She opens her mouth with wisdom and on her tongue
is the law of kindness.
Proverbs 31:26
Beth made a big deal about the simulcast reaching "125,000 women and a few brave men." We had 1 brave man, Ken Martin... and we are so thankful for his ministry to us all day from the sound booth!
Those 125,000 women were represented among 30 denominations! That's HUGE... this is a Church thing, a Body thing... a God thing. Not an E.Free thing or a Baptist thing. But 30 denominations... can you imagine?! 27 churches from Canada. 5 military bases and I believe 11 countries represented.
And the enemy thinks he is the only one getting victory through the internet?!
Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!!
You are so dear to my heart already...
In Christ Alone,
Katherine
is the law of kindness.
Proverbs 31:26
Ladies,
Yesterday's Simulcast was so wonderful! I do hope you were able to join us! 350+ women gathered in the LEFC auditorium for a day filled with worship, singing, praying, and learning.
For those of you unable to attend or those wanting to be reminded, I thought I'd jot down a few notes from what we learned.
Why are we studying the law of kindness? Because we live in a mean world and it will just keep getting meaner. Another reason: "Because she openeth her mouth!" We're women. We talk. We relate. We speak. We're all teachers by gift, position, example, motherhood, sisterhood, neighbors, coworkers, mentors, lawyers, doctors...and we are all opinion givers. Who did Jesus appear to first after the Resurrection? WOMEN! "Why?!" Beth joked, because He wanted to get the word out and He knew women would do just that!
Throughout the day, we heard 8 Tastes of Kindness (to play on the "tongue" part of the phrase) just points...
Taste #1. Kindness is not weakness.
And, kindness is not simply niceness. One can be nice without ever being kind. Kindness comes from within. Luke 6:35-36 reminds us that we show ourselves to be children of the Most High God when we exhibit His qualities "for He Himself is kind." Also, we need to be kind to others even if they are not kind to us. We are His image-bearers. Beth broke apart the difference between nice and kind.
Originally, the root word that meant nice (sorry I didn't write it down but she got it from Merriam Webster's dictionary) means "not-knowing." She said basically the idea was that if you can be that nice it's because you're an idiot. That out of your ignorance you're nice because you're clueless to reality. But kindness... that's a whole other ball game. Kindness is being fully aware and still choosing to be kind.
Proverbs 11:16 "A kind hearted woman gains respect..." Nice is fine, but kind is divine.
Taste #2. Kindness is not an action, it's a disposition.
In the Greek, Kind is translated as an adjective Chrestos which means profitable, fit, good for any use, (about people): good natured, useful toward others. As a noun, Chrestostes--the grace which pervades the whole nature--descriptive of one's disposition. You can fake nice but you can't fake kindness.
Taste #3. Kindness wears down when we do.
It's the work of the enemy to wear us down. We can form bad habits of unkindness in our relationships. Usually our closest relationships. Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says "My yoke is easy" The word translated for "easy"... Chrestos... His yoke is kind. Things that can wear us down are resentment (2 Timothy 2:24), Hatred, jealousy (Genesis 37:4)...anyone you are capable of hating, you once probably loved.
When we're worn down, we need to be built up. Beth researched every scripture in the NT that used the phrase built up, building up or edification. Her conclusion? Overwhelmingly the context of being built up is in the corporate context and not the individual context...being built up with other believers. We need each othere, girls! Ephesiand 4:16, 4:16... In a world of social networking and virtual friendships, we still need face to face relationships!
Taste #4. Kindness looks pain in the face.
Job 6:28 She didn't really spend a lot of time on this one, or I didn't write a lot of notes... SORRY! But she did say that Job's friends wouldn't even look at him...
Taste #5. Kindness is a Savior.
Beth showed a picture of a little girl of 3 or 4 who had just been given a fish as a reward. Her eyes were HUGE, her mouth agape in awe... made you absolutely know what she was thinking. You could almost feel her excitement. Then she asked us, "How long have you known Jesus? Have you lost your wonder?"
Ephesians 2:4-10 God was kind enough to give us Christ Jesus, v.7
Being kind cannot save. And our kindness cannot mean becoming any persons's everything. That's for the Lord. Our kindness should point toward Him.
Taste #6. Kindness has a good memory.
Psalm 106:7...when we forget God's goodnesses, we begin to rebel. Your God has been good to you. Do not forget. Beth then shared a story of her border collie, Star. When Beth grabs Star's red leash, the dog comes up, takes the leash between its teeth and walks beside her. Beth says she does attach the leash to the dog, but could walk for 2 miles with the leash in the dog's mouth and never have her leave her side. As if she's saying "you don't have to bind me to you, I just want to be with you." Hosea 11:4 says "I led them with cords of Human kindness..." same thing. The Lord has NEVER let us go. He doesn't have to bind us to Him. We just want to be with Him.
Taste #7. Kindness craves an outlet.
2 Samuel 9 is the story of King David wanting SOMEONE from Saul's house that he could show kindness to for Jonathan's sake. She didn't flesh this out, but there was one from Saul's house David could bless. Mephibosheth. A man crippled in both feet. In their world, that meant they did not receive aid or handouts. The handicapped were treated as outcasts. But David brought Jonathan's crippled son to sit at the king's table and gave him everything that belonged to Saul and his family... If you've never read the story, you absolutely should...
Then, she had us turn to Acts 28:1-2 where Paul has arrive on the island of Malta and "the natives showed extraordinary kindness." In her research, Beth came across a statistic that of all 153 countries surveyed for charitable acts and giving in the WORLD, 83% of people in Malta currently give charitably. So cool, that those who were known for extraordinary kindness are still those known for giving to those in need.
Taste #8. Kindness leaves a legacy.
Nothing has the right to take authority over you when you have the yoke of liberty in Christ upon you.
If we have children grow up in a mean world and be kind...it will not be an accident.
WHEW!
I know notes are not nearly the same as being there, but wow... it was such a good day! We were so blessed!
Before the Simulcast began, as people were filling the seats, I tried to meet as many women as I could. Being the new girl, I totally expected most people to be from LEFC. Surprisingly, no. They were overwhelmingly from somewhere else. One sweet lady told me she'd seen a sign at a library in Adamstown, wasn't really a "church girl" but thought she'd come. Praise Jesus. We had groups from Water Street Ministries and the Lydia Center. We had moms and daughters, several groups of sisters... many groups of friends and quite a few women who so wanted to hear from Jesus they came all by themselves.
As I told the ladies in attendance yesterday, there has been a team planning and preparing the event for the past 9 months to a year. We give God the glory and our thanks to the many many ladies of LEFC who gave so much of their time and energy into planning this event! And the husbands & men who helped with set up and tear down!
Yesterday's Simulcast was so wonderful! I do hope you were able to join us! 350+ women gathered in the LEFC auditorium for a day filled with worship, singing, praying, and learning.
For those of you unable to attend or those wanting to be reminded, I thought I'd jot down a few notes from what we learned.
Why are we studying the law of kindness? Because we live in a mean world and it will just keep getting meaner. Another reason: "Because she openeth her mouth!" We're women. We talk. We relate. We speak. We're all teachers by gift, position, example, motherhood, sisterhood, neighbors, coworkers, mentors, lawyers, doctors...and we are all opinion givers. Who did Jesus appear to first after the Resurrection? WOMEN! "Why?!" Beth joked, because He wanted to get the word out and He knew women would do just that!
Throughout the day, we heard 8 Tastes of Kindness (to play on the "tongue" part of the phrase) just points...
Taste #1. Kindness is not weakness.
And, kindness is not simply niceness. One can be nice without ever being kind. Kindness comes from within. Luke 6:35-36 reminds us that we show ourselves to be children of the Most High God when we exhibit His qualities "for He Himself is kind." Also, we need to be kind to others even if they are not kind to us. We are His image-bearers. Beth broke apart the difference between nice and kind.
Originally, the root word that meant nice (sorry I didn't write it down but she got it from Merriam Webster's dictionary) means "not-knowing." She said basically the idea was that if you can be that nice it's because you're an idiot. That out of your ignorance you're nice because you're clueless to reality. But kindness... that's a whole other ball game. Kindness is being fully aware and still choosing to be kind.
Proverbs 11:16 "A kind hearted woman gains respect..." Nice is fine, but kind is divine.
Taste #2. Kindness is not an action, it's a disposition.
In the Greek, Kind is translated as an adjective Chrestos which means profitable, fit, good for any use, (about people): good natured, useful toward others. As a noun, Chrestostes--the grace which pervades the whole nature--descriptive of one's disposition. You can fake nice but you can't fake kindness.
Taste #3. Kindness wears down when we do.
It's the work of the enemy to wear us down. We can form bad habits of unkindness in our relationships. Usually our closest relationships. Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says "My yoke is easy" The word translated for "easy"... Chrestos... His yoke is kind. Things that can wear us down are resentment (2 Timothy 2:24), Hatred, jealousy (Genesis 37:4)...anyone you are capable of hating, you once probably loved.
When we're worn down, we need to be built up. Beth researched every scripture in the NT that used the phrase built up, building up or edification. Her conclusion? Overwhelmingly the context of being built up is in the corporate context and not the individual context...being built up with other believers. We need each othere, girls! Ephesiand 4:16, 4:16... In a world of social networking and virtual friendships, we still need face to face relationships!
Taste #4. Kindness looks pain in the face.
Job 6:28 She didn't really spend a lot of time on this one, or I didn't write a lot of notes... SORRY! But she did say that Job's friends wouldn't even look at him...
Taste #5. Kindness is a Savior.
Beth showed a picture of a little girl of 3 or 4 who had just been given a fish as a reward. Her eyes were HUGE, her mouth agape in awe... made you absolutely know what she was thinking. You could almost feel her excitement. Then she asked us, "How long have you known Jesus? Have you lost your wonder?"
Ephesians 2:4-10 God was kind enough to give us Christ Jesus, v.7
Being kind cannot save. And our kindness cannot mean becoming any persons's everything. That's for the Lord. Our kindness should point toward Him.
Taste #6. Kindness has a good memory.
Psalm 106:7...when we forget God's goodnesses, we begin to rebel. Your God has been good to you. Do not forget. Beth then shared a story of her border collie, Star. When Beth grabs Star's red leash, the dog comes up, takes the leash between its teeth and walks beside her. Beth says she does attach the leash to the dog, but could walk for 2 miles with the leash in the dog's mouth and never have her leave her side. As if she's saying "you don't have to bind me to you, I just want to be with you." Hosea 11:4 says "I led them with cords of Human kindness..." same thing. The Lord has NEVER let us go. He doesn't have to bind us to Him. We just want to be with Him.
Taste #7. Kindness craves an outlet.
2 Samuel 9 is the story of King David wanting SOMEONE from Saul's house that he could show kindness to for Jonathan's sake. She didn't flesh this out, but there was one from Saul's house David could bless. Mephibosheth. A man crippled in both feet. In their world, that meant they did not receive aid or handouts. The handicapped were treated as outcasts. But David brought Jonathan's crippled son to sit at the king's table and gave him everything that belonged to Saul and his family... If you've never read the story, you absolutely should...
Then, she had us turn to Acts 28:1-2 where Paul has arrive on the island of Malta and "the natives showed extraordinary kindness." In her research, Beth came across a statistic that of all 153 countries surveyed for charitable acts and giving in the WORLD, 83% of people in Malta currently give charitably. So cool, that those who were known for extraordinary kindness are still those known for giving to those in need.
Taste #8. Kindness leaves a legacy.
Nothing has the right to take authority over you when you have the yoke of liberty in Christ upon you.
If we have children grow up in a mean world and be kind...it will not be an accident.
WHEW!
I know notes are not nearly the same as being there, but wow... it was such a good day! We were so blessed!
Before the Simulcast began, as people were filling the seats, I tried to meet as many women as I could. Being the new girl, I totally expected most people to be from LEFC. Surprisingly, no. They were overwhelmingly from somewhere else. One sweet lady told me she'd seen a sign at a library in Adamstown, wasn't really a "church girl" but thought she'd come. Praise Jesus. We had groups from Water Street Ministries and the Lydia Center. We had moms and daughters, several groups of sisters... many groups of friends and quite a few women who so wanted to hear from Jesus they came all by themselves.
As I told the ladies in attendance yesterday, there has been a team planning and preparing the event for the past 9 months to a year. We give God the glory and our thanks to the many many ladies of LEFC who gave so much of their time and energy into planning this event! And the husbands & men who helped with set up and tear down!
Beth made a big deal about the simulcast reaching "125,000 women and a few brave men." We had 1 brave man, Ken Martin... and we are so thankful for his ministry to us all day from the sound booth!
Those 125,000 women were represented among 30 denominations! That's HUGE... this is a Church thing, a Body thing... a God thing. Not an E.Free thing or a Baptist thing. But 30 denominations... can you imagine?! 27 churches from Canada. 5 military bases and I believe 11 countries represented.
And the enemy thinks he is the only one getting victory through the internet?!
Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!!
You are so dear to my heart already...
In Christ Alone,
Katherine
No comments:
Post a Comment