A Father's Heart-Niki Wise

So, on Sunday we talked of the Christmas story....even though I know this story well, I still find new revelations each year when it is shared.  I am so glad that the Word is alive and active.
 Cory mentioned Father wounds, so I wanted to expand on some other thoughts (revelations) I had.

     For example, Herod.  His response to the Father was not to embrace the gift. Cory mentioned the danger that people would be unwilling to allow God to take his rightful role as King on the throne of their hearts.  Further, when we have father wounds, it sometimes prevents us from embracing all that God has for us.  Do we view God as our loving Father, willing to give us not just "good" things, but the best according to His will?  Some people struggle with this when it comes to embracing those in leadership or in authority.  Rather than seeing the people in leadership or authority over them as a gift that the Father has sent to help direct us towards God's plan, they resist.  Herod didn't embrace God's leadership or authority.  He felt threatened, resentful, and angry.
     When I was a teenager, I made some serious mistakes.  They were costly, not just to me, but to my family.  Although I repented for these acts of disobedience, my heart was still rebellious.  I pledged to figure a way out of my mess and prove myself to others.  This attitude affected all my relationships, but especially those who were in authority.

Do you trust the Father?

      The result was tumultuous relationships with those in authority ( parents, husband, boss, pastor, etc.).  For instance, if I disagreed with my husband's idea because I thought my plan was better, well, he knew it! If his plan didn't turn out, well, he knew it!  If I was unhappy with a decision in the church, the pastor (as well as others)....knew it! I didn't trust that the Father would use them to make the right decisions. Neither did I trust that if the decision was off, that God, in his Sovereignty, could redirect them as Godly people seeking God's will.
One day, on a road trip, God brought me up short- He revealed the root of bitterness that was affecting my role as a wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, etc. Because of those in authority who were disappointed in my previous actions, rebellion was a manifestation of that.   For three hours, I "ugly cried" and repented!
     And through the Holy Spirit's healing, I came to find a joy in being able to trust the Father through the words and instruction of those in authority over me.  I'll never forget the look on Cory's face when I returned home two days later.  I not only asked him for forgiveness, but also told him I couldn't wait to submit to his authority.  I also able to follow up with some former leadership in the church to express my repentance as well.
Looking back, I am so grateful that God gave Cory and those in authority grace and mercy to love me.  I am thankful that God brought me to a place of surrender where I embraced the idea of giving the Father control, so that I could receive and submit to God's authority.  My marriage and parenting changed radically, as did other areas of my life.  Today, I continue to walk that road of trusting my Father to direct my path.  I want to invite the wisdom and guidance of mentors.  I desire to trust and submit to the Father's will.
I am sharing my story in hopes that you will take a moment to ask the Father if you are able to receive not only salvation through His son, but also the joy and freedom of living under His headship.  It doesn't mean I always agree with Cory in everything...it just means I trust God first to lead and direct Cory.  It means I go to the Father on behalf of those who are needing to make decisions that affect my life.   I can follow my Father as the ultimate authority who has a good, pleasing, and perfect will for me.  I could go on about the importance of honoring those in authority, the reward of seeking their counsel, etc., but I can't say it any better than this: "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you." (Hebrews 13:17).

Do you struggle with accepting the Father's will in your life?  How do you respond to those in authority over you?  I am not able to articulate the full scope of the freedom and joy that came with asking God to forgive me that day in the car.  I can tell you that there was healing in my heart toward my parents, my husband, and my pastor at the time.  As a strong personality, I am regularly seeking the Holy Spirit's help to submit and trust Him in all areas of my life.  Perhaps you will take a moment to be still and ask God for revelation on this for your own situation.  If He pricks your heart, take a moment to let Him show you what to repent of.  Embrace the opportunities to trust and submit to Him.  Already I am praying for the Holy Spirit to use this blog to reach out to those who need to hear/read it.  Please feel free to contact me if you want to share your story.

Glory, Glory

Glorifying God is an inherent calling for anyone who comes into the body of Christ.  According to Westminster Catechism, the greatest calling of mankind is to “glorify God and enjoy him forever.”  How then, do we best fulfill this great calling? 

      Sure, there are many ways to glorify God.  We glorify him in worship, sharing the gospel, and by obedience to him.  However, all of those “good things” are only good if they are done through faith in God.  Hebrews 11:6 emphatically states, “And without faith it is impossible to please God.” (NIV)  If you think about Abraham, and his righteousness, nothing came separately from his faith.  Genesis 15:6 says, “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (NIV)   

Notice, the first word after Abram is not righteous, or credit, but rather, Abram believed.  It was through his belief that he was able to be called righteous by God.  Abraham later glorified God through his willingness to sacrifice his only son, and to move his family to a foreign land.  However, those things only glorified God, and pleased him, as Hebrews says, because Abraham believed.  He had faith that God was who He said He was, and would do what He said He would do.  It is our faith in God which allows us to fulfill our greatest calling. ~ Sophia

Hey Einstein!

“Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity states that space is not always the way it appears to us.  Suppose, for example, you did not know the world was round.  Would you think it was?  Probably not.  After all, the earth looks pretty flat all around you.  Thus, you would probably think that the world is flat.  We know that this is not the case, however.  Despite what it looks like from our vantage point, we know the earth is round.”  (Exploring Creation with Physical Science. Wile, Module 11, Pg. 274.)

You may be wondering where I’m going with this.  Well, while I was reading this simplistic explanation of Einstein’s theory in my homework last week, it had me thinking more about theology than science.  This theory reminded me of Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see”. (NIV)  By this definition of faith, we see a direct connection between believing that the world is round, despite our inability to see it for ourselves, and believing in God’s sovereignty, despite our inability to comprehend his plans.  2 Corinthians 4:18 states, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  Both of these verses biblically illustrate the phrase, mind over matter.  We must hold to the hope of the unseen, and trust God over our vantage point.  So often, we’re seeing the world as a flat surface, devoid of hope past our present circumstance.  We get so bogged down by whatever is right in front of us that we miss out on being able to walk in that close fellowship with God that comes through child-like faith.  Matthew 18:3 reminds us to walk in this faith, “And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Switchfoot mirrors this concept in one of their songs:  Jon Foreman sings, “Belief over misery, I've seen the enemy, and I won't go back, back to how it was.  And I got my heart set on what happens next, I got my eyes wide it's not over yet.”  In conclusion, we must hold to our belief in the truth and faithfulness of God, over the view in front of us, despite what trials come our way.  We cannot go back to our doubt.  There are better things in store! ~ Sophia Wise

Much more than an arm and leg

 What does it cost to get to the top?  What does it take to get the A+, make the promotion, or get your dream home?  I think maybe it costs much more than time or efforts to get all the physical things we ever wanted, especially if it is at the price of our spiritual goals.  Your joy, peace, patience, and self-control are just a few things that will take a hit if you choose to pursue the riches of this life over heavenly riches.

 Luke 12 shows a powerful illustration of this concept when talking about the man who hoards all his riches and builds bigger barns to store his grains, only to die within the night.  The key to the balance between having possessions and remaining humble in Christ is this:  All of our physical possessions are blessings from God for us to steward and to use for His glory, not rewards that we gain.  Proverbs 3:9 reminds us that our spiritual health is never to take a backseat to worldly riches, stating, “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce”. (ESV)  Again it’s OK to have things, but they mustn’t have you! ~ Sophia Wise

Sanctity of Human Life

Sanctity of Life ~ Naomi Knight

The phrase ‘Sanctity of Life’ has become commonplace in recent decades.  The phrase itself refers to the idea that human life is sacred, holy, precious, and is argued in debates over such problematic issues as abortion, contraception, euthanasia, embryonic stem-cell research, and the "right to die."  Many people put the phrase ‘the sanctity of life’ to issues such as abortion and euthanasia, and, while it definitely applies to those issues, it applies to much more.

Every human being, at all stages of life, with every kind of experience and relationship, are included in the meaning of ‘sanctity of life.’  Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.”  Society has not done well for its children; it teaches them life doesn’t really have a worth, it is something that can be easily thrown away, as evident in abortion, human trafficking, domestic abuse, and many other evils; in quests to satisfy their own selfish desires. 

People do not realize how important and valuable life is, that humanity has an immeasurable worth, (Matthew 10:41, Romans 5:8) indicating every human being has a value that goes beyond any human attempt to measure.  Humankind was designed in the likeness of God (Genesis 1:27) and set apart from the rest of creation, but because of the fall of man, anything innately holy in man vanished as humanity turned towards dark ways.  God’s image is still present in humankind and this likeness should always be given its due respect, because humanity is far more sacred than the rest of creation.  This is what we ought to mean when we speak of the worth of sanctity of life.  “The real question today is not when human life begins, but, what is the value of human life?” – Ronald Reagan