Joyful Authenticity by Shalene

When I began writing and attempting to minister to others through my website and blogs, it was because of the leading of the Holy Spirit. I was led to share my life and my life experiences in a way that would glorify the Lord, and Him alone. I do this by being authentic and transparent in my writings. I share anything about myself, without fear of condemnation. It does not take courage on my part, because I have faith that the Lord has forgiven all my sins, and is shaping me into the person I am to become. He has also used my past to shape me into who I am today. I belong to the most wonderful church- Clovis Hills. Part of their philosophy is to live in Joyful Authenticity.

"Healthy things grow. They are fed, pruned, bear fruit and experience a harvest. If they don’t, they wither, shrink and eventually die. Our spiritual lives are no different. They don’t just grow on their own, they have to be nurtured, cared for and invested in.

God desires to transform our lives into reflections of his character. This happens by spending time with him, studying his word, talking to him and seeking his direction in our lives. And when we do this, we have the freedom to live with Joyful Authenticity- true to not just who we are today, but to who he is calling us to be." From the Clovis Hills Community Church website

It has been said of me on more than one occasion that it must take courage for me to share with my readers. Again I say, emphatically, that no, that is not the case. I have no fear, for that is not of God. Those that would condemn me are not listening to the Holy Spirit in their own lives.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed Romans 3:23-25 NKJV

That is not to say that I judge them either. Just that Jesus told us in this world we would have trials, tribulations and that we would be persecuted for our faith. I welcome that if that be His will for me. It would not bother me at all to stand at Heaven's Gate, a martyr to the Word of God. I am human though, and perhaps it may bother me from time to time, if a person does condemn me, but not much. I know that my faith will see me through.

I encourage everyone to live their lives with true transparency and authenticity. There is nothing to be afraid of. Life is but a blink of an eye, and we have such a short time to further His Kingdom. Why live it in fear of what others may think, if it is for His glory alone? So go on: Glorify Him! Glorify Him! Share yourself wholly, with full knowledge that, prayerfully, when your time of judgement comes, you can hear Him say to you "Well done, my good and faithful servant." That is my only goal.

--Lord, I pray today that my efforts do glorify You alone, and that others will see the benefits of living Joyfully Authentic. I pray that they are able to see their way to being transparent in their lives and sharing that which You alone have done for them and through them. I pray that You continue to work through me and allow me to glorify You above all. I pray these things in Jesus Holy Name. Amen.

Observing the Sabbath by Shalene Kearney

For the law was given through Moses, [but] grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 NKJV

Yesterday, while reading another blog (that I thoroughly respect, for the record) I came across a post about observing the Sabbath and what that means for today's Christian. While what my brother in Christ stated made perfect sense, and he did attempt to back up what he said with scripture, I must beg to differ.

My brother explained that while he is not a Seventh Day Adventist, he is of the opinion that the bible indicates that Christians should indeed practice the observance of the Sabbath on Saturday, as opposed to Sunday as many, if not most do. (Of those that observe a Sabbath at all.) Now before I go any further, let me say this: I do try to observe a day of rest. Can I call it a Sabbath in the traditional sense? No. I cannot. Why is that, you ask?

These are the requirements for Sabbath-keeping: A person placed under that Sabbath law could not leave his home on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:29), he could not build a fire (Exodus 35:3), and he could not cause anyone else to work (Deuteronomy 5:14). A person breaking the Sabbath law was to be put to death (Exodus 31:15; Numbers 15:32–35).

I do leave my home on my day of rest, I do cook sometimes (or at least heat leftovers made from Friday's meal,) and at times, I have gone shopping, which makes another person work. Aside from that, I am not a Jew, but a Gentile and therefore the true purpose of the Sabbath is not for me. The purpose of keeping the Sabbath was to remember Israel's slavery in Egypt and God delivering them from that slavery. (Deuteronomy 5:15)

'Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.' Exodus 31:16-17 NKJV (emphasis mine)

So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Colossians 2:16–17 NKJV (emphasis mine)

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14 NKJV (emphasis mine)

One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. Romans 14:5-6 NKJV

Now, I am by no means an expert on biblical study, but I think this makes my point. Though a day of rest is a very good idea, in my opinion, strictly for refreshment of the body and soul, (reading and studying God's Word, fellowship with like-minded believers, and to just plainly remember that this life is just a moment in time to be used to glorify the Lord.) A Sabbath in the traditional sense is not meant for Christians at all.

"The Sabbath was given to Israel, not the church. The Sabbath is still Saturday, not Sunday, and has never been changed. But the Sabbath is part of the Old Testament Law, and Christians are free from the bondage of the Law (Galatians 4:1-26; Romans 6:14). Sabbath keeping is not required of the Christian—be it Saturday or Sunday. The first day of the week, Sunday, the Lord's Day (Revelation 1:10) celebrates the New Creation, with Christ as our resurrected Head. We are not obligated to follow the Mosaic Sabbath—resting, but are now free to follow the risen Christ—serving." (emphasis mine)(1)

So having said all that, I will say here that I am going to continue to take my day of rest on Sunday and that I will continue to worship the Lord every day. Not just Sunday, or Saturday. I will attend services within my church on both days, as is needed (because I serve in a capacity that at times may require this.) But I will serve my fellow man every day. You make the choice for yourself, between yourself and God. It is for no one else to judge you in this regard.

--Lord, I pray that these words are edifying to the believer and that they glorify You above all. I thank You, that in your divine wisdom You provided a means for the children of Israel to remember their delivery from bondage. I also thank You for nailing to the cross the requirements of that law for the Gentile that I am. May Your Name be praised Forever. In Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.

(1) http://www.gotquestions.org/Saturday-Sunday.html

Purposeful Ministry by Shalene

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

Yesterday, I wrote about how we could change the world by having a purposeful ministry in our blogs and our websites. Today, I want to touch on what it means to have a purposeful ministry.

What does it mean to be purposeful?

Purposeful is defined as having intent. Is it your intent to spread the Word of God and His Good News to all that come into contact with your blog and/or website? How do you do this? Is it obvious to others that your love of God is first and foremost in your life? I don't mean you need to go "Holier- than- thou" on them, but is it clear to all that read your content, that you are a Christ follower? Or is it just a vague idea hidden somewhere as a sidenote?

What does it mean to minister and/ or to witness?

I am aware that not all are comfortable being teachers, and few are qualified to be evangelists or pastors. I am certainly not qualified to be either, though I like to think I'm a fairly good teacher. Having said that, I want to make clear that while helping others to learn to read their bible, and learn the contents within, is of utmost importance, (It is God's Holy Instruction Manual, after all.) there are also other ways to minister and witness to others as well.

I believe the most effective means of doing this (aside from teaching bible study) is to be authentic and transparent. What does that mean, you ask? Let's take transparent first: Being transparent means letting others know that though you are a Christ follower, you are still human. They see the way you live your life, and how God's presence influences it. It means showing your motives, so to speak.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 ESV (emphasis mine)

Being authentic is very close to the same thing. It means not only letting your motives show, but the reasons behind them as well. It means showing the real you. Warts and all. Many unbelievers get the impression that Christians are hypocrites (and sometimes, unfortunately, they are correct.) They also get the impression that believers have it easy. That we don't have the same problems they do, because we put on our mask of peace. We're afraid to let the world know that while we have peace, it is only through trust in Him that it exists. Not because we don't have issues and moments of utter human-ness.

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 ESV(emphasis mine)

So to those of you that want to be purposeful, transparent and authentic in your faith, I say Praise God! For you are doing much the same as Paul did, in his ministry to the early churches.

For our boast is this: the testimony of our conscience that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. 2 Corinthians 1:12 ESV (emphasis mine)

---Lord, today I pray that I might be purposefully authentic and transparent in all my dealings. That this ministry you have blessed me with will touch others according to Your Plan. I pray that the others that you have also blessed with the talent and responsibility to reach others will pray the same prayer. I pray that I reach believers and unbelievers alike, that Your Name alone would be glorified. I pray these things in Jesus' Holy Name. Amen.