Standing up for your faith

Welcome to my Monday Manna post. If you want to particpate too, you can join us at:

http://joannesher.blogspot.com/2009/11/ultimate-faith-monday-manna.html

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Daniel 3:16-18

Compromise. The word means to expose or make vulnerable to danger, suspicion, scandal, etc. It also means to make a dishonorable or shameful concession. Compromise is not a nice word. So why do so many Christians make compromises when it comes to their faith?

I had a conversation with someone the other day that I will share with you. Miss A and I were talking about clothing. She described to me a store that she had been in. Her experience went something like this: Upon walking in the store, her jaw hit the floor. Looking around the store was appalling. There were many things that she saw that were quite disturbing. Most specifically, she saw sesame street characters on shirts doing not so nice things to each other. She went specifically in the store for a twilight shirt (which I will let the whole "twilight" thing go for now) for her daughter that she knew they carried. Her spirit was telling her to flee, but instead she quickly purchased the shirt and left. In doing this, she is supporting this store, and allowing them to continue to sell those graphic shirts to teens. It's time to take a stand fellow brethren! Ezekiel 11:11-12 says ...I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. And you will know that I am the LORD, for you have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you. We are called to not compromise with this world!

One of the things that I have been convicted of regarding compromise and my integrity is in the area of media. Whether it be cd's or printed books, there are certain restrictions on copying. People will ask me if they can have a copy of this song or another song and I must politely decline. The reason the copyright laws are in place is because if we make copies for our friends, the artists don't get the proceeds from our friends buying the cd. It doesn't matter if our friends are "not going to sell them" or not. It's like stealing the proceeds from those albums. We think "Oh they make a lot of money, one copy won't hurt". It does! It hurts our integrity. Integrity is defined as adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty and also the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished. Let's set an example, and preserve our integrity.

I know that it is hard to stand out. Daniel's friends stood out. They stood up for their faith and their God. The punishment was set to be death by fire. God walked with them through the fire, and preserved them. Our God is faithful, and the same yesterday, today, and forever. Take a stand for your faith today. God will walk you also through the fire.

God's blessings to you today!

The Cutting Edge

The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. Deuteronomy 30:6

Ok, ladies, blush now and get it over with. Men, cringe now and get it over with. This post is mostly about the male s*x organ. Yes, you have reached my blog, and you didn't get re-directed to some random place. No, it's not health class either. Today I will share a bit about the Jewish rite of circumcision.

Growing up with a Jewish background is really a blessing for me. As I learn more and more about our great faith, it is easy for me to grasp some of the significance of the rituals done in the old testament. Although I have not experienced a Bri Milah myself, it is talked about often in the Jewish faith. Bri literally means covenent; it is the very first covenant between Abraham and God. If we look at Genesis 17:10-14, we will see where God commanded Abraham to circumcise himself, his "seeds", and those of his household not of his seed, but purchased (servants). The circumcision is a sign of the Jewish people's consecration to God.

What is circumcision? It is the practice of cutting away the foreskin of the penis. The Torah calls it the "orlah". The commandment is written that on the eighth day, a male child is to be circumcised. It is the only drawing of blood that is allowed on the Sabbath. As with all commandments, it can only be postponed because of health reasons. There is really no reason given for why it is to be the eighth day, but modern medicine has found that babies clotting abilities stabilize on the 8th day after birth. Amazing!

There are many reasons to consider circumcision for a man. Research at Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore have shown that circumcised men are six to eight times less likely to become infected with HIV, the virus that causes Aids. Researchers believe that protection is due to the removal of the foreskin, which contains cells that have HIV receptors which scientists suspect are the primary entry point for the HIV virus. (Reuters, March 25, 2004)

Other studies have reported that infants get less urinary tract infections, bacterial and fungal infections, and other infections related to hygiene. Also, there is an extremely low rate of cervical cancer in Jewish women which is thought to be related to the practice of circumcision. So the bottom line is this: It is thought to be healthier for the man, and his partner if he is circumcised. I think God knows what He is doing here! It is also healthier for us if our hearts are circumcised in the same way.

"It is a foundation of Judaism that we are to control our animal desires and direct them into spiritual pursuits. Nowhere does a person have more potential for expressing "barbaric" behavior than in the s*x drive. That's why the Bris is done on this specific organ. If we bring holiness into our life there, then all other areas will follow" http://www.britpro.com/default.asp?p=article2

Although I don't necessarily agree with everything in the statement above, if we look at this from the perspective of circumcising the heart....it is most true. If God brings holiness into our life in our hearts, all other areas will follow. We have a foreskin around our hearts, that only God can remove. It is a tough outer skin, that only harbors bacteria, lets bad things in, and is all around unhealthy for us. Our foreskin is made of sin. It is made of flesh. Acts 7:51 says that our uncircumcised hearts make us resist the Holy Spirit. It keeps the bad things in, and the good things out. Romans 2:28 tells us that circumcision is not merely outward and physical. Colossians 2:11 tells us that being circumcised means that we put off the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men, but with the circumcision done by Christ.

When an infant is circumcised, he has no choice. In the Jewish faith, it is a ritual done with much fanfare. The Godfather holds the baby, an ornate chair is set our for Elijah, the child is given a formal Hebrew name, holy prayers are recited, and there is a festive meal prepared and enjoyed by all. It is a celebration of covenant between God, and man.

When a Christian has a circumcised heart, it is a choice they have made. They have yielded to God. The Holy Spirit has begun to cut away the tough outer skin. They have made themselves vulnerable to God, and in turn to their fellow man. A circumcised heart will look different. It will begin to reflect what is in the heart of God. Our hearts will no longer be filled with only evil, all the time (Genesis 6:5-6, 8:21). Our hearts will begin to be infused with what is in God's heart--compassion, mercy, lovingkindness, righteous anger, love, and much, much, more.

Today, you have a choice. Leave the tough, outer skin of protection that harbors sickness, unforgiveness, pain, and sin; or choose to yield it all to the one who longs to ransom your heart. The one who wants to start peeling all of that away from your life, and give you new life in Him. Beloved, it is up to you. I'm not going to say that it won't be painful, because it will. There will be no circumcision without pain and trial. God has said that He will test us to see what is in our hearts. He has also given us a promise to never leave us or forsake us. His loving arms will be held out to you the entire time. Will you run to Him? Will you let Him begin to cleanse you? May the Lord bless you, and keep you. In Jesus precious and mighty name. Amen.

Monday manna

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:9


When I first saw this verse, (and the ones prior to it) I didn't think there was anything more that I could say to illuminate them. Of course, I was wrong and God had a different plan. As I went through this week, God was planting little nuggets to help me understand them better. First let me say that I had typed this all up, and thought it was saved. I pushed the post button and it all disappeared. I'm hoping this second version will live up to the first one's legacy LOL.

I was watching the movie Fireproof last night. If you have not seen this movie, you must. I don't care if you are single, married, divorced, widowed, etc. It is a wonderful testimony of God's redemptive power in relationships. In the movie, Caleb, (Kirk Cameron) recieves a book from his father called "The Love Dare". The instructions are to focus on a different aspect of marriage or your spouse every day for 40 days. One of the days leads Caleb to study his wife. He was to make a candlelit dinner for her, and to ask her some questions at this dinner to see what makes her tick. What makes her happy? What makes her sad? What are her dreams? What does she love?

As Christians, we should be doing the same with God. We should be having candlelit dinner with Him, and have a list of questions to ask Him. How do we do that? The only way to ask God questions here on this earth is through prayer and reading His word. Our candlelit dinners full of questions are our devotional times with the Lord. Let's think about putting on a candlelit dinner for a moment. We get out the good china and silverware, throw on the linen tablecloth, play soft music, pull out our best recipes, and don't forget the candles! When the moment comes, we make sure we look our best and everything is perfectly ready for our guest. Do we do this for the Lord? Don't misunderstand me here. I'm not saying that God will only accept us if we are polished and perfect. I'm also not talking about needing hours to meet with God. I'm talking about the posture of our hearts. Are we coming with an open heart to God or have we put up walls of self-defense? Have we prepared ourselves to meet with him or are we just going through the motions? Are we giving him the first fruits of our time, or just the scraps that fell off our schedule? Are we soaking in his word, or are we distracted by other things that we just can't get off our mind? We were created to be in fellowship with our Lord. He wants our best offerings, not our leftovers.

In the bible, our relationship with the Lord is compared to a marriage relationship.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Rev 19:7

Do you see that? The bride has made herself ready! My friends, there are many ways we can get ready for our Lord. One of those ways is by getting to know the character of our God. My friend preached the sermon at our church this Sunday for the family service. She is travelling to Disney as I type this. My friend told us about how she got ready for her trip by doing some research. She looked up the Disney characters in books to learn all about them. The reason she did this, was so that when they saw the different characters at the theme park, they would recognize them, and know what role they played in the Disney movies. The only way we can recognize God, is if we know his character. What pleases Him? What burdens His heart? What (or who) does He love? What are His desires? We can learn all of this in His word.

And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,so your God will rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:5b

Paul said ANYTHING you have learned or seen from him, put into practice. Paul was certain that what he was teaching, and modeling, was all that he learned from Christ. Christ was certain that everything He was doing, His Father in heaven was doing as well.

Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. John 5:19

Have you ever seen a little girl playing dress up with mommy's high heels, and scarves and hats? How about a little boy strapping on his daddy's toolbelt and boots? They want to be just like us. We are children of the most high God. We too should be trying to be just like our heavenly Father. How about we strap on his helmet, and wield his sword and shield, and grow up to be just like him?