Discovering the Mystery of Who I Am in Christ
(NEW MATERIAL in the September re-release! of Revealed in Ephesians~ The Mystery of Who I Am in Christ. This is from week 11 on the Breastplate of Righteousness. “How does perfect love cast out fear? The Discovery Bible’s HELPS Word-studies indicates that the Greek verb tense for “casts” is present indicative active form. This simply …
"The translation of doulos by 'servant' rather than 'slave' [led] to the total effacement of its ancient significance (1965: 319). This ennobling title means the believer belongs to the Lord, who constantly "gives Himself away" in infinite love, through faith. Indeed, the doulos (slave) of Christ is His very Bride (cf. Rev 19:7-9). Accordingly, the faithful believer seeks to do all things in intimate partnership with Christ, as He births faith in the heart (cf. Ro 10:6-8,17; Heb 11:6). This is possible because the believer is joined to Christ as a genuine member of His very body (Jn 14:20; 1 Cor 12:13).
So, why in the world would I show you all my dirty laundry? Well, not laundry. I would never show you that! But, why would I show you my mess? Because the Lord impressed something so precious on my heart, as I walked through the mess, stepping over wires from my husband's studio, and trying to find a square foot to set my bags down on after work. You see, I just finished speaking at a lovely weekend retreat called Revealed Retreat: Discover Who I Am in Christ. I challenged the ladies to give the Lord the deepest parts of their hearts - even the rooms of their hearts that they have shut the doors on for years. In the fight to stay positive and to keep from drowning in pain, sorrow and despair, people tend to avoid difficult conflict that arises when dealing with broken relationships and pain from the past. It's easier to ignore things and to just keep stuffing. These are things that may give us PTSD, if we decide to unpack them.
Today, in the bittersweet parting of ways with my college age daughter, I found profound perspective. I know the feeling of longing to have one more long walk, one more hug, one more shared couch with her head on my shoulder. Separation is an ache that reminds me of the relationship's tender value.
This blog contains snapshots of some fabulous people....I cannot include absolutely all my most favorite people in the world....but I did want to show some of the faces of my treasured friends as an example of the great breadth of God's love. When I was little, I prayed for you to come. I ached for …
Continue reading "My Glorious Friends, the Beautiful Ones. "
She was dragged half-naked through the dusty streets. The clothes that covered her earlier that morning, were left behind in passion and now in regret. Now shame was the only thing that covered her. Everything was spinning and the angry crowd spat upon her, hit her and pushed her through the streets. These were not …
Comfort. It is a word that draws many mental images. I imagine "The comfort of my own home" in my jammies, or some may imagine something totally different like Southern Comfort. I have very comfortable slippers I got for Christmas and yoga pants, whose comfort zap the productivity right out of me. Last night I …
