:: the Knee-jerk Reaction

"In the same way, my friends, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we are not slaves by the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit." 

Romans 7:4-6

You know that impulsive you get when someone tells you not to do something? Like if I were to tell you not to think about elephants, what would you think of? Elephants. It's kind of the same thing with the law. When the law tells me not to envy, what is my reaction? I think of a friend's new guitar or that trip to a place I've been wanting to go. It is the knee-jerk reaction of a human to do the opposite of what are told. And when we only have the law, we are slaves to it.

 But there is a force that is stronger than my sin nature. It is God's desire for me. It is Love.

 I've heard it said that a lover will work harder than anybody, and I believe it. I look at Elizabeth Eliot, Madame Guyon, and even Jacob in the book of Genesis working fourteen years for the one he loved. They were people who were willing to serve long years for love. If I'm in love, it is far more likely I will obey what my lover asks of me, simply because I love him.

 There is also a Friend who comes alongside me who encourages me to walk in obedience. When my eyes stray from Jesus, Holy Spirit reminds to turn my gaze back to Him. He convicts my heart to stay steady on the narrow road.

Holy Spirit, set my feet on the narrow way

For I am prone to wander, and o I feel it

Take my heart, Dear Jesus

Seal it for Thy courts above.

:: 6 Reasons Why

Here are six reasons why I believe why I believe in the goodness and necessity of the Lord's discipline.

1.  Proverbs 3:11-12

 "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not be upset when He corrects you. For the Lord corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights."

2.  Hebrews 12 - the chapter subtitled "God's discipline proves His love" 

You will need to read this chapter on your own. It is too long to type here.

3.  James 1:2-4; 12

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."

"God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."

4.  James 1:13-16

"And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, 'God is tempting me.' God never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters."

 ––– The word used here is "tempted" in every translation I have looked at; ESV, NLT, AMP, KJV, NRSV to name a few, and each time, the word is used in a negative context –– as in, a plot to cause to fail. It is obvious throughout scripture this is not God's intention toward man. His good testing, or discipline (root of disciple), is motivated by Fatherly love toward His children -- to produce endurance, faith, and character. In this context, it is our own fleshly desires, or iniquity, that causes us to sin. God never tempts us to sin. His leadership follows the narrow way of righteousness to life. (Matthew 7:13-14)

4.  James 1:17

"Every good and perfect is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

––– There is no change in the Father. Therefore, if everything He does is good in the New Testament, then everything He did in the Old Testament is good as well. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). 

 Jesus is Word of God, and He is the One who gave the Law to Moses. He did not come to abolish the Law in the New Testament. He came to fulfill it. (Matthew 5:17-20) He gave the Law, He loves the Law, therefore He would not abolish it. The purpose of the Law is to reveal human depravity and the Perfection of Yahweh. We fulfill the Law by believing in faith to choose the easy yoke of fellowship with Christ.

5.  Romans 8:17

"...and since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering."

6.  Numbers 23:19
"God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not a human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?"

                                                 

____________________________________

I am convinced the Lord is a good Father. I am convinced He loves me. 

And this is why.

Further up and further in,

Sarah Raye Fuller

:: Rain, a metaphor

 "Let us know, let us press in to know the Lord; His appearing is as sure as the dawn; He will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth." Hosea 6:3


As I write this, it is raining cats and dogs. The water in the driveway is up to my ankles. It feels like a cleansing! I love this kind of rain. Since I've been in Hawaii, there has only been two thunderstorms, but we do have rainstorms frequently here in the "mountains" of central Oahu. 

I love the imagery of Hosea 6:3. A feeling of expectation rests on it. I want to press on to know the Lord because I know He will meet me. I am certain of this meeting. I know the waters of this encounter will carve deeper wells of intimacy that can hold larger amounts of wisdom and revelation. The more often these meetings become, the more my worldly wisdom erodes - the rain carves a path for the Lord to lead me on. 

 "Let it rain, let it rain! Open the floodgates of heaven. 
I feel the winds of your love. I feel the winds of your Spirit! Now the heartbeat of heaven, let us hear."


Let's get wet!

:: Joy of the Journey: Friendship + Intimacy

"Do not think I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say unto you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:17-19

This may feel like watching your life flash before your eyes. Least in heaven. Can you imagine that?

  Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many that take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few that find it." (Matt 7:13-14)
  The way of the law and the prophets is a narrow road; but there is a joy to be found in the journey. While we walk, run, trip, rest, battle, repeat, we begin to cultivate a relationship with a man: Jesus. We learn the things He loves, and we learn the things He hates. We talk with Him. Intimacy is formed.
  I don't know about you, but the more time I spend with a person, the deeper I get to know them. As I get older and friendships are made with new people, I am learning what a sacred thing one-on-one time is to a relationship. It is such a necessity! When I spend time with my friend, I understand their heart: their struggles and joys; and I can share it with them!
  This kind of relational intimacy is what God longs for with us. He wants sacred time to talk and share our hearts.

 The law is a piece of the Father's heart. He wants justice and righteousness to reign on the earth. He yearns for the day the words of His prophets will all be fulfilled. To know the law is to know the holy standard of God's heart. It is our inheritance to know the deeps things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-16), and live as holy sacrifices to Him. (Romans 12:1-2)

"You desire truth in my inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart." Psalm 51:6

"Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart." Psalm 119:34

Further up and further in,
Sarah Raye Fuller

(this blog post is dedicated to Jessica Nicole Mills; I miss you so much, dear sister)

:: of Worship

What is worship? 

Worship is looking at God, listening to God, and loving God. 

I want to stand on the sea of glass around the throne and look at God. (Revelation 4:6) 

I want to sit in Abba's presence and listen to the things He has to teach me - and then tell others what I have learned.

I want to sing to God and show Him I will lay down the things I love to spend time with Him and love Him more. I want to show Him I have been listening, I have been beholding (or looking) at Him, and I have loved Him by obedience and devotion.

Pleasing Fragrance

"For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not peddlers of God's word like so many; but in Christ we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in His presence." 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

If the point of life is to love and know God, then what better way to live than to be the aroma of Christ to God, live in His presence, and sincerely lead others into the pleasurable presence of the Lord?

I want to live a Psalm 27:4 life - "One thing I asked of the Lord, that I will seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, and to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple."

I want to enter into a Revelation 4 encounter when I worship; to soar in the beauty and wonder of Jesus.

"O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell, and the place where your glory abides." Psalm 26:8

Further up, dear ones, and further into the knowledge of God!

Colossians 3:1-4

:: Parched (or Garden Girl)

"O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water." Psalm 63:1

Sometimes the Lord whispers His word to me in everyday life. In one instance, He communicated the state of my dry spirit by drying out my mouth as I sang for a worship service.

This happened to me over three times in a row, and a verse came to my head each time: Psalm 63:1. So naturally, I waited about three more weeks to read Psalm 63:1. When I did, it was like water was poured into my heart; sweet, refreshing water, the kind that makes you realize you've been drinking salt water. I realized I've been starved of encountering the beauty and refreshment that is friendship with the Holy Spirit. 

I believe the Lord has showed me it's time to move into a new season: Garden Girl. I want to tend the garden of my heart. I want to water my spirit with the Beauty of Jesus.

"A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a garden locked, a fountain sealed." Song of Solomon 4:12 

"Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden..." Song 4:16

:: Wunderkind, part 2: Travelers

"I'm just a pilgrim, a missionary, an ambassador for the wedding."
~Unattached Vagabond, Misty Edwards http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3hcDfLODZc&list=LLWPgsxdYdT665TAR36sUfYQ

"A voice of one calling: 'In the desert prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God." Isaiah 40:3

 The Traveler Wunderkind is one marked with a burning desire to follow the voice of the Bridegroom (Jeremiah 33:11; John 3:29-30) and to make a way for Him in the wilderness. (Song 8:5a; Song 8:6-7)
 The apostle Paul was a Traveler. He wrote the Philippians and encouraged to press on in their walk with the Lord and said, "Not that I have already obtained all this, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me . . . forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14) 

:: Wunderkind, part 1: Gatekeeper

"I am a magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment.
 I am a wonderkind.
 I am a pioneer naïve enough to believe this.
 I am a princess on the way to my throne,
 Destined to seek, destined to know.
 Destined to reign, destined to roam."

~Wunderkind, Alanis Morisette

I have considered myself a Wunderkind ever since I first heard this song. To me, it means possessing a deep love of wisdom and revelation- and knowledge. 

There are two types of Wunderkind: gatekeepers and travelers. Gatekeepers have the great task of opening the gate of the wonder of the knowledge of God; they are the ones beckoning others to enter in and taste and see and know the beauty of the Lord. Gatekeepers are musicians, theologians, authors, poets, artists. All those who have experienced God and have shared with others. 

"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." Psalm 84:10

:: the Simple Devotion

 Lately, I've been reading and studying the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7), and I have found a challenge. I have found the only way to really live by these principles is to encounter Jesus, and to keep encountering Him every single day. The Lord loves it when we seek Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength (Jeremiah 29:13; Luke 10:27); meaning, with every thought, every emotion, every breath, He wants us to pursue Him and His righteousness (Matt 6:33). It is the greatest commandment (Matt 22:37, 38).

 I have also been stirred by the life of St Therese of Lisieux. She was a model of the Sermon and a life of simple (but radical) devotion to Jesus. She knew Him intimately, and saw others the way He saw them. St Therese put her flesh to death every day in small things no one else even noticed. She was so preoccupied with the Person of Jesus, she despised recognition for the acts flowing from her love of Him (Song of Songs 8:7). Therese was a true Mary of Bethany: she poured herself out, made herself less so He might be more (John 3:30), she clung to the love of Christ and His promises. 

 I challenge you, as I am challenged, to put the flesh to death and learn meekness, poverty of spirit (making oneself low for the sake of Christ), mercy, and a hunger and thirst for righteousness. And above all, that we might encounter this beautiful Man that inspired such love and devotion; the Man that is coming for His Lovesick ones!

To the end, and further up and further in.
Sarah Raye