Women in the New Testament – Devotion 4/22/12

Women in the New Testament….who did Jesus hang out with?

Luke 7:11-15 – Mourning Widows
Luke 7: 36-50 – Contrite Prostitutes (adjectives are everything)…perfume for his feet
Luke 8:43-48 – A woman with “lady problems” (Menstruation was considered unclean so this woman’s 12 year bleeding had made her a societal out cast)
John 4: 1-26, 39 – A Samaritan woman (Jews hated the Samaritans) who had been married five times and was currently living with her boyfriend…not your ideal Jewish girl next door character.

As girls we can be quite catty, and we are quick to judge one another, at times justly but more often just harshly. All of the women above we despised members of society, either because of their actions or through no fault of their own. Jesus healed them and forgave them and brought them into his kingdom. Just look at Jesus’s history and you will find women who made their own fair share of mistakes. Eve….well we all know Eve’s contribution, Sarah laughed at God when he told her she’d have a child at 90…and then she did, Rebecca played favorites with her twins and cheated her firstborn out of his inheritance, Rachael lied to her father and hated her sister, Perez slept with her father in law, Rahab was a prostitute who harbored Israelite spies against her own country, Ruth was a Moabite pagan, and Mary was an unmarried teenage mother. God can and does use and cherish all women, regardless of our position in society or past transgressions.

Luke 10:38-42
“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken from her.”

This is a stark contrast to how we a programmed to live in today’s society. Martha was an organized, efficient worker. She was tying to serve Jesus and his friends and be a good host in her house. These are all admirable qualities, so why then did Jesus tell her Mary, who was currently sitting on the floor listening to him, was the one choosing the better way to use her time? I think the point is truly hit home we when apply it to a group of women such as ourselves. As a group of proactive, self-starting women we naturally have several strong, type A personalities in our sorority. How frustrating is it to try to lead a group of people who maybe do not work as hard as you think they should, aren’t as dedicated to the cause as you, or frankly just don’t care like you do? It’s easy to get irritated and somewhat hostile to the people you think are just chilling and not helping you like they should. It’s also easy to get self- righteous.
Jesus isn’t condoning a lazy, come-what-may attitude here, but he is pointing out a very dangerous flaw in Martha the busy little worker bee. Consumed by her acts of “service,” which in themselves are not wrong or bad things, she has contempt for her sister who is not helping her. She is so stressed out about getting everything done she has missed the greatest gift of all, her Lord in her own house!
Finals are coming up, a new semester of Sigma Alpha fast approaches. Tonight we are electing new committee chairs to will plan activities and events for the chapter. You are each going to face a situation similar to Martha’s; you really need to think now about how you will respond.
Don’t forget that each of your sisters is valuable and cherish her. She will frustrate you I promise, and there is going to be a time you will frustrate her. But bear with one another in love and remember the most important part of this sorority is not how much it does, how many members it has or even its reputation on campus. The most important thing about Sigma Alpha is that all the sisters love and care for one another. The rest will fall into place.

Sanctification – Devotion 4/16/12

Sanctification = the turning point
Sanctification is the “work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God and are enabled more and more to die to sin, and live unto righteousness.” Sin is not immediately gone, we don’t become perfect members of the family, but rather we go through a process in which sin is taken away and we form Christlike habits in its place. Rather than being of this world, filled with hate, anger and bitterness we can rejoice in God’s grace with a heart of love, peace, and joy. Sanctification is an actual transformation of the heart, not just a set of rules that we follow and the hope we “look” like we are great people. That is called hippocracy.
Impossible Standard
As professional women we have a certain standard of behavior and performance that we strive toward and expect from each other. In the sorority we present our selves in a manner fitting of a sister, maintain our GPAs at the appropriate level, complete all our mandatory events, and abide by the code of conduct outlined in the bylaws (Ie- drinking at Sigma Alpha events etc.)
So what standards must be upheld to be a member of the family of God? Perfection. You need to do absolutely everything right, without any second thoughts or mistakes. You need to go above and beyond any preacher or humanitarian you can think of. You need to be so good that you would be willing to be punished for the sins of everyone around you, even if they don’t care. Your chances of making it to heaven based on this standard? Zero. But would you have it any other way? If God is holy and righteous and above reproach, how could he stand our petty sinfulness and ultimate failure at loving one another and glorifying him? He can’t and he hates it and as a result we are damned to go on in our sin even to the grave.
Except!
God sent Jesus to atone for all our many sins, once and or all. What does this mean for you? Grace has been poured out over you and your sinful heart washed clean in God’s sight! You have been welcomed into the kingdom of God as a member of the family, not a slave or servant. It’s really that simple.
“For the death he died he died to sin, once and for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” Romans 6:10-11
We are saved by grace, now we have to die to sin? That’s not so easy. In fact, I know I can’t go even two hours without sinning? How do you fix that? Sanctification. God starts the work and then he keeps working on you, molding and training your heart to chase Him rather than all the fleeting pleasures of this world.
“For those that live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the spirit is life and peace” – Romans 8:5-6
This doesn’t mean you commit a sin and you die. If you cheat, lie, steal etc. you probably won’t get caught, probably won’t be held accountable for it by society, and probably can go on your way and likely even do it again. The difference is what’s in your heart. In sin, you can slide down that slippery slope toward a life that is unfulfilled, alone and desperate even if it looks just like you think it should on the outside. In Christ you live a life of peace, joy and grace, it may sound like a drag compared to everything you could be doing, but that’s where the change of heart steps in and makes your path clear and your resolve to live in Christ strong.
So All of that To Say this….
Hypocrisy runs rampant in the church and for people who call themselves Christians we do a poor job of living up to it. Paul makes it pretty clear what a real Christian should look like
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all…” –Romans 12:9-18

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Poor Decisions – Devotion 4/2/12

Stephanie shared a theory with me a few months ago about natural selection as it works today in the human population. You get 5 poor decisions, and if you make that sixth one, you die. The numbers may need tweaking but you get the picture. We’ve been trying to observe the phenomenon and there have been a few days I’ve met my five and I am beginning to have more faith in the theory. So, let’s see what the Bible says about poor decisions…

1 Corinthians 6:12-20
“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me but I will not be enslaved by anything. Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food – and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, ‘The two shall become one flesh,’ but he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for your were bought with a price.”

Nothing implied in that passage is there! As far as being pretty straightforward about the sex issue in Corinth it certainly is, but let’s look at it a little deeper, and maybe on a less literal note. It was pretty common in those days for pagan religions to employ temple prostitutes as part of their worship rituals. Paul was likely referring to this practice in the temple of Aphrodite in Corinth and admonishing the Corinthians to not let the ways of their neighbors on unbelieving friends sway them in to sin. I doubt any of you are hiring prostitutes on a regular basis…at least I hope not.
That being said, we can’t ignore the Biblical truth about sex in this passage. Sex is a gift created by a good God that loves us, and the rules about it in the Bible are pretty clear, but that is a vastly debated topic and I am not qualified to give devotion on that one.
*Side Note* I can’t impose my morals on you, because they come from the Bible and if you don’t believe the Bible is the authoritative Word of God then any rationalization I have for them breaks down. I know not everyone here believes the same things I do, but once again I encourage you to figure out what you believe and why! This is definitely worth looking at on your own time and I’d encourage you to really research it historically, Biblically etc. to determine your own opinion on the topic. Just because you grew up that way or something has been termed politically correct or incorrect doesn’t mean it is right. Figure out what you believe for yourself! And stand your ground when you figure it out! I can contribute a few resources I’ve found helpful, but it’s really your responsibility.
So let’s dial it back and apply it to Athens. The first time I read Corinthians I thought, “wow! I think this is written about Athens!” Corinth was one of the largest cities in the Roman world and a commercial center. They were a hub for the arts as well…and the shadier businesses too. Overall the passage gives the feeling that everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial to our faith. The hard part about the Bible is it doesn’t give a lot of hard and fast rules, but we still can’t interpret it however we want. The open-ended statements like this one are there because we need to apply them to every moment of everyday. This passage is primarily about sexual immorality, which is definitely an issue in our culture today, but it also mentions food. I think the point was to drive home, that as natural and normal as a thing can be, eating for instance, if done with the wrong intent or to the wrong end it becomes a very damaging sin. Just like seemingly harmless decisions can escalate into a life threatening situations…I have examples! How you act and conduct yourself everyday requires the constant application of the question, “This is permissible, but is it beneficial to me and those around me?”
Three questions to ask before you make a potentially poor decision
- Is it legal? Obviously if answer is no, STOP NOW!!!
– Is it helpful? … Are you doing it because you don’t think the consequences will catch up with you, because they will? Or is it something you and those around you will benefit from. If you are hurting one person, probably wise to stop.
- Is it enslaving? …. Are you playing with a fire you may not be able to control? Anything can become enslaving: Food, alcohol, sex, work …you get the picture

Why do we care? The end of the passage, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body”
We are saved by Amazing Grace, and how great a debt we owe!

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God’s Arms – Devotion 3/26/12

All We Like Sheep – Devotion 3/19/12

Since it seems spring has sprung and it’s about time for lambs on Milledge again!!!

Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his names sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

There is obvious symbolism here of the Lord as the shepherd. He stays with his flock (us) and we are totally dependent on him for food, water, and protection. He lovingly tends to us and cares for us in every situation.
Take it one step further and look at our role and the symbol the psalmist uses for you and I. We are sheep. If you’ve ever worked with sheep you know they are smelly, oily, and not the most intelligent of creatures…a far cry from the snow white lambs in Easter pictures. They are endearing don’t get me wrong…. But if left to their own devices I’m not sure they’d still be a viable species. They are herd bound, reactive to any little thing and have practically no survival instincts.
Do you see the similarities yet? The fantastic part of this analogy is the shepherd loves you anyways, sees you as a piece of profit and worth his time and energy. All God expects from you is to follow Him in all your sheepishness. He’ll take care of growing you into an intricate part of His kingdom.

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Monkey See Monkey Do… Devotion 3/5/12

Titus 2:1-5 “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God might not be reviled”
*DISCLAIMER*Once again, don’t get hung up on the language in this passage, remember the context and the culture this text was written in. You can be a woman in the 21st century and still be a woman after God’s heart.
Mamma didn’t raise no fool!
Men cannot understand women, period, end of story. It is a fact of life that any guy would probably agree with. Therefore it falls to older women within the body of the Church to shepherd and direct the young women in the ways they should go. My mother is one of the most amazing women I know and she’s been an example of how Biblical Womanhood should be in my life as long as I can remember. However, she’s human and we definitely butt heads at times. I have learned many of my habits, ways of speaking, and quirks from watching her….whether I want them or not. You know that moment when you realize you are becoming your mother? Being a mother is obviously a huge opportunity to be a role model, but how many older women have influenced you? Teachers, Aunts, Friends’ Moms….the list goes on. We look to the women in our lives to learn how to respond and deal with all the world throws at us.
As time goes by…
We are all pretty young things….for now, but do you remember a few short years ago you were in high school preparing to come to the great University of Georgia. Upper classman seemed to have it all together. You probably mimicked the older girls around you more than you realized at the time. You are those girls now! High school’ers generally think college girls are wise and smart and know how to party and use a fake ID, middle school’ers call you mam and honestly….you could be a kindergartener’s mother. How are you teaching and raising up the next generation of women by your actions and lifestyle, because they are watching you. When you have a daughter, will you be proud to tell her about your college days, ex-boyfriends, and fashion choices?
Brining it back to Ag…
So, the common theme in these devotions…how does this affect you as a woman in Agriculture? I’d challenge you to look at the women ahead of you and take as much knowledge from them as you can moving forward. These women paved the way for our generation to step into this field. How will you honor their hard work going forward and how will you leave Agriculture better for the young ladies following us?

A Place in the Family of God – 2/27/12

In light of Ash Wednesday last week and the approaching Easter season, let us look toward the greatest gift mankind has ever been given, Adoption into the Kingdom of God.
Galatians 3:26-4:7 “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew on Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male of female, for you are all one in Jesus Christ. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to his promise.
I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different than a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set forth by his father. [Guardians were responsible for punishing misbehavior…much like the Law God gave to Moses to govern his people] In the same way we also were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son then an heir through God.”

Adoption (From the ESV Study Bible)
“The gift of justification (that is permanent acceptance by God, the world’s Judge) is accompanied by the gift of adoption, that is, of becoming a child of the heavenly Father. In Paul’s world, adoption was ordinarily of young adult males of good character to become heirs and maintain the family name of rich people who otherwise had no children. Paul, however, proclaims God’s gracious adoption of persons of bad character to become “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).
Justification is the basic blessing on which adoption is founded; adoption is the crowning blessing for which justification clears the way. Adopted status belongs to all who receive Christ (John 1:12). In and through Christ God loves His adopted children as he loves His only begotten Son, and will share with them the glory that is Christ’s now (Romans 8:17, 38, 39). Believers are under God’s father care and discipline (Matt 6:26, Heb 12:5-11). They are to pray to God as their own Father in Heaven (Matt 6:5-13), imitate His virtues (Matt 5:44-48, 6:12, 14, 15; 18:21-35, Eph 4:32-5:2) and trust His fatherly love (Matt 6:25-34), thus expressing the filial instinct that the Holy Spirit has implanted in them (Romans 8:15-17, Gal 4:6).
Adoption and regeneration accompany each other as two aspects of the salvation that Christ brings (John 1:12,13) but they should be distinguished. Adoption results in a new relationship while regeneration is a change of our moral nature. Yet the connection is clear. God wants His children, whom He loves, to have His character, and he takes action accordingly”