He Showed His Power by Restraining His Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Thank you for joining me for our Coffee Hour and for some thoughts on what is only part, albeit a significant part, of the Salvation Story: His death and resurrection, His ultimate display of power revealed through a restraint of power. Grab your coffee, and your Strand of Faith, and let’s pick up where we left off and hopefully conclude this series … just in time for Good Friday tomorrow!
Have I told you I am back in school for my Bachelor’s degree in Biblical studies? Oh, how I love learning! Well, this past week, we talked about power, the types of power, and multiple definitions for power, how it is used in the church, and out. One of the definitions for “power” is “The potential to influence others.” We were then asked to think of people in positional power, and that included pastors! Then we learned about the types of power, which is positional versus personal and the difference is that positional power is based on a title or a position and personal power is based on relationship.
Then there are the styles of power: Coercive power. Oooh, did I feel a bit of remorse after hearing about this one. The example the professor gave was about parenting, but I saw myself in the beginning of this ministry and even up to a year ago as a coercive type of leader, talking people into things that they really didn’t want to do. There’s the style of utility power, which is a type of compliance for a benefit. And then finally, there is legitimate power where others follow due to a belief in the leader and this type of power generates commitment. Oh, how I long to be this type of leader with this type of power.
Let’s broaden the lens of the scope now to The One who is most powerful, He who has all the power; the time and place: right before His ultimate surrender of power.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth." (Isaiah 53:7)

Do you see the beauty of His legitimate power shining through the prophecies?
I don’t know about you, but I read those words and I am filled with this sense of wonder, awe, and covetousness. What an incredible restraint of power, to not defend yourself when being attacked!
You may be saying, “Well, why would I not want to defend myself?” or “Does Jesus expect us to be doormats?”
Let me answer the first one first and I’m sorry to put it this way, but I must answer the question with a question: Why do you need to defend yourself? The more I learn about His character, the more I yearn to be like Him and the closer I am to Him, the less I need to defend myself. If there is any twinge at all, any division of the heart, could that be fueling the need to defend ourselves in time of conflict? Here’s another way to put it: Does/will defending myself bring eternal value? When it all comes down to it, He knows our hearts and the more we restrain our power over others, the more power we will have.
And to answer the second question: Does Jesus expect us to be doormats? No. Not only no, but heck no! No one can wipe their feet on us unless we let them, and when we “turn our back” we leave them nowhere to stomp!
But Jesus hung there, surrendering His power that we might walk in/with His power, dying that we might live, giving that we might take … any and every opportunity we can to not let His pain go in vain!
See, the Easter story is only part of the story for His power lives in each one of us who have confessed that He is Lord for one day, because of His surrender of power, His ultimate legitimate power will be revealed as every knee bows and every tongue confesses …
Oh, Coffee Hour Friend, may we each allow His surrender of power to empower us, His pain to be our gain …

Evinda


P.S. Join us tomorrow for a beautiful Good Friday word of encouragement from Debbie Croley @ Croley’s corner of Chicklit Power!

He Showed His Power by Restraining His Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Thanks so much for stopping by to have coffee with me and for more of this series that has everything to do with Easter, which is only a part of the Salvation Story. Grab your Red Strand of Faith and your coffee, and let’s go chat about more of the facts that prove His power was demonstrated in His restraint of power.
Many of us are aware of what the prophets foretold of His sufferings and I have read many of them, and more than once. However, I was not able to imagine even an inch of the depth of His suffering and how much all the events leading up to His crucifixion cost Him … until I watched The Passion of the Christ.
I remember watching it as if it were just a few days ago. We went with a church group, like one big family. I had heard it was pretty tough to watch, but I had no idea what I was in for. There were so many times I gripped my honey’s arm, or pulled at his shirt and even squeezed the blood to the surface of his hands as I dared to sit through it. But there were also times where I turned my head away, unable to watch such infliction, especially as I realized, and continue to realize that I was, and unintentionally at times continue to be, part of reason for that affliction.
“But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed”… (Isaiah 53:5)
I don’t know about you, but I am more of a visual, hands-on kind of learner. I need to see what I’m hearing, reading, learning; but oh, my goodness isn’t it hard to imagine all of that physical pain? We need to understand that though the physical pain was immeasurable, it wasn’t just physical; it was emotional and very spiritual! He took that emotional pain that we could, that we would have emotional and spiritual healing … eternally!
Why? Why would God allow such pain and sacrifice? I have come to the truth that God’s plan all along was about relationship with each one of us, now and eternally. He doesn’t need us; He WANTS us! His restraint of power continues to show His power!
Let’s look at the very first restraint of power in Genesis after the temptation and fall of man: “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the Garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’”
Picture this: the very first sin has been committed. SIN has entered all of us. God is still pursuing man despite man! He could have screamed, yelled, beaten, even killed them but instead, His first response to the sin … a restraint of power!
Let’s bring that in a little closer to home: When someone sins against you, what is your first reaction? If it is someone that God has allowed you to be over in the sense of responsibility, or someone that God has called you to lead, i.e. parent, in ministry, as a mentor or accountability partner, what kind of power do you demonstrate when you are hurt by their actions?
I don’t know about you, but my heart yearns for that meekness, that power in control that allows me to love despite being unloved, to offer healing despite being hurt, to repay evil with kindness, to forgive though not forgiven by them.
Could it be that power is best displayed by surrendering to His power?
Join me tomorrow for the conclusion.
Holding on to His power and gripped by His grace

Evinda

He Showed His Power by Restraining His Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Happy spring time! I still can’t believe that it is already here! With spring comes one of the most important holidays, at least for the Christian, the celebration of Easter! Grab your coffee and your Strand of Faith and let’s go talk about this part of the salvation story.
When you hear the word Easter, what do you think of? Is it chocolate bunnies, baskets and bundles of brightly-colored eggs? Is it family gatherings around a great meal? Is it all about the kids, their Easter baskets and joyful Easter-egg hunts, the giggles and exclamations of discovery when they find an egg, and even when they look inside?
For some, it’s that one time when they are moved into a church service; in fact, Easter is known to be one of the highest-attended services of any church. I know for me, whenever I think of Easter, I experience a myriad of emotions and they mix together in a beautiful blend. The best way to describe them is bittersweet. Why bitter, you ask?
Well, it’s hard to think of my Jesus enduring all that He did up to and through the crucifixion. One can’t help but look at these things as Easter approaches, and yet many prophets foretold of some of the sufferings He would endure for you and me.
Did you know He sat through six trials? I didn’t either. I can handle being falsely accused here and there; I can’t even imagine trial after trial! And during those trials, He gave His back to those who struck Him, willingly. He did as He commanded us to do and turned His cheeks to those who plucked out His beard. Not once did He cover His face from the humiliation and the spitting and scream stop! (Isaiah 50:6) This was and continues to be the most amazing restraint of power in the history of all mankind!
He, the all-powerful, all-knowing Son of God could have acquitted Himself, struck each of the accusers down, struck those who hit Him back, twisted the arms of those who dared to pluck at His beard. He could have defended Himself to each of the presiding judges who spat humiliating accusations at Him. Instead, He chose to restrain His power and as a result of restraining His power, here we are over 2000 years later celebrating the reality of this Man, the necessity of His grace, the sovereignty of His power.
Many of us have a hard time staring pain in the face, let alone allowing our thoughts to go down that path. But how can we not remember these things as the day of their actual occurrences approaches? Why is it that just about any resource we look to about information surrounding this holiday all have the same facts: He was accused, endured beatings that rendered Him unrecognizable, suffered other forms of abuse, was mocked, carried His own cross, was pierced … several times, nailed to the cross, and lifted for all to see … why?
The simple answer: because His Father said so. He was aware of His Father’s will and because He was aware, He intentionally died that we may have life.
Awareness is the key to intentionality!
Every year, this time of year becomes even more significant. Why? Because the more I learn about this Man who suffered so much, the more I discover facets of His character that humble me. What I am learning now has me begging Him to entwine my heart with His that I might really be just an “inth” like Him. It’s not any coincidence that I just happen to be back in school for my Bachelor’s degree in Biblical studies, and the first class I am taking is on servant leadership and in order to understand servant leadership, we must have a grasp on the truths about power.
I can’t wait to share with you the truths I’m discovering and how they tie into this part of the Salvation Story and are turning the bitter into sweet!
Join me tomorrow for more,

Evinda

Faith Filled Fridays From Croley’s Corner of Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

It’s Faith filled Friday! No matter what time of day you may be joining me, it’s always good to be together. Grab your journal, coffee and let’s get started.
The last several weeks have been founded on the necessary part of tending a garden -- water, weeding and fertilizing -- in order for our harvest to be healthy. The anticipation of the first sprouts to pop up through the ground is so fulfilling, yet we know that even in our lives as believers, the work is never done or complete! It is a continual, perpetual place of growing.
I recall my grandparents’ farm. It was quite large and I remember watching them both labor; he would build a fence, a stronghold that would surround his precious fields preventing intruders to invade and destroy his work. He invested long hours in the field to give way to a fruitful harvest. They never gave up, never grew weary or discouraged.   As a child I recalled asking him when we would see the fruits and vegetables pop out, and grandma’s reply was, “It’s not time yet. We just have to continue to wait.” They knew the process of waiting, trusting in the seed that was planted.
In the waiting; it truly can be the hardest time for most. It can be discouraging and it can definitely be unfruitful.
Waiting on God is not easy and is a crucial step in our lives in which our dependence upon God grows.
Our hearts often cry out in distress. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalm 27:14
We can easily feel worried and second-guess our motives. We yearn for freedom and provision, yet waiting upon the Lord for needed supplies is one common area in which He trains us. The garden is always in need of continual care, even when we don’t see any productivity. Our soul gardens are in continual need of Him and His care for our lives. Yet it’s in those times when we are needy that we are forced to look to the Lord for help.
The other day someone said to me, "But I don't like what the Lord is bringing me through." Yes, how true this is, yet we must have the confidence in God in order for us not to squirm, squiggle and squeak!
He knows what He is doing! The survival of the seed in the ground must squirm, squiggle and squeak, so to speak, in order to produce efficiently.
Therefore when someone comes to the Lord, through salvation, remember it is a gradual process of a walk by faith. Their beginnings may seem small but as they grow in the grace of God, their faith too will increase. The parable of the mustard seed says: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” Matthew 13:31-32
If we live by confidence in our own means and abilities, will we not become certain of God’s power working in us? What glory does that bring to God? But through this process, God enables us to depend upon Him so that we know it is only He who does wonderful things in our lives.
Ultimately then, waiting upon God protects us, deepens our trust in Him, forces us to seek His ways and brings Him the most glory.
Next week I’m hoping to conclude “A call to Sow”. We’re going to find an example in God’s Word of a couple who experienced seasons of waiting. And through their waiting, and might I add a time of even questioning God, a seed produced, a seed called Isaac, the Son of promise.
Have a wonderful weekend and remember….keep Him close to your heart!
Love, Debbie



P.S. Now that we've had our coffee with Debbie, would you join me in
offering up a prayer of health and blessing to the most amazing woman,
my self-adopted mom who is celebrating her 87th birthday today! Mom, I
thank God for the day He put you in my life, to walk alongside me,
whisper wisdom and love into my soul, to be the first person to show
me that unconditional love.... I love you with all that I am and know
that I am who I am because He's used you to help me become all that He
requires me to become!

The Nondenominational Gift-Conclusion for March WOW-From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Happy day to you and thanks for taking time to take a break in the midst of what I’m sure is a busy schedule! Grab your coffee and let’s get back to the conclusion to this month’s WOW, The Nondenominational Gift!

Since this has been rather lengthy —   — here’s the WOW again to refresh our memories and hearts: Romans 10:11-13: For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

I’m so thankful that He led me to these verses because I know I’ve been guilty at times of pointing fingers at denominations I thought were off base but recent experience on the other end of this issue has taught me how that grieves His heart. It’s definitely no fun when others question your beliefs and accuse you of being in a wrong denomination because of their perception of that denomination and/or lack of understanding based on what others have told them. And yet, I can honestly say that this experience has led me deeper into His Letters for answers!

The day after this actually happened to me, I had an awe-inspiring conversation with a new friend, CPM’s landlord, if you will, who also happens to be the founder of C.S. Lewis Foundation. I shared my recent experience with him and also asked him some very important questions. I have a lot of respect for this guy and after this conversation wherein I feel Abba spoke through him, I came away with a much lighter heart, and another knot in my strand of faith as well as a deeper conviction for the ministry He has given us.

Stan said, “You want to know why we named our organization C.S. Lewis?” He didn’t wait for me to answer. “It’s not because he was an amazing writer, which he was. It’s not because he was a brilliant man, but we all know that he was. It’s because he transcended all denominations. His philosophy was, let’s major in the majors and minor in the minors. In other words, let’s stick to what we agree on, i.e. the major issues of salvation, and leave the minor stuff for the theologians.”

My heart lit up with understanding because that is exactly the mission of CPM, to inspire others toward the reality of the necessity of the love and grace of our Savior in their journey; that they may work out their salvation! It’s a heart matter, and though there is some pretty weird stuff out there in many denominations, it’s not our place to judge them, point fingers at them or shy away from them as if they have a plague or are some creature from Mars. Get in the Word and become stronger in your own faith, your own relationship, and your own salvation; don’t get trapped in the arguments and detours of denomination!

I’m so thankful for our Nondenominational Savior!

Evinda


P.S. Join us for more of Breaking Free From Co-Dependency, our Blog Talk Radio Show live at 1:00 P.M. Eastern time! www.blogtalkradio.com/Chicklit-Power