I'm Not For Me

I'm Not For Me

9.30.2013

Heart vs. Mind

Hi!

Tonight I saw a discussion on feelings vs. knowledge to the Christian.  I thought some things should be recognized and here's what I felt that I should point out about using all things in conjunction for our LORD.         
 
 
          I'd like to briefly mention that we train our hearts and our consciences just like we do with our minds.  In fact, our hearts are taken from us and trained even more than our minds are in this culture.  I believe there's a reason for this that we can easily see.  "Take every thought captive," vs. "the heart is deceitful above all things."  Woah there.  Scary words.  The Lord searches our hearts and curses him whose heart is turned away.  (Jeremiah 17) Romans 12:12 speaks of changing the mind (meaning, its fallen too and it needs to be fixed): "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."  Jesus warns us against conforming to this world (in heart and mind) and tells us what we should put ourselves to use with; "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ," (2 Cor 10:5).  The end goal is obedience to Christ in all things and by all people.  The way of the Lord is self-control and balance - the ruler being His Word, internalized through prayer.  I agree that our emotions are important, because God gave us them, but all you see today is emotions running rampant.  We, as a generation, need to be especially careful where we put our trust.  So - carry on - and seek to use all as a service to Christ, instead of using heart, or mind to turn against the Lord.

-Sarah

9.29.2013

Ephesians 1:18-23

Hi!

       This weekend, a fantastic song about our God's Church has been rattling in my head, and more often then not to the chagrin of those around me, bursting out.  It's Build Your Kingdom Here by Rend Collective Experiment (pretty sure it's a certain Mississippian's fault, shared a while ago... :).  You might want to check it out if you haven't heard it already so you can follow this post a little easier.

      A repeating line stuck out to me at the end of each verse, but each time its sung, it ends a different way.  "We are Your Church; we need Your power in us... we are Your Church; We pray revive this earth....(and lastly) build Your Kingdom here we pray; we are the hope on earth."  Ephesians is a letter to the church in Ephesus, and I'd sure be surprised if the writers of this song hadn't studied it to share it in this song. 

    Paul begins where all things should, in prayer. "For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers," (Ephesians 1:15-16).   
"We are the hope on earth." 

 When a church is filled with the salt that gives it its saltiness - what a gift from God.  "...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints," (Ephesians 17-19).  
"We pray revive this earth."


       A church with this God is incredible!  Our churches are marred by us, by humans who sin, but Jesus Christ is what it's all about.  "And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come," (Ephesians 1:19-22).   
"We need your power in us." 
  
All thanks and praise to Jesus Christ for "He put all things under is feet and gave Him as Head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all," (Ephesians 1:19-23).

 -Sarah

9.27.2013

1 John 4:18


Good evening!

              Tonight my grandma is watching a movie, and one line happened to stick out to me.  The heroine is told that her problem is that she's, "ashamed to be alone."  Hasn't that happened to us all?  A lot? 

            Stick with me as I switch gears for a moment - Immanuel means God with us.  His name is a reminder of a promise.  "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord," (Romans 8:28-29).  But there is one thing that we can wedge between us and Christ Jesus' love: fear.  We're afraid by ourselves.  I'm afraid to be seen as weak, vulnerable or sad alone.  But our Lord knows that: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go," (Joshua 1:9).   We're given a command!  Snap into marching order!

... Isn't that easy, is it?  Our souls need to be transformed, by praise, prayer and petition.  This still leaves out the most important ingredient.   "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love," (1 John 4:18).  Love can fix our fear of being alone, because love means we are not alone.  Christ came to us two thousand years ago in His incarnation and resurrection, we came to Him in our baptism, and He comes to us today in Holy Communion.  We forget God's promise to be with us and love us so often, so I hope you're reminded of the strength of His care for you tonight.

-Sarah

9.25.2013

Psalms 139 (part 2)

Good mornin'!

                     Earlier in the year, I wrote, "to me, Psalm 139 is one of the most beautiful passages ever written.  It exhibits truth and beauty by exposing the reality in my own life and God's omniscient relationship with me."  In v. 1-6, we looked at how the Creator comes to us; He searches us and protects us.  Where else can we find Him? 

 Psalms 139:7 -12: 

"7Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you."


The writer of this Psalm is staring up at the heavens, saying, "Where can I NOT find you?"  His voice is very strong, but not angry.  The fact that He doesn't leave us, and He never stops leading us is overwhelming.    He will hold you, even in the darkest night.  The comfort of our Father's presence isn't by coincidence.  We're made for Him - rather, by Him.  Wherever we are, our God is too.

-Sarah


9.24.2013

Here Be Dragons

 Dear readers,

                       Samuel Isaac and I are embarking on an adventure.  For the next month, we'll be venturing into the caves of our blog-o-spheres.  In honor of this occasion, you are now experiencing a new Fall layout of I'mnotforme. 

                        Isaac's writing domain lies here.  I'm envious of the great fun he's got on there. A pact with Merry Brandybuck is the only possible explanation for it.  

                       Thanks for joining us!  You've been warned. 
-Sarah

9.12.2013

Romans 12:2

I used to think that I was the one that made sense.  I understood easily and fully.  I "got" the Bible without even trying. 

Now, 99.99% of the time, I don't understand what is written in God's word.  One half of the reason is because I don't know enough about David's life, or Biblical imagery, ect.  The other reason is that I don't make sense. 

It's easy for us to think we've got it together.  We can hold a good cover, so good that we can convince ourselves into thinking that we can figure life out.  Uho.  Here's where the problems start.  - We only know as much as we will acknowledge we don't know (is your tongue twisted yet?). - 

God gives us this concept "renewing our minds."

Wait... Renewing... Aren't I already brand-spanking new?  

"Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by the testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."  - Romans 12:2 ESV 

God's ways are far above my ways.  My thoughts are not His thoughts.  I cannot understand Him, but I can learn His ways through the renewing of my mind.  That way, my thoughts can be aligned with His, and He will guide me.  My God knows far better than I what IS.  He also gives many, many words, friends, prayers so that we will learn what makes sense according to Him. 
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