Authority not Arrogance

Once upon a time I did a study about overcoming addictions.  I used to fill my feelings with food.  The thing that I had a hard time with was going before Jesus and crying about my sins.  To be moved with sadness because of the sadness I cause Jesus by my sins.  Its almost like they wanted you to remind yourself how horrible you were just so you would cling to Jesus.

The worst thing my kids can do is after a discussion on a mistake is to say "I am so stupid, I'm so bad, I'm a horrible person."  So why would God want to hear us lament over how horrible we are?  Do I go before God in prayer with a feeble heart?  With a false humility, "uh, Jesus?  If you see me, my sinful heart and all that I am not, would you maybe like to take care of this problem I have?  But, I mean, only if you think I deserve it."  Why would Jesus come to bring us a new Royal Heritage for us to stay tied to our old sinful one?

I believe the condition of our heart in our prayers weighs heavy on the influence of our prayers.  It is our right to go before God.  We are already seated with Him, Jesus has already brought us into righteousness, we do not need to sneak into the thrown room, we are to LIVE in the thrown room.  We have every right to be there with Him, to expect Him to answer.  He wants us to call life to the lifeless and light to the darkness.  It is not arrogance it is authority.

A New Class

In "high society", they hold heritage very close, legacy is a big part of who they are, and who their future families will be. They look to their past in order to know their future.  Their lives are already laid out for them before they are born, they are looked as "black sheep" if they turn from their family road map and go their own way.  (I know how this works, I watch the Gilmore Girls)  

I don't really relate to that, I grew up like most of America, Middle Class.  We value heritage, but very few of know anything that happened to our family a few generations back, especially what happened before the boat crossed the big ocean.  Most of us middle classers value our current families, and the future of it higher than what our ancestors might think of or current trajectory.  We don't really care what they would have thought, of course we are respectful and honor them, but we look ahead more than back.  -Maybe its just me then.

 But.....as soon as salvation became ours, we began living out of a different heritage, not high class, not middle class, or even lower class.  -A lot of churches think we should be poor to be holy.-  We began to live under the Legacy of Christ.  He, and all of His ministry, are now our heritage.  We are now wealthy, high class, and we should look back on that to see where our future is.  Jesus was sent to give us that road map, so we could duplicate His ministry, His power, His presence to the Earth.  It no longer matters what earthly family you come out of, because at that moment you said 'yes' to Jesus, He began writing a new identity and destiny into you.  A destiny full of authority and a future full of adventure!  Guaranteed.

We are now a new class, we are free from the chains of expectation, generation, and no longer locked into the hierarchy of the worlds order.  I guess its the original "New World Order."  

Fence or Freedom?

I often get very tired when I'm reading.  I think its genetic, when my mother sits, she falls asleep.  Usually this is a pain in the butt, but yesterday it had meaning.  I sat to read "Culture of Honor", a really great book by Danny Silk.  (I love all that comes out of Bethel church in Redding.  They got it together. )  So, I started reading a chapter that was talking about the 4 keys to unlock the New Freedom mindset of God.  He was explaining that Abram had to leave his family, and God promised He would bless all families from his own. 

And that's when I fell asleep.  But, I still knew what was happening.  I saw myself behind bars, not jail.  Its was more like a really big wrought iron fence with no way out.  Its grey and dingy here.  I asked God what this was, He said it was where I was.  Safe, protected, not in danger, but not taking any risk.  See, in my life, I am safe, I am comfortable, there is little need to take risk.  In fact, I really hate risk, just ask my husband.  I'm a play it safe kind of gal. 

Then in an instant I was Laura Ingalls running through the tall prairie grasses. *sigh, love the prarie*  This is the place of danger and also excitment.  I am open to all things to come at me, yet I am so free, its like I'm called to be here.  I can breath, I can be who God created me to be, its beautiful, bright, full of yellow and wheat colors and full of expectation.  I woke up, and I knew God was talking to me.  Then life happened and I didn't get to finish reading.

This morning I began reading again, I stayed awake this time.  Mr. Silk continued, (paraphrased) "God wants us to leave our identity placed on us by our family, He wants us to go beyond what they expect from us, He wants us to throw off our social-class world view and to begin seeing the way He sees, to begin living the way He lives." 

We need to find a way out, and walk beyond of the fenced in yard.  Sure the yard is everything you've ever known, its safe, its what you know, its predictable.  But like all those pioneers, they took courage and went beyond what was expected of them, they took up the challenge to blaze a new trail.  Its wasn't particularly safe, there was risk, but they rarely traveled alone.  We will not travel alone either.  The wide open spaces are waiting, and God is calling us to new things, bigger things, the truer things. 

I will no longer associate myself with the worlds identity of me. (I know this is a process) I'm not just Sarah, oldest daughter, type A, stay at home mom, borderline crunchy granola mom.  I am SARAH, princess to the King, hands and feet of the Creator, pioneer of the Spirit, worker unto the Lord....and so are you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=nFbMvFdRDvg&NR=1