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Camp of Good Hope
Wednesday May 24, 2006
"Is this not the chosen fast that I have chosen:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the heavy burdens,
to let the oppressed go free,
and that you should break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
when you see the naked, that you cover him,
and not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
your healing shall spring forth speedily,
and your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry and He will say, "Here I am".
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
if you extend your soul to the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted soul,
then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
and your darkness shall be as the noonday,
the Lord will guide you continually,
and satisfy your soul in drought,
and strengthen your bones;
you shall be like a waterfed garden,
and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fall.
Those from among you shall build the old waste places;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In." Isaiah 58:6-12
This is one of the most powerful scriptures I have ever come across. I believe in fasting. I believe that God wants us to restrain ourselves from our physical pleasures for periods of time and prostrate ourselves before Him as intercessors on the earth in conjunction with His Son Who sits at His right hand and ever intercedes for us. But I also believe that fasting, as we think of it, is not all we are supposed to do. Compared with some of the other stuff He has for us to do, that seems like the easy part. At least to me.
I do not believe that He wants us to just "que sera, sera" our life away. People do that all the time and then they wonder why God didn't heal them, bless them, or give them something that they really needed.
When bad things come, and they will, He wants us to rise up and take authority over it in the name of Jesus Christ. I'm not talking about a "God helps them who helps themself" attitude although I can't say I totally disagree with that. I'm talking about a holy indignation, the Christ IN YOU rising up and saying, "I'm not takin' dis anymore!" and rebuking the devourer off you, your family and your life.
It's a getting mad at the devil and refusing to accept what he is dishing out. Now if you don't believe in Christ......or the devil.....this not only means little to you but you probably think I'm off my rocker. I don't want to sound insensitive but I don't really care.
I mean, I care soooo much about people, but if I have to make a choice between what YOU think and what GOD thinks, ummmmm, it's no contest. You lose. Sorry if that sounds harsh. See, my face? I love you! I just love God more.
If you do what this verse says, if you are willing to step out from your mental box that you have put the God of the universe in, it means your very salvation. Here and now and hereafter. It means healing and health to your body, deliverance from your addictions and the generational curses handed down from your parents and grandparents.
It means God can use you to take back what the enemy of your soul has stolen from you. Your self-esteem, your enjoyment of life, and your child like faith. Once you've gotten that back for yourself you are in a position to help other people to get it back too.
THIS is His chosen fast. Not that we don't still find times and places to fast from food, TV, computers, even talking.......but that God's CHOSEN fast is for us to loose the things that bind us.
God has freed me. Not only from myself and my compulsions, but from the legalities of civil law and religious law. What???, you say? How can you be free from civil law? We all live with the law of the land that we live in.
With Christ in me, how can I not? I have no desire to steal, rape, abuse or murder. Christ lives in me and He is love, joy, peace, goodness and kindness. What law is there against THAT?
Wait a minute!!!! How can you be free from religious law? You believe in the BIBLE, don't you? Amen! I believe in the Christ of the Bible, Who by the very fact that He lives inside of me, FREES me from the Law of sin and death. I didn't say that. My Bible says that. Just as I am a prisoner of the hope that sits so far down inside of me that I can't give up, even when I feel like it, I have become a slave to the righteousness of Christ Who has taken up residence in my mortal body. He has given me His mind, His heart, and His Word. What else do I need?
Civil law can't hold me. It's too puny and small. At the risk of sounding arrogant, with Christ in me I sit ABOVE the law of man. Not that I should not be held accountable for my actions should I break the law. Hey, I paid my speeding tickets! I hung my head in shame before the judge and admitted I was doing 70 in a 55!
Yet, how can I respect a law that advocates legalized murder for a woman who finds herself in the unfortunate circumstance of breeding LIFE in her body? A law that allows us to kill our own species, even while we save the animals that have no eternal soul. I am above that law. I don't recognize it. God's law is higher than man's law and if that makes me sound like a religious fanatic, a Jesus Freak, I accept the indictment knowing that in front of the Judge of the Superior Court, I will be found innocent on all charges. Christ has taken the punishment for my sin and I will not hang my head in shame on THAT day, I will bow with great reverence and joy.
Religious law can't hold me. I have Christ. He is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. He is the Alpha and Omega. The beginning and the end. The first and the last. What more do I need? He is my all in all. No church building can hold what He has given me! How ludicrous!
Who He is, is too big, too gigantic, to squeeze into a measly building built from stone and wood. Why? Why must we persist in trying to find Him in brick and mortar? He's not in the tomb! He arose! That was the last time He was even in a place made by human hands! Why must we continue thinking that our programs and services are ANYTHING compared to His presence? Why must we keep searching for Him out THERE somewhere? I don't want to continue studying church history and dead philosophers. IT'S OVER! Let's move into the light, as He is in the light. When we do that, we will have no need that any man teach us but the Holy Spirit will teach us!!
If we have allowed Him to regenerate us by His Spirit, He is IN us. INSIDE! I don't know why He chose to put His fullness in ME. Or you. I can't explain why He wants to use worthless, broken down, good for nothing sinners like us. There's some stuff I just have to accept by faith and move on. He does, and that's all I know. He wants to loose my chains so that I can help others loose theirs.
Rise up, my brethren, RISE UP! I see Him reaching His hand out and I hear Him saying, "Here I am! Here I am"!
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Wednesday May 17, 2006
This message has been removed by the author.
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Sunday April 23, 2006
I've been told twice in the past two weeks on the blogstream that I am a feminist.
This is so funny to me.
I always thought I was just a common housewife.
I'm a stay at home mom who has no desire for a career of any kind.
The closest I came to doing anything remotely women's libberish was in 1972 when I wanted to hyphenate my maiden name with my married name. I never did it because it seemed like such a radical thing to do at the time, and people in my life didn't like it. I still wish I had because I felt like I lost part of myself at the time.
The person who called me a feminist is a Christian who was commenting on another blog. He said that I am wrong in my interpretation of what Paul was saying about women speaking in the church. I believe that when he told women to be quiet in the church he was saying that because women at that time sat on the other side of the church from their husbands and they had a bad habit of yelling across the aisle to ask questions and that when he said he did not allow women to teach men it was because women were not educated at the time and that it was a cultural admonition. At times when Paul spoke he would say, "I, and not the Lord....". I then pointed out some women preachers by name and how God used them. I was told that women like Joyce Meyer have 'serious doctrinal problems' and then I was told that I was a feminist.
Alrighty then!
Today I was told the same thing on another blog for a completely different reason and from a person who was not of the Christian persuasion.
I am curious as to why this is?
I was not the girl that dreamed about marriage and babies when I was a teen. I did not look at bridal books, or dream about the white gown. But when I met my husband at 17 years old, in the middle of my senior year of high school, all my former plans changed.
I moved forward with nary a glance back.
After my youngest child went to Kindergarten in 1983 I thought about going back to school. I pondered it for all of a minute and a half and realized that I really didn't feel like it anymore. I sure liked raising kids though. I sure did.
So, in 1986 we began the process of becoming foster parents. We had no intention of adopting any kids. I just wanted to help.
Who knew 20 years ago where it would lead?
I have been the traditional housewife and mother. I can count on one hand the number of diapers my husband has changed. He went to work, I took care of the house and most of the yard. He took care of the money. I cooked and cleaned. The garage and basement were his domains (he is a Tim the Tool Man Taylor man). The rest of the house was mine. I didn't even drive until I was 37 YEARS OLD!
What kind of feminist stays home, doesn't drive, let's the husband take care of all the money and doesn't even have her own charge card until she is almost 40? Helllllloooooo!
I have a sister who makes PBS documentaries. All of my sisters have careers. I am the ONLY one of five girls who never did. My father was soooo disappointed that I was just a commonlittlehousewife.
And now I am the one being called the feminist? What is wrong with this picture?
Man, the minute I open my mouth to express an opinion I'm getting the 'f' word thrown at me from both the liberal and the conservative direction. From Christians and non-Christians.
What is this need to put people in boxes? Does it somehow make everybody feel safer to catagorize each other?
In 1913 Rebecca West said, "I, myself, have never been able to find out precisely what a feminist is; I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat or a prostitute."
Wow, almost a hundred years later it would appear that we haven't changed much, huh?
I've also heard it said that "a feminist is a woman who does not allow anyone to think in her place" (Michele Doeuff)
Okay, based on both those descriptions I guess I MUST be a feminist. Dad would be so proud. Funny, how I always thought I was such a traditional and common housewife and mother.
Well, good thing I listen to what GOD says about me more than what man says about me, amen?
This is what I have to say about all that.....
"Wisdom is justified by her children" Matthew 11:19
and I have AWESOME children. Nine of 'em.
This is what else I have to say about all that......
"She who stays at home divides the spoil" Psalm 68:12.
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Wednesday April 5, 2006
This message has been removed by the author.
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“ASK, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who ASKS receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or it he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matt. 7:7-11
“Again, I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matt. 18:19,20
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:24,25
“Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. “ John 14:13,14
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit” John 15:7,8
“Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you...Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:23,24
“....Ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” Col. 1:9
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6
“Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” James 4:2,3
“Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
1 John 3:22
How many times does He have to repeat Himself? When are we going to learn?
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