Evil? March 8, 2009
Posted by Cindy Beecher in Bible, Difficulty, ENOUGH!, Evil, God, Healing, Hope, Salvation, Sin.1 comment so far
I recently had a conversation with several ladies about evil (Our Pastor gave a definition of evil as he was preaching through 2 Peter 1:1-11) and the conversation started by one saying she didn’t really agree with our Pastor’s definition.
Here is the definition our Pastor said: “Evil is living a life independent of God.” “Evil is living your life independent of God, it’s living your life as if God doesn’t exist. The creator of everything, the one to whom all glory is due and living your life like he doesn’t exist, that is evil.” “If you are living your life independent of God then you are living the evil desires of your life.”
I have to say that I was alarmed that godly church going folk did not see themselves as remotely evil, nor did they see some of their non-believing friends as evil.
But, as I look upon my life especially before knowing God all I can see is the evil that lived inside me. Still, even now, after knowing God for 26 years I battle against the old sin nature that desires to evil in the Lord’s sight.
God has cleansed me of every sin I ever committed or ever will commit when I trusted Jesus as my Savior. The old evil Cindy is dead, but the battle against that old sin nature continues today.
James 1:13-14 says: When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
Jesus was tempted just as we are but never sinned. He was the only sinless one who ever walked the face of the earth.
I am thankful that I know I can be tempted to do what is evil because of my own evil desires that come from my old sin nature. I believe that knowing my areas of weakness, is a good thing. Because when I am weak He is strong. As long as I turn to Him every time I am tempted, He will give me a way of escape. He is my strength.
I know that apart from God my heart would go straight to evil all the time. I know the depths from whence I came and I know that He alone can rescue me from the pit I would fall into without Him.
Thank you Father for rescuing my life from the pit. Thank you Father that your mercy and grace knows no end. Thank you that by the power of your Holy Spirit I am made strong in my weakness, because your strength is greater than my greatest weakness. How could I ever say thank you enough? I am looking forward to having all eternity to praise His name for all He has done and all He has yet to do!
Find your strength and hope in God alone.
In Him there is no weakness.
His strenght is MORE THAN ENOUGH!
Making Every Effort March 1, 2009
Posted by Cindy Beecher in Faith, God, God's Purpose for Me, Introvert, Life, Purpose.1 comment so far
There are so many things in this life that take effort. For some it is just getting out of bed in the morning, for others it is the fact that they will never get out of bed and must depend on others to do things for them that they cannot.
For me the fact that I am an extreme introvert makes just leaving the house a huge effort. Being with more than one person at a time is highly stressful and difficult for me. It is not that I don’t like people, it’s just that my bent causes groups to be unnaturally draining for me.
Every Sunday morning I get up, get dressed and go to church. But it is always with much self talk and prayer. I hope you don’t take the above statement wrong because: I love so much of corporate worship. The prayers of the saints joined together in one heart and mind. The songs of adoration lifted up to the One and Only God who is worthy of all praise and honor and glory. The sermons that feed my soul and challenge me to move closer and closer to what God wants me to become. Being connected to His body, the church, is truly a grand blessing. Yet, it is also quite the challenge for me.
God has not allowed me to use my introversion as an excuse. I must connect with the rest of the body and there are many members.
In fact God has called me to work with women. Sometimes it is one at a time, other times it is in small groups and periodically He even asks me to speak at retreats and seminars. It seems that God does not call any of us to do what comes naturally. He wants to work in and through us in such a way that He gets the glory. So, much of the Christian life is about making efforts.
Earlier today I spoke about 2 Peter 1:3 how God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. Further down in verses 5-7 he says… For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
God knows that we must make efforts every day to add to our faith the character traits he lists in verse 5-7. He also knows that an intimate growing relationship with Him takes effort on our part. But, He has provided everything we need to do so. Every time He requires anything of us He also provides what we need to meet those requirements.
What an amazing God we serve. He wants all to know Jesus as our Savior and so He draws all men to Himself. He wants us to have intimate knowledge of Him, so He writes a love letter, His Bible and paints the sky every day and declares His glory through His creation all around us. He constantly provides for everything we need.
Yes, life is difficult on the planet earth, but it’s sad to say a lot of what we deal with on a daily basis is because we put our efforts into temporal, earthly things instead of directing our every effort to the things that God asks in His word.
I have been guilty of this in my life and I know I am not alone.
I have a note posted in my home office, because I know my efforts must shift dramatically in the coming days, weeks and years. Here is what it says: DECREASE, DOWNSIZE, ELIMINATE! Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. Johah 2:8
My desire is to make every effort to add to my faith the things God has called me to. That means putting aside things that have previously taken my efforts. God has been working on me in this regard for a while. I used to be a pack rat. Now I am not a pack rat, but God is asking for more. More of my heart, more of my mind, more of my time,,,All of me.
I don’t exactly know what that looks like, but I sure don’t want to forfeit the grace that could be mine.
I pray that you and I will seek God’s heart more intentionally in the coming days. I truly desire to look like my Father. How about you?
Tracing Paper March 1, 2009
Posted by Cindy Beecher in God, Godliness, Life, Purpose, The Life.2 comments
As I child I used to get coloring books that had tracing paper intermingled with the coloring pages. So you could color the page once and then trace it and color it again. I truly enjoyed tracing. I have never been able to draw very well but copying those lines gave me a sense of accomplishment. It felt like I was building on a skill that didn’t come naturally. I never did become extremely artistic, but I do have desires there. I have however become pretty good at copying different crafty type things and decorating things and sewing things.
Today after I was able to spend some extended time (for the past two weeks) in deep study, my pastor spoke on my favorite scripture passage. 2 Peter 1:1-11. Those verses literally changed my life.
For a long time I mourned over things I did not have growing up (Mainly spiritual things and lack of spiritual heritage). That is until several years ago when these verses penetrated my heart and I began to understand that those things I lacked as a girl and a young woman had miraculously been given to me by God when I came to know Jesus Christ. Listen with your heart to this verse 2 Peter 1:3
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
His divine power – this is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead – this is the same power that is alive and living in me by his Holy Spirit…
has given – this is a past tense situation – HE HAS ALREADY GIVEN IT…
what has His divine power given me? – EVERYTHING I NEED FOR LIFE AND GODLINESS
and how to I appropriate this everything I need? THROUGH MY KNOWLEDGE OF HIM who called me by His own glory and goodness.
This supernatural power that God has already given, us who believe, provides us everything we need for this life and life ever after…This supernatural power that God has already given, us who believe, provides us everything we need for godliness in this life and life ever after…
God has given us His word and we are the tracing paper…we are to know Him so very well, so very intimately that if you lay us down upon the coloring book of His heart the lines would match up. We don’t have to be artists, we don’t have to go it alone, God provides His word so we can trace His hand and color inside the lines as He intended.
The colors in your picture may look a bit different than mine, because God did not call us to be copies of each other. He has gifted us in many differing ways so we may come together as one body made up of many parts. But as we trace His picture we will find the one and only God is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Spend time with Him…Get to know Him…may your life and mine be a tracing of the one and only God who has provided the lines of His heart through His word for us to trace. May we seek to look more and more like Him every day.
I pray today that as you seek to know Him better, the tracings of your life would begin to reveal His goodness and glory because He has provided everything you need for life and godliness.
In His grace,
Cindy
God’s Purpose for Me November 6, 2008
Posted by Cindy Beecher in Faith, God, God's Purpose for Me, Life, Purpose.2 comments
Not many folks read the posts I write. Not that I have written an abundance. Not that what I write is so profound. Not that my hope is to have a multitude of people “affirming” God’s call on my life.
I have a dear friend who has been gifted by God in writing. She is amazing! She is able to articulate what God is calling her to so very clearly. Her journey to healing, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is nothing short of miraculous. You can read Heather’s blog by clicking on this link: On the road….
I, on the other hand, am not a great writer. I have absolutely no problem with that fact. God has given me a different purpose, even though I can share through writings my on my blog. I may even write a book one day. But, whether or not I become a “great” writer is not important. My main goal is to live the life God has purposed for me.
I want to know God so intimately that His life is evident in every thing I do. Every breathing in and out moment of every day, I want to live in such a way that His light shines forth in this dark world. (Side note: I used to hate my given name “Cynthia” because it sounded so very snobby. That is until I found out it means “bearer of the light”. Now I just want to live up to my name.)
I know God has called me to women. Most of this calling is lived out one to one. Sometimes it’s through talks about life over coffee. Sometimes it’s in my neighbor’s hot tub praying. Sometimes it’s through laughter. Sometimes it’s through tears. But, most of what God has called me to involves being available, when a need arises, to His leading in relationships.
We may not be one of those who is called to be “known” by the multitudes. We are not all called to the same things. If we were some of us would be redundant. God is the one who gives us gifts and purpose. Even when God gives us the same types of gifts, He may choose to use them for different purposes and in different arenas of life.
There is no mistake when God gives gifts. The Bible says:
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17
Spending time with God in His Word, through prayer, in fellowship with other believers and worshiping Him are some of the ways we can get to know God and His purposes better. Ask God to reveal Himself to you and to control your life by Holy Spirit living in you. Ask Him to reveal to you how He intends to use you for His purpose. Be ready, God has a purpose for you that involves using the gifts He has given you. THE PERFECT GIFTS HE HAS GIVEN YOU!
I know God has called me to love, encourage and minister to women. He brings them into my life daily. The joy that comes from allowing Him to work through me in these precious lives is hard to describe. There are times when I am moved to tears in the overwhelming joy healing in another brings. There are times when there are joyous whoops and shouts. And there is always DANCING IN THE STREETS (my own personal terminology for praising the Lord)!
Keep your dancing shoes handy. When you seek the Lord with all your heart, He will always give you reason to dance.
Time with God? October 22, 2008
Posted by Cindy Beecher in Bible, God, Scripture, Time, Verse.1 comment so far
