Cleanliness is next to godliness...

I have a vivid imagination and I love looking at artwork. Sometimes the works just speak to my soul, as is the case with the above artwork.The beauty of the table at the Marriage Supper Of The Lamb spoke to me. The beautiful china, glasses and cutlery, the immaculate table cloth, the perfectly set table thrilled my soul and tantalised my imagination....

As I gazed at the picture, I wondered how we would have reacted if the table hadn't been set properly- you know, like we sometimes do at home? Would a spotted and wrinkled table cloth have the power to draw us into thoughts of heaven and our marriage supper with Christ? How about spots on the glasses and coffee stains in the cups? Honestly, I think it would be a turn off!

I think a less than perfect table and setting would be dishonouring to God.... for like it or not, housekeeping does reflect on the home keeper, for better or worse.There is an old proverb that says that cleanliness is next to godliness...and I think to a certain extent that that is true....

We should endeavour to have our homes clean and comfortable for they not only reflect on ourselves, but also they point to our heart and faith....

A bit extreme! you say? I don't think so. If we are honest with ourselves, don't we silently think less of a woman who lives in filth or dirt? And when that woman is a Christian, don't we wonder about her relationship with Christ if she cannot fulfil her obligations as a homemaker?

I know this to be true, because just such a woman once hosted a Bible Class morning with her home almost making us retch as we sat amongst her doggy smelling carpet and armchairs full of dog fur. Not to mention the kitty litter tray wafting its reek from the nearby laundry.

Offering to help her was not an option as this woman had been helped repeatedly by Sisters in her cell or home group, but never kept up the good work that the Sisters did. She was too busy reading books- Christian books at that.

I believe that this showed a lack of discipline and also a rebellion in doing something she did not want to do: in this case, her housework. My poor Sisters were left feeling slightly used and annoyed. They had cleaned the house a week ago and it should still have been reasonably clean.....

Cleanliness is something we all take for granted....and it is something that isn't noticed until we neglect it. But because cleanliness is symptomatic of our heart attitude and efforts, it also reflects on our walk with the LORD.

Cleanliness is next to godliness as the (non biblical) proverb goes, and reflects on our witness and relationship with God. Let's try to keep our homes and ourselves clean enough to not bring shame on us and dishonour to God!

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

"Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean [thing]; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD". Isaiah 52:11

Whatsoever things

 

As I got older, I became morose and sad.  My good years were behind me.  Chronic illness overtook my life and I resented it so much.  It turned inward and made me sink into a depression.  

I overcame this by deciding to accept my limitations and to love myself enough to rest, eat well and be grateful for the very fact that I was still alive.  

I didn't want to stay in the Pit of Despair, so I gave all my anger and sadness to the LORD.  I decided to look at whatsoever things were lovely, and to count my blessings.. 

This helped me recover spiritually and emotionally. I didn't realise how much my self talk and negativity had brought me down.

If you want to fly, you have to release your burdens so they don't weigh you down,  so tell the LORD about it, for it is He Who will release you and help you fly.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

Thoughts of home

I was just being obedient to what my parents saw in me. I was more interested in the things the women in my family, my mom, grandmother and aunt were all about: homemaking and cooking and housekeeping. I wanted to be a housewife and mom.
Gladys Knight

There are practical little things in housekeeping which no man really understands.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Housekeeping ain't no joke Louisa M Alcott

A home in which the housewife sheds tears will be bereft of all prosperity. This is the ancient conception of the role of women in the home. Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Being a housewife and a mother is the biggest job in the world, but if it doesn't interest you, don't do it - I would have made a terrible mother. Katharine Hepburn

I love my house
And the work it gives to me,
The dear tasks of bringing
Ordered dignity to room and hall
Where the shadow and the whisper
Of my loved ones dwell.
I love the banishing of dust,
The corners square and clean,
The windows clear
As the promise of my future days.
I love the small task
Of mending tears and rips,
Seeing again the joy,
Hearing the swift shout and rush
Of happy, running feet.
I love the clothes clean and sweet again,
Smelling of the sun and wind,
Folded in quiet order to await
More joyous play.
I love my dishes stacked neatly row on row,
Order matching gleaming from the
Chaos of the morning meal-
Sitting solemnly, waiting for the
Renewed communal pleasure
They soon will bring again.
I love my house
And all the work it gives to me
That my soul might grow
With discipline and tempered grace.

Source: June 1958 RS Magazine

"The curse of the LORD [is] in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just" Proverbs 3:33

Be saved if you want to live

For those of us who regularly read the Bible, it is very apparent that even though we read of a powerful God Who chastises and punishes the wicked, we also see a kind, patient, lovingly holy God Who is full of mercy. 

The fact that God is merciful and holy is woven throughout scripture, both in the Old and the New testaments, and those who only see a harsh, punitive God have not truly read the Bible with an open heart and mind. 

Mercy, grace, justice, love, honour, fairness and compassion are hallmarks of our God Who loved us all enough to send His only Son to die for us when we were still sinners and unloving and unkind. 

The very Laws laid down in the 10 Commandments and then in Leviticus reveal a God Who knows what is best for His creation, and Who longs to teach His Children so that they will not only thrive but be holy. 

When we study the Word, a beautiful picture of our God is shown us through the Word and through His Son Jesus. He embodies the qualities of the Holy Spirit, Who Himself is the third Person of the Godhead. Here is an example of the mercy of God.

Do not let the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord speak, saying, “The Lord has utterly separated me from His people”; nor let the eunuch say, “Here I am, a dry tree.” For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths,and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant, even to them I will give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give [a]them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off". Isaiah 56:3-5

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control and mercy are all qualities of the goodness of our God. He is in fact the totality of holiness. 

It is because of God's Holiness, in that He is the essence and being of the above qualities is why He sent His Son to become sin in our place for He cannot abide with evil. Therefore, it is impossible to come into the Presence of God except through Jesus Christ. We must be born again or saved or we will not go to heaven.

We all know the world is getting darker and soon Jesus is coming in the clouds to take His Church- believers. If you are not saved, you will be left behind to face a great tribulation such as the world has never seen before. Salvation is still possible because God is merciful but man is not. Your salvation will come at a great price: you will lose your life.

If you are not saved, know that the Holy Spirit is wooing you and longing for you to accept Jesus. Today is the day of salvation: the Holy Spirit says, "Come!"

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:10

Make the right choices!

                             

In this world of instant gratification and self indulgence, we often look for a quick fix for weighty matters. We can't be bothered attending to character flaws that impede our Christian walk, and we often wish that there was someone else or some other way to handle it or make the problem go away. But there are some things that are ours and ours alone to deal with.

Salvation: Responding to Gods' invitation to accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour is a very personal thing. Nobody can do it for you. You can't be saved by relying on your church attendance or your parents' or spouses' profession of faith. Salvation is strictly between you and God. It is by its very deeply personal connection between you and Gods' Holy Spirit, that you are saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:10

Responsibility for your own actions: The original finger-pointing and blame shifting happened in the Garden of Eden. Eve blamed the serpent, claiming that he beguiled her and she ate the fruit, and after eating of that same fruit, Adam shifted the blame to Eve, claiming that she shouldn't have shared it with him. We are experts at avoiding responsibility for our own actions. But taking responsibility for our own actions is critical in coming to a place of repentance. When I shall say to the righteous, [that] he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. Ezekiel 33:13

Repentance: Being convicted of an offence or sin before the LORD is often something that is personally painful. No one else can make us repent, it is again a deeply personal matter of the heart.There can be no repentance if one does not take responsibility for our actions that gave occasion for us to sin. Only we can repent of our own sins. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

Obedience to God: We are required to obey God. One can obey Him but with an impure heart. Others can force us to tow the line, and we can give lip service to God, and fool man. But this outward obedience doesn't fool God. True obedience comes from a servants' heart, a clean heart that longs for the closeness that obedience brings in our relationship between Him and us. And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart. 2 Chronicles 25:2

Faith: Likewise faith is something one either has or hasn't got. No one can bestow faith on us. It is a very personal thing, again a matter of heart that only we can have or pray for, for even so faith is a gift from God.. But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6

Feeding on the Word: Whilst it is true that one can be forced to endure bible studies and gospel readings, if ones' heart is not in it, it will not bear fruit. We have to be prepared to listen... and learn. So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

Attitude to life: No one can form the attitude we choose to take in life. We can be persuaded or forced to comply to a set way of thinking, but ultimately we take charge of how we respond to life and its joys or stresses. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. Luke 6:45

Control of thoughts and emotions: Whilst people can encourage us to display certain emotions, we are the ones who must learn to master them. With all the above coming into play in our lives, control of thoughts and emotions are critical. Thoughts and emotions vie side by side in importance for one controls the other. For through these thoughts and emotions, attitudes are produced and if entertained, they become actions. For good or bad. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Corinthians 10:5

We must get over the finger pointing and crying that "the devil made me do it!" and take responsibility for our own life. Accountability is both a pain and pleasure but something that we all are before the LORD. You are responsible for yourself and no one else. Let's run the race well and be responsible for ourselves!. Ourselves are ours alone to deal with! Make the right choices! 

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.  Psalm 90:12

He is the Word

In a film I once watched called "A Farewell to Arms", the Italian doctor was sick at heart with all the death and misery around him. He said to a soldier comrade, "Tell me something pretty!" He just wanted to hear something nice, something hopeful, something pretty! He was promptly executed for demoralising the troops.

Our world has been turned upside down, and there's illness, death and mayhem all around us. You may be like me, sick at heart and dismayed and long to hear "something pretty"...

I cannot change what's happening in the world that must come to pass, but I have something pretty for you to cling to- something hopeful, something true. We have a Saviour Who is coming to take us out of this world to live with Him forever.

He has gone to prepare a place for us where we will live with Him. There will be no more tears, no grief, no illness or sin. There will be no more goodbyes, no death, no funerals. Just peace and joy and worship. Lots of worship and joy. 

Our Saviour died in our place for our sins and today He lives forever in victory. He's a Lover- a lover of our souls and He dances over us in joy.

He invites the unsaved to accept Him and love Him and He yearns over us by His Spirit, wooing us unto Himself, longing for our union as His Bride, the Church- believers. Jesus longs for *you*

Through the Eyes of Love,  He sees us, a perfect Bride and His Father is glad that there is restoration between God and man. Restoration that came through the Blood of His Son.

I will tell you something pretty- no fairytale, though some may call it that- but a fact as sure as God Himself- we will soon be changed in the blink of an eye. We will be clothed with a new body that is eternal, and we will know Love unconditional, for God is love...

I will tell you the prettiest thing of all... it's love and joy and peace and hope and forgiveness  and grace encapsulated in one word: I will tell you something pretty- His Name is JESUS! He is the Word.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

John 1:1  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," identifying "the Word" (Logos in Greek) as Jesus Christ, existing with God before creation and being divine, setting the stage for His role as God's revelation and the creator

Engagement is the new wedding

Over the years I have noticed a growing trend in both Christian and non-Christian people to prolong their engagement over many years, and often not even to end up marrying. Often there is an engagement party and the couple are asked if they have set a date for their wedding. Usually there is no real indication of when they plan to marry, just a vague wave of the hand and a casual "when we get around to it" attitude.

In biblical times a Jewish betrothal was generally about 12 months. However, the betrothal was as if the couple were married and in fact to break the betrothal would require a divorce. Sexual relations did not take place. Indeed if a betrothed person was found to have had intercourse with someone not their betrothed, they could be stoned for adultery.

A marriage contract was called a Ketubah During this time, the groom would prepare a place for his betrothed wife. There was never any doubt that a marriage would be consummated, but the exact date was usually known only to the groom. The bride stayed with her parents and waited for her groom.

Today, there are no real expectations or enforcements of engagements. They can be broken with a minimum of outward fuss- most fuss being internalised and emotional. Other times, the young couple will just cohabit as if married and there is no wedding ring- ever. But an engagement is not a marriage.

For young Christians who become engaged, the temptation to become sexually involved is strong, and for this reason I believe an engagement shouldn't be prolonged. And just like marriage, an engagement shouldn't be entered into lightly or unadvisedly. Christians are different from the unsaved in that when one gives a promise or their word, we should carry it through.

For those considering marriage, make sure that you are fully intending to marry and that your engagement isn't too long. Impurity and cohabitation are not in God's plan for our life: He wants us to marry and bear precious seed for Him.

Becoming engaged is a promise to marry, not a promise to be exclusively available for a "permanent" relationship, nor is it to be seen as a licence for cohabitation. Betrothal from the earliest times has been seen to precede a marriage.

Everlasting engagements are the gateway to failure in being godly wives and mothers. They can lead to us being left with just our engagement ring and memories, and perhaps, with a baby or two in tow. Engagement is the new wedding.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. Hosea 2:19