"Real Christianity"

DAY # 78 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional

VERSE: "But now in Christ Jesus you who foremerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace." Ephesians 2:13-14

'Real' by definition is;

–adjective

1. true; not merely ostensible, nominal, or apparent: the real reason for an act.

2. existing or occurring as fact; actual rather than imaginary, ideal, or fictitious: a story taken from real life.

3. being an actual thing; having objective existence; not imaginary: The events you will see in the film are real and not just made up.

4. being actually such; not merely so-called: a real victory.

5. genuine; not counterfeit, artificial, or imitation; authentic: a real antique; a real diamond; real silk.

6. unfeigned or sincere: real sympathy; a real friend.
7. Informal . absolute; complete; utter: She's a real brain.
8. Philosophy .
a. existent or pertaining to the existent as opposed to the nonexistent.
b. actual as opposed to possible or potential.
c. independent of experience as opposed to phenomenal or apparent.
9. (of money, income, or the like) measured in purchasing power rather than in nominal value: Inflation has driven income down in real terms, though nominal income appears to be higher.
10. Optics . (of an image) formed by the actual convergence of rays, as the image produced in a camera (opposed to virtual).
11. Mathematics .
a. of, pertaining to, or having the value of a real number.
b. using real numbers: real analysis; real vector space.
–adverb
12. Informal . very or extremely: You did a real nice job painting the house.
–noun
13. real number.
14. the real,
a. something that actually exists, as a particular quantity.
b. reality in general.
—Idiom
15. for real, Informal .
a. in reality; actually: You mean she dyed her hair green for real?
b. real; actual: The company's plans to relocate are for real.
c. genuine; sincere: I don't believe his friendly attitude is for real.

A 'real' Christian is a 'genuine; not counterfeit, artificial, or imitation; authentic; sincere' Christian - one who sincerely follows Christ and is not just an imitation or artificial. Authentic means if held against a 'fake', one would know that you are 'real' -- as in diamonds. There are many superficial or zircon Christians out there, who are looking good on the outside, but not have the real value inside. We live in a world that tells you it's more fun to be say a 'ruby' than a 'diamond', and some are happy just being a 'zircon' -- one who looks like a real diamond on the outside, but is a 'fake'. A 'ruby' for example is a jewel that is still valuable (as we are all valuable to God), but it is in fact not the 'jewel' that God has called us to be. We all have a purpose in life, and the first step to finding out that purpose is to seek after God and a relationship with Him.
With a 'diamond' there are four classifications to know the 'realness' of it. The Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat-Weight.

The Cut - Each diamond is still a diamond, whether it is an 'emerald', 'heart', 'marquis', 'oval', 'pear', 'princess', 'radiant' or 'round'. Each of us are 'cut' differently, we are still diamonds at heart, but our bodies, characteristics are all unique to being 'us'. The way a 'real' diamond is cut allows the light that enters to be reflected back up through the face of the diamond. If a diamond is cut too shallow or too deep the light exits through the bottom of the diamond, and does not allow the maximum beauty of the diamond to be known. Each of us as ' Real Christians' should allow the light of Jesus to be reflected back into the world.

The Colour - Diamonds come naturally in every colour of the rainbow, but most people are just excited about the ones in the white range. Sounds like the world of today, but no matter what colour we are, red or yellow, black or white, we are all precious in God's sight.  The best color for a diamond to be is infact no color at all. A totally colorless diamond allows light to pass through it easily, resulting in the light being dispersed as the color of the rainbow. When we come to God, he cleanses us, and become pure & 'colourless' only reflecting what He is made of, which infact can be seen as the colours of the rainbow, which is His promise to us!

The Clarity - Each diamond's clarity is determined by the amount of flaws, or blemishes. To see these to the fullness, you must view a diamond under 10X magnification. Most diamonds contain little 'inclusions' which are kind of like birthmarks. The 'inclusions' interfere with the light passing through, and therefore the fewer the inclusions, the more reflective and beautiful the diamond is or can be. Each of us are born with 'inclusions' or a sinful nature, and the more sin that we contain, the less that God can be seen, but when we allow God to remove our sin, the more beautiful we become. Diamonds, unlike any other gemstone can produce more brilliance because of the light reflected. A diamond that has no 'inclusions' or surface scars is very rare, and very valuable. Thankfully, we are all valuable to our Creator, but of course we are made the most brilliant and beautiful when we arrive in the presence of God when He once and for all cleanses us and makes us white with the glow of His glory in Heaven.

The Carat-Weight - Diamonds are all in different weights, and these weights are measured in carats. As the weight increases, so does the price, which also makes the weightier (higher carat) ones more rare. Two diamonds can be of equal carat-weight, but their value differs due to the other 3 classifications (Cut, Colour & Clarity). Now, first thinking would be our body weights, which we do vary in... but my thought is to the weight or the amount of the Spirit that lives inside of us. The one with the Holy Spirit in his life, just from salvation needs to be empowered by the same Spirit with the water baptism, and the baptism of the Spirit. Each of us are in different areas of our journey with God. "The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out. Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?  The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them." Proverbs 20:5-7 NIV

So a real and true Christian will have the cut, colour, clarity and carat of the Father. God is not leading us into the impossible (for all things are possible for and with God), and we can become the 'rare' righteous ones whom chase God with all our hearts faithfully, and according to Proverbs 20:7, so may our children (or the next generations) behind us!

(My church just celebrated it's 'Diamond [60th] Anniversary', so I pray that we all may become 'real' diamonds in the rough -- reflecting and shining the light of God in this dark world.)



AMEN and AMEN!

*Diamond information found online at http://www.4diamond.com/4Cs/ -- Information comparing diamonds to Christians inspired by Holy Spirit! :)*

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!
 

"The Path He Walked"

DAY #39 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him." Colossians 2:6 HCSB

NIV (v.6-10) "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. "

MSG (v.6-10) "My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving. Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything."

This moment begins yet another day in our journey of life... but are we living that life with Jesus? Today has as much potential as you do, there again is a choice to make how we choose to live it. Will we choose to walk in thanksgiving, forgiveness, love, mercy, joy, humbleness, peace, praise, worship, spiritual abundance, faith & with authority (as Jesus walked)? Or will we choose to conform to the world and walk in pride, bitterness, hate, greed, anger, sadness, battles raging, spiritual poverty, listening to the voices of the world, looking at circumstances around us?

Today is a FRESH, new slate... a new page in your notebook of life, or as the author in today's devotional put it, "a new canvas upon which you can compose a beautiful work of art if you choose to do so." (Day 39) Will we let the world throw it's negative graffiti all over our canvas, or will we allow the Master to 'finger-paint' and create a beautiful masterpiece. When we choose to walk how Jesus walked, we are truly representing the King as His ambassadors. We become His hands and His feet to this dark, dying world. If and when they see our thanksgiving, love, mercy, joy, humbleness, peace, praise, worship, spiritual abundance, faith, authority and more -- they will see the love of Jesus reflected through us, and want what we have. They will desire the way that we overcome our circumstances through our faith, and the joy that overflows to them will be the joy of the Lord.

But, this all may sound beautiful, walking as Jesus walked, but Jesus also received temptation, by which He used to Word of God mightily to defend against the wiles of the devil. We too need to have head and heart knowledge of God's Word, so that it may be ready on our lips. ("Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the LORD, I teach you today, even you." Proverbs 22:17-19 NIV) Jesus also denied himself, and took up the cross. "...Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it." (Mark 8:34-35 NIV)

...so the next step is yours, and yours alone (and mine too - I am speaking to myself as well) Will you walk the path that Jesus walked? Or will you take the easy, wide road? (To learn more about the 2 roads, read Matthew 7:13-14) Remember, you won't be alone on the road... and that God is always with you & His Spirit is here on the earth to help lead, guide, direct and comfort you.

"Let us never suppose that ovedience is impossible or that holiness is meant only for a select few. Our Shepherd leads us in paths of righteousness -- not for our name's sake but for His." ~Elisabeth Elliot

So as our verse in the MESSAGE translation said above, '...quit studying it, and start living it!'

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"Living Righteously"

DAY #3 - "A Woman of Faith"


Verse: "But now, you must be holy in everything you do, just as God--who chose you to be his children--is holy. For He Himself has said, 'You must be holy because I am holy." 1 Peter 1:15-16 NLT

When we seek righteousness, or the act of trying to live righteously, or when we seek to maintain the company of those who do we reap spiritual benefits or rewards. (found in the devotional book & paraphrased.) We can honour God by the way we live our lives. If we try to live righteous, but not self-righteously, God can and will bless us. We will never be perfect, nor should we think we can be in this day and age on this earth. But we are to be pure and holy, as God has called us to be his children. We need to live our life worthy of the calling of our Father.


Corrie Ten Boom once quoted, "Do nothing that you would not like to be doing when Jesus comes. Go no place where you would not like to be found when He returns." WOW! What an eye-opener! Back some years now, a phrase was made popular, 'WWJD' (What Would Jesus Do), it has been now mocked and made into a joke by both Christian and non-Christian... but when it first came out, it made you think... what would Jesus do? Where would Jesus Go? Some movies, and TV shows we find ourselves 'protecting' our kids from, whereas we should also be protecting ourselves from it.


For example, one of my friends daughter's was having a innocent birthday party at the movie theatre. They didn't check into the previews or whatnot off all the movies, but read some summaries, and checked ratings of course. So they allowed the 'party' children to go to view the movie 'Burlesque' which was WRONGLY rated as PG... well first of all, 'Burlesque' the word seems dirty to me, yet I also saw previews and heard about it. (Unfortunately the parent's didn't). These children (ages 9+?) went into the theatre, unknowingly, and sat for the previews and the first 5-10 minutes... they were shocked at what they saw, and wondered if they should be watching this. Well, anyway long story short, they left the theatre, and waited to see another more age appropriate movie, 'Tangled'. When the mom was recounting the story, and when I have recounted the story to others, I said that I myself wouldn't even go to watch that movie. We do also need to protect our selves from the world's garbage. Sexual innuendos being mistaken as innocent 'dancing'... and this is rated as 'PG'... where is our world's standards? It was based on Christian standards, yet this no longer is applicable due to free speech, etc... No one wants to see a movie of you in the bedroom with your husband, so why would you want to watch someone else doing this... especially in most cases when it's not husband and wife.


I do know that I have watched movies or TV shows that aren't always as 'clean' as they should be, but I still do have some standards. We also have walked out, or shut off, changed the channel, etc of other movies. Some movies I have even sat through, yet prayed in the Spirit, or prayed over the minds of us and those watching... especially when I see young children watching somewhat scary stuff.


As I said, no one is perfect... only God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are truly 'holy', but we are to live our lives as one who takes responsibilities for their actions. We choose the way to behave, we don't just do it. It's NOT genetics, or hereditary... or always ADD or something that we can 'try to' control with drugs/medicine. We need to put our FULL trust in JESUS, and lean not on our own understandings of circumstances around us, and acknowledge HIM as Lord and Saviour, and He will make straight our paths, and direct us in the way we should go!


I am looking forward to a GREAT year ahead, IF we do our part, GOD is more than willing to do His part.


Be blessed, and be a blessing!

PS - Editor's note: This was not completed on the 3rd, as I didn't come to write it due to worship practice, and playing the WII when I got home... which shows we ALL make mistakes, and yet God is faithful, and willing to forgive! THANK YOU LORD! <3