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hold nothing back

01 Thursday Aug 2013

Tags

christian living, christian women, expensive perfume, God, Jesus, living faith, living for God, perfume

Today’s guest post is by a wonderful woman of God, Deena Smeltzer.pastors_edit2

Tony & I passed the pastor baton of Living Faith Church to Deena and her husband Steven in November 2012. They are doing an awesome job taking Living Faith to the next level and reaching into the community. You can check out the church at: Living Faith Church

I know Deena’s article will bless you!

Hold Nothing Back By: Deena Smeltzer

One of the most expensive perfumes in our world today is Les Larmes Sacrees de Thebes by Baccarat: selling at $6,800.00 an ounce.

perfumeThe Baccarat crystal pyramid bottle contains a perfume of which the main ingredients are frankincense and myrrh.

If I owned this perfume I most likely would use it very sparingly, and probably only on special occasions; I wouldn’t want to “waste” it. However, I’d like to think I would have no hesitation in pouring it on Jesus’ head should I have the opportunity.

I like to believe that I would pour it all out and hold nothing back, just as He did for me, but would I? Would you?

Ladies of Living Faith get together for what we call “Women of Substance”. Together we search God’s Word to see what it says to us regarding being determined, influential women. We know that substance is what we have, what we possess. It also means who we are and what we are made of. Recently we studied a woman who poured costly perfume on Jesus and a widow who gave two small coins; two seemingly very different accounts, and yet oh so relevant to one another.

In Matthew 26 the word precious describes the perfume, and it meant very valuable.  It says she poured it on His head; she didn’t just dribble a little bit, she poured it! You could say she held nothing back!

In Mark chapter 14 the oil was extremely expensive, costly. We learn even more about its value by the rest of what is said. It could be sold for three hundred pence: one of these Roman coins was equal to ten donkeys which was valued at one day’s labor.

This perfume was worth ten donkeys times three hundred! So this perfume she poured on Jesus was valued at approximately one year’s labor. The disciples considered it a waste. Yet the act of love she displayed was so valuable to Jesus that He said wherever the gospel is preached throughout the entire world she would be spoken of.

Jesus observed a woman giving an offering in Mark 12: 41-44. It says He observed how the people cast money into the treasury. A poor widow threw in two mites; studies say this valued at the fourth part of a donkey. We see here that the amount she put in was much less than the perfume was valued at, and yet Jesus said it was much more than all the rich people had put in combined. How could that be? Jesus said they cast in of their excess, or that which was left over; but the widow gave her entire life’s value, all that she had. We could say she held nothing back.

One woman had something of great monetary value, one did not. Yet we see that Jesus esteemed them both as priceless. What is it that we esteem as valuable and precious? What is it that we have that we can pour out for Jesus?

In Acts 3, Peter declares he didn’t have any silver or gold to give a lame man begging for money. Peter extended something to him that was much more valuable. Peter took him by the hand, lifted him up and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

Are we willing to give the most valuable possession we own, or the very last cent we have? Are we willing to step out of our comfort zone and extend our hand to someone that can’t stand on their own two feet? Jesus, in Matthew 28 told us to go and baptize, or we could say drench all people in the Name, the nature and character of God. Selfless giving, holding nothing back is exactly how we do just that.

Jesus purchased us with His own blood, He held nothing back. Being set apart as His possession is to be completely at His disposal. Are we willing to pour out our very essence for Jesus? All for Jesus, we freely give. All for Jesus, we freely live.

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Posted by Maria Costadini | Filed under guest posts

≈ 2 Comments

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hey! wait a minute

02 Tuesday Jul 2013

Tags

allergies, christian living, circumstances, five senses, healing, Jesus, storms of life, victory, walk by faith, word of God

Spring finally came after our first winter in Nashville. I was driving with the windows down enjoying the beautiful day. While stopped at a traffic light I took a deep breath only to be greeted by the horrific smell of freshly cut grass. Yes, I said horrific!

Some people love the smell of fresh cut grass; for me it brings back the worst childhood memories. Suddenly I was back in the fifth grade sitting on the grass at school watching giant red welts take over my body, and itching for the rest of the day. Then sneezing uncontrollably all the way home with no Kleenex to wipe my nose, snot flying everywhere using my new pancho for a Kleenex. I was a vision of loveliness!

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“Hey! Wait aaaa minute”; interrupting this trip down memory lane, I reminded myself the Lord healed me of allergies over eighteen years ago (sometimes it’s good to interrupt yourself). Immediately I started praising God for healing me.

So what happened? Something I smelt (the freshly cut grass) and saw (stuff floating in the air) triggered my memory back to the days of allergy attacks. I got caught off guard through my senses.

Thoughts come at you contrary to what the Word says. Maybe what you are seeing is so in your face you can’t see anything else, the circumstances may be screaming at you “you’re not going to make it”; no matter, it’s our job to bring those thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10:3-5), and to walk by faith (2 Cor 5:7) and not by what we see, hear, feel, smell or taste.

Memories or circumstances can trigger your senses and pull you out of the faith realm. Following your senses will only cause you to keep your eyes on the circumstances and not the promises of God. Which is exactly what the enemy wants, to keep the battle in the sense realm; victory will never come on that battlefield.

At that moment I had a choice, I could fall into the trap of my senses or I could continue to thank God for what He has already done for me. I chose right; I sneezed once and said, “I will have none of that devil, the Lord healed me and that is the end of it! I am not dwelling on this any longer”. I don’t care what the mold spore or pollen count is, I don’t care that I am seeing huge floating things in the air, and I don’t care that the news is saying this is the worst allergy season ever… I am healed and I will not be subject to what I see, smell, and hear.

Several weeks later I was driving down the Highway; up ahead was a storm coming towards me fast and furious. Within two minutes I was in the thick of it; rain coming down like a solid wall. I couldn’t see two feet in front of the car. I didn’t panic; I heard the Lord say, “keep your eyes fixed on your lane”. The Lord gave me a point of reference. About three minutes later I passed through it.

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The enemy will try to come at you with all he can; he tries to create fear through circumstances. He tries to get your eyes off of the Lord and His Word, which is our point of reference. He wants you to focus on the storm. But if you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, fixed on His promises, fixed on His Word you will come through the storm. Even if the storm seems to take forever to pass, your job is to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus the Author and Finisher of your faith (Heb 12:2 NASB). It will pass!

A few more scriptures:

2 Cor 4:18 NIV “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen”

Isaiah 43: 2 NASB “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you”.

Isaiah 59:19 “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him”.

I would love to hear your thoughts! 

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Posted by Maria Costadini | Filed under spiritual

≈ 2 Comments

dare to believe

16 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by Maria Costadini in guest posts

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

believe God, christian women, christianity, Jesus, resurrection

Today is a special day…. we have a guest post by my dear friend Amy Stoehr. I have known Amy for 16 years. Amy is the kind of friend that you can pour your heart out to and know that it goes no further; and what you have shared will not change her love for you or her opinion of you. She is a prayer warrior, an amazing wife and mother, a shepherd with a heart and love for people; and a true friend!

AmyAmy and her wonderful husband Matt have been the Senior Pastors of The River Family Church in Vista, CA, for 26 years.  Amy has a blog as well; she wrote a series on prayer that was awesome. You can check it out at Life Words by: Pastor Amy Stoehr.

Dare to Believe by: Amy Stoehr

Precious, beloved ones it’s a great day because Jesus is alive!

I love John 11:25. Remember when Martha and Mary were so distressed because their dear brother Lazarus had died? They were overwhelmed with grief, their strength depleted from sorrow. They were so disappointed in the circumstance and could only see the finality of death, even though the Lord of Life was standing right there with them!

Their minds were on the circumstance, not on Word of God, the One able to bring the dead to life again! Jesus said to them, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.  He who believes in Me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die Do you believe this?.” John 11:25

Jesus is the Resurrection! He is Alive! We must remember this every moment of our days. He lives in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Resurrection swallows up weakness, anxiety, sorrow, disappointment and even those things that are seemingly dead in our lives. Every temporary circumstance is subject to change because of the Resurrection!

Take a moment and ask God to reveal Himself to you as the Resurrection and the Life today. You will receive strength in Him.

What really strikes me about this verse today is the final four words. DO YOU BELIEVE THIS? And that is the question today. Do you really believe that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life for you and in you?

Martha’s response to Jesus reveals that she is hoping for a future Resurrection…. after Jesus tells her that her brother will rise again, she says that she knows he will rise on the last day, in the future.

Here is the truth for us…..Yes we have the hope of  the Resurrection in our future, but the Lord wants us to see Him as the Resurrection today, this moment! He wants us to believe that He is the Resurrection and the Life in our life now, in our circumstance now, in the stressful things…now, in our marriage now, in our family now, in our disappointments now, in His Church now, in our Nation now!

Meditate on this verse today and ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you as the Resurrection and Life this week. You will live life on a whole new level. He is the Resurrection and the Life……do you believe this??????

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