go to merediths blog... it basically explains my life lately: somewhat slow and boring but at least we have each other!!!

http://meredithjsmith.blogspot.com/2005/09/star-struck-in-bham.html

i knew the Lord would use this next year to make real the things i learned this summer. this is so fun to record my personal examples as he solidifies what's really important.

i really enjoy the phrase "it's all gonna burn". I often use it when i stop and realize i am worrying about something ridiculous or i am in an uncomfortable situation, but really what exactly IS gonna burn? material stuff? sure. but what else? i would venture to say the motives of our hearts. things done not trusting the life of Christ to do it through us/things done in our own strength/taking credit for the fruit of our own lives is something that is of "wood, hay, and stubble" as KJV says opposed to life in the Spirit, which is compared to gold!

and isn't it cool what he does in our lives, like Job said: "10But He knows the way that I take [He has concern for it, appreciates, and pays attention to it]. When He has tried me, I shall come forth as refined gold [pure and luminous]." It's part of that beautiful sanctification. It's His job to heat up that gold, testing it and purifying it when He skims off the dross... little by little the impurities are removed.

Acknowledging an all powerful God and that the results are His is foundational to understanding His economy:
in the Spirit= tapping into the Life within us.
Living in Eternity today: He IS eternal life, He IS the only being that is eternal and we share in that today! We were baptized into His life at the moment when we placed our faith in Him. This is so central to understanding that real life (life that lasts and stands all tests) is solely in Christ Jesus.

1 Cor 3 says it better than I could:

7So neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but [only] God Who makes it grow and become greater. 8He who plants and he who waters are equal (one in aim, of the same importance and esteem), yet each shall receive his own reward (wages), according to his own labor.
9For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God; you are God's [b]garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, [you are] God's building.(A)
10According to the grace (the special endowment for my task) of God bestowed on me, like a skillful architect and master builder I laid [the] foundation, and now another [man] is building upon it. But let each [man] be careful how he builds upon it,
11For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
12But if anyone builds upon the Foundation, whether it be with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13The work of each [one] will become [plainly, openly] known (shown for what it is); for the day [of Christ] will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done.
14If the work which any person has built on this Foundation [any product of his efforts whatever] survives [this test], he will get his reward.
15But if any person's work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed] through fire.(B)
16Do you not discern and understand that you [the whole church at Corinth] are God's temple (His sanctuary), and that God's Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you [to be at home in you, [c]collectively as a church and also individually]?
17If anyone [d]does hurt to God's temple or corrupts it [[e]with false doctrines] or destroys it, God will [f]do hurt to him and bring him to the corruption of death and destroy him. For the temple of God is holy (sacred to Him) and that [temple] you [[g]the believing church and its individual believers] are.
18Let no person deceive himself. If anyone among you supposes that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool [let him discard his worldly discernment and recognize himself as dull, stupid, and foolish, without true learning and scholarship], that he may become [really] wise.(C)
19For this world's wisdom is foolishness (absurdity and stupidity) with God, for it is written, He lays hold of the wise in their [own] craftiness;(D)
20And again, The Lord knows the thoughts and reasonings of the [humanly] wise and recognizes how futile they are.(E)
21So let no one exult proudly concerning men [boasting of having this or that man as a leader], for all things are yours,
22Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas (Peter), or the universe or life or death, or the immediate and [h]threatening present or the [subsequent and uncertain] future--all are yours,
23And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

This beautiful passage not only clarifies WHO you are (a temple, Christ's, God's, sacred, the dwelling place of God's spirit) but also How to live- He states it clearly that the world's wisdom is foolishness, haha, absurdity and stupidity. The world looks for results, and God looks at the heart. Only He can see the true motives. Lord in your mercy, make me a fool so I can see things from your perspective!

I think it's so easy to be critical. I know I often am for one reason or another: feeding my self worth (using my own twisted ways to find value) instead of receiving Christ's worth mainly, but He is so faithful to gently remind me that HE alone sees the heart. I definitely don't have that power...ha, there is only ONE God...

I was at a worship service tonight and the world would probably rate it "fair" or "so-so" because the guy with the guitar messed up a decent amoutn. I even said myself that 'he got carried away" (God I confess this to you) but God does not see it that way! It's so frustrating to us b/c we have been molded too long to the world who is always looking for perfection, but I sensed the Lord saying "I know this man's heart" which He does (1 samuel 16:7) and boy this guy was worshipping with all he had for sure. A humble heart should lead me more than a perfect performance. And a humble worshipper who chooses to do so in Spirit and in Truth is precious in the sight of God: precious as gold, that is! The analyzing critical spirit is most likely not done in Christ. There is one who has said that this is 'leadership" and I concur to a degree. But if it is to the point that we are missing HIM, then possibly we've missed the point.

See, God calls this "success" if this guy is yielded to Him and trusting Him to live his Life through his being. THAT is God's economy. Christ has already paid the price for the unbelief of the one who acts in His own strength while leading worship or preaching a sermon. If it was the perfect performance but of a man trusting in self God says 'failure' and that performance will burn up and the foolish worlds says "great! what beautiful sound" Boy can we be foolish and miss the heart of it all... If God wanted it to look fantastic He would let it be so. Is He not an all-powerful God? Does he not rule the world as we know it? I believe he DOES. In light of eternity and knowing Him, what is more important? The outside appearance or the heart? I pray i will not take this question lightly as Paul asks: (yes I'm repeating for emphasis)

16Do you not discern and understand that you [the whole church at Corinth] are God's temple (His sanctuary), and that God's Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you [to be at home in you, [a]collectively as a church and also individually]?

And it's only by His GRACE that I get to be a part of something so much bigger than me: of Christ's life, living in and through me. True life is yielding to Him as His spirit works through your "temple" as you surrender your ideas and motives to His. Totally. 100%.

Thank you Lord that if you wanted to move mountains, you would. And thank you for not moving them that we may choose to trust you more and you in your grace cause us to have to trust in that which we cannot see, finding a deeper trust and dependence than ever before. Thank you for all you do to sanctify us and ultimately to be intimate with us. All things are from you, and I want to receive them as such. Thank You Father.