Not So Easily Encouraged ~ Yet I am today!!!

Hey hey......I wish that I had more circumstances to speak of that are truly inspiring. But I guess it's probably the mediocrity that we've all settled for that makes Christianity so hum drum and as if heaven and hell aren't at stake in everything we do.
That, or perhaps the fact that people are quiet about what the Lord has been up to in their lives.......so the things I can't see...I don't hear about either.....

Anycrux,
All that just to say how amazingly encouraged I have been by a dear sister from the Rock lately.......Seeing the hope there was for her in obeying the Lord (by obeying your husband) and trusting her Father in Heaven to provide for them and for her if she would obey -
THEN it seemed that the joy she had was magnified because of the trust that was there all along. I long to obey my God as she does in this area.......For Christ's Name and for my husband's good. She didn't submit begrudgingly........but trusted the Lord with expectation, knowing that her Father knows all her needs :)
ROCK ON !
AGH - I can't tell you how what a blessing that was my dear friend.
Thanks AT....I love you and I thank God for your example of faith and love.
May the Lord bless you even more with grace to obey and joy in seeing Him fulfill his promises to those who do.

In Christ Jesus,
JenB

2 Timothy 2:19
But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity."

Matt 1:21
"And you shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save his people from their sins."

One of my most favorite texts in the scripture.
(Second favorite is Song of Solomon 1:16 "Our couch is green.")

In all seriousness though......as we savor Christmas.....the incarnation with the end being that we may enter the presence of Almighty God.....
We should look at each other (those who know Him who was and is and is to come) and be refreshed and amazed that we have been redeemed.......
Micah 7:18
"Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love."

May the Lord renew our hearts to pass over the transgressions of those who have hurt us that we might delight with our Father in steadfast love, since while we were yet enemies - Christ died for us.

Your Saints adore you O Christ, our King, our High Priest and Prophet.
You are the temple where we worship, our Sabbath rest, and through you, the sacrifice by which God deems our filthy "good deeds" acceptable in his sight.......

Unto us has been born - the Savior of the world !!

love,
a sheep.

God's Poem written by my loving husband Brent.
Knowing how edifying this was for me, I asked Brent if I could post it on my blog. (He hesitantly agreed)
May the Lord encourage your heart as he did mine - with a view of gospel love in marriage.
The Lord (and Brent) knew that I was beginning to realize that everything natural in me needs to be crucified as I un-learn our culture's ways and low view of marriage.......and that I was absolutely desperate for Christ's help.

"My wife so gently graven, your name written…saven…
On divine's own incarnate breast you lie,
As the old bows down and learns to die. Rest awaits your swollen heart to a promise…
grace imparts -
Arms widely stretched, bleeding hands - shows to all, what love commands."

Strengthened in my weakness,
JenB

Blessed Reminder of the Faithfulness of Our Great God:
If we're saved - the hard road is not a joyless road

Yep, I'm a hedonist....I believe that pursuing joy in God is commanded; That it is the reason for obedience and the only way to obey him truly.....(is if you do what is commanded with joy and not murmuring)....as are other emotions such as gratitude and hope and grief (over sin)

But if and when all of the commands in the scriptures - HIT you with the force that they were intended to. It is a terrifying thing.

Lately, even though Brent has been given so much amazing grace as he has begun to lead me........and love me......for some reason, God's demand for my submission to him has become so real and has left me paralyzed for the last few days.
I met with my mentor last night (Praise the LORD for her....she does not let me get away with anything, but is so sweet and gentle - continually saying to me, "but Jennifer, what does the word say?")

I have to admit that I went home discouraged somewhat.....the only reason being fear.
Fear that what if I submit and am walked all over and taken for granted and my thoughts and heart are cast off to the side....then what?
Well, thanks to Ann's teaching....reminding me that those emotions are not based on God's truth but the world......and the world is living out the curse that started in the garden.

Women dominate most of the relationships in our world. You can see it all over television. Weak men who are arrogant and lazy and women who wear the pants in the family, make the decisions and belittle their husbands.

I haven't fully gripped the "how" to submit in the sense of doing it whole heartedly - with joyful dependence and trust in the God of my husband who is his head......but I do know that Christ died to free us from the curse, by becoming the curse for us. So now, I am able to live out what is commanded, because I am not bound as a slave to my flesh.
The crux is that even though my heart agrees fully with God's law and commands of me in this area.....I was still a bit rattled and worried about my own ability to tear my household down with my mouth. I want my husband to become all that God has designed him to be.....a bold and loving leader. Lionhearted and Lamblike. (pastor Piper definition)

So in my desperation.....I prayed last night.

Waking in the morning to God's blessing - my husband text me this morning with the sweetest poem. It was like a fresh spring of water that refreshed my heart and made me realize that he doesn't have to love me just as I don't have to submit to him. It is by faith that we obey the Lord in the marriage arena.......and surely we hope that the other one will seek Christ's strength.
I'm guessing that my sweet submission will bless him just as tremendously as his loving and very well thought out words have me this morning.
Surely the poem was written by God and presented through my wonderful husband as an answer to my prayer for help in submission last night.

Anyhow...I've got much reading and praying ahead of me yet......and God has promised to be faithful to help me for His name's sake.

Still blessed and amazed.
JenB

The Law and the Gospel

The court system in Minnesota is very interesting -
Being called for jury duty last week was a very worthwhile experience......one of those things that you learn in a text book, but to really know how it works - you need to experience it.

I had plenty of time to think (if you've ever been summoned - you know what I mean)
The ways of our nation are a tremendous blessing since they follow closely the text of the Old Testament. (The facts that witnesses are crucial, and breaking the law is a serious matter and the burden of proof rests on the accusers - make our justice system so great)

I sat on the jury for a gentleman accused of assault and disorderly conduct.
I can't tell you how weird it was to transition from being in a position where my opinions DON'T matter whatsoever, to a place where I am accountable to judge circumstance, and essentially a person's innocence or guiltiness. The weight that that carried hit me like a ton of bricks.
I mean, God is omnipotent, he knows everything, every secret motive, every private conversation as well as the actions - he perceives them exactly as they are in truth - He is truth.

But me, even saved - I'm still a fallible, sinful fallen human to be set to judge something based on the minimal amount of information given and with the testimony of fallible fallen, sinful humans.....this is a very sobering thing.

In the end I would not yield to what I was convinced of by the evidence.....that we didn't have enough to convict the defendant of assault. In the process....the other 5 jurors and I bonded a bit, and after the verdict was read, we were sent back to the jury pool - (the assembly room) and sat together at a small table.
God gave much grace that day.......I shared how the law, the hennepin county court system and judges are as God Almighty....except that He is Holy and all his judgments are just and that no one will escape punishment but by someone else paying their debt. We're debtors to wrath.
No good that any defendant would plead would excuse them in court. Period.
How muslims do not get this is beyond me. God would be UNRIGHTEOUS to just let sinners go. A hennepin county judge wouldn't ever even do that!!!

Anycrux, it was a tremendous blessing for my own soul to be reminded of the reality of why Christ was born - He was born to ransom us from the wrath of God.

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us."
1 John 3:16