Cookies and Saints

"For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do but I am doing the very thing that I hate."  (Romans 7:15 NASB)

I really enjoy chocolate chip cookies!   But the kind I like have gluten in them and I don't need to be eating them.  

I was diagnosed back in March 2011 with a very rare lymph node disease called Castleman's Disease.  It affects my autoimmune system and I have a mass located in the pelvic area that is caused by the disease.  I will be having surgery on Feb 9th to try and remove the mass but until then and even after, I have to do things that are best for my immune system.  One of those things is to be gluten free in my daily diet.  So unless something is cooked or baked without gluten (wheat, barley, rye) I don't need to eat it.  Do you realize how hard that is?  

I have done pretty good (I think!) Although I have been guilty of doing the very thing I don't want to do or should do... like eating cookies, a breaded Chick-fil-A sandwich, biscuits, and a few other things.  Why did I do that? It wasn't practicing what  I would like to do.  As Paul states in Rom 7:15.."I do not understand ..."

Praise God that He knew we would be this way!  Jesus was the only one that could do the right thing all the time.  He was God incarnate!  Jesus died on that cross to take care of our past, present and future disobedience (sins).  God knew even though we have a new nature (HIS nature) in us we would still do things that aren't  the best for us.  

HE KNEW WE WOULD BE SAINTS WHO WILL SOMETIMES SIN and He went ahead and took care of the penalty for those sins.   But just like eating those cookies that aren't gluten free, there are consequences in this life for my disobedience. And even though my loving wife may condemn me for eating those cookies, my loving God doesn't condemn me for my disobedience..."Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus". (Rom 8:1)

What's cool is that I have been going gluten free long enough now that my body has gotten used to it, so when I do eat something with gluten in it my body reacts and rejects it.  That makes me no longer want anything with gluten.

That is kind of like what happens as I grow in my relationship with HIM.  He replaces my desire for whatever I craved before with something else that is better.   As I grow closer to Him, my cravings change - wanting more of what He desires. 

"Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart". Ps 37:4

I am still looking for what that is in regards to warm chocolate chip cookies.....

YOU are really and truly and completely FREE!!

I recently had a book reccomended to me by Alan Miller,pastor of First Missionary Baptist.  It is titled  A Scandalous Freedom...The radical nature of the Gospel.  I have only gotten through the first two chapters but have already underlined and highlighted numerous things.  I was really struck by the following from pgs. 12 and 13......  "There is no kicker. There is no if and or but. You are free. Abraham Lincoln went to a slave market. There he noted a young,beautiful African-American woman being auctioned off to the highest bidder. He bid on her and won.He could see the anger in the young woman's eyes and could imagine what she was thinking.Another white man who will buy me,use me,and then discard me. As Lincoln walked off with his property, he turned to the woman and said, "You're free."    "Yeah. What does that mean?" she replied.   "It means that you're free"   "Does it mean I can say whatever I want, be whatever I want, go wherever I want?"  "Yes, it means you can do all those things."  "Then," said the young woman, "I think I'll go with you"  That is what God has done for us. We have been bought with a price, the price of God's own Son.  We are really and truly and completely free!!!

The GIFT the world cannot give

 As my walk with the Lord has matured I have made this statement numerous times..."the greatest gift the Lord has given me besides my salvation is the gift of peace" 

Definition of PEACE ( Webster's Dictionary)

1

: a state of tranquillity or quiet: as a : freedom from civil disturbance b : a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom <a breach of the peace>

2

: freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions

3

: harmony in personal relations

 I pulled some of the words from Webster's definition that I thought would fit into my description of the gift of peace..."a state of quiet", "freedom", "a state of security", "freedom from oppressive thoughts", "harmony in personal relations"....then I read  John 14:27 (NLT version)

"I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.  So dont be troubled or afraid"

This peace from God is unlike any peace the world can offer to you and I.  I believe that ultimately everybody desires one thing when they lay there head down on the pillow each night---not more money, not a bigger house,not power and fame---I believe everybody wants peace!!   So we go about in the world seeking it and as I was on this journey seeking it I realized that the only place that tells me it has been truly offered to me was in the Word of God...."I am leaving you with a gift---peace...."   Why would someone keep seeking something that cannot be found in the place they are seeking it?  Yet that is happening every minute of every day.  I have aksed God to give me His eyes and His heart to be able to recognize those that are on this journey searching for peace.  Then for HIM to give me the strength and power to share with them that this world cannot give them what they are searching for but there is someone who can and it is a free gift!!   This gift will allow me,you and them to live our lives not troubled or afraid as we hold tightly to His hand and walk in His steps not ours.

Father, thank you for your gift of peace!!