Godly greetings to God's holy daughters!
I'm back again because I can be. I hope you're all striving on in the Lord! I am here and have had a busy day. I traveled back again. And got a cleaning job done on the way back. Thankful for safe travels and then different works to do for a bit...if I get the days.
I got to listen to scripture as I traveled...most of the book of Acts (which took two hours). There's so much packed in that book and a whole lot going on indeed! Some things made me smile even though you could have read it hundreds of times. I rejoiced over brother Paul's conversion...for there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repents!
And it made me smile how God turned the picture around completely how Saul was going to kill saints and then he ended up having to escape from that same town for his own faith in Christ!
But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?
But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:
Acts 9:21-23
And another thing that stood out to me was how in a few instances like Peter's vision about the unclean animals to do with Cornelius and how God prepared both people separately in different locations as he did for Saul and Ananias too. And they came together to do as the Lord showed them both separately. Just is comforting as He does things behind the scenes that we also may not be aware of and lays things out. He truly is our Helper!
And praise God the Gentiles were able to come in too.
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.Acts 10:34-35
And it also made me smile how not once, not twice, but three times the Lord opened prison doors! Man's purposes cannot stand against our Lord's will!
And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
Acts 12:6-8
Also pondering and smiling about how Rhoda who came to answer the knock at the door was too overjoyed to open it that she ran back to tell them first and they were all inside praying...no doubt for Peter's release.
And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.
Acts 12:13-16
Just sharing thoughts and it was a very thrilling listening session with so many mighty Acts of God going on!
And the healed man leaping and praising God makes me rejoice too! Glory to God for all amazing things! And we get to serve the same God today!
I do recommend listening to long sections of scriptures as I think you can sometimes get more out of it than reading. But there's good in either of course. (I just use the audio that comes with my Bible app. No, not the fake hyped up dramatized one with music I've seen they have but plain and simple scripture read. Yeah I know it's a computerized voice but so is reading the Word off a phone screen computerized. And personally I think that's better than some unbiblical or unbelieving person reading it. And I don't know how to get continuous audio playing from say my own Bible readings online even, so just doing what I can.)
And I understand the book of Acts is a summary of what took place so there would have been quiet moments for sure but still much going on as Christ's body was started!
I also was pondering how the message for action often is 'believe in Christ' or 'repent' and some today would call this having an 'accursed gospel' but I'm going with Peter and Philip and Paul over anyone these days and not going beyond God's Word or calling the precious way after Christ these godly men showed us, and which I believe also, accursed. Of course we live by every word but I'm simply not adding to scripture. If you truly believe Christ...you believe every single word He said...and act upon it.
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 2:37-38
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.Acts 16:30-31
My brothers in these scriptures (and elsewhere) were not preaching an accursed gospel (as we may be told if we say the same things). Sisters, test all things to the scriptures. We too can use these scriptures to help people also know what they must do to be saved. Most obviously, true belief leads to obeying everything that comes with faith in Christ, and most obviously true repentance involves turning the whole life to Christ. Christ being the key word. He is the good news to the world so everyone must do things His way! I am proclaiming the true Christ as there is no other name whereby we must be saved and the old law cannot save anyone neither can being outside of Christ and His narrow way of truth. And I'm pointing people to the scriptures so they can go be taught as Jesus said...
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matthew 28:19-20
As a woman, I don't teach theology/doctrine etc but I can point people to the pure word to be taught! Let us feed on the living bread, Christ, and obey all He tells us to as our faith is in Him. It's all about Him and His death and shed blood for our sins. Let us rejoice in the glad tidings His coming to earth brought and follow after Him with all that we are!
Back to what I was sharing from Acts. I like thinking of how life was then and even simple verses like these give us glimpses. I noticed it said they kneeled to pray, twice.
And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.
And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him,
Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.
Acts 20:36-38
And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed.
And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again.
Acts 21:5-6
Even simple scriptures as these have a lot in there to ponder. I like how it says the wives and children came with as they were seeing Paul off on his sailing journey. Saints kneeling down on the shore praying...I love that picture. And then they returned home again and life went on.
Another thing I was pondering is how we need to be thankful and content in a quiet life and not equate that to 'having less fruit' at all! I was thinking of the accounts in the Word and where people waited a very long time before something major happened in their lives (and by 'major' perhaps we can think we want to be 'more useful to God' or something like that but we need to be faithful and wait and maybe He just wants us to have a really simple quiet life doing what we can while doing other good works.). I heard about Moses and how he started to try to help deliver the children of Israel...but then it was a whole forty years later that God had that for him.
And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.Acts 7:30
We know there are times and seasons but also that the Lord is pleased with peaceable quiet godly lives also.
And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
You can go ponder and dig into that scripture some more but it talks about striving to hold your peace and mind your own business, working with your hands etc.
Reminds me of these scriptures too...
Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.2 Thessalonians 3:12
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:1-4
But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.1 Peter 3:4
And this may be especially so of a godly woman it would seem. So we can know if the Lord has us leading such a life as our calling it is a good thing. This is our good fruit not some other life that God doesn't even have for us that we may think would be more 'fruitful'. We don't want to get unrealistic views of this life following after Christ. It can be very simple and quiet and uneventful if you want to say it that way. It's a glorious life and we will have to go through trials and persecution because of our faith but it's peaceful (especially if we're past all the major changes needed when we repent) and if we're thankful and content then this is our witness for Christ too. Oh sure there will be spiritual battles within a quiet life but let us rejoice in His Word and the truth to walk in of leading a quiet life and how that pleases God. No, quiet doesn't always mean it isn't noisy or super busy but just...well I'm sure you know sisters:-) Just like not well known or highly esteemed or perhaps not seen much by the world and certainly not popular or out making trouble and things like that. Especially perhaps as keepers of the home and raising children or serving others...it's just simple and largely unnoticed.
I was thinking also about how important being consistent in our witness is too. Let's keep striving not to grow weary in well doing sisters! God is watching and so are others and we know how devastating it can seem when someone turns back from following the Lord. Sad but we press on hard after our Saviour and take warning lest it happen to us.
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.1 Corinthians 10:12
We also may know how faith-rocking it can be when someone you thought was godly and in all truth fails or does things so contrary to sound doctrine. But again our eyes must be on Christ alone and not man. But the lesson for us sisters is that others are watching and we can actually seriously stumble them if we do something contrary to the Lord's ways. May we not cause a little one to stumble lest we get worse punishment than a millstone drowning.
I was also pondering how a woman...particularly a wife has to balance submission with being Spirit-led. Well all women who have an authority over them have to but if they don't then they have the Lord as their sole authority. The Lord is everyone's authority but some women have human authorities over them. Well we all have human authorities over us really as we are subject to government etc as God commands us to be. Of course women still aren't to take authority in positions that men are to have especially in the body. And of course a wife obeys God over man but sometimes there may be things she may not be sure on and then other things she may think differently on. Then I think of the scripture about winning without the Word that a godly wife is to obey God no matter what and in this she may be a great good influence.
Let's suppose a woman comes to the Lord and sees that Christmas is pagan and she wants nothing to do with it but her husband does. Now surely there will be a battle if he does not want her to spoil their 'special day' and give it up and he has to do everything. You can see how strong a woman would have to be and how sure she would have to be that she was doing right because she may feel guilty that she was disobeying her husband if she wasn't completely sure Christmas (or anything else) wasn't biblical. So she must be very sure on all the areas she has to disobey her husband in. I'm not saying Christmas isn't obviously wrong as it is but just as an example. And I do understand that when your eyes are just opening you may not see it in it's full sinfulnes as you may in a year's time.
Then we can think of Sapphira. Sure she may have obeyed the command to submit to her husband...but it was to her own demise. A wife does have a potentially really difficult life to balance obedience to the Lord herself and then submission to her husband. Because not everyone has a perfect marriage of two very godly biblical people which would make it much easier but still there's always some areas to work out. And we know some sisters come to the Lord and their husbands remain unbelievers. We know few come.
As we know, Paul wanted to spare people this trouble in the flesh and suggested they remain single. Whatever calling we have...we just need to be faithful in it. And remember that one sin of a wife going along with a disobedient husband cost Sapphira her soul. May the Lord help you sisters who are wives to obey God in willing cheerful submission and respect and love to your husbands. May He also give you the strength and grace to obey God over man where it comes to that and not to compromise like it appears Sapphira did unless she was in full agreement without any doubts about it...I can't know the whole story. May the Lord give you wisdom from the Word to see the truth to follow and much courage and fear of God not man to overcome and do what's right...no matter what!
Also I would have to include...may a woman never lead her husband into sin either. Now we see that clearly in Genesis and it didn't go well at all for them and the course of history. But sadly this is a very very common thing in the world and among those who claim to believe but may it not be so among the true daughters of the Most High God. We don't want to lead anyone astray or cause them to stumble.
Just lots of pondering and sharing from that today sisters...perhaps something was useful to you and edifying! Keep pressing on in your calling! Don't grow weary in the good works in front of you!
Strive on sisters! My love be with you.
Grace & peace,
Sister Chayil
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