Becoming Like Him

I was asked a question this morning - "How are you becoming more like Christ?" It came up in our weekly staff meeting. We were asked to discuss it with a small group at our table. It was such a hard question to answer... Am I becoming more like Christ? I hope so. What am I doing to become more like Christ? Is there any evidence in my life of Christlikeness? Am I really growing to be more like Him?
It just so happens that today is my son's 4th birthday. He's my youngest. It's hard to believe that my baby is now such an incredible little man. He's changed so much over the last 4 years. It is impossible to miss all of the ways that he is growing. He's smart and funny - very clever for such a little guy. He's learning how to relate with people. He's talking more and more. He's grown more understanding, thoughtful, and compassionate. He's becoming more and more aware of all that is going on around him. I'm so proud of this amazing little guy. He's more like His Daddy every day!
But, what about my life? Have I changed over the last 4 years? Could anyone see a difference in me? Do I look more like Christ than I did a few years ago? Am I growing in my knowledge and understanding of His Word? Am I growing in mercy and compassion? Do I show the world who Christ really is? Does His glory shine forth in my life?
I hope so! All I know, is that I'm going to keep seeking Him. I want to dig into His truth and know Him more and more. I want to give Him every part of my heart and mind so that His will can be done in me. I know there is still MUCH growth that needs to happen in me, but I'll keep seeking, keep surrendering, and trust the Lord to transform me into His image. I can't imagine anything more beautiful!
What about you? Are you becoming more like Him? Let's seek Him together, trusting that He will finish the work He has begun in our lives. What a mighty God we serve!

You Can Understand!

Do you understand God's Word?

When you sit down to read your Bible, are you able to make sense of it all?

Are you able to grasp all that God is teaching you?

I'm going through Beth Moore's A Woman's Heart study. She shared with us a passage in Luke concerning understanding God's Word. It says "Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures." Let this be your prayer, "Lord, open my mind that I might understand your Word."
God wants you to understand. He desires to speak to you through His Word. He does not want His will, His plans, to remain a mystery. I'm so grateful that we have gifted teachers among us who can present God's truth to us with great power and conviction; however, one of the greatest things about God's Word is that it is for everyone. You don't need anyone to repackage His truth so that you can understand. God wants to speak to you directly. Should we still sit under the leadership of godly teachers? Yes, God uses people to express His heart. He uses His people to challenge and encourage us. He speaks through His people. But, He doesn't want you to depend on teachers. He wants you to seek Him for yourself. When you seek Him, you'll find Him. Let's continue seeking Him in His Word and asking Him for greater understanding.

Resolution

Here it is the middle of January, and I've yet to make a New Year's Resolution. I am a big believer in goal-setting, but not very good at keeping resolutions. Last year, I resolved to train for a half-marathon! (Ha!) With my current exercise and eating program, I am more likely to gain 13 pounds than to run 13 miles. But, it never hurts to dream!

This year, I've been reading through the book of Hebrews and found a passage that is becoming a resolution of sorts for me. It's Hebrews 12:1. It says "....let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entagles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

"Let us throw off everything that hinders..." Are there things in your life that hinder your walk with the Lord? That hinder your enjoyment of His Presence? That hinder your relationships with others? That hinder the joy, peace, and abundance that God intends for you? Scripture says to throw them off! Get rid of the things that are holding you back! There are certainly some things that I need to throw off.....stress, anxiety, insecurity, worldly perspectives, negativity...I would like to eat better and get a little exercise. I'm not a "sparkling conversationalist" so rather than letting that hinder me, maybe I could work on it a little (there's a book called Conversation Peace that I've been wanting to read.)

What about "the sin that so easily entangles"? That speaks to the habitual sins that we keep running back to, the little indulgences, the weaknesses in our character that need to be strengthened. Maybe it's complaining or nagging, negative critical thinking, or an unhealthy relationship that we haven't let go of. I think entangles it such a powerful word for our sin because it most certainly has a way of holding us captive, of keeping us from enjoying all that God has for us.

The passage closes with "run with perseverance the race marked out for you." I love that the Lord has chosen a race, a specific coarse for me to run. I want to finish well! I don't want anything to hold me back, to keep me from fulfilling the Lord's perfect plans for my life. That's a race I don't want to miss. And who knows, maybe I'll even ponder that half-marathon idea again!

Do we really need Him?

Today has been a crazy day! The kids are starting to get a little restless after having a whole week out of school. My three year old is completely out of sorts. There's been so much activity and extra attention the last few days, that we're all a little exhausted and trying to settle back into a "normal routine." As one more tantrum raged on and on today, I thought of how desperately we, as women, need the Lord. We need Him intimately and personally, in a way that is real and tangible. We need His peace, we need His strength, we need His calming presence in our lives. We need His wisdom, we need His creativity, we need His stability throughout all of the ups and downs we face.
Is it important for women to know the Lord? To know His Word, to cling to His truth? Absolutely! I've spoken with several hurting women this week. Women struggling with relationships, with finances, with motherhood... Unfortunately, life is not easy. Even life with Christ. It's not easy to pursue purity and holiness in a less than holy world. It's not easy to deal with broken relationships and betrayal. It's not easy to love, serve, respect, and submit to husbands who are imperfect and will sometimes make mistakes. It's not easy to trust the Lord when money is too tight, jobs are hard to find, and we just can't understand His plan. And, as I've experienced today - it's not easy to bring up godly children - to love and serve our families with kindness and patience in the midst of screaming tantrums, potty training, and absolute chaos!
Do women really need the Lord? Yes. Not just for salvation. But, for daily strength, daily peace, daily rest, daily fulfillment. He is our life. He is our peace. Let's keep running to Him! Seek Him daily. Dig into His Word - memorize it, write it on your heart and your mind. Cling to His truth, His hope, His strength. Peace isn't found in seeking Him once, it's found in abiding in Him daily. As we continue seeking Him - His presence becomes more and more real, more and more tangible in our lives.
Yes, we need Him. As we seek Him, He's promised to be all that we need.

Psalm 63: 1-5

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you."

Enjoy the Lord's Presence today!

Seek Him.

His love is better than life!

He alone can satisfy you.

Frazzled

This word has come up a number of times in conversations this past week. We feel frazzled ... when our babies our screaming, when things aren't going the way we planned, when there's one more project at work, or one more problem to solve..... sometimes it all feels like too much to carry on our own and we feel "frazzled"! Unfortunatly this is all too common for many of us. Very seldom do we get a break. Life rarely slows down.

One of the most persistant prayers of my life is that I will have the peace and power of God in the midst of my everyday "frazzled-ness". I'm learning to run to Him - to cling to Him - with not only the major things of life, but with the everyday "nothings" of life. I'm learning that not only does He see all of the details of my life, but He cares about every detail - from the major to the mundane. He promises to never leave me alone or forsake me. He promises to strengthen and equip me for all that He's planned and purposed in my life. He promises me rest and peace if I will run to Him and lay all of my burdens before Him.

I believe these promises apply even to all of the silly details of life that leave me frazzled - piles of dishes and laundry, my baby screaming in Walmart, another spot on the carpet or tear in the couch, lack of resources, lack of patience.... I believe they apply to all of our lives.....Let us remember when life gives us more than we can carry on our own - we don't have to! Our Lord wants to carry it for us! Let's run to Him, cling to Him, lay it all before Him and find peace and rest!

Share it!

Do you know Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? If so, at sometime in your life there was a person who had the courage to share their faith with you. Maybe it was your family, a friend, a Sunday school teacher, a neighbor...Most of us came to Christ as a result of a personal relationship at some point in our lives - not necessarily a great sermon or Bible study. If you've received the gift of salvation, if you've experienced the joy of the Lord's Presence, the abundance of walking daily with the Lord.....are you willing to share this gift with others? I pray that we will begin to have a passion for people - a passion for them to know Christ, a passion for them to go deep with Christ, a passion for them to surrender all and find fullness and the abundance of Christ. Let us be broken over sin and willing to reach out to share the love and grace of Christ. At Harvest, our pastor has asked us to be intentional about sharing our faith with others. He's asked that we commit to pray for one person every day (pray for 1 person, for 1 minute, at 1:00 every day this month). Let's all commit, not only to pray, but to begin to look for opportunities to share Christ with the world around us. I can't wait to hear the testimonies of all that God will do when we are intentional about sharing this treasure with others!

What about YOU? Do you know the abundance of walking with the Lord daily? Have you experienced the joy of the Lord's Presence? Is there a fullness and satisfaction in your life that comes only from an intimate, passionate relationship with a personal Lord and Savior? Some of us are holding on to a faith that we knew as a child, but that has not been real to us in a long, long time. There's no power, no joy, no peace, no assurance or fulfillment. If this is you, it's time to run back to the Lord. Surrender your life fully and completely to a God who loves you and has great plans for you. There is fullness and purpose in the Lord - let's enjoy it completely and share it with those around us!

Relevance

Is the Bible relevant to our lives today? Is it applicable, does it really make a difference?... Is our women's ministry relevant? Are we talking about and dealing with the things that truly matter in the lives of women- the real struggles, joys, hardships, and passions in our lives? This morning I read a passage in Hebrews, one of my favorites, that talks about the very topic of relevance. Hebrews 4:12 says "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joint and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." God's Word is not only relevant, it is alive and active. It is applicable in every part of your life. It penetrates the deepest recesses of your heart and mind, and applies to your every thought and action. God will speak to YOU through His Word - speak to you where you are today, speak to your deepest thoughts and fears, speak to your most desperate needs and longings. As we learn to dig into the Word of God for ourselves, we find that it is absolutely relevant to every part of life - our relationships, our jobs, our thoughts and feelings, our hurts, our hopes.... As we learn to talk openly and honestly about our lives and the relevance of God's Word within them - our lives, our churches, and our ministries become real and relevant. I love to hear women sharing the "real stuff" of life. We need so much more of that...Let's learn to apply God's life-changing Word to our real, honest, every day lives and then share it with one another.

I know for many of us, getting into the Word of God can be intimidating - we don't know where to start, we don't know what to read, we're not sure we really understand. If this is where you find yourself, please send me an e-mail (jpinkerton@theharvestchurch.org). Let's put together a few small groups to really get into the Bible together - to learn how to read it and apply it in our lives. God's Word will be powerful, insightful, life-giving, life-changing, strengthening, challenging, and equipping... more than relevant in your life!

Are you hungry?

I have a horrible habit of overeating at Thanksgiving - all the time really, but especially at Thanksgiving. I know I am not the only one. As our family gets together, we all bring our favorite foods to share - besides the traditional feasts, we bring chips and dips, salty snacks, and scrumptious desserts. We find ourselves eating all of the time! It's sad that as dinner time approaches, we are still stuffed from our all-day snacking....but, we fill our plates once again just because the clock says it's time to eat. We surround ourselves with delicious food, and we never allow ourselves to get hungry!....I find this is true of our spiritual lives as well. There is a verse in Psalms that says "In his pride the wicked does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God." (Ps. 10:4) So the question is, are you hungry? Do you allow room for God in your life, or are you constantly stuffing yourself full with so many other things, that there is no more hunger - no room for God? I believe it's time for us to slow down a little. Let go of all of the stuff of the world - all of the stuff that fills us up, but never really satisfies. And allow ourselves to hunger - to hunger for more of God. He is the only thing that will satisfy and fulfill. One of my favorite passages is Psalm 42:1, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Where can I go and meet with God?" It is my prayer today that we will all hunger and thirst - not for more food, but for Almighty God. Ask Him for a greater hunger. Take time to seek Him. Get alone and meet with Him. Taste and see that He is good!

What is radiant living?

How I long for women everywhere to experience the fullness of living in the center of God's will! There is nothing more beautiful, more radiant, than a woman fully surrendered to the Lord and filled completely with His Presence. For in the Presence of the Lord, there is peace, joy, light, life, and great beauty- all of the things we're looking for. It is my hope that we will seek Him together - go deep in the Word of God - and find that He is everything we want - everything we need! Let's explore the power and relevance of God's truth to penetrate and satisfy every area of our lives. God is so good and life with Him is more abundant, more fulfilling, more complete than any kind of life we could imagine!... Scripture tells us that God desires to reveal His glory through His people - that He desires to let His light shine is us. It is my desire that when others look at me, when others look at us as the women of Harvest church, that they would no longer see us - but that they would see the radiance of our Lord - His glory, His life, His light. I am excited about exploring this truth together... helping one another to seek the Lord with everything in us and live completely the pleasing, abundant life that God intends for us!