Absolute Truth John 17:17

Dining and Reclining with The Risen Christ

2011-05-12T10:40:00.000-05:00

Then the two told what had happened on the road and how He had become known to them in the breaking of the matzah.

~ Luke 24:35

Won't you recline, but for a moment, and receive This Bread before we go further?

Imagine now, walking along life's road. Unbelieving. Downcast. Without understanding. Confused. Despondent.

Imagine now the Resurrected Yeshua is walking alongside you. Unrecognized, but there nonetheless.

Does this describe you today? Have you grown uncertain of your place in life? Have you lost your purpose?

Friend, it no longer has to be the case, for the Risen Mashiach has Bread that will open your eyes to your place and purpose.

Two traveled the road to Amma'us after being dealt a hard blow. Their Savior had perished three days prior. Their hopes of being freed from Roman bondage were now dashed at the finality of their Redeemer's death. How could they go on? What purpose was there now for their lives? Their Mashiach was no longer part of their escape plan. Or was He?

We simply do not see things in our life the way our Lord does. And unless we put ourselves in the position of dining and reclining with Him in fellowship, we cannot see as He sees.

The truth is that we have the things of this world constantly set before our eyes contending for our every attention. And unless we make the time and deliberate effort to come apart, close our eyes (even briefly) to the world and gaze upon El Elyon, we shall remain blinded by the present world's system.

Unless we choose life, we will not have life. Unless we quiet the clanging cymbals of the world and close our eyes to the worthless worldly images that have set themselves up against HaSHEM, we will have chosen death. Consequentially, our hearts grow dull. However, isn't it completely glorious that the two who walked with Yeshua AFTER HIS RESURRECTION on the road to Amma'us did not even recognize who He was until they reclined with Him? Yeshua then took the Bread, broke It, gave It to them and they ate. Behold, their eyes were opened!

They said to each other, "Didn't our hearts burn inside us as He spoke to us on the road, opening up the Tanakh to us?" ~ Luke 24:32

The two could not let this Man get away just moments before, even though He had called them 'foolish people'! They knew there was something about His Presence. They invited Him into their home to stay 'for it's almost evening, and it's getting dark', they said.

After their eyes had been opened, they realized that their hearts had burned as He had spoken opening up the Tanakh to them along the road. The road was Amma'us. The Hebrew word meaning is 'Hot Spring'.

Yes, indeed! The Hot Springs of Life had begun to bubble up within them for sure!

To choose LIFE, then, is to choose to SIT before Him. HE has already prepared the Matzah (Word) and has already made the B'rakhah (Blessing).

Yeshua the Guest had become Yeshua the Host! He does that.

It was to the lukewarm fellowship of Laodicea (not unbelievers) that He said...

Here, I'm standing at the door, knocking. If someone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with Me. ~ Revelation 3:20

This lukewarm fellowship were as blind (Revelation 3:18) as the Two on the Road to Amma'us.

He is knocking. Invite Him in! But by all means, do not forget to recline at His Table after He has entered!

Sit down. Fellowship. Recline. Receive the Bread He gives. Then, and only then, shall we worship in Spirit and Truth with eyes open wide!

'And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the words spoken to her from the Lord.'

~ Luke 1:45

Mommies-R-Us

2010-04-26T12:59:00.004-05:00

So, I’m thinkin’ about starting a group in my new neighborhood. I think I’ll call it aptly, “Mommies R Us”...

What’s a group for, if it’s not for ‘support’? I’ve already written about the many parallels of ‘good bras and good friends’. And I’m serious, y’all! True dat.

Ya see, our backyard is THE meeting place in our new hood. It used to be my lovely neighbor across the street (with all their fancy ridin’ machines...that was until we got our trampoline put up (and staked down to avoid finding it crashed into some poor, unfortunate soul’s back door due to caa-razily excessive Kansas wind gusts).

You should see all the Mommies and their wee monkeys congregate in and around the Schroeder trampoline....or ’bounce-a-line’ as one little Chica likes to refer to it. There’s such a plentiful harvest when I look around my hood. I went from being the youngest (o.k., o.k., one of the youngest) to pretty darn near the oldest Mom when we moved back to this new Kansas neighborhood.

And I often wonder, ‘Hmmmm, LORD, why here? Why now?’. Well, I’m still not completely sure of all that...

One thing I am aware of as I ponder these young mothers’ lives, I’m reminded of how hard it was for me in the early years of my children’s lives and having no family close by to contribute to a sane mind. Dating goes out the window, for sure! Resentment sometimes set in and not because I didn’t love mothering my four BLESSINGS...it was because I felt I never had a break or relief from my duties as Mommy. Really, I think it was because I saw that many of my friend’s had a strong family support system around them. And I was completely and utterly jealous, as the nearest help I had was eight hours to the South. Can you hear my tiny violin?

Today, I believe that the strongest kind of ministry grows out of the strongest kind of need. I needed prayer. I needed closeness to another who identified with my struggles. I needed the acknowledgement that though my job was EXTREMELY tough at times, often unappreciated, and left me wondering where in the sam-hill was the fruit of all that labor was hiding itself - it was indeed, all on purpose...it was altogether an integral part of Kingdom building. It was my calling.

I needed to hear that no, I wasn’t completely insane, I was just journeying the well-worn path of motherhood that many insecure, but effective feminine Troopers had traveled before me...and survived to tell about it! I needed to hear, ‘GREAT JOB, Mom!! Yep, I understand you don’t feel accomplished, but YOU ARE BABY!!!”. I needed the unconditional love from another older Mother who had survived the ‘young years of small children under her feet’...because I always found hope when I was graced with the presence of a SANE, loving Mother who had grown into something I wanted to see in myself.

I needed someone to call me and ask how I was doing. Even though I probably would’ve said, ‘I’m fine!’ (which would’ve been a tall tale!), nonetheless, I would’ve cherished a phone call, email, or card from a sister who had walked the path I was then on.

Not that I didn’t get that from time to time. I just needed more...more closeness and a link to the thriving, teeming world happening outside my confined walls of endless cries, demands, dried milk smells, crushed cheerios under my toes, and ‘Mommy, I need this or thats’. I needed a link to the LIVING in the form of SANITY!

Isn’t it so wonderful that Scripture instructs us that us older women are to

‘wisely train the young women to be sane and sober of mind (temperate, disciplined) and to love their husbands and their children)? ~ Titus 2:4

That means, young mothers, we have to be taught these things by other godly women. When we’re not being taught these things, it makes our struggles that much greater than they should be. This is why we believe that we are loco en la cabeza! And sometimes act like it! And we would be partially right, as proper instruction and hands on training from an older woman who has invited us into her life is what promotes a sane and sober-minded young mother, capable of loving her husband and children.

Older Ladies?

While I won’t be aware of all these mothers’ many needs, by His Ruach, I can be aware of some of them. I can pray for them as HE prompts. I can tell them I have done so. I can invite them into my life by inviting them into my home (or backyard). I can tell them, ‘GREAT JOB, Mom!! Hang in there, Girl...it’ll bear fruit one day soon!’. I can help them to see that we’re all walking together in this great, adventurous journey of godly Mothering. I can let them see I ‘fa sho’ don’t have it all together, but I’m on my way to a great place by His superior GRACE...wanna come??!!

Oh yeah, and if you so care to strike out in this daring fulfillment of transparent, Seed-Sowing Titus 2 Call on your life, then you have to care about what they think about you without fearing possible judgement. Comprende? Sometimes, HE calls us to step outside all comfort zones to effective ministry.

So, as I look out of my kitchen window and watch Mommies with newborns tightly snuggled in their slings as their older siblings bounce with glee, I ask the LORD, “How can I help these young mothers be better Mothers, better wives, sane sisters and loving, fruitful, productive, joyful women?”

And then I think...by first being one myself. This is the way to NOT waste those years of what seemed like perpetual struggling.

What does this ‘training’ look like in your life, practically speaking?

Tanning, Hair Color, Tone Thighs...OH MY!

2010-03-25T18:03:00.007-05:00

Spring is the air. We know this because we’ve seen the bright green tulips peeking up their pointy heads to varying degrees from beneath the cold, faded wood chips.

We also know this because we’ve experienced a few lovely warm, sunny days after what seems like a forever cloudy winter pelting tortured hot-weather souls-at-heart (like myself) with record snowfalls!

And we also know this, because, Girls, if you went on Spring Break with your family, you probably took out last seasons’ bathing suit from the bottom of that drawer you never open and draped it over your pasty white skin with fluffy extra winter padding (you know, to preserve heat).

You know what I’m talkin’ bout, don’t you?

Spring is obviously the time to get B E A U T I F U L, right?!

Since many of our fresh-out-of-the-salon colored heads might be on the pursuit of beauty just now, let’s see what Scripture has to relay to us about True Beauty. Whether the adornment is focused on the outside or the inside of either a temple OR a woman, Scripture has some great wisdom to offer us!

Scripture speaks often of the elaborate imagery of adorned temples of gold and precious stones (that I can’t pronounce) to women with braided hair and gold bracelets, as well as Queen Esther’s all-time surpassing beauty...all the way to conveying the similarities of the New Jerusalem as ‘a bride adorned for her husband’ in the book of Revelation. (Which by the way, wives, have we stopped being ‘brides’ to our husbands?)

Here is one lovely verse about beauty to take in...

"(Wives) Your beauty should not consist in externals such as fancy hairstyles, gold jewelry or what you wear; rather, let it be the inner character of your heart, with the imperishable quality of a HUMBLE (Gk. 'praus') and UNDISTURBED (Gk. 'hesuchios') spirit. In God's sight this is of great value."
~ 1 Peter 3:3,4

Now, let’s get serious. We all want to look good, right? Especially for our husbands. (Or at least we should want to!)

So, let’s first tackle outward adornment.

Some Christian ladies take the above verse to mean that they now have permission to just let themselves go right down life’s gunk-filled, tweezerless, doritos laden, dimpled donut hole of madness.

I have four children. I’m tired. But, I do believe that keeping up our appearance aesthetically AND physically is a ministry to our husbands (and thus, family). It is one aspect of ourselves that we have to OFFER them. (By the way, can you guess who doesn’t shave their legs when Husband is out of town? C’mon, my kids like Mom’s furry legs!)

Seriously, when we take the time to care for our outward appearances, we do feel good...at our best even, as we have accomplished something good for his eyes (and perhaps his nose?!). We just feel better when we have taken the time to ‘adorn’ ourselves. When we take care of ourselves in the realm of physical health, we also feel good and have energy to serve those we love most - and energy to spare for other things we like to do and MUST DO in life.

Now, don’t let the word ‘adorn’ cause your mind to wander into the camp of ‘its all worthless vanity, this outer beauty business!’ The word adorn in Greek is ‘kosmeo’ simply meaning to ‘put in proper order, decorate, garnish, trim’. That is exactly what we do when we put on makeup, style our hair and get dressed. We’re putting our outward appearance in order.

But we have to be extremely careful not to mistakenly LOOK FOR OUR WORTH in these outward appearances (for many reasons which time alone can reveal)! As women, we can easily fall into a trap of pursuing the adornment of the ‘outer temple’.

In fact, if we are currently looking for our worth this springtime in the adornment of our outer temples, then it’s a sure sign we have misplaced our worship.

Are you aware that the ONLY way to keep from worshiping the idol of Outward Beauty is to pursue a beauty regimen of INWARD ADORNMENT? Yep, we have to take the time to ‘put in proper order’ and ‘decorate’ the inner temple as well.

Have you begun to worship this idol of Outward Beauty? Let’s think about it for a minute.

Who said we could only pursue one at a time OR one in favor of the other?

No one probably ever said it, but the fact remains we believe it as expressed by our fickle behaviors, so we must have learned it somewhere.

Here’s three relevant pointers you might consider in determining if you’ve misplaced your worship for the Springtime Loveliness of outward adornment...

When you have hit your ‘ideal mark’ aesthetically (whether it’s in weight or appearance of any sort) you are only momentarily satisfied with that accomplishment. Then, quickly your obsession turns to the NEXT BIG thing. In other words, you find yourself still DISCONTENT. Yep, happiness fades as quickly as your tan!
Others may be attracted to you from afar, but then they are quickly turned off when they get close enough for you to open your mouth. I know... Ouch.
You find yourself THRILLED with YOU! ...until, that is, you come across a ‘better lookin’ Temple’.

Pursuing outer beauty and inner beauty both take TIME. We all have been given equal minutes in the day.

Adorning the OUTER TEMPLE is not a sin, Ladies. Now, worshiping anyone or anything other than the One Who created the outer temple is (a sin). Adorn the outer temple as a worship offering to the Father in Heaven and as a gift to your husband. And also adorn the inner temple with the gospel of grace by cultivating a humble and undisturbed spirit. This alone will assure you don't misplace your worship.

Don’t adorn one without adorning the other.

And Ladies, let your daughters SEE YOU adorning BOTH!

Have you noticed that adorning the temporal one (outward maintenance) is far easier than adorning the eternal one (inward maintenance)? After all, the only pursuit we are able to carry into eternity is the time we have spent adorning the inner temple. Therefore, suffice it to say, we should be spending more time on what can not fade...the inner character of our hearts.

“...rather, let it be the inner character of your heart, with the imperishable quality of a HUMBLE (gk. 'praus') and UNDISTURBED (gk. 'hesuchios') spirit.”

By all means, Sisters, keep up your outward appearances the best you are able as a ministry to your man! Your husband will thank you. And you will be rewarded for the time you have spent adorning the outer temple. It's okay and good to do that! But, don’t stop there!

You’re not done yet!

Remember that ‘what’s in the well does come up in the bucket’. What’s lying in the inner temple will make itself known!

Yes, Friends, the kind of True Beauty we ALL desire to become and others desire to behold is that imperishable quality of a HUMBLE (gk. 'praus') and UNDISTURBED (gk. 'hesuchios') spirit which is precious in both God’s sight and ours...the recipients of one another’s buckets!!

So, this Springtime, and always, in your pursuit of True Beauty and its rightly placed worship of ADONAI Eloheinu (The LORD our God), let your wells be lovingly and properly cared for (both inside and out) AND let your buckets be filled with His gladness!!

What is my role today as wife?

2009-10-28T08:47:00.004-05:00

Mereas,

Recently, a brother in the Messiah sent me an email regarding his marriage and their prospective roles within. I thought I'd share its content with you, perhaps to quicken our wifely hearts and REMIND us how, in one fell swoop, we can [yes, are called] to love those lovely hunks of men called husbands ADONAI has given to us.

Here is our Brother's (edited) email to me:

Dear Carmen,

i like you blog and i would like to give you my more sincere congratulations for it. I guess you are very busy woman, and maybe you do not have the time to answer private questions but anyway I would like also to take the chance and ask you about some questions that are really pressing my mind/life sometimes. I am married to a wonderful wife...

My question is, of course from the Christian point of view of the word of God, what do you feel about women leading the household? is it sin? is it wrong for a man to be natural subordinated to his wife inside the family?

I thank you immensely any answer and God bless you.

My response to our brother's question:

"As with all questions we may have pertaining to the Word of God and life, ADONAI reveals His Truth to us as we study TOGETHER with other Believers. Are you and your wife involved in a fellowship where you can study as a couple and a men's fellowship and women's fellowship separately? In the context of a group setting is when and where ADONAI reveals His greatest Truths to us.

I asked my husband what advice he'd give to you and he said that you'd gain a great deal of understanding and depth as you study alongside a body of brothers and pastors in your local fellowship. Your question is not a short email thread, but rather an unfolding and unveiling of Truth over time and practice (sanctification) regarding His intentions that you both may operate in your God-ordained roles in the power of His Spirit.

She is to "phobeo" (Greek, meaning 'revere, respect, be in awe of') you and you are to love (agapeo) her as Christ loved the Set-apart Ones (church). We are BOTH called (as set-apart ones) to LOVE AS CHRIST fully in the roles HE has ordained. That takes mutual submission realizing that the husband is head of the wife as Christ is head of the assembly of Believers. (Ephesians 5)

May ADONAI RICHLY BLESS your marriage (and thus, your family) as you both seek Him together for His blessing, favor, mercy, power, protection, provisions and LIFE abundant.

"For it is written that man shall not live by Bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God." ~Yeshua HaMashiach (Matthew 4:4)

To LOVE AS CHRIST is the question we all should ask daily, regardless of the role HE has put us in.

May HE be glorified in us!"

And May HE so be...and may our husbands, without hesitation, be able to say...

He who finds a wife finds a great good; he has won the favor of ADONAI.
~ Proverbs 18:22

Fear and Impatience

2009-09-01T10:11:00.003-05:00

Relax and Enjoy God's Goodness Today!

Bid the older women similarly to be reverent and devout in their deportment as becomes those engaged in sacred service, not slanderers or slaves to drink. They are to give good counsel and be teachers of what is right and noble, So that they will wisely train the young women to be sane and sober of mind (Gk. 'sophronizo') and to love their husbands and their children, To be self-controlled, chaste, homemakers, good-natured (kindhearted), adapting and subordinating themselves to their husbands, that the word of God may not be exposed to reproach (blasphemed or discredited).
~ Titus 2:3-5 AMP

FEAR and IMPATIENCE are two main inhibitors that often keep us from a fulfilled life.

FEAR imprisons and paralyzes us while IMPATIENCE drives us forward prematurely. FEAR causes the Believer to fall far behind while IMPATIENCE can drive the same Believer too far ahead and out of the position and favor of God.

These two are the antithesis of DISCIPLINE and DEVOTION. Does that bring back memories of 2 Timothy 1:7?

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control (Gk. 'sophronismos').

Both words hail from the root word 'sophron'.

Sozo - ‘to heal, deliver and make whole’ AND Phren - ‘the mind, feelings and understanding’

2 Timothy 1:7 proclaims that our LORD has not given us a spirit of fear, but HE has given us the Spirit of Power and Love which ‘MAKES a sound and whole mind’! That is such powerful wisdom for living!

Now, with that, comes our great responsibility and privilege of TEACHING and TRAINING the younger women of the church ‘making them of a sound mind’.

Did you notice that the Teacher is a ‘teacher of good things’ both in word and deed? That is where we really learn, isn’t it - through both a woman’s LIPS as well as her LIVING?

Here are FIVE beautiful ways to G.R.A.C.E. one another so that the Word of God is not blasphemed, our lives are fruitful, we are completely satisfied, and a lost and perishing world can’t help but notice the difference!

G - GROW IN THE GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD YESHUA - 2 Peter 3:18

R - REMOVE THE OLD - Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 4:20-23;Colossians 3:8-9

A - ACCEPT THE NEW - Galatians 5:22-23

C - CONTINUE IN STEADFAST PRAYER for one another - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17; Philippians 1:18b-19; Acts 2:42

E - ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER to persevere and grow in the grace and knowledge of the LORD - Hebrews 10:24

Father God, You are the One Who is able to bring ORDER and LIGHT from the chaos and darkness in our lives. I thank You that You are faithful to do so and even now, Your Spirit is regenerating our lives from the inside out. B'SHEM YESHUA ADONEINU!

For by Him, All Things Were Created - Colossians 1:16

2009-08-15T14:57:00.008-05:00

'Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.'

~ Hebrews 13:16

You Can Help

2009-08-11T13:17:00.005-05:00

Checked out the Incarcerated Women’s Prayer Ministry lately?

Thank you Judy Bratten for your great love for these women and your faithful commitment to intercede for them!

Thank you, Sweet Friend, for allowing us to be a part of seeing ADONAI move in their lives. You are one to imitate.