Ministers of a New Message

I don’t know your church or Bible background, but I can pretty much sum mine up in one word...confusing.

I have a rich heritage of family who were faithful to church, diligent studiers and vibrant preachers or song leaders. I attended Christian schools from Kindergarten - college. I’ve not been lacking in the Biblical perspective or emphasis in my education.

However, the enemy kept me confused and blinded for a very long time. It reminds me of the time I was teaching 8th grade science. A particular chapter was overwhelming to me and I ended up just reading the chapter to my students. I just couldn’t come up with a way to explain it, because I honestly didn’t understand most of it myself. After the lesson one day that week, one of my 8th grade boys came up to me and said, “That was the best lesson you’ve ever taught!” 😳 (Note to self: never spend hours preparing fun lessons again...)

There have been many times when I’ve read passages of Scripture, even “taught” them and didn’t understand what they meant. When questions arose, I’d just say what my pastors and teachers had told me, “You don’t have to understand, you just have to believe.” But in my spirit I wasn’t satisfied. I wanted to understand. And I felt ill-equipped to be a leader or teacher.

Then I read 2 Corinthians 3:6 (emphasis mine):

Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; NOT of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

I’d been trying to understand and teach a “law” that had been fulfilled and I couldn’t make sense of it. Now I knew it was because God would never equip me to teach a message that had expired!! Apparently, I’d been teaching something that produced death rather than life. And when I look back on my own experience, I can testify that I did not feel life in the messages I had heard. 

When I started investigating this “new testament” that was not of the “letter” (law) my eyes were opened to the new message (grace) Christ had come to communicate. The message that His Spirit IN ME was speaking. The message that belief produces behavior, not the other way around. 

The voice of the enemy had been loud and I had not been able to discern the voice of the Spirit for many, many years. I was confused into thinking that I could just read the passage and accept that I’d never understand. But now, the voice of the Spirit was booming and I was beginning to understand that I could actually know the “mysteries” I had wrestled with for years.

Mark 4:11 “...Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God…”

Romans 11:25 “...For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery,...”

Romans 16:25 “...according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,…”

Ephesians 1:9 “...Having made known unto us the mystery of his will,…”

If you feel ill-equipped to teach the gospel, be assured that you are an ABLE MINISTER, with or without a theology degree. God has given YOU the ability to communicate His truth. Take some time to refresh your own understanding of the gospel, and then trust God to help you communicate this life-giving message.

Your Co-Minister,

Rebecca Monroe

Unfair Grace

A teacher asked his students to line up for recess. All but one quietly walked to the line remembering to push in their chairs and leaving their desks clear of pencils and papers. As the teacher turned around to grab his jacket, he heard a loud crash! He turned back around to find that one student had toppled another student's desk and chair in her rush to get to the line. Without a pause the teacher demanded that each child go back to their seat to put their heads down and quickly explained that they would miss their entire recess.

How unfair!
.
Sounds familiar, though, right? Because of ONE man's sin, the entire world stands condemned.
Romans 5:19 tells us that because Adam disobeyed God, ALL men became sinners. 1 Corinthians 15:22 tells us that our destiny is death!
That's a little extreme, don't you think? How unfair!

Another teacher asked her students to line up for recess. All but one noisily rushed to the line forgetting to push in chairs or knocking pencils and papers off of desks. One student stood up quietly, pushed in others' chairs, and picked up fallen pencils and papers as he walked to the line. The teacher told the class that because of this child's right behavior she would allow all of them to play.

How graciously unfair!

Sounds familiar, though, right? Because of ONE man's obedience the entire world is offered forgiveness.  Romans 5:19 tells us that because of Christ's obedience, ALL who believe are made righteous! 1 Corinthians 15:22 tells us that our destiny is life!
That's a little extreme, don't you think? How unfair!

God's grace is completely unfair, but I am so glad that it is!

My husband wrote this song to express the victory we have in Christ because of God's Unfair Grace. Listen here, and then download the rest of the album on iTunes! It will NOT disappoint!

Sin from one
Condemned us all
In sin's grip
Born to fall

Unfair
To say the least
'Til hope arrived
For death's defeat

By faith
We're saved
By grace alone
By Jesus' blood
Our souls atoned

Oh pardon full
Now rest and peace
Unfair Grace
Has ransomed me

Now with the morn
I'll sing aloud
Praise forever
Love came down

Took my place
to pardon me
Unfair Grace
Now I receive

By faith
We're saved
By grace alone
By Jesus' blood
Our souls atoned

My only need
My rest and peace
My Jesus won
My victory

I stand, I stand in awe of You
I stand, I stand in awe of You
Holy God to Whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You

By faith
We're saved
By grace alone
By Jesus' blood
Our souls atoned

Our only need
Our rest in peace

Our Jesus won
Our Jesus won
Our Jesus won

The victory

-Blake Monroe

Feelin' Fruity

Without the Holy Spirit in your life, it is impossible to exhibit real, 100% fruit! Just like the ingredients list for a Watermelon Jolly Rancher doesn’t include any actual watermelon, an unbeliever can only mimic what they think is real.

But someone who possesses the Holy Spirit possesses His fruit! That means that you have real, 100% love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It is now part of your very core (pun intended). This is why you feel rotten when you behave opposite of this fruit. It’s not who you are anymore.

Our minds (part of our flesh) are often still tricked into thinking that we want to sin. Sin does exist in our flesh, but not in our spirit. The flesh and spirit are now at battle (Romans 7:14-20). This is why Paul urges us to “...be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1).” Our hearts have been made new. Our minds must be renewed to match. In James 1:24, we’re compared to people who look in a mirror, walk away, and immediately forget what they look like. We must constantly look into the mirror of truth that reflects our new identity in Christ so that when we walk away and we’re tempted to act un”fruity” we will remember who we are. So renew your minds with the truth that you are new (2 Cor. 5:17), that you are right with God (Rom. 5:1), and that you are filled with His fruit (Gal. 5:22-23)! 

Now that is something sweet you can chew on!

A Simple Equation

Any number X 0 always = 0, huh!

As a third grade teacher, I often found myself making up silly chants like the one above. While chants are great for instilling one message in a child’s mind, they are also really great for getting kids to line up quickly and in a somewhat fashionable order. Admittedly, the latter was my cherished result, but I’m glad that my third-graders-turned-college-students-overnight still know the truth about multiplying numbers by 0.

Unfortunately, in our spiritual lives, we forget this very basic equation:

ANY SIN (even your 1,893,423^rd one) X CHRIST (zero sins) always = RIGHTEOUSNESS (zero sin)

1 John 1: 9—“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Psalm 103:12—“…as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”
Hebrews 10:17—“…I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

It doesn’t matter how large the first factor gets, the answer is always ZERO sin! Christ knew before He died 2,000 years ago how many sins we would commit, and He forgave all of them on the cross. When we add variables to Christ’s work on the cross, we change the equation!

There is NOTHING else needed, no additional confession, no additional penance, no additional good works to cancel out the bad.

Nothing.

Zero.

That makes me wanna say, “Huh!”

Prisoner...But Free

As a prisoner

All rights as a citizen 

No longer apply

As a prisoner

Any dreams for the future

No longer matter

As a prisoner

All cravings and addictions

Cannot be indulged

As a prisoner

Favorite activities

May not be enjoyed

As a prisoner

Choices and variety

No longer exist

I know prisoners

Who today have hope in Christ

Chains of sin broken

I know prisoners

Whose guilt, remorse, and regret

No longer bind them

I know prisoners
Whose faith has cleared their record

Truth has set them free

I know prisoners
Blameless, righteous, forgiven
No longer guilty

I just spent two days alongside men who have committed gruesome crimes. They have been stripped of every right and privilege they had as a citizen. Yet, they are more free than many who are not confined to prison, because they have experienced the forgiveness and healing that comes through Jesus Christ. They have hope that even though their lives on earth will be spent inside a maximum security prison, it is not their end. They have joy in knowing that they can have (and have had) an impact on the "outside" world through what they're learning and pursuing inside prison walls. They are speaking Truth into their children's lives, stopping the generational cycle of crime one child at a time. They are sharing the hope they have with other prisoners whose lives are being changed. For two days, I shared tears of joy and pain with my brothers. For one day, I watched men be dads, uncles, grandpas to the children they love. For life, I will be forever changed.

When Celebrations Become Painful Reminders

One year ago, Mother was diagnosed with cancer. Today, she is cancer-free!

People love to celebrate wonderful occasions...birthdays, half-birthdays, spiritual birthdays, adoption days, pet birthdays, dating anniversaries, wedding anniversaries, work anniversaries, addiction recovery milestones, holidays, and more! It is a worthy cause to rejoice in the momentous events in our lives. This morning, I enjoyed using Face Time to sing "Happy Birthday" to my now 9-year-old nephew! I am rejoicing that he was born. What an amazing kid!
Another anniversary comes up this week, though. The 7th anniversary of losing my almost fiance in a car accident. What makes it even more difficult is that Mother's Day falls around this anniversary. every. time. While my grief was great and there are still waves that come up out of nowhere, I can't imagine it being anything close to what his sweet mother feels every day, and especially on Mother's Day.
It is an amazing thing to celebrate mothers. I have the best mother in the whole world! One day of honoring her doesn't even begin to adequately celebrate all that she is. There aren't enough Hallmark (R) cards to express in words what she has been to me. On Mother's Day, I will be singing her praises! But my mother has a mother, too. Her sweet Mother Dear went to Heaven in 1999. On Mother's Day, my mother will remember wonderful things about my grandma, but she will also miss her a little more than on other days throughout the year.
Some were not as fortunate as I to have a mother who loved me and cheered me on to do good things. They will hurt this weekend. Some never resolved relationship conflicts with their mothers before laying them to rest. They will grieve on Sunday. Some never knew their mothers and will be reminded that all was not well when they were born. Eyes will blur as they view picture after beautiful picture on social media sites, if they can even bear to look on Sunday. Some have desired children for years, and Sunday will remind them that they are still unable to stand alongside the other mothers in the church. Some have lost children and will never hear the wonderful words "Mommy, I love you," again. Sunday will be unbearable. Some mothers have watched children make painful, hurtful choices. On Sunday, their tears will fall.
If I could stop all of the annual reminders of everyone's grief and sorrow, I would.
But, I can't.
So, I will be praying for those who are hurting through this weekend. They will not be far from my mind. I will weep with those who are weeping.
But I will also take the opportunity to rejoice with those who are rejoicing, celebrating the mom who after years of trying, finally gets to be called, "Mommy!" I'll be jumping for joy with the mother whose child has returned to the Lord. I will be praising the Lord for the amazing moms that I know who are using their God-given gifts and abilities to nurture their children in knowledge of Him! I will be thanking God for the women in my life who have been spiritual moms. I will call my mother with sheer gratitude that God healed her from cancer and that she is still just a phone call and a few hours' drive away. I will call my grandmother and remind her once again that she is responsible for all this mess! I am so thankful for mothers. They are worthy to be celebrated!
Do I fear the grief that one day Mother's Day will hold painful reminders? Sure. But while the celebration is sweet, I will not withhold my joy.

Ecclesiastes 3:4
There is a time to weep.
And there’s a time to laugh.
There is a time to be sad.
And there’s a time to dance.

While there is rejoicing to be done, may we not withhold our celebration, for there will be plenty of time to grieve in days to come.

Weeping in the Sowing

I planted some seeds about 15 years ago, seeds of encouragement and love in the life of a young girl that so desperately needed affirmation and attention. After a couple of years, life's paths took us in different directions and I lost touch. When we reconnected a few years later, it was evident that there had not been much watering and nurturing of this tender plant. She'd been tattered by life's storms and the disease of sin had left some pretty significant scars.
It's amazing how blooms are still possible in what seem the most dire of circumstances. She began a journey of transplanting and regrowth. It was a hard journey, one full of ups and downs, good choices and bad choices. Then she had a beautiful baby boy. I saw growth like never before. She began holding jobs for more than just a few months, making better choices about the people she would spend time with, and making a greater effort to surround herself with a community of believers.
But the weeds had never been removed. They have been so entangling for so long that she simply
cannot recognize them as weeds. The weeds have some attractive blooms in the form of happiness, security, escape, and the affirmation and attention she has desired since I've known her. Plucked from the ground and placed in a decorative vase, the arrangement is quite lovely. A man that dotes on her, the ability to have and do things financially, a fresh start in a new location far from the life in which she grew up, opportunities for her son. It's as beautiful as the flowers on my desk this morning.
But we all know what happens to even the most beautiful of cut flower arrangements. Even if we add the plant food for a week, the flowers will eventually wither and die.
Oh, if only we could be satisfied with the arrangement in which God has planted us. He is the source of our nourishment, health, and stability. We see the arrangements that are pulled together for others, the displays of color that bring joy and satisfaction...temporarily, and we want that. But we fail to realize that the most fulfilling place to be is rooted in the truth, whether we like it or not.
While I look at the areas of my own life where I've allowed the weeds of deceit to cause discontentment, I'm also grieving for my sweet friend, praying and waiting for the rejoicing that will come when she surrenders to God's best for her life.

Psalm 126:6
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.