"NO" Can Be The Most Spiritual Answer

The following scripture is taken from the Proverbs 31 passage.  Even though it is written particularly for women, I believe it applies to the entire Body of Christ.  And my brothers and sisters, sometimes the most spiritual answer to a request is "No."

Proverbs 31:16 “She considereth a field and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.”

Hebrew definitions:

Considereth: to plan, consider, think, imagine

Field: to spread out, new ground

Buyeth: accepts

Planteth: a drop, to ooze

Vineyard: garden

The Amplified Bible reads like this: 

“She considers a field before she accepts it, expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming others. With the saving of time and strength she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.”

If you are running around like a chicken with your head cut off, doing this and that and accomplishing very little, this verse is for you. The Word says the wise woman considers carefully new ground before she accepts the responsibility of it. The word “field” is directly related to the words “stretcheth” and “reacheth” in verse 20. All three words are defined as—to spread out or to spread forth. Though the virtuous woman is filled with desire to do the work of God, has the goods, and is eager to stretch out, there are things to be considered: Will the taking on of new responsibilities result in the neglect of others?

Too often in our minds, “Yes” is the spiritual answer to all responsibilities presented to us, especially if the one presenting is our leader. I also know that when you fellowship with God regularly—you are so full that you feel like bursting at the seams. You want to do something! You want to Save the World! And I certainly do not want to quench that fire! I just want you to burn in the proper direction and obtain maximum results.

I learned this the hard way and would like to spare you some avoidable disappointments. Allow me to share my experience:

When I received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, I went wild. I should have been locked up for at least a year. I desperately desired my husband to be saved but instead of winning him “Without a Word” by my Godly behavior as I Peter 3:1 says to do, I said “Yes” to nursery ministry, prayer ministry, street evangelism, part-time worship leader ministry with extra practice days, bus ministry, assistant to the children’s church pastor and I cleaned the church! Now how’s that for being spiritual? A man in our church called a friend of mine and me the “Righteous Sisters!” I never said “No.” I genuinely thought “Yes” was the only answer God was pleased with and I used it often. It was my choice and I was eager to do it all. I dragged my baby around with me or left her with her daddy for safe keeping while I did the work of the Lord. On top of that I tried to preach my husband into the kingdom of God in all my self-righteousness.

It was a sudden realization that hit me like a Mack truck one Sunday night sitting “alone” in church. I had been working hard for a year, thinking all the while, I was doing everything I could for God. I wondered why nothing had improved at home. As a matter of fact, everything had gotten worse. I had come to the end of myself (finally), and the Holy Ghost spoke to me. He said, “Stop Everything!” I understood Him. That is, I understood what He meant, but I could not grasp the “Why” of it. Yet, His voice was so loud and real inside of me I could not deny it. I went to my pastor after church and told him I had to stop everything and give my whole attention to my family. He recognized immediately that this was God and he fully agreed. I went home and loved my family. Two weeks later, my husband gave his heart to the Lord. (Note: A few weeks before this, I learned to keep my mouth shut and stop preaching to my husband).

Let me clarify a couple of things so that you understand completely where I am coming from. I did not stop going to church during this time. I realized the importance of the Word and the need for fellowship with the Body of Christ, but I stopped the extra-curricular ministry activities that kept me away from home more than was necessary. I continued to intercede for prayer requests spent more time in the Word and in fellowship with God. I took that extra time and energy to teach my daughter the things of God and deliberately focus my attention on my husband. I Peter 3:2 in the Amplified Bible says that we are to reverence our husbands. The word reverence includes many things, but one thing in particular that was harder for me to do was to “adore” him. I discovered during this time of deliberately focusing my attention on him, that as I purposely adored him even while my flesh screamed in agony, I began to change.  It was an amazing miracle to me! No telling how many marriages would be saved if we would just submit to God and fight past the flesh to find only what God can make of us. God revealed His grace to my family. I am forever grateful for His wisdom.

Every ministry I had taken part in is a necessary ministry in the church, and had I acted wisely and expanded prudently (as God moved me, instead of man), I am certain I would not have had to “Stop Everything!” but by this time, the neglect of my family had resulted in a critical situation. 

The word “planteth” in this verse shows us that fruitful planting is a gradual process---One drop at a time. When my husband started coming to church with me a few weeks later, I was once again tempted to go beyond prudence, but the wisdom of God this time spoke otherwise. I was restored to ministry according to the Will of God instead of my own will.

So ladies and gentlemen, I hope the Holy Spirit is revealing to you that “No” is sometimes the most spiritual answer. Never neglect your family for the “sake of the Gospel.” When I finally learned this, I began to plant fruitful vines in my vineyard.

If It Be Thy Will

“If it be thy will” was a phrase I heard often growing up in a traditional church.  Particularly when we prayed for someone to be healed, the prayer always began or ended with “if it be thy will”. I grew up with the idea that God decided at the moment of prayer whether He wanted to heal you or not, and that His Will was a complete mystery until you saw the answer or the lack of it.  If you didn’t get healed, it obviously was not His Will for you at least.  There was always the saint that held his or her head up and  suffered for Jesus, wearing their sickness like a badge of honor, while exhausting their resources going from doctor to doctor.  We “ooohed” and “aaahed” over their courage as they marched toward death with boldness.  I have personally known people that resisted healing prayer because it was certainly God’s Will that they bear this cross.  They enjoyed talking about their illness with everyone they met.  It was their destiny and their ministry. 

Unfortunately, not much has changed in traditional circles.  People still want to believe that God picks and chooses whom He will and will not heal.  It must break the heart of God for His children to think this way.  Imagine a parent with several sick children.  However, because this parent has his or her favorites, he or she gives the much-needed medicine only to the favorite children and allows the not-so-favorite child continue in sickness until death. This parent would be up on charges and you would surely convict him or her to life in prison or the death penalty if that child died from this kind of neglect.  Still, we continue to believe that God is this way. It is time for the Body of Christ to wake up, cast off tradition and believe what the Bible says.

First of all, let’s talk about the “Will of God”. 

Hebrews 9:10-20 (AMP) For [the ceremonies] deal only with clean and unclean meats and drinks and different washings, [mere] external rules and regulations for the body imposed to tide the worshipers over until the time of setting things straight [of reformation, of the complete new order when Christ, the Messiah, shall establish the reality of what these things foreshadow – a better covenant].  But [that appointed time came] when Christ the Messiah appeared as a High Priest of the better things that have come and are to come.  [Then] through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with [human] hands, that is, not a part of this material creation, He went once for all into the [Holy of] Holies [of heaven], not by the virtue of the blood of goats and calves [by which to make reconciliation between God and man], but His own blood, having found and secured a complete redemption (an everlasting release for us). For if [the mere] sprinkling of unholy and defiled persons with blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a burnt heifer is sufficient for the purification of the body, how much more surely shall the blood of Christ, Who by virtue of [His] eternal Spirit [His own preexistent divine personality] has offered Himself as an unblemished sacrifice to God, purify our consciences from dead works and lifeless observances to serve the ever living God?  [Christ, the Messiah] is therefore the Negotiator and Mediator of an [entirely] new agreement (testament, covenant), so that those who are called and offered it may receive the fulfillment of the promised everlasting inheritance–since a death has taken place which rescues and delivers and redeems them from the transgressions committed under the [old] first agreement.  For where there is a [last] will and testament involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.  For a will and testament is valid and takes effect only at death, since has no force or legal power as long as the one who made it is alive.  So even the [old] first covenant (God’s will) was not inaugurated and ratified and put in force without the shedding of blood.  For when every command of the Law had been read out by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of slain claves and goats, together with water and scarlet wool and with a bunch of hyssop, and sprinkled both the Book (the roll of the Law and covenant) itself and all the people, saying these words:  This is the blood that seals and ratifies the agreement (the testament, the covenant) which God commanded [me to deliver to] you. 

These verses clearly portray the Bible as the “Will of God”; the first and last will and testament.  Death was required to put both testaments into effect.  The New Testament, being the Last Will and Testament of Jesus Christ, was put into effect by His Own death.  His Blood ratifies the new covenant and makes it sure for you and me.  Verse 15 says that Jesus Himself is now the Negotiator and Mediator of this final testament.  He is sitting at God’s right hand mediating His Father’s Will on our behalf.  There need never be any question as to the Will of God if we simply read and believe “The Will”.

Hebrews 6:19-20 (AMP) [Now] we have this [hope] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it—a hope] that reaches farther and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence] within the veil, where Jesus has entered in for us [in advance], a Forerunner having become a High Priest forever after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek. 

The hope that Jesus offers us in His Will is sure and steadfast.  It is not shaky and unsure as we have made it out to be.  We act as if we are afraid to step out and believe God for healing, for fear it may not happen.  What will people think if we believe God and nothing happens?  We are more afraid of spoiling our self-image than we are of being disobedient to our Heavenly Father.  However, The Will says that the hope set forth by Jesus Christ cannot slip or break down.  It most surely will hold up whoever steps out upon it!

Hebrews 11:1-3 (AMP) Now Faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].  For by [faith—trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report.  By faith we understand that the words [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible. 

Here we see how hope becomes reality in our lives.  Once we step out upon it, faith is required to bring it into reality.  Looking into Genesis 1 of the Old Testament we see how God used faith to frame the worlds.  Notice how many times “God said…”.  Each time He spoke, it was to create something out of seemingly nothing.  When He looked into the darkness, instead of proclaiming things as they were, He spoke that which he hoped for.  He called things that were not as though they were, and the unseen came to pass.  The Word says that we speak out of the abundance of our hearts. (Mt 12:34) If traditional teaching fills your heart instead of the Word of God, then the likelihood of your mouth speaking out faith filled words that bring the power of God on the scene is very slim.  Jesus himself said that our traditions make the Word of God of no effect. 

Hebrews 10:9-10 (AMP) He then went on to say, Behold [here] I am, coming to do Your will.  Thus He does away with and annuls the first (former) order [as a means of expiating sin] so that He might inaugurate and establish the second (latter) order.  And in accordance with this will (of God), we have been made holy (consecrated and sanctified) through the offering made once for all of the body of Jesus Christ (the Anointed One).

Jesus came to do the will of God.  He did what He saw the Father do and said what He heard the Father say.  With His life He wrote His Last Will and Testament, died, and rose again to see to it that you receive all that is written therein.  Faith is what connects us to this will.  We must believe in order to receive the benefits to which we are heir.

Considering that Jesus wrote the will with His life, and that He is the express image of God (Hebrews 1:3), all you have to do to know God’s will is look at the life of Jesus.  How many people did he make sick?  You know as well as I, if you have read the will, that there was not one person in his earthly ministry that he made sick or left sick if they sought to be healed.  The only time He was not able to “heal them all” was in his own country.

Matthew 14:54-58  And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?  Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?  And his sisters, are they not all with us?  Whence then hath this man all these things?  And they were offended in him.  But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.  And he did not many might works there because of their unbelief.

It was not His will that few mighty works be done in his hometown; it was the unbelief of the people.  Many of them grew up with Mary, Joseph and their children.  Their carnal minds would not allow them to see beyond the flesh.

GOD’S COVENANT WITH MAN

Galatians 3:13-29 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us:  for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:  That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.  Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.  Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.  He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.  And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect…And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

Genesis 15 reveals the blood covenant God made with Abraham.  Notice in verse 12 that when it came time to seal the covenant, a deep sleep fell upon Abram.  In verse 17 we see that it was not Abram that walked in the blood of the animals with God; it was Jesus Christ Himself.  Close your eyes and see the awesomeness of this moment.  God, a fire from the loins up and a fire from the loins down, in His passion to redeem mankind, calls upon His Son, the Word of God, and the Lamp unto our feet, to be a substitute for erring mankind.  The Father and the Son descend to earth as Abram sleeps.  Together they walk in the blood of the sacrificed animals to make sure the covenant with man would never be broken.  It was necessary that the “Seed” be born into the earth.  Our redemption was on His mind.  If you now belong to Christ, you are the seed of Abraham and an heir according to the promise!

The curses of the law are written in Deuteronomy 28.  Among the many curses of disobedience are pestilence, consumption, fever, inflammation, extreme burning, boils, tumors, scab, itch, madness, blindness, astonishment of heart, oppression, madness, sore boils on the knees, legs from the sole of the foot to the top of the head, and also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of the law.

Christ has redeemed us from these things, having been made a curse for us.  He took these things in His own body on the cross in order that you and I might be free.  Isaiah 52:14 (AMP) says that Jesus became an object of horror.  His face and whole appearance were marred more than any man’s and His form beyond that of the sons of men… This inconceivable terror took place as He willingly took upon himself our sins, sicknesses, and diseases. 

Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 

For a covenant to be effective, both parties must enter in.  We must be willing to give up our diseases and receive His healing.  Though most of us would certainly argue that we are willing to give up our diseases, I dare say that a large number of us would have to admit to a nagging question of whether or not we deserve our lot.  In this, our will to cast off disease would certainly be hampered. 

I WILL

In regard to healing, there is only one instance where “if it be Thy will” was ever spoken.  It was recorded in Matthew 8:2-3, Mark 1:40-41, and Luke 5:12-13 and says the same thing each time:

Matthew 8:2-3 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.  And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean.  An immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 

How deep and passionate is God’s love for us. How can we even allow ourselves to think He wants us to endure sickness and disease?  Sickness and disease is never a blessing.  It is clearly a curse from which we have been redeemed.  It is time for God’s people to stand up and fight against the deception of darkness.  It is time for God’s people to know the truth and be free from sickness and disease. It is time for us to put Satan where he belongs…under our feet!

"I Will" are the very words of Jesus.  He is still speaking these same words today. Times have changed, but Jesus and His Will remain the same.  He is willing. Are you?

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Is It A Sin For A Man To Have Long Hair?

I Corinthians 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 

I grew up in the 70’s and dated guys with hair as long as or longer than mine, and I had long hair.  I was scorned by church members who held to the belief that I was rebellious and my boyfriend was on his way to hell. There was no changing their minds. The picture of Jesus with long hair hanging inside the church building always confused me. I was 26 years old and married for 7 years before I really began to search the scriptures for answers to many questions that plagued my mind for years. This is a simple question but one that I believe needs to be answered.  With today’s fashion trends, we may have buried this nagging issue, but obviously it is still a concern.  Is it a command of Christ that men wear short hair? Is the Church denying Christ on this issue while pounding the pulpit regarding other commands? 

The belief that long hair on a man is a shame or a sin is simply the Christian church taking this scripture out of context. First of all, Let me point out that nature does not teach that it is a shame for the man to have long hair. Take the lion for instance. It is the male of the species that has long hair. Jesus is called the Lion of Judah. If long hair was a sin according to nature, Jesus would most likely have been compared to something else in nature that had short hair or no hair at all, wouldn’t you think? That in itself, makes me think there is more to this than meets the eye. I would like to point out some key points in Paul’s message that should put this controversy to rest. 

The first key point is the one above. Nature does not teach that it is a shame for a man to have long hair, but Paul said it, so there must be some other meaning to the word “long”.  It was a simple thing to look up the word “long” in a Greek dictionary and find that it carries the connotation of being “ornamental”. Further study shows that the Corinthians, prior to Christ, worshipped the god Apollo and the goddess Aphrodite. The men of Corinth were accustomed to fixing their hair to look like the heathen god Apollo and then coming to church and worshipping Christ. Paul is stating that this ornamentation was a shame to a Christian man. Likewise, it was the custom of women in Corinth to be covered distinguishing them from the prostitutes of Aphrodite’s temple who came into the city at night uncovered. Coming into the new freedom in Christ, the women wanted to be free of their coverings. This is totally understandable, but Paul was suggesting that this would be a disgrace to their husbands because of the customary thinking of the Corinthians. We do not want to flaunt our freedoms in the face of those who do not understand, before they have the opportunity to come to Christ. How many Corinthians would listen to an uncovered woman talk about Christ when their first thought was “prostitute?” He was showing them that the outward representation of purity with humility was the best way.  

I Corinthians 11:13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? The second key point I want to make is, “Judge in yourselves.” When God commands, He does not ask you to judge it! His commands are not up for debate!  

This issue was not church-wide nor was Paul pronouncing an edict for all the church. Jewish women and men shaved their heads to enter into a Nazarite vow with God, after which they did not cut their hair at all until the vow was fulfilled. In other places, women had their heads shaved to shame them for their adulterous behavior. Samson, a man and a judge of Israel had long hair. These things have to be taken into consideration.

And final key point, I Corinthians 11:16 But if any man seem to be contentious; we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. This entire discourse by Paul was clearly about the customs of that region, not a command of God for the church.

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THE FIERY FURNACE

King Nebuchadnezzar and the fiery furnace may be a very familiar story to most of you. I heard it many times as I was growing up, and the way it was told revealed three Hebrew boys that were willing to die for a God that may or may not be able to save them.  When God showed up in the furnace, there was always a sigh of relief.  He was able!  Now, getting Him to do it for you was a crapshoot. You could strain and hope and strain some more and just maybe God would, but then again, maybe He wouldn’t.  Who knew?  I would like to tell this story again in a way that reveals God for who He really is, our willing and able Father.

Jehoiakim, king of Judah, did evil in the sight of God by following the ways of his ancestors.  As a result, Judah fell captive to Babylon.  An entire nation of people, those that followed the wicked leader of Judah and those that did not, went into captivity.  Obviously there are times when bad things happen to good people.  However, this story reveals to us how faith kept in the midst of trouble allows us to live in freedom and victory.  Notice the radical, unwavering faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  They had a revelation that only comes from close fellowship with God.  This relationship gave them boldness to stand in the midst of trouble and win.

Daniel 3 reveals a golden image set up by King Nebuchadnezzar.  This image was to be worshipped by the entire province of Babylon.  An entire nation assembled for the dedication.  The people were warned to fall down and worship the image when the music played, or be cast into the burning fiery furnace.  No one was exempt.  The time came.  The music played and the people fell on their faces and worshipped the idol.  Imagine the pressure to conform, especially at the thought of being burned alive.  Yet when an entire nation fell to the ground at once, three men boldly and defiantly stood.  They had heard the edict of the king and knew death was the reward for their actions.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were government officials set over the affairs of Babylon at the request of Daniel.  They were highly visible.  There was too much at stake to allow this transgression to go unpunished.  King Nebuchadnezzar had the three men brought before him for questioning. 

Daniel 3:13-15 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.  Then they brought these men before the king.  Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?  Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well:  but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

Think about it.  This man obviously has the power and authority to follow through with his threats.  His army has taken all of Judah captive.  It is a small thing to throw three men into a furnace and watch them melt away.  In the natural, they should be quaking in fear, but instead they boldly answer the king:

Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

These men of faith didn’t choose their words carefully to appease the anger of the king.  Their allegiance was to The Living God alone!  No milk toast Christianity here!  Verses 16 thru 18 reveal three men who know God intimately.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are very sure of what God can and will do on their behalf.  Their faith is obvious.  However, this is not how these scriptures have been interpreted in my experience.  More than likely you have also heard it interpreted this way:

…if it be so (that our God is able to deliver us), He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Read the original scriptures again more closely.  The subject of this sentence is whether or not the king will throw the men into the furnace.  However, many traditional ministers change the subject mid-sentence to reflect the inability of God to deliver.

Did you catch that?  If you are not paying attention to the subject here, you will turn these men of faith into men who are willing to die for a God who may not be able to save them.  Stop for a moment and think about it.  Men die for causes they are sure of, things they truly believe in, not for “Maybe so, Maybe not!”

If the words “But if not” in verse 18 truly are referring to the inability of God to deliver, then the rest of the verse does not fit.  Read it closely.  If God is not able to deliver them, they will be dead and dead men are not able to worship anything.  This certainly is no threat to the king.

Verses 17 and 18 should be interpreted this way:

If it be so (that you throw us into the furnace), Our God is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not (if you choose not to throw us in) be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

The subject does not change mid-thought.  The true picture painted here is that of unwavering faith even in the face of death.  Some will no doubt want to argue the point, but the fact remains that these three men received exactly what they said.  They were acquainted with a God that was able to deliver them.  In addition, they were convinced that He would do it for them.  The meditations of their heart escaped their lips and became reality.  I see father-son relationships here.  I see God’s love received.  I see true faith at work.

The king had the furnace heated seven times hotter than before.  He had Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego bound.  The soldiers that threw them in the furnace died from the heat escaping the entrance.  When the king looked into the furnace to watch the men die for their insolence, he saw four men loose and walking around in the midst of the fire unharmed, and the fourth looked like the Son of God! 

                                                                                           

Having an intimate relationship with God and His Word is imperative if we are to walk in unwavering faith.  Faith in God not only protected their bodies, it brought the very Son of God on the scene.  It changed the king’s word and the law of the land and brought promotion to those that believed in the midst of captivity. (verses 28-30) 

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God's Tapestry

Proverbs 31:22 “She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.”

Tapestry is a woven fabric made from threads of different colors to form a picture or design. Historically they were woven by hand using a loom. They consisted of vertical threads, which made up the warp, and horizontal threads, which formed the weft. A prepared drawing would be placed behind the warp as a pattern for the weaver to fix his eyes upon. This drawing revealed the colors to be used and the pattern to be woven, thus revealing the end result. The weaver would wind the threads of the weft over and under the threads of the warp, which were attached to the loom, in agreement with the pattern before his eyes. After each weft thread was added, a device was used to beat the wefts tightly together. Unlike ordinary fabric in which the warp and the weft are both seen, the finished tapestry would reveal only the weft threads. The original warp threads were no longer visible. Finished tapestry was a mirror image of the prepared pattern.

Once you accept Christ as Savior and Lord, your clothing is silk and purple. You are the shining white Righteousness of God and belong to the Royal Family regardless of how you feel about it or what you have done. You are a virtuous woman by virtue of the blood of Jesus. The virtuous woman’s life begins as warp threads attached to a loom, yielded but unfinished. The warp threads that once consisted of a life of sin and unforgiveness are now washed clean, but that is only the beginning. Now begins the weaving of your coverings of tapestry. You are the co-author of your life story, and it is never too late to change the ending. Psalm 139:16 says: “Your eyes saw my unformed substance and in Your Book all the days of my life were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them”. God has a plan. The drawing of a meaningful life has been prepared. That pattern can be found in no other place than the Word of God: Psalm 16:11 “You will show me the path of life…” Psalm 119:105 “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” As you put the Word of God before your eyes, the weaving begins one weft thread at a time. As you trust and follow the Artist’s plan, the warp threads are hidden in the weft. You become who you were created to be. Your life becomes the life of purpose you have longed for, hidden in Christ.

His Grace Is Sufficient

Mark 6:45-52 “And straightway He constrained His disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while He sent away the people. And when He had sent them away, He departed into a mountain to pray. And when evening was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and He alone on the land. And He saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night He cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. But when they saw Him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: For they all saw Him, and were troubled. And immediately He talked with them, and said unto them, ‘Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.’ And He went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened."

Jesus commands His disciples to get into the ship and go to Bethsaida. They obey and here comes a storm! Does this sound familiar? If so, you are not alone. There is an enemy that opposes our every act of obedience; old habits haunt us, the winds of temptation blow against us, and my personal favorite--Satan stirs up our loved ones against us as we seek to do what is right.  Serving God is not for the faint of heart! 

Jesus sees them in the midst of the storm. I dare say it was not with His eyes that He saw them, but in prayer as He prayed for them. In response, Jesus walks out to them on the sea and would have passed them by. Why would He do that!? Mark is the only one that points this out and I think it is a very important point. Jesus is endeavoring to demonstrate to them that this storm does not have the power to stop them from getting to Bethsaida. In Matthew’s account, Peter gets out of the boat at the command of Jesus, and as long as his eyes are on Jesus, he walks on the water. When he begins to look around and pay attention to the storm and its effects on his surroundings, he loses his balance and begins to sink. Rest assured that when you choose to follow Jesus and obey His commands, there will be opposition. The enemy of your soul will seek to get your eyes off of Jesus. His goal is to sink you in the quagmire of your own emotions and feelings that are, in fact, powerless to stop you unless you allow them. It was not the storm that disabled Peter’s ability to walk on water.

How many of you can walk on water on a calm day? It was what Peter saw with his eyes and heard with his ears that evoked the emotions and doubt. The storm was designed to steer his attention away from Jesus and stop his progress. 

When Jesus saw that the disciples were so fearful that they would not be comforted, He calmed the winds and the waves. When they saw this their minds could not grasp it, almost to the point of insanity, because they had not considered the miracle of the loaves!

What in the world does feeding five thousand men plus women and children with five loaves of bread and two fish have to do with making it fearlessly through a storm? The message is simple and undiluted. The loaves represent Jesus’ body, broken for our salvation. When blessed and broken it is more than enough to fill all who are hungry with plenty left over. Even after picking up twelve baskets of leftover bread, they still had no understanding of Jesus’ message to them. Yeah, I didn’t get it either. This was going to take a little time and effort, a little prayer and meditation. OK, let’s take it to the next level. 

Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” First of all, if Jesus’ body was broken for my salvation, what exactly is it?  Is it being saved from hell when this life is over? Having fire insurance is good but what about here and now? The word “saved or salvation” is the Greek word “sozo” which means to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction, to save a suffering one from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health, to make whole. This is far from what I learned as a child in my denomination that assured me of heaven but denied the full saving power of the broken body of Jesus. Next is the word “grace”, which we have equated with powerlessness or acceptance of the evils that happen to us. In II Corinthians 12, we have assumed that God refused to heal Paul when He said, “My grace is sufficient for you…” leaving Paul to suffer some ailment while spreading the Gospel. This defies the true meaning of Grace. In addition, the word “sufficient” means enough, possessing unfailing strength. This further annihilates our impotent revelation of “Grace!” If Jesus body was broken for our salvation and it is by grace that we are saved, I believe we can safely surmise that grace is the power force that flows from the broken body of Christ. Ephesians 2:8 goes on to say that we must receive this power by faith. We do not have to work for it; it is a gift of God. Had the disciples realized the sufficiency of grace they possessed, they undoubtedly would have navigated the storm without fear and safely arrived at their destination. Just as the disciples each had their own basket; you have an equal share of that same grace, and it is sufficient!