The Battle for the Renewed Mind

May I just be honest about what I am struggling with right now? Well, it’s not just right now… it’s really all of the time!

It’s my thoughts.

They ensnare me and I am left dangling, seemingly helpless, waiting for my enemy to finish the job.

I fear that God is not who He says He is… I forget that I have been made righteous because of Jesus and that I am now the daughter of the King… I feel alone and unwanted by anyone, desolate…

The list goes on.

And with every one of those thoughts, those lies, roots are dug down deeper into my heart, threatening to keep me tied down—trapped—until my mind is filled only with lies. Every fruit blossom ever to have budded in my heart is choked by these roots and withers up into nothing.

Sometimes the thoughts aren't negative, though. Sometimes I daydream about a handsome man who pursues and saves me, the damsel in distress, and then we build a forever together in a little home in the middle of nowhere. We sit on the porch in our rocking chairs and drink sweet tea out of mason jars while watching our kids run around in the yard, dig in the dirt, and live out their own little adventurous fantasies. I look over and smile at him and the look in his eyes makes me weak in the knees, because it whispers, “I love you more today than when we said our vows.”

But as beautiful as that picture is, thoughts of it can also be a deadly poison, disguised as a sweet nectar. You see, these sweet thoughts can become an idol in my heart, and an idol is someone or something that makes false promises of satisfaction and fulfillment… lies. Now, I am not saying that every single daydream that you have is bad… we were designed to desire beauty, especially in relationships. But when those daydreams become more desirable than Jesus, that’s when they are a problem.

These thoughts far too often occupy my consciousness and keep me from focusing on where God has me right now. I become discontent, and discontentment leads me to those more obvious deadly thoughts that I mentioned earlier. So what is there for me to do?

Fight.

Romans 12:2 is a charge to believers. It states to “not be conformed to this world, but BE transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” When I first read that I was thinking, “How in the world is my mind supposed to be renewed? Clearly ‘be’ is a verb, but how do I allow it to take action in my life?” I knew that I needed to be actively doing something to fight, I just didn't know what to do or how to do it. So, I had to use a little bit of deductive reasoning.

What is the battle that I am fighting? Being trapped by lies.
What defeats lies? Truth.
What is Truth? The Word of God.
What is the Word of God? The sword of the Spirit.
What do you use a sword for? To fight.
What kind of person fights? A warrior.

Every believer is in a war of the mind, and we all must fight! In fact, it is essential that we do, lest we be fools.

"Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered" (Proverbs 28:26), "for the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6).

Claiming my identity as a Warrior Princess for the Kingdom of God was strange at first... but ya know, I can't let the men have all the fun ;)

 ***Side note: Ladies, we have to give up the idea that battling is only for men; women can carry swords too AND learn to fight with them!***

I began with making a list of the typical lies that I believe and then, I found Truth to combat them (I like to call the verses my "sword swings" that I use to sever the lies that have taken root in my heart so that I am no longer bound by them).

Now here's the hard part... I have to actually remember those verses whenever my mind is under attack, or whenever my heart begins to long for a husband more than Jesus.

Oh, and under attack is right! My mind is constantly under siege "for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). But I have the power to defeat the lies of my flesh and the enemy because "the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds" and I have been commanded to "take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

God designed our brains in such a way that our neurons have memory and they remember the typical thought pathways that we carve for ourselves. BUT GOD also gave us sword swings, enabling us to re-route those pathways of lies to Truth! How amazing is that?!

I absolutely LOVE how my Commander in Chief gives me such hope! He tells me that not only can I fight, but I can fight well... well enough to be free from all of the traps set before me because I know the Truth (John 8:32)! For this I am grateful: Truth does not change based off of my thoughts and feelings.

We can all have the confidence to step out onto the battlefield, claiming the territory for the Kingdom because of THIS sword swing:

"For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).

PRAISE THE LORD!!! He has prepared us, armed us, girded us with strength, is renewing our minds... and now we must fight the good fight.

So, dear brothers and sisters, "be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong" (1 Corinthians 16:13).

Image taken from:image

Faith and Obedience

I have been doing a lot of thinking about faith and obedience lately. 

The reason? 

Because I have been trying to figure out what it is that keeps me from being obedient to what the Lord has called me to do. No matter if it's as small as "Talk to Me, Linzy," or as big as "Go to ____," I seem to have trouble with just immediately obeying. And let me confess why...

I doubt.

I doubt if it is really the Lord telling me to do something or if it just my flesh or the enemy;
I doubt if what the Lord is telling me is really the best way to do things; 
I doubt that He has His sovereign plan and that there is nothing to worry about; 
I doubt that He has gone before me and prepared the way.

What made me realize this was reading in Hebrews, which then took me all the way back to Genesis to read the complete story of Abraham.

You see, in Genesis 15, God establishes His covenant with Abram to make him a father of nations even though Abram and his wife, Sarai, had no offspring. God said to Abram, "Your very own son shall be your heir...look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them...so shall your offspring be." And [Abram] believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness (v. 4-6).

Upon the Lord making this promise to him, Abram cut the animals in half that the Lord told him to bring and then the Lord caused a deep sleep to come upon Abram. It was the custom of that day for the two people who were making a binding agreement with one another to walk through the pieces of the animals together, which was making the statement "If I do not hold to my end of the deal, then let what has happened to these animals happen to me." 

But the amazing part about THIS covenant was that it was one sided. Only God walked through those animal pieces while Abram was in a deep sleep because God knew that only He can uphold the covenant, and for all of the times in the future that Abram or his offspring would disobey, God would have to be the one to pay for it because He was the only one who made that covenant.  

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you” (Hebrews 6:13-14).

Hence, Jesus!!! 

God had to come to earth and atone for the sins of all of us who would have never been able to walk through those animal pieces with the Lord God Almighty because in so doing, our death would have ensued.

So, now that we understand just how big of a deal this covenant is, meaning that God could never go back on His Word which would go against His very character, let's continue with Abram's story.

In chapter 16, we see that Abram and his wife doubted that God was going to fulfill His promise to them by giving them a son, so they tried to take things into their own hands. Abram slept with his wife's servant and she bore him a son, but this is not the son that the Lord God had promised to Abram.

So still, at this point, Abram and Sarai have not conceived, but in chapter 17, God changes Abram's name to Abraham, which means "father of a multitude" and changes Sarai's name to Sarah, and then tells them that in a year, Sarah would give birth to the promised son, Isaac. 

Fast-forward a bit to chapter 21 and we see that Isaac was born... and then in chapter 22, we see that God asks Abraham to sacrifice his promised son.

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him (Genesis 22:1-3).

WHAT?! God told Abraham to sacrifice the very son that He had promised to him, to make him a father of nations... and Abraham just got up, and went to do it. He just obeyed!

This is the part that always stumped me. Isaac was Abraham's son and I could not understand how in the world a father could just say, "Okay, God! I'll go kill my son because You told me to."

And HERE is where Hebrews comes in again!!! (I can hardly contain my excitement about this Truth!!!)

By FAITH Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back (Hebrews 11:17-19).

OH MY GOODNESS!!! Abraham had so much faith in God and His promises (which are inseparable because God's character is Truth) that he obeyed and took his promised son to the altar, ready to sacrifice him, trusting that if the Lord wanted him to actually kill his son, then GOD WOULD RAISE HIM FROM THE DEAD in order to still be upholding His covenant!!!

This unyielding obedience that we see in Abraham was rooted in his absolute faith in God. 

Oh, I am so guilty of not having faith! Sure, I say that I trust God and that I know that He is sovereign, but does my heart actually believe that? Because if it did, would I not have the same unyielding response as Abraham instead of doubting?

Wow. Pride check! I begin to shy away from the Lord after reading all of this because I am so ashamed.

But then, sweet, sweet Jesus draws me back in.

"Keep reading my Word," He says. So, I do.

But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided" (Genesis 22:11-14).

That ram is Jesus!

For all of the times that I have doubted if it is really the Lord telling me to do something or if it just my flesh or the enemy... 
JESUS has atoned for my doubt!
For all of the times that I have doubted if what the Lord is telling me is really the best way to do things... 
JESUS has atoned for my doubt!
For all of the times that I have doubted that He has His sovereign plan and that there is nothing to worry about... 
JESUS has atoned for my doubt!
For all of the times that I have doubted that He has gone before me and prepared the way... 
JESUS has atoned for my doubt!

For all of the times that I have doubted and not had faith... JESUS! JESUS! JESUS!

I am left praying for more grace to have faith, that I may obey my Lord without question.

I encourage you to go read Hebrews 11, the "faith chapter," as many know it to be called, and see how each person mentioned who had faith ACTED... and then pray for the Spirit to move in your heart to be active, not passive; obedient, not doubtful.

Words.

Words.

We use them every day. We think words, hear words, speak words, sing words, write words, and read words. We use words to communicate joy, anger, confusion, love.

Words are so important, so valued, that our Creator used words to create. He could have thought "let there be light" and there still would have been light. 

But He didn't. 

He spoke, and that is how the world came into existence. 

In Genesis chapter 1,the phrase "And God SAID" is repeated nine times as He is creating. And then this is where my mind gets blown, EVERY time... God created EVERYTHING through Jesus.

Let me explain. John 1:1-3 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that has been made." 

Let's replace each occurrence of "the Word" and all of the pronouns with "Jesus," of Whom these are referring to, and see if that ties all of this together.

"In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God. Jesus was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Jesus, and without Jesus nothing was made that has been made."

Then Satan slithers onto the scene and with him the pending Fall of man. 
What is the first thing that Satan does? He speaks. 
And his wicked words are in fact designed in such a way to call into question the very words of God Himself.

Oh, but wait... God doesn't stop there with the power of the Word. No, He then goes on to allow His Spirit to breathe words into various authors who wrote down the words of God, which we have now come to know as the Bible. 
And the Bible isn't just "some book." No, it is a story! The complete story of Redemption, to be exact.

John 1:14 says this, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." 
Who was it that became flesh and dwelt among us? Jesus. 
So then we have, "And Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us."

Wow.

God actually gave us His Word. Both in written form and in the flesh
to inspire and to atone; 
to encourage and to redeem;
to challenge and to sanctify;
to convict and to love.

Justin Taylor, in the book The Power of Words and the Wonder of God writes this:

When God's Son eventually enters human history as the God-man, He lives by God's Word (Luke 4:4), keeps God's Word (John 8:55), and preaches God's Word (Mark 2:2). The Father gave Jesus words, Jesus gave them to His followers, and His followers received them (John 17:8). Jesus' words are inseparable from His person and thus can be identified as having divine attributes.

What I'm getting at is this: words are powerful. The way that we speak can bring both life or death (Proverbs 18:21). 

As I have been studying about the Word and writing this, I have been so convicted of my own poor use of words; I have used words of anger, malice, slander, jealousy, pride, gossip, judgment, and condemnation. The Word has rebuked me and reminded me to listen before I speak (James 1:19), because my rash words are like a sword swing (Proverbs 12:18).

But the amazing part is this: while I have just been rebuked by the Word, He has also reminded me that the Word has already atoned for all of my wicked words.

WHAT?!

That right there is proof that God's words create, confront, convict, correct, and comfort. By His words He both interprets and instructs.

At every single stage in Redemptive history--from the time before time even began, to when God created the universe, to the fall of man, to Christ's birth and redemptive work on the cross, and to the coming consummation--God is there and He is not silent. And He has left us His Word to fight the battle that we face every day to believe the lies of both our flesh and the enemy that, once again, tell us we don't need God. That is why the Word is also called the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17); because we are meant to fight with it!

I am praying for you, whoever you are, and I am praying for myself 
that we will readily recognize the war of words that we are facing.
that our words will bring life, just as God's words have done and continue to do. 
that we will speak words of encouragement, hope, love, peace, unity, instruction, wisdom, and grace.
that above all, we will cherish the One True Word, and then hide His words in our hearts.

Would you pray with me?

I am Ephesus.

I am Ephesus. 

For that statement to make sense, I need to explain to you what Ephesus is, in turn showing you my heart.

Ephesus was known as the gateway to Asia and its people were proud. One source of both pride and income to this city was actually religion, as Ephesus was the site of the great Temple of Artemis. Religious institutionalism was the heart and center of the social and economic lives of the Ephesians.

BUT THEN, the Lord established His church in Ephesus and the people there latched on to His Gospel quickly! 

Paul later writes a letter to the Ephesians about the great mystery of the Church. Oh, what a blessed theme! A thing unrevealed in the Old Testament but unveiled now after the resurrection of Christ. 

In a nut shell, the letter first starts out proclaiming that the believer's identity is now in the righteousness of Christ and then leads into how the believer should live in response to his new identity. 

And the Ephesians did this! They followed the command to live according to their new identity.

Sounds good so far, right?

Well, then we get to Revelation chapter 2 where Christ addresses the seven churches of Asia minor, Ephesus being the first church addressed in verses 1-7.

This letter starts out addressing the specific church by name, "Ephesus"; Christ is showing there is a personal relationship there between Him and His Bride.

Next, Christ is identified, alluding back to His majesty displayed in the preceding chapter.

Then, Christ expresses His knowledge of the church. He tells the Ephesians that He knows of their good works, their perseverance, their commitment to sound doctrine... all of those good things that the church in Ephesus was known for, Christ knew very well.

BUT.

"But," He says, "I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first."

Wow. Jesus straight up tells the church that He knows how "good" they are, but their problem? They have abandoned HIM! They have gotten so caught up in doing "good things" for people, enduring trials with patience, and studying their theology to the tee, that they have forgotten their Lover. 

They have forgotten how He romanced them, swept them off of their sinful, stumbling feet and planted them on solid ground. 

They have forgotten how Jesus pursued them while they were yet sinners, not because they deserved it, but simply because of His character.

They have forgotten how before, their "good deeds" were fueled by a response to His love, not as something to make their names known.

And then, sweet, sweet Jesus doesn't just stop with that rebuke. No, He gives HOPE! He tells them
to remember. 
Remember where they came from. 
to repent.
Repent of this pride.
to repeat.
Repeat the works they did at first, fueled again by love and not pride.

Christ then says, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
This word "hear" can actually be more accurately translated from the Greek to mean "do." 
(Example: Your parent/spouse tells you to take out the trash. How will your parent/spouse know that you have HEARD what they told you to do? Because you DO it.)

And He gives His Bride a promise. He promises that she will be with Him forever in paradise!

Just like wedding vows... eternal wedding vows.
---------------------------------------------------------------                                                              
Now, I want to talk to you a little bit about the heart. Specifically, my heart... and all others' who have become slaves to doctrine and good deeds.

I do all of the "good deeds," so to speak.

I have patiently endured through several trials.

I have committed myself to the study of sound doctrine.

But may I tell you a secret?

So many times, it has been fueled by pride. I "did" to be known. I "endured" to talk about it later. I "studied" to pridefully criticize... all the while, my eyes were focused on Linzy instead of Jesus.

BUT GOD, in His grace and mercy showed me the areas of my life that the Gospel did not have traction in!

His Spirit in me moved me 
to remember.
Remember who I was, and who I would still be, apart from the blood of Christ.
to repent.
Repent of my selfish, prideful attempts at gaining fame and affection.
to repeat.
Repeat all of the passionate works that He placed in my heart to begin with, but this time for Him.

May I just tell you how incredible it is to be romanced by the King of the universe? He never stops lavishing His love on me! We never get out of the "honeymoon" phase where I am constantly being doted upon and reminded how beautiful I am, how much He loves me, and how He looks forward to spending eternity with me.

No, there is no end to that lavishing love from my Warrior, 
Who has fought for me and won.
Who delights in me.
Who dances and sings over me.
Who carries my burdens.
Who comforts me.
Who leads me.
Who changes me to be more like Him.

And I, like Ephesus, will receive the fulfilled promise of spending forever with Him.

Just like wedding vows... eternal wedding vows.

What exactly does it mean to have a gentle and quiet spirit?

originally posted December 25, 2013

Jesus has taught me so much over this past year!

He has taught me about my identity being rooted in His righteousness... He has taught me how to speak the truth in love... He has taught me what real community is... He has taught me what sacrificial love looks like...

One other thing that He is beginning to teach me is what it means to have a gentle and quiet spirit.

If you're like MOST women who read 1 Peter 3:4, then you see the words "gentle and quiet spirit" as one of two things:

1) If you are a quiet, passive woman then you see these words from Scripture as an encouragement. These are words that let you know that you are "doing the right thing," that it is OK for you to never speak up, and that passivity is acceptable.

2) If you are NOT a quiet woman and tend to be more active, then you see these Words from Scripture as condemning. You read this verse and inwardly shrink back and think "that is not who I am and no matter how hard I try, I cannot be her." Then you begin to beg the Lord to change you because you feel awful, somehow less than a woman, and when He doesn't, you get confused.

Well, if you are reading this note, then more than likely you already know that I would fall into the category of woman #2. Also, let me go ahead and blow those two lies right outta the water by saying that both of those common interpretations are false.

Let me share a little bit of my story with you. First, never in my life have I been "quiet." I was the child that my mother had to "shush" in public places, either for my constant singing or babbling about whatever daydream I had going on at the time. I was the first student in class with her hand raised, ready to answer the question. I was the first person with a rebuttal in an argument, ready to give reason for my defense. I was the first friend to offer what I always thought would be the best solution to any problem.

Basically, I was always the first to speak, regardless of the situation.

Given this personality of mine, reading that a woman should have a "gentle and quiet spirit" stung.

It cut me deep.

And I felt hopeless.

Then, the Spirit began to do something in my heart that I honestly thought was never a possibility for me.

He began to teach me what a "gentle and quiet spirit" actually is.

The connotation that comes with the word "gentle" is one of weakness; words like fragile, soft, and tender come to mind. But who says that is what this verse means? That a woman has to be weak, fragile?

No, no. Gentleness is actually POWER under control. And where do I get that from? A couple of places.

We see in Proverbs 15:1 that a "gentle answer turns away wrath." To turn away wrath, there has to be some kind of force involved that opposes the wrath. AND if that force is succeeding in its defeat of the wrath by turning it away, then I would say that it is pretty powerful! This goes back to the whole "speaking the truth in love" thing that I mentioned earlier. It's all connected, you see ;)

Also, Galations 5:22-23 lists the fruits of the Spirit, one of which is gentleness, followed by self-control. So first of all, these fruits are not listed for only women to have in their lives... they are listed as attributes to be developed in ALL believers. Second of all, every fruit of the Spirit is a product of the True Vine and I can assure you, there is nothing WEAK about Jesus!

OK, so at this point in the learning process I was thinking, "Well, the gentle part makes more sense now. But still, QUIET? Not me..."

Might I propose that this word "quiet" is actually referring to the propriety of our words? Let me explain...

1 Timothy 3:11 (although here specifically referring to leaders' wives) says these women are to be "worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything." These woman are respectable because their words are both restrained and true.

Evidence that words are a big deal:

"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise bring healing" (Proverbs 12:18).

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones" (Proverbs 16:24).

"The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts" (Proverbs 18:8).

"Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet" (Proverbs 29:5).

I list these verses to support the claim that this word "quiet" does not mean "to be forever silent" because words are good. In fact, words are so good that God chose to SPEAK creation into existance rather than think it. And He refers to His Son as "The Word" who was with Him in the beginning, through Whom all things were actually created because they were SPOKEN and Jesus is literally God's WORD (John 1:1-3).

BUT when we speak, we must speak controlled, wise, and true words.

Now, by no means do I have this "gentle and quiet spirit" mastered. In fact, I am far from being a woman that these two words actually describe at all. But, I can assure you that through an abundance of grace being poured out on my life and the constant ministering of the Holy Spirit, I am learning. Would you pray with me?

23rd Psalm.... again.

originally posted December 22, 2013

I don't know about you, but hearing the 23rd Psalm over and over again had gotten real old.

It is read at every funeral, a psalm that is preached on quite often in church, it is hung on so many walls in homes... I never understood why this passage was my Gramma's favorite.

Until today.

The Lord so graciously opened my eyes to the wonder of this Scripture, piece by piece.


The Lord is my shepherd;
He is my guide, my friend, always with me.

I shall not want.
There is nothing else in this life that I need. I literally shall not WANT because He is my everything!

He makes me lie down in green pastures.
Jesus wants me to rest. In Him.

He leads me beside still waters.
Jesus cares for me as a shepherd cares for His sheep. He takes care of me when I am well and when I am sick.

He restores my soul.
Jesus is the only One who can do this! My soul runs weary at times, and I feel like I cannot go on. And He breathes more life right back into me!

He leads me in paths of righteousness
Not only did Jesus save me, He called me to live a holy life. I would not choose righteousness if not for His grace and He knows this... so He actually takes me down paths of righteousness...

for his name's sake.
AND IT'S ALL FOR HIS GLORY! Me leading a holy life is ALL to make His name famous!

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
It is a FACT that I will have low times in my life. Not just low, lower than low... because the enemy is out to get me. He does not like that I am in love with my King and he is plotting against me for that very reason. There will be vallies, many of them.

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
BUT I have no reason to fear, because my God will never leave me! He not only has armed me for this battle, but He is fighting right alongside me. And guess what? He wins!

your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
The Lord disciplines those He loves just as a father disciplines his child. My Shepherd's rod and staff do not intimidate or shame me... they bring me JOY because He is purifying me, refining me, sanctifying me!

You prepare a table before me
Oh! My KING prepares a table for ME! He calls me to come dine with Him, to feast on the Bread of Life!

in the presence of my enemies;
And yes, it is in the presence of my enemies that I dine with my King... celebrating in our ALREADY victory!

you anoint my head with oil;
I am my Lord's honored guest at His feast and He anoints my head!

my cup overflows.
Jesus blesses me constantly and I have an abundance of grace, joy, peace, life, and love.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
God is good and He is mercy and He is never leaving me; He will be with me always.

and I shall dwell n the house of the Lord
I can quiet myself in God's assurance of an eternal home with Him.

forever.
What a beautiful thought! Forever with my Jesus.

The thing about real love...

originally posted December 10, 2013

I have always felt like I had to do stuff or know things in order to gain the affection of people.

And the thing is, all love is supposed to be unconditional and Christ-like.

Jesus pursued me when there was nothing good about me. And He saved me not based on anything I had done or any amount of theological knowledge I may have had. He could've stopped right there and I still would go to heaven and spend eternity with Him.

But He didn't.

He is now sanctifying me. And it is only AFTER He first loved me that I began to be able to serve Him with works that are fueled by His love; not to ensure my salvation/love from Him, but simply as a response of submission to Him.

Romantic love should be the same way. A man should love me not for any amount of theological knowledge I may have (all because of the Spirit anyway), or not because I can cook, or any other thing he may like about me... He should love me because he is choosing to, regardless of all of that other stuff, because you can't always feel love.

It's the same with other relationships. There have been few people in my life who have not had expectations of me; people who have chosen to love and care for me because they want to, not because of what I can do for them. And I am so grateful for the example of Christ that they are to me!

Because when it comes down to it, no amount of doctrine is going to get whoever my husband will be one day and I through living paycheck to paycheck, changing all the dirty diapers, the countless sleepless nights, and the days when the feelings just aren't there. No, doctrine just simply won't do. Because it's all about Jesus!

Jesus is sweet and loving to teach me this. He puts joy, unexplainable joy, in my heart. He breathes peace over me. He is patient through all of my prideful struggles. He is kind for continuing to capture my heart. He is good because He is God. He is faithful because that's His character. He is gentle because really, gentleness is power under control.

He is beautiful, and I love that I am His.

What's on my heart...

originally posted June 18, 2012

We are called to be set apart from this world... that means that we should not long for things of the world, but desire to be more like Christ in every single aspect of our lives. The worst thing that could happen to a Christian who is longing for something that is outside of God's will would be for God to grant that desire! Do you not remember Israel? "But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices" (Psalm 81:11-2). How terrifying....to be left to MY OWN devices?! I do not want to be left to my own will, my own desires... Oh, our desires should not be for good reputations; far too often, Christians fail to truly repent of their sins (which involves also going to those whom you have sinned against, confessing your sin to them, and asking for their forgiveness) because they fear that they will lose face in the Christian community. The concern of most Christians continues to be that of self rather than Christ. Do the words "to live is Christ, to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21) ring a bell for ANYONE out there?! Oh, our lives are not meant for self-indulgence and fleeting happiness! Our lives are meant to be joyful ALWAYS in the Lord (Philippians 4:4) because we have the promise of eternal life with Him....all because the Father willed to crush His only Son on the cross! The innocent blood that was spilled for my sins is so precious to me... far too precious than for me to take my sins lightly and try to sweep them under the rug as if they never happened. 2 Peter 2:20-22 says, "For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: 'The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.'" I do not want to return to my own vomit. I do not want to wallow in the mire. I do not want to live my life as if my precious Jesus' blood was spilled in VAIN! Oh, no....no no no, dear brothers and sisters, do not live in the bondage of depravity, but rejoice in the life that you have been given so freely! Rejoice in the grace that has been given to you in FULL! Rejoice in the contentment that we have in Christ, knowing that our God is still GOOD and He is still SOVEREIGN no matter what the situation may be....and remember that Jesus LIVES! That sweet promise is enough to cling to in every trial, every circumstance, every battle; death has been DEFEATED and the very same Spirit that breathed life into Adam and raised Jesus from the dead is actually living within YOU! YES! That same Spirit is transforming your will into the will of the Father; that same Spirit is granting you grace, abundantly, to make it through each hour; that same Spirit is whispering Truth from the Word of God into your heart throughout the day! Oh, but do not think that we must not do our part. Salvation is freely given, but faith yields works. We have responsibilities....the discipline for Godliness, the discipline of submission, the discipline of prayer, the discipline of worship, of mind, of contentment, of perseverance....we cannot for one second think that any of these disciplines are accomplished apart from the work of the Spirit inside of us, but we must still strive for godliness. Even if it means that we are embarrassed to admit our sin, or that we have to make some dramatic lifestyle changes, or that we have to make decisions that are of unpopular opinion....everything is to be done for the sake of the Gospel. If we do not live in such a way, then we are laughing in the face of our crucified Savior, scoffing at His shed blood.

The Importance of Modesty

originally posted April 18, 2012

Ladies, this is nothing new; you’ve all heard that you should be dressing modestly. Tired of hearing this same old message? Start listening to your Father’s and your brothers’ pleas for your bodies to be presented in such a way that declares you serve a God who loves you. Your body is a temple and is to be treated with utmost respect. “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19). That price? The blood of Jesus Christ. The argument that we should be able to dress however we wish is selfish, discounts the sovereignty of God over our lives, and is wrapped up in nothing other than pride. Pride that says, “I am my own person and do not have to answer to anyone.” I have found that when looking at the cross, it is very hard to be prideful.

Justin Robinson is very passionate about his sisters in Christ dressing modestly and has even spoken to a group of youth girls at a local church on the topic. Robinson, senior broadcast media, says, “When girls dress immodestly it breaks my heart because deep down, it's broken, empty, selfish motives that rule the way they dress…They dress exactly the same as unbelievers. There is no difference from here to ‘Hollywood.’” Glorifying God with our bodies is a simple response, not an inconvenience, to the grace which God has poured out over us. When you have experienced that love of Christ that has purged you of your depravity, why would you not respond by giving the Lord that which is His? My second appeal is to those of you who say it is not your responsibility for your brothers’ purity; what does Scripture have to say about that selfish statement? Romans 14:13 makes very clear we are to “decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother,” which most certainly includes the way that we dress. Adorning ourselves with “respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control” (1 Timothy 2:9) should be such a high priority in our lives. We hold a world of control in the palm of our hands and with it we can choose to flaunt ourselves, to appease the eyes of men in order to win their momentary approval, or we can choose to honor our Creator, who gave us our bodies to begin with, and seek to protect the minds of our fellow brothers, who have enough sexual struggles without the aid of our scantily clad cries for attention. Robinson says, “Modesty is love for your brothers in Christ in not causing them to sin, honoring your husband in saving those intimate things for just you and him, and obedience to God because He is the source of your self-worth, not the passing looks of lustful men.” The men who are only attracted to the shallowness of low-cut shirts, tight jeans, and short shorts are not the kind of men we as daughters of the King should want holding our hearts anyway. More than anything, I want you to understand all we do should be done for the sake of the Gospel. Since the Almighty God crushed His Son so we can have life, it should be our ultimate goal to heed to 1 Corinthians 10:31, doing all things for the glory of God. Will you be willing to jeopardize losing the eyes of men for the favor of the King?

Abba, Father

originally posted Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Looking to God for my strength has been so hard for me lately. I want to take everything into my own hands. My dependency on Him has recently increased, and it scared me. I don't like depending on others.... especially not men. I know that God is not a "man," but in our heads we still give Him that gender because He is referred to as a "He" and because on earth, Jesus was a man. However, I have to remember that God is not the same as man. He will never let me down, and He is PERFECT. He always has my best interest at heart, even if I don't see it that way at the time. The Lord has truly been changing my heart so much this year already and I am SO grateful! Actually, just this past week He showed me, once again, how tightly He is holding me and how He is protecting my heart for me! Tonight, I have just been in a weird mood.... I am really missing having a daddy and I just want God to wrap me in His arms, pull me onto His lap and tell me that everything is going to be okay because "Daddy's here." Pray with me as I learn to place my full dependency on Him, and as I realize that He will never leave, nor forsake me!

My Prince of Peace,
You truly are the love of my life, and Your daughter is crying out to You now. Yes, come hold me while I cry. How it comforts my soul to have access to You anytime. I love knowing I am not alone in the dark. Thank You, my Prince, my Lord, for reaching down from heaven with Your loving hand and wiping away my tears. Hold me until all is well with my soul again. Remind me when I hurt that You are just a prayer away.
Love,
Your Daughter
who longs to be in Your arms always

"But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from His sanctuary; my cry to Him reached His ears." -Psalm 18:6

comfort. gone.

originally posted Monday, March 14, 2011

Mmmm, God.... I pray that I never expect You to do the same work in me today as You did "that one time that was a great experience".... I want You to show me something new each time I spend time with You.... I want You to make me grow, not be comfortable with where I am now! So many times do I have such a wonderful time worshipping You, and then when I don't get that same exact feeling the next time, I feel like You aren't near. What is wrong with me, God?! It is such an honor to be in Your very presence.... why do I not see that? Why is it that I expect You to give me a straight answer each time I pray to You? Why is it that I cannot let go and trust in Your timing? Oh, it makes me SICK to the core to think of the many times that I have not realized that I am talking to the Almighty God!!! Humble yourself, Linzy! If I pictured myself actually speaking to You, the God of the universe, each time that I pray... what exactly would be the first words out of my mouth? Would I still immediately start in on what is going on with me that has me anxious? Would I pray for my friends and family? Would I confess my sins? ....Or, would I just stand, and behold the Lamb of God, seated on the throne, and SING praises, blessing Your name....HOLY HOLY HOLY IS THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! Oh Lord, the whole earth is filled with Your glory! Make me tremble. Make me fall on my face. Teach me to truly worship YOU, God, in every aspect of my life. Don't let me stay comfortable.....PUSH me to know You more. Through the fire. Through the valley. Through it all. To know YOU.

amazed.

originally posted Saturday, March 5, 2011

God is my refuge and strength; a very present help in time of need!

He is my rock that I can hold on to and know that He will keep me anchored!

Though the world around me may be discouraging and the wind from the storms are trying to blow my Faith down, as long as I continue to praise Him, He will keep me still. He calms me with His soothing words and continuous presence.

He loves me, even if everyone else rejects me.

When I begin to have doubts, I am immediately reminded of how awesome He truly is!

I know that even if He doesn't answer my prayers when I want Him to or with the answer that I would prefer to have, He has my best interest at heart!

He knows the opportune moment for all things, and as long as I continue to have that Faith, He will always pull me through!

He won't leave me; even though my "father may abandon me, the Lord will hold me close" (Psalm 27:10).

I am so thankful that He loves me, even though I am so undeserving!

He is always there, no matter what!


He has never failed me! Even though He isn't here physically to wrap His arms around me and tell me everything will be ok, He has provided me with the most awesome friends in the world!

I am totally and completely in LOVE with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

He is by far the best thing that has ever happened to me…and He continues to amaze me everyday with His awesomeness!