Photo by Aleksandr Slobodianyk
The galaxies in the Night’s heaven are like living poetry
Your beautiful idea happening right in front of me
The air is clear and crisp in a season of knowing
Joy and grief, tears and smiles the evidence of living
Love falling down like white feathers all around
I cherish your gifts to me Oh God, I see you in utter Holiness
Photo by Simon Clayton
Do not let me go to sleep and drift off into the opioid of sabotage
Sin and persistent failures a cunning addiction
I grow weary of all the brutal truth of how one must guard the deep longing of their heart
For I wander high upon the cliff and the sea glistens enchanted below
I envy your assurance but find mine for my self
Though I am anxious to arrive I wish the journey to an end
A silence I cannot hear whispers of the Living Water where there are no dangers hidden
“…if you would ask him he would give you living water…(John 4:10)
Photo by Pok Rie
I was not your faithful friend
I was not truthful, no
I am not the best daughter, sister, wife, or mother
But I know The One who is all I have not been
The One who is a kind and faithful friend
The One who always tells the Truth, yes
The One who is the best in me that I cannot be
The One who’s is all I have not been
So when you think of how I let you down
And remember the times I did not live in truth
I want you to know that I know
Jesus is The One who is all I have not been
Photo by Marta Dzedyshko
Like the vaults of God’s Holy temple
the blue spruce branches arch over me
Each heavily draped with new fallen snow
I kneel down in grateful prayer under the Cathedral Tree
I have never been one to love easily and trust
but You Oh God have loved me with perfect love
I was heavily draped in sin and you washed me white as snow
I kneel down in humility under the Cathedral Tree
Photo by Matthew T Rader
Everybody moving blindly forward, like fish in a shoal
How long have we been losing touch with our souls?
Everybody hating what they can not understand
We surely did not gain good from the knowledge of evil
We surely forsook the only wise God and Creator
We tried to be our own gods but could not do it better
I know this is not how the story ends for His image bearers
I know the Master Writer’s plan can not be thwarted
Let it be oh Lord I pray our Faith be made sight today
Photo by Ionut Cerchia
As I sat in the still and In the mess
In the emptiness of my own conceit and arrogance
The old man with white hair said,
“these are your thorns to bear…”
When the only free person in the room
Is the one who is in chains
Then it is time to look at what man calls “justice”
Pontius Pilate could not deny his claims
It is in vulnerability that God’s Grace comes
It is in the mourning that the Grief is fulfilled
It is in the freedom of Truth that I want to run
It is in humility that true courage is spilled
Photo by luizclas
He was the only one there in that dark still night
I was flayed open with a razor sharp knife
He said are you ready to rise from the dead?
Through sobs and his blood yes was all I said
He said I am the love you are counting on
I am the only One when all others are gone
I am the one who carries you when you fall
Through doubts and sorrow I’ve paid it all
He is the one who gave His all for me
He fought for me to the bloody end
And on that day when He rose again
He said I am all I have ever been
He held me there as life seeped in
He is everything no one else has been
He is my champion, teacher, Redeemer, and friend
He is the one I will count on until the end
Photo by Pixabay
I am not anyone’s authority on what they read, or who they listen to or what blogs they like to follow. I just know that for me, a little caution bell went off in my head the other day about “rightly dividing the Word of Truth” and the heavy responsibility that goes with it.
Jesus said, “See that no one lead you astray.” Matthew 24:4
We often think of humility as an awareness of our faults, but humility is an awareness of our limitations.
Here is why I am discerning a red flag in my head and am being led by the Holy Spirit to “check” myself and who I am following.
Over 20 million women (conservative number) are known to follow someone like Glennon Doyle Melton, Jen Hatmaker, Beth Moore, Priscilla Shire, Jennie Allen (If:Equip ministry), Ann VosKamp, Shauna Nyquist, Lysa TerKeurst (Proverbs 31 Ministries) or a group of women under the umbrella of “She Speaks Truth” ministry, and many more on Social Media.
Most of these ladies started out sharing their stories via Blog, or by writing books, and speaking engagements. The things they have to say obviously resonate with women. Whether it is how to cope in marriage, Motherhood, single life, health issues, spiritual issues, sexuality issues or just light subjects like decorating your home or cooking healthy.
This type of teaching and leadership, if you call it that, is taking off in “The Church” culture for women but are often para-ministries meaning they are not under Biblical authority, or are they? You must choose for yourself with the guidance of the very real and present Holy Spirit of God. Just because you agree with some things a woman might say doesn’t make her a Truth speaker.
Truth stands alone, “outside of us” in our humanity until we become the daughters of God through Jesus Christ the Truth then dwells in us through the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. We must not lose our humility and always walk in the fact that we are God’s children and we, who follow Jesus, are under his authority. He is Truth, this God/Man is Truth. Truth is a person not an ideal. Truth is not a feeling.
Humility is not seen much in this world. We must believe what God says about us and that is that we were dead in sin. Hopelessly lost, now saved by Grace through Christ Jesus.
Wisdom is always needed. Not earthly Wisdom but True Wisdom that comes from God.
I read in scripture that Jesus first gives us strong and serious warnings to be aware of anyone’s teaching and the way to measure them is by “whose authority” do they speak, lead, guide, or teach?
So, Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” John 8:28
In James 3:1 James implores us “do not run” to teach and/or lead…”Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.) These gifts are surely costly gifts and come with heavy accountability before God.
What does Wise Living look like? In James chapters 1 and 2 is a pearl for living well and whole and fleshing out what we believe…
The wise woman will persevere
She cannot stop praising God or referencing God in her daily life.
She is slow to speak and quick to listen.
She is gentle, gentle, gentle!
She is a “doer” of God’s Word.
She leads a life of purity, not innocence but purity. There is no malice in her heart. She is not trying to gain reward for herself only for Jesus. We are called to “know Jesus” (intimately), and to make Him known (by our words, actions, and the intent of our heart.)
She does not show favoritism.
She controls her tongue.I
So knowledge without Truth is evil. Truth stands alone without my opinion. Who I let teach or influence me matters. I shall I my self and all friends out there to take the time to really read and know the Bible so you will not be led astray. I can only hold up each one to the test of God’s Word outlined above.
Thinking on the page…
Photo by Pixabay
She said I can’t go through this again
I can’t cover up your sin
Anymore…
She just kept walking down the road
Trying to drop that heavy load
Somewhere…
Oh the days go better than the nights
The prayers crack through a little light
Sometimes…
The storm blows in like a runaway train
Jesus is standing there calling her name
Again…
Photo by Engin Akyurt
Where does Comfort hide on nights like this
when I feel all the loss and the ones I miss?
Comfort dodges me like shadows on the wall
I know I must renew my mind or else I will surely fall…
Fall into doubt of my firm foundation
Fall into distortion of Evil’s confrontations
Fall into fear and lies of what lay ahead
So I will fight for my heart with His Sword of Truth
I will fan the flame of Faith I have had since my youth
I will rejoice that His Grace is sufficient thus far
and Grace will lead me on as I travel this star…
I will kneel at the foot of His Holy Cross
I will give thanks for all I have gained and not lost
So as the Comforter whispers His command of sweet Peace
The night shadows vanish and all shadows must cease
Now I will rest in the arms of my Heavenly Dad
and fall into the best sleep there is to be had
…and be renewed in the spirit of your mind… (Ephesians 4:23)
