Encouragement

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Hubby and I sat down last night for a breakfast style dinner. I cooked up a batch of pancakes and eggs. We gave thanks and demolished the stack in record time before having to leave for church. Ha!

I said to my husband, “I just can’t seem to make pancakes like you.” Though they were fine, his are always more fluffy than mine.” During our conversation he said that he uses the cast iron skillet. I told him if I did that I would burn every single one…so I use the Teflon. I cook mine on a high heat and he says, “I cook mine on low. Also, the first one always burns…you know....the sacrificial one.” I busted out laughing saying, “Yeah, well God, there’s your burnt offering for the day!”

As that thought is still in my mind today I begin to wonder if I have let the fire of the Holy Spirit consume all that is unholy in me so that I can stand before Him blameless. I had to take a spiritual magnifying glass and inspect my motives, my thoughts and my actions to see where they stood up to God. Being honest with you and accountable to the brethren, I would have to say the inspection failed.

Somewhere along the line my own desires have taken over in some areas of my life. When this happened it was subtle and deadly. You see, there was a day over 32 years ago that I believed in a man called Jesus and all that He did to snatch me from a burning eternal doom that I was sprinting towards. I believed His promises and I still believe them today. I believed He was capable of taking the old man, who was dead and making me a new man, a new creature in Him.

What I seem to be struggling with is the same thing our dear brother Paul struggled with on a continual basis.

Rom 7:18-20 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

This has caused me to recognize that at times the “old man” or nature is raised from the dead and I start thinking or believing like I used to in days of bondage, instead of acting out as a free man.

How do we put the old man back in the grave and surrender to the new man in our lives. The answer is “repent.” So as I write this I come to you once again thanking God for magnifying my faults in love and gently tapping me on my shoulder with His Spirit to get my life back under His reign.

I speak candidly with you dear sisters and brothers, because I know God wanted me to share this with you. It is humbling to admit our faults to one another, but there is healing in that, so…I heal. As I heal I also have this hope. The signs of the times are everywhere declaring the arrival of the "midnight hour". Let us be watchful, praying and ready for we know not the day or hour of his appearing. But having hope, we do know that in that very moment the corruptible shall become incorruptible, for we shall be changed!

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