Welcome to my blog. It is my sincere prayer that these entries will encourage you and enable you to see how valuable you are to Jesus who is the ultimate Jewel. As children of the One True King we have been given riches that supersede our wildest imaginations! Every truth revealed to us through God's Word is more precious than the most fine and rare of gemstones. Blessings to each of you...
Much love,
Julie

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Reliant


"You show that you are a letter from Christ...written not with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence and steadfast reliance and absolute trust that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficiently qualified in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency and qualifications come from God."
                                                                                                                        2 Corinthians 3:3-5




It seems illogical to believe that our weaknesses and shortcomings can be used by God to become avenues of blessing, and yet, when we rely on His sufficiency, that is exactly what they are. It is in our frailties that God delights to show Himself strong because then He alone is glorified. Even more than this, God desires intimacy with His children and it is from this intimacy that flows the power and purpose for which we are created.

The level of intimacy we have with Christ lies solely on our shoulders. We get to choose how close to God we become and the degree to which we depend upon Him. When we truly develop the spiritual discipline of practicing God's presence through worship and meditation, this is when everything in our lives begins to change. The more we experience God, the more we want to experience Him and this shifts our priorities to sacrifice the lesser things in life.

Total reliance occurs when we know and trust God because we are assured that He deserves that level of dependence because of His great love for us and ability to work all things for our good. The definition of the word reliant is "having or showing dependence; confident; trustful". Most believers would look at this definition and believe that they are completely reliant on God, but this is the part where deeper insight is required. It begs the question, "Do I really have an accurate perception of my limitations and inadequacies and do I really trust God to make them strong within me?"

Our society rejects the notion of any weakness as being a good thing. And yet, from a biblical perspective, God gives us many benefits for our insufficiencies. The primary benefit being that, as we surrender to Him, Christ then becomes All-Sufficient to us.

Christ's sufficiency far supersedes anything we can do on our own. It is His sufficiency that enables us to "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition]...Invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, exercising every kind of endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God's holy people) in the Light" (Colossians 1:10-12).

When we are truthfully willing to take account of our weaknesses, we will recognize that it is our inadequacies that force us to work in the power of the Holy Spirit. Anything that drives us to our knees and propels us toward God is a good thing. Fellowship is the sweetest with our Heavenly Father when we realize that not only can He supply all our needs, but that He is already wanting and waiting to do it.

Our limitations will relieve us from the burden of trying to do things in our own strength. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can carry the burdens and weights that would crush us if we were standing on our own.  Even when our circumstances seem to be relentless, God will deliver us to walk in victory. He alone can give us a calm and a contentment that only comes from the quietness of our spirit. Either we will relinquish our struggles and cease striving or we will proceed in our own strength and quickly become overwhelmed.

When we humble ourselves enough to feel our need, God will raise us up to new heights. Acknowledging our shortcomings allows God to get all the glory. This is when He knows that He can trust us with His power because He sees that we will steward it in the way He calls us to.

It is our lack that is engineered to magnify God's perfect sufficiency. It is the prayer of faith and confidence that keeps praying until something happens. As we contend and press in to seek the face of God, we find that Jesus is: our Deliverer, our Peace, our Protector, our Advocate, our Rock, our Defender, our Hope, our Righteousness, our Truth, our Counselor, our Comfort, our Sustainer, our Refresher, our Love, our Help, our Healer, our Companion, our Wisdom, our Strength, and our Faithful and Mighty God.

As we look to Jesus continually to meet our needs, we are transformed. And, when life is hard, and Jesus is all we have, we begin to see that God is much, much bigger than our circumstances. Matthew Henry, author and theologian, says, "If we have, through grace, an interest in Him who is the Fountain, we may rejoice in Him when the streams of temporal mercies are dried up."

We grow in our capacity to experience God and in or capacity to become steadfast in our walk. In the book of Acts, Peter quoted David as saying,"I saw the Lord constantly before me, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken or overthrown or cast down [from my secure and happy state]" (Acts 2:25).

The more we know God experientially, the more we will love, trust, and rely upon Him. It is inherent in these times in which we live that we know how much God loves us and that we are also passionately in love with Him. It is only this kind of love that will enable us to not be shaken in a world that seems to be inundated with tremors.

If we really take the time to spend with God and develop an intimate, rich relationship, we will also have the love and compassion that is active and brings life to others. Every time that Jesus experienced this type of compassion He was moved to heal, feed, and minister to those in need. Our vertical relationship then extends horizontally as we become doers of the Word.

When we are filled with God's Spirit we can change the environment everywhere we go. As we seek God's face in our lives, it is inevitable that others will be touched and changed by the power of God. Jesus reiterated this point to Martha (sister of Mary and Lazarus) when He said, "Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God? (John 11:40).


                      "Grace is but Glory begun, and Glory is but Grace perfected."
                                                      Jonathan Edwards

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Our Glorious Inheritance


[Paul said], "I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance He has given to His people."
                                                                                                                                    Ephesians 1:18b




With so much turbulence in the stock market and national economies around the world, it is vitally important for us to understand the things we possess that can never be taken away. The lives we live on this earth are but a vapor and everything in this world will one day vanish and forever be gone. And yet, as believers in Christ, we have been graciously given an inheritance that is ours now and an additional inheritance that will be ours later.

When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we were adopted into His family and grafted into His lineage. This simple act of faith transitioned us from being outside of God's family to actually belonging to Him and His family. The book of Galatians tells us that we "are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26).

Further explanation is given when the author adds, "And since you are His child, God has made you His heir" (Galatians 4:7). This means that all of God's children have privileges and a spiritual inheritance that are too wonderful for our minds even to grasp. To be included in God's family is life's greatest honor and our highest privilege. There is nothing or no one that can rival it.

Since Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant, He is the One wo assigns us our portion on this earth and eternally. God said to Him [Jesus], "Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your heritage, and the ends of the earth Your possession" (Psalm 2:8). Later, the Psalmist writes, "The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance" (Psalm 16:6).

We are the beneficiaries of Jesus' sacrifice. Because of what He has done for us, we inherit: the riches of His grace, patience, kindness, wisdom, mercy, glory, and power. He graciously gives us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

Additionally, we are given a rightful place in God's family and a territory that is ours to manage. We become co-heirs with Christ.. When we are born into His kingdom through Jesus, we inherit all His promises given to us in His Word. We then use what God has given us to bring light and life to a dark and dying world.

The Holy Spirit is the "guarantee" of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). He gives us the assurance of our eternal outcome as well as the guidance we need to lay hold of the inheritance God has for us now. He gives us the confidence that God will indeed perform what He has promised.

If these gifts were not enough, we also have an inheritance that we will receive later. This is what God promises to us:
                     *We will have no more pain, death, and suffering (Revelation 21:4)
                     *We get to be with God forever (1Thessalonians 4:17 and 5:12)
                     *We will be transformed to be like Christ (1 John 3:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18)
                     *We will be rewarded and given positions of service (Mark 9:41 and 10:38;
                       1 Corinthians 3:8; Hebrews 10:35; and Matthew 25:21,23)
                     *We get to share in Christ's glory (Romans 8:17; Colossians 3:4;
                       2 Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Timothy 2:12; 1 Peter 5:1)

None of these promises can be taken away from us! God has reserved them and will continue to protect them for us. We are told that "God has reserved a priceless inheritance for His children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay" (1 Peter 1:4).

While our eternal inheritance is secure, we must claim the inheritance God has for us here. We find an example of this in the Old Testament. After the Israelites had entered into the Promised Land, God had apportioned each of the twelve tribes a specific area of land and territory. Five of those tribes had claimed their inheritance, but seven of them had grown accustomed to their nomadic lifestyle and were willing to settle for less than what God had for them.

The land had been divided by Joshua based on the faithfulness of each of the tribes. The battles were over and the war had been won but there were still seven tribes who had not claimed their rightful inheritance. Joshua said to them, "How long are you going to wait before taking possession of the remaining land...[that God] has given to you?" (Joshua 18:3).

The difference between those who claimed their inheritance and those who did not was faith. If the same percentages were true today, that would mean that fifty-eight percent of believers would not understand their role as an ambassador of Christ because of a lack of faith and spiritual zeal. Passivity and decisions that are easier in the moment lead to a willingness to quit because of a lack of vision in what God is doing. Spiritual dryness becomes pervasive. While quitting may be easier in the short-term, it is definitely short-sighted when we see the glorious inheritance that God has prepared for us!

There are many contributing factors to spiritual dryness, but here are a few: unrelenting trials and temptations, sin, lack of prayer, pessimistic attitude, lack of involvement, lack of commitment, and disillusionment when God doesn't answer our prayers in the way we thought He would. If we are empty emotionally, physically, or spiritually, we will lack the zeal and fervor needed to persevere. If we do not persevere and claim our inheritance, our hearts will ultimately become extremely hardened.

Resistance is the call for perseverance. It is our obstacles that become our greatest teachers if we sincerely seek God in the midst of them. C.S. Lewis said, "God knows our situation; He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. What matters is the sincerity and perseverance of our will to overcome them."

If you are currently in a spiritually dry place, please know that this is a normal part of every spiritual journey. We must, however, determine that we will not stay in its place. We have to push forward and take possession of our spiritual inheritance. Never, ever give up!

We are God's special treasure and He has great things in store for us! When we are in Christ and have received His Spirit, we have the power and strength to persevere to the end and receive our portion. He has given us His great and precious promises which enable us to thank Him even in the midst of adversity because we are guaranteed we will receive what He has promised and that, in Him, we have a glorious inheritance!


"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward."
                                                                                                                             Colossians 3:23-24    

 

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Hope In The New Year



"Hope refreshes faith, that it may not become weary. It sustains faith to the final goal, that it my not fail in midcourse, or even at the starting gate. In short, by unremitting, renewing, and restoring, it
invigorates faith again and again with perseverance."
                                                                                                       John Calvin, French Reformer




This new year started somewhat tumultuously for our family. Our youngest daughter, Abbie, was hospitalized for several days with facial cellulitis and an abscess. The treatment required days of  IV antibiotics, followed by a minimum of a ten day course orally. School was missed and flights were rescheduled, as were many patients in Brent's medical practice. In spite of our unexpected chaos, there were also many unexpected blessings that God had prepared for us along the way.

The first blessing came in the form of a Christmas present we had received from a precious eight year old girl named Jordan. She had made us a decoration that hangs on a doorknob in the shape of a candy cane. Written upon it was the verse that reads, "By His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). When her parents called us while we were in the Emergency Room, her Mom reminded me of that gift given and stated that it was a prophetic promise for us in this situation. Days later, God confirmed this word when Abbie's nurse unknowingly laid a candy cane on her belly while she slept. Yes, God can even speak through a sugary, striped confectionary.

The next blessing we received was through unexpected friends and family that unknowingly called and texted us that they were being prompted to pray for us. We literally could feel the prayers that were being prayed for Abbie. It was extremely comforting to know that others were praying for her that she would be healed and restored (James 5:16).

A third blessing came in the form of a daily Bible verse text. It arrived on a morning when Brent and I were exhausted physically from a lack of sleep. The verse said, "The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace" (Psalm 29:11). Strength and peace were exactly what we needed and strength and peace God did supply!

The last, and best, blessing that God gave to us was the chance to minister to a Jewish nurse that took care of Abbie. This nurse was diligent and had a heart of gold. She shared with us that her immediate family barely survived the holocaust in Germany, while her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins were murdered. All of her family that survived today lies in Haifa, Israel. In the midst of every trial lies an opportunity in God's economy.

It is, however, in times like these that we truly find out where our hope lies. If it is inextricably linked to Jesus, our Rock, we will not be shaken. Everything we need will be given to us and our security will never falter.

Hudson Taylor, a nineteenth century missionary to China, sums up the sufficiency of Christ as follows: "'Christ liveth in me.' And how great the difference! Instead of bondage, liberty; instead of failure, quiet victories within; instead of fear and weakness, a restful sense of sufficiency in Another."

It is my belief that in this upcoming year the most important thing we can do is to completely find our sufficiency in Christ. If we look to the stock market for security, we will be shaken. If we look to the government, we are standing on sinking sand. Jesus is our true security and He is the Only One who "will never leave you or forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).

This is the Hebraic year 5776. The two predominant letters associated with this year are the ayin and the vav. The ayin has the numerical value of seventy and is symbolized as the eye. The vav has the numerical value of six and its meaning is the "peg, nail, or hook". When you combine these letters it means "to see the peg". The word "see" in this context means to "discern, understand, know".

Really knowing Jesus this year will keep us strong and peaceful in the midst of turbulence and increasing tensions in the world. Since this is also a political year in the U.S., it is safe to assume that the vitriol and deception will continue to escalate. Like never before we need to be rooted in the love of Christ and grounded in His Word because the tension between the work of God and the work of man (not of God) will  continue to mount.

We must be secure in our salvation and know that it only comes through Jesus. Not religion. Not works. Just Jesus. We are told that "There is salvation in no one else [other than Jesus], for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Prophetically, Jesus is the peg or nail that secures our position and connects us to His Father. He is our prophetic promise of victory. This is how the prophet Zechariah explains, "Out of him [Judah] shall come forth the cornerstone, out of him the tent peg, out of him the battle bow; every ruler shall proceed from him. And they shall be like mighty men treading down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle, and they shall fight because the Lord is with them, and the [oppressor's] riders on horses shall be confounded and put to shame" (Zechariah 10:4-5).

Jesus is the Only One who has been given the authority and power to overcome the evil in this world. The Holy Spirit describes Jesus as "the Holy One, the True One, He who has the key of David, who opens what no one shall shut and shuts what no one shall open"(Revelation 3:7). He is the One who allows us to grow in grace, be strong in faith, and give glory to God through our lives.

If you are currently in a battle, it is prayer that will win the war. As we pray and declare God's Word, Jesus watches over His Word to perform it. Alert and awake, we will discern what God is saying during these turbulent times.

Moreover, there is a double blessing and a double portion that will be given to the people of God during this season. Double gates will be opened in front of us, unlocked by the key of David, and we will see answers to prayers that have long been prayed. As we rest in the sufficiency of Christ, things we have labored for in the past will come to us with less effort and more expeditiously than we expect. God will bring sweet unexpected surprises to His children.

This is not the time to shrink back. It is the time to conquer over our opposition as Jael did (Judges 4:21) and to "enlarge the place of your tent' (Isaiah 54:2). As our dreams are revived and we step out in faith, we will see that our "boundaries have fallen in pleasant places" (Psalm 16:6). God is good and so are His plans for 2016!

                                            HAVE A BLESSED NEW YEAR!!!!


"He blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us and contrary to us, and He took it out of the way, nailing it to the Cross. And having disarmed authorities and powers, He made a show of them openly triumphing over them by the Cross."
                                                                                                                               (Colossians 2:14-15)