WAW Team Post #10. The Desire War

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?  James 4:1 (NKJV)

Wars are ugly.

If you are a believer you have most likely experienced a civil war of sorts raging in your own body when it comes to "desire."

Desire can be good or bad. (Desire - to wish, design, purpose, resolve, determine; to crave pleasure; to crave gratification)

It is at its best when Isaiah 26:8 is at the core.

Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.

It is at its worst when it craves, yearns, pulls and urges for its own way.  For whatever will gratify its own pleasure.

The "desire" battlefield has distinct sides. One side is to glorify God; the other is to gratify self.  Will we spend ourselves on His purposes or our own?   The problem is not the clarity of the sides as much as it is muddled motives. The reality is even though we verbalize one thing our desires surreptitiously press for another.  I know that’s been true in my own life.

These are some examples I've been turning around in my head.  Some of them really make me squirm:

Do we really want to honor God with our bodies or do we just say that while covertly gratifying desires to be lazy, overindulgent, or lustful?

Do we trust His goodness enough to share our posessions or do we spend excessive amounts on ourselves and hoard?

Is our request for His fame genuine or are we really hoping to become famous ourselves?

Is our prayer for His anointing so that He might have greater recognition and honor or is it so that we can be admired and sought after?

The intoxicating lure of status, position, possessions, image, honor and approval can twist and taint our desires.

There is only one cure.

Christ.

We need Him for salvation and we need Him just as much to live a life that brings honor to Him.

We need Him to bring our desires to light and take His surgical scalpel to what needs to be cut out and replaced. Are we willing to ask Him to do this?

How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. Psalm 19:12-13 (NLT)

There is nothing like the penetrating gaze of God into a heart to cut through all our pretense and see our naked desires.

Nothing like His Word to shine a light into the hidden recesses.

We need Christ to Cleanse us through the Word. John 15:3

We need Him to sanctify us by the truth of His Word. John 17:17

And we need Him to purify us as we obey Him. 1 Peter 1:22

Sisters, if the Word is not at work in us then we are left to the world and its systems being at work in us. And that will lead to a constant pull to please and gratify self.

And that will lead to death. (James 1:15)

Wars always bring death. And the "desire" war is no different.  But Christ’s death makes possible for us to consider our earthly desires as dead. 

Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.  Colossians 3:5 (NASB95)
 
And it makes it possible for us to deny ourselves and follow Him.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Matthew 16:24

But the choice is ours. 

 How is the Word at Work in you this week?

Changing Habits

If anyone out there is struggling with addiction or just battling a negative habit, may this encourage you today.

It is from Autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson.

Chapter 1:
I walk down the street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I fall in.  I am lost.  I am helpless.  It isn’t my fault.  It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2:
I walk down the same street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I pretend I don’t see it.  I fall in again.  I can’t believe I am in this same place.  But it isn’t my fault.  It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3:
I walk down the same street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I see it is there.  I fall in … it’s a habit … but my eyes are open.  I know where I am. It is my fault.  I get out immediately.

Chapter 4:
I walk down the same street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I walk around it.

Chapter 5:
I walk down a different street.

James 4:7 (NASB95) Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Luke 10:19 (NASB95) Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

Isaiah 54:17 (NASB95) "No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD.

John 8:36 (NASB95) 
"So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. "

WAW Team Post #9 - Fear

by Tracey McMahan

It’s lunch break at my office, and I never know which direction the conversation might take. A co-worker asks, “So, what are you afraid of?”

“Spiders!” one woman answers. “They give me the creeps.”

“Birds,” adds someone else. “I blame that old movie!”

“Scary movies,” chimes in another. “Not the weird, way-out ones, but the ones that could really happen.”

The conversation shifts before I can share how God’s word has been at work in me on this very subject of fear. So may I share with you, dear friend?

Recently I’ve been looking at fear through the eyes of Psalm 27. Fear can be defined as “a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.” Also “something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension.”

Fear can be a good thing. Being afraid of heights is good if it keeps you away from the edge of a cliff. Being afraid of fire keeps a child’s fingers out of the flames. Showing fear or “reverential awe, respect and veneration” toward God is not only good and right but commanded of all true believers:

Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him (Psalm 33:8).

O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want (Psalm 34:9).

Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones (Proverbs 3:7-8).

Psalm 27 deals with the futility of fear right out of the box. The LORD, the Sovereign God of the Universe, the mighty and powerful Creator of all things is my light, my salvation, and my defense. He illumines my way. He saves my soul from evil and from death. He defends me against my enemies, protecting me from anyone or anything that threatens me.

God shelters me, conceals me and keeps me safe as I seek His face. So whom shall I fear? Whom shall I dread? If God is for us, who is against us? (Romans 8:31). I read those words and fear flees from my heart. Courage and confidence take its place. And I am unafraid… at least until something or someone else comes along and threatens to rock my world; then fear may raise its ugly head once again. But this time I’ll be armed with Psalm 27 like a sword of steel – the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). This time I will recognize that God truly is my help and my salvation, my stronghold and my sanctuary. I can be strong and let my heart take courage because it safely trusts in Him. Isn’t He marvelous?

Have you ever allowed fear to get the better of you? Has it ever stolen inside your thoughts like a thief, threatening to rob you of your peace and joy? Has it wrapped its tentacles of lies around you, seeking to pry your grasp from the Father’s hand of comfort and protection?

And what has your fear looked like?

Maybe like Moses, it’s the fear of inadequacy. But God says, “I will be with you and teach you what to say” (Exodus 4:10-11).

Maybe like Solomon, it’s the fear of evildoers. But God says, “I will be your confidence” (Proverbs 3:26).

Maybe like the disciples, it’s the fear of the unknown. But God says, “Take courage; I am here” (Matthew 14:27).

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.” I contend, dear friend, that as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is nothing whatsoever to fear but God Himself,  and we can confidently cry out, “In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid” (Psalm 56:4).

What about you? Is there a passage of scripture that has helped you face and overcome a particular fear in your life? I’d love to hear how the word is working in you today.

Summtertime....And the Living is Easy....

Audra Peterson recently shared some plans her family will be doing over the next few months which sparked the thought in my head to post it and see what some of the rest of you girls are planning to do over the lazy days of summer.

From Audra:

 Some of you know me and my family and some of you do not.  But for those who are interested, let me quickly explain. Recently my step-mom passed away and when we were in FL visiting my dad for her memorial, my dad said he was thinking of buying an RV and going across the country this summer and wanted to take his grandkids. While we were still visiting him, he passed an RV for sale by owner, liked it, and bought it. It was like God's stamp of approval on this adventure. So, myself, Audra, and my four kids are soon to be traveling across the US into Canada and eventually Alaska, in an RV with my dad. My husband, Jeremy, is 100% behind it even though we will be apart for 2-3 mos. He is glad that grandpa will have time to impart wisdom and life experience into our kids. But my dad has graciously offered to fly Jeremy up to Alaska for a week when we get there.

I have set up a blog website so that you can watch our travels as they unfold. This is a nice way to keep in touch and involve those we love in this amazing experience for me and my family. All you do is punch in this address into your browser's address bar (or copy and paste it in): www.peterson-rvtrip.tumblr.com
Make sure you type it just as is or who knows what you will get! Save the site to your favorites and keep an eye on us! We leave around the 9th of May for MI and then to visit fam in WI and on to Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, and then up into Alberta Canada and on to Alaska from there. I will update as often as we have an internet connection (hopefully).

Please keep us in your prayers.  This will be an awesome trip but not without it's sanctifying moments!  Also, my dad is not a born again believer.  We hope to continue to be a light to him and the truth of an authentic, personal relationship with Jesus that can be his as well. Pray for that. Thanks.
The Peterson Family: Audra, Simone, Danielle, Mikayla and Uzziah


So how about you? What are your plans for the summer?  Are you
~ taking a family vacation?
~learning a new skill?
~resolving to organize or reorganize your home?
~hanging out at the baseball fields consuming lots of hotdogs and popcorn?
~or simply looking to soak your feet in the cool Davidson River and devour some great books? 

Do you have a Bible study planned or a goal to memorize some special passages?  Share with us and maybe you can help ignite some inspiration in the rest of us!

Zumba!

Thanks to all who came out and spent a morning sweating it out Zumba style.  It was a blast laughing and dancing and snacking and just being together.  Who knew we had so much Zumba-talent amongst us? 


Enjoy the photos.....

Tracey welcomes ladies and gets them settled in.



Metta opens us in prayer and gets us started



Then Hiro takes over and leads away








Hang on to your hats because once it starts you won't be this still again for a while!





Thanks for making it such a fun morning ladies!!!!

WAW Team Post 8

by Sheila Alewine                           
                                                                               

Our precept class is studying the Gospel of John.  It's an amazing book.  I could write about a lot of different things, but since this is a blog, not a novel, I just wanted to share some thoughts about one of the key words we've discovered in this particular Gospel.

John graciously tells the reader his purpose in writing in chapter 20, verses 30-31:  Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

John carefully chose eight particular miracles (signs) to convince his readers to believe in the name of Jesus.  Although we have only covered the first of these signs so far (water turned to wine), I've been thinking about the importance of recognizing the signs of God's activity in my own life.  I want to live intentionally - aware of God's presence, and taking note of His work in and around my life.  So I've been pondering...is God still performing signs?

"Signs" is from the Greek word sēmeion.  It is a mark or token; that by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others and is known; it can be an unusual occurrence, transcending the common course of nature; it also refers to miracles and wonders by which God authenticates the men sent by Him, or by which men prove that the cause they are pleading is God's.

I like this statement from one of my word study dictionaries:  A sign is a miracle with a spiritual end and purpose, fingermarks of God, valuable not so much for what they are as for what they indicate of the grace and power of the One who does them; a sign by which the divine power in majesty is made known.

In our modern language, a sign is always representative of something else - for example, a stop sign is not the actual law, it only represents and reminds us of the law.  Perhaps in the same way, each time we recognize God's activity in our life, it is a sign ... a sign of our connection to Him, that He is active and moving and sovereign in this world.  Also, anytime we bring glory and attention to Christ, we are "living signs" of the gospel.  Our transformed lives are the "fingermarks" of God, indicative of the grace and power of the One who transformed us.

A few thoughts about recognizing the "signs" of God's activity in my daily life, and what that means.

In order to recognize the "signs" that God is performing in my life, I must understand and grow in knowledge of the character of God.  The more I know who God is, from the study of His Word, the more I will recognize His handiwork.  For example, if my job was a curator in an art museum, I would study the works of the artists I represented, so that when I came across a painting, I would immediately recognize the handiwork.  Each artist would have a certain pattern and way of producing their work that would be consistent and recognizable; but only with the eyes of one who had studied that artist intently would be able to see it.  This also protects me from being "fooled" by false signs - those of the enemy that are designed to lead us astray.  A sign of God's work will always bring glory and honor to Himself - not me, not other gods, not other men.

I should be seeking the Giver of the sign, not the sign itself.  We should not be seeking "signs" from God to satisfy our desire for the supernatural. We do not seek a "show" to entertain or amaze us.  We do not ask for "miracles" to make our life more comfortable.  I'm not saying we don't pray for people to be healed, or for God to do what seems impossible.  But our faith must be firmly rooted in Christ Himself, not whether or not He performs the miracle we are asking of Him.  Jesus told the Pharisees they would not be given any sign, because their attitude in asking was one of unbelief and skepticism.  Seeking God Himself is true faith; seeking a sign for God to "prove Himself" is actually unbelief.

Mark 8:11-13 - The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.  And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?  Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."  And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

Matthew 12:38-42 - Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you."  But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Ninevah will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

Did you catch that?  Jesus "sighed deeply in His spirit" because they wanted Him to perform for them.  They weren't seeking to know Him - they wanted to be amazed and entertained.  And Matthew tells us that when we fail to recognize God when He is right in front of us, when He has already performed the greatest miracle we will ever need in His death and resurrection, that we are in danger of judgment!

My goal should be to live an obedient life as a "living sign" of God to my generation.  The purpose of signs and miracles performed by the apostles in the book of Acts was simply God's affirmation that they spoke the truth - to give credibility that their message was from God.  John wrote his Gospel so that we may believe.  In the same way, as I live a transformed life, bringing attention to God's redeeming work in me and observing and calling attention to His activity and leading in my everyday life, I, too, am a living "sign" to others, testifying of the power of God to save.

Perhaps we don't see many "signs" or "miracles" today (by our definition) because we don't know God well enough to recognize His handiwork, or (I hope not) in our heart of hearts, we are people of unbelief - seeking God's activity and supernatural display of power to make us comfortable and successful, rather than a true heart of faith seeking His glory.  May that never be!

How about it?  What "signs" of God's activity have you recognized in your life?  I'd love to read your comments about the ways you are recognizing the fingermarks of God, and how He is using you to display His glory to others.

Love you ladies!

Sheila

Photo Recap of the Morning James Study

We recently wrapped up our Spring Bible Study on the book of James.  Here are some pictures from the Friday morning Group's last day.



Great job to each of these ladies who memorized either the whole book of James or portions of it!



Way to go Carol, Audra , Carissa, and Shannon!





Then any study that ends around lunch time calls for a celebration



The kind of celebration that includes food and young firemen....



friends and flowers.....



and dessert.



All mixed in with lots of laughter.  Congrats to all you ladies who finished the James Journey.  May it stay with you always!



And a special thank you to all the leaders who faithfully facilitated this study!