Psalm 56:13 ” For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”
Chris is Risen by Matt Maher:
{this is a talk that I had put together for some young women of God and some things that have been placed upon my heart on this topic. Please read and share if you would like}
Have you ever created a character to represent yourself on an online game, xbox, wii or whatever it may be? and when you play you hope that your character can be super awesome, beat the others, and possibly earn heaps of points for you. Just so that you can look awesome.
God created us humans so that we may be able to glorify him and to appreciate the rest of his creation. Unlike the rest of creation, God has created us in his likeness, we are not like anything else in this world, we are special and unique.
Genesis 1:26-27
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
In this passage it says God created us male and female, in the likeness and image of God himself. How cool is that!? Before I go on you may say, well yes that’s awesome but wait, males and females are different. YES we are different to men, it goes on to say in Genesis 2:18-23.
18
The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam[f] no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[g] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib[h] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones for she was taken out of man.”
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
God had seen that without a woman (helper) it was not good for Adam to be alone to take care of everything, he needed help. So God created woman (Eve) out of man to be able to help him. I don’t know about you but when I see the word help I tend to feel abit degraded maybe feel like a servant or even insignificant? But that’s not the case here. In Psalm 121:2 we’re reminded that our God is our help, the God who created us, is our help.
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Remember that I said, we’re made in the likeness and image of God? Just as God is a help to us we as women are a help to men. SO I have a few Christian male friends and I get along with guys pretty well, we talk, laugh and they pay me out but they also look after me. Something that I have noticed amongst all of my male friends is even though they all love to make jokes at me and pay me out because I’m a bit weird. Each of them has looked out for me in different ways, whether it’d be walking with me back into the city after uni late at night, or helping me carry things, or just being a caring older brother, who says things to me straight when I need to calm down about something. These are all Characteristics of God, that he has given that ability of strength, courage, leadership and protection. Aspects that some women may have but men are so much better at it.
You might wonder ok so what do we as women have, well here’s something else that i’ve noticed with my guys friends and some of the conversations that we have. I don’t know about you but a few of the guys I know come to me for advice or I guess understanding on some things, and it’s usually about girls, or even they talk about something that’s really bothering them and just want to unload all their blergh. I have wondered for a while why that is, and its because women have a more caring, nurturing side than men. Could you imagine two guys talking to each other about all their stresses and getting really emotional about it?
But together the combination of man and woman, you get all the attributes of God. The aspects of man compliment the aspects of woman and as women we are able to encourage and look after man. Just as man are able to help us with all the manly stuff.
But that doesn’t stop all the struggles that women may face; we struggle at one point or another or even at different points in our live about who we are, phsyically and or emotionally. Growing up I was always a lot chubbier than everyone else, I got bullied for my looks and for as long as I can remember. I have always struggled with the way I appear. It’s not until I came across a passage in 1 Peter 3:3-4 where I’m re assured that God doesn’t judge us on our outward appearances but looks at to what’s in our hearts.
3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
How re assuring is it to know that even though we may not live up to the expectations of how society depicts what a woman should be or how they should look. But when God looks at us, he see’s something different, if we are followers of Jesus, when God looks at us he see’s Jesus.
When God created man and woman (humans) he created us both individually for a purpose and a reason, so that through Jesus Christ we could be pointing toward God. Through the way that we live we’d be glorifying the Lord, and it’s only because of Jesus that we can truly glorify the Lord.
Proverbs 31:30
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Philippians 1:3-5
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”
How often do we consider to stop and pray for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and thank God that they have been redeemed through Jesus and the gift of salvation?…I am challenged by this, and its the simplest thing to be thankful for having them as a brother and sister in Christ. And more importantly to continually pray for them.
In Pauls letter to the Philippians he goes on to also add: Philippians 1:9-11
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.”
…. all I can say is a joyous ahhh! and dont know about you, but that sense of guilt fills my heart. I think that sometimes we get so caught up in praying for each other for earthly things, that we forget/neglect to praying for each other on a heavenly level and isn’t it on that level to which we are bound by unity (through Christ Jesus)… Paul continues and is big on praying for the growth of fellow believers in Ephesians he says this:
Ephesians 1:17-18
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance inthe saints,”
We as brothers and sisters in Christ should be praying for each other more often, especially when we remember particular people, and take a minute or so to pray for their relationship with Christ and for love to fill into their hearts, to discern Gods word and continue aiming for Heaven. Not only this but if we can, to meet with one another regularly and to pray together about this…and to be accountable for one another in growth and understanding of how Great our God is!
Hebrews 10:24-25
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Psalm 34:17-19 “17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. “
We are Righteous whether we choose to acknowledge it or not…the Lord opposes the Righteous but gives hope through Humility and recognizing how Great and Vast and Powerful God is!
Isaiah 66:2 “All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. “
Today my dearest mother sent me this: “you know that song … Girl you’re amazing just the way you are - well I have been humming. God you’re amazing for all the things you do.. Try it. Amazing how good you feel..” then later followed this “mum was singing it and my 11yr old brother asked what she was singing and my brother suggested that is should be for all the things you’ve done, so we added… God I love you for all the things you’ve done”
At the time upon receiving this I couldn’t exactly get my head around it but as I travelled home I listened to Bruno Mars’ “just the way you are” & “grenade” and if you change the words it becomes a delightful love song from God. “He loves us, just the way we are” … “we shine like the stars for him” … And “he’d lay down his only Son’s life for us!”
Now my challenge for you all is to listen to those two soppy love songs and change the lyrics… And listen to God tell you how much he LOVES YOU!!!
For he LOVES us just the way we are, we’ve been made perfect in his eyes through Jesus! For God LOVED us SO much he sent him to DIE for us!
Jesus = LOVE! What better love can you get than that!?
James 3:5-6
“5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”
With our mouths we speak and glorify Gods name, but we also speak and bring down others. This has really challenged myself lately and I can’t help but realise, we are faulted by this same issue. How often do we in one moment Praise our Lord and saviour, then in another second talk about our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ (who have the same Holy Spirit as we do) in a bad way or take the mickey out of them. Aren’t we just abusing our Lord and Saviour when we do this. If we feel betrayed or hurt when people say bad stuff about us, How do you think he feels? v9 says ” 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.”
My challenge to you, is to think about what you say and to who and why you say it. when you feel like you’re going to say something that is cursing, turn that around and find something to praise!
Just a little quote:
“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
My life is worth the living just because He lives.”
Gloria Gaither, “Because He lives”
What beautiful words, how can anyone not be more spot on. I can’t help but tremble at the thought of what life would be like without Christ. What would be the point of living, who would I be living for? and what would I be living to achieve. Everything I can think of, revolves around the self, I would get a job or career, so that I can buy nice things, I would find good friends so that I can feel loved, I would indulge in making MYSELF better….everything evolves I…look at adverts…make YOU better, treat YOURSELF, buy this, buy that, so that YOU can be cool….NO!!!! life isn’t about the self, its about the selfless… not about serving ourselves, but rather serving others. Just as Christ died for us, so that we may be free and that we may be able to share a life with HIM, because HE LOVES US!!! and He died and rose again for US! notice I used US rather than you, because as a community, as people, WE are sinners, and WE deserve punishment …but HE died and rose again and lives within US to share the good news of his salvation. WE need not need to worry about what tomorrow brings, nor what cursing may come our way, or what poeple think about us.
WHY!? because this life is not our own, WE live for Christ and to glorify HIM! What more joy can you want, than to know that our futures are confirmed in the salvation of Christ Jesus. And that our lives, are Gods plans.
Ephesians 1:4-6
“4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 hepredestined us for adoption to sonshipthrough Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” NIV
Lately i’ve been so puzzled and confused about a particular thing (for months in fact)…I’ve had dreams about it, read about it, it comes up in conversation and within my own thoughts…but the crazy part is…I don’t understand why its coming up in this particular point in my life…Until I realised that:
God is preparing me for the unknown and what is to come…and that it is all in his good timing. Some have said maybe its sooner than you think, but it could be quite far away. Although i’ve been so uncertain about the understanding behind the dreams and what they were on about. Today I found understanding, and God gave that to me, he knew the whole time…but after a couple of weeks of contemplation about it, he revealed the significance of my crazy dream, a significance that excites me ALOT and means I really need to trust in him. And after much stress of going WHY!? WHAT ARE YOU GOING ON ABOUT GOD!? I cant help but say thanks, thanks for preparing my heart for the unknown…What good is it for one to go into battle, or a presentation, or a new job, or anything unknown without pre-preparation…To be a soldier with the full armour of God and his knowledge. And reminding me, that how much things can change so suddenly and that its always in his greater plan for my life.
Although I don’t know where my life is heading, what my future holds…or have any real ‘plans’ for my life. I know that I can trust God with it, and if i made HUGE plans and put dates on things and said I’m doing this, this and this. It can change before i know it, for the greater good of Gods kingdom and will for my life. And i’m fine with that, this life is not for me to own but to appreciate what has been given to me. But above all this, He speaks to us when the time is right. Therefore its our job to be patient and wait for his calling and listen when he speaks to us.
Psalm 27:14
“I wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
“One of the reasons we are not as Christ-centered and cross-saturated as we should be is that we have no realized that everything—-everything good, and everything bad that God turns for the good of his redeemed children —- was purchased by the death of Christ for us. We simply take life and breath and health and friends and everything for granted. We think it is ours by right. But the fact is that it is not ours by right. We are doubly undeserving of it.” John Piper - ‘Don’t Waste Your Life
The mission of our lives as Christians is to live life to glorify God, our Creator and Heavenly Father. If we live a life that is self indulging in self achievement what kind of life is that? How and why should we gratify ourselves for something given by God. Instead we should life with an attitude undeserving of success but to glorify and rejoice God and acknowledge it’s from him. The same goes for struggles and hurt, not to indulge in self pity and shame but to rest assured we have salvation in Christ Jesus. For nothing on earth (material possessions, job status, medals, etc) are coming with us when we go to Heaven. Everything and all things in life are given by God and he can take them away also.
Job 1:21 ” Naked I came from my mothers womb and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
Something that I have been pondering over in the past little while: life being a mission field. Now I know many Christians travel overseas, go to far away place within their country, seek to the less fortunate and other similar things to share Gods word, and that’s awesome truly is. But not all of us are called to spread the gospel in that way, although many strive and would feel that they’d be ‘better’ christians if they did. But you know what, what I have come to realize is that we don’t need to travel far and wide to go on ‘mission’; our lives and every aspect of them is a mission. Think about it: how many non-Christians do you know? How do you think they could hear Gods word, have they heard Gods word?
In Romans 12, Paul talks about our lives being living sacrifices. Where the Holy Spirit lives and dwells within us, that Holy Spirit that dwelled within Christ Jesus. I think sometimes we forget that, and forget that we are disciples and non-christians look at us in all aspects of our lives and see what its like to live as Gods children. We don’t all need to go overseas to achieve a mission, in fact we are achieving our missions day by day.
And now days with all this cool technology and social networking, it is so easy to spread Gods word through our profiles, friendship networks and so on.
In all things remember to let the Lord shine through you and lean on him in all things, for his love, compassion and everything never fails and best bit he is always ‘online’ through prayer!
