IBS-Rid Yourself

August 29, 2011

Ephesians 4:22

"that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,"

Putting everything behind, when you turn to follow Christ. Everything that before tore you away from gaining a relationship with Him, you must rid yourself of. The corrupt ways, and things that don't glorify God in you, are part of the flesh, and are the lusts that are part of your former conduct. In my life, these are things that aren't so boldly noticed. They're slight tweaks in my personality, that aren't a part of me, imitating Christ. They're the things that aren't lifting God up in His beauty and love, when I think of them and do them, such as my anger and selfishness in situations. Things that I need to let go of that are withholding my relationship from growing, the old part of me, that isn't who Christ calls me to be. 

I need to let go of the things of this world that I don't need. Things that don't edify me in the body, such as my material things, and my selfish desires that hinder me from living for Christ.

IBS-Hospitable

August 26, 2011

Romans 12:13

"distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality."

I see the command to give. To give without ceasing, as a brother might need. Not necessarily in goods, or material things, but in guidance, help, or hospitality. To be willing to give whatever you have to offer in order for all of your brothers in Christ to be taken care of. So no one will be lacking in gifts of the Spirit, and all can follow Christ with a whole and honest, good heart. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, "Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you", so in showing hospitality in opening your heart to others you are welcoming them into your home.

I need to follow the word of God in my life. I need to live out the commands, in this way, sharing them with my brothers, who are, too, searching for the Father, so we can grow together. I want to open my heart to those who are in need, so they, too can be temples for God, also opening their homes to others.

IBS-The Cell Phone

August 25, 2011

Romans 12:12

"rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer,"

This entire verse blows me away. Its advice pertains to my very life recently because I lost my phone this week. That device has been my wake up call during my time in Montana. It was my reminder to rise in the morning and spend time with God. Without it, I've been dealing with the struggle of not spending enough time in the Word due to waking up late in the mornings. It has depressed me, in a way. I haven't been able to eat a healthy dose of spiritual food each day, and my days have felt, in a sense, empty, even when I'm being poured into by other people. There is nothing quite like cracking open my Bible, and hearing God's voice. With this verse, God tells me to be "..patient in tribulation". To wait on the revealing of my phone, and also, on a larger note, for God's plan for my life. To know that when things happen they're occurring to strengthen my patience, and build me into a stronger woman of God. "..continuing steadfastly in prayer"; a constant reminder that I need to rely on God, and make my requests known to Him. Keeping in prayer through all that is happening, including wanting to have my phone, and to be lifting it all up to Him fervently."Rejoicing in hope"; A reminder to praise the One who provides hope, the One who takes all circumstances, and uses them for my good. I know that although I may never find my cell, I can rejoice in what I know is good. That I can thank God for giving me people to wake me up, and a desire to read the Word, and make time, despite the complication in my schedule. All of these things I needed as a reminder for today. It is a complete promise from God, that He knows what I am going through, and He knows just what I need to get through it, and I can rejoice in Him through it. 

With this verse, given to me, I need to always be rejoicing in God as I have in this situation. He is the very hope in my life where nothing is impossible with Him. I need to be patient during this time, as to what I am going to do, and constantly lift it up to Jesus, as it continually crosses my mind. 

IBS-Fervent in Spirit

August 24, 2011

Romans 12:11

"..not lagging in diligence, fervent in Spirit, serving the Lord;" 

Diligence in the Webster's Dictionary is defined as "a persevering application", Not to fall behind, in applying God's word to one's life. To constantly be in the word, and living out what it says. Fervent means "exhibiting or marked by great intensity of feeling"..

I desire to be able to serve, fervently, without hesitation, being obedient to what He calls me to do.Persevering in what trials He has me endure, and tribulations I must walk through to make me stronger in Him. 

IBS-Brotherly Love

Aug 23, 2011

Romans 12:10

"Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;"

It's hard to prefer another's opinion over your own. This especially is difficult in the extreme individualism society of the US. Everyone says to do what you want to do, you have the right to your own opinion. But when that view puts you above others, this is where God draws the line. We are to give preference to one another, putting them and their views above our own. Not to sacrifice what you know is right, but merely to make sure your selfishness isn't running the show. In this way too, brotherly love comes into play. We should love one another with brotherly love. Siblings. As believers we are all siblings in Christ, and should show affection for one another we should not be quick to put one another down, or put ourselves above one another. This is hard to do when we haven't all grown up in the same household, and have opposing opinions on various things. But just like siblings who argue in their everyday lives, we all have a higher authority with which to look to when we can't see past our own noses. He's ultimately in control, so despite our opinions, feelings, pride, we can look up to Him for a rational and just compromise to the problem. 

I need to not immediately put myself, my thoughts, my opinions, my wants, my needs, above others. Taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, I want to be able to esteem others better than myself, and not act selfishly when my initial reaction is disagreement. I want to look to Christ, and the word to see what my Father says about each situation without handling it pridefully on my own.

IBS-Hypocrisy of the Flesh

Aug. 22, 2011

Romans 12:9

"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good."

Paul writes to the Romans about the way to behave as a Christian. Because he speaks of the things of Christ, "love [be] without hypocrisy" could be interpreted as the way to love one another as Christ did. He loved, and taught, and lived without disobeying anything He ordained. In this He was an example of pure and true, self-sacrificing love for us. And the next part, "Abhor what is evil." What the rip, isn't that obvious? We already do. No one actually likes evil.. Right? What about when evil things are those that are not of Christ? Okay, now we have a problem. God knew that this was the case with the world, otherwise He wouldn't have inspired Paul to write such an "obvious" statement. He knew the world was and would turn toward things that  weren't from Him, and weren't pleasing in His sight, even though they weren't straight up murder. Same as abhorring evil, clinging to what is good seems to be the obvious thing, but this isn't quite the way the world turns. We, as humans, are selfish by nature, so in that, we ourselves are evil. So how does that work? We're already hypocrisy within ourselves.. and if we're supposed to be without hypocrisy, and to abhor what is evil, shouldn't we abhor ourselves? Precisely. That's what it comes down to. Alone we have no way to follow these commands. But Paul follows with this relieving statement. "Cling to what is good." We can do that! We can cling to the solid rock and have a firm foundation on which to stand. Clinging to Jesus, brings us freedom from the bonds that are wrapped in the hypocrisy of our human, and sinful nature. 

I need to cling to Christ with everything I am. I need to be in constant prayer to my Father, thanking Him, and building my relationship with Him, so I can truly live and abhor what is not of Him, and love through Him, without hypocrisy of the flesh.

IBS-Ashamed

Aug. 19, 2011

Mark 8:38

"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

Jesus boldly states that God will be ashamed of those who are ashamed of him. This cuts me deep when I think of the many times I've been ashamed to speak the will of my Father in various experiences, or circumstances. It was in these times, where I may have, in fact, been able to minister to those in need. I regret the shame and embarrassment I felt when people asked me about my God and I was only able to offer limited information because of my lack of Scriptural knowledge. I believed things because of what people had told me was the truth, not because I had found out about Jesus by my own accord. Then when the times came where I could have proclaimed the gospel, I was at a loss of verses, and filled in the silence with my own empty words. I was ashamed because I truly did not know my Father the way I claimed. I was ashamed of being rejected because of Him, so I was hesitant to spread His love, my own pride in the way. 

I want to be full of Scripture, so full of the words and truth of Christ that I can boldly proclaim his name, and not be ashamed of sharing His love. I need to read the Bible more often, and connect Scriptures so I can be more confident in sharing my God and not be ashamed. 

IBS-Bigger and Better

Aug. 18, 2011

Mark 8:37

"'Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?'"

In the game Bigger and Better one starts with a small object and repeatedly asks various people if they can exchange anything bigger and better than the object they presently have. Some people have started with a pencil and ended with a house. If someone can, ultimately, exchange a pencil for a house, what more would we be willing to give in exchange for the very life inside of us? I believe Jesus is asking this question, in regards to this same perspective. That we should be willing to give everything we have in order to have something greater: life in Him. In this, one will not be losing anything, but rather exchanging, with no regrets, to have what God intended for us from the beginning.

I desire to give everything I have for Christ. I want to leave selfish desires, and wants of mine behind, in order to follow Him. I want to be able to leave everything for His sake: people I've grown close to, places I've gotten comfortable with, and things I've grown to be dependent on. For God asks me in 1Corinthians 4:7, "..what do you have that you did not receive".

IBS-Gaining What's Lost

Aug. 17, 2011

Mark 8:36

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul?"

"and" not "but" was used here by Jesus, revealing that gaining the whole world will result in losing one's soul. This isn't the hypothetical situation where He suggests following Him, and then perhaps gaining life. This is the real deal. Jesus desires that we give our everything to Him. And he warns that if we do not there is no profit, and a guarantee of a lost soul. Now, this wasn't a threat, but a promise. He tells us this, so that we can be forewarned of the lack of reward gained by seeking after the things of this world. Following earnestly after Him is an easy task, loving our Father who loves us and desires to fill us with blessings. But at the same time, it's difficult: putting our selfish wants aside so we can clearly see the will of God. The verse, "what did you have that you did not receive from me"  has been floating through my head all night, and morning. God asks what we have to gain, that we deserve. And that is a convicting thought, for we had nothing, until He gave us life. In this way, gaining the whole word is despising the very one who gave us life, and everything we could possibly want, in order to receive something that will, then, ruin our souls. God doesn't call us to follow Him, because we "have" to, but we "get" to because He has made that possible, and through Him, we have all of the profit of a fulfilled and eternal life.

I need to not have expectations of what I deserve. I cannot do anything alone, but only through "Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13), so I therefore need to put my wants aside, so I do not seek to gain the world, but solely to live for Christ, in my actions, deeds, and desires. 

IBS-Lose Your Life, Saving It

Aug. 16, 2011

Mark 8:35

"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."

Lose your life for Christ and the gospel's? What did Christ mean by this? In John chapter one, verse one it says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God", a clear reminder that the Word of God, the gospel's, is Jesus Christ. Therefore all who lose their life for His sake, will find it. Not that we are living in a stupor until we accept Christ as our savior, but we really will not know entirely what it means to live a complete and joyous life until we know Him. I feel like I am finally beginning to grasp this concept as each minute slinks by here on the ranch. Every moment I am being drawn closer to my Savior, from learning about Him in class, to spending alone time with Him on the Mount. Truly losing my life day by day, "bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ"(2 Corinthians 10:5). As I ask Him what He would have me to do, instead of making decisions on my own, I put my trust in Him for His perfect way in every detail of my life. Because of this obedience, I have found what Christ speaks of. Through Him I have found life. I am now happier than I have ever been, wrapped in the arms of my Father, and enveloped in His grace and beauty. I am seeking Him more every day, and He is gladly revealing Himself to me through every circumstance, and I cannot wait to see what is in store for me in this new life in Him.

I need to continue to be obedient to God's calling, seeking His voice, when I am alone with Him. I need to not hesitate to do as He calls, in this way living in His plan for my life, and thus, saving it.

IBS-Passion from the Start

Aug. 15, 2011

Mark 8:34

"When He had called the people to himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, 'Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.'''

"Deny himself": these are the words that call out the loudest for me in this Scripture. In order for one to follow Jesus, He clearly states that this is what they must do. The rest will follow. As one puts aside their own selfish wants, desires, or "needs" and takes after Christ, longing to know His heart, and do as He commands, will find Him. In doing this act of faith, one will be bearing what they need in order to be a follower of Christ. If Christ really is one's desire, than they shouldn't hesitate to do as He calls them to do. I wish I had known to deny myself. This would have made my act to follow Christ passionate from the start. I would have been able to seek Him for myself, and find Him, instead of wandering aimlessly, picking up fragments of His teachings instead. If I had taken up my cross, and sought anxiously for Him I would have inherited the passion for the word, and the zeal for the life of living after Christ sooner.

I need to continue to be in the word, and applying it to my life daily. I want to know more of Christ, following after Him, no more of me, and have it be all about Him. I want to deny myself completely in this life, if only to glorify my Father, who gave me His son, so that this could be so. 

IBS-Vision or Reality..?

Aug. 12, 2011

Acts 12:9

"So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision."

Even Peter didn't know if what was happening to him was real, or just a vision from God. Sometimes God's blessings seem unreal to us. They're far too incredible for us to comprehend. It seems like our world is just a dream, or a figment of our imagination, when really, it's as real as it comes. God really does love to bless us, and when we seek him and find peace in Him, He fulfills this in our lives. "For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me, and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

I need to continue to seek God, not excusing what He does to bless me as mere coincidence. I need to find joy in Him, and realize His blessings that are overly abundant in my life, in so many ways.

IBS-Equip Yourselves

Aug. 11, 2011

Acts 12:8

"Then the angel said to him, 'Gird yourself and tie on your sandals'; and so he did. And he said to him, 'Put on your garment and follow me.'"

Be prepared. The angel was telling Peter to get ready for the road ahead. God sometimes does this; warns us for the battles ahead, so we can equip ourselves accordingly. Would I quickly "gird" myself and follow the Lord's calling for my life when I had no indication of where it led. I can say, I do believe I would. Recently, I have been strengthening myself in the Lord, making less of me, and more of Him, where I can confidently say that I want to do His will. I want to leap and prepare myself for whatever He has for me. To listen to His voice, and honor  His commands, so I will be ready for anything. Whatever garments, whether of patience, love, discernment, knowledge, strength, trust, I am willing to clothe myself in these. I am willing to listen to God's commandments toward me so that I will be able to follow Him without hesitation. 

I need to constantly be in the word, learning more about what God's commands to me are. With this knowledge, I need to clothe myself in all of the things He asks of me, so that I can be ready for all of the things I have ahead in my life. 

2 Corinthians 3:3 "clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the Living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart."

IBS-For the Good

Aug. 10, 2011

Acts 12:7

"Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, 'Arise quickly!' And his chains fell off his hands."

This bright light that came with the angel revealed God's glory. It revealed God's mercy and sacrifice as He rescued Peter from the jail and all that was restricting him. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans that all things work together for the good of those who love God, for those called according to His purpose. Peter loved God and, resting in his peace in the faith he had in God, was evidence of that. God wasn't done with Peter. He had plans to use him still, in the furthering of His kingdom. Sending an angel and making the chains simply fall off of Peter's hands revealed the power that is held in Romans 2 verse 28. Because Peter walked uprightly in Christ, God saved him from his enemies.

I need to follow God, holding to his promises. I want to have the faith like Peter, so that I can know with confidence that God will work everything out for my good because I love Him, and his power will be revealed through my life.

Psalm 84:11 "For the Lord God is a sun and a shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly."

IBS-Resting Soundly

Aug. 9, 2011

Acts 12:6

"And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison." 

Sleeping before his trial? Obviously Peter wasn't phased. He was surrounded by restrictions and yet he had enough peace to rest soundly. He was comforted by the Holy Spirit, and was not worried about what was to come. I wish I could say that I had enough faith in the Lord to rest soundly in Him. When I'm faced with a trial, or something I know will test my faith I am never at ease. When I first heard about the Ignite program I remember thinking about being whisked off to a foreign country, with all of the discomforts, and my faith being stretched. That night I lay in bed, my mind going a million miles an hour, thinking of all of the things I would have to get done in order to make this trip possible, and all of the things that this step would entail. I had to force myself to go to sleep that night so I wouldn't be exhausted the next morning at school. And this lack of peace was two months before I would even be starting to face all of the things I was worried about. I hadn't even lifted it up to Christ, and let the Holy Spirit give me the peace God wished to give me on the matters. Oh to have the faith like Peter. To know that everything is in God's hands, and to have confidence in all of the things He has planned for me, even if the odds are bad, and the trial is right around the corner. To be trapped in a place where there's no escape, and yet not doubt the Holy Spirit and it's power to hold my hand throughout it all.

I wish to trust God with my future in all things. I want to be able to lift up my trials when I see them coming, instead of dwelling on my worries and fears until they make me physically sick, or exhausted. I need to build my trust, like Peter, in the Holy Spirit, and it's power within me to give me peace through it all.

Philippians 1:19 "For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ."

IBS-Constant Prayer

August 8, 2011

Acts 12:5

"Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church."

Constant prayer for a brother in need. That's what the church offered, as the church does today. But how often does the statement, "I'll be praying for you" actually get fulfilled? Is one constantly in prayer for the one who is suffering, or do we merely say a short "God help this person" and then go on spilling our own trials to Him? I know that the latter is usually what occurs for me, and I acknowledge this, and desire to change it.

I need to actually follow through with my promised prayer. I should't tell someone I will be praying for them unless I know I will remember to put aside my own thoughts and offer that person and their trials up to God. This, I know, goes hand in hand with leaving myself behind, and putting others before me, my goal in living life, doing as Christ would do.

IBS-Preaching vs Teaching

August 5, 2011

Acts 8:35

"Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him."

There's a difference between preaching and teaching. There are times that are appropriate for both of these methods of sharing the gospel, but one must be wise when ministering, to determine which would be most effective.When someone is a strong Christian, pursuing God's own heart they might be able to handle a lecture type message. In most circumstances though, teaching needs to be used for the audience to not feel like they're being attacked with a forced doctrine. Many times the disciples did teach about Jesus, but I believe at this point Philip was doing as it says: preaching to the man. This shows to me, that even though Philip did not know the man very well, he was still able to choose the most effective way to minister to him. The only way he was able to discern this must have been because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. In this decision he was able to sit down with the man, and know that by preaching to him, he would be able to portray the message of Christ to him.

I need to pray for discernment in my decisions. I need to look for guidance when I am called to minister to people so my method of sharing the gospel will change hearts instead of falling on deaf ears.

IBS-Take Off The Blinders

August 2, 2011

Acts 8:30

"So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, 'Do you understand what you are reading?'"

Philip ran as God directed him. He did not hesitate to follow the Spirit's command. His task was simple, to overtake the chariot. And as he approached he heard the man reading Isaiah's words, and he asked him a very simple question. This simple question, though, made all the difference, for the man indeed did not understand what he was reading. He was following God, but following blindly. He had no idea what he was supposed to be learning from this passage, so the Spirit sent Philip to guide him. The same way God sends the Holy Spirit himself to guide us in our reading, and our everyday lives. So often we want to follow God, but we do not look for guidance. With this, we are seeking God, blinded by what we do not understand. I know, I am guilty of this, as many times I have tried to do something, wanting to please God, but not allowing the Holy Spirit to guide me in my actions. I have not asked for assistance, even though I know I cannot do it alone, and must look for help. 

I need to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in every situation. I need to not hesitate to look to God when I am obviously lost, so I depend on Him. Because I already know I cannot do anything by my own strength or knowledge, but only through He who strengthens me.

IBS-Faithful in the Little Things

August 1, 2011

Acts 8:29

"Then the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go near and overtake this chariot.'"

This simple task was asked of Philip directly by the Holy Spirit: to guide the Ethiopian in His reading of the scriptures. How easily Philip could have pushed this off as a minuscule thing that wouldn't make a difference, but yet, he so eagerly did as he was asked. Here at the ranch a favorite quote has been "Be faithful in the little things". Now this usually pertains to keeping your room tidy, or your bed neatly tucked every day, but this comes to mind when I think of Philip's obedience to God at this moment. He was faithful to follow the Spirit's calling to simply talk to a man about the scriptures. Something little, but yet necessary, as brought to attention by the Spirit Himself. When God speaks to people, telling them of tasks that he wishes upon them, they can react in many different ways. Perhaps they see the task as important because it's so large no one can deny it has to be done, but other times they may comply simply because God commanded it. I must say when I listen for God's voice, I am seeking big answers. I am seeking problem-solving words that I must follow in order for the pieces to complete the puzzle within my brain. But it's being faithful in the little things that God tells me to, that makes all the difference. To listen when he calls me to read my Bible daily, or take every thought captive in obedience to Him. Those things are what changes a heart, and allows the Holy Spirit to work within me. 

Without a doubt, I need to be faithful in the little things. I need to listen to God in every circumstance and situation to hear what changes can be done, no matter how small. In order to strengthen my relationship with Him, and others, I need to follow where He leads, listening to His guiding voice, no matter how curt the command.