2012-01-25T02:00:00.000-05:00

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12)

Honor... wow. Coming from a home that has had to endure the after effects of an abusive step father, this command continues to be a very prickly and personal topic for me. Sure, it would have been easier if God had instructed His people to honor parents who clearly displayed a sincere goodness, kindness, and love toward their children. But God did not put any restriction around parental character when He gave this command. No, He merely tells us... ALL OF US... to honor! No matter who our parents are... no matter what they have said or done, we must honor them. Wow. That's hard.

Since starting this series, the fifth commandment has been the one I have prayed over the most. Not because I don't "get it", but because it still hits home and makes me squirm to accept. However, in His grace, the Lord keeps bringing me back to three simple truths about honoring one's parents. (1) You cannot honor someone without love. (2) You cannot honor someone without forgiveness. (3) You cannot honor someone without God actively present in your life.

A child's spirit may easily be broken due to parental neglect, legalism, absence, ridicule, physical betrayal or worse. With so many forms of abuse, one must question how God could expect honor to be accomplished in such horrible situations? Even if a child is fortunate enough to be removed from an unhealthy parental situation... even if they now are living a "normal" life... it seems that nothing can remove the stains of damage or the accepted belief systems that were once implanted into their minds by the person(s) responsible for their care. So, how could this child honor? It seems impossible!

Fortunately, nothing is impossible with God.

Christians are told in scripture to love their enemies... to turn their cheek when they are wronged... to show the same care to others as they would wish for their own selves. As challenging as this concept may be to follow in the general sense, it doesn't seem as difficult when the "enemy" is a random acquaintance or stranger in your life. But when it comes down to your parents - the folks holding the keys to your own upbringing... hmmmm... it is not so easy. That complicates things... that steps it up a notch... that changes the level of intimacy in loving those who do not seek our best interest. I can attest to this first hand. For it is difficult to be able to look into the eyes of an abusive or irresponsible parent and still choose to honor them. Whenever a parent has crossed over the sacred line of correct, biblical care for their child, it is not so simple to turn a cheek and express love and forgiveness. But that is precisely what God has told us to do.

As with all other commands, our Heavenly Father gave us commandment #5 of "the ten" for our ultimate good. If we truly desire to obey and follow His ways, no matter how impossible they may seem, we must trust that God will help us learn to do so. He will give us His heart so that we may honor those who have acted dishonorably against us. For when it comes to sin, we really are no better than anyone else. Who of us can throw the first stone? We all have acted dishonorably at one point or another in our lives. But God still decided to forgive us, to love us, and to honor us above Himself by sending Jesus to die on our behalf and take on the punishment for our sin. Jesus is the answer. He is the only One who can change our attitudes and mend our damaged relationships and broken hearts. He is the key to living freely in love. In Him, we have that hope.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed." (Luke 4:18)

Honoring your parents is the decision to follow Christ's example to always be respectful in word and action while maintaining an inward attitude of esteem for their position. It is giving respect not only for merit, but also for rank. For example, you may disagree with the decisions made by those in power over your government, but you should still respect their position and pray for them as leaders of your country. Similarly, children of all ages should honor their parents, regardless of whether or not their parents have led, provided or treated them well. Honor is not a reward for good behavior. It is more a respect toward position and authority coupled with God's love for mankind.

It is interesting that this commandment is the first command that actually offers a promised reward: long life in God's fullness. God has promised to bless those who honor their parents. I don't know about you, but I want God's blessings! Even if we are no longer living directly under parental authority, we cannot outgrow this command and we should always seek it's reward. It is a lifelong commitment - something we must bring to God daily. We should seek to honor our parents in much the same way that we strive to bring glory to God - in our thoughts, words, and actions.

Please understand, by no means does this include following ungodly parents into sin. If a parent expects a child to do something that contradicts God’s word, the child must obey God over his parents. For in the end, parents are people. And people are tainted with sin. All people need God to live righteously. If a person deliberatly chooses to go against God, we must be very cautious to keep regular company with them. That said, we can still choose to honor their position from afar and pray for the Holy Spirit to soften their hearts to seek His holiness. Our first and most important relationship objective is to seek and follow our Almighty Heavenly Father. He is the ideal, perfect parent and should forever receive our highest honor and praise. For backslidden or unbelieving earthly parents, we must trust God to work in their hearts all the while praying for their salvation, revival, and redemption in Jesus name. Honoring is not easy, is not always fun, and it certainly is not possible to achieve within our own strength. However, honoring our father and mother will lead us down the correct path as it glorifies and pleases our Master.

“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” (Colossians 3:20)

For those who have suffered a painful childhood, I give you this encouragement... with God ALL things are possible! With God, you can forgive, love and honor in Jesus name!

"Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." (Mark 10:27).

Bitterness, resentment, hate and mistrust are all forms of spiritual poison that Satan wants us to digest. He wants our souls soured to hinder us from moving closer into the court of our Redeemer. We must pray past the enemy's tricks and submit to Jesus any insecurity or dissatisfaction we hold toward ungodly parents. He is able to change the hearts of men. We must trust that our Savior is able and willing to teach us how to love and forgive all parental... all human failings. We must trust that He will work in our lives and bring us into His glory.

One last thought... the commandment to honor our father and mother not only applies to parents who are alive today, but also to parents who have passed on. Also, it applies to individuals as well as nations. We would be wise to honor the biblical objectives of our deceased parents, grandparents, forefathers and the legacies offered by the great Christian leaders of our faith.

"Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith." (Hebrews 13:7)

Ladies, God commands us to honor our parents to prevent us from holding ourselves back with the sin of unforgiveness and selfishness. He desires for us to receive His true joy through the Holy Spirit and the fullness He has prepared for our lives. To move closer to The Anointed, we must openly express our human viewpoints to God in prayer every day. He wants us to freely come to Him and share our emotional dissatisfaction and uncertainties regarding those who were entrusted to love and nurture us as children. From there, we must learn to trust God's word and adopt His love, compassion, and mercy toward others. We must strive to mirror His holiness by following His example to forgive, love, and honor those put in a position of authority over us.

Our Eternal Father is faithful. He will light our path. He will bring us to His green pasture and restore our soul. Believe in His power to redeem, ladies. Obey His commands. Forgive, love, and honor your parents. He will bless you for it.

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

the ten: stop... rest... be still... exalt Him!

2012-01-24T02:00:00.000-05:00

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." (Exodus 20:8-11)

When God created man, he formed him from the dust (dirt) of the ground. So, in essence, our material makeup is really the combination of only a few simple elements. It is no coincidence that dirt needs time to rest. In fact, a truly good farmer knows that land benefits from a time of rest. Many farmers will allow tracts of ground to lie fallow for a season before moving forward and replanting again. By allowing the sun, wind, rain, snow to nourish the untouched earth, the farmer's future crop will yield a greater, more bountiful return. The earth, like people, works healthier when it takes time out to rest!

Ladies, God gave us the fourth commandment knowing full well that mankind has a self-destructive tendency to let his work and efforts consume him. I'm sure you've heard the old saying, "You are what you do." In addition to that statement, I'd also ask you to consider from a spiritual sense that, "You follow who you obey" and "You reap what you sow." In order for us to follow God, we need to take time to understand and obey His commands. God considers our rest so critical, so beneficial for our well-being, that He included this commandment alongside other seemingly more important commands such as: do not murder, do not steal. Why? God knows what is best for us. He holds the plans that will make us prosper and flourish. In those plans, He has deliberately told us to stop and remember the Sabbath before moving forward with our work.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

So, what is the Sabbath? There is so much information I could write about the Sabbath that we would be here studying for months on end. However, the short answer is this... the Sabbath was considered a holy time of physical rest and spiritual reflection. It was a time for God's people to stop all work and seek refreshment for their body and blessing to their soul. It was a time of restoration and thankfulness directed toward Jehovah God, and mirrored the timeline of God's own act to rest after completing the six days of creation. Every seventh day (Saturday), the Jews would celebrate the Sabbath. God gave them the Sabbath as a sign that they were His special covenant people belonging to the Creator of the universe (Exodus 31:12-17). Also, every seventh year was considered a Sabbath Year (Deuteronomy 15:1-11), and every fiftieth year was the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8-55). Although there is much that we could study on this topic, in the interest of time I will simply say that God gave Israel these holy days as a sign that they belonged to Him (Exodus 20:8-11; 31:13-17; Nehemiah 9:14).

It is important to note that the Sabbath was not initially set apart as a day of formal assembly. That resulted from the scribes and Pharisees who imposed all kinds of restrictions to the Sabbath observance. If you study the actions of Christ, you will note that Jesus deliberately violated Sabbath traditions, though He honored the Sabbath day. By no means do I point this out to criticize assembling together... for we are indeed to gather together and worship. Jesus tells us in Luke 11:23, "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters." Look at the actions of the early believers in Acts 9:31, "Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord." I do want to point out, however, that God never once intended for the Sabbath to be turned into a time of bondage under the rules of mankind. Rather God meant for the Sabbath to be followed under His guidance... His law. As such, He gave it to us as a time for blessing and restoration in His holy name.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:17-20)

To commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus, Christians have traditionally kept Sunday, the first day of the week, as their weekly day of rest. This is in adaptation of the Jewish observance. Originally, the seventh day of the week (Saturday) was set apart and consecrated as the Sabbath. However, after Christ's resurrection, which took place on the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1), we never find Jesus meeting with his disciples on the seventh day. Instead, He made a point to honor the first day of the week by manifesting Himself to them on four separate occasions (Matt. 28:9; Luke 24:34, 18-33; John 20:19-23). Then again, on the next Sunday, Jesus appeared to his disciples (John 20:26). Also, some have calculated that Christ's ascension took place on the first day of the week. Lastly, there can be no doubt that the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost was on the first day of the week (Acts 2:1). This concludes that Christ was instituting a new day to be observed by his people as the Sabbath, a day to be henceforth known amongst them as the "Lord's day." The observance of this "Lord's day" was the general custom practiced by believers since the early church was formed (comp. Acts 20:3-7; 1 Cor. 16:1, 2). So, under apostolic sanction and authority, and following the example of Jesus after His resurrection, the early Christians began to honor the Sabbath on the first day of the week, rather than the last. Irrespective of the day set apart for its observance, the Sabbath should remain a perpetual obligation as a sacred institution. It cannot be abrogated.

"There remains, then, a Sabbath — rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall... For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:9-13)

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

Jesus shows us that we each need time to stop and rest... time to relate with Him in stillness. In order to know Him, we must remember to take out this scheduled time to regroup and stay in alignment with our Creator, rather than run ahead of Him. In fact, if we don't take out this time, God has the authority to make us stop... to "make us" lie down in green pastures so that our souls may be restored.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul." (Psalm 23:1-3a)

When we forget to take time to rest in the Lord... when we refuse to stop the busyness, we are basically telling the Author of Life that we know better... that our "to do's" are more important... that there are more lofty needs out there that we must attend to NOW or they just won't get done. But ladies, there is no greater need than our first relating and being fulfilled and restored in Christ. We are no good to anyone (even ourselves) if we are broken down and living without the spiritual fuel of His presence. He is our nourishment and our guide. He is our Shepherd. He is the only One we need to look to in order for things to be accomplished and for us to maintain a proper sense of direction. We must accept His authority over our lives. Our Shepherd is ultimately in control of all things, so He will insure that whatever needs to get done will be accomplished in His timing - not ours! Because of this, we must follow His call to, "Come. Stop. Rest. Be with me."

"Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." (Mark 6:31)

Take a look at the circumstances of your life and consider what condition you are in. Are you sick a lot? Does God seem distant in your life? Perhaps this is because you have not followed God's command to stop and rest in His presence. Or, perhaps you have physically stopped, but have not spiritually used the time to seek after Him in renewal and thankfulness. I know many people who bodily show up for church on Sunday stating that they are there to observe the Sabbath. But in truth, they are "checked out" mentally, emotionally, spiritually. They have not come to seek restoration. Instead, they are just going through the motions to meet another appointment, another obligation. They are caught up like the Pharisees and scribes in traditions and expectations. Is this you? For if it is, you are not really seeking a relationship with your Lord. You have not stopped to rest and be with Him.

When we do not deliberately seek to know the presence and renewal of our Father, our labors will compound into burdens. Satan will do everything he can to distract us farther and farther away from our healthy Master. We must turn back and seek God's healing restoration and be present with Him. Our pace must deliberately be maintained to match His pace so that we are in tune to His will and always present in His ways. We must take the necessary time to focus on Him without distraction or obligation. Only then are we in agreement with His teaching and receptive to His direction. This is remembering the Sabbath and keeping it holy.

I challenge each DW to stop... rest... be still and know Him... Exalt Him! He is God. The One we should center our entire lives around. Let us follow His command to frequently stop and take a spiritual inventory with Him. Then He will replenish our supplies and restock our spiritual shelves. Let's not only give Him lip service as Lord of our lives. Let's follow through and trust His management over our work, our tasks, our health, our families. Let's remember to put Him first - before all these other things and people that demand our attention. Let's keep Him holy... set apart... hallowed. Most important, let's remember that everything does not depend upon our ability. Rather, let's lay it all down on His altar and acknowledge that everything depends upon God's authority.

Stop... Rest... Be Still... Exalt Him!

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46:10)

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

the ten: His holy name

2012-01-23T02:00:00.001-05:00

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." (Exodus 20:7)

When you hear the name Michael Jordan, Martha Stewart, Al Gore, Harrison Ford... what image do you see? How about Saddam Hussein, Adolf Hitler, Osama Bin Laden... what personal characteristics do you default to? Do you remember their physical details, abilities, actions? Do you recall certain events they were present? Are you emotionally affected because they represent something good or evil to you? Of course.

We all know facts and hold opinions pertaining to the names of others. Why? Because each person's name represents an image, a reputation - something we know about the actual person. By merely hearing someone's name, we jump to our own conclusions about their character and the "who, what, and how" that mankind attaches to the value of someone's life: Who they were? What they did? How they lived?

Now tell me, when you hear the name of God (Jesus, Jehovah, Christ)... what image do you see? What personal characteristics do you default to? What physical details, abilities, actions do you relate? Do you recall certain events where He was present? Are you emotionally affected because His name represents something to you? What reputation does He carry in your eyes?

Perhaps you think of God's name in a vain, empty way because it's meaning lacks substance or worth to you. OR...Perhaps you have never really cared to know God, so He holds no avail or purpose in your day-to-day life. OR... perhaps you think of God with contempt and disdain - despising the very thought of Him. You scorn others for even considering His so-called existence, finding the whole matter an unworthy and disappointing enterprise conjured up by insecure men of history. OR... perhaps you view Him as I do - in awe of His holiness. Perhaps you see God as scripture presents Him - as set apart and sacred. He is perfect, divine, transcendent, blessed, pure and should be revered as the King above all other kings and the one true Savior to the world.

Irrespective of how any one of us chooses to accept and believe in the name of God, the Bible is clear that ultimately, He will be revealed to all men. The Bible is also clear that our hearts toward God will be revealed by the words we choose to confess or reject Him.

"The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Romans 10:8-10)

Whatever is in the heart will come out of the mouth. You see, the mouth will always expose the opinions and feelings of what is truly in a person's heart... where their core beliefs reside. For the heart and mouth are linked together. So much so, that Jesus repeated this point not once... not twice... but three times:

"You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matthew 12:13)

"But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man unclean." (Matthew 15:18)

"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. " (Luke 6:45)

Think on this carefully. Whenever we speak the name of God in a negative way, a profane way... with disregard or neglect... with ignorance, defiance, ridicule, jest or unconcern... we are speaking about THE NAME in whom every Christian has claimed eternal salvation and hope for everlasting life. We are bringing down the One whose name has already outlasted all other names and has proven eternal, set apart, worthy. So, whatever we choose to say about God, we are ultimately exposing our true heart... our real opinions, feelings and overall acceptance for the One who will one day be worshipped by all nations.

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

Commandment #3 of "the ten" is not to be taken lightly. We are not to misuse the name of God in any way. If we do, God says it will carry consequences. YIKES! Because of this, we must carefully consider how we speak about and to our Creator. For example, reflect on how you pray to God. Consider your attitude when you begin addressing Him with your requests, "Dear God... Faithful Father... Precious Lord..." Is He really dear to you? Is He faithful and precious? Are you offering yourself to Him with this in mind when you pray? Are you deliberately thinking about WHO's throne you are approaching? Does your heart hold reverence to match the words being spoken through your lips? If not, it is sin.

Think about the infinite times you have spoken God's name at the end of a prayer, "...in Jesus Name, Amen." In truth, many of us do not take the time to really consider Jesus name at all. We do not thoughtfully bear in mind what we have asked of Him. We have not pondered on our requests with purpose. We do not care if what we want is really what Christ wants. No, we are basically approaching God's throne and spitting in His face. We haughtily go to Him and say, "OK God, these are all the things I wish for you to do for me... to cater to my wants. For now, I think I've told you all that comes to mind. So, I'm gonna sign off until I can think of more for you to do for me later. Oh, and let me dangle the name of your Son in front of you to seal the deal as I exit out of this one-way conversation. Amen."

Ugh. Would you not agree that our prayers are hindered because we are focused on our own "idols", we have negated and misused God's name, and we have failed to seek His way first? I would. We must rethink our words and wake up to how we pray! We must stop and think about who we are approaching. We must realize whom we are speaking to and what we are presenting before Him.

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:5-13)

I cringe every time I hear someone say, "Oh, my G--!" That term has become so commonplace that even our children blurt it out without thought or concern. In fact, there are so many socially accepted ways where our society has blindly allowed God's name to be misused. The angels must shudder on our behalf every time we callously speak against His holiness.

I am always saddened when I hear others speak about my Redeemer in careless jest or selfish anger. For we are not to live carelessly or selfishly. We are to live deliberately and with Him as our focus. When we jokingly refer to God as "The Big Guy Upstairs" or when we habitually blurt out "G--, damn it" and similar profanities, we must consider... are we really thinking about God... THE GOD?? Do we really want to talk about Him that way? Do we really want to ask God to damn anything or anyone? Do we understand what we are saying? Do we understand what we are asking of Him?

God gave us the third commandment so that we would make a point to hold His name in high esteem. It is for our own good that we do not lower our Redeemer or denounce His platform to something less than He truly is. For He holds the plans to our lives. We have hope in Him because He is GOD!!!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

God's name should never be negligently spoken. No, His name is THE NAME to which every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess. His name carries life and salvation. His name is not casual or random. It is holy, hallowed, set apart. Read with me from Revelation. Take in WHO God is in these passages:

Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:

"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"

Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 5 and 7)

Ladies, the events written in Revelation will indeed take place in the near future. I am certain that if we actually reflected on this and meditated on His glory day and night - and if we carried in our hearts an accurate image of WHO God really is, we would never, ever speak His name without first pausing in awe and then taking great care to honor Him with very few and deliberate words. We would hold Him up with the respect He so clearly deserves. I am certain that if we did this, we would forget many of our selfish concerns and earthly issues. Rather in all things, we would give Him our thanks. We would love Him and each other.

"Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name." (1 Chronicles 29:13)

"Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." (Revelation 14:3-4)

For all of us who have, at one point or another, misused the Lord's name, I encourage you to turn from your sin and be refreshed and renewed in His promises to make us new creatures in Jesus. Read David's words in Psalm 130. Even though God keeps track of every idle word we may speak, He also promises forgiveness and redemption to those who seek Him. Our God is sooooo good!

"Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins." (Psalm 130)

I encourage every DW to take time out to confess speaking the name of our Lord inappropriately. I further encourage you to move forward in His forgiveness by living your life in honor of His holy name. Remember that He is always present. He hears everything, sees everything, knows everything. By realizing this and practicing God's presence in your speech, you will be more careful to consider what comes out of your mouth, and ultimately your heart.

Remember WHO He is, ladies. Remember to take care when you speak the holy holy holy name of Jesus Christ! Put Him first and respect His headship always.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)

"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." (Revelation 22:12-13)

Precious Lord Jesus, please touch our lips and make them clean. Put a guard over our mouths and help us to be mindful to never take YOU for granted or speak foolishly on your behalf. Help us to carefully avoid glib prayers that offer empty worship and dishonor your throne. Remind us of WHO you are each and every day. Help us to keep our hearts focused on you. Continue to make us new so that our mouths speak only of your glory and honor. We praise you and thank you for loving us first and giving us life in your Son's name. We praise you for every circumstance and trial that you use to mold us to become more holy. Your bride eagerly awaits your return, dear Savior. We will live out our days honoring your dearest name - THE NAME above all others! You are faithful and precious in our sight. We love you, Lord. Worthy... so very worthy is the Lamb who was slain! Amen.

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

Names of Christ: The Peace Offering

2012-01-22T02:00:00.000-05:00

Hi ladies. As we grow together and follow Jesus Christ, seeking to know God more intimately in our day-to-day lives, let's continue learning the many names of God in our Sunday blog posts. Each of God's many names describe a different aspect of His character and teaches us more about who He is. We are moving into the second part of the Trinity and now focusing on the many names of Christ. These will be shorter blog postings but equally important as we get to know the character of our Redeemer and King. Today, let's worship our Savior as we learn about Him... The Peace Offering.

The Peace Offering

And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord. (Leviticus 3:1)

Is there any point of dispute between your Lord and you? One little thing which you do not surrender? He is right. He cannot change. It is your heart which must surrender. Then can you receive the peace which passes knowledge. He has made the offering which these Old Testament sacrifices prefigured and which atones for all your past, but you must yield your will to Him. Shall it be now?

Lord Jesus, change my heart by Your power that I may know the wonderful blessings of peace with God through Your atoning blood. Amen.

Fellowship Offering (NIV)

Thank you, Jesus, for revealing yourself to us. We praise your Name forever and ever!!!

Blessings!

(Please Note: The majority of today's notes were taken directly from Names of God, Copyright 1944 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago by Nathan Stone and were given originally as a course in the Radio School of the Bible over WMBI, Chicago. The writer acknowledges a measure of indebtedness to such works as those of Webb-Peploe, Andrew Jukes, R. B. Girdlestone, and Parkhurst's Hebrew Lexicon. The Scripture quotations are from the King James Version and the American Standard Version (A.S.V.), while some are free translations from the Hebrew. In addition, The Devoted Woman has included data from other resources where we felt more explanation was necessary. For further study on this topic, we highly recommend the book, The Names of God by Ken Hemphill.)

the ten: reject illusory idols

2012-01-21T02:00:00.000-05:00

"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." (Exodus 20:2-4)

This world has idols. It is filled to the brim with false gods. Not only do counterfeit, man-made deities distract people away from the one, true living God... but mankind has fallen prey to an insatiable lust for materialism, sexual indulgence and personal power. We have mass-produced images of our lusts and false gods onto every form of medium available to us - from satellites, cables, the Internet, and television airways... to magazines, billboards, clothing and junk mail. We are creatures with a predictably short attention span who, if left to our own reasoning, will surf from one form of visual or emotional kind of sensationalism to the next.

In this day and age, people (Christians included) are more concerned about appearing politically correct and following the crowd rather than actually doing what is truly correct and following Jehovah God Almighty. In an effort to be accepted, we offer homage and subtle forms of honor to all gods and deity. Rather than standing firm in the name of the one true God and declining/denouncing the validity of all other impostors, many of us are overwhelmed by peer pressure and "bow down" in fear. We forget our faith and remain silent, all the while appearing to be one who accepts what the world embraces rather than defend what we know to be biblically true.

"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Daniel 3:16-18)

Furthermore, most people (Christians included) don't even flinch when exposed to a vulgar image or boisterous personality. Instead, we embrace them and welcome them into our homes. Why? Because these images, these lusts, these idols have been allowed access to our lives - and we have grown to like them. Not only have we become intimately familiar with such stimuli, but our children have been captivated as well. They are accustom to it. They expect it. Consider what you have casually allowed to infiltrate your home and then read this passage:

Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the Antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work. (2 John 1:7-11)

It is not uncommon to hear our children recite chapters of memorized dialog from movies, television shows, and advertising jingles. Sports scores, financial insights and political banter are all the rage and commonplace in our daily conversations. Yet, very few individuals can easily recall the life-giving words of our Creator with equal enthusiasm. It is not our priority. It is not sexy or intriguing. This concerns me and should concern you too. For more of us know about the happenings of today's sinful celebrities and politicians than we do Nehemiah, Job, John the Baptist, Peter. We could share volumes of meaningless information about James Bond or Jason Bourne than we could the heroism of Joseph or Caleb.

It is clear that in this worldly society, the focus in not on God. We enjoy our idols. We are fixated on their illusory appeal and their false security. We have become compulsively dependent to seek visual engagement rather than filter our spiritual involvement. We are addicts... consumed with celebrity (the celebration of fame and famous persons), lechery (excessive indulgence to sexual activity or content; lewdness) and greed (excessive desire for acquiring or possessing more than what one needs or can reasonably consume; gluttonous).

This is why God gave us commandment #2 of "the ten". He wanted to remind us that when we show an over-regard to anything other than Him... when we are distracted by any form of man-made authority, celebrity, beauty, or might with a blind admiration, adoration, or devotion... we have idolized a false god.

Do not misunderstand, there is nothing wrong with being a sports fan. There is nothing wrong with godly beauty. There is nothing wrong with success in business, wealth management, or the following of politics. But any one of these things is capable of becoming an idol when they overshadow our attention to what is holy and Who should remain first in our lives. When such things distract us away from seeking God's Kingdom first, from knowing His plan intimately, from following His way unreservedly... then these things become more than "things" to us. When we stop thanking our Redeemer for the many blessings and activities He has given us to enjoy and instead look to those "things" in search of sensory or emotional fulfillment, we will always come up short.

God never intended for us to live an empty life. He wants us to enjoy all that He has provided for us... but He wants us to do it responsibly and with Him in mind first. God is jealous to keep our attention because He knows it is best for our edification and growth. We were not created to be "captains of our own souls" and live the way we feel like living from one moment to the next. No, we were made for His glory. We are to delight in His paths. God is not a God that wants to spoil us of fun... God loves fun! He made it! He wants to restore our souls and give us enjoyment. He wants us to LIVE life in complete happiness. Read these words and then I dare you to tell me that God doesn't want you to enjoy life in His presence....

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23)

We have so much to thank our Savior for. We have received so many blessings - all provided by the hand of our loving Creator... all for the sake to help us prosper as we seek Him first in our lives. Let us not confuse the things around us and the pleasures we are granted with the glory of the God of the universe. Let us remember that nothing should be greater to us than Him. For He holds our future in the palm of his hand. He is the reason our hearts should beat and our minds should contemplate. No temporary idol can give us the fulfillment or eternal hope that our Lord promises.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Ladies, anything (and anyone) can turn into an idol, a graven image, a false god. Anything.

Scripture tells us that idols will lead us astray and away from God. Once their initial thrill has subsided, once their appeal begins to flicker - one of two things will occur... we will seek another substitute god to take over, or we will be left disappointed, drained and empty. Consider these questions: On average, where is your attention directed? Where is your time spent? If your answers do not station God first, then there is a problem. You have been deceived. Or worse, you have rejected your Master.

We must take great care to guard our hearts from pursuing worldly pleasures and false deity at all cost. Our God wants the best for us - like a parent wants the best for their children. He is jealous of our welfare - just as a mother is jealous for her child's health and future. God knows our life in total and understands how the choices we make will effect the generations that follow us. He understands that the seemingly glittery, seductive world that arbitrarily draws our spirits away from Him will ultimately betray us and leave us heavily burdened. This important commandment is to help us avoid such pitfalls and keep our focus on what is important... HIM! Let's be mindful to stop chasing after hollow intoxications and empty illusions. Let us stop giving Satan and his demons clearance to seduce us with their many forms of counterfeit gratification. That is not the company we should keep.

No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. (1 Corinthians 10:20-21)

Satan's house is a house of mirrors and limited to this dying world. But God's house is a kingdom of glory and eternal abundance. Where do you think it is healthiest to focus your attention... really?

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 1:1-3; 7 & 2 John 2:15-17)

I challenge each DW to take an inventory of the many blessings you have and give credit back to the ONE who provides for us. Furthermore, I challenge you to stop and think about what you have allowed access into your lives - things that are clearly unholy and/or distracting you away from your Redeemer. Ladies, let us live in thanksgiving - worshipping the one true God, Maker of Heaven and Earth - rather than be led astray by the deceitful thieves of this world. Our God is the only one worthy of praise! Let's continue to seek Him first!

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

the ten: love God first

2012-01-20T02:00:00.000-05:00

And God spoke all these words: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:1-3)

No other gods but God... this is indeed the hardest decision that you will continuously make while alive on this planet. And, it is not a one time only, past tense decision. No, it is an active, living choice that, if obeyed, will permeate every thought, every action, every motive, every task, every duty, every pleasure, every object, every person, every priority and every other relationship you will ever have.

Choosing God over anyone or anything else is, hands down, the greatest challenge in all of life!

We are called to keep Him first, and this is no small task. For at it's core, it is not about our service to the Lord (although that is a natural outcome). Rather, it is about our relating to the Lord - with every fiber of our being. It is a willingness to give Him everything - heart, soul, mind, body, spirit. It is the choice to hold nothing back, but rather to offer it all to Him in worship. Loving God first is giving Him all your heart and trusting His ways over your own. It is an eternal commitment and a covenant not to be taken lightly.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

These verses pretty much sum it up, don't they? We are either going to trust God first with our hearts... or we are not. We are either going to give God top billing before our families, our friends, our possessions... or we are not. We are either going to be desperate for God's presence in our lives... we are going to be in such dire need of His direction that even the air we breathe falls short of matching His greatness... that even our own well-being is worthlessness in contrast to His glory.

This is command #1: God is first. God is everything. There is nothing else more interesting. There is no one else more worthy.

Let me point out that this command is not offered to us from a pompous or insecure God who in His heart is secretly attention starved for the world to feed His ego. That thought process is based on the incorrect assumption that God has sinful characteristics - which He clearly does not. No, God is complete in Himself. He does not NEED anything from anyone. He is magnificent whether we acknowledge Him or not. He was and is and is to come. He is the Alpha and the Omega... The Beginning and the End. He does not require the pitiful approval of mankind to remain wonderful. His ego does not seek stroking to feel better and more secure. No, God is a God of good character... period. His glory is eternal... period. His greatness is unending... period. His holiness is astounding... period. God doesn't just set a standard... God IS the standard! God doesn't just extend love... God IS love! So, when we read that we are to have no other gods before Him, we must realize that this command is not for His benefit... instead, it is for ours.

Command #1 was offered to us for our own good. It's purpose is intertwined in direct correlation to the heart attitude behind accepting Jesus' free gift of salvation. As a complete, perfect and gracious Father who holds the plans to our lives, God has given His people this first command with the intent for us to prosper in His grace. The choice to love Jesus and follow His headship over any other is a decision that leads us to the eternal LIFE He has promised by the washing of His blood. With Him, we will enjoy His presence and an abundant future within His glorious family. Otherwise, the choice to reject Jesus and demote God's ranking in our lives will lead us astray and away from anything holy. Without Christ's principle influence, the only other outcome for mankind is sin and destruction. Either way, each of us must choose which path we will take. And each of us will be held accountable for the choices we make.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

All that said, let me show you the other side of the relationship. Let me share with you the love that God Almighty has for you and where you rank in His eyes. Psalm 116:1-2 says, that God hears our voice. Not only that, when He hears our voice, He turns His ear to us. Think about that. No matter what is going on, no matter what God is doing... He is immediately inclined to turn aside from His present work to give you His ear first hand. He is fully attentive to you because you are that important to Him. By trusting the Lord with all our hearts and leaning not on our own understanding... by acknowledging Him in all our ways and placing Him first in our lives, we are given freedom to LIVE fully under His care - the care of the Almighty Powerful Creator of the Universe who offers us His full and complete attention. WOW!

Human understanding and the ways of mankind are so limiting, unoriginal and inadequate. We are a flawed and broken race due to our sin. By looking around at the state of this world, it is so clear that we need the aid of a perfect Redeemer to rely upon for wisdom and a sense of direction. We cannot trust our own intelligence to see us through.

"There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." (Proverbs 1:12)

Those who do not seek after God's guidance, no matter how sincere their desire to be good people, good parents, good children, good citizens, good teachers, good laborers... no matter how lofty their motives, they will still be snared in the deceptiveness of sin and get lost in this corrupted world. We must take care to stay away from the reasoning of those who reject God.

"Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." (Matthew 15:14)

God wants desperately to love us and keep us from harm. He knows that there is no other being that can care for us as well as He can because He is our Creator... our Maker! He knows us inside and out... better than we know ourselves! And the icing on the cake is that He is faithful to us!!! You want to talk about love... He is so loyal to us that He came to earth in human form to die on our behalf so that we would not have to take on the punishment of death for our sin. Now, that's love!!! That's loyalty and sacrifice!!! This is a God who puts US first!!! His people are who He cares for most! It is only fitting we do the same for Him!

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 that we should not worry about anything... food, clothing, shelter, money... whatever. Rather, He instructs us to seek Him first. When we look to Christ first... when we put Him before all other matters, He promises to take care of the rest. So, worrying about life is really a red flag for us. It alerts us that we've taken back our lives from His care and are no longer seeking Him above all other things. We must immediately repent and ask God to give us the faith needed to trust Him again. We must set apart in our hearts the fact that Jesus Christ is our Lord and has promised to take care of our every need.

"Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)

We must do everything we can to seek His word and His ways over anything else. Who needs bread when we have THE BREAD OF LIFE? For God is truly good for us! He loves us first. He puts us first. He wants to nourish our souls with what we need most - HIM! We are His priority and He will care for us. We must understand that He has committed Himself to a love relationship with us. And God, unlike man, never turns away from His commitments. When He says He loves us. He means it. We are His bride. We are His family. That is why we were created. That is why we must, in turn, choose Him first in our lives and cherish this sacred romance with attentiveness, obedience and complete unswerving devotion.

Ladies, in truth there is no other god but JEHOVAH GOD ALMIGHTY! Everything and everyone else we know outside of God will prove to be a grossly inadequate substitute in comparison to His majesty - including our own selves. Let's praise our Father in Heaven for His endless grace, compassion and love. Let's be thankful each and every day that He holds us in such high esteem and that we have His full attention. We literally have his undying love... Jesus proved that! So, let's devote our lives to trust Him with all our hearts... to seek Him first... to glorifying His Name above all other names! Let's daily sacrifice our selfish wills and give Him our full attention. Let's love Him, ladies... every moment of every day in every way and in everything!!! I promise you... nothing compares to Him... NOTHING!

"I am the LORD your God... you shall have no other gods before me."

Yes, Lord. I choose to love You first... always! AMEN!!!

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

the ten: consecrated

2012-01-19T02:00:00.000-05:00

Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."

So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said." So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD. The LORD said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you." Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said. And the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." (Exodus 19:3-11)

Today, we are going to review how we should respond to God as we welcome His gift of "the ten" into our lives. We are going to discuss how we should prepare our hearts to receive this most important promise to become His treasure and be filled with blessings, peace and a secure future as we are restored to live in Him. You see, before the Lord offered His children the "how to's" of living a holy life, He first instructed Israel to get ready... to wash their clothes... to consecrate themselves. For this was a big deal. This was not something that would happen every day. God was about to come down and show Himself! His people would see His presence and hear Him speaking... definitely a BIG DEAL!

God wants to make sure that in advance of sharing His ten commands, that we are also ready with a seriousness of purpose and a heart of eagerness to receive Him. He wants us also to see His presence... to hear His words! So, we must show up READY and WILLING - without distraction and the sinful clutter that can so easily steer us away from His presence.

I liken it to this: Last month, my closet rod fell down because it had been overpowered with too much weight from my clothes and heavy coats. When this happened, I was forced to live with a wardrobe scattered across my bedroom, the place I reserve for rest, sleep and study. Although I knew I should dive in and get to cleaning out the clothes and hang a new rod, I didn't immediately react. For the job to sift through these items completely derailed me in spirit and caused me some emotional turmoil. It was a BIG JOB and physically a challenge for someone such as myself who deals with chronic pain due to an injury. Clearly, I was stuck at the starting line and frustrated that my place of peace was no longer... well, peaceful.

So finally, a choice had to be made. Would I "bite the bullet" and clean out my mess? Or would I live frustrated and full of excuses to properly handle the clutter that overpowered my place of retreat? Only until I decided to take the necessary steps to sort through, re-hang, and remove the pieces from my room that no longer suited me, was I able to breathe again and relax. It was a lot of work, and I had to continuously motivate myself to focus and keep only the items that fit, that I loved, that were flattering to my figure, etc. But the end result returned my room to calm and stillness and provided me a closet filled with only what was good for me to wear.

Now when I walk into my bedroom, I can breathe easy. I can relax. When I go into my closet, I am able to savor each blessing of clothing that the Lord has given me, and I can live clutter free as I go about my day. It is wonderful and quite freeing.

The same choice was true for Israel. God was telling them to declutter anything in their life that would keep them from receiving His peace. He was telling them to clean up their spiritual closet. He wanted them to receive this upcoming event very seriously. So, God told them to organize their hearts and prepare their internal sanctuary for His arrival by addressing any unconfessed sin that might block their ability to relax and fully receive Him. God was about to deposit something big, new and life changing into their lives. However, in order to accept this gift, Israel needed to audit and remove their old way of doing things... their old thoughts... their old, burdensome and unconfessed sins. They needed to pick themselves up and clean themselves off - making room for a better, more organized and beneficial way of living to be introduced into their lives.

We too must approach God's commandments with complete willingness, dedication, humility, and reverence. It is an all or nothing decision that will get to the core of our moral compass, and show how open our hearts really are to receive the leading of the Holy Spirit. Mind you, it is important that we do not become overwhelmed or defeated at the starting line when we realize all the sin that is scattered about... or when we see all the "rules" that are about to be administered by our Creator. Rather, we must come out of hiding and open up our hearts. We must "bite the bullet" and follow His divine leading while submitting our will over to His. We must be in agreement with God about the destructiveness of sin in our lives. We must admit our inability to live successfully without His headship and presence. We must allow our Redeemer to work in us and change us so that we end up wearing His holy wardrobe... showcasing His perfect figure.

We are new creatures in Him, ladies. Let's be ready to accept His law with the same attitude as David when he said, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)

consecrate: to dedicate solemnly to a service or goal; to give or apply one's time, attention, and self entirely toward a particular activity, pursuit, cause or person; to devote... (WOO HOO - to be The Devoted Woman!!!)

Ladies, let's not be those mentioned in Jesus' parable who hear God's call, but block Him out because we are "choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures". (See Luke 8:14) Let's not prevent ourselves from maturing and growing in holiness because we would not declutter our hearts to receive and follow His precious and nourishing words of life.

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)

If we truly have accepted the love that Jesus extends to us by taking on the penalty for our sin, how could we not want to prepare our hearts for His teaching? How could we not want to give over everything we have to Him? How could we not want to follow His way of doing things? For His standard to live correctly is indeed good! Why? Because He is God, and there is no clutter with God! There is no disorganization or chaos in His presence. He brings us into order! All things work together when organized and done His way. For our God understands and oversees LIFE. So, it is wise to trust Him with our own!

For those of you planning to continue this journey with me... I encourage you to come tomorrow with a confessed and clean heart. Lay down everything in prayer to Him that may hinder you from receiving God's perfect word. Give over to God any addiction and stronghold that you have and join me as we approach Mount Sinai to seek out our King's commands with a spirit of trust and readiness. Let's be prepared to see and hear Him. Let's welcome His first commandment with open arms, all the while remembering that His ways were made for our good - to give us LIFE. God wishes for us to flourish in His grace. He is the only person who holds the plans for us to prosper. He wants us to enjoy a hopeful future while glorifying His Name above all names.

Are you ready to receive His words of wisdom? Are you ready to follow His proven plan that offers complete freedom and peace in Jesus Name? I hope so. I hope you show up today (and every day that follows), with a readiness to receive and follow the Lord. He is the only WAY to find real joy and eternal happiness.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Draw Me Nearer
by Frances J. Crosby

I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.

Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!

There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.

Tomorrow, we will discuss #1 of "the ten"... I hope you will come ready to face LOVE head on! WOO HOO!

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

the ten: an introduction

2012-01-18T09:06:00.000-05:00

For the next two weeks, I have decided to share my Bible Study series on The Ten Commandments. However, before we actually start this study, I think it is important to ask each of you, dear DW's, to stop and review what the Lord actually said to Israel in advance of handing out these necessary "life rules" of His Ten Commandments.

I've been praying about this particular blog series for several weeks now, because I think that too often many of us fall into the trap of looking at God as a prude judge when it comes to His commandments. We envision Him as this harsh, rigid old man sitting on His throne up in the sky... an angry being who's only desire is to impose legalistic rules upon mankind and make us miserable. As such, we begin to question His love as we find ourselves focusing on all the restrictions and parameters He has set before us.

Moreover, I think we easily take out of context the whole story - the complete picture of what actually "went down" when God presented these commands to His chosen people. As a result, we fall into the same trap that man has always fallen into by believing Satan's lie that we are somehow being negated our freedom if we follow God's Word. But the truth is that God's Word gives us freedom! His desire is for us to live refreshed and renewed in His loving grace. Because of this, every single command that God presents to His people offers much love and consideration as to how we can live freely from sin and avoid the corruption that it brings into our lives.

So, in advance of reviewing these ten commands, I wanted to make sure that you know about the prior conversation that existed between God and Moses before the commandments were administered to Israel.

"What?" you say. "A conversation? Wait, there's more to the story than just these rules listed on some stone tablets?" The answer is YES! Before handing over "the ten", God wanted to make sure Moses told His people something very important... something dripping with the proof of His unquestioning passion for us! God wanted to make sure that His reason for giving these commands was understood because they are each based in His boundless, unending love. Read with me what He told Moses:

Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites." (Exodus 19:3-6)

When I first read this passage, I must admit, I was confused. I mean, what the heck did God mean when He said, "I carried you on eagles wings and brought you to myself." I couldn't understand the context of it. When did God carry Israel on eagles wings? What exactly did that mean?

As I studied more, I began to see that the children of Israel who directly heard these words, would have definitely known and understood what the Lord meant. For many BIG events had occurred where God had continually proven His love and provided for them. What occurred? Well, let's see... He did redeem them from four hundred years of slavery in Egypt. He did save them from the clutches of Pharaoh and his army. He did create a stream in the desert so that they may always have fresh water to drink. He did cover the wilderness ground every morning with manna so they would be nourished with food to eat during their journey to the promised land. Oh, and yes, He did promise them a new land filled with milk and honey... a land where they would be restored as His people and become a great nation. Hmmm. But what did it mean that He carried them on eagles wings?

Did you know that a mother eagle will assemble a nest for her younglings that measures at least eight feet high and eight feet wide? She constructs her nest at a high altitude and furnishes it with animal fur, leaves, and the down from her own chest to insure that her chicks will be warm and protected. For the first part of their lives, these innocent babies know only the luxury and care of their mother and feel safe and secure within their enclosed haven. Their mother feeds them, cares for them, watches over them, protects them. Then, on an unannounced day, the mother eagle will pick up her baby and fly it up up up... and drop them!

WHAT?!!

As the poor baby plummets to the earth, the mother watches as he struggles in fear, trying to figure out how to use his wings before smashing into the quickly approaching ground. Just before the baby eagle hits earth, his mother swoops in and flies underneath him - picking him up. She repeats this process over and over as her baby becomes more acquainted with the art of fluttering his wings. It is a scary, but necessary, learning process for the chick.

Each and every time it seems that the little bird has no hope of surviving the fall, Momma swoops in and carries the youngling on her wings. This is how an eagle learns to fly. Mind you, it isn't an immediately learned process... but it is an important and necessary process for the bird to learn how to survive and flourish and LIVE.

Equally, God wants to teach us how to survive and flourish so that we may LIVE! But, before teaching His children how to fly, He wanted Moses to remind Israel HOW MUCH He had already loved His people and continued to watch over them. This assurance was necessary before dropping them into an open sky full of deathly terror. First, God wanted Israel to understand that His intentions were for their own good and would promise them a happy, healthy and holy life as they prepared to enter into His promised land.

We too are preparing for a promised eternity in the presence of our King. We too are new creatures who must learn how to LIVE as God's redeemed, equipped people. This is our new life in His grace, after all!!!

If we really thought about it, we'd have to admit that everything we have in this life is a blessing that comes from the hand of our generous Maker. Only from man's choice to sin against God do we find ourselves falling downward into certain death and destruction. Yes, once sin entered into our reality, we became hopeless creatures needing to be rescued. So, rather than let us perish, Christ swooped in and provided a new way to save us. Sure, some will struggle against Him and continue to fall to their death. But for those of us who accept His rescued plan, we are given everything we need to survive and flourish in Jesus name. We must never forget this. No matter how afraid or abandoned we may feel, just like that baby eagle... we can rest assured that our Redeemer will always come to save us. He will always be right there overseeing our care and instruction. Sure, His response time to help us might not fit our desired way... many times we would like Him to show up sooner rather than later or at the last second. But usually, those critical moments are the times when He is teaching and showing us the most valuable of lessons. Those are the times when He is stretching us to become more like Him!!!

God gave us the ten commandments because for us to live freely we must also learn "how" to live holy. We must allow our Redeemer to teach us in every step of life, every trial, every test. He offered this loving outline to the Israelites before they crossed the Jordan - before they faced many enemies and trials while moving into the promised land. By the blood of Christ, He offers the same outlined gift of holiness to us as we face the enemy today. He does this so our faith in Him will become stronger and we will be able to grasp our destinies as people of the living God!

"When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your fathers, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree." (Hosea 9:10)

How good would a juicy grape taste in the desert? For sure, it would be refreshing!!! How pleasing is it to see the early fruit of a fig tree? It is encouraging and exciting!!! God knows that if we stay within His guidelines, we are free to enjoy the BEST that life has to offer and be showered with His many blessings. However, outside of His guidelines, we live with heavy burdens - lost in corruption and drowning in our own destruction and sin. Hmm. Does that sound like a God who wants to torment us? Absolutely not! That sounds like a God who wants to spare us from wasting our lives by the ravages of sin! That sounds like a Savior who wants to keep us on track during these perilous, terrible, dangerous, grievous, difficult times... the last days of this earth before our glorious King swoops down to save us.

These commands give us what is RIGHT in a world full of wrong. They are important. They remove confusion. They are truth. They are His Way!

Ladies, I don't know about you, but I have no idea what this world will throw at me from one day to the next... but God does.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Do you think that this world has plans for you to prosper and keep you from harm? I don't. I find that the world generally beats me up! Satan loves to tear me down and does all he can to distract me away from following God. This is why it is so critical to know and trust that God best understands LIFE... after all, He gave it to us. Satan only takes life away. But God knows how our existence is supposed to work. The only thing He wants is for us to live as healthy as possible in His presence.

I would not begin to assume that I know better than God. His ways are not my ways. I don't need to believe in "me" or my abilities... that would be foolish because I clearly am a mess without my Shepherd! Instead, I need to believe in Jesus and His certainties! This is why our loving Father gave us "the ten". He has plans for us that are greater than we could ever imagine. In Jesus, we have a wonderful, hopeful future!

In order to experience LIFE to the fullest, we must walk in His ways and follow these healthy commands. Of course, He gives each of us the choice to obey or disobey Him. In His unending love, He allows me to personally fumble and fail in my own stubbornness when I choose to look away from His law. But when I see how messed up life gets without Him... when I repent and return to His open arms... He is always there, ready to swoop down and carry me up to soaring heights! Praise His name! How gracious and exciting is my Master and the plans He holds for me!!!

In Jesus name, Lord, help me to overcome my selfishness, fear and uncertainty and trust that You are who You've promised... my Redeemer!!! Let me enjoy Your view and learn how to fly within the safety of Your perfect holiness!

Tomorrow, we will look at preparing our hearts to receive these life-giving commands as we seek to follow God's intended will. I hope that you will join me on this important journey.

I love you ladies, and I know for certain that Jesus loves you too!

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

backstabber or builder?

2012-01-17T08:05:00.000-05:00

Backstabber: one who betrays another under the guise of friendship; a person who acts positively in front but condemns or criticizes negatively behind back, usually in the form of gossip.

Have you ever found out that a close friend was really not close at all. That a respected acquaintance was secretly, viciously gossiping about you with hopes to damage and/or hurt you. This would be a person that at one time may have gained your trust enough that you felt comfortable sharing your feelings, experiences and challenges with. However, later you would learn that this individual would betray your trust and hurt your feelings. Their reasons could stem from jealous intent or opportunistic reward - but one thing rings true, they choose to backstab at your expense.

These are the two-faced artificial individuals who circulate bogus, harmful details about an unsuspecting person's reputation and character. They are synthetic people who display the same insincerity as a clandestine manipulator, a clever thief, or a cunning predator. They are fake people who give into their selfishness, scheming against their unsuspecting victims.

I'm sure you are cringing as you read about this kind of person. However... sadly, I think we've all been this person at one time or another in life. For who among us hasn't spoken against someone? Who has not sat in a clique of women and shared hurtful words or false statements that destroy, dishonor, defame or slander? If we were honest about it, I'm certain each one of us could confess that we've all thrown someone "under the bus" at some point in our lives. And whether we've been the victim or participant in backstabbing, it is important for us to understand the spiritual warfare and eternal implications that are present when such deceitfulness exists. For it is not our reputation, but the Lord's name that we represent as His people. He is all that should be seen when others look at us. His is the character we should emulate when we speak. As Christians, we must ask Jesus to remove our lying lips and hateful hearts and replace them with His unending love and truth. We are instructed by Paul the following command, "Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully of his neighbor, for we are all members of one body." (Ephesians 4:25) This is key for us to live together in Christ... authentically, transparently, honestly.

As women, we have been socially conditioned by our culture to be fake. Just look at the empty promises and false means of success that are imposed upon us from any magazine cover on display at your local grocery store. The sinful world lures us into thinking that only the strong, beautiful, intellectual, elite will survive. Our best life now can be achieved if we somehow find the secret to living better than the next gal... and with such success, we are promised to harness inner peace and be whole with the universe. Of course, we are not to make waves and attempt to address the true core issue of sin, for that would show weakness and the need for a perfect God. No, instead we are to maintain ourselves as super women who have and know everything. We are to emulate this model-perfect citizen at all costs. In short, we believe the lie that perceptions and rationalizations are more important than the status of our hearts and relationships. Phew! It is no wonder that we fall into the trap of backstabbing, lying, and gossiping against one another. We are clawing our way to the top of the proverbial ladder with hopes to find some form of satisfaction. But this world cannot satisfy.

If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Galatians 5:15)

This world is against true love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness. This world cannot grasp the love presented from a Savior that would wash the feet of a man named Judas while knowing full well that he would later be betrayed and sentenced to death because of that same man. This world can only hear about such love and ask in amazement, "What kind of love is this?" The answer will always point back to Jesus the Christ. His way is the only way for us to follow so that we can stay in truth with one another and avoid compromising ourselves to anything other than noble, pure intentions.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24)

Ladies, let's recommit our lives to walk with God and choose light over darkness in how we treat one another. Let's stop spreading hurt with our words and instead build up the body of His church. Let's pray and encourage one another to walk daily with Jesus. With Him, we can be satisfied and content. With Him we can edify and uphold one another. In Jesus' Name, let's emulate His love to all the world and showcase a life of hope and peace... a life worth living in the name of our Messiah and Redeemer.

The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. (Psalms 145:18)

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

pause with the heavens

2012-01-16T01:17:00.007-05:00

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. (Psalm 19, KJV)

Right now, my house is in chaos. Right now, every room in which I currently live is scattered with fifteen years of belongings - all out of place... all waiting for relocation. Everywhere I look, half-filled moving boxes are precariously stacked, and life seems to be in disarray. You see, right now my family and I are in the process of packing up to move to Houston. It is a move that will bring us into a new chapter of life... a move that will offer us the opportunity to love and serve in a new place.

Yes, right now, as I write this, it is a little after 1:00 a.m. on Monday morning. My husband is grumpy from a long day of physical labor. My Momba is tired from a day of organizing and consolidating. Yet we are all retiring for the night completely satisfied... for we all know that the Lord's hand is directing our steps. We are united in trusting that our King will see us through every crazy, busy moment that awaits us ahead.

Right now, I'm sitting in my living room surveying the eclectic items that make up the majority of things we've accumulated from all over the world. And I wonder, do we really need all these things? This is when Psalm 19 runs through my mind. "The heaven's declare the glory of God." Yes indeed, let's forget about these earthly things for a moment and pause with the heavens to declare the glory of God, shall we? This is the Creator who has thoughtfully organized and placed every particle in it's proper space. This is the Lord - the One in complete control of all things. Right now, He is overseeing the moons surrounding Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, the volcanoes of Venus. He has given us a full and amazing universe to seek Him... to discover His greatness... to admire His unmatched authority. All we must do is faithfully go where He leads. All we must seek is His Word!

Yes, no matter what surrounds us, whether chaos or clarity, God has ordained and approved it for our good so that we might pursue knowing Him more intimately... so that we might love Him first. The rest of it all is just gravy, isn't it? For nothing... NOTHING... can outshine or out dazzle His blessed, perfect, beautiful presence. Thank you, Father, for it all... for all you provide... for all you display. But above it all, we first desire You. It is always You we wish to be near and know better!

I don't know about you, but the heaven's declaring God's glory is of great comfort to me. For no matter how nutty this world can become, I can always relax in the secure promise that my God's kingdom is always, always in order. In fact, right now He is in full control and ready to escort me into the next chapter of my eternal life and the honor of serving His majesty.

How wonderful is our Maker, Ladies! How great is the God of the universe! I encourage you to consider Him... putting aside the things that distract and overwhelm you, and pausing in the place He has put you - - pausing with the heavens to declare His glory! Blessed be His Holy Name!

Blessings!

Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

Names of Christ: The Rock of My Salvation

2012-01-15T09:27:00.000-05:00

Hi ladies. As we grow together and follow Jesus Christ, seeking to know God more intimately in our day-to-day lives, let's continue learning the many names of God in our Sunday blog posts. Each of God's many names describe a different aspect of His character and teaches us more about who He is. We are moving into the second part of the Trinity and now focusing on the many names of Christ. These will be shorter blog postings but equally important as we get to know the character of our Redeemer and King. Today, let's worship our Savior as we learn about Him... The Rock of My Salvation.

The Rock of My Salvation

The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation. (2 Samuel 22:47)

No graver danger threatens the believer than that of forgetting that he was redeemed - forgetting even as he experiences it what our salvation cost, and who is the rock foundation of our faith. To meet this need our Saviour pictures Himself not merely as the Rock of Ages, and our Strong Rock of Refuge, but "the Rock of our Salvation." Here, in Him and based upon His merit and atoning grace, we were saved from among the lost. Let us glory in this precious name and never forget that He was "wounded for our transgressions" and that "He bore our sins in His own body on the tree."

Our precious Lord, may we have all joy and peace in believing that our salvation is built upon a solid Rock, standing through all ages. Amen.

The Rock, my Savior (NIV)

Thank you, Jesus, for revealing yourself to us. We praise your Name forever and ever!!!

Blessings!

(Please Note: The majority of today's notes were taken directly from Names of God, Copyright 1944 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago by Nathan Stone and were given originally as a course in the Radio School of the Bible over WMBI, Chicago. The writer acknowledges a measure of indebtedness to such works as those of Webb-Peploe, Andrew Jukes, R. B. Girdlestone, and Parkhurst's Hebrew Lexicon. The Scripture quotations are from the King James Version and the American Standard Version (A.S.V.), while some are free translations from the Hebrew. In addition, The Devoted Woman has included data from other resources where we felt more explanation was necessary. For further study on this topic, we highly recommend the book, The Names of God by Ken Hemphill.)

ta daaaa and hurray!

2012-01-14T00:00:00.004-05:00

Ta daaaaaaaa!

That's right... TA and DAAAAAAA!

Here is the impressive intro, people.

The start of something big.

The beginning of a new day, hour, minute.

THE BEGINNING!

The beginning of something really, really important, special, awesome, life-changing, super-dooper mega pooper! (Ok, I made that last one up.)

Anyway, ta daaaa!

The moment you've been waiting for has finally arrived! Right here! Right now!

Are you ready?

Are you excited?

Wait, what am I talking about, you ask?

Oh you are so silly. Clearly, this is the very second that you have been invited to become NEW!

That's right... NEW and IMPROVED!

(A new creature, if you will!)

Jesus promised it can be true for you.

In fact, He forgives and saves and transforms and delivers.

He wipes clean and offers personalized attention and teaching toward His holiness... toward lasting change!

Yep, this very moment you have before you the makings of a better, healthier, redeemed life in Christ!

A brand new day!

WOO HOO! What an opportunity!

His is the new life that will outlast sin and death and sorrow and disappointment.

Yep, such good news is worthy of a big intro, don't you think?

So, TA DAAAAAA!

Sing it with me, sisters... TA DAAAAAAAAAAA!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

TA DAAAAAA and HURRAY!

The old has gone!

The new has come!

In Christ, we are free!

TODAY we are FREE!!!

Ladies, NOW is the time to love with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, with all our strength!

Yes, let's embrace the promised joy available to us through Christ Jesus!

Let's immerse ourselves in His peaceful, wise Word!

Let's be patient and kind to one another for His Name's sake!

Let's strive for His goodness and make His holiness our first and only priority!

Let's live faithfully committed to the glory of our everlasting King!

Let's keep our hearts tender, gentle, humble - always in His presence, always on His path!

Let's surrender every sin on His altar and give full and complete control to the One who saves and restores!

Yep... this is BIG, people!

This is THE day to rejoice and sing!

TA DAAAAA!

Come and fixate your eyes on things above!

Come and focus your life on Jesus!

For to live is CHRIST!

So, hurray!

TODAY, LET'S LIVE!

Thank you, blessed Jesus, for another brand new day!

Blessings!

Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

drop your dross

2012-01-13T07:47:00.001-05:00

All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love your statutes. (Psalm 119:119)

OK, I'm just gonna say it... there is nothing like a good poop! (Classy, right?)

Seriously though, nothing makes us feel more physically cleansed, more unpolluted, more footloose and fancy free, more satisfied and ready to get moving and grooving than when we have successfully dropped a plop. (I apologize this isn't a very ladylike conversation, but stay with me a little longer as I do have a point...) With this in mind, read the verse from Psalms again and consider what it is saying:

"All the wicked of the earth you drop like dross..."

What is "dross" you might ask? Well, dross is a common term used in metallurgy. It refers to the scum that forms on the surface of molten metal. So basically, it's the icky waste that is discarded through the process of smelting (the removal of impurities from metal), so that all that remains is pure, unadulterated ore, such as in purely refined gold or silver.

"... therefore I love your statutes."

This dross... this yuck of sin, this weight of corruption, this disappointment of unholy contamination... this is what God has promised to discard from our lives when we love and follow His proven laws. Where can we find God's statutes? Of course, in His holy, flawless Word.

And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times. (Psalm 12:6)

This verse came to mind as a result of a conversation I recently had with my Momba. We were discussing different areas of growth that have occurred (by the grace of God) over many years in both our lives. Then, we were discussing how aggressively the enemy keeps so many people imprisoned in individual forms of denial and contaminated belief systems. So much so, that many Christians still fall into the trap of accepting ourselves as a people who will always be broken and impure. But that concept is definitely not of the Lord. You see, Jesus came not only to save us from death, but to refine and restore us into His holy purity. He wishes for us to "drop our dross" so that with His authority we might release all the scum and impurity of sin within us... so that we can actually become increasingly more and more holy. Why? Because Jesus' Spirit of holiness now resides in our hearts!

The ultimate challenge in our Christian life is to continuously trust and glorify God while believing His promises through every forge and test presented on this earth. You see, trying circumstances are where our Master will touch and change us most - through His holy refining process! It is in the difficult times of hardship and loss that we are actually more prone to seek Him and thus lose our impurities as He hammers us into new creatures... creatures renewed by the pure love and grace of our Savior, Jesus Christ. All the wickedness of this earth will indeed be dropped like dross... and we will enter God's kingdom as a fully cleansed, open, and obedient people... unpolluted, footloose and fancy free, and completely satisfied in the statutes of our King while ready to get moving and grooving in our new Heavenly citizenship! I can't wait, can you?

But while we still remain in this sinful economy, let me point out one last truth. The most interesting thing about how God removes our sinful waste and denial is that He is a God who recycles what Satan intended to use for evil and instead uses it for His ultimate good! Just as manure can fertilize the earth for new crop growth or produce valuable fuel, God can use the experience of our "dropped dross" to nourish and revive others in need of His hope! When He restores us through His loving abundance, we are given the honor to praise and share His glorious Way! We become sweetly cleansed and fragrant examples of redemption - free from sin and death! How cool is that?

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. (Psalm 66:8-12;16)

Ladies, are you intimately in love with God's law and wisely following His Way so that He may discard all wickedness from your life? Or are you still choosing to hang onto old, sinful habits and false belief systems, allowing Satan the opportunity to constipate the progress of your new life? If your answer is the latter, why keep sitting in denial? Why not follow your King's proven plan so that you can lose the sin and get up, get out, and get living your new life in Christ? Jesus came to remove every burden and free us from every prison so that we might live in His abundance! So, let's trust and glorify Him through every discomfort and fire and lose our loads! With His peace, we can live victoriously and share His good news to all who need hear. Our great Creator does not intend for us to remain broken and impure. No! He wishes to restore us and use us for His eternal good! WOO HOO! So, let's get pooping, peeps! Drop your dross!!!

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

God's glory is our only priority

2012-01-12T08:12:00.000-05:00

Did you know that according to Isaiah 43:7, you and I were created specifically for God's glory? Yes, this is the very reason we were born and what we are to strive for always in our life - to glorify God Almighty. What an awesome thought, huh?

God formed mankind with His own hands... He gave us purpose to tend and care for a planet He customized exclusively for our existence. And He did so with the intent that we would reflect His light while living in acknowledgement of His eternal beauty and splendor. Furthermore, He made us special in His eyes. He always planned on relating with us on the most personal and intimate level. Yes, God made man (in His own image, mind you) to love and honor His Name while showering us with unending blessings beyond measure. What a good and generous God we were made to serve. For the Creator of all things has offered us each the sweetest, most fulfilling life. Yet sadly, many choose to ignore and reject Him. Worse yet, some falsely claim Him, but fail to believe and acknowledge His rule as they live out their life. I wonder, what do you think God will say to those who do not truly believe in Him and follow after His intended plan?

Then I will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (Matthew 7:23)

It only stands to reason that when men fail to believe and glorify God, our lives cannot be truly fulfilling. It goes against our creation when we live out of agreement from God's plan and fail to give Him first priority. We become more and more dissatisfied and seek after our own selfish ways in desperation to feed our empty soul. Our sin-infested desires corrupt us from seeing His redeeming light. When this occurs... when our plans do not match God's plan, then we live in biblical disagreement and question His authority - all the while disobediently focusing on ourselves rather than reflecting on His image.

Think about it... what do we, as humans, want in life? In answering this question, do we think about God first? Not according to the evidence of this world. No, we want to be married. We want to be wealthy. We want to be beautiful. We want to be popular. We want to feel balanced. We want to know peace. We want to gain "spiritual" insight. We want to be successful. But do we want these things... these securities... these idols... more than we want God? Do we acknowledge and worship His name in all matters... or do we worry over the delivery of our life's wish list and look outside of Him for answers?

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised. (Romans 1:25)

When we seek after idols and walk outside of God's glory our hunger can never be satisfied. Our hearts can never be full. In short, without living each day rejoicing in His light and claiming Him as our own, we will never be content with His love... or satisfied in His timing... or secure in His promises... or in cooperation with His plan.

This is why sinful men so desperately need the grace and wisdom of Jesus to guide them toward His glory... toward whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable. For anything that is excellent or praiseworthy originates from God. We must always think about such things in context of Him and not ourselves. We must always praise and glorify Him first and know that He will bring us into restoration and fullness.

God's word says, “Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.” (1 Chronicles 16:28-29)

According to this passage, there are two direct actions that we must follow in order to glorify God. First, we must always “ascribe” or give honor and reverence to His name. Why? Because there is no other Name that deserves eternal praise and worship... there is no other God. Isaiah 42:8 confirms God's position on this by claiming, "I am the LORD; that is my Name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.” (Isaiah 42:8)

The second action instructs us to “bring an offering” to God when we come before Him in worship. What offering are we to bring to God to glorify Him? Paul said it perfectly in Romans 12, “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable, or well pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)

Ladies, WE are the offering... our whole self... our whole life. We are to openly and unapologetically glorify God in everything! We are to love Him first with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. All our human faculties, all of our humanness - our hearts, minds, eyes, hands, thoughts, emotions, attitudes... everything that encompasses "us" - must be presented to God. In other words, we are to give up control and turn everything over to Him, just as a literal sacrifice was given totally to God on the altar. Whatever we do in word and deed, we are to do ALL for His glory! This is our purpose! This is what every detail of every day we draw breath should point to... God's glory!

Bringing ourselves as an offering to the Lord is not only about listening to and agreeing with Him. We must be bold to follow through with the decision to actually sacrifice ourselves over to Him in obedience. We must follow the commands contained in His Word and do what our great Shepherd has said. We must live how He instructs us to live. Why? Because, "from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children - with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.” (Psalm 103:17-18)

Can you give God glory without such devotion and love? Jesus reiterated the idea that glorifying and loving God are one and the same in John 14:15: “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15) So, how do we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, strength? We are to give God glory ALWAYS and IN EVERYTHING! Impossible? No! For in Christ, it is possible. In Christ, we can find a new life!

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4)

As Christians we were made to live as “jars of clay.” We are living vessels containing evidence of God's glory and are meant to spotlight His light to those in need of knowing His perfection. His glory is our constant. Because of this, we can only find the very source of all beauty and the assurance of all fullness in Christ Jesus. When we agree to let the Savior be acknowledged and honored, nothing will be lost to us. Everything we desire will be granted to us in His time and for His good purpose. That's the plan.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)

I encourage each DW to consider if God's glory is your true priority in all matters. Is He your motivation in every moment or are you seeking something else... something selfish? I pray that we will each ascribe to give ourselves fully to Jesus and honor the only Name worthy of praise. Let's make the Master our only agenda. There is nothing beyond Him to focus on. He is in full control, so let's claim His authority over our lives and rejoice daily in His plan. We were made for His glory. So, today... let's live sacrificially and give Him all glory! This is the day, ladies!

Lord, we obediently offer ourselves to you. We pray that you use our lives to reveal Your majesty. We believe that you are God and all we need to be fully satisfied. May all praise and honor and glory and blessing be Yours forever and ever. No matter what may occur in this world, may we always keep our eyes focused and remain devoted to You and nothing else. Hallelujah to the mighty King of kings... the Light of the world... our good and holy Creator... our Savior, Jesus the Christ!!! Glory... ALL glory to God in the highest! We live to worship YOU! Use us to fulfill your holy purpose... for it is indeed an honor!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30) So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

details... for all eternity, for all mankind, for the sake of good

2012-01-11T07:16:00.007-05:00

Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? (Job 11:7)

Details.

Handling details.

There are so many.

Infinite options, possibilities, directions, pursuits.

How can one possibly juggle all the details in each encounter?

How can one oversee all that is to be accomplished and fulfilled in this life?

To do so successfully is paramount.

To do so for all eternity, for all mankind, for the sake of good... unfathomable.

He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. (Job 9:10)

Details.

Details that the Potter molds and forms.

Details that the Vine extends to every branch.

Details that the Light shines brightly over shadows and darkness.

Details that acknowledge the I AM, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, He who was, and is, and is to come.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Yes, the Cornerstone is stable and sound.

The Bridegroom is deeply in love and ready to wed.

The Author and Perfecter has written and refined.

The Bread of Life is sweet with nutritious truth.

The Word... ah, the Word lives, breathes, is active and sharper than any double-edged sword.

Such details penetrate the minds of the divided soul and spirit... constantly welcoming home those broken, foolish, forgotten, hopeless.

Seek Him. Yes, seek His details, little sheep... for his pastures are green and bountiful.

His Way is proven, perfect, unmatched... unfathomable.

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. (Psalm 145:3)

Details.

Handling every single detail.

Considering all complexities on behalf of the beloved.

Managing, directing, teaching, protecting.

Skillfully guiding the steps of men toward the only One who saves.

Masterfully shepherding while showcasing His glory, His love... in all seconds, in all displays, in all things.

God Almighty, Creator, King on High, Prince of Peace, the Morning Star... arise with each new day and extend your mercy upon us.

Unfathomable Redeemer... for all eternity, for all mankind, for the sake of good...

We humbly bow down.

We joyfully praise.

We choose to believe what you, our Holy God, has promised...

What You, dear Jesus, have made known and evident from the beginning - in every single detail.

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. (Genesis 28:15)

Ladies, I encourage you to consider this today: To whom will you surrender your details? To whom will you give glory, and honor, and praise in every detail?

Blessings!

Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

the disintegration or the stability of your life

2012-01-10T05:11:00.001-05:00

Ladies, how well do you know God? I ask because I receive so many letters from women who are drowning in all forms of despair but claim to know Jesus as their Savior. Women who acknowledge Him as The One True God, but reject His headship, truth and promises in their day-to-day lives.

How do I know this? Because these women all admit to being discontent. They are unhappy with something in their lives, or with something from their past, or because God is not hearing them, or because God is not providing to their liking, or because God is not doing what they want. Their hearts are disordered and unsatisfied because, in their own opinion, things should have been different in their marriage, their homes, their jobs, their health, their lives.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:21)

Ladies, how well do you know God? Do you believe that God cares about you? Do you believe He will do what He says? Do you believe sin is really as bad as He says it is? Do you believe that holiness is really as good as He says it is? Do you believe that you will reap what you sow? Trust me when I say that how you honestly answer these questions will have everything to do with the disintegration or the stability of your life.

Let me be clear on this... A world where God does not love you does not exist. A world where God is not in control of all things happening in your life does not exist. A world where you are abandoned by God does not exist. A world where God is out to get you and make you suffer miserably does not exist. If you are living in any of these worlds, you are living in the lie of unbelief.

What is unbelief? Unbelief is rejecting what God says to be true. Philippians 4:19 says, "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Think about that. God will meet ALL your needs with Jesus. His Way is enough. He will supply EVERYTHING you specifically require at all times. Period.

What does that mean? That means wherever, whatever, whoever you are, at, in, or with... this particular moment... this situation is exactly what you need to grow closer to Jesus. Whatever your financial situation, your career situation, your health situation, your relationship situation, your life situation... YOU NEED! Sure, you can dispute me on this. You can say, "I don't need this" because you don't like something or someone in your life. But if you do so, you are disputing where God has placed you. You are challenging the King of Kings. You are debating the Master plan of the loving, caring, powerful, eternal God who made sure that you are where you are for His good reason. Wherever you are today, He let happen with the purpose of supplying for all your needs so you could glorify His Name and obey His commands. Whether you see the good in it or not, He is using your trial to get you closer to Him. He is stretching you to become more holy like His Only Son. Will you move forward from this moment in obedience and thankfulness? Can you praise His omnipotence and wisdom through this challenge? If not, perhaps it is time to be still and get to know God better. Perhaps it is time to start addressing your unbelief that is questioning His perfect plan.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Understand that a mind renewed with the spirit of God (the truth of God; the Word of God) is the only antidote for despair... ALL despair! ALL pain! Running away to greener grass is no answer. It is never greener if it is outside His grace. Really. Don't fall into the trap mentioned in Romans 1:21. Don't allow your thinking to become futile or your heart to become dark. That is what Satan wants. If we do not know God... if we do not believe God... we won't glorify Him and we won't remain thankful for Him. Instead, we will only acknowledge Him as "The" God of this universe, but our hearts will reject His truth and we will keep on sinning against Him. We will reason out the way we think things should be and question His love for us rather than accept the revelation of what He has promised in His Word. We will exchange His truth for the lie of unbelief. No no no, not cool.

Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:7-9)

God says to us throughout scripture, "This is what I'm like. These are my ways. I am good and I love you... ALWAYS." So why continue to question Him? Why go on questioning our present predicaments and reasoning that we know what is best? In truth, we do not know what is best. Only our Creator can claim that knowledge and authority... and His ways are higher and greater than ours. It is wicked for us to exalt our thoughts and opinions above God. His disposition is the only one that matters for us to find stability and avoid all despair, anxiety, anger, unhappiness. His is the way to follow.

I have found that unbelief isn't as easily recognizable as other sins. It requires much prayer and reflection in God's word. Generally, we are blinded by our unbelief. It is easier for us to notice the more obvious sins like lying, stealing, etc. But unbelief is a sin that lurks in the shadows of our heart. The only way to recognize it is to ask God to expose it to us. In my opinion, many other sins show up as a result of unbelief, such as panic, fear, anxiety, depression, hatred, etc. These are external problems stemming from the deep roots of unbelief that fester in our hearts and cause us to question or turn from God's provision. Satan does not want you to know this. But God will expose it when you seek and believe His truth and follow His Master plan. We must seek Him in everything so that we won't become weary through the trials He has given us here on earth.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:3)

Every problem we face in this life can be broken down spiritually. The lie of unbelief is no exception. If we choose to think that God is not doing enough... that we need something more or different for our lives... our view of our King is warped and incorrect. God is enough. Right now. This moment. In whatever trial you face. He is trustworthy to see you through successfully if you believe and follow His way of doing things. Sadly, God's promises do not penetrate the hearts of those who do not take Him seriously or make time to receive Him and know Him well. (Mind you, I'm not speaking of those who don't know who God is... I'm speaking of those who don't KNOW HIM WELL.) When you know God well, you realize that He really is all you need to be content and at peace.

I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. (Job 42:2)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Ladies, if we know God well and are content with Him as enough, we are stable. We are filled with the joy of the Lord. We stop searching for answers to the "if only's" and the "I should have's" and the "I don't like whatever" and the "Why can't life be this way or that way"... All these thoughts are lies against the Master's true and holy plan and are encouraged by the enemy - baiting us to look past God's Way. Turn from this sin and dive into knowing and trusting your Almighty Father, your Blessed Savior, and His Holy Spirit. Become content in His headship. Stop worrying and focusing on what you don't have and start focusing on all that He is. I promise you, if you really go there... if you really submerse your whole life in Him... you will find Him to be more than enough.

I encourage each DW to stop questioning God's plan. If your life is difficult, it is for a reason that He has ordained and intends to use for His ultimate good. Stop questioning that you are doomed to misery. That is Satan's plan, not God's. No matter what this corrupt world dishes out... Rejoice... Trust... Obey! For your Maker loves you. Every trial is sanctioned by Him and meant to make you more like Jesus. Don't question what could be different in order to give you comfort or satisfaction. No, if your trial HAS happened... if it IS happening... God meant for it to be and will use it to mold you to be Christlike and draw you closer to His gracious throne. No matter what has happened in your life, His ability to work in you is NOW! He is enough for you NOW. This is the day to rejoice and be glad for Jesus is King and in control of all circumstances! WOO HOO!

Do you believe that? Do you believe that God's promises and presence is enough? Can you rejoice in Him while bringing your legitimate concerns to Him in full trust that He is always in control and looking out for you? He will hear you, ladies. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever and can indeed be counted on. Ask Him to show you where the roots of unbelief grow in your heart. Ask Him to teach you how to be content in all circumstances and trust Him in all matters.

Don't be like the children of Israel in Numbers 11-16 who were always complaining and murmuring about everything. No! God takes our griping quite personally because He is the One who has given us what we have. Israel sinfully complained over so many things... "If only life were easier in this wilderness. This is too hard. If only we had water. If only we had something else other than manna to eat. If only we had more say. If only we were back in Egypt. If only we were dead." Bla bla bla bla bla blaaaaaa! I'm sorry, but that is not living the redeemed life. That is not grasping what is holy and embracing the victory already won on the cross! That is not trusting and loving and living in Jesus name! A lust for wanting more is the basis for every temptation in the heart. James 1:14 says this, "But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed." Do you really want to be a sitting duck to Satan's schemes all because you've chosen to believe the sin of discontentment over believing God? I don't.

This is the day that the Lord has made for YOU. (See Psalm 118:24 - DW's foundational verse.) No matter where you are or what circumstance or trial you face, God wants you to rejoice and be glad THIS DAY. He has promised never to leave you or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5b) He loves you and remains consistent to make you His primary concern yesterday, today, and forever. (Romans 8:35-39) Believe His way is higher than your own and trust Him. He will take care of you. He will see you through. He hears your prayers. He listens to your concerns. He wants you to be blessed.

So, how well do you know God? Do you believe your loving Redeemer enough to proclaim Him worthy of praise without hesitation or reservation and no matter what the circumstance? "Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say... It is well. It is well with my soul."

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. (Psalm 9:10)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8)

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. (Jeremiah 17:7)

The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. (Nahum 1:7)

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6)

Is it well with your soul? Is God really enough? Search your heart and ask Him to remove all disbelief and discontentment. Get to know His way and follow Him no matter what this life holds! Baptize yourself in the security of Jesus. Submerge yourself in His unending grace. Fix your eyes upon the Savior. He will fill you. He will uphold you. He will care for you. That's a promise!!!

Blessings!

Blog Post Written By Victoria Anderson

who is your God?

2012-01-09T06:39:00.002-05:00

Who is YOUR God? Do you believe your God can make a dry path for you to walk safely through the middle of a roaring sea? Do you trust that your God can defeat any enemy that stands against you and threatens your existence? Do you know that your God is capable of dismissing all disease and death with merely His words? Do you have confidence that your God will always come through... will always deliver... will always be there for you?

Even when you are faced with the most unbelievable trials in the most unlikely places, will your God show up? Can you see Him bidding you to join Him in the fiery furnace? Can you look past the lions in the den in which you are standing and trust that He is still in control? Are you confident that He will bring down those extremely high walls of Jericho? Will He hear your requests to raise those you cherish from the grave? Can He restore your sight? Can He quench your thirst? Do you trust that He is reliable to remove you from bondage... from slavery... from the belly of the darkest whale... from the selfishness of your own tongue... from the errors of your own foolishness?

Who is your God? Will He feed you? Will He clothe you? Will He always provide for and protect you? Will He revive your soul? Will He renew your spirit? Will He restore you into His kingdom? Will He save you? Is this the God that you claim to love and believe in - the One who will guide you into purity, holiness, goodness?

Is this your God? Is this your Savior? Is this Who you represent? Is this Who you follow? Who you live for? Who you promote in every word, every deed, every thought? Is this Who you love with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength? Is this the God who overcame the deepest depths of death on your behalf in order to give you life? Is He the Savior who overcame the cross so that you could submerse yourself in His grace... in His ways... in His perfect plan of redemption?

Is this your God?

Or is your god an imaginary fairy tale that you hope one day will come true? Is your god a nice idea when the day is sunny and your belly is full, but not really a practical solution to cast all your cares upon when the storms of life come? Is your god an old, tired Sunday school story or a new, living daily Song to rejoice and sing praises? Do you cherish and seek after your god's presence, or do you simply pray that he exists?

Who is your God?

Ladies, I can tell you that my Jesus is like no one else. He is real. He has complete control over all creation because He is it's source. I cannot stress enough that nothing in our lives is too hard for Him to handle. He wants us to trust His Word and know that He is the one true, reliable, glorious God - the Maker of Heaven and Earth! When we begin to call any part of His abilities or promises into doubt, all of God’s marvelous plans become suspect, and we open the door for the lies and distortions of Satan who wants nothing more than to destroy our faith. This is not healthy. This is not living in Jesus Name. Rather, let's choose to sing praises to our God's splendor. Let's raise up our hands and rejoice in thanksgiving. For the Lord Jesus Christ - the God of the Bible... the God we claim as our own... the Savior of LIFE... yes, HE is in complete control and will see us through every trial... even TODAY's trials!!! Join me right now and claim victory in His Holy Holy Holy Name! Great is the LORD - the One true God!!! He is most worthy of our eternal praise!!!

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, O descendants of Israel his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit." When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it, they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. He allowed no man to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings: "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm." Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!" Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them! Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Cry out, "Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise." Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said "Amen" and "Praise the LORD." (1 Chronicles 16:8-36)

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

Names of Christ: My Fortress

2012-01-08T08:34:00.000-05:00

Hi ladies. As we grow together and follow Jesus Christ, seeking to know God more intimately in our day-to-day lives, let's continue learning the many names of God in our Sunday blog posts. Each of God's many names describe a different aspect of His character and teaches us more about who He is. We are moving into the second part of the Trinity and now focusing on the many names of Christ. These will be shorter blog postings but equally important as we get to know the character of our Redeemer and King. Today, let's worship our Savior as we learn about Him... My Fortress.

My Fortress

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. (Psalm 18:2)

"A mighty fortress is my God," and no evil may reach the soul that shelters there. There is no saint of God who may look back through all the troubled years of any earthly pilgrimage, and not say, if he shall speak truly, "I have been kept by the power of God." Every failure of our lives and each defeat has come when we have sought some earthly fortress rather than our Lord.

I am hiding, Lord, in You. Your walls are impregnable, so I can withstand life's onslaughts. Let our praise to You be as incense, O Lord. Amen.

Thank you, Jesus, for revealing yourself to us. We praise your Name forever and ever!!!

Blessings!

(Please Note: The majority of today's notes were taken directly from Names of God, Copyright 1944 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago by Nathan Stone and were given originally as a course in the Radio School of the Bible over WMBI, Chicago. The writer acknowledges a measure of indebtedness to such works as those of Webb-Peploe, Andrew Jukes, R. B. Girdlestone, and Parkhurst's Hebrew Lexicon. The Scripture quotations are from the King James Version and the American Standard Version (A.S.V.), while some are free translations from the Hebrew. In addition, The Devoted Woman has included data from other resources where we felt more explanation was necessary. For further study on this topic, we highly recommend the book, The Names of God by Ken Hemphill.)

peace through the storm

2012-01-07T03:40:00.002-05:00

(Inhale.) Keep praying and trusting. (Exhale.) The Lord is in control. (Inhale.) Keep praying and trusting. (Exhale.) The Lord is in control. (Inhale.) Keep praying and trusting. (Exhale.) The Lord is in control.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

Just like in the beloved story "The Little Engine That Could", I've continued to repeat these words of affirmation since the conception of DW. You see, lately my obedience to the King has proven to be a challenging walk. Not because I'm ignorant toward understanding His Holiness, but more because I'm overwhelmed with trying circumstances. Through many, many tests and trials, Satan continues to pick away at me with little jabs and pushes - hoping to throw me off course from God and causing me to feel defeated.

Spiritually speaking, the day I chose to step out of my lukewarm life and into a devoted life focusing only on the Savior, was the same day the enemy increased his advances and attacks... and he hasn't let up since. Furthermore, when God put together the pieces to start The Devoted Woman ministry... the enemy got even nastier (if that's possible). He has done so much to stifle our efforts and burden my spirit (and the spirit of my family)... all in an attempt to stop us from speaking up and sharing the beautiful name of Jesus with as many people as possible. Satan really is just a big mean bully, isn't he? The sorest loser of the century is soooo annoying!

Knowing full well how my ego works, even today the devil throws punches at me in areas that don't seem big enough to warrant my having a nervous break down... but also don't seem small enough to just be swept under the rug. His hope is that I won't bring the problem to the Lord because the issue doesn't seem important enough to stress over. He knows I don't like the drama. So, he banks on my selfish need to control things alone... allowing the matter to fester and slowly weigh me down while more and more trials are introduced and begin to compound over time.

Yes, the enemy is a subtle and strategic lion who stalks after each of us - waiting for every opportune moment to chip away at our spirits and cause us to stumble. Whenever I do stumble, he loves to torment me with enough anxiety to ultimately cause me to doubt God... or get angry with God... or turn from God. Not cool.

Have you ever been there? Have you ever found that all the little miscellaneous things crumbling around you begin to take the form of more than just a coincidence? Instead, these "minor" things begin to resemble a very subtle but overwhelming form of spiritual warfare that if left unaddressed, can trigger an anxiety time bomb within your spirit. Lately, for me it has been the accumulation of technology getting buggy... of physical aches and pains increasing in volume... of sudden bouts of financial uncertainty emerging... of vehicles, appliances, and home issues breaking down in record numbers, etc. etc. etc. When it all seems too much, I find myself weeping out desperate pleas to God like, "Lord, I just can't do this," or "Lord, I can't handle this anymore," or "Lord, I'm overwhelmed and don't know how this is going to work out," or "Lord how in the world can I afford this," or "Lord, why are you allowing this to happen?"

(Inhale.) Keep praying and trusting. (Exhale.) The Lord is in control. Can you hear the Holy Spirit whispering through the chaos of the earth quaking? (Inhale.) Keep praying and trusting. (Exhale.) The Lord is in control. Can you see His glory reign over the trials of a world caving in before you?

For those who know exactly what I am talking about, allow me to share with you a verse that has meant the world to me. Look at Isaiah 57...

But the man who makes me his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain. And it will be said: "Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people."' For this is what the high and lofty One says - he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite." (Isaiah 57:13b-15)

Did you get that? God promises to build us up and prepare us for His ultimate glory by removing obstacles out of our way. He promises to revive those who seek after Him, even in the worst of trials. This is the God that not only dwells in the highest heavens, but also dwells in the lowest hearts and receives our sincere cries for help as surely as he inhabits and rules all eternity. He knows when we are struggling. He sees and sanctions the difficulties we face. But through them, He promises to renew our spirit. Through the most difficult parts of this war, our King will still receive us and give us His joy and hope and peace to counterbalance all the griefs and fears present. Satan cannot compete against a God that builds, revives and restores along the way. All the enemy can do is scramble to distract us and make attempts to break us. Sure, his attempts can seem earth shattering. That is undeniable. But if we can endure the trial and trust our Shepherd... if we can hold onto Jesus no matter what the problem, no matter what the horror... He will see to it that our obstacles ultimately be removed. He will show us the secure but narrow path that we must travel to grow deeper and deeper in His grace. Then, we will walk closer and more confidently with our good God... with Him, our footing will be strengthened in truth as we travel further into His glory.

Ladies, when the going gets tough, the tough may get going... but the humble cry out to the Lord and continue to follow His path. The obedient seek after His promises and rest in His peace to see them through all circumstance. The faithful understand the importance of hope and rest on His promises so that they may ward off an enemy whose only goal is to distract and discourage us away from our Savior. But turning away from Jesus will never bring peace. His presence is healthy. His heart is true. His love is a love that endures. We too must endure in His love and seek Him for strength. No one is more powerful than our God who promises to remove our obstacles as well as build up our faith.

Trust Him. Meditate on His promises. Believe He will get you through the worst... He will see you through the hardest... He will bring you through His gates and show you His glory. Be thankful for He is God. His love endures. His strength is yours. Receive Him and find peace through the storm.

Be still and know that He is, and always will be, YOUR God! (Inhale.) Keep praying and trusting. (Exhale.) The Lord is in control. (All "hale" the power of Jesus Name!)

Peace, be still.

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

as you travel another day toward Heaven

2012-01-06T05:03:00.007-05:00

Today I was reminded of the last time I traveled home from Houston. It was only a few weeks before the holidays, and Chuck and I were racing through the airport to check in for our flight. On this particular trip, I had packed heavier than usual. I brought a large suitcase and a small laptop case to roll around, and planned to check the large piece of luggage to make moving around easier. Like most people, Chuck and I decided to use the airport escalator to easily get to our ticketing gate. However, for some reason while riding up the escalator I lost grasp of my large suitcase, and (to my horror) watched it begin to tumble down the moving stairs. Aghhhh! As I tried to chase after it, my laptop case also slipped from my fingers and fell ten steps below. Immediately I panicked. How on earth would I retrieve my bags? I was in no physical shape to challenge a moving conveyor and poor Chuck was in front of me with his own two cases to manage. I felt like I was living out a comedy scene from an old sitcom. Except this wasn't funny. My laptop could be broken. My passport could be stolen. Lord, help!

Thankfully, out of nowhere, who I now like to refer to as "Airport Man" (an mature gentleman wearing a grey Houston sweatshirt) appeared at the bottom of the escalator. He carried no bags. He held no ticket. Assessing the situation, Airport Man grabbed my two suitcases and yelled up, "Don't worry. I've got em'." Relieved, I watched him smile directly at me as he rode up the moving steps. Tearfully, I began to thank him incessantly. When he reached the top of the stairs, I threw my arms around him as he tried to hand both cases to my husband to stack and better manage.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!!" I squealed.

Airport Man laughed and smiled at me with kind eyes, and then said to Chuck in a deep Texas draw, "You've got your hands full being married to this one, huh?"

Chuck joked, "You have no idea."

I continued thanking Airport Man profusely until Chuck finally shook his hand and then dragged me away to check our large luggage at the counter. Later, we boarded our flight and settled in for the two hour long trip. It was then that I reminisced at how crazy-thankful I had reacted toward Airport Man's rescue. He had come out of nowhere and brought a joyful outcome to my klutzy mishap. Airport Man was indeed a good Samaritan who showed up when I needed help the most on that particular travel day.

While remembering all this today, the still small voice in my head prodded, "Victoria, do you appreciate the Lord your God with the same fervor that you expressed to Airport Man? Do you display the same kind of gratitude toward Jesus for saving you? For Christ has taken on all your heavy burdens. He has redeemed you from every klutzy mishap of sin and has offered to take care of each detail in your life. The Lord wants you to know His relief as you step onward toward His kingdom. He wants you to to squeal with delight when you consider Him. His greatness commands incessant thankfulness and admiration. His glory is to be made known!

Ladies, what a wonderful reminder from God! What an important thought to consider. For if we are not uplifting the mighty Name above all other names, then how are we spending our time? Really, how grateful do we outwardly thank and acknowledge God's heroism?

Just something to consider as you travel another day toward Heaven. Yes, head home to your King with praise and admiration. Worship with a new song, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Jesus! I love you! I love you! I love YOU!"

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

very bumpy, very uneasy... but God is good all the time

2012-01-05T00:00:00.001-05:00

Hallelujah. God is good all the time.
Admittedly, it is hard to always believe this from our human vantage point. But thankfully, irrespective of our wavering opinions, the solid truth of the Savior's goodness never changes.

God is good.
His Way is good.
His plan is good.
His love is sooo good.

I write this to you as I endure a very bumpy, very uneasy plane flight. (And I REALLY hate to fly!) A flight that takes me and my husband into a new, uncertain chapter of our lives. You see, over the Christmas holidays, my husband accepted a new position that will ultimately move us from Chicago to Houston as soon as February 2012. Needless to say, our whole world has just become bumpier and uneasier than ever as we venture forward to find a new home in a new city while juggling all that must be wrapped up professionally before leaving our current officer roles in Chicago.

Yet, through this bumpy flight... and through the uneasiness of a new, unpredictable future, I am reminded that my God is good all the time. His timing is perfect. His Word is sound and wise. Hallelujah! For my God has planned every step. My God has already ordained the outcome of these brief days and continues to beckon my spiritual advance... to worship His throne... to seek only His peace... to fear not... to lay down calmly in his righteousness rather than freeze in the panic of momentary turbulence.

So, as I sit here being tossed about thirty thousand feet in the air, I obediently choose to claim the truth of my Master's Word. I will bless the Lord with all my soul - with all that is within me. I will not forget His benefits nor what He has done for me. My God is so merciful. My God is so gracious. Hallelujah! My God is good all the time, and He is in complete control! Yes, I choose to set the Lord always before me and praise His Name. For He has not given me a spirit of timidity or cowardice, but rather has offered me His faithful friendship and a spirit of power and self-control. Thank you, Savior, for with You I can see past these bumpy, uneasy moments and breathe easy. I can appreciate that as far as the east is from the west, so have you removed my transgressions and come to my ultimate rescue. I will cast every burden on you and trust that you will sustain me. For you care for me. You love me. You are always, always good to me. Hallelujah. God is good all the time.

O Ladies, bless the Lord with all your soul... even in the bumpiest moments... even if life seems uncertain, uneasy, or threatened. Remember how faithful He is and bless His Holy Name! Set Him before yourself and choose to worship the throne of the Most High! For God is indeed good. A refuge in times of trouble. A King who cares for those who put their trust in Him!

Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)

Hallelujah! God is good.

His Way is good.
His plan is good.
His love is sooo good!!!

This bumpy, uneasy day is THE DAY to rejoice and be glad in JESUS CHRIST OUR GOOD LORD!

Blessings!

Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

stop fraternizing with the enemy

2012-01-04T01:27:00.001-05:00

My computer is set to automatically switch over to a screen saver after the computer sits idle for more than ten minutes. When this happens, the screen saver is setup to "float" various words (along with their definitions) across my monitor screen. I like it very much because it has become a fun and educational opportunity for me to find a new or forgotten word when I return to my desktop. In fact, I've started to make a game of it by attempting to incorporate the said word into my everyday vocabulary.

Earlier, I approached my computer with the mindset to write today's blog about a particular topic. I was going to name the blog "Identity Theft" and discuss how easily we as Christians forget WHO we are as children of the Most High God. I was going to share verses and examples as to how the enemy tries to convince us into believing his lies, in contrast to how God views us and intends for us to live freely in Him. However, once I sat down and looked at my monitor, there was a new word waiting on my screen... that word was: fraternize.

Fraternize: To associate on friendly terms with an enemy or opposing group, often in violation of discipline or orders.

I stopped for a minute and realized that fraternization is exactly our problem. Satan cannot make us believe anything. Satan cannot force us to sin. No, that responsibility falls on us alone. It is our decision, our choice, to believe Satan's lies over God's truths. I fear that our fraternization to accept rather than reject the enemy's presence in our life is our biggest issue. In general, I think we are too eager to put out the welcome mat and get friendly in associating with Satan. We do this by becoming comfortable with the presence of sin around us - sometimes even welcoming it into our homes and family lives! Look around at the images you thoughtlessly accept... listen to the words you are accustom to hearing... are they holy?

Rather than humble our souls and sacrifice our lives to consume God's Bread of Life, we have gotten used to feeding our hungry egos with Satan's sinful junk food. We do this because an easy drive thru seems more accommodating than taking the time to come home and prepare a family meal. But is it healthy? Is it really beneficial? It takes quality time to know God and relish in His order and ways. It takes no time at all to get chummy with Satan. So, when we give Satan our attention... any attention, we directly violate God's plan to abide in Jesus alone. Then we ultimately find ourselves in despair and torment from the spiritual tummy ache of sin the enemy has fed us. Not cool.

Jesus said it is impossible to have two masters. "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." (Matthew 6:24)

Satan will always try to tempt us to love this world and the many things that please our eyes, make us feel good about ourselves, and gratify our fleshly desires. But this world is not holy... it is corrupt. And focusing on our self rather than Christ, is a sure recipe for disaster. We were created to worship God, not ourselves!!! "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." (1 John 2:15-17)

James points out that to seek to embrace the world and its friendship is enmity (hatred) toward God and spiritual adultery. "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." (James 4:4)

Because of this, we must stand firm against the enemy and the things of this world that can steer us away from following Jesus. This includes "friends" who would lead us the wrong way... television shows and movies based in the occult and darkness... strongholds and addictions that numb us... pursuits for popularity, possessions, physical and emotional gratifications... in short, anything that turns our eyes away from Jesus and keeps us from following God... anything! Ask yourself, are you standing firm against these things?

Spiritual identity theft is achieved when we fraternize with an enemy that God clearly tells us to stand firmly against. We let our guard down and, in turn, our pit grows deeper and deeper. Our hope gets stifled and we become burdened and ineffective in our faith. We choose to follow what is untrue... all because we grow accustom to the company of a liar... a destroyer! A wolf cannot co-exist with a flock of sheep without inevitably attempting to harm and devour each and every lamb! When we keep company with the enemy, we ridiculously rationalize his presence and start to accept our sin - - all the while becoming more and more anxious and heavy burdened because...hello... he's a wolf waiting to devour us! This is not living free and following Jesus' holy way. We must break off all ties to that which is unholy and put our trust in our Shepherd to guard us against the enemy. He will watch over us and guide our ways. He will fight off the enemy and keep us safe from harm! But we must follow Christ fully and stop two-timing between serving two masters.

Ladies, God promises that if we pursue Him, He will not only provide for our needs (Matthew 6:33) but He will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4-5). Let's stop violating the discipline and orders of our good and faithful King by believing the enemy has a better plan for us... he doesn't. Nothing is better than Jesus. Let's stop choosing less than what God has intended for us. Instead, let's live holy in our Redeemer's grace.

The enemy is just that - THE ENEMY. Let's stop fraternizing and following the advice of someone who wants us defeated... destroyed... dead. Rather, let's start rejoicing and living in Jesus Name - HE WHO IS WORTHY OF ALL PRAISE - He who gives us life anew! Follow the Savior, ladies. Believe Him. He is the WAY!

Thank you, Lord, for giving us life and adopting us into Your family. Your grace has made us worthy because You first loved us enough to save us! Our identity is safe in Your care! AMEN!

Blessings!

Blog Post Written By Victoria Anderson

my only resolution

2012-01-03T05:18:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was January 2nd. The day after New Years. The day after I celebrated the intrigue of endless possibilities in 2012, and the hope of seizing success and accomplishment in the coming year. Yep, January 1st had come and gone. A time I had personally and systematically prepared myself for. A moment I had looked forward to. I romanticized about it. I prayed about it. I was ready for it...

Happy New Year, everyone! Happy, happy, happy! Right? For this was going to be MY year! WOO HOO!

Unfortunately by mid-day January 2nd, I realized that perhaps happiness was not part of my New Year reality. In fact, less than twenty-four hours had passed and I no longer felt strong or empowered in "my" year. You see, once the celebrating was over and real life had returned, I found myself suffering from the usual, ongoing physical pains I face, and I became grumpy and irritable over my ongoing list of trials. I was tired, and weak, and already behind on my work and goals... and it was only Monday! Worse yet, yesterday I felt far and distant from God. I reasoned that perhaps this whole resolution thing was not all it was cracked up to be. Perhaps I had wanted too much. Hmmm.

By days end, my own failure to be independently flawless (and the guilt that followed my life's lack of perfection) had sabotaged my spirit. Clearly, the desires of my heart were not going to pan out this New Year. Clearly, 2012 was already a wash!

So, what did I do? Well, I'd like to tell you that I stepped up and prayed for God's intervention and power, but the truth is that by the end of January 2nd, I caught myself settling for 2nd. I rationalized another year passing by where I would knowingly yield to accept the Enemy's consolation prize of defeat in my life. Forget that the year still held 363 more days to claim Christ's victory. Rather, I would succumb now, giving up truth while choosing a path that "felt" more easy, familiar, comforting... yet still broken.

Sigh. Mediocre New Year, everyone. Defeat, retreat, lose sleep! Right?

Have you ever climbed into bed at night knowing full well that you failed that day? Knowing that you got in your own way - being part of life's problem rather than stepping aside and inviting Jesus to take over as the sole solution? Have you regrettably botched up "the plan"? Have you willingly given in... or rather, given up and accepted less than God promised?

So many times in life we give up. So many moments we lose our spiritual nerve and focus. We simply start and don't finish. As a result, many Christian homes are filled with unresolved projects, books, commitments. Our personal matters are left unresolved and swept under the proverbial rug of denial. And our lives remain broken. Yes, so many of us can easily become saturated with failure and end up drowning in the familiar of worldly disappointment. Deep down, we all know that such choices are the result of selfish human greed and our insatiable taste for sin. Unfortunately, it is here that we have chosen to betray our King (and His kingdom) with little white lies, rationalizations, and fornications against God's perfect law and the life we once claimed complete surrender to His throne.

This morning I woke up fully expecting the Lord to bang over my stubborn head Phillipians 4:13, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Instead, my faithful Teacher (who already has given me everything I need to succeed, overcome, win, and be new in Him) gave me the following verses:

You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:1, 11-14)

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:17-24)

So, here I sit writing DW's blog this January 3rd... striving to teach what is in accordance with sound doctrine and realizing how terribly unsound I behaved yesterday with my own futile, worldly thinking. Thank you, Father, for waking me up in your wisdom this new day! For yesterday I challenged your eternal foresight and forgot that your gift of salvation empowers me to say "NO!" to Satan, to sin, to self. Indeed, I can do all things because God has given me Jesus to eagerly pursue! Jesus is my only resolution! His wisdom is paramount. His love is healing. His holiness is my greatest reward! All things sacrificed under His reign will become healthy. All things become new in Christ Jesus the Lord! WOO HOO!

Ladies, life is not about our ability to achieve anything on our own time, but rather about praising God's willingness to complete us in His fullness. In fact, it is impossible to become better without being made new in Jesus Christ. So rather than revert back to the old, broken way of doing things... rather than give up and give in without trusting His promises... let's commit our days believing and seeking Him.

Yes, today... tomorrow... next month... next year... always... let's acknowledge the Lord! In our health, wealth, words, deeds... in our desires, aspires, and travels through earthly fires... let's trust His example. Let's love and listen to His instruction as He reforms the attitude of our minds. Lastly, let's be holy, live holy, and seek Christ's holiness. Why? Because, praise God, He is holy! He is ALL we need!

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:2-17)

Joyful New Life, everyone! Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! WOO HOO!

Blessings!

Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

dabbling or devoted

2012-01-02T10:43:00.001-05:00

Ask yourself... Why do you seek God?

Of course, the obvious and most popular answer is to be saved from eternal death. But let's dig deeper...

Why do YOU seek GOD? Is it for personal fulfillment, for safety OR for sacrifice? An interesting question, don't you think?

All mankind was made for service, sacrifice, dedication and relationship.... BY God and FOR His Glory.

As Christians, there is no getting around His created intent for us... God made us to live devoted to Him. We are to fully submit and humble ourselves to His loving authority. Some don't like this. Some avoid discussing it. And some outright deny it. But the truth of the matter is, God expects us to follow Jesus example and live as a sacrifice to glorify Our Heavenly Father.

Read Philippians 2:5-7, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."

So, why do you seek God? Is it to be His equal or His humble servant?

We must honestly ask ourselves if we are dabbling in Christianity for ourself alone.... and I stress the word "SELF". Do we even care what God really wants altogether? Instead of asking God what He will HAVE YOU DO, are you more interested in asking God what He will DO FOR YOU?

Are you the type of Christian who is thrilled to soak in a women's bible study, national seminar or home church event.... but would never actually SHARE the gospel with another human being? Are your prayers usually focused on your needs rather than others? Do you even pray for others? Are you personally concerned and actively living your days with focus to spread the gospel throughout the earth? Would you be able to speak hard biblical truth without apology or embarrassment to someone who considered you odd or even an enemy? These are difficult questions to ask ourselves. But they are at the core of how we are to "put off the sinful nature" and follow Christ. It is what God expects of His people...His family.

Evangelism and a new life in Christ are one in the same. We are not to maintain a "leave it to the missionaries and church leaders" mindset and only show up on Sundays to find some kind of Christian "Cliff Notes" for enrichment that excuses us from any other action. We are to live, breathe, sleep, eat and especially speak for God's purpose and glory! We are to help the poor, needy, widows, elderly. We are to share His loving message of redemption with the lost. We are ALL to be evangelists for His Great Commission.

So, why do you seek God? Is it only to escape eternal death...? If so, is that what you think Jesus had in mind for mankind when He offered His life as a sacrifice... or do you think He wanted us to serve to save others as well? Do you look at His death as a "Get Out of Jail Free Card" like in the game of Monopoly, but once accepted - - remain a "lukewarm" Christian?

Why do you seek God? Do you know Him? Have you accepted Him as your Savior and sacrificed your whole life to Him. In the end, would He say, "well done" when He examines the fruit of your days here on earth?

If you truly have laid down everything to follow Jesus Christ as His servant, you already know that He is The Good Master. He will fulfill and provide all the protection and security you'll ever need. He is good and constant and merciful and gracious... But to be His, you must submit your sinful ways, your agenda, your self to follow His ways. Rest assured, He is everything and eternity without Him would be utter hopelessness. But know, if you have accepted Jesus as your God, you must accept His truth in Luke 9:62: "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Meaning, anyone who lets themselves be distracted from the work God has planned for them is not fit for the Kingdom of Heaven.

So, why do you seek God? Is your reason something outside of God's original plan for your created existence...? Think about it. Answer it with your decision. It is a decision you will answer directly to the Holy of Holies.

Choose your path.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-7)

Blessings!

Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

Names of Christ: The King's Son

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hi ladies. As we grow together and follow Jesus Christ, seeking to know God more intimately in our day-to-day lives, let's continue learning the many names of God in our Sunday blog posts. Each of God's many names describe a different aspect of His character and teaches us more about who He is. We are moving into the second part of the Trinity and now focusing on the many names of Christ. These will be shorter blog postings but equally important as we get to know the character of our Redeemer and King. Today, let's worship our Savior as we learn about Him... The King's Son.

The King's Son

Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the King's Son. (Psalm 72:1)

How little do our hearts pay the homage due to God as King and to Jesus as His Son. We bow our heads, we lift our hats, we pay our homage to the fleeting, trifling power of earth's great men, but do we, as we enter the house of God, bow humbly and revere the King's Son? Are earthly thoughts hushed and earthly words stilled as we gather in the house of God? Even when our worship leader voices our desires to Him, do wandering thoughts of earthly things deprive us of the blessing and the answer to our prayers?

Lord, teach us how to pray, that we may truly worship You. Let us realize that it is to the Son of the Most High that we speak. Draw us to Yourself and hear our imperfect prayers that we may obtain mercy. Amen.

Thank you, Jesus, for revealing yourself to us. We praise your Name forever and ever!!!

Blessings!

(Please Note: The majority of today's notes were taken directly from Names of God, Copyright 1944 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago by Nathan Stone and were given originally as a course in the Radio School of the Bible over WMBI, Chicago. The writer acknowledges a measure of indebtedness to such works as those of Webb-Peploe, Andrew Jukes, R. B. Girdlestone, and Parkhurst's Hebrew Lexicon. The Scripture quotations are from the King James Version and the American Standard Version (A.S.V.), while some are free translations from the Hebrew. In addition, The Devoted Woman has included data from other resources where we felt more explanation was necessary. For further study on this topic, we highly recommend the book, The Names of God by Ken Hemphill.)

isaiah 43:16, 18-19

2011-12-31T02:38:00.003-05:00

This is what the LORD says - he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." (Isaiah 43:16, 18-19)

Happy New Year, DW's! Blessings!

new beginnings

2011-12-30T00:00:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time... (always a classic introduction)

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... (definitely sets the stage)

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times... (an iconic journey, for sure)

It was a dark and stormy night... (an ominous but compelling start)

In the beginning... (my favorite)

Don't you love the beginning of a story? The possibilities that await? The start of something about to unfold and be revealed? I sure do. And I love the concept of someone or something starting fresh and new. Well, here it is, ladies. We are in the new... the now... the beginning of 2012! A new year is about to begin. Whether you will be snoozing or smooching at 12:00 a.m. on January 1st, all of us can say that the Lord has blessed us once again with a new year of life. We have lived to see another day... and the opportunities that await us are endless.

So, now what?

Healthy resolutions?... Perhaps.

Taking a spiritual inventory?... Always a good idea.

Setting goals for success?... Sure.

But with so much to consider, where should we begin? How to get started? How to stay committed? How to insure that this year will be the NEW year, the NEW day, the NEW beginning that counts?

Take a look at what the scriptures say about beginnings...

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. (Psalm 102:25)

Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD - with the first of them and with the last - I am He. (Isaiah 41:4)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. (John 1:1-2)

In every beginning, there is always Jesus - the Word. In the beginning, God is always seen first and foremost. In the beginning, everything (including you and me) was created because of God. All foundations were made to work for His purpose. So, it would be wise to assume that a new beginning on January 1, 2012, is no exception. So, let's begin with our focus on HIM... HIS WAYS... HIS COMMANDS... HIS PURPOSE.

"OK Victoria... don't start getting all religious on me this New Years. Come on already. I hear you talk about God every day, but I really need to set some resolutions that will help me accomplish, achieve, excel, advance in 2012. Yea, I know God is God... but I can't continue like I have been living... I have to focus on de-stressing and de-cluttering. I need to save money, lose weight, stop hurrying... I need to work on my marriage, spend more time with friends, take care of my family. Sure, I need to fit God in my life more, but that's why I read DW's blogs and perhaps go to church. But come on... in reality, God is quietly way, way up there overseeing all life, and I'm down here dealing with my noisy, messy life first hand. Yea yea yea about Him being there in the beginning, but I need to see some tangible results this year so my life will be better... so I can find happiness and finally live comfortably."

To this I say... Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? (Isaiah 40:21)

If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. (2 Peter 2:20)

Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? (Galatians 3:3)

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)

Ladies, seeking Jesus first and living His way is not a novelty. It is not a religious denominational prerequisite. It is not something to do when there is nothing else to do. Seeking Jesus first should be a part of every beginning. Seeking Jesus first will expose Satan and the sin in your life so that you can address it and live in Christ's promised peace. Do you believe this beyond merely claiming it? Are you deliberate to take action and seek first God's eternal plan? Can you fathom His headship over your life, or are you instead following your own "common sense" to direct your paths?

Yet there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. (John 6:64)

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44)

Scripture is clear... if we do not act out and seek Jesus first in every beginning, every new year, every day, every decision, every goal, every resolution... we are following the enemy. We are lying to ourselves. We are murdering any hope of obtaining a healthy life. But God promises wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to those who patiently seek Him rather than first pridefully plan for themselves.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. (Psalm 111:10)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. (Ecclesiastes 7:8)

So, where do we begin our New Year? Let's start today (and every day) as we were originally created to function... with Jesus first. Let's stop planning everything around how we can live comfortably, achieving self-promoting resolutions and goals. Instead let's lay down our lives first at His feet to do with as He pleases. Let us willingly give ourselves over to our Creator each and every day with our only focus on being near to His sanctuary, seeking His purpose, worshiping His glorious kingdom... then all those other things will be "added unto us". They will be the gravy... added blessings that come as we seek our Savior and the new life He has graciously given us.

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. (Isaiah 46:10)

A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary. (Jeremiah 17:2)

But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. (2 Timothy 1:8-9)

I love the beginning of a story. I love trusting my Savior and focusing on what God is capable of doing with my life... knowing that He has great things planned for me to prosper in His name. There is no resolution that can beat that kind of Agape love and eternal security. All I must do is accept Him, seek Him, trust Him, be with Him and live as He has instructed me to live... HOLY IN JESUS NAME! With Jesus, my future is surely bright. My hope is in the Lord today and forever! I am excited for Him to use me and dazzle me with His magnificence! Praise be the glorious Name of Jesus! He is King and Ruler of my life.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Ladies, TODAY is indeed a new beginning. As we start this New Year, what will you choose to do first? Who's kingdom will you seek first as you assess how you are living? I encourage each of you to remember WHO gave you this NEW DAY... this NEW YEAR. Remember WHO calls you to live rejoicing because He is God. Remember WHO created all beginnings and all endings and WHO knows the details and complete story of your life down to the very hairs on your head! Remember your Creator, The Lord God Almighty. In the beginning... in every beginning is our good God!

May you have a Happy New Year in Jesus' Holy Name!

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalm 118:24)

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)

Blessings!

Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

Note: Victoria will not write a Fresh Flowers blog on Saturday, December 31st or Sunday, January 1st as she is scheduled to spend time celebrating the New Year with close family and friends. XOXOXO!

precious moments: embracing His Word as home

2011-12-29T00:00:00.003-05:00

Precious moments. I have been thinking a lot about the precious moments of my life. You know, those special moments that can't possibly be re-created once they have past. Moments that, when remembered, stir up blessings that might not have been realized in any other way and seem to have happened for a reason.

Usually when I first think of my own precious moments, my memories default to times spent alongside my dearest family and friends. Times spent relaxing and laughing with those I cherish. Yes, many of my precious moments have filled me up with the satisfaction of togetherness, and community, and love for others. These are times when the weight of worldly troubles seem to take pause and tidings of comfort and joy flourish. These are the details in life that we each seem to look forward to. The interludes that many would say make a life worth living. Yes, I do believe that these glimpses of goodness are indeed samplings of God's eternal Way of life for His people. But what about the moments that aren't always so joyful? What about the rest of our time when we don't feel so warm and fuzzy?

To this I ask: Can moments still be considered precious when they occur during times of personal struggle or difficultly? Can blessings still arise when trials abound? Can we glorify and praise God through moments of human instability... even when all seems hopeless and lost... even when the rest of the world around us loses faith in God's promises?

Read with me Paul's final charge to Timothy...

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

Interestingly enough, Paul teaches us to be prepared both in season and out of season. To keep our head in all situations. To endure hardships. To do the work God has called each of us to do as ambassadors to God's throne. You see, Jesus has made Himself readily available to us in every season. Furthermore, He already knows the details of all our moments (good, bad, happy, sad). In fact, Jesus knows what is best for us more than we know ourselves!

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. (Psalm 139:1-10)

With this in mind, I believe it is vital for Christians to understand that life is not always going to feel as warm and inviting as a holiday party enjoyed with close friends. You and I both know that most of the time our days are hard, complex, challenging, and overwhelming. But God says that He is willing and able to guide His people. So, all moments are precious gifts of time to be used for one purpose: God's glory!

Friends, no matter what trials you face today or in the future, I encourage you to continue racing confidently toward the gates of God's kingdom while embracing His Word as home. For every moment you seek Christ's guidance is indeed a precious opportunity to worship the King of kings! What an awesome honor! So, dear believer, seek first His perfect peace and everlasting satisfaction. Trust in Him with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him always and He will direct your steps safely home!

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

luke 1:68-75

2011-12-28T00:00:00.003-05:00

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us - to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days." (Luke 1:68-75)

Blessings! XOXOX!

luke 1:46-55

2011-12-27T00:00:00.004-05:00

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me - holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” (Luke 1:46-55)

Blessings! XOXOX!

mr. miller

2011-12-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

While traveling to a family party this past weekend, we found ourselves in front of an old church. Our timing was such that we paused at a red streetlight situated in front of the chapel. While waiting for the light to turn green, I noticed that the evening Christmas service had just concluded and those who had attended were in the process of exiting the building. I sat and smiled, watching the many festively-dressed folk joyfully shake each other's hands then merrily walk past the outdoor nativity display to reach their vehicles and head home.

Our exposure to this scene lasted the duration of the streetlight's traffic cycle. But during this time, I found myself looking past the busyness of the crowds and onto the silence of the church's small cemetery located in the field next door. By the looks of the gravestones, I had guessed that many dated back at least 100 years. In the center of the cemetery was the largest headstone engraved with the name "Miller" on it. As all the families and friends hustled around the exterior of the church, none bothered to glance at Miller's headstone sitting darkly, quietly. Coated in seasonal snow, I thought it was both ominous and beautiful... a reminder of times past and times ahead.

As we drove on, I started to think about how many Christmas services Mr. Miller had enjoyed in his time. I wondered about what his life may have been like. How big his family was. What his occupation may have been. How old he lived and how satisfying his years had proven. And in those years, I speculated about how often his lips might have spoken of Jesus's grace. How frequently did Mr. Miller seek after God with all his heart, soul, mind, strength. How intimate had he become with the Creator of all time, space, matter? Did Mr. Miller know Jesus as his Savior? Did he acknowledge and trust Him not only every Christmas, but as the King of his life? I wondered, did Mr. Miller hear the Almighty Father proclaim, "Well done, Miller!" once his last breath had concluded... after his time on earth had ceased?

The psalmist was right. Teach us, Lord, to number and take notice of our days. Guide us through each holiday and happening of this human life. And always... ALWAYS remain our eternal focus. May we fill ourselves with your Word. May we live knowing and speaking of your love to everyone we encounter. Our time here on earth is short and specifically designed by your hand to draw us closer to YOU. May our hearts be open to the wisdom of your Spirit so that we may enjoy the ominous beauty of your lasting presence... yesterday, today, forever.

One day, my body will turn to dust and a gravestone will likely be engraved in my own name, just like Mr. Miller's. In time, my life will fade away from this earth. I will be forgotten. My name will be passed by generations who did not know me. But not my Jesus. Not my eternal King. He will always remain. He will always be noticed. And His love for me will always endure. Yes, Jesus... He is my Rock and Redeemer... The Beginning and The End... The Alpha and the Omega! He is whom I wish to live pleasing and seeking and speaking of.

Really, what more in this life is worthy of our limited time?

This is the day!

Blessings!

Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

Names of Christ: Prince of Peace

2011-12-25T00:00:00.001-05:00

Will you, in loyalty to "the Prince of Peace," accept in humble faith His peace today?

We thank You, mighty Prince, that You who came to do battle with the enemy of our souls have made peace between us and the Father. May Your peace rest deeply in our hearts. Amen.

Thank you, Jesus, for revealing yourself to us. We praise your Name forever and ever!!!

Blessings!

(Please Note: The majority of today's notes were taken directly from Names of God, Copyright 1944 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago by Nathan Stone and were given originally as a course in the Radio School of the Bible over WMBI, Chicago. The writer acknowledges a measure of indebtedness to such works as those of Webb-Peploe, Andrew Jukes, R. B. Girdlestone, and Parkhurst's Hebrew Lexicon. The Scripture quotations are from the King James Version and the American Standard Version (A.S.V.), while some are free translations from the Hebrew. In addition, The Devoted Woman has included data from other resources where we felt more explanation was necessary. For further study on this topic, we highly recommend the book, The Names of God by Ken Hemphill.)

a kingdom of love

2011-12-24T00:00:00.001-05:00

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son...

To us, a Son is given.

For God so LOVED the world...

Perfect LOVE.

Love that casts out all fear.

Love that is patient.

Love that is kind.

Love that does not envy.

Love that is not rude, or boastful, or proud, or self seeking.

Love that does not destroy.

Love that is not easily angered.

Love that keeps no record of wrongs.

Love that hates injustice.

Love that rejoices when truth prevails.

Love that is always hopeful, always faithful.

Love that is zealous to serve.

Love that feeds and quenches.

Love that honors all persons.

Love that is sincere.

Love that is true, noble, right, pure.

Love that is admirable, excellent, praiseworthy.

Love that is self-controlled and disciplined.

Love that is upright.

Love that is romantic, intimate, holy.

Love that endures.

Love that is good.

Love that is devoted with all heart, soul, mind, strength.

Joy to the world! For God so loved the world!

For God so loved the world that He gave to us His only Son. Light has come into the world! For God did not send his Son to condemn us, but to save the world through Him... through His LOVE!

May His kingdom come!

May His will be done here on earth as it is in heaven!

Dear friends, let us love one another. For love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. (1 John 4:7-12, 16)

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (Galatians 5:6b)

May your days be merry and bright... May your days be filled with LOVE!

For God... let us LOVE!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

isaiah 9:6-7

2011-12-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Merry Christmas, DW's!
Jesus is forever! WOO HOO!

luke 2:1-20

2011-12-22T00:00:00.001-05:00

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:1-20)

Merry Christmas, DW's!
May we treasure up all these things and ponder them in our heart!

matthew 1

2011-12-21T00:00:00.001-05:00

This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
and Jesse the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa,
Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
Abihud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Elihud,
Elihud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" - which means, "God with us."

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (Matthew 1)

Merry Christmas, DW's!
His name is Jesus and He will save us from our sins! Hallelujah to the King of Kings!

luke 1:26-45

2011-12-20T00:00:00.001-05:00

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:26-45)

Merry Christmas, DW's!
Praise our Lord for He fulfills His promises! Happy Happy Holidays!

how do you see Him?

2011-12-19T06:01:00.000-05:00

Does it depend on how you view Him;
Does it depend on what you see?
Was He just a little baby born of low nativity?
Was He just a humble carpenter, from Nazareth He came?
On the cross of old Golgotha, like the thieves, was He the same?
Could your vision perhaps be clouded;
Through a glass darkly do you see?
Could the scope of His dimension be found in eternity?
Beyond human understanding and yet for all mankind He came.
Highly exalted by His Father with a Name above every name.
For each of us He was humbled; obedient to death He bore our sin.
He was not willing that any should perish; He wanted all to be born again.
So, whether you look on Him as your Savior, a good man, or prophet of yore,
The day will come when every knee shall bow and tongue confess that

JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!

Then how will you view Him;
Then what will you see?
Your choice, yes, your decision will determine your eternity.

Poem Written By Beverly "Momba" Drong (a.k.a. Victoria's Mother)

Names of Christ: Wonderful

2011-12-18T03:00:00.000-05:00

Hi ladies. As we grow together and follow Jesus Christ, seeking to know God more intimately in our day-to-day lives, let's continue learning the many names of God each Sunday. Each of God's many names describe a different aspect of His character and teaches us more about who He is. Currently, we are studying the second part of the Trinity and focusing on the many names of Christ. Today, let's worship our Savior as we learn about Him... Wonderful.

Wonderful

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given...his name shall be called Wonderful. (Isaiah 9:6)

Jesus is "the same yesterday, today, and forever," and men who think Him commonplace or at most only an unusual man, will someday stand ashamed and overwhelmed as they hear this prophecy fulfilled: "His name shall be called Wonderful." Today He is working just as wonderful works as He performed when He created the heaven and the earth. His wondrous grace, His wonderful omnipotence, is for His child who needs Him and who trusts Him, even today. Attempt great things for God and expect great things from Him and you will begin even now to say, His name is Wonderful.

Truly, Lord, Your Person and Works make us full of wonder. Let us bow before You and contemplate Your awesome attributes. Amen.

Thank you, Jesus, for revealing yourself to us. We praise your Name forever and ever!!!

Blessings!

(Please Note: The majority of today's notes were taken directly from Names of God, Copyright 1944 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago by Nathan Stone and were given originally as a course in the Radio School of the Bible over WMBI, Chicago. The writer acknowledges a measure of indebtedness to such works as those of Webb-Peploe, Andrew Jukes, R. B. Girdlestone, and Parkhurst's Hebrew Lexicon. The Scripture quotations are from the King James Version and the American Standard Version (A.S.V.), while some are free translations from the Hebrew. In addition, The Devoted Woman has included data from other resources where we felt more explanation was necessary. For further study on this topic, we highly recommend the book, The Names of God by Ken Hemphill.)

what child is this?

2011-12-17T03:00:00.001-05:00

At this very moment, an expectant mother has just gone into labor. After long months of waiting for her pregnancy to come to fruition, a woman is about to introduce a new child into the world. Perhaps this child's birth will come easily and without complication. Perhaps it won't. Perhaps this baby will be physically healthy and raised in a comfortable, safe environment filled with love and family. Perhaps it won't. Perhaps it will be raised in poverty and faced with malnutrition, a lack of education, sickness and danger. The speculated debut of every infant causes me to rejoice at God's creation and purpose yet still consider all that is most worrisome about the condition of our sinful race. Lord, will this baby make it?

In only a few years, as you and I continue to grow old, this once tiny infant will grow up and become wise to the saddened state of mankind. They will learn of how wealth and resources are divided unjustly on virtually every continent. They will be faced with real issues such as unstable economies, corrupted leaders, and war between nations. They will involuntarily be joined in responsibility for the choices of mankind. Choices that will impact the freedoms, opportunities, dignity and welfare of every son and daughter... every brother or sister... every man and woman.

This new life, added to the billions of other lives sharing our dying planet, will earn their place in history merely because they are human. They may be famous. They may be renowned. They may be wealthy. They may hold authority. Or they may never show up on the radar. A nobody to the masses. Irrespective of who they become or how easy/difficult their life may prove, this person will one day find himself face-to-face with Jesus, Emmanuel (meaning "God with us"), the Prince of Peace, the Son of God, the Light... the Hope of the world.

Jesus... a person who also was once a random baby born unpretentiously into our tainted world. Jesus... who would later be known as a Teacher, a Prophet, a Healer, a Messiah. What child is this who's birth was both lowly and glorious? A child who's arrival would ultimately be celebrated annually and worldwide. A child who's life would motivate carols of rejoicing and hymns of joy and peace. A child who was, and is, and is to come - the King of all kings. A special baby in whom all others will measure time. A person who could not be ignored. A person who would share a quality of spirit, a depth of insight, a manner of love while inviting others to live as He lives with great compassion, faith, purpose, and ethical integrity. Jesus would show us the highest possibility of godliness and the lowest form of humility. He would petition every heart to follow His Way, His Truth, His Life. A life that focuses on things ahead... things eternal... things holy... things good.

This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing! A child who slept in straw and lay in a manger - a trough where cattle would eat. A God who would bring promise, redemption, healing, salvation. Here he would come to live, to die, to live again to give hope to all babies... to all men born of this hopeless world. What unique child is this that we should celebrate his birth and sing his arrival - an arrival closer in circumstance to the poor than to the more fortunate. An arrival that warranted the choirs of heaven to sing glory and praise to God in the Highest the moment the umbilical cord was cut from His virgin mother. An arrival that invited both the simple and the sage... the worker and the wise... the elegant and the ordinary. All who knew would come and give their blessing to the One who was, and is, and will forever be truly blessed.

Ladies, as Christmas approaches and the hustle and bustle of the season consumes our time, let us not forget to honor this holy, holy, holy child... this Savior, who came to earth for one goal, one purpose. As Christian women, let us be grateful that our eyes have been opened to follow after His grace. Let us be thankful that our lives hold great worth because He first loved us. Let us share what we know to be true. What we believe, accept, follow. Let us tell all people about Jesus' one way, one goal, one purpose and how He loves all mankind and wishes to redeem their lives. Let us sing whole-heartedly alongside the angels and eternally rejoice - for peace came to earth! All praise and glory to our Omnipotent, Almighty God who loved us enough to come. Forever let us worship Jesus Christ... our Savior who lowered Himself to our level so that we could ultimately be lifted back up to His.

What child is this? This child is my Master and King. This child is my Redeemer and Ruler. This child is my Shepherd and Comforter. This child is my Wonderful Counselor. My Mighty God. My Everlasting Father. My Prince of Peace. The Holy of Holies!!! Let us pause and celebrate His glorious nativity. Let us live with His message, His purpose spilling from our lips. Let us rest in His promise to return again and anticipate with hope His kingdom come!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

This, this is Christ MY King... my precious, holy, beautiful, magnificent JESUS!

O Come, dear DW's... let us pause. O Come, let us adore HIM!

Blessings to you and yours on this (and every) Merry CHRISTmas! Happy, happy, happy holidays!

XOX ~Victoria

Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

Please Note: This will be Victoria's last blog until after the Christmas holiday as she plans to take time off to celebrate Christ's birth with her family. We will be posting various scripture, inspirational poems, and songs of praise on DW's Fresh Flowers Blog through December 25th. May God richly bless each of us as we pause and consider His glorious arrival... His promise of Peace. Glory to God in the Highest, DW's! May the Name of Jesus the Christ be exalted forevermore!!!