Submission: Letting Go of 'My Rights'

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This Advent, I have been thinking about submission.   

Jesus let go of his right to be considered equal with God. He humbled himself to become a human infant, vulnerable to all the brokenness of our world. He let go of his right to be king, and submitted to death on a cross. 

Philippians 2:5-8 tells us that our heart attitude should be the same:

     Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 

But the difficult part of submission is letting go of "my rights".

O Night Divine, O Night When Christ Was Born



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Night.

Into Bethlehem's evening came the weary travellers.
In the dark stable Immanuel was born.
Into the quiet starlight came the angel choir.Into the night sky a bright new star was placed.

First dark, then light; first night, then day.

God speaks into darkness, and brings light, hope, joy, and love.  He changes our darkest moments by His presence.

Worship Him.  Immanuel, God With Us.

Word of the Father, Now in Flesh Appearing



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Jesus is the Word of the Father. 

When we humans speak a word, it represents our thought, our feeling, our soul.

Jesus is the Word of the Father, made flesh.

Jesus' intimacy with God is such that his every thought, action, and feeling is the exact representation of the Almighty.  As close as the word is to the thought, is Jesus to his Father.

God the Father cannot lie, or deceive, or fail to fulfill his spoken word.   Jesus does only what he sees his Father doing.

What is God's Word to us this Advent Season?


Jesus.
It's all about him.


 

O Come, O Come Immanuel

Only in the past two years have I really been aware of the season of Advent.  As a child, December was all about finishing the school year (exams, reports, end-of-year excursions), putting up the Christmas tree and Nativity set, sweating in the first few really hot days of summer, and reading lots and lots of books that I had been unable to start during term.

William P Young: The Shack: Thoughts on Marriage

The Shack, by William P Young, is the story of a man's relationship with God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The trigger for the man's dialogue with God is the tragic abduction of his daughter, but don't let the grim opening put you off.  This slim book is packed full of hope, surprising joy, and boundless, heart-changing love, all presented through the man's dialogue with the visible, present, communicative, loving, Tri-une God.

I bought this book some years ago, and have re-read it a few times.  Each time I read it, different thoughts linger in the days that follow:

Walking, Not Soaring

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This week has been different.  Rather than soaring on wings like eagles, I have been walking without growing faint.  Plodding along, maintaining the discipline of early rising and prayer, but without the thrills of the first fortnight.

On the first morning, I wondered if I had done something wrong.

Now, I believe that it is just another cycle of unreliable emotion, influenced by poor eating, late nights, and lots to do. 

This was confirmed today when I had the opportunity to minister in prayer for a dear friend of mine, and sensed Holy Spirit present to meet the need.

I know that I will again experience the thrill of soaring; but for now, I choose to simply turn up.

Do you go through ups and downs in your prayer life?  What do believe is the main cause for this? How do you handle it?

Soaring on Wings Like Eagles

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This past fortnight, I have had a taste of walking by the Spirit, not by the flesh... and it felt marvellous. Looking back, it seems like I have been flying when I am usually trudging along in the mud with my eyes and head down.  Yes, I have experienced the thrill and the joy of spending the early morning hour with my Lord, and doing his work.

Do you want to know how this has happened? Here is my story.

Defining Self-Control for Children



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Tonight, self-control was our bible teaching topic.  Somehow, when teaching scripture, the Holy Spirit graces me with the ability to simplify and give examples appropriate to the ages of my children (7.5 years, 5 years, and almost 3 years).  I know this is the Holy Spirit's work, because in general I am a really poor teacher, and I have no theology training!!!!

The definition that dropped into my head to teach the children tonight was this:

Communion Sunday November 2011

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We remembered the dead on Remembrance Day.

Today, Jesus, I remember You as I take this bread and cup.

Thank You for taking the punishment meant for me on yourself. Thank you for giving me everything good from God in exchange.

Amen

What's on Your To-Do List, Papa?

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The Holy Spirit has been gently pointing out that my favourite prayers are all variations of: ‘help!’ or ‘forgive me’. 

Both of these prayers centre on me.

But... Jesus taught that our Heavenly Father wants us to put his kingdom first, above our own needs and wants.

So as an experiment last week, I shut my eyes and waited for quietness on the inside (which took some time!). Then I prayed a simple question, trusting in Jesus to be my Jacob’s Ladder up to heaven: “What’s on your list today, Papa? Who is on Your heart?” And then I waited some more.

Place Me Like a Seal Over Your Heart

Jesus speaks these words quietly, asking for my total devotion.

Your Love, O Lord, Reaches to the Heavens

Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens;

Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

I have sung these lines many many times in church in recent years, and felt that I just didn’t get what it meant.

This past Sunday, insight dropped into my mind as I sung them again. Let me attempt to put into words what I now know in my heart to be truth.

Lessons from the Sandpit: His ears are Attentive to their Cry

Camille Corot: Hagar in the Wilderness

I have been observing my children at play for a number of years now, and there are many lessons I have learned about our heavenly Father during these sessions.

Most recently, Psalm 18:6 was illustrated for me:
In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God:
he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

The-Day-Before-Church Syndrome

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I have noticed a pattern at home during the day and evening before my husband and I are due to serve on our fortnightly roster in our local church.  On these days, our family relationships seem to go sour very quickly, illnesses start or suddenly peak, and sleep disturbances in the younger ones are almost predictable.

What if it's true...? Part 9: One Flesh

I have a confession to make: I am not a good wife.  I started out ten years ago with the best of intentions, but also with the hidden, prideful idea that since I was already nearly perfect, it was my husband who would have to do most of the growing and changing in our relationship.

Ugly, hey? And though I would have denied it if you had read my mind and confronted me, that was honestly how I felt.

Then the honeymoon was over, the years came and went, and the children came, and the financial pressures, and everything else life throws at you... and I began to realise that I’m not perfect. Not even close.

What if it’s true...? Part 8: I am a new creation

Which is the real me?

The one who feels the sickening despair of falling short? Of making mistakes, getting stuck in sinful habits, of failing to do the good I know I should do?

The one who wakes feeling unloved, unworthy and half-defeated, knowing that another day is before me, with the same old trials and temptations, the same opportunities to fail the way I did yesterday?

What if it’s true...? Part 7: God has made us righteous

Is your spirit at peace?
Do your daily mistakes burden you with guilt?
Do you set yourself goals of prayer, bible study, and love towards others, but fail to keep them?
Do you feel stuck in a cycle of "sin, repent, try again"?
Do you have trouble believing that you are righteous, accepted, or even loved in God’s eyes, when all you can see are your failings?

What if it's true...? Part 6: God heals us

If you feel anger rising up at these words, if the bitter thought of 'I tried believing for healing, and it didn't work' creeps in, please don't turn away just yet.  Could it be that every time hope was crushed, every time prayer was seemingly unanswered, every time someone failed to get well, that God was pleading with us to come back to his Word and learn who is to truly to blame, and what we need to do to experience victory?

Could it be that we would see healing for ourselves and our loved ones...

Speaking to friends about Jesus

Some of my friends know Jesus. Others think they know him, but they only know about him. Others don’t know him. Others don’t want to know him.

I am not a person who finds it easy or natural to share spiritual things with my friends, even those who I know are devoted Christians. But I also know that Jesus commands me to make disciples (Matthew 28:19), and to tell others what he has done for me. (Luke 12:8-9, 1 Peter 3:15).  So regardless of how I feel, I know I must speak when the time is right.

I have had the thrill of bringing one friend closer to Jesus recently through a shared love of books - I took the risk of sharing Christian novels with her, which opened the door for discussion about matters which had been closed off long ago. Other friends who are on my heart have not yet given any indication that they wish to speak about these things.

Do you prepare yourself to speak with friends about spiritual matters? Have you had the opportunity? If so, how did it go, and is there anything you would say differently next time?

An altar to God my Provider

I want to build an altar to God with my words tonight.

Listening to a friend talk about their family’s long-awaited financial prosperity, I had an ‘a-ha’ moment. I realised two things: first, that although we do not have the income or ‘secure’ employment of my friend’s family, God has been faithful to provide for everything we needed, at the time we most desperately needed it; and second, my fear was gone. I was able to listen to her joy without envy.

Tonight I am Ruth, who has found favour with Boaz in her time of great need.