Ploughed up and Re-sown

"Cutting the grass may keep it short: but I shall still produce grass and no wheat. If I want to produce wheat, the change must go deeper than the surface. I must be ploughed up and re-sown." 

-C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

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For the record, this is one of my favorite books - Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. It's definitely a must read!

I love this quote! It's so true! When you decide to accept Christ's offer of salvation, it's not as easy as it sounds. Well, it is and it isn't. It is easy in the way that Christ has already done everything, all you've got to do is let Him come in. It isn't easy in the way that it's going to flip your life around if you allow it, and it's going to make your life harder in the eyes of the world, but oh so much better in the eyes of those who know Him!

But it isn't just...you know, saying a little prayer, asking Jesus in your heart, and all that milky stuff that many of us in the U.S. are taught today. It's a decision. The biggest decision of your life - and it matters for ETERNITY.

And, as I learned just recently from a Bible teacher named Michael Pearl, this life, this present physical life that we have been given on this earth, is the one and only opportunity we have for building our character. After we're physically dead that's it for the character building process. Up in heaven we'll be far to busy worshiping God around His throne to have any time for character building exercises, if it were even possible. 

So it's here and now that you've gotta live "the hard life" as it were. It may be harder than anything else, but it's going to be SO worth it in the long run. 

Cutting the grass just keeps it short. That's it. You aren't going to change the your grass crop into a wheat crop by cutting the grass shorter. It doesn't work that way. 

In the same way, you can't produce a crop of good works and good character if you are just cutting back on your bad works and bad character.

It's 180 degree turn.

You've gotta dig up all that grass and keep it out of there. One little blade allowed to live can multiply and destroy your whole new crop of wheat. 

The older I get, the more I see that being a Christian is an all-or-nothing deal. It's an all-or-nothing deal because that's exactly what Christ requires of His children - all-or-nothing.

In Christ our Deliverer,

Buttercup

Smack Down on the Ground

"All of us fail, but this doesn't mean that we are failures. We need to understand that failing can be a step toward maturity, not a permanent blot on our self-esteem...we don't have to allow failure to prevent us from being used by God." 

-Robert S. McGee, The Search for Significance

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Failing can be pretty disheartening. 

Or, maybe you just laughed at my statement and thought "That's an understatement!"

If you are a goal oriented person, and you love accomplishing things, setting goals, making schedules, and everything working out just right, then this post is for you; because this post was written by just that type of person.

I love making schedules, setting goals, seeing things accomplished and completed, and everything working out just as I planned, but it seems that most of the time...it doesn't work out that way.

I usually put too much in my schedule and get overwhelmed...but wait wait wait! That's the schedule! You must follow it because you made it this morning and it's faultless! Nothing is wrong with the schedule, something must be wrong with you. Yeah, you just witnessed my train of thought. 

My schedules, more often than not, look more like a list of unachievable goals than a list of things I must (and logically can) accomplish that day. So it's no surprise that I've thought of myself many times as a failure.

But, just like every other time, I found that I wasn't the only human being in the history of mankind that was apparently unable to get anything done. I read The Search for Significance by Robert S. McGee, and he gave me some answers.

"All of us fail, but this doesn't mean that we are failures. We need to understand that failing can be a step toward maturity, not a permanent blot on our self-esteem...we don't have to allow failure to prevent us from being used by God."

If God could only use perfect people, He would have created robots.

But He decided to create us. He created people that rebelled against Him, people that had a free will whether or not to obey Him. He created people that He knew would fail Him time and time again. Why?

Because He desired people that would serve Him because they wanted to serve Him. He wanted people that would obey Him because they wanted to obey Him. So He did it. And He got me, and I failed Him...right?

Well, God uses failures. Take that back. God uses people who fail. McGee makes it clear in this section that just because you fail (no matter how often) that doesn't make you a failure. 

But as long as you are following after Christ, God can use you. He doesn't mind if you miss doing your math, or you forget to sweep the kitchen, or you are too tired to fix dinner and go out for fast food...He doesn't hold that against you. His mercies are new each morning. Each day is a new start. What happened yesterday...guess what? It happened yesterday. Its over, it's done, there's nothing you can do about it so quit fretting over it. 

God's got it. God's got you. God will use you, if you let Him. 

Don't let your feelings of failure grab a hold of you and smack you down to the ground. Smack your feelings of failure down on the ground and tell them how big and forgiving your God is.

In Christ our Solid Ground,

Buttercup

Great song! Pieces by Red

I'm here again
A thousand miles away from you
A broken mess, just scattered pieces of who I am
I tried so hard
Thought I could do this on my own
I've lost so much along the way

Then I see your face
I know I'm finally yours
I find everything I thought I lost before
You call my name
I come to you in pieces
So you can make me whole

I've come undone
But you make sense of who I am
Like puzzle pieces in your hand,

Then I see your face
I know I'm finally yours
I find everything I thought I lost before
You call my name
I come to you in pieces
So you can make me whole!

I tried so hard! So hard!
I tried so hard!

Then I see your face
I know I'm finally yours
I find everything I thought I lost before
You call my name
I come to you in pieces
So you can make me whole
So you can make me whole

I love this song :) Hope you do too!

In Christ our Solid Ground,
Buttercup

P.S. For those of you who receive the emails from my blog, YouTube videos don't come through, so if you want to watch it then you have to come to my blog webpage. :)

When the Last Rose Dies

"He gave her 12 roses, 11 real and one fake, and he said, "I'll stop loving you when the last rose dies." 

-Unknown

I absolutely love that quote. It makes me think not only who God has prepared for my future husband, but also of God Himself...

But God demonstrated His own love for us in this, that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. -Romans 5:8

...How deep the Father's love for us/How vast beyond all measure/That He should give His only Son/To make a wretch His treasure/How great the pain of searing loss/The Father turns His face away/As wounds which mar the chosen One/Bring many sons to glory...

God doesn't show His love for us with roses in the mail - real or fake. God shows His love for us every day in so many ways; many of which we probably don't see as His bountiful blessings. Each breath is a gift from Him who reigns above.

Dear Lord,
Thank You so much for your undying love for us - for me.
Love,
Your little girl

In Christ our Solid rock,
Buttercup

Children of God by Third Day

This is one of my favorite music videos ever. I love it. Beautiful song. Wonderful pictures. Gives me chills and makes me almost cry every time I watch it. Hope you enjoy it as well!
Love in Christ our Rock,
Buttercup

Grey Areas

My dear readers,
I was just recently talking with a friend via email and the subject of churches came up, for me and my family are still on the search for a home church near us. While we were talking, we discussed how both of our families like the King James version of the Bible best, and we like hymns best; and we were trying to find a church that used the KJV and sang hymns, not necessarily exclusively, but mostly. My friend then asked me why I liked KJV and hymns best, for she was trying to get her thoughts on the subject together and wasn't quite sure about it. I told her and then she told me of how their former pastor was adamant and would only sing hymns, and drums on beats 2 and 4 were evil, and all this stuff, and we discussed how one must not get so wrapped up in our own opinions that we force them on those around us. We recalled how Paul wrote about how if a man is convicted of a thing, then he must not do it, or it is a sin for him; and if you are not convicted about it, then it is fine for you to do (this applies to all things that are grey areas in the Bible and are not made clear to us through His word, areas where we must decide for ourselves); BUT if your brother is convicted of a thing, and you are not, yet you do it in front of him you may cause him to stumble. Therefore, you must do all in love, seeking His will. All that to say, I believe that I have learned to like grey areas.

Most people dislike grey areas immensely, and so do I a lot of the time. They are a pain to deal with and make you double guess yourself, and sometimes, many times possibly, you make the wrong decision and must pay for it later.

But I found the other day while I was talking to my friend why God gave us grey areas.

Grey areas cause you to think, and also to make a decision. The decisions you make either grow or harm your character and your relationship with God, depending on how you deal with the decision-making process. To find out what to do with a specific grey area, you've got seek God - through His Word, through prayer, and through discussing the topic with other brethren in Christ. Then you can make a wise decision based on your knowledge of the topic and what God wants you personally to do.

Grey areas are a pain, I admit it. Many times, even after you make a decision, others will try to convince you otherwise and you will either have to defend it or go back on your decision. You may even double guess yourself - something I do often with certain grey areas.

But something I always remember is that God works everything together for good (Romans 8:28) and that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13), and that includes standing up for something I think is either right or wrong (depending on the situation). That said, when it comes to grey areas and personal conviction by the Holy Spirit, we must be very careful not to cause a brother or sister to stumble or offend them. This is a tender area and, in my opinion, a super important aspect of keeping the church functioning properly.

All that simply to say, when you come across something that isn't very fun, be it grey areas, trials and temptations, or anything like that, remember that God's got you in the palm of His great and mighty hand, and He won't ever let you go. He will always be there guiding you, all you've got to do is seek, listen, and obey, and He'll take care of the rest.

In Christ our Solid Rock,
Buttercup

One With Them - Standing with the persecuted church

1 John 1:1-4 (study part 2)

1 John 1:1-4

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

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"...For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us..." - For the definition of "life" in each instance, you really have to look at the context, because thus far, almost every time, if not every time, "life" has referred to Christ Himself. The Word, Jesus Christ, is life because He gives it to all who believe on Him. Jesus lived a physical life and died a physical death, and (obviously) He has lived and will live for all eternity. He had to die to pay the penalty for our sins, but He did not die spiritually or eternally. God required the shedding of perfect blood to cover the sins of His people, and Christ fulfilled that requirement. The price has already been paid. Because He was our substitute, He can now offer this gift of eternal life to all people. Because it was God who offered Himself for His people, that blood payment is so large that it can easily cover the stains of all people. Though, sadly, so many reject this offer and therefore must pay for their own sins, seeing that Jesus is our only other option. John 14:6 says that "I (Jesus) am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh to the Father except through me." In order that this purpose might be fulfilled, Jesus (the life) was manifested. This means that He was made clear/shown to the world/revealed to the world as the Son of God, Savior of those who believe in Him. John states again that they (the disciples) saw Him; therefore they now bear witness and testify that Jesus was/is the Son of God, the Life.

"...That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you..." - John makes it clear that he and the other disciples witnessed Jesus Christ first hand. Second or third hand witnesses are harder to trust because the story may have gotten messed up in the multiple re-tellings; but when you hear a story told from one who was actually there, and the person is trustworthy, you should easily and rightly believe them. The gospels and really, the whole New Testament , are written about Jesus by direct witnesses; the book of First John is no exception, this book was written by an eyewitness of His majesty.

"...That ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ..." - When you share knowledge with someone, you are then able to talk with them about it. For how can one talk with another if one is not familiar with the subject at hand? When one becomes a believer, they enter into the family of God and can therefore truly fellowship with their new adopted brethren. Fellowship is spending quality time with someone or multiple people. Fellowship with the Father can only be obtained after one becomes a believer for before one receives Jesus Christ, they are utterly separated from God, but because of Christ and His work, we have been brought near and may fellowship with God because we have been covered by the blood of the Lamb. Fellowship with God implies fellowship with both the Father and the Son; and the Holy Spirit is constantly with us, helping, guiding, comforting, and leading us where God wants us to go. 

"...And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full..." - This is the second reason why John wrote this letter; the first was: "that ye also may have fellowship with" God and all believers. The word "joy" implies a lot if you think about it, for you can take/have joy in many things. Joy, as I understand it, is more than happiness - for even happiness can be easily faked by some. Joy is like a true, or pure, or utterly real, happiness. In the book of James we are told to joy in tribulation. We can only do this when we draw our joy from Christ; who, we know, works all things together for good for His people. We may not always feel an earthly happiness about trials, but we can have honest joy in it if we are relying on Christ. In this certain passage, however, John is not writing of joy in tribulation, but rather, joy in the knowledge of what Christ did. Same kind of joy, drawn from the same place. I think it interesting that John doesn't just say "that you may have joy", but he says: "that your joy may be FULL" (emphasis mine). I believe the implication of that is clear: John knows that the love of Christ doesn't just bring joy, but that is is so vast that it overflows ones heart with an immeasurable amount of unspeakably huge joy. The joy that Christ brings fills you up to absolutely overflowing! More than enough to fill your life and more share with the world! Allow Christ to fill you with His joy daily so that all may see Christ through you as you bubble over with His great, priceless joy!

I must admit that this exact thing is something I am working on right now. Finding joy in not only daily tasks and work and life in general, but also in trials. I pray that God may teach me how to find joy in Him!

Oh praise God for blessing us so richly!

In Christ our Rock,

Buttercup

One With Them Buttons

Hey y'all! I don't know how much you know about Open Doors, but if you already know about them, you can skip this part and get on to the other stuff!

Open Doors is an organization started by the brave missionary behind the Iron Curtain - Brother Andrew. Brother Andrew wrote about his work as a missionary in his book, God's Smuggler. Open Doors' goal is to help persecuted believers all over the whole as they take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have never heard it before in countries where it is not wanted by many people, including the authorities. You can learn more about Open Doors at their website  - www.OpenDoorsUSA.org The One With Them movement is a work of Open Doors focusing on helping people become aware of the plight of the persecuted church. You can learn more about One With Them here - www.OneWithThem.com

Now, as of late, I have been taking a graphic design class at our local community college, and it has been totally awesome! And what's even more awesome is that now, I can make cool graphics to catch people's eyes that promote awareness of the persecuted church! Now I would like to share some blog and website buttons with you. If you'd like to put them on your blog, please feel free, but don't feel like you have to - totally up to you!

(250 px square)

<a href="www.onewiththem.com"><img alt="Stand with the Persecuted Church" src="http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx47/Leakeclan/OneWithThemcopy.jpg"/></a>

(250 px square)

<a href="www.onewiththem.com"><img alt="Stand with the Persecuted Church" src="http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx47/Leakeclan/Perseucted_Churchcopy.jpg"/></a>

(200 px square)

<a href="www.onewiththem.com"><img alt="Stand with the Persecuted Church" src="http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx47/Leakeclan/OneWithThemcopy-2.jpg"/></a>

(200 px square)

<a href="www.onewiththem.com"><img alt="Stand with the Persecuted Church" src="http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx47/Leakeclan/Perseucted_Churchcopy-1.jpg"/></a>

More are probably on their way! :) I'd love to hear your ideas for buttons and banners! Shoot me a comment with your suggestion and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! 

In Christ our Rock,

Buttercup

One Bold Move

1 John 1:1-4 (study part 1)

1 John 1:1-4

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was  manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

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John begins this epistle with an introduction. Unlike Paul and James, John does not start the epistle by confirming his identity and telling his name, but rather, jumps right in and starts talking about Christ and the apostle's relationship to Him and how they really were "eyewitnesses of His majesty". 

"That which was from the beginning..." - He begins describing Christ with this phrase. John makes it clear by doing this that Jesus Christ was/is indeed God. He seems to be referring back to John 1:1 which says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Jesus Christ is the Word, and is therefore God, and was in the beginning. He is eternal and immortal, higher and more powerful than any other being, for He created all other beings. Before all else, was God.

"...Which we have heard..." - John states here that they heard Jesus. Looking back at the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John),  we can see many times where Jesus verbally taught and spoke with His disciples, the Jewish leaders, and the people. According to John 20:31, Jesus did many other signs and wonders which were not written down, this more than likely also refers to other things that Jesus said and taught that were not written down. Matthew 5:2 - "...and He opened His mouth, and taught them (the disciples) saying..." Jesus taught the disciples many things verbally.

"...Which we have seen with our eyes..." - Not only did Jesus teach His disciples verbally, but the disciples also learned by seeing what Jesus did. For example, the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus' disciples got to see Him multiply a tiny bit of food into enough for thousands of people right before their very eyes. It was the same with all His other miracles, too. They were "eyewitnesses of His majesty".

"...Which we have looked upon..." - The disciples gazed in utter wonder at their Lord. And as time went on, they respected, honored, worshiped, and glorified Him more and more as they learned more about who He is. Multiple times in the first four New Testament books, we read the disciples saying that He truly was the Son of God. They already knew this, but the more it was reinforced, the more clear it became.

"...And our hands have handled..." - The disciples not only heard and saw Jesus, but they touched Him. After His resurrection, the disciples might have touched Jesus' wrists, feet, and side. Before His death they probably touched Him in other ways, although the Bible does not mention an occurrence such as this, we can guess this simply because it is something all humans do. Whether its a hug, a tap on the shoulder, or the like, we all touch each other. The disciples touched Jesus, they knew he was physically there. What a comfort. Now the Holy Spirit is our Comforter, and although we can't physically touch Him, He is always right there beside every believer.

"...Of the Word of life..." - He was (and is) the Word. He proclaimed the words of life, that He was the Only Way that they might have life eternal. Referring back to John 1:1-2, we see that there also, He is referred to as the Word. Going down a few verses we see that the word had "life, and that life was the light of men." This Word, if He had not conquered death and rose again, could not have been called the "Word of life"; but because He did, He gave us proof both of His identity, and power. He that giveth life, must be alive himself. He truly is the "resurrection and the life" and he who believes in Him will never die.

How great it would have been to have walked and talked with Jesus, we may think to ourselves, to see Him and touch Him...But we can. We forget how, because of His death and resurrection, we can indeed walk and talk with Him whenever we want to - in prayer and in the reading of His word. May we never forget how blessed we are to be able to walk and talk with the Saviour!

In Christ our Rock,

Buttercup

Hopelessness

His coat was tattered

Due to storms a plenty

Which had both come and gone

Throughout his short life.

His feet were not shod,

Never with peace,

But were bare and seemed

To say anything but solace. 

They were calloused and hard,

Very much like his heart,

Because of early years of abandon,

Middle years of hurt, and now just much pain.

The physical pain

He had learned to endure,

But 'tis a hard lesson indeed

To learn how to cope with emotional.

His scars on the skin

He was forced to see everyday,

And they made his heart bleed

As memories flooded his being.

Not one good memory

Could he bring to his head

But only terrifying ones

He kept having to relive.

Memories of abandon,

Of hate, and not love,

Of pain, and not healing,

Of things below, not of above.

His scars grew deeper

With each passing day

And salted by all

Who passed on their way.

Once, he envied those

Who seemed never to have problems,

But because of their treatment

His envy turned to hate.

No one had ever loved him,

Never took his crying hands,

Never kissed his wet cheek

Just rubbed it in the sand.

His eyes, he was sure,

Would always be red

From all the tears he had cried

Upon many a bed.

His poor crying heart

After ages of sanding

Had become calloused hard

And now heeded not the grating.

'Twas believed that he possessed

Not one pliable area in his being

But sometimes one needs not soft,

For some things are able to crush through rock.

This man so poor, so lonely, so sad

Was so hopelessly lost 'twas thought

That there was no hope to be found

So no one thought twice.

Until a young child perceived 

Not a man in torn clothes

Not the grumpy old face

Not the crooked and bent nose,

What that child saw, only he could say

For that day he saw a man in pain.

He saw a bleeding heart

He saw those red eyes.

He saw the pain, the hurt

And the rejection too,

And although the child understood not why,

He knew what he must do.

The child tore away from his mother

And ran to the pitiful man,

And without stopping

Ran straight into him.

He wrapped his arms around him

And squeezed him tight,

He said that Jesus loved him,

And that he would be alright.

The man in tatters was surprised

And very much embarrassed

But embarrassment didn't matter

For someone cared enough to notice him.

He hugged the child back,

As tears streamed down his face,

He then asked the child a question

Who was the Jesus who loved him?

The child explained as only a child can,

How the Son of God came and became a man,

He took all our sins in His body on the tree,

And then He died for you and me.

The man did not need anything more,

He had been so hopeless for so long,

This little glimmer of hope

Looked more like the shining of the sun.

Through the witness of a child, 

This poor man's life was changed,

He was given hope when none could be found,

So can we not do the same?

If a child so small could give a simple hug,

Can we not love our neighbor?

And give them a hug when they are hurting?

And love them when they lose hope?

Through Christ we find the strength,

And love overflowing,

Enough to share with all the world,

Why are you not going?

Share the love with friends,

With family, with everyone around.

Let Christ so fill your life,

So through you Christ can be found.

Study of 1 John Begins

Hello my dear readers! 

I can't believe my eyes when I go away for months at a time and I come back and to my surprise I have over 40 hits a day without posting! Of course, although this is great, it isn't very fair to go away without telling you, I have simply not had much time. 

But no more excuses, for now, I am going to begin posting here my own personal study of my favorite book of the Bible - 1 John. This book is my favorite for a few reasons, first, it is a book of love - God's love for us and how we ought to love others as He loved us - and it is also a book of assurance, John writes tests for your faith so that you might be sure that you are in Christ. In times of doubt I always turn to 1 John 5 before anything else. 

So, I hope you enjoy this study, but please don't take what I say without question, I am wrong a lot. What I say is simply what I believe to be what John is trying to get across to us in this epistle.

Hope you are all having a most blessed summer!

In Christ our Rock,

Buttercup :)