Gentleness

What does it mean to be gentle?  To be honest we struggled to define gentleness, is it a demeanor?  Is it a degree of action?  Is it just like kindness?  We concluded that it is the way in which one behaves; rooted in positive intentions.  When we look at the story of Nabal and Abigail we see a woman filled with gentleness.

Nabal was approached by King David’s men who were asking for food in gratitude for keeping Nabal’s men safe.  Nabal replied harshly, and stated that he would not favor their request and that for him to do so would be absurd.  David became furious and threatened his own life if he failed to punish Nabal for this mistreatment.   Abigail heard of the news from a servant and acted immediately.  She gathered food and wine and went to David to beg for forgiveness for her husband’s actions in an attempt to save her family.  The next words she uttered showed respect for David, compassion for her husband and honor to God.  David accepted her apology and granted her request.  Her next actions further displayed the extent of her gentleness.  She returned home and found her husband feasting like a king.  He was high in spirits and very drunk.  Rather than chastising him there, she chose to act in gentleness.  Abigail waited until the next morning to tell Nabal what had happened.

What we can glean from the story of Nabal and Abigail is that gentleness requires compassion, kindness and humility.  Gentleness and the accompanying characteristic are not possible without a daily outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Gentleness reflects a transformed mind and attitude.  It is a consistent response that seeks a peaceful and positive solution to what is happening around you.  Gentleness is a powerful weapon in diffusing negative or difficult situations.

God uses gentleness in a powerful way to draw us to him.  God gave Nabal 10 days to repent for his sinful and foolish ways.  Nabal’s failure to do so caused his demise.  When we think of our own sinful ways it is comforting to see how God’s gentleness is always evident.  It is reflected in how He tailors our experiences to teach us.  God’s persistence in drawing us closer to Him and the versatility of his measures exhibits His gentleness.  Gentleness in our actions portrays the depth and extent of God’s endless love. 

To being wise,

Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Faithfulness

Trust, it’s something many of us struggle with.  Whether we like it or not we have to trust people all day, all the time.  If you were to ask people, many would say that trust is something to be earned.  In reality, we choose to trust others before they actually earn it. 

Now we know some may not agree with our statements above, but let us explain.

From the time we are born we trust our caretakers implicitly.  We are completely reliant on others; we are forced to trust because we are completely helpless.  As we grow we are taught by our caregivers who and what to trust in life.  And in this, lies the beginning of our choice to trust.  Going back to our previous statement, we trust people before they actually earn it.  That trust may be motivated by necessity; however it is a choice we have to make.  When we get into a cab, we trust that the driver is not going to kidnap us, murder us, etc.  Other times we choose to trust others in our personal relationships because we all have the need to be loved and accepted.  When you meet someone new and you think you could be friends, you choose to spend time with them trusting that they will be kind to you.  When you are dating someone past the third date mark, you choose to continue seeing them trusting that they will treat you well and there is potential in that relationship.  It is only when we choose to trust, that growth is possible in a relationship.  To maintain a relationship, the trust that is given must be reciprocated and that is how trust is earned.  We are sure you are well aware that trust can be broken.  That is why extramarital affairs are so painful.  They reveal a terrifying vulnerability; because trust has already been earned in that relationship and then it is broken.  In a situation where restoration is an option, the wronged individual must choose to trust again without any reassurance.  It is a leap of faith.

Trust requires faith.  Who better to use as an example of faithfulness than Daniel?  Daniel resolved to trust God wholeheartedly, confident that God would prove His faithfulness.  He had a keen understanding of God’s sovereignty and was committed mentally, spiritually and physically to preserving God’s presence in his life.  He did this by refraining from anything that would defile his mind or his body and upheld the law of God without fail.  As a result, the individuals of the satraps, could find no corruption in him or charge any offence in him without manipulation.  Daniel was so distinguished and exhibited such exceptional qualities among his peers, his colleagues had to devise a plan to defame his character.  Knowing that they would not be able to catch Daniel doing wrong, they created a law that put Daniel’s faithfulness to the test.  Because faithfulness leads to predictability, Daniel was convicted.

Faithfulness is not a guarantee against hardship.  Faithfulness enables God’s character and glory to be manifested within us.  Just like Daniel, if we choose to trust God, His faithfulness will, in turn, inspire our consistency and commitment to Him.  This is where the devil preys on us as Christians.  He knows that the more we lack faithfulness, the less we will mirror Christ.  It is only through our faithfulness that we receive and maintain God’s excellent spirit within us.

To being wise,

Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Goodness

What does it mean to be good?  Is it charity work? Is it helping the homeless and the needy?  Is it walking the neighbor’s dog?  Is it paying your bills on time and having good credit?  It is getting regular exercise and eating healthy?  Is it saying please and thank you?  These are all good things, but to be good is a very different thing indeed.

According to Jesus in Mark 10:17 – 27 none of the things mentioned above are indicators of goodness.  Only God is good and goodness can only come from Him.  In the story of the rich young ruler a wealthy young man comes to Jesus asking what he needs to do to gain everlasting life.  He boasts of all the “good” things he had already done.  Jesus tells this young man to give up his entire wealth to the poor and to follow Him.  The story ends with the rich young ruler leaving saddened by Jesus’ request.  We do not know if he heeded Jesus’ advice or not.  But the lesson Jesus is imparting is very clear.  Actions do not dictate goodness; rather, it is the motive behind the action.  In our society we have a prescribed list of actions that are deemed “good”.  Though these actions appear and are good, if the motive is self-serving then it negates the element of goodness.  What were the motives behind the rich young ruler’s actions?  He believed that:

1.       In doing good, he was good.

2.       In doing good, he expected to receive good in return. 

3.       In doing good, he earned a place in heaven.

Here is where he got it wrong.  He did not lie, kill, steal, commit adultery and he honored his parents.  These things were noble, but it did not make him good.  He believed that his goodness was determined by his good actions and this entitled him to good rewards.  Here is what he got the most wrong.  He believed that he could earn his way into heaven.  That power belongs to Jesus and no one else.  What is alarming about this story is that the rich young ruler attempted to be good without having a relationship with God.  This is why Jesus exposed his flaw in valuing earthly things over a personal relationship with Him.

We do this all the time.  We ask God for things in our life that we desire without bothering to maintain consistent and quality contact with Him daily.  When we do “good” things that make us “good” we believe we are entitled to the things we have asked Him for.  When we aren’t doing “good” things, we bear guilt.  These attitudes reveal self-reliance instead of God-dependence.  And that was Jesus’ point.

What are the things you must give up to follow God?  And are you willing to do it?

To being wise,

Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Kindness

Being truly kind is usually not convenient.  We are often tested with an opportunity to be kind at the busiest or most inopportune times in our lives.  If you heard about a classmate who was filing for bankruptcy, what would you do?  Would you go out of your way to do all that you could?  Would you do anything at all or would you gossip about it?  What about a church member?  If you heard that a church member was desperately in need of help with their children, would you offer your time or your resources?  What if you were driving through a dodgy part of town and saw someone being beat up and left for dead in the gutter?  Would you stop?  Would you get out of your car, put yourself in danger and help that person?  WHAT WOULD YOU DO?!

A certain lawyer asked Jesus “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”, in response, Jesus asked “What is written in the law and what is your reading of it?”, the lawyer replied “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.”  Jesus said “You answered rightly”, but the lawyer said “Who is my neighbor?”   It is here that Jesus begins to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan (please refer to Luke 10:30 – 36).

There are three things that stand out to us in this parable.  1) The kindness of the Samaritan, 2) the kindness of the innkeeper and 3) the charge that was left to us by Christ.

1)      The Samaritan.  The half-dead man was seen by three different men.  It is important to note that the man was a Jew and appeared to be dead, which according to the law deemed him unclean to touch.  A priest sees the man and assumes, without looking, that he is dead.  He crosses the road to pass the man by.  A Levite sees the man, looks him over and without close investigation, assumes he is dead and passes him by.  However, when a Samaritan sees the man, in spite of the danger, the difference of their ethnicities and his own limited resources, he stops.  The Samaritan stops, looks and investigates, he does what the victim’s own people would not do.  He had rationed out oil and wine for his journey and yet he used his provisions and camel to tend to the half-dead man’s wounds and transport him to safety. 

 

2)      The Innkeeper.  The Innkeeper shows another form of kindness.  The Samaritan leaves the half-dead man after one day and leaves two Denarii (roughly 28 days’ worth of money, think of it as 28 days of hotel fees or around $2800).  The Samaritan trusted the Innkeeper to care for the man until he returned and expected him to pay for any additional expenses.  This Innkeeper used all his resources, time and effort to heal this man.

 

3)      Our Charge.  Likewise, we are called to be Innkeepers.  Like the Innkeeper, Jesus has given us Denarii in the form of time, homes, money, talents, spiritual gifts, etc. to be used in service to others.  As the Samaritan brought the half-dead man to the Innkeeper, Jesus will present individuals in need at our doorstep.  Can we be trusted?  Will we use all of our resources to help?  Or will we be too inconvenienced or too preoccupied to stop, look and investigate.

 

When we live our lives filled with kindness, these acts draw the attention of others to the abnormality of the situation.  Kindness is not a normal human attribute, we are conditioned to pay only what we owe and give only what is required.  God does not operate that way, He gives us far more than we deserve.  His loving kindness bestowed upon us through endless grace is the source of our ability to be kind.  Kindness reveals the full countenance of God within us and imparts His favor.

To being wise,

Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Patience

We live in such a fast-paced world and our lives demand that we get things done quickly.  We have 1 minute rice, On Demand TV, Gogurt, drive through Starbucks, instant oatmeal, 24 hour customer service and vending machine shoes.  With all of these time-savers you think we would all have more time, but we have less.  But what we have even less of is patience.

Patience is a long lost virtue; just consider the last time it took you longer than 25 seconds to download something.  This impatience has created an attitude of instant gratification that has influence all other expectations.  In our spiritual walk we apply these same expectations to God and when He doesn’t answer in our time frame we get frustrated.  When we are not instantly gratified we are so quick to question if God cares or if He even exists.  As a result we take matters into our own hands and we deny God’s leadership.  Impatience is a weakness that suffocates faith.  Faith is likened to a mustard seed that needs to grow and impatience stunts that essential growth.

Let’s look at the story of Lazarus.  After being told that Lazarus was severely ill and being asked to come immediately to help him, Jesus says “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God” and stays where He was two days longer.  After the third day passes Lazarus dies.  It is at this time that Jesus decides to finally go to Mary and Martha.  When Jesus comes to Bethany, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days.  It is important to note that Bethany (where Lazarus was buried) was a mere two miles away from Jerusalem where Jesus was staying.  When Martha greets Him, she says accusingly “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died”, let’s pause.  How many times have we asked Jesus similar questions?  “Lord if you had only done ________ at this time in this way it would have all been ok”.  BUT, Jesus does not operate on our schedule, He lives outside of time.

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11: 25 – 26 (NASB)

Every time our patience is tried it is often a test where Jesus asks us in moments of doubt “Do you believe?”  If we answer that question by taking things into our own hands we are replying “NO”.  But if we wait on the Lord, our strength is renewed, our faith reinforced and just as Lazarus was resurrected, blessing is assured.  This does not mean we will never be impatient, but in those moments we must remember:

1)      Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus and He loves us, but like them we are not exempt from hardships.

2)      If God can conquer death, than nothing is impossible for Him.

3)      The trials we face are not about us, but all about God.

The resurrection of Lazarus was necessary in order for Jesus to bring glory to God.  Jesus did not delay His arrival out of neglect; it was to eliminate all arguments that could undermine this miracle.  God is very meticulous in how He responds to our needs.  We don’t understand how He works.  God is never dormant; He is always actively working on our behalf.  We just have to be patient and know that His is always the right time.

To being wise,

Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Peace

In our last post we spoke about joy being the evidence of trust in God. If joy was a pill, than peace would be the effect. You cannot have one without the other.

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. Philippians 4:6 – 7 (KJV)


What we see here is a three-fold process. Joy brings forth peace, but both are bound through constant communication with Christ. In the case of Stephen, he was wrongly accused of speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God. When questioned, Stephen gave a speech which revealed a strong conviction in Christ. His response caused the people to be furious and stone him to death. Before Stephen was stoned, he looked up to God and asked for the forgiveness of his accusers. He did not fight back, or declare vengeance upon them. He was totally at peace with his fate. Such resolve did not come from regular church attendance, praying over meals or periodic scripture reading. Rather, this was a result of his consistent, intimate friendship with the Lord.


You cannot have peace if you are constantly robbing God of His supreme position. The control belongs to Him. Peace comes with the understanding that only God reigns over your life.


“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord”. Isaiah 55:8 (NASB)


Once you relinquish control, then everything that enters your life you give to God to handle. You do not have to be concerned for your well-being because you know there is One greater who has your best interest at heart. In other words, peace is not fighting your own battles, but being still and allowing God to work. Peace is the devil’s kryptonite (follow us on another tangent). We all know that Superman has the best powers, but even he has a weakness. Kryptonite paralyzes Superman. It may seem sometimes that the devil has so much power, but he has a weakness too. The devil’s weakness is our peace, which is our total trust in God.


Faith is the source of joy and joy is the source of peace. Faith comes from hearing and hearing comes from the word of God.


“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”. Matthew 6:25 – 27 & 33 (NIV)



To being wise,


Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Joy

When you think about joy, you think about moments in life that are pleasurable and satisfying. Things that come to mind are parties, gifts, weddings, promotions, friendships, family and love. Joy is a foreign concept in times of suffering and pain. In times of strife we subconsciously go into survival mode, our minds drown with thoughts of worry, confusion, frustration, doubt, anger and fear. These thoughts are innately self-centered and these feelings come from bearing burdens alone. This self-reliance in times of trouble exposes the absence of joy in our lives. Joy is a choice. It is a choice to trust in God in times of happiness and in times of sorrow. Joy is not dictated by circumstance, it is the proof of total dependence on God.


“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance”. James 1:2 – 3 (NIV)


Having trust in God brings you complete joy, but could you be joyful if you lost your job? Could you be joyful if your home was destroyed by a hurricane? Could you be joyful if you were imprisoned for doing the right thing? Paul and Silas did. During their travels, Paul and Silas met a demon-possessed slave girl who was a fortune teller. Being agitated Paul commanded the demon to leave her and she was healed. She lost her powers of fortune telling and because of the greed of her masters no longer able to make a profit from her, they had Paul and Silas beaten and thrown in jail. Rather than blaming God for their misfortune, despite the fact they were doing His work, they chose joy. They were not worried about how they would be released or that their work was being halted, they totally surrendered to God’s all-knowing power. And because of such assurance they sang hymns of praise to Him.


The thing about joy, it is not only for the sufferer, it is for the on-lookers. While Paul and Silas were singing other prisoners were listening and were touched. When you have joy the blessings will follow. God delights in our optimistic attitudes that display complete submission to His sovereignty. Joy is complete loyalty to God. It says “Come what may, I choose not to succumb to my emotions, but to submit to God’s will”.


To being wise,



Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Love

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.” 1 Corinthians 13:4 – 8 (ESV)


God is love. Let’s liken our hearts to a bank and God to the currency. To have anything in the bank you have to make a deposit. But if you have no income, you cannot make a withdrawal. In this case our income is the word of God and our daily experiences with Him. When that income is constant we have an abundance of resources.


How do we get that consistent flow of income?


A great example of someone exhibiting love in the Bible is David. David loved the Lord and he is described as a man after God’s own heart. David’s love for God was evident in his private talks with God, in his allegiance to God, in his desire to please God and in his testimonies. David had a lot of time on his hands as a shepherd and he chose to spend that time talking privately to God. You don’t have a private talk with just anyone; you talk privately with your closest friends and family. That is who God was to David, a close friend and a family member. As a shepherd David understood the role of leader and follower. He watched his sheep every day and saw their utter dependence on him. In the same manner David understood that God was his leader and creator and he followed as His creation. He understood that his intelligence was that of the sheep in comparison to the omniscience of God. He knew his place and surrendered to it. David’s testimony was concrete evidence that God was a living presence in his life. The book of Psalms is like David’s diary cataloguing one-on-one experiences that revealed God’s character and love towards him. These records built his faith and allowed him to be fearless. He was never bolder than when he told King Saul that he would fight Goliath when thousands of men before him feared to do so. When asked how he could do this, David spoke of how God used him to overcome difficulties in the past and knew that God would not forsake him in this. Because David had spent time with God, witnessed God in His fullness and knew his place with God his desire for God was nurtured. Through this passion and desire to please God, David was able to testify of God’s faithfulness, power and love. David was motivated by his desire to please God, God was his target. When you desire something it becomes your target to which all aspects of your life become focused to. That is why during the lowest point of David’s life, when he was sought a counterfeit love from Bathsheba, Nathan brought him back into focus and reminded him of his first love, God.


Regardless of the condition your life is in right now, God wants to abide with you. David is such a great illustration for us because we don’t have to be perfect to have an intimate relationship with God. Here are some things that we can take from David’s story:

1) Your time is coveted. The devil tries to make you so busy that God gets the leftovers. We must make God our target.

2) Know your place. You did not create heaven and earth in seven days, God did. Be the follower, let God lead.

3) Let Him in. In this day and age God is not popular. We know that God is knocking at our hearts, but we treat him like a door-to-door salesman. Open the door and make it your mission to know Him and watch your desire grow.

4) Be about it. Once you know Him you will be on fire to want to talk about Him. His light will shine so bright within you that people won’t help but see it.



To being wise,


Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Response to "Bringing Back the Nones" article - The Visitor, Volume 118, Issue 8

Dear editor,

We appreciate the work that this publication is accomplishing and respect the articles that are featured. However, we took exception to the article by Loren Seibold titled "Bringing Back the Nones". We are three young women who are in the age range as your so-called "Nones". We acknowledge the issues presented in the article, they are very real, our generation has disappeared from the church. But we are not the only ones; other generations are also finding the church to be less and less relevant to our lives. The issues that we deal with as young people are seldom discussed in church. We are left to navigate these issues on our own. The author of this article asked if the church was the problem and failed to answer his own question. His title, however, was very revealing. The key source of our disappearance is rooted in the distrust that is heavily implied by the label given to us. Perhaps we are the "Nones" because that is how our generation is viewed, as worthless and useless. The older generations' perception of us, as the author eloquently stated, is 90% of reality. The reality is the mistrust between the generations has caused the "Nones" to have no influence, no role, no power, no leadership and nothing of value to add to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The fact that we question tradition is easily misconstrued as a lack of spirituality. Our desire to share the gospel in innovative ways is seen as too risky and rebellious. We are not trying to change the rules for our convenience we are seeking to make the rules relevant and applicable to our lives. The truth for us does not change, however, the packaging needs to be updated. As soon as we attempt to do this we are shunned and advised to review the fundamentals. We have left the church because we have spoken and you have not heard. We feel irrelevant and unneeded. It is interesting that of all the labels to assign to us, the "Nones" was chosen. We elect to call ourselves the "Navigators" because we have been neglected and tossed out into a sea of unanswered questions and doubt to fend for ourselves. Contrary to popular belief, we take responsibility for our own spirituality, our disappearance from the church is not because we do not believe, it is because our platform has yet to be bestowed upon us. As the "Navigators" the three of us started a blog to record our spiritual walk in the hopes of helping other "Navigators" and to find our place in the church. If you want us to come back to the church, send our children to SDA schools and take an active part, then make room for us and pass the baton.


Read the original article here:


http://issuu.com/columbiaunion/docs/august2013visitor/11?e=2183245/4231577

Are You A Team Player?

In our last post we talked about winning the spiritual match that is being played between God and Satan. The only way to win is with God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ, we like to think of them as our Dream Team.


When you are part of a team much more is happening off of the court than on the court. The preparation that occurs before is more significant than any one game that is played. Fitness, nutrition, strategy, training, image control and team camaraderie are all important aspects that must be honed off of the court. A high performance record illustrates the mastery of such components. All of this work is required to make a great team, but we aren’t talking about being on a great team, we are talking about being on the Dream Team. The Dream Team is being more than conquerors and doing the impossible. There is only one team that we know of that is unbeatable and matchless and that is the Dream Team; God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ.


As perfect as the Dream Team is, claiming them as a fan will not bring success. You must be on the team to win the game. That requires dedication, commitment and a willingness to learn and serve. We know that practice makes perfect and if you fail to plan you plan to fail. When you say you are a Christian yet you make choices and live a lifestyle that is contrary to what the Dream Team stands for you distort their spotless record. You would not do or say anything that would bring shame to your favorite sports team, nor should you do or say anything that would bring shame to the Dream Team.


The Bible has already informed us of what identifies us as members of the Dream Team: the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These attributes are gained when an individual receives a daily outpouring of the Holy Spirit as well as actively pursuing an intimate relationship with God.



“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” John 15:7 (ESV)



In our next 9 posts we will explore practical ways to seek God and sustain a healthy relationship with Him.


To being wise,


Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Changing Sides

The game has been set, it is already in play and you find yourself on the sidelines ready to join. Both sides call to you. Who will you join, what will you fight for? Life may not seem this dramatic, but it is. There has been a spiritual match going on since the moment that the seeds of sin grew in the mind of Satan. One side seems to offer the pleasures of life and an easy path. The other warns that you will be tested and that life may not always be easy, but you will have support. Your advantage is that you know the outcome of this game. One side will lose and will be punished with death and the other side will win and be rewarded with life eternal.


Whether you think you have decided or not, the terrible truth is that we were born onto one side. Our very nature is in constant conflict with the winning side.


“We know that the Law is spiritual. But I am merely a human, and I have been sold as a slave to sin. In fact, I don’t understand why I act the way I do. I don’t do what I know is right. I do the things I hate.” Romans 7:14 – 15 (CEV)


We are weak and incapable of winning. Despite our loser status we are still sought after by both teams. One side pursues us out of hate and promises death and the other pursues us out of love and promises life. This seems like a daunting task to rebel and fight against our nature. It seems that it is impossible for us to win and it is impossible for us to do this alone.


“What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me. So with my mind I serve the Law of God, although my selfish desires make me serve the law of sin.” Romans 7:24 – 25 (CEV)


The choice is yours. There is only one way to win, it is with the help of God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ.


“The Holy Spirit will give you life that comes from Christ Jesus and will set you free from sin and death.” Romans 8:2 (CEV)



To being wise,


Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

The Middle Man

In our last post we made a reference to Charlie’s Angels and we would like to continue with that theme. In Charlie’s Angels the girls never saw Charlie, they only heard him through a speaker, but he did not leave them completely alone. There was a middle man, Bosley, who helped the girls carry out Charlie’s wishes and commands. We are of course likening God to Charlie, the girls to us and Bosley to………….the Holy Spirit.



So why is the Holy Spirit important? Like Bosley, the Holy Spirit is there to help you navigate through God’s plan for you. The Holy Spirit is there to interpret God’s will and direction, to comfort and encourage in difficult times, to prepare you for the task at hand and to make sure the mission is completed. The Holy Spirit is our only physical link to God, just like Bosley was the angel’s only physical link to Charlie. Let us explain how the Holy Spirit is a physical link to God. We are not implying that you are going to see the Holy Spirit walk through your door, but you will see the physical evidence of the Holy Spirit in your character. What will the physical evidence of the Holy Spirit look like?


“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22 (KJV)



These attributes, which are physically evident, are a result of the Holy Spirit writing God’s laws in our hearts and filling us with God’s love. When we are filled with God’s love and have His laws written on our hearts, following His laws are no longer an obligation but an impulse. They become our desire.



The Holy Spirit is a necessity in our lives. If there is no seed planted, then nothing can grow. If we do not accept the Holy Spirit, God cannot enter. When we do not allow the Holy Spirit to transform us, when we do not allow God to enter we are committing spiritual suicide. The Holy Spirit is vital to us because when Jesus returns, He will be looking for Himself contained within us. His carbon print in us is purity and that can only be attained through the daily workings of the Holy Spirit.



To being wise,



Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

6:00am

Your hand shoots out and fumbles in the darkness to shut off the alarm. Consciousness dawns and you try to open your eyes. What are your first thoughts? Work? Deadlines? Financial concerns? Pressing appointments? Staying in bed and ignoring the world? We propose a different scenario.



Your hand shoots out and fumbles in the darkness to shut off the alarm. Consciousness dawns and you try to open your eyes. And you are overwhelmed with feelings of peace, joy and even excitement. What are your first thoughts? God. His blessings. His goodness. His provision. His protection. His unconditional love. With this overwhelming gratitude you spring out of bed for your divine appointment.



“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:2 – 6 (ESV)



In a previous post we talked about baptism and how that act is symbolic of allowing our old life in sin to die and rising as a new person in Christ. Choosing to be baptized is acknowledging that our sinful lives are leading to death and only in Christ is there life. A life in Christ is a life that has been freed from sin, freed from death. After that step has been made the journey in being a new person requires a partnership with Christ. That partnership means never being alone, which is a comforting and joyful thought. But it also means that your life is not about you anymore, it is all about Christ.



Humor us as we divert on a fun tangent. Remember Charlie’s Angels? Three fabulous women who devoted their entire lives to the missions and requests of a man they never met. Their entire existence was affected by their devotion to Charlie, they served him without question. Just like the Angels, every aspect of our lives and daily objectives should reflect our servitude to Christ.



6:05am. Good morning God! You are amazing and words cannot describe how unworthy I am and how loving and forgiving you are in spite of this. I ask today that Your Holy Spirit comes into my heart. Help me to yield to Your will and not to my own. What is your instruction for today? I am ready and willing.



To being wise,



Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Beep! Beep! BEEP!!!

The alarm goes off at 6:00am. Stumble to the bathroom, wash your face, brush your teeth and comb your hair. Pick an outfit and apply your make-up (or not if you are a guy). Grab something for breakfast and throw something together for lunch. Hello world! You are ready for your day. But hold on, what about your spiritual preparation?



In the next few posts we are going to be writing about preparing ourselves for our spiritual daily routine and keeping our lives spiritually healthy. These are things that have personally helped us with our spiritual journey and in sharing with you we hope that we can encourage and inspire you.



To being wise,



Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

If You Like It, Than You Should Have Put A...

You know the song, and you know what the song is trying to say. If you love something, then claim it. The same can be said for Christ. If you love Him, claim Him.


“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory”. Colossians 3:3 – 4 (NIV)



And how does one die to self? Through a public proclamation, the most common and accepted form of this being baptism. Baptism is an important rite of passage in a spiritual life. The process of baptism is symbolic of letting go of your old life, where sin was your master and embracing a new life that Christ reveals in you. The act of being submerged in the water is a metaphor for our former life dying. When you are brought back out of the water you are rising as a new person in Christ. Just as Christ died and rose again anew, we mimic this when we accept Him into our lives, publicly proclaiming our choice.



Why proclaim all of this to the world? Our question is why not? What is there to hide? Christ did not hide when it was time to pay the ultimate price for our sins. What is there to fear? Now we are not saying you will never be afraid, we are afraid sometimes, but what we are saying is that even Christ was afraid, but He loved us enough to allow Himself to be crucified to save us. If Christ could submit Himself to the ridicule and the torture of being crucified, then we can stand before the world and claim Him.




To being wise,



Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Keeping Up Appearances

You can’t go to the movie theater. No makeup. Girls can’t wear pants at church. No drums in the church. No dancing. No coffee. No pepper. You can wade in the water on the Sabbath, but you can’t swim. Sound familiar? All of the little rules that people are nit-picky about are just physical manifestations of things that should be happening internally.


“And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” Mark 7:6 – 8 (ESV)


“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” Matthew 15:19 – 20 (ESV)


The focus of holiness is not solely the conversion of the mind; it is also the conversion of the heart. The issue is people keep the appearance of holiness without a real relationship with Christ. Because the conversion is not genuine they put on the garments of righteousness, but what lies beneath is a heart that is untouched by God. True transformation occurs when God abides within an individual and His presence inspires obedience from the heart. He is knocking, let Him come in.



To being wise,


Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Be Careful What You Wish For.....(Part 2)

In our previous post we discussed how God’s plan is so much better than anything we could come up with on our own. So what does the righteous life look like? What’s in it for you?


1. God will not deny you good things. “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11 ESV


2. Those who seek the Lord lack for nothing. “The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” Psalms 34:10 ESV


3. Whatever the righteous desire will be granted. “What the wicked dreads will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.” Proverbs 10:24 ESV


4. Unlimited grace and favor. “For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.” Psalms 5:12 ESV


5. The righteous will thrive. “Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the Lord, but those of blameless ways are his delight.” Proverbs 11:20 ESV


6. The righteous will rejoice in the fruit of their deeds. “Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.” Isaiah 3:10 ESV


7. The righteous are not left alone in times of trouble. “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.” Psalms 34:17 ESV


8. The righteous will not be forsaken by God and can expect help from Him. “I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.” “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble." Psalms 37:25 & 39 ESV


9. Our inheritance is from God. “The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.” Psalms 37:29 ESV


10. The righteous have eternal life. “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:46 ESV


This is more than winning the lottery, more than being on the cover of Forbes and more than being famous. God offers you eternal life, will you settle for death?



To being wise,



Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Be Careful What You Wish For.....(Part 1)

Because you just might get it. Is what you want in life clashing with what God’s wants for you? What is preventing you from totally receiving the lifestyle He wants for you? What we fear is that God’s plan is not as good as our own. We perceive God as the policeman keeping record of our faults and keeping us from having fun, instead of perceiving Him as our Father who has only our best interest in mind.


Trust us, we feel your pain. Our entire lives we have witnessed people living the “holy life”, and it seems like an existence void of fun, joy and happiness. We have grown up believing that everything that is good for you is boring and everything that is fun is bad for you. This is a faulty perception that we have only now just realized. God doesn’t want to keep us from fun; He wants to keep us from pain. Take sex for example. Does God (the creator of sex) want to keep you from having sex and pleasure? No. He wants to give you guidelines that shield you from danger, suffering and shame. Being promiscuous can lead to abuse, an unwanted pregnancy, STDs or a broken heart. That is why God’s intention for sex is within the safety of marriage. Another example is keeping the Sabbath. Does God want to keep you from having fun? No. God provided a day for our minds and bodies to rest from the stress and strain of work and school. But it is deeper than that, knowing that we would be consumed by the cares of this world, He created a day when we could be reminded of who made us and where we came from. God gifted us with a day to re-connect with Him and be rejuvenated.



“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalms 1:1 – 3 NKJV



To being wise,



Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

A Low Down Dirty Shame (Part 2)

In reference to our previous post, it was rather grim. We are not fire and brimstone kind of gals, but we wanted to convey the severity of that message, the malignancy of sin. We want to inspire you to let God exterminate sin in your life, like you would exterminate cockroaches in your kitchen.



It doesn’t mean that God does all the work. It starts with your choice. Every single time you are tempted you have to choose to let God work in you. From the moment you wake up to the time you go to sleep and every moment in between each choice should allow God to move on your behalf.



The problem comes when we take control. We fail, because our very existence is born into sin. When we sin, which will happen and we allow the guilt to separate us from God, we are no longer abiding in God’s grace. This is the devil’s most successful and popular deception to separate us from God. As a result, every time sin is the cause for our estrangement from God, our bondage to Satan is exposed. That is why it is imperative to cling to God even more in moments of shame and weakness. For it is through a contrite heart, repentance and forgiveness that we benefit from God’s unlimited grace and we remain free in our connection to our Master.



To be bonded to Christ is the ultimate freedom. Every low down dirty shame that you accumulate is covered by the pure and perfect blood that Jesus shed for you.



To being wise,


Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

A Low Down Dirty Shame (Part 1)

It was a balmy evening in paradise, but something sinister had occurred. It started so simply, nothing more than a woman’s hunger. She just wasn’t satisfied; the possibility of having it all was within reach. She gazed at what was before her. It was beautiful, tantalizing and she knew it was like nothing she had ever had before. She pondered what was about to be hers and the pleasures it would hold for her. When it was offered, she took it without hesitation. What seemed like bliss became horror. The life she had known was shattered forever but this one act.



I am sure this story sound very familiar. Eve was tempted by her own desires. The desire to know and to be like God was something that had already been present in Eve. Satan provided her with an opportunity. When that opportunity came, rather than thinking twice about what God told her, she relied on her own judgment and her own longing.



Does this sound familiar in your own areas of weakness? Satan tempting you with something you have secretly wanted and you succumb. With your covetous eyes you will use all manner of flawed reasoning to get what you want. What we see here is that sins starts with corrupt desires.


“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” James 1:14 & 15 ESV


“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:7 – 9 KJV



“He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.” 1 John 2:4 & 5 NKJV



That is why sin needs to be conquered. The way we know that we are in Him, is that His love perfects us to sin no more. Sin keeps you in bondage to Satan. If left unchanged, you remain shackled and this reserves your place in hell.



To being wise,



Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Turning Point (Our Steps to Christ)

Marisa:

It all began my sophomore year in college. My major was in jeopardy, I was about to fail a class. I felt that this occupation I was pursuing was God’s path for me. But this one class was the key to my success or my failure. All I was praying for was a passing grade, I asked God to help me in this class if this was where He wanted me to be. I passed, by the skin of my teeth and something was revealed to me; that God wanted to show me who He was and that He was interested in every aspect of my life. The next year I fell ill and my major was once again in jeopardy. Again, God proved that He had my back and could do the impossible, if I allowed Him to. In those moments of despair I realized that God was my constant. His was the friendship that had to be a priority. I graduated with my degree and was accepted into a school of higher learning in my field. I feel God has shown me that this is where I am meant to be, as long as I follow Him.





Meredith:

It started for me, when the path I chose for myself was not working out. I went through a period where I blamed God for certain things not working out in my life. I asked Him for help and when it did not come in the way I had expected, I withdrew from Him. Surprisingly, God stopped talking to me, which was the perfect way to reach me. The silence made me worried. I had grown accustomed to God pursuing me and when He didn’t it gave me reason to pause. His silence (which was very effective) was what encouraged me to seek Him. Like a child who isn’t interested until you ignore them, I couldn’t be reached until God ignored me. After that, I was the one doing the pursuing. I found that God has just been waiting for me. He changed my path and the path He chose for me was far superior to the one I had chosen.





Jennifer:

For a long time I felt that my life was just fine. I knew about God and accepted that He was the Lord and Savior. I felt I was a good person, who fell short of the mark, but reasoned that everyone did, so it was no big deal. I made a life decision that left me looking for a job. I was not worried; I felt that as a competent and hardworking individual it would not be long before I found gainful employment. Four months passed and I finally turned to God. I began to pray, but realized that I had no business asking God for anything, because I did not know Him at all. I began seeking Him and so much has changed for me. A desire to know Him began in me that had never been present before. I found I had a void that I didn’t even know about! Since then I have had a job offer and my desire for Christ keeps on growing.



As evident in our three stories, God is always trying to reach us, in precisely the way we need Him to. He called to us and we listened, it was the turning point in our lives, will you ignore His call?




To being wise,



Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Life in Transition

Wouldn’t it be strange if a friend came to you and revealed that they were using the same toothbrush that they had since the 1st grade or that you had a friend who never left the 5th grade or that you knew someone who never managed to learn how to tie their shoelaces. You would find it strange that they had not managed to go through the normal progression of maturity and change. Everything about our lives is in constant motion and constant progression. We are always getting older, we are always learning and we are always moving. So why is it ok for our relationship with Christ to be stationary? If you are not getting closer to Christ, you are getting further away from him because there is no such thing as being stationary. If Christ is the new life, then if you are not getting closer to Him, you are getting closer to death.


If you are not growing in Christ, you are dying.


“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:3 & 4 NIV



The three of us were born into this church. We know all about Seventh-day Adventism and all of the customs and beliefs. We have accepted these customs and beliefs and we live our lives by them. For a long time our view of the church was through our parents’ eyes. It always felt like their church, their customs and their beliefs. It felt like it was their God. And while we believed in the message and we believed in Him, we did not know Him for ourselves.



Our parents have inspired us, their connection with God is something we came to yearn for. Not until a few years ago did we decide that we wanted it to be our church, our customs and beliefs, our God.



To being wise,



Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Mirror, Mirror On the Wall..............

When you look in the mirror what do you see? Sure, your physical attributes are readily visible. But when you look deeper perhaps you see your father’s mischievous grin in the corner of your mouth, your mother’s compassion in the set of your eyes or your grandfather’s determination in the wrinkle of your forehead? Those attributes may not physically be there, but they are a memory or a reflection of the significant people around you. These important people have left imprints on you, is Christ’s imprint visible?


“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” “For the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true, and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:1, 2, 9 & 10 ESV


If we claim that we are Christians and are children of God, there should be evidence of Him in our lives. Just like the important people in your life have left their mark on you, Christ’s mark should also be evident. The minute we reflect something opposite to what Christ embodies, we create doubt. That’s a lot of responsibility. But the beautiful part is that we don’t bear this entire burden, all we have to do is allow Christ to live within us. So who is the fairest of them all?


In the following posts we are going to outline how to allow Christ to take residence in you.



To being wise,



Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

The Friend with Benefits

Take a trip down memory lane, recall how you met your best friend. Remember how you met, and how situations and experiences brought you closer to each other. Think about the major events in both of your lives that defined your relationship. If you wrote it down on paper it would read as a timeline, mapping out your growth from being acquaintances to being life-long, best friends. If you were to map out the timeline of your relationship with Christ, how would it read? Are you friends? Have you even met yet?


The same markers that you experience in your growing relationship with your best friend will be there when your relationship with Christ grows. They won’t be the same of course, no gossip sessions, shopping outings, or whatever boys do together. But a deeper understanding will emerge, a closeness that you cannot deny and evidence of your change.


“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NKJV


When you are in a growing relationship with Christ you learn that He is the ultimate friend with the absolute best benefits.


“But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.” Galatians 5:22-24 The Message


Christ is the best friend you could ever have, but like any other relationship it takes time, effort and commitment.


"It takes a long time to grow an old friend." -John Leonard



To being wise,



Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Who's the Lucky Guy?

If one of us, say Marisa, were to announce that she was getting married, the first questions she would hear is “Who’s the lucky guy?”. Or if she had posted it on facebook people would flock to her page to see who she was engaged to. These questions asked would be not so much about her, but about the person she had decided to commit to.


When someone asks “Who’s the lucky guy/girl?” we respond with details that describe this person, but also about how this person makes us feel and how happy we are now that they are in our lives. Their influence is reflected in our announcement but also in our demeanor.


In our last post we talked about Christ being the Bridegroom and that in the time that He tarries, we are preparing ourselves to meet Him. When we make a commitment to Christ it is reflected in our demeanor. The change in us is an announcement; it is physical proof of our intimate relationship with Christ. And when people ask us about this change and our happiness, we tell them who the lucky guy is, it’s Christ.


He is the significant other that frees us to live. Live a life of abundance. All of life’s worries are no longer a problem because of Him in our lives. Whatever we lack, He provides. Whatever we need, He supplies. Whenever we fall, He picks us up. We are never lonely, He is always there. Whenever we speak, He hears. His unconditional love for us is not a contract, it is a gift. Christ is the ultimate catch. We are the lucky ones.


To being wise,

Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Why the Virgins?

Why did we choose the story of the virgins and their lamps? We felt a strong connection to the juxtaposition between the foolish virgins and the wise virgins. We feel like the foolish virgins and we are endeavoring to be wise.


In Matthew 25 the story goes that 10 virgins were woken up by a midnight cry and they were to prepare for the Bridegroom’s arrival. They all arose and trimmed their lamps. The five foolish virgins found they were running out of oil, so they asked the wise virgins for more. The wise told them to get their own, because they had enough only for themselves. The wise went to meet the Bridegroom and the foolish went off in search of more oil. When the foolish returned they saw that all had entered the wedding and the door was shut.


When they knocked on the door, the Bridegroom replied that he did not know them.


So we get the metaphor here, we need to be ready for the second coming of Christ. But what is the oil? And why couldn’t the wise virgins help the foolish? We perceive the oil to be our personal relationship with Christ and it is why it can never be given. A personal experience can be shared but not transferred to another.


Three words stood out to us in this story – oil, vessel and lamp. The wise virgins had extra oil in their vessels, the foolish did not have extra. In the Bible the Holy Spirit is likened to the flame of fire or the anointing oil. We are the vessels in which the Holy Spirit is contained. The story is telling us that the wise, through having a relationship with Christ, are filled with the Holy Spirit and the foolish are not. Having a relationship with Christ and allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us gives us full lamps that can be lit.


Why couldn’t the Bridegroom recognize the foolish virgins? What is the significance of having enough oil to light your lamps? And why weren’t they let in?! At the second coming there will be those that Christ knows and those he does not know. Christ will recognize those that reflect His light and are mirrors of Himself. Those with full lamps; those who are prepared.


The whole point is that while He tarries, we must prepare. Now is the time to be filling our lamps, now is the time to have extra oil in our vessels. So when we hear the midnight cry, we can light our lamps and be reflections of Christ. Got oil?



To being wise,


Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

The First Step

At a Sabbath lunch, three 20 something year old women began to wonder what Ellen (Ellen G. White) would think about the issues young Seventh-day Adventists are facing in their lives today. After a delicious, mostly vegan meal we began to discuss women’s ordination, the Seventh-day Adventist dating scene and the critical time in the SDA church. We began to realize the presence of young people in the church is disappearing. We wondered who was there left to lead? And an even more gripping revelation was that many of our generation are ill equipped to carry the baton.


So begins this journey to learn, share and inspire each other, as well as anyone reading this blog, about gaining a spiritual intimacy with Christ, interpreting the Bible for practical use in our lives today and discovering our place in the church. Through Bible study we will explore an array of topics that are relevant to our generation.


Yes, we are virgins. Proud, embarrassed at times and misunderstood, but that spiritual commitment is not enough. We want to take it further.


To being wise,


Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa