Thursday, March 29, 2012

Sinner vs. Saint

"Oh, I am just an old sinner saved by Grace."

How many times have you made that statement? How many times have you heard someone else say it?

Many Christians really think and believe that statement is true. Otherwise, they would not say it. To those people who speak it out, it becomes true for them. It becomes their reality.

God's word says, "But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them." (Matthew 15:18, NIV)

In Proverbs, God tells us "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he..." (Proverbs 23:7a, NKJV) By applying this word here, you can know the meaning of this scripture reference. In other words...if you think that you are just a sinner saved by Grace, you will behave that way. You will act as if you are still an old sinner.

Once you have accepted Jesus into your heart and into your life, you are a new person. The old has passed away. The new has come now. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Your identity has been changed with your re-birth. As a new creation in Christ Jesus, you are a Saint of God. Receive it! Hear it! Speak it! You are a Saint! (Ephesians 1:18, NKJV)

Therefore, please renew your mind on God's word. (Romans 12:2) Accept your new identity in Christ Jesus! You are a Saint of God! (Ephesians 4:12, NKJV) Keep speaking it and hearing it until it sinks deep down into your spirit. (Romans 10:17) Allow God's word and His Spirit to change you...your mind, your thoughts, your speech, your heart, and eventually your actions.

When you do so, you will then think and believe that this statement is true. “I am a Saint of God!” (Ephesians 3:18, NKJV)


Copyright 2012 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

She Speaks

“She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue.”  (Proverbs 31:26)

The Lord has put it on my mind and laid it on my heart to attend the She Speaks Conference this year.

The She Speaks Conference is a life-changing conference for women seeking to step out in the passion God has placed on their heart. Hosted by Proverbs 31 Ministries (501(c)3), She Speaks encourages and equips women to make the most of their messages, communicating God's Word through either writing or speaking:

She Writes: (Writers Track) From basic writing guidelines to preparing an article or manuscript for submission, and everything in between. In addition, the opportunity to meet one-on-one with some of the top editors, publishers, and literary agents in the Christian market.

She Speaks: (Speakers Track) Whether speaking in a large arena or leading Bible studies in church, participants will be equipped with the tools needed to effectively share the Word of God, create a bio sheet, market her ministry, and give successful presentations.

The next step is to raise the funds before the deadline of May 15. Will you please consider partnering with me through a financial contribution towards a scholarship?

As you feel led to join me in this exciting call, you can participate in two ways. Either call Proverbs 31 Ministries at (877) 731-4663 to contribute by credit card or send a check payable to Proverbs 31 Ministries to:

Proverbs 31 Ministries
She Speaks Scholarship/Dawn Freeman (scholarship recipient)
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105

Please be sure to designate the scholarship in my name in order to credit my scholarship fund. You will get a receipt for your tax-deductible donation. For more information: www.shespeaksconference.com.

Thank you for your support and prayers!  May God bless you abundantly!  (2 Cor 9:8)

Saturday, March 10, 2012

The Mystery of God

I often hear or read somewhere about the mystery of God. However, the word mystery does not accurately describe my God.

According to Dictionary.com, mystery is defined as 'anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown'. Another partial definition of mystery is obscure or puzzling. To me, those two definitions do not describe God at all. How about you?

Perhaps, the people who are describing God as a mystery do not really know Him. People can know of Him but not know Him. There is a difference. You know people by being in relationship with them. The same is true with God. You must be in a close relationship with the Father to know Him truly. (Joshua 1:8) Another possibility is people are trying to figure God out according to their own human thoughts and ways. Of course, that is not possible.

God's word specifically tells us, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV)

Therefore, do not try to figure God out by human standards. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to know Him deeply according to His higher thoughts and ways.

God does not have to be a mystery to you! You can really know Him and His ways! God is not a mystery to me! He is all-powerful! He is all-knowing! He is Almighty! He is love! (1 John 4:8)

Most of all, He is my Father!

What word would you use to describe God?


Copyright 2012 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Pulling a Hagar

“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.” (Gen 16:1-4a)

How many of us have done what Sarai did here in this passage? How many have pulled a Hagar? Alternatively, how many are now in the middle of pulling a Hagar? Sarai chose to take her natural circumstances into her own hands. She got inpatient with God, His ways, and His timing. She did not talk to Him first. She did not consider Him and His ways. She did not wait on Him and His timing. Instead, Sarai decided to go ahead of God. She thought that she knew better than God. Oh, my! Can you imagine anybody thinking that they knew better than the Almighty, all-powerful, and all-knowing God? Yet, Sarai thought she did at this time. Otherwise, she would have waited on God to provide for her.

If that was not enough, Sarai turns on her husband, Abram, for the horrible situation. “Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering.” (Gen 16:5a) From the very beginning, it was Sarai’s impatience and her poor choices that got both of them into the awful circumstances. Yes, Abram willfully chose to agree with her bad decision from the start. However, it was Sarai who initiated the bad decision. Then, Sarai has the audacity to point her finger at Abram. She blames him for the tragic consequences of her initial sin when he just passively went along with it.

Later on in this passage, the consequence of Sarai’s sin manifests even more. “So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.” (Gen 16:15-16)

Abram, Sarai, and Hagar all reaped the consequences of Sarai’s initial sin. As a result, they all had to live with the effects of Sarai’s impatience and poor choices. A child from another woman was brought into the middle of this tragic situation. In addition, God’s promises were delayed for both Abram and Sarai to have their own child.

Think about it. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar birthed their son, Ishmael. (Gen 16:16) He waited another 13 years before God appeared to Him about his son, Isaac. (Gen 17:1) During the wait, both Abram and Sarai had to go through name changes from God. (Gen 17:5, 15) Abraham initially laughed at God’s word to him regarding His promise. However, God’s promise came to pass for them when Sarah was 99 years old and Abraham was 100 years old. (Gen 17:17) After all of that time, Sarah finally birthed their son, Isaac. (Gen 17:19; 21:1-3) However, Abraham and Sarah had to wait at least a total of 14 years for God’s promise to come true for them.

Now, think about them and their previous circumstances. If both Abraham and Sarah had initially waited on God together, He may have provided their child a lot sooner. However, their collective and bad decisions took them on a detour that ended up costing them a lot of unnecessary heartache, pain, grief, and extra time away from God’s true purpose and plan for them. Therefore, it took many more years for God to get Abraham and Sarah back on the path He had for them and fulfill His perfect will for both of them. (Jer 29:11; Rom 12:2)

Whether you have pulled a Hagar before or are in the middle of pulling a Hagar now, just ask God to help you to be obedient to Him starting at this very moment. Ask God to help you to wait on Him and His timing. Seek Him and His ways. (Matt 6:33) By going to Him first, it will save both you and others a lot of time as well as preventing many unnecessary consequences from sin. You will also be much better off doing it God’s way first by waiting on Him and His timing.


Copyright 2012 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.