CostlyOilLP - "Make Mondays Matter" Monthly Blog

Sitting at the Feet of Jesus

8/1/2022

This month's Bible study by Tiffanie talks about the benefits of sitting at the feet of Jesus. This month we learn about Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus who was raised from the dead. Tiffanie tells us how Mary is the example of how we all should live our lives.

"Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word." ~Luke 10:38-39

For me, this lesson began even before hearing Tiffanie’s video. A friend asked me to do some editing work on a mini sermon she was presenting. The topic? You guessed it! Mary and Martha. After getting the hint to “take a seat,” I spent a weekend just sitting before God reading scripture, hearing teaching, worshipping, and praying for clarity from God. As always, He came through. But He also taught me some things that I had never noticed in the story of Mary and Martha.

We always condemn Martha for being too busy, but Mary needed that alone time with Jesus. We can assume that she and Jesus were not physically alone, seeing that He was in Martha’s house which meant she probably had a husband. Lazarus was probably there as well as other men from the community. But even in the midst of the crowd, like the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, Mary needed to seek what Jesus alone could provide. Sometimes, even though we still have obligations, jobs to go to, kids to feed, ministries to run, in the midst of people and responsibilities, we need to have a spiritual posture of stillness with Jesus…seeking what He alone can provide.
Assuming that Mary and Jesus were not alone when Martha complained to Jesus, once again like the woman who touched the hem of His garment, Mary was not intimidated or afraid to “step out of line” by sitting at Jesus’ feet, even among men who expected her to be in the kitchen. Many times we don’t want to cause waves or make a scene when we are in need. If it takes calling out to God, laying at the altar, praying all night…sometimes we have to get radical and move out of our comfort zones to hear what Jesus has to say. No, God doesn’t need all of that from us, but sometimes it takes that for Satan to get so uncomfortable in the atmosphere we create that HE has to leave.

So, it may the season for you to get comfortable being alone with Jesus and get uncomfortable doing whatever it takes to stay in His presence, so that what He has to say to and about you can come through loud and clear.

Living Always With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

Move Forward, Don't Look Back!

5/16/2022

"So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, 'Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed'...But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” ~Genesis 19:17, 26

To complement this month's study by Tiffanie, below is an excerpt from The Re-Purposed Life that helps us understand how vital it is to keep moving forward and to forget those things which are behind. What's ahead of us, is always greater than what's behind!

Like most men and women in the Bible, when we cooperate with God’s plans, there first requires a change of scenery. Esther had to move to the palace with a notorious king. Noah had to move his family into a big boat…with no water around. Lot and his family had to leave Sodom. Abram had to leave his family and homeland. Ruth left her homeland and her culture. Rahab betrayed her people, then left her home, her religion, and her lifestyle. David had to leave the pasture. Daniel had to go into captivity…and the lion’s den. His friends had to go into the fiery furnace. All the disciples left their jobs. John the Baptist left his ministry in order to point his followers to Jesus. Paul left his education, profession, and everything and everybody he knew to live in Arabia for three years.

Every one of these individuals, and more, made the sacrificial change of scenery in order to receive a new, greater purpose. Their lives went from obscurity, or negative notoriety in Paul’s case, to legendary. They did things with God that we are still reading about millennia later. Their stories inspire millions every day and have helped shape the faiths of entire nations the world over. The trials and troubles they suffered served to equip those who came after them to be just as courageous and bold. Their triumphs serve to give us hope. And even Lot's wife's disobedience serves as a warning for us.

Take these examples and never be afraid to be called away from what is familiar. A repurposed life will require being stripped of the people and places that have made you comfortable in your former situation, so that you can be repurposed for what is to come…without the temptation and distraction of “what used to be.” I promise you it won’t be easy. But it will also not be unremarkable.
Taken from The Re-Purposed Life, Vol. 2, by Dawn L. Bedingfield

Living Always With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

Living Prepared During "The Wait"

2/14/2022

"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." ~Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

In addition to meaning "wait", the word wait in this passage also means to "look for, hope, expect." This is not a passive waiting, but an active, preparing waiting for God to move and act. To complement this month's study by Tiffanie, below is an excerpt from The Re-Purposed Life that helps us understand how we can live prepared during our waiting season.

There may be long delays between what God promises/ commands us to do/go/become, and when we see the manifestation. But during these delays, we can do what our [Biblical] examples did:

Don’t give up. Keep a mentality of expectation for what has been instructed. God has His own way and timing. No matter what modern “feel good” teaching promotes, there is little we can do to alter His timing. Period. His timing is set for a reason, and that reason is rarely revealed to us. It still makes no sense how Noah so patiently built a boat that took more than 100 years to build with no evidence that rain would ever come. The only explanation is that he had to truly expect that God would do what He said He would do…send a flood. Living a lifestyle of expectation allowed him to receive a new purpose greater than what he’d ever known before God spoke to him.
Live prepared. In addition to living in a state of continuous expectation, we must live in a state of continuous preparation. Contrary to some beliefs, having faith and being patient does not look like doing nothing. It certainly doesn’t mean we should do what God said He would do; but, if you believe, you prepare. Not to be crude, but if Abraham and Sarah believed Sarah would become pregnant, they had to put in the work…even at their old age. Could their frustration with “putting in the work” at their old age have had an impact on why the pregnancy took so long? I can’t say. We still don’t know why David had to be persecuted in the wilderness for ten years and wait so long before becoming king. Whatever the reason, during this delay David operated as king over what he had. He networked. He created an army. He negotiated with kings from other nations. He fought wars and stockpiled wealth. He never fretted over God’s timing. He ruled what was under his control at the time, and when God’s timing was fulfilled, he walked smoothly and successfully into his new, greater purpose.

Taken from The Re-Purposed Life, Vol. 2, by Dawn L. Bedingfield

Living Always With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

NYE 2022 Celebration

12/24/2021

Repent, Relax, Reflect, Rejoice!

What better way to honor the goodness of The Lord...to honor all that He has done and all the wonders we have seen, heard, and experienced??? What better way to enter a new year than with coming clean, looking back and ahead, and exhaling? Below is how our family will be celebrating this new year's eve. Now more than ever we need these interactions. Why not adopt them for yourself, your family, your friends, or your church?

Repent
We begin our celebration with a time of repenting to The Lord and one another. Kind of weird? Not really. As we look to go into the New Year, it is vital that our lives stand clean and available before God if we want to receive more of what He has planned.

Relax
Our house has been diligently prepped beforehand, and we have nothing left to do but relax as we enter the New Year. Our hearts and homes are clean and, literally and symbolically, ready for whatever God wants to do in and through us in 2016.

Reflect
As 2015 winds away, this will be our family’s time to reflect on all that has taken place over the last year.

Rejoice
This will also be our time to look ahead once again and rejoice at the possibilities and promises The Lord holds in His Hand.

Whether you use these exchanges or something else, I hope that your family finds a way to make this season of change meaningful as well as fun! Cheers! And Happy New Year!

With Much Gratitude and Expectation,
Dawn~
~Pouring My Life Out in Worship, Like Costly Oil~

Suit Up!

8/9/2021

“…putting on the breastplate of faith and love,…”
~1 Thessalonians 5:8(b)

The 1st century Roman soldier’s covering for his vital organs was the breastplate. This piece of armor was designed to alleviate or minimize life-threatening injuries.

In this month’s scripture reference, the Apostle Paul finishes his directive for “us who are of the day” to not only be sober, but to also put on the breastplate of faith and love.

The word “faith” relates to a “conviction of the truth of anything.” This type of faith requires us to act out our convictions. James said that “faith without works is dead.” When people are convince of a truth, it is almost impossible to separate their actions from their belief. It’s why you often hear people say, “actions speak louder than words.” Folks can say they believe anything under the sun, but behavior follows belief.

The word “love” is our old familiar term “agape,” or charity. Agape is unconditional. It has no emotional investment; therefore, it cannot be swayed by emotion, situation, or circumstance. It is steadfast.

John the Apostle wrote in one of his epistles that “God is agape (love).” This is not to mean that God has no emotions or has no emotional attachments to us, His creation. Scripture tells us this about God’s emotions for us:

“The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

And this about Jesus when His friend Lazarus died:

“Jesus wept.”

However, God simply cannot be moved by His emotions to stop loving us. Even in His discipline, it is 100% motivated by His love for us.

From our hearts come faith and love, and every vital aspect of who we are should be guarded by both.

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

Walk As Light!

7/12/2021

“But let us who are of the day be sober…”
~1 Thessalonians 5:8(a)

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” ~John 1:4

“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” ~John 12:46

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” ~ Ephesians 5:8

“…you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” ~Romans 13:11-14

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” ~Isaiah 60:1

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” ~Matthew 5:14-16

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” ~John 1:5

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

Stay Sober!

6/7/2021

“Therefore, let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” ~1 Thessalonians 5:6

Here’s a question...if light is, by nature, designed to illuminate an environment, thing, or path, and we are the light of the world, shouldn’t we be the ones leading The Way? Alternately, are we (light) really expecting darkness to do our job for us? Are we expecting darkness to be anything other than a blinding void? Darkness only gets easier to navigate for two reasons: 1. more light enters and the darkness adjusts, or 2. You stay in it long enough and YOU adjust.

As Believers, I notice that we often want to remain blissfully ignorant or avoid anything that is not easily explainable in Scripture. But if WE can’t explain it, how and why do we expect those without light to know and explain it, Biblically? We cannot be blissfully ignorant or passive and still try to lead those in darkness into “the marvelous light.” Jesus called it, “the blind leading the blind” (paraphrased). Folks who sleep on truth love to do so because what they are doing feels good and they don’t want to change. Let’s not be those folks. Let’s love truth and light, even if it means we also have to change.

Choosing to stay in darkness about what God has clearly illuminated is not the move in this season. We are to always be sober, watching for ways to illuminate truth (and lies), warn of coming destruction, and win souls to the kingdom. It doesn’t always have to be in that order but this is what sober living, as a Believer in Jesus Christ, looks like.

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

Don’t Be Surprised!

4/12/2021

“…so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. ”
~1 Thessalonians 5:4(b)

Let me rephrase verse four, You are the light of the world, so you should always be watching and waiting so that you aren’t surprised when Christ returns.

Imagine this… You have been invited to a surprise party. You, along with all the other guests, are in the designated gathering place. You all have been told about what time to expect the guest of honor. You know who they are arriving with, what this person looks like, most likely what kind of car they are driving. Even if you don’t know all this, you can get some clues when those around you who do know start spreading the word and getting excited. You hear the jingle of keys in the door and in walks the guest of honor…and you are just as surprised as they are when everyone yells, “SURPRISE!”

How ridiculous is that?

The same is true for us as Believers if we are not aware of and on the lookout for our Lord’s return. We are part of the invited guest list, but we’re checked out when it’s time to start looking for the Guest of Honor. We hear rumors but have not taken the time and effort to check the invite for ourselves. We received the invitation with all the details, but we’re in the bathroom or otherwise occupied or preoccupied when the big moment arrives. SURPRISE!

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

Keep The Light On!

3/1/2021

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness…”
~1 Thessalonians 5:4(a)

I was discussing the topic of our light in Christ with my son during one of our recent weekly discussions based on a book we are reading together. God uses three methods to bring light to darkness: love, truth, and His people.

God is Love – His Love is The Light that destroys every kind of evil. Love exposes confusion. Love exposes hate. Love exposes selfishness, self-interest, self-centeredness, self-reliance, and self-hate. Love exposes fear. Love exposes deceit. Love exposes greed, lust, gossip, and lies. If you want to keep The Light on, walk in Love.
God’s Word is Truth – Truth is light to everything good and possible in the universe. Truth points to The One True God, The One who is worthy of our worship. Truth points to how we should live, how we are made righteous through Jesus. Truth reminds us that how we live is a reflection of the truth that Jesus is returning like a thief in the night, and sooner than what we think. If you want The Light on in everything you do and in how you live your life, stay in the truth of God’s Word.
We are called to be light – When we enter an atmosphere or the presence of a person that is filled with darkness, we can be so filled with God’s love, the truth of His sovereignty, and righteous living through Jesus that we become light. This is not automatic, it is conditional. So, keep The Light on!

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

Watch Out!

2/1/2021

“…that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.”
~1 Thessalonians 5:2(b)

Thief. In. The. Night.

In the book of Matthew chapter 24, Jesus provides us with a synopsis of what His return will be like; and, in the book of Luke chapter 12, He provides an analogy of what His return could be like. In both lessons He uses the exact same wording in the verses that say, “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.” Jesus gives two totally different lessons on the same subject and uses the exact same sentence in both lessons.

Now…I know a lot about scripture, but I am no where near being an expert. I have not been to seminary or even taken any theology classes. But from what I do know, it is very rare for verses to be repeated exactly, word for word -- even in the case of the four different accounts of Jesus’ life -- unless a writer is quoting from somewhere else, namely Old Testament scripture.* I feel like such an instance is worthy of increased attention.

Increased<>attention. Watch>>>>>>>>>Thief.

If you knew the thief was coming, wouldn’t you stay up all night if necessary? It is night my friends and Jesus is coming! It’s not a matter of if, but when. So, watch out!

I challenge you to read both Matthew 24:36-44 and Luke 12:35-40 and decide which scenario sounds more appealing to you. Choose that route and be found watching and waiting.

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

*Because I am not a Bible or theology expert, I invite and welcome any correction to this statement.