Sojourner

What should a 'called' person of God look like?

2010-01-13T14:27:00.000-08:00

I have been gone for awhile but I have so much to share!! The first set of my entries is dealing with the modern (especially American) view of what someone who is called by God looks like. I started contemplating the life of Joseph in the fall and saw there were so many things that just did not with what we require in present day of someone who's life is set to be a leader in God's kingdom.

Joseph had a dream that God made him a leader. He shared this dream with his brothers who were subject to him in the dream. The result of this was a death threat and though he was not murdered by those hating the call of God on his life, it did result in him being a victim of what we call today human trafficing. He was taken to another country and sold as a slave. He then attained a level of leadership (which really is a synonymn for responsibility) in his role as a slave because God's favor and call was on his life. He then was falsely accussed of a crime and sent to prison for it.....for years. He did finally get out to become a deliver his family and the nation in which he was in exile. He became the national food manager and even got the king's daughter for a spouse. But want a ride! He lived on the highest highs and the lowest lows. He had everything at certain points and lost everything at others.

God's requirement to be in his employment as a spiritual leader is to acknowledge his call and obey it. As Paul says in the New Testament, that he was content when he had and when he had not. The test of spirituality is not whether you have a lot of things and 'are blessed' or have nothing but are you walking in what God has told you to do. The have and the have nots are simply byproducts of where he has us at the moment and not an indication of whether we are in his will or not. So, let's not use a measuring stick that God has not ordained of outward circumstance and apperance. Many say the poorest are the most spiritual or the richest are the most spiritual. The measuring stick is are we told what we are to do by God. He determines the rest. Obiedience required, that is the standard of what a person called of God looks like.

Joseph didn't ask for any of this and his calling was totally dependent on him living out God's internal values regaurdless of his circumstances. How many of us are doing this? This is what is required of someone called by God.

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2009-05-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

Forgiveness....

All believers in Christ know this word. The understanding of forgiveness is what ushers us into our eternal love relationship with our Savior. We need forgiveness because we are born flawed with a sinful nature. We are and do things that are not inline with God. Forgiveness from God means that He does not hold against us this condition and the things we do out of step with Him because of our condition. This is so needed, and so appreciated by me. I need it daily.

The verse has come to mind alot recently (and out of my mouth to my kids) Matthew 6:14 that says,

"For if you forgive others their trespasses (their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go and giving up resentment), your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses (their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment), neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses."

This verse hit me in the heart today as I ponder the words and actions of another adult to my child that hurt the child very much. I began to cry as I thought of what I wanted to say to this person the next time I saw the adult but as I did, the Lord gently pryed my resentment out of my hand as I thought of this verse. I wanted to explain, justify, resolve, the situation. But also wanted to correct this person and maybe demean them. Ugghh! If it only our Christian walk was about praying a prayer and acknowleging our sinfulness.....but the above verse requires so much moreof us than that.

It means daily, moment by moment laying down our rights to our opinions and pride that we should correct and police the world and forgive them "because they know not what they do". That was what Jesus said, even as he was in the struggle to give up his own will for the Father's as He paid for this wonderful gift of forgiveness.

I cried as he took my justifiying thoughts from me today. I did pour out my heart and hurt for my own kid, wishing things had gone differently in this situation. I gave my anger and resentment to Him as I felt his heart and concern for this person that did the harm. I prayed for them. I pray I can love when I see them again. They do not know about the pain they caused to my child or me. So, I hope I can respond as God wants me to respond and that it will touch this person.

And this is heart work, not just something we work out only in our heads. When anger comes, then the fear or hurt underneath usually has to be worked out in order for the anger to leave. So many of us are running around just suppressing it. I was glad I stopped to feel and be corrected today in my heart. What a relief. I feel so much better. Forgiveness feels so much better!

Help us to touch and love people, oh Lord, not just always be frustrated. Not my will, but yours Lord.

The Sound of Silence

2009-03-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

I love to watch and listen to the news. I love to listen to sermons and worship music. I love the sound of information. I love it. In our cluture there are so many sounds and different modes of information coming at us all day long and for the most part, I love it. However, there is one sound that I believe we need more of, in order to hear God's voice and to know who we are and that sound is silence.

I grew up the youngest of three children and my sisters' were 6 years older than myself. I ended up spending much of my time as a child alone, sometimes by my choice, sometimes by others. I think long regular periods of uninterupted thought, with not much outside noise, helped me to develop a strong inner sense of what my thoughts sound like and what God's voice sounds like in contrast to the world's voice. In my adult life, I love to be with people but feel a sense of inner order and awe of God when I am in silence that is like no other place in life.

In the Psalms, in chapter 4 and 39 there are passages that talk about us being silent and taking account of our own words and hearts. What is our condition. How are we living life. Verse 4 says in chapter 39,

"Lord, help me to know my end and to appreciate the measure of my days - what it is; let me know and realize how frail I am (how transient is my stay here)."

I think silence is necessary to live our lives to have proper perspective on ourselves and what God is saying to us. To remember that we are human and weak and in need of Him and to remember that He is.....all that He is....everything.

Psalm 37:7 Be still and rest in the Lord, wait for Him and patiently lean yourself on Him.......

Why Sojourner?

2009-02-21T15:20:00.000-08:00

I have often wanted to write, to exercise my voice and really don't know why I haven't done it before today. Maybe I was afraid no one would read it. Well, here it is and I want to start by saying, I do want to influence others to live a life worth living, this is my intention. I do not consider myself a teacher, wise one or other person who should have something to say. I would appreciate those who read to comment so I know it is being read.

As one who lived a portion on my life on what I call the "front line" and saw God move in ways that I had only read about in the Bible. People in those places had no hope but Jesus. Amazingly, after they found Him their petitions were mostly not for themselves, but for others to know Him and follow Him. Now that I am living in the states again, I see many American Christians crying out for the same supernatural life, but few are crying out for the lost. The most powerful moves of God that I have experinced, happened as I lived among the unreached (population less than 1% Christian) However, in our country, many of us love our life. Many Americans I know do not want much, if not anything to change about their life. I have heard often people say they can't imagine living anywhere else than where they are now. They are content. They love things the way they are. We do have so many things to love. I do believe though unless we take on heart felt reality that we are only temporary residents here.....in our country, cities, families, jobs and various roles, we will not see a visitation fom God. Lord, increase our hunger for YOU and the things of YOU!

Some of the verses that came to mind to spur us on to God's reality are the following:

Hebrews 11:9 By faith Abraham, shen he was called, obeyed and went forth to a place which he was destined to recieve as an inheritance: and he went, although he did not know or trouble his mind about where he was to go. Prompted by faith he dwelt as a temporary resident ( or in other words, sojourner) in the land which was desgnated in the promise (of God, though he was like a stranger) in a strange country...

I Corinthians 7:31 And those who deal with this world (overusing the enjoyments of this life) as though they were not absorbed by it and as if they had no dealings with it. For the outward form of this world (ther present world order) is passing away.

II Corinthians 4:18 Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen: for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting.

Is the current economic crisis our second chapter after chapter one of 9/11 from heaven that is saying to us "Hey, look up here! Hey, your only help comes from here! This is your home, remember!" We came from Him, and we will return to Him. Let us remember to live with Him! Daily! Hourly! Momentarily!

On this blog, I do want to engage the issues and attitudes I believe hinder American spiritual experience. It is very sad to me that as we reside in an amazingly blessed country, both spiritually, in freedoms and wealth, we do not have the heart hunger or absolute dependance on God that the condition of oppression or lack seem to create. Because this country was built and fashioned in Biblical beliefs, we enjoy many more of God's blessings than any other country on the earth. One of those is freedom of speech. This is another reason I decided to blog, I have seen first hand, this right exsists unlike it does in my mother country anywhere else on earth. As long as it exsists, I need to use it for the sake of my beloved, Jesus.