Legacy Conference-Thoughts

It took place in Chicago last week. I am still processing over what happened. I headed out Wednesday Morning on the 22nd. It was a very long bus ride but it was enjoyable, a time for laughing and cracking jokes. It was cool. My problem was that my backpack had me feeling like I was a Sherpa. That first night I was able to get to see new books, I bought one about John Knox, the other was on prayer. The group that was there worshipped together and afterwards had a few icebreakers. I heard from a lot of organizations and Universities that were trying to make Christ known through their work.
On the 23rd we had morning devotions on the benediction at the end of Jude I think. It had been such  blessing. I wish I could have recorded everything. There was a lot of teaching and poetry.
What I go from everything is that faith in Christ should from the inside out. Knowledge of God should make us want to tell more people, make disciples, a passion for Christ needs to be spread because God is worthy.
I was blessed by my time there and got to see some old friends. I got to meet a Wretched radio friend face to face.
May God work in me.

Raindrops keep falling

Today is strange because for some reason, I feel like a beloved bride. This is weird I know. I will list the reasons why.

-The rain reminds me of Ephesians 5 where it says.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word...

Rain makes me feel clean.

-The bible

Two verses came to my mind this morning

Psalm 45:10-11 NASB
Listen, O daughter, give attention and incline your ear: Forget your people and your father's house; Then the King will desire your beauty. Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him.

Song of Solomon 2:10 NASB
"My beloved responded and said to me, 'Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, And come along.

- a peace that surpasses understanding.
(Circumstances that came about yesterday)

Philippians 4:6-7 NASB
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

John 14:27 NASB
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

I feel loved today and it's not that I do not feel loved others days but today it has been brought to mind anew.

I am seeking that anew my heart be drawn to the Lord. He being to me as Psalm 45 says.

My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my verses to the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed You forever.

Taking me back

A while ago I fleed and sought to hide from my kin
Yet You were there at the tarmack to slice through my skin
Using solely Your word
Knowing even before I heard
Fear had me running away
Shame had its say that day
I sought that no one should see
The sin that I strived hide
Bided its time that it would
Come teeth bared
Knowing it's next meal was me
I played dead
Isn't that what one is supposed to do with a predator
For almost a year I let it gnaw
After a year I still bawl
Salty streams
Flowing forth hidden rivers
Of bitter tears
Peter my kinsman
Cause I denied your power
That if I resist satan would flee
And I would finally be
Free
Then the Beloved led me, and I leaned upon Him still hurt from the battle
Returning to my kinsmen

Public and Private Holiness-workshop notes

When thinking about holiness think set apart very unlike society, goodness, perfection, no blemish. I think of being pure in thought, in actions, in private and public. It also means being consumed by a pupose, a cause. It is about being good and wanting to see others have that good.
People think of holiness as being sanctimonious, of being holier-than-thou, of being hypocritical because they are unable to follow all the rules.

I am taught about holiness from the word of God.

1 Peter 1:13-16 NASB
Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;  because it is written, "You SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

Holiness is God's primary attribute.
Covenant is a legal agreement between two parties. His covenant with us assured us of our sanctification.

Christians have a calling to be holy. People of God are called saints "holy ones". Ex. 1 Corinthians 1:2 NASB To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
We are holy and being progressively made holy (sanctification).

Holiness as seen in different denominations

Lutheran: The art of getting used to Justification, our work

Reformed: Becoming like Christ, sin is no longer our master, able to obey by the power of the Spirit

Romans 12:1-2 NASB
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Wesleyan: becoming in reality what is already ours in Christ Jesus. A 2 stage view of holiness.

1) Conversion

2) Experience by the spirit complete sanctification, sinlessness

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 NASB
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

What I have learned

This walk is hard. You battle against the world, against non-believers, against one's own flesh. I have learned many things,that if I were to get married,  would benefit a husband. The reality is that my greatest joys and triumphs were not learning to cook, or crochet, or to sew, but were learning from the Word of God, the riches of glory afforded to His adopted children by knowing His Son Jesus who is the Christ. Through Jesus one can know the Father and through  Christ we can ask of the Father according to His will and He will provide.
I am now reading the biography of Hudson Taylor. I have been interested in mission work for the longest time. How many times have I gone so far away only to pray that God by His Spirit will move on a people to make much of Him. I by His grace serve the Living God, the Only True God. As time winds down for me to go to Chicago I pray that this will be a time to seek the Lord.
"Draw near to the Lord and He will draw near to you, resist the devil and he shall flee."

Really?

Tonight by the grace of God I was awake during the sermon. It was a time to praise and worship God. I had been praying that the prayer of repentance would calls to repentance more sins. God heard my prayer. God is answering my prayers. Then singleness was talked about and my gut reaction was I don't want to hear it, though I was the one who suggested it. It made me think. I pray that God may grant me discernment as to whether I am sad because of my sin or whether the sorrow is just a trial issue. May God provide help with that.
Now as to the reason why I started writing today started off bad. I was grieving over life events and a tension headache ensued, some things were accomplished. Then I received it a text. The past came back to haunt me. I knew what the other person wanted but that Janette Iks poem  "I will wait" comes to mind right now about wanting to make a guy the one though his first name was Luke and his last name was Warm. So I asked for forgiveness about the past and with it came this sense that it was finally over.
This day in the end I hope will remind me that though I live in a fallen world. Where there is sin and darkness. There is a light and the darkness has not overcome it. May Jesus the light of the world shine a light within me and around me. To God be the glory.

Glitter

I am sitting at work looking all polished up my new dress looking all pretty but I am no different inside than the last two days though the last two days I was wearing t shirts and pants. I had my hair pulled back into a ponytail. Frankly the exterior can lie, one can look all polished and lovely but it could be fake. Just like one can fake it through a situation, so can one's veneer pass for the real deal.
For a long time and in some situations even now I just tend to put myself into group social things and at times it is not hard to be in them, but tough to just be my normal obnoxious self. I have been very moody lately but I am thankful that God has changed my health situations. That though I feel overwhelmed I was to lean on Him.