Do We Live In a Time That We Glory In Our Shame?

"Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is onearthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." Philippians 3:17-21

When I read the third chapter of Philippians, I got more understanding of what Paul was saying to the Philippians. Let's see if I can express it the way i understand it to be.

First, he warns about Judaizing seducers and tells them to follow his example (Paul). He also reminds them who his own lineage and his own status, that he rejects to be a follower of Christ (verses 1-6). The in verses 7-14. Paul talks about his choice to be what God has designed him to be.

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.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 so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. " Philippians 3:7-14

Here Paul begins to talk about attain what the Lord has already attained for him and forgetting the past failures and successes to press toward this goal in Christ Jesus. Paul is stating to put it simply: Do not have confidence in your flesh but put your confidence in Christ. It does not matter what you have or the world thinks that you have. You must be willing to put it all aside for Christ and achieving this one goal.

So far, Paul is speaking to the church and he goes on to say in verses 15-16: that we must be mature and have this mind. He also tells us to govern ourselves by what we have already attained through the teachings and revelation of God's truth. Which leads us up to verses 17-21. Paul here is not addressing those that are not in Christ but those that are stating that they are in the body of Christ. He is warning them not to be like some who are, in my words, perverting the things of God by "their god being their stomach, their glory is in their shame, and their mind is on earthly things." Paul says, "they live as enemies of the cross."

So, with all this said, do I believe that this scripture is relevant for the time we live in? YES. My reasoning being many are living as enemies of the cross, but say that they are friends of the cross. They smear the reputation of the church. They tend to forget it's not about earthly gain or what you can be or get here. It's all about helping people see Christ is still the answer. They promote themselves in a way that people come to see them and not the one who sent them. They pollute the gospel for their own gain.

Some of us have forgotten that this world is not our home we are just passing through. Paul reminds even the Philippians of this too.

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." Philippians 3:20-21.

I hope I made myself clear, your thoughts welcomed.


You are Bound No More. 

Pastor Linda Hillman 

(c) 2015 LAH Ministries International 

Booklindahillman@gmail.com 

Get Your Copy Now 

Will You Be Made Whole 

In The Meantime

Philippines Chronicles: Lessons To be Learned! Part 7

I got up on Saturday, Nick the travel agent called me. Now I should tell you that up to this point I had been avoiding talking to Nick. So when he called this time I answered. the price was still the same it was 939 and I said well I still don't have enough money, but I will try to work something out. He said he would call back around 11AM to check on my status. 

Now at this time I had not called anyone expect those that knew I had missed the flight the second time. So I called my Mother. I needed her to give me some tough love and wisdom. What my mom did for me in that call was priceless. She did not try to tell me anything but the truth. She said that I should repent to God for sabotaging his plan with my fear. I was like NO, I did not do that. She said, "Linda think about it. God said he was going to do some great things in and through you and because of your issues with what people have said in the past about you, somehow, you let their lies derail God's truth. You let your insecurities undermine what God said. That does not change what god said about you what he is going to do. I know and you know that you should be there. NO are no excuses. You choose this, maybe not consciously, but subconsciously you did. I mean come on, YOU don't do stuff like this, but you did it twice. YOU not anyone else. You can't blame anyone else for this but you. You got in your own way. So repent to God."

I mean my mother let me have it. She did not say if god would move a mountain to let me go. She did not make any promises, but she knew that at the end of the day, I had to be a clean vessel because God has called me to do great things in His kingdom and I can't be tainted when I do them. When I got off the phone with her I was ready to do the work needed to seek forgiveness and to really let go of whatever anger was building in my heart. Once again I heard my friend's words, in essence to examine my heart. I understood, this was just a portion of the lesson God was going to teach me through this whole ordeal and I had to get it right. 

I once again knelt by my bedside and I asked God not what to do, or would he make a way once again. I, now humbled myself before him and repented. I asked god to forgive me for blaming him, for blaming Jessica and trying to hide my anger, I asked him to forgive me for leaving my passport not just once but twice, for squandering his blessings and thinking I deserved his favor after I had messed it up.  Any thing and everything that came to my mind at that moment I repented for. I had to even ask God to forgive me for letting my mind go to suicidual thoughts. For once again trying to control a situaion by trying to advert his plan because it was hard. I asked him to forgive me for sabotaging his plan even though I did it unaware.

So let me say this, because as I write this now looking back on this situation, I beleive many of us do this. We want so badly to be who God says that we are that we sometimes unaware will allow out habits and hangups to cause us to make decisions that we cant explain in that moment but hindsight is 20/20. While this was going on, I would never had said I would sabotage anything God wanted me to but when my mother said it. It rang true within me. It hurt but I knew I had some messed up stinking thinking that hindered me from giving god my best and doing what he wanted me to do. ask yourself, Do I believe God or do i believe the lies of the enemy? Be honest with yourself. Do you think people areafter you because of your past situations. Do you think you will fail because someone told you you would. We sometimes hear things so much that even though we dont want to believe it, we begin to tell ourselves these lies and accept them as truth. But God is truth and every other man/woman is a lie including you when it comes to god's plan for youe life. Believe God. 

Okay now back to my story, LOL. I just had to take a moment to tell ya... what I felt God wanted me to say right there.

So I repented for everything. Whin I got up. there was silence. Now I truly rested. This was a depression rest, or a pity rest but I really rested. I did not want to do work, I did not want to unpack, I could not go back the usual. I just rested. My friend Barbara called to check on me. She encouraged me and as she began to encourage me another hurt surfaced. after the call I took that Hurt to God. My heart was no longer God make a way for me to get to the Philippines but now it was God if you come back tonight, I want to be ready. This flight I really didnt want to miss. I began to see that there was a link. The missed flights, and my heart condition were connected. I asked God to help me truly forgive those that had wronged me. I needed not to be guarded around them. I need not to sideeye them or even have thoughts of concern when they are around. I had to release it completely and fully. NOW God began to speak, He began to instruct me who I needed to have a conversation with and he showed me my heart being washed clean. The scripture: 

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." Matthew 5:9

I knew that I needed to make peace with several individuals. From this point on, my main objective was to be right with God. I had made a mistake. I had let me get in the way of doing God's will. It did not surprise God but it had thrown me. One thing I knew the WHY God allowed was still not clear to me but I could not stay there. I had to move forward no matter how this turned out. This situation had me questioning everything the night before. On Thursday night I had been ready to walk away from it all.  Today I knew I was right where God wanted me to be. God was going to get the glory for this story.

Now, I started journaling about this on Wednsday night. I wrote about what had happened tuesday and wrote up til Wednesday night. to me athat would have been the end of the struggle and on thursday i would have been writing how God worked it all out and now I am on my way to the Philippines. that was not the case and to be honest I had not journaled the rest of this until Saturday night. But I am getting ahead of myself. as I journaled Wednesday night, god gave me what I thought was a Word to be delivered in the Philippines when I got there. It was about seeing God clearly, so you can understand what His plan for your life is about. 

I had told Evg. Rein this in a message and she and Eld. Steph said still deliver the word via Skype. Now they had said this on thursday evening but I was so messed up in my head and heart that I could not agree to do it. However, after having my heart cleansed, I went back and said I would do it.  I did not twll them that I was still trying to get there. One thing I knew for sure that if I got on a plane to te Philippines that they would be able to cover for me until I got there. I knew that God's will was goig to be done and I no longer wanted to manipulate or sabotage his plans any longer. So I rested In Him.

And the saga continues...



You are Bound No More.

Pastor Linda Hillman
(c) 2015 LAH Ministries International
Booklindahillman@gmail.com

Get Your Copy Now
Will You Be Made Whole
In The Meantime

Forgiveness is the Key to Moving Forward

Do you really forgive?

Many times we say that we forgive those that hurt us but when they enter a room or their name is spoken in our presence, we feel a certain type of way. We roll our eyes or we are careful not to speak against them but we deny them anything good. We may even hang around them but they are on a tight rope. Is this really forgiveness?

Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offense, lets go of negative emotions such as vengefulness, with an increased ability to wish the offender well.

Now we tend to forgive with conditions, but real forgiveness is just the opposite. It does not release the offense and make it of non-importance but it takes the sting out of it, so you can move forward with your life. It frees you. It does not say that person did nothing or you accept what they did. It's still wrong and they do still need to correct any offense, however IF they never correct it, your forgiveness sets you in a place of reward and blessing. Forgiveness does not just happen over a period of time. It is something we have to intentionally do. We must choose to forgive.

Forgiveness allows us to continue to receive forgiveness from God. I don't know about you but that is the most important thing. I know that I need god to forgive me for my wrong doing and how can I allow my own unforgiveness stand in the way of receiving God's forgiveness.

We sometimes wonder why we are not able to heal from hurts, habits and hangups...I say to you today, check your forgiveness bag. Is it empty because you have used it to forgive or is it full because you have withheld your forgiveness of others? Then check your answered prayers bag. Is it full because you are operating in god's forgiveness or is it empty because God has not forgiven you? Something to think about. 

Let me leave you with this... God can not and WILL not bless mess. Sin separates us from God. So if we have not been forgiven by God, is our relationship with Him in jeopardy? Can we walk in obedience if God has not forgiven us? Can we be blessed if God removes His grace and mercy?

Why not truly forgive so we can be forgiven.

You are Bound No More. 

Pastor Linda Hillman 

(c) 2014 Living Above Hurt Ministries 

Pastorlindahillman@hotmail.com