Christian Writers Circle

by Judy Hitson

Isaiah 40: 31 NRSV Those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Wait! Slow down! Not so fast!

Think of a baby learning to walk, taking that first step. In the beginning, the little one stumbles and falls but quickly gets up to try again. Before you know it, the child not only walks but learns to run. Then a fall can be more serious, from a bruise or scrape to a fractured bone at times. So too we begin our walk with Christ as a babe, some stumbles and falls along the way. We are blessed as we rely on the Lord, learning to walk and live in the Spirit to the full measure of Christ. As we consider the maturing process of a child dependent on their parents, it can help us understand the progression of spiritual growth depending on our Father in heaven.

On the topic of Maturity in Christ, I’ve written on the following aspects for you to consider, first an overview. Then we looked at Maturity in Christ through: Diet, God’s Word, Prayer, the Spirit, the mind of Christ, Spiritual Gifts and Bearing Fruit. In each of these facets, we discover our need to wait for the LORD to understand His perspective. Otherwise we run ahead with our own understanding(see Pr. 3:5-6).

When the LORD renews our strength, He gives us a divine exchange. When anxious in a situation, God wants to give us peace.

Phil. 4:6-7 is God’s Recipe of Peace for anxiety
Refuse anxiety like an enemy of your soul.
Thank God that He is with you.
Pray about the situation.
Receive God’s peace.

When we are anxious and proceed in a situation, our decisions will be earthly, of our flesh. When we wait for the LORD in the situation, He renews our strength by His Spirit, giving us His strength for our weakness. It is a divine exchange. Here are some examples from God’s Word:

peace for anxiety, Phil. 4:6-7
Spirit of power, love and sound mind for a spirit of fear, 2 Tim. 1:7
God’s peace for confusion, I Cor. 14:33
Rest for weariness, Matt. 11:28
Faith for doubts, Rom. 14:23

As we wait for the LORD and receive His strength, we will soar like an eagle in the situations of life to run and not be weary, to walk and not faint.

by

Kathleen Shore

Hebrews 4:12-13 NIV

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Self lingered in disguise as my hungry, thirsty spirit pressed into His presence. Feeling the resistance, I cried out to Him, “Oh God, search me and know me…show me what you see in me…I want You to have all of me.”

Self-protection shrunk back into the closet and clung to the cloaks of counterfeit within my heart-house as The Light of Truth, like a fluid, a permeating aroma, a radiating heat, slowly seeped into every space. Nothing could stop the invasion. It painted the walls. It replaced the insulation. It lit the basement and the attic. It washed all the linens in a costly fragrance that removed the stench and even put love letters in my mailbox.

Like a child, peeking out to see if anyone was near by watching, I began to follow the whisper of His voice, calling my name. As He spoke just that one word, my name, over and over, the warmth of His Love overtook me and lit a fire in my heart-house. I could feel Life entering the cold, core of my bones. GONE…was the chill of the evil shades of gray. AWAKE…was my life to His fire of Love, now here to stay.

Volumes of revelation seemed to lift my sights in understanding of who He was, how He adored me, and to whom I belonged. Yet as much as I knew in that moment, the unknown of His Love Mystery was far greater, leaving me wanting more.

Then I heard Him say, “Look for the evidence of…”

The evidence of ~ My Love:

Is that you are patient, kind, you do not envy, you do not boast, you are not proud, self-seeking, or easily angered. You keep no record of wrongs. You do not delight in evil but you rejoice in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. My Love in you never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

The evidence of ~ Believing:

Truly I tell you! Signs and wonders will follow you. (Mark 11:23)

The evidence of ~ Waiting:

You are looking at Him. He is all your Hope. You are Expectant. You are blessed in the waiting. You are strong. You are not anxious. You continually find your salvation. The Lord turns to you in your waiting, and hears your cry. His name and renown becomes the desire of your heart. Compassion and justice is yours, because you wait for Him! (Psalm 130:5-6) (Proverbs 8:34) (Isaiah 25:9; 26:8; 30:18; 40:31; 51:5)

The evidence of ~ Trusting:

You ‘know’ His name. The Lord displays His might for you. You are very pliable in His hand. You have joy in your heart. You will not be shaken. You will not be put to shame. You will be delivered. You will attain all He has promised. You will honor His holy name with your life. You desire His Will being done, not your own. You are not deceived. You will have your full reward.

(Exodus 14:31) (Psalm 9:10; 13:5; 20:7; 21:7; 22:4-5; 25:2) (Rev. 22:12)

The evidence of ~ Abiding:

You are very restful. You are led by The Shepherd. You love to obey Him. You are planted of the Lord. You have clean hands and a pure heart. You bear the full fruits of the Spirit; Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, meekness, and self-control. You cultivate a place within you for Him to dwell. You keep yourself separated for His holiness. His goodness and love follows you. His glory rests down on you and others notice it. You flourish. (Exodus 15:13; 15:17; 29:45) (Psalm 4:8; 15:1; 23:6; 24:3-4; 91:1) (Hosea 14:7) (John 15:1-5)(Gal. 5:22-23a)

The evidence of ~ Surrender:

Peace is The Prince of your heart. You live your life in light of God’s mercy. You offer yourself to Him as a living sacrifice, knowing this is your true worship. You do not conform to the patterns of this world, but through the renewing of your mind you are being daily transformed. You do not think of yourself more highly than you ought. You love to just be ‘your piece’ in His whole body. You honor others above yourself. You keep your zeal for Him. You are joyful in hope; patient in affliction; faithful in prayer. You share with those in need. You bless those who persecute you. You associate with people of low position. You do not repay evil with evil. You are not overcome by your circumstances. You have an opposite spirit from the world.

(Matthew 5:1-12) (Romans 12)

This is the evidence of Me.

“Keep seeking Me, and you will find Me.” He still whispers. “Swing wide the doors of your heart-house, for you are My pleasure. I love what I made of you. I will do miraculous things through you! I will do all I have created you for. Just let Me in and you will see the evidence of Me.”

by Judy Hitson

John 15: 8 NIV This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Imagine Jesus with you, speaking the words of this verse to you personally ………………………. What does it mean for you to bear much fruit, showing you are Jesus’ disciple to Father’s glory?

Each time I read John 15 and think about bearing fruit, I assume the fruit is people I lead to Christ. However, preparing to write this devotional, the fruit of the Spirit kept coming to mind. One evening while in bed thinking about this, I was compelled to rise up and write down what I heard, “Be fruitful through abiding in Christ. Taste and see the LORD is good, Ps. 34: 8. Think about the taste of the  fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5: 22-23.”

If you and I were sitting together as followers of Jesus, we could share from our hearts what He is saying to each of us. Let’s draw close in His presence to abide in Him, John 15: 4. To bear much fruit for God’s glory as disciples of Jesus Christ, we who are maturing in Christ, know this is something only God can do through us, by His Spirit who gives life. No one can accomplish it by themselves. Jesus says we can do nothing apart from Him, John 15: 5b.

As we mature in Christ, it is vital to know our hearts from His perspective to have clean hands and a pure heart, Ps. 24: 3-4. The following prayer is helpful to that end: Search me,
O God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any hurtful, offensive or wicked way in me and lead me in the everlasting way, Psalm 139: 23-24.

There are lists in Scripture I learned to consider before the Lord for self examination. Mentors and Bible teachers taught me the importance of being holy as God is holy, to confess sin and walk in true repentance for the Holy Spirit to transform my life. I share from Galatians 5.

Gal. 5: 19-21 NASB Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

We see a stark contrast as we consider the fruit of the Spirit. It helps us better understand the fruit Jesus is thinking about in John 15: 8 that will create a winsome spirit to win souls for the kingdom of God.

Gal. 5: 22-23 NASAB 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self control; against such things there is no law.

As we recall the fruit of the flesh and Spirit in Gal. 5 and open ourselves to Holy Spirit conviction, He will lead us to confession and cleansing, I John 1: 9. Then we can surrender, yield, submit to and trust the Lord to change us that we bear good fruit by His Spirit.

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit with life for us to be fruitful and multiply to the glory of God through Jesus Christ. Amen.

by Cathy Robinson

In a word of warning to those within the church who are sexually immoral, Jesus tells us that he will fight against them with the sword of his mouth. The sword is known to be the Word of God (the Bible), the sharp double-edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12) Jesus will fight against sin within his church by speaking Truth. This is something that isn’t preached or spoken of often, but Jesus says it in his own words in Revelation, chapter 2:12-17. He then goes on to say, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

He also says that he “hates” the practices of the Nicolaitans in Revelation 1:6. The Nicolaitans were those who taught that spiritual liberty (grace) gave them sufficient leeway to practice idolatry and immorality. And again he says, “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

I am fearful when I read this. How long will we continue to be conformed to the pattern of this world? (Romans 12:2) When will we care to listen to what the Spirit says to the churches? The only way to think God’s holy thoughts is to read God’s holy Bible. The only way to stand strong in a morally weak culture is to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, which is done by reading the Word of God. (Romans 12:2)

Contrary to common belief, God is not winking at our sin. He is so serious about it that Jesus had to die (shed his pure blood and defeat death) in order to reconcile us back to Him. Jesus wants his bride (the church) to purify herself for his soon return. Although no man knows the day nor the hour, Jesus tells us we can read the signs to know that the day is approaching. The Bible is full of prophecy with regard to his return. Let’s not be slack as the day approaches. Let’s be sober and alert! God has a purpose for every single person He created. Seek Him to find out what His plans are for you!

If you don’t know the Lord, or aren’t sure if you’re going to heaven, you can read John chapter 3 to learn what Jesus says is necessary to have eternal life. John 14:6 is another very important verse that people need to understand. (Jesus answered, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”)

Because our culture is so anti-God these days it can be difficult to share such a serious matter, but this is TRUTH that is contained in Holy Scripture. Many people do not read the Bible, but it is God’s love letter to us! We wouldn’t fail to read a love letter from our significant other, but many fail to realize that this is exactly what the Bible is! It is LIFE, from the Author of LIFE! Read it and LIVE!

Maturing in Christ

Challenge:  Read His Words Aloud

by Brenda D. Flowers

Several weeks ago, I had several light bulbs go out at the same time. I thought it was rather strange but reasoned I had purchased them a long time ago and it was probably time for them to go out. After several minutes of searching for light bulbs to no avail, I made a special trip to the store. After over an hour, I returned and replaced the bulbs. When I turned on the switch, nothing happened. It was then when I finally realized the lights had not come on because the circuit connection had been broken and all I had to do was go down to the basement to move the switch of the circuit breaker to its correct position. Once that was done the electrical power was able to flow freely and the light bulbs all came on. My trip to the store had been a waste of time.

Not long after that experience, I was doing my morning Bible study.[1] The verse at the top of that day’s lesson was Revelation 1: 3 (NIV)

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

After reading over the verse a couple of times silently, it was as if the word aloud was shining. Light bulbs lit up in my brain and in my heart. It was at that moment that I realized God wants me to read His words aloud, especially Revelation. He also wants me to read His word so they are heard by others. Why?

It occurred to me that by reading the words aloud even when alone, I would also be hearing His words and there was blessing which would come from taking His words to heart. By taking that action, it is like the circuit connection switch is turned on. God’s power is alive in His spoken word. As I speak His words, they enlighten me with His truths. I am empowered by His Holy Spirit flowing through the wave lengths of the spoken word to live out His words in my everyday life with joy and fulfillment.

When I worked as a special educator, I taught reading to young children. Sometimes, I had my students read aloud in a curved PVC pipe which went from their mouths to their ears. This was a research based strategy I had been taught to help reluctant readers improve their reading. Honestly, I don’t know exactly how this procedure helped them. Some how by hearing the words as they read them aloud and by reading passages over and over, their fluency improved and they developed a joy in reading aloud.

To do a little more research for this article, I asked Siri on my smart phone to search for the topic “Reading Aloud God’s Word”. Her immediate reply was, “It’s all a mystery to me.” I laughed to myself and thought how true. The light that comes from reading God’s word aloud, hearing it and taking it to heart is a mystery!

This quote from St. Therese of Lisieux may reveal some of the answer to the mystery:

“I know Christ dwells within me all the time, guiding me and inspiring me whenever I do or say anything. A light, of which I caught no glimmer before, comes to me at the very moment when it is needed.” [2]

In the coming days I challenge us all to not only read God’s words silently but spend time reading the Bible aloud, certainly if studying Revelation. I look forward to hearing about the truths God reveals to you by His Spirit.

There truly is a divine connection.

[1] Currently I am studying Revelation using the lessons prepared by Bible Study Fellowship International (See bsfinternational.org for more information.)

[2] The Women’s Study Bible, 2^nd Edition Copyright 1995, 2006 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1560

by Brenda D. Flowers

As I was entering my house recently, I noticed spider webs had taken over the crevices and corners of many of the nearby windows. This question came to mind, “Does our power washer work?” I tried to recall the last time my husband and I had tried to use our power washer to clean the outside of our house. It had been a long time and the thought of the job brought dread. I recalled the last time we used it; I had turned the knob on too high a setting which caused our wooden deck to splinter in several places where I tried to clean.

Awakened this morning at 3:00 AM, I realized I had been dreaming about the dread of cleaning the outside of my house. I couldn’t recall details but I know I was balking about the process in my dream. Then I realized I was hearing another message. It’s also time to do some internal house cleaning.

As we mature in Christ, there are times we must allow Holy Spirit to have a good POWER cleansing. He is the best Power Washer, and yes, He works at just the right time, although we may not know it at first. Isn’t it true, the times He seems to do His best cleansing isn’t on calm cool partly sunny days, the kind of days we hope to have when cleaning our brick and mortar houses. No, to do His cleansing, He chooses intense, hot sunny days or more often than not dark stormy days, days when times are hardest.

As I compose this article, I realize there are still places in my heart needing a good cleansing. The hard hidden dirty places where some bitter roots are starting to grow. They need to be softened and the roots removed. By choosing to forgive instead of getting bitter, God’s love can fully fill me, enabling me to be more sensitive to his calling for me. The process of maturing is a gradual cleansing process. Yet, Holy Spirit is patient and gentle, unlike the power washer treatment I have used in the past on my house. I realize, He waits until we are ready. This verse comes to mind as I pen these words:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

                                                 Try me, and know my anxieties;

                                                 And see if there is any wicked way in me,

                                                And lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:22-24 (NKJV)

That is my sincere prayer.