Not to us, but to Your name, be the Glory. \O/
Thursday, September 25, 2014
You're A Reformer
Does this describe you? Because it sure describes me. No longer satisfied with "playing church", I want to BE the Church! I want to set people on fire, I want to wake people up and compel them to love the Lord. I want to soar on wings like eagles, I want the Word of Christ to dwell in me richly.
Not to us, but to Your name, be the Glory. \O/
Not to us, but to Your name, be the Glory. \O/
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Why am I Me?
When I was a little girl, I used to stare at my hand and ask myself, "Why am I me?" A little profound for a little girl, but I wanted to know. Why wasn't I someone else? Why these parents; why this life?
The answer?
Because God willed it so (1 Corinthians 12:18).
God wanted me for His purpose, for such a time as this. It pleased Him to give me certain gifts, to look a certain way, to have my personality.
It was all for Him.
It humbles me that He willed me to exist. It never ceases to amaze me that I breathe His air, eat His harvest, and live His life (Galatians 2:20) - simply because His will is for my heart to continue beating that I may advance the Kingdom of God.
Who am I that God thinks such thoughts of me? That He planned all this for me? That He wants me to be a part of His Grand Design? Doesn't He know I'm forgetful? Unfaithful? Isn't He aware that I have a mean temper? Can't He see my selfish streak or that I let people down -- all the time?
Doesn't He know I'm broken with sin? (Romans 3:10)
Of course He knows.
He came into the world to take my sin, to clothe me with Himself and give me His eternal Life (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Again, who am I? Not even a mote of dust before His eyes and yet He condescends to love me with a fervent, passionate, everlasting love. (Songs 8:6)
"Why am I me?"
To be the object of His Love so that He will ever be the Object of mine.
(1 John 4:19)
Forever and always, Yeshua, You have my heart. I love You.
Praise the Lord.
~~Becka
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Are You a Disciple of Jesus Christ?
I've had something on my mind for quite awhile. What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ? Most folks believe a disciple is anyone who has faith in the Lord Jesus. I think in a broad sense, they're right. However not every "disciple" is being "discipled".
I think there's a huge gap between calling yourself a disciple and actually being discipled. A "disciple" is what you are - a noun that implies you're sitting under the lordship of a Master. "Being discipled", on the other hand, is a verb, an action, a daily pursuit to learn from that Master.
To give an example, it's safe to say every child in a classroom is a student. But not every child studies. You might have the slacker, the class clown, or the one who's always asleep in the same class as the child who actively seeks to excel.
There are so many people in this world who profess Christ and claim to be disciples. Perhaps they are true believers, only God can read their hearts. However, it's not too hard to discern they aren't making an effort to disciple themselves by the Word of God. Famous singers and actors profess Christ, yet their music is laced with profanity and their movies are morally ambiguous.
I realize there's a disconnect between real life and fiction. I used to write fiction, after all. But I cannot for the life of me picture the Apostle Paul writing erotica, singing songs with foul or suggestive language, or acting in questionable movies. If the Lord Jesus Christ Himself wouldn't do these things, then why do His followers? It might boost one's career, but it does nothing for one's relationship with Christ, and in fact, these types of behaviors actually harm that relationship.
I'm not just talking about famous people, but everyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus. As disciples of Christ, we represent Him here on earth. Scripture calls us ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). That means our citizenship is in another world and we're representing our homeland here on earth -- the Kingdom of God.
If you were an ambassador for the United States, how would you act to represent this country? It is no different as an ambassador for Christ. We are His Body here on earth. If someone knows you're a believer, yet witnesses your half-hearted commitment to our Lord, what does that say about you, about your salvation, and about your love for Jesus?
God made it clear through Christ's Two Great Commandments what true discipleship looks like. We love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves. This isn't some passing fancy. This isn't lip-service. We don't love God in the same way we might "love" our roommate. Think about the measure of devotion one must have to love another with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Think about how difficult it is to be selfless rather than selfish. But that's what God calls us to do. He wants us to love Him with every last atom of our existence and pour ourselves out for others.
That means all affection, adoration, and devotion belong to God. Heart.
All your prayers, worship, and eternity belong to God. Soul.
All your thoughts, studies, and entertainment belong to God. Mind.
All your willpower, all your perseverance, and all your ability to follow belong to God. Strength.
All of these are accomplished when we earnestly seek God. He promises over and over that if we seek Him, He will be found (Deuteronomy 4:29, Matthew 7:7). No one can do this on their own. We need to pray for God's help to love Him in this way, as we cannot make ourselves do something that is foreign to us. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, we're bound to fail.
For myself, I asked God to help me love Him like the Apostles. It was a genuine prayer, from my heart, and God granted it because it is His will for every child of God to know Him as the Twelve knew Him. In fact, you can be sure any genuine prayer you pray to better yourself for the Kingdom of God will be heard and answered. The Apostle John told us if we pray according to the will of God, we have what we've asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15).
We might not know God's will for our lives in the day-to-day, but I'm confident in this, that God's will for each of His children is to know Him. If we point our prayers in that direction, for God to reveal Himself to us, to give us a love for His Word, to fan the flames of our hearts, to learn more about Jesus, to do good works for His Kingdom, to love others, to be a light for Him, to equip us with knowledge and wisdom in Him, then He will honor these prayers and by His will, the Holy Spirit shall begin discipling you.
Being a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ is not easy. Likely that's why many don't disciple themselves. I used to write erotic romance. When I decided to disciple myself, I retired. And it was a joy to do so. Remember, I had prayed for God to help me in this. When I laid down my writing for Jesus, I knew I was doing so for His glory, and not my own. I no longer wanted my mind to be filled with such thoughts. I no longer wanted to be an accomplice of filling the minds of my readers with such thoughts.
In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul talks about food that's been offered to idols and whether or not it should be eaten. My issue wasn't with food, but the concept was sound -- don't live so as to make your weaker brother or sister stumble. I saw the vanity in what I was doing, that the Kingdom wasn't advancing through me, that Christ wasn't glorified through me, that others couldn't see Him in me.
As a Christian, I quite literally disgusted myself.
But the Lord takes what the enemy means for evil and works it for good. I'm still a writer, but now I write for God. And pretty much everyone who knew me before knows what I do now. If I had retired quietly, God wouldn't have been given the glory.
The point I'm trying to make here is that Christians need to be discipled. We have it in our heads that we need to do it in groups, have a mentor, or have an older Christian to guide us. While those are wonderful resources to have, I have learned the Holy Spirit is quite capable of discipling a child of God all on His own (1 John 2:27). Everything you read on my blog I've learned under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit. I retired from writing romance in 2011 and these past few years have rushed by like a hurricane - God has restored the years the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25) and used me to reach you.
Everything I do on my blog, I do out of love for my brethren in Christ. I truly feel as if the Lord is moving through the candlesticks of His Church and fanning the flames in the hearts of every true believer. I have an intense desire to urge His Bride to wake up, stand up, and look up for their Bridegroom and know Him as I do. I meet a lot of disciples of Christ. But it is rare to find those who are actively being discipled.
If you are a Christian, you must grow in the Lord. Don't be content to be a withered little sproutling in a dark corner of the Lord's garden. Endeavor to become a mighty oak, planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither (Psalm 1:3). Ask God to make you a Christian who abides in Vine, one who has the Word of Christ dwelling in them richly. Ask the Lord to make rivers of Living Water flow from your heart. Ask God to mold you and shape you into a mature Christian who actively seeks Him in both prayer and study.
If you do this, then Christ can and will use you mightily for the Kingdom of God. And at the end of the day, that's all that really matters.
~~Becka
I think there's a huge gap between calling yourself a disciple and actually being discipled. A "disciple" is what you are - a noun that implies you're sitting under the lordship of a Master. "Being discipled", on the other hand, is a verb, an action, a daily pursuit to learn from that Master.
To give an example, it's safe to say every child in a classroom is a student. But not every child studies. You might have the slacker, the class clown, or the one who's always asleep in the same class as the child who actively seeks to excel.
There are so many people in this world who profess Christ and claim to be disciples. Perhaps they are true believers, only God can read their hearts. However, it's not too hard to discern they aren't making an effort to disciple themselves by the Word of God. Famous singers and actors profess Christ, yet their music is laced with profanity and their movies are morally ambiguous.
I realize there's a disconnect between real life and fiction. I used to write fiction, after all. But I cannot for the life of me picture the Apostle Paul writing erotica, singing songs with foul or suggestive language, or acting in questionable movies. If the Lord Jesus Christ Himself wouldn't do these things, then why do His followers? It might boost one's career, but it does nothing for one's relationship with Christ, and in fact, these types of behaviors actually harm that relationship.
I'm not just talking about famous people, but everyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus. As disciples of Christ, we represent Him here on earth. Scripture calls us ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). That means our citizenship is in another world and we're representing our homeland here on earth -- the Kingdom of God.
If you were an ambassador for the United States, how would you act to represent this country? It is no different as an ambassador for Christ. We are His Body here on earth. If someone knows you're a believer, yet witnesses your half-hearted commitment to our Lord, what does that say about you, about your salvation, and about your love for Jesus?
God made it clear through Christ's Two Great Commandments what true discipleship looks like. We love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves. This isn't some passing fancy. This isn't lip-service. We don't love God in the same way we might "love" our roommate. Think about the measure of devotion one must have to love another with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Think about how difficult it is to be selfless rather than selfish. But that's what God calls us to do. He wants us to love Him with every last atom of our existence and pour ourselves out for others.
That means all affection, adoration, and devotion belong to God. Heart.
All your prayers, worship, and eternity belong to God. Soul.
All your thoughts, studies, and entertainment belong to God. Mind.
All your willpower, all your perseverance, and all your ability to follow belong to God. Strength.
All of these are accomplished when we earnestly seek God. He promises over and over that if we seek Him, He will be found (Deuteronomy 4:29, Matthew 7:7). No one can do this on their own. We need to pray for God's help to love Him in this way, as we cannot make ourselves do something that is foreign to us. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, we're bound to fail.
For myself, I asked God to help me love Him like the Apostles. It was a genuine prayer, from my heart, and God granted it because it is His will for every child of God to know Him as the Twelve knew Him. In fact, you can be sure any genuine prayer you pray to better yourself for the Kingdom of God will be heard and answered. The Apostle John told us if we pray according to the will of God, we have what we've asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15).
We might not know God's will for our lives in the day-to-day, but I'm confident in this, that God's will for each of His children is to know Him. If we point our prayers in that direction, for God to reveal Himself to us, to give us a love for His Word, to fan the flames of our hearts, to learn more about Jesus, to do good works for His Kingdom, to love others, to be a light for Him, to equip us with knowledge and wisdom in Him, then He will honor these prayers and by His will, the Holy Spirit shall begin discipling you.
Being a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ is not easy. Likely that's why many don't disciple themselves. I used to write erotic romance. When I decided to disciple myself, I retired. And it was a joy to do so. Remember, I had prayed for God to help me in this. When I laid down my writing for Jesus, I knew I was doing so for His glory, and not my own. I no longer wanted my mind to be filled with such thoughts. I no longer wanted to be an accomplice of filling the minds of my readers with such thoughts.
In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul talks about food that's been offered to idols and whether or not it should be eaten. My issue wasn't with food, but the concept was sound -- don't live so as to make your weaker brother or sister stumble. I saw the vanity in what I was doing, that the Kingdom wasn't advancing through me, that Christ wasn't glorified through me, that others couldn't see Him in me.
As a Christian, I quite literally disgusted myself.
But the Lord takes what the enemy means for evil and works it for good. I'm still a writer, but now I write for God. And pretty much everyone who knew me before knows what I do now. If I had retired quietly, God wouldn't have been given the glory.
The point I'm trying to make here is that Christians need to be discipled. We have it in our heads that we need to do it in groups, have a mentor, or have an older Christian to guide us. While those are wonderful resources to have, I have learned the Holy Spirit is quite capable of discipling a child of God all on His own (1 John 2:27). Everything you read on my blog I've learned under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit. I retired from writing romance in 2011 and these past few years have rushed by like a hurricane - God has restored the years the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25) and used me to reach you.
Everything I do on my blog, I do out of love for my brethren in Christ. I truly feel as if the Lord is moving through the candlesticks of His Church and fanning the flames in the hearts of every true believer. I have an intense desire to urge His Bride to wake up, stand up, and look up for their Bridegroom and know Him as I do. I meet a lot of disciples of Christ. But it is rare to find those who are actively being discipled.
If you are a Christian, you must grow in the Lord. Don't be content to be a withered little sproutling in a dark corner of the Lord's garden. Endeavor to become a mighty oak, planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither (Psalm 1:3). Ask God to make you a Christian who abides in Vine, one who has the Word of Christ dwelling in them richly. Ask the Lord to make rivers of Living Water flow from your heart. Ask God to mold you and shape you into a mature Christian who actively seeks Him in both prayer and study.
If you do this, then Christ can and will use you mightily for the Kingdom of God. And at the end of the day, that's all that really matters.
~~Becka
Friday, September 5, 2014
The Son of God - The Love of My Life
For everyone who's reading this, I wanted to give you a glimpse into my heart. I have prayed often to God that He's the only One who truly knows the extent of my love for Him. I rarely talk about Jesus among friends, as sadly I don't have many close, godly, Christian friends--at least ones who have a desire to talk about deep theology and the things of God.
So, like Mary, the mother of Jesus, I hide these things in my heart (Luke 2:19).
Upon reading a journal entry of mine that's about six months old now, I felt the nudge of the Lord that it was time to share it, that perhaps by my example, others can know there are more Christians out there like them. Perhaps they can know they're not alone, that there are Christians who, like King David, pant after and long for the heart of their God. There are those who aren't blinded by the emotional outbursts of some, or the false pretenses of others. There are those with discernment and the gift of faith, who stand tall upon the Rock of their salvation--who see Christ high and lifted up, and magnify His holy name.
Or perhaps this can be an example to others who don't know Christ in this way, who have never considered loving Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Maybe they've stumbled upon this blog by accident, maybe they're a Christian, and yet have never beheld a mature believer who's not simply "on fire for Jesus", like many a charismatic may claim, but rather, has surrendered their life unto Him in total and complete trust and devotion.
Therefore, without further adieu, here is my own personal journal entry from March 20th, 2014:
After reading the account of Sarah Edwards and her love affair with the Lord God, I was inspired to write down my own thoughts and feelings regarding the Treasure of Heaven.
It moves me to tears to know I mean so much to the Starbreather. That I reside within the heart of my God just as He lives in mine. He is my Fortress, I am His temple.
I feel Him all around me - at all times - wherever I go. He is my garment and my fragrance. He has visited me in dreams, and He is glorious. The longer I sit in His presence, the more aware I am of His holiness compared to my sinful nature. I feel the divide between us, how far I am from Him in righteousness, and yet, He says, "Look at Me."
But I say, "No, Lord, do not look upon me, for I am black with sin."
He answers, "My dove, there is no stain upon you."
He has blessed me far beyond all I could ask or think - I am the object of His affection and at times feel Him very close to me. He loves me, and while I know I do not deserve Him, He has given Himself to me and for me, so I may be with Him where He is.
I was created for Him. I was created to worship and adore Him. And I do, wholeheartedly.
He is the object of MY affection, and may it never be otherwise. I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine. I have found the One whom my soul loves.
Yeshua Messiah, Son of God, Lord of Hosts, King of Kings, Ancient of Days.
Words are not adequate to describe my devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. I praise Him that He can read my heart, for He is the strength of my heart, and my portion... FOREVER.
~~Becka
So, like Mary, the mother of Jesus, I hide these things in my heart (Luke 2:19).
Upon reading a journal entry of mine that's about six months old now, I felt the nudge of the Lord that it was time to share it, that perhaps by my example, others can know there are more Christians out there like them. Perhaps they can know they're not alone, that there are Christians who, like King David, pant after and long for the heart of their God. There are those who aren't blinded by the emotional outbursts of some, or the false pretenses of others. There are those with discernment and the gift of faith, who stand tall upon the Rock of their salvation--who see Christ high and lifted up, and magnify His holy name.
Or perhaps this can be an example to others who don't know Christ in this way, who have never considered loving Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Maybe they've stumbled upon this blog by accident, maybe they're a Christian, and yet have never beheld a mature believer who's not simply "on fire for Jesus", like many a charismatic may claim, but rather, has surrendered their life unto Him in total and complete trust and devotion.
Therefore, without further adieu, here is my own personal journal entry from March 20th, 2014:
After reading the account of Sarah Edwards and her love affair with the Lord God, I was inspired to write down my own thoughts and feelings regarding the Treasure of Heaven.
~*~
Yeshua Messiah is everything to me. He is my all-in-all. In Him, there is nothing I lack; I have all I need. I see His beauty everywhere - the sky, the birds, the flowers. He speaks to me in gentle, lilting ways, igniting my heart as well as my mind. The angels speak true - the whole earth is full of His glory!
The depth of my closeness to Him is as an ocean, bottomless and vast. No matter how deep I go, there is more depth to plunder. No matter how far I go, the far shore is never sighted. And yet I know my finite brain has only seen God as through a key hole, just a glimpse of His majesty, just a taste of His sweetness.
But that is all it takes to make me hunger for more, a famine for the Word of the Lord.
The Bible is a feast - the Word is bread; it is the table that God has prepared before me in the presence of my enemies. Every page, every word, a glittering gem, a thread, a rabbit hole of deeper and fuller understanding of the character of God - through Yeshua our Lord.
God's truths have been made manifest to me - no longer written in a Book, but upon my heart, real and everlasting. And through these promises and knowledge of His character, I spend so much time in prayer, adoring my Maker, my Husband, the God of the whole earth. The Lord of Hosts is His name!
The sky is His tabernacle; my heart is His Holy of holies. He dwells before me, beside me, within me, closer than my very breath. There isn't an atom in my body which does not adore Christ. He is my daily pursuit, my magnificent obsession, the Lover of my soul. No book is more precious to me than the Song of Solomon, of knowing Yeshua so thoroughly that I can say with confidence -- "He is my Beloved and my Friend, the Chiefest among ten thousand!"
And yet He condescends to love me unconditionally, the chiefest among sinners.
How can I not be fascinated by such devotion? How can I not be moved to know that God Himself did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, that He counted it all as loss in order to win His Bride - to win ME?
God's love is better than life - now the psalmist speaks true. To live is Christ, but to die is gain for we shall ever be with the Lord. What sweeter reality is there? What earthly promise can compare?
Communing with Christ brings Heaven to earth. Entering His presence is both weighty and wonderful. His love is tender, it is true, it is so fulfilling to heart and soul. A saddened heart becomes joyous, an agitated heart becomes at peace, an offended heart melts with love.
Christ has saved the best of my walk with Him for now, when I can know and appreciate Him as my Bridegroom and not just as my Father, Brother, or Friend. He has brought me into His chambers and His banner over me is love. He has clothed me with the gold of Ophir and tells me that one glance from my eye ravishes His heart.
I feel Him all around me - at all times - wherever I go. He is my garment and my fragrance. He has visited me in dreams, and He is glorious. The longer I sit in His presence, the more aware I am of His holiness compared to my sinful nature. I feel the divide between us, how far I am from Him in righteousness, and yet, He says, "Look at Me."
But I say, "No, Lord, do not look upon me, for I am black with sin."
He answers, "My dove, there is no stain upon you."
He has blessed me far beyond all I could ask or think - I am the object of His affection and at times feel Him very close to me. He loves me, and while I know I do not deserve Him, He has given Himself to me and for me, so I may be with Him where He is.
I was created for Him. I was created to worship and adore Him. And I do, wholeheartedly.
He is the object of MY affection, and may it never be otherwise. I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine. I have found the One whom my soul loves.
Yeshua Messiah, Son of God, Lord of Hosts, King of Kings, Ancient of Days.
Words are not adequate to describe my devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. I praise Him that He can read my heart, for He is the strength of my heart, and my portion... FOREVER.
~~Becka
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