Greetings sisters!
A new day, a new month, a new season! But a Saviour and God who never changes! He is our God...unto death.
(Amen sisters. There's nothing else I want besides Him and I love Him.)
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Hebrews 13:8
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.Exodus 3:14
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.Malachi 3:6
That is such a blessing that our Lord doesn't change on us! His Word remains the same although so much changes in this world. We don't need to update His Word (as people update things like science books as they learn more about the world and how it works). People are constantly changing their minds and we ourselves are constantly testing and refining so will not believe or do exactly the same in ten years as the Lord grows us. The Lord won't change His mind that our Saviour cannot save us! We can have great confidence in that! We are the ones that need to change to conform to His image.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.Romans 8:29
It doesn't matter that some or many (especially in the corrupt churches) have abused certain scriptures...we need to try to see them all the same because all of His Word is good. If there's some scriptures people either take out of context or seem to over emphasize...I encourage you to listen to (or read) the whole book in it's entirety so you don't get a twisted view of it.
While we know it is true we are saved through faith in Christ...not works...the faith is never on its own but accompanied by other things. It is by grace through faith unto good works (according to Ephesians 2). So if we rightly have the good works...people may think we are trying to save ourselves. But then they say no you can't enter heaven as a murderer or adulterer which is correct and yet those are just disobedience and bad works so works must mean something as they surely do.
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.1 Corinthians 6:9-10
I don't want anyone deceived either.
We sisters know obedience is our love for God! He first loved us in sending Christ while we were yet sinners so it all comes back to Him and without Him we can do nothing!
Here are two scriptures both of which can help us understand the new birth through the Spirit.
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.1 John 5:1
And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.Acts 5:32
We know believing and obeying are so closely related.
And we need to take these scriptures as they both mean something important...
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Galatians 2:16
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.James 2:24
We live by every word and we can't just really pull out bits and pieces can we sisters. I can't stress enough how we need to just go there and not take man's words and the Lord will help us understand it and all we need to know if we are seeking.
Here's more of His truth to live by. Read it carefully.
Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
For there is no respect of persons with God.
Romans 2:6-11
Let us walk in all truth and keep seeking it out in the Word of truth with the help of the Spirit of truth through Jesus who is the truth! Truth is so important!
I went for a sunrise walk...
(trying to catch up again on a large pile of it before I leave.)
I took you with on the walk...
(Well I tried to at least as my phone must not have liked the cold as it was jerking around in the video but anyway you can see a bit and hear the birds at least:-)
It was very beautiful though. Sometimes you wonder how God could make such beauty...like "How did you do that, God?" Kind of a silly question cuz He's so powerful but you know, for our little minds it can be hard to fathom:-) Children can ask a lot of questions...seems to be mostly 'Why?' ones that I hear around here, but we are His children after all and He told us what we need to know in His Word. It's comforting to know He made it all and has a plan for it all including us and has told us what the end of this world as we know it will be.
That spider sure put in a lot of effort to build it's web to catch it's food. And it built a home out of a curled up leaf in the middle of it all. You just need to look at creation and see them work to know God created things to work...including us. Think of a bird building it's nest. Then it sits for a long time on the eggs and then has to work really hard to find food for hungry mouths! And yet we are so much higher than animals. I've not heard of animals being lazy when they should be working. Yet man has a way of rebelling against his Creator. Let that not be us sisters though.
Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.Deuteronomy 32:1-4
I don't see frost very often at all. So I love seeing the pretty patterns that ice makes. No idea how that happens...but God knows and we just press on like little children trusting He did it.
Just sharing some good, pure, and true things from my day. I'm busy cleaning here. Good to have early starts to the day so you can fit a lot in. It's shorter winter days so not as much daylight. Just doing my serving duties in the life the Lord has for me...vacuuming, mopping, cleaning little fingerprints off windows, oven cleaning, and putting things back where they belong and general deeper cleaning of things that get neglected in the busyness of life with children and such. Getting to listen to His Word too and pop in and out here writing on my breaks.
I'm also thankful for any online ministry I can do even from my life away from much of the world. I get to share edifying here, write emails, communicate with sisters, have my sewing shop and whatever else the Lord brings into my life using technology. It's a blessing to have a variety of good works to do. And the strength and desire to do them...in the Lord as unto Him. It is good to submit to the life the Lord has for us. That's just what our flesh needs...to be where it doesn't necessarily want to be so we can do our works as unto the Lord and grow more. And then after awhile you just want to be where the Lord wants you so it all works out. That's something I ponder...doing things as unto the Lord and not unto men.
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
Ephesians 6:5-7
We know He sees us even when our 'masters' don't. He sees us...always, so He is who we work for and serve. Whether we are servants or working a job we should be trustworthy in what is asked and expected of us and reliable because we're working as unto the Lord and it is part of our witness.
It makes me thankful to have good things to do. But I think how we can't just get joy out of doing things we like to do (good things of course). We must rejoice in the Lord for who He is and that we get to serve Him even if we don't care for the things or even if we are bed ridden or in prison and can't do many works for Him we should still have the same amount of joy...in Him! I totally know there's a place for sorrow so let's not be unrealistic in this faith life to think we're going to be exceeding joyful all the time. It would be wrong to be when we need to have godly sorrow and repent. And we are commanded to weep with them that weep also and we sure know we have tribulation on this earth. But may the Lord be our joy! He has overcome the world! And He is always there! Let us draw near to Him. But He too was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief while He walked this earth and died for us. And we do need to keep sober minded also.
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.2 Corinthians 7:10-11
Oh how we need so much more of that godly sorrow in this world and may it be not far away in us sister saints lives. Sorrow leads to repentance which leads to salvation...so it is a very good thing to have when we need it.
And I was thinking about fake joy. I guess I used to have that in some ways especially when listening to music. Truly that is a drug to change your mood in fleshly ways. I want the Lord to be my portion and my joy! I'm sure you do too, amen sisters?! My godly sisters make me smile too:-)
And I've been blessed to have a really happy baby to chat and smile with and also an almost two year old to talk with and try to interpret what he's saying:-) He said something about missing me as they were leaving on a trip and I said I would go home but come back next week when they get back. Precious little innocent ones in a dark world:-)
I'd share some mushrooms fried in butter and garlic for lunch...
Good blessings of 'daily bread' to keep us going in good works.
That was my sunset view as I was making the audio. Pretty and peaceful as my day draws to a close. I said on there about how "I can't share the whole chapter right now"...but I meant to say the whole book (of Ephesians). Lol anyway. Let's just go with our mistakes if they're not too major and let God use us anyway in our human weaknesses:-) I sometimes think about that...how God can still use me even though I'm not by any means the best speaker and don't have the best 'social skills' as they say. This tends to make me feel inferior to everyone but I guess that's a good thing as we are to be humble and low. I really don't want to be a super good speaker as we know it's not 'good words and fair speeches' that mean anything to God. He uses the weak and despised things which man doesn't highly esteem. I need to embrace how the Lord made me and just let Him use me and grow me in His timing and for His service and calling and it be something I need to trust in Him to help me in. I am His. And so are you if you are His child! He sets the members in the body as He sees fit and all are necessary and we are not to be despising one another but forbearing and long suffering as we all seek to grow up in Him.
But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.1 Corinthians 12:18
I would share some fresh pumpkin cake too...
Even though I'm not at the place with the big pile of pumpkins...still got to try to use them up in bringing them here too! No getting away from them around here! Good blessings though.
Well it's time for me to go and get some rest soon for another day if the Lord wills. And I'll be back here if He makes a way.
Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.
And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
1 Thessalonians 3:11-13
I hope you keep pressing on in the faith sisters. We know we must remain in it to the end to be saved. Hold fast and strive on as good sister soldiers pleasing the One who chose us.
Godly love in Christ our Lord,
Sister Chayil
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