Burning Wick

O LORD, Burn me!
Through my wickedness
I curse your name
I encourage you to
Burn me!
Burn me for all that
scars your body
Let your flame be at my
center,
Your fire burns through
me
I am your wick
Light Your fire, O LORD
Burn away me!
For more of you

O LORD, Burn me!
Ignite my soul to
praise you passionately
I enthrall you to
Burn me
Burn me for all that you
want me to be
Melt my rotten wax
away,
Mold my heart to be
uncontainable
I am your wick,
Light your fire, O LORD
Burn away me!
For less of me,
and more of you.

Natalie M. Steele (NMS Copyright)
July 9, 2004

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Just a Prayer...

O Lord, I love to be still in your presence.
You are the only way I can't "escape" from everything.
I can walk into your chambers every minute of my day
without scheduling a time or asking for a holiday.
When I run to you in your throne room, everything stops
because I am your child.
You are my place of rest, of peace, of blessing, of wisdom,
of discipline and of love.
You are not a cure-for-all, quick-fix God.
Instead, you walk us through the cure with trial and blessing
molding us through time, to be what you intended us to be.
There is no "fixing" that needs to be done, for what
you have made needs not fixing but sculpting.

O Lord, I am on your potters wheel.
Smooth over my bumps that keep you from filling my life.
Mold me into a nurtured, strong and able vessel to hold
your holy oil.
Empty out my spoiled liquid for more of you.
Fill me with your wisdom and passion to share with others.
Let me not be a vessel that people will be afraid to touch,
to be around because they may see fragility.
Let others see my imperfections, my weaknesses.
Let me not simply appear real but to be
genuinely real through and through.

Oh, how I desperately want to dwell in your presence
all the days of my life.
There is no one else I love more than you.
There is no one else that I would rather give my life for.
My love is like betrayal to those I love on earth.
You see me in my weakest moments,
in my quiet hours,
in my joy and jubilation.
You know the hiding place in my heart.
You know my every thought and act.
In all of these things, I take comfort and shelter.
For you are my ultimate judge.

None other can place their judgments before yours.
I do not fear nor fret their thought against me,
for only your thoughts matter to me.
Only yours are of untitled worth.
My value comes from you and in that,
I cannot be of estimated value in the world.

For your discipline, I am not able to give enough gratitude.
Remind me of your ways each living hour.
Steer me on your path of promise.
Enlarge my heart for my family, for my friends,
and for those who need your love more desperately
than I.
Whilst enlarging my heart, toughen my exterior
to rough waves.
Bring to mind the significance of being your
disciple.
Let me hold fast to your truth in all that I do,
so that I may honor you.

Empty me. Break me. Mold me. Fill me. Use me for your Kingdom...

Love,
Your child


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Mad For God or Drunk For The World? (Part 2)

After much prayer over Jamie's response to my last post about drinking and his father's experience in Korea, I came to a solid conclusion (Based on 1 Cor 9). I realized the differentiation between going to a bar/party with your friends to have one drink (or none) and having a drink in a cultural setting. In the case of going to a bar or party where you know there is going to be drinking, and you might be convinced to come down from your platform, you are participating in a sinful culture. It's all to do with your intentions and motivation of being in an immoral environment. Are you reallly there to be a tall standing, well-adjusted witness? Or are you in the process of trying to convince yourself that your presence is a good witness and that there is nothing wrong with following where the crowd is heading? Who are you trying to please? Are you seeking the approval of God or man? There is a bold line where you are blind from God's truth, due to your own neglect of your screaming conscience and self-deception. Being a Christian is NOT about following the crowd. No matter how you put it, hanging with your friends in a place that endorses an environmental practice of iniquity, selfishness, and rejecting the will of God, YOU ARE PARTICIPATING IN SIN because you are not standing for righteousness. Drink or no drink, there is no excuse! The "Alcohol Culture" is not a culture at all, but simply a lifestyle full of sin.

Using Mr. Grant's situation (for an explaination of cultural setting w/ alcohol), he was not walking in sin because he was participating in a cultural tradtition. Confused?? I'll explain more. The intention of the men was not to get drunk, or to get Mr. Grant drunk, but in cultural tradition to provide a relaxed social environment. It's like the Korean style of meeting at a North American coffee shop to have a meeting, or to indulge in eachother's lives. Two drinks symbolized the welcoming of Mr. Grant into their culture, their lives, and as a friend. Mr. Grant's intentions and motivations for taking a drink with the men were pure. It was a way to say in actions,"I am your friend. I am interested in your well-being, in your lives, and in your culture. I'm not going to judge you because you are not a Christian." In this way he was not following along with the crowd in sin. His simple act of two drinks opened of the doors for a solid witness because he showed that he took the time and energy to find out who these men were, to welcome them into his life. Mr. Grant essentially went out of his way to respect their culture. Mr. Grant did provide a good witness. Paul reinforces this view in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, when he says the following;

"...I have become a servant of everyone so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with the Jews, I become one of them so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with those who follow the Jewish laws, I do the same, even though I am not subject to the law, so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with the Gentiles who do not have the Jewish law, I fit in with them as much as I can. In this way, I gain their confidence and bring them to Christ. But I do not discard the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.

When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ. I do all this to spread the Good News, and in doing so I enjoy its blessings."

Paul states that He goes out of his way to find common ground. BUT he does not let his own personal morals and the laws of Christ to be pushed aside and neglected. He stands firm in his beliefs while finding common ground. A Christian that proclaims that He is such and lets the laws of his faith waiver, will not prove to be a worthy witness for God. Those who stand firm for God no matter what the circumstance will be blessed! As Christians, I believe that it is ESSENTIAL to ask for the Holy Spirit's wisdom and discernment DAILY so that we are less likely to stray from his narrow path. Bellow I have provided a nifty "Checklist" that outlines the questions that we should ask ourselves when making choices in sensitive issues (1 Corinthians).

Loads of Love and God Bless!
Natalie M. Steele


MAKING CHOICES
IN SENSITIVE ISSUES

All of us make hundreds of choices every day. Most choices have no right or wrong attached to them -- like what to wear or what to eat. But we always face decisions that carry a little more weight. We don’t want to do wrong, and we don’t want to cause others to do wrong. So how can we make right decisions?

If I choose one course of action . . .

. . .Am I motivated by a desire to help others know Christ?(9:23, 10:33)

. . .Will it encourage someone else to sin?(10:32)

. . .Will I be acting lovingly or selfishly?(10:28-31)

. . .Will it glorify God?(10:31)

. . .Will it help my witness for Christ?(9:19-22)

. . .Is it against a specific command in scripture and thus will cause me to sin?(10:12)

. . .Will it help me do my best? (9:25)

. . . Will it be best and helpful? (10:23, 33)

. . .Will I be only thinking of myself, or do I truly care about the other person?
(10:24)


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