The Spirit vs. the Flesh - Who's Winning?

Ever feel like you're at war within yourself?  I've been feeling it these past few days in particular.  I know it's a spiritual battle.  But how I fight or position myself for victory is the real question.  These are some things I've realized about myself:

When the Spirit is in charge...this is what you see in my life:

• love, forgiveness, faith, selflessness, humility, self-control, kindness, purity

When the flesh is on top....this is what you see in my life:

• pride, resentment, fear, self-centeredness, bitterness, indulgence, arrogance, jealousy

Don't skip over that too quickly.  It's such a simple litmus test as to whether or not we are walking in the Spirit.  There are three parts of me that are duking it out.  My spirit, soul and body are always active - but which one is in control?

Spirit

• Our inmost part
• God centered essence where Christ abides
• Only can be given/awakened by God
• God connects w/my spirit 

Soul

• Where my feelings camp out
• Conscience, emotions, personality and will
• Can be transformed by the renewing of my mind 

Body

• Where spirit and soul reside
• Physical state, no mind of its own
• God does not connect with my flesh

In order to walk in the Spirit (exhibiting fruits), we need to put Him in the leadership role and let our feelings (soul) provide the joy, laughter and sense of calm that accompanies a life lived by God's plan.  When the flesh starts screaming "Give me what I want!", my spirit must tell the flesh to "Sit down. You don't get everything you want.  I'm in charge here!"

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."  Gal. 5:16

*Whether we are on the path toward victory or defeat is determined by the very next choice we make."*  I for one am sick of defeat.  I want victory.  I want the spirit to win over the flesh more often than it does.  This verse always motivates me:  "Everything is permissible for me, but  not everything is beneficial.  I will not be mastered by anything."  1 Cor. 6:12  Do you know how many areas of our lives that should speak to?  Give it some thought as you consider the fruits listed in the beginning of this post.  And then ask yourself some questions...Which ones are being seen in your life?  Who's winning your war?  The Spirit or the flesh?  What will your next choice lead you toward?

Let's get on that road to victory together and give hope to others!  "Since we have these promises, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."  2 Cor. 7:1

*Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst

New Life Springs Forth

 For a winter lover such as myself, I must say these last few months have been rather disappointing.  I love a good snowstorm, or two or three or four.  But I'm losing hope that it will happen for us in 2012.
 Instead, this is what I've been looking at most of the winter outside of our house.

Just this....lots of brown.  Until yesterday when we got a random 50+ degree day here in Johnson City

And I saw these little guys sticking through the ground.  So I searched for more......

and found all of these!  So exciting!  But they are too early. Clearly there is underground confusion due to the lack of a frozen white winter blanket.

Even better....COLOR! 

Dig under the leaves a little and wow, surprise!!!

Not this.....now that's a snowbank!!.....

When I saw this one, I knew that Spring is on the way.  The earth has laid dry and barren and hibernating all winter....but it's almost over and right around the corner new life will spring up all around us.  Immediately, I thought of Jesus' resurrection.  What a day that must have been!  For 3 days life for those who knew Him was full of death and darkness, but in the morning of the 3rd day...LIFE and LIGHT!  Jesus said in John 10, "I have come that they may have life and live it to the full."  Probably my favorite thing about Easter is celebrating that new life that Jesus rose to give us. 

I hope some things in me have died and  been buried over the cold, dark winter and God will bring forth something new and beautiful and full of light and life. "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?"  Is. 43:18,19  That's something to celebrate!

"This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." 2 Tim. 1:9b, 10

Antipasto Pizza Pie

For any of my friends who are doing the Daniel Fast or just would like to make a healthy meal for yourself and family.  This is a good one!

Antipasto Pizza Pie

Crust
3 cups cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup oat* or whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Sauce
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Toppings
1/4 cup chopped canned artichokes, drained
1/4 cup chopped black olives
1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Mix rice, olive oil, flour, garlic powder, and onion powder in a large bowl.  Stir well.  Rub bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate w/olive oil.  Press rice evenly over bottom and up about 1 inch along sides to make the crust.  Bake 8-10 min (I baked longer) until rice is lightly browned.  Combine tomato sauce, basil, oregano, parsley and garlic powder in a small bowl.  Spread over crust, and top with toppings.  Sprinkle parsley over all.  Bake 10 min.  Let pie rest 5 minutes so slices stay intact when you serve them.

I also put kalamata olives, green onions and banana peppers on it too.

*Make your own oat flour by placing old-fashioned rolled oats in a food processor or blender and process until fine (1 cup oats will yield 3/4 cups ground oats)

Sacred Echoes

I always know that God is trying to say something to me when it comes at me in several different ways, at different times.  Margaret Feinberg calls it the sacred echo.  "The moments when God speaks the same message to my heart again and again.  It's when throughout relationships, daily life, and study the same scripturally sound idea or phrase or word will keep reappearing until I can no longer avoid its presence."*

Tonight in the communion service, we were considering the suffering that Jesus endured on the cross on our behalf.  Scott talked about how we tend to try and avoid all suffering in our lives.  We would like our path to be void of pain.  Often we even pray that way.  Now, I don't think there's anything wrong with that and pray similar prayers often - especially on behalf of my family, emphasis on our kids but could we be missing something?

Just before the service and just after, and also this morning, and most every time we go into our new church, someone sweetly tells me that they are praying for our kids and their transition to a new school.  It's really overwhelming and I'm so thankful for it.  No wonder the transition has been smooth so far. (I should mention here, too, that I know lots of our Syracuse friends are praying for the kids too and we are equally grateful.)

Soon I had a flashback in my mind of a report by one of my favorite missionary's some years ago.  She told of the persecution of Christians in many parts of the world.  I'll never forget when she said, "They don't want you to pray for the persecution/suffering to stop, but rather that they will have the strength to endure and glorify God through it."  Wow.  That blew me away.  Which would my prayer be for myself....or my kids?

What I've been told and what I think others are praying for our kids is that they can handle transitioning from a small private Christian school to a larger, public school.  We pray that they will make the "right" friends.  I pray that the enemy will protect them from any who might draw them away from their faith.  That they will be the influencers, not the influenced.  I pray that they will stand out and live differently, in a contagious kind of way that will give them the opportunity to share Christ...and that they will. And that their mother will not be a woman ruled by fear and worry.

But as I take the bread and the wine, thoughts collide.  I think of what Paul teaches in Phil. 3:10, "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death..."

And Timothy in 2 Tim. 1:8, "So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner.  But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God."

And Paul in Romans 8:17, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory....because our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

I consider in observing the Lord's Supper, that we are celebrating Christ's suffering on our behalf and the privilege it is to take up our own suffering (that He chooses - we certainly don't go out and look for it!) on His behalf - so that His Glory will be revealed in us.  What an awesome thought that through suffering we share in His glory and we can know Him...and become like Him.  So, why pray that He will omit all suffering from our lives?  Why not pray that He will help us stand up under it?  Endure?

I believe I'll be adding a little more to my protective mama bear prayers in the morning...and every morning following.

*from The Sacred Echo by Margaret Feinberg

Newness

Just a thought...

Before Easter....Why pray?

Because what we do consistently will form us

.....Why fast?

To let go of more of the world
To lay more hold of God

He promises, "I am making you a new creation, old things passing away and all things becoming new."*

So I wonder....

If we take time to pray and to fast.....what newness will emerge in my life (and yours) by Easter?

*2 Cor. 5:17