Erika Mathews's Blog, page 16

In Him Is Life: The Light of Mankind!

“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.” (Ephesians 1:18)

John Newton spoke a universal truth when he penned the famous line, “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.”

Normally, we label those with spiritual blindness as unbelievers or those outside of Jesus Christ—but perhaps you sometimes feel as though you are stumbling in the dark in your walk with God. Did you know that spiritual blindness extends to believers as well? And did you know that the Savior who healed the blind beggars by the roadside with only a touch can open your eyes just as readily and grant your spiritual life the astounding fullness that His Spirit brings?

When the disciples asked Jesus why He taught in parables, He replied, “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” (Matthew 13:11-17)

Christ Our Light!

Paul had one request for the Ephesian saints: that God would grant them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing Him, specifically for giving light to their mind’s eye. This was important because once this occurred, they would see and know three things: what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to believers. Ephesians 1:18 deals with the first two of these effects.

These elements of God’s kingdom aren’t something we can understand on our own. Once God’s Spirit fills us and reigns in our lives, He brings understanding in these three areas. He is Light; in Him is no darkness at all (I John 1:5). That Spirit of Light that lives in us guides us into all truth of God’s kingdom (John 16:13).

Why does this matter? Can’t we walk in relationship with Christ without understanding these things? Because walking in the Spirit will bring understanding of the kingdom, the answer is “no.” If we are not growing in our understanding of the kingdom of God, that is evidence that we are still walking in the flesh (I Cor. 3:1-3, Heb. 5:12-14). Understanding the mysteries of the kingdom of God enables us to grow to astounding levels of maturity and intimacy with Christ. Yet we cannot understand the mysteries of the kingdom unless He opens our eyes.

How then do you and I remain in the light of His Spirit? Jesus tells us exactly how: “…he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12). This is true because “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). As long as we abide in Him and He in us, His light remains in us.

Taking this one step further, the way we abide in Him is through communion with Him through His Word. Scripture says clearly, “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding…” (Psalm 119:130; see also Ps. 119:105 and Prov. 6:23). The more we allow His Word to permeate our thoughts, His words penetrate more deeply into our inner man, granting us increased spiritual understanding of who He is and who we are in Him.

Christ Our Calling!

Calling is “an invitation.” To what are we called? Perhaps more relevantly, who are we called?

God has called us:

By His own name (Jer. 14:19, 15:16, Amos 9:12)
By our own unique name (Isa. 43:1, John 10:3)
A restorer (Isa. 58:12)
A tree of righteousness planted by God (Isa. 58:12)
Priests and ministers of God (Isa. 61:3)
Holy people and redeemed of God (Isa. 62:12)
The children of God (Matt. 5:9, Rom. 9:26, I John 3:1)
Friends (John 15:15)
Saints (I Cor. 1:2)
To be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:30)
To the fellowship of Jesus Christ (I Cor. 1:9)
To peace (I Cor. 7:15, Col. 3:15)
To the grace of Christ (Gal. 1:6)
To liberty (Gal. 5:13)
To His kingdom, eternal glory, and virtue (I Thess. 2:12, 1 Pet. 5:10, 2 Pet. 1:3)
Brethren (Heb. 2:11)
Into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9)
To suffering (I Pet. 2:21)
To render blessings (I Pet. 3:9)
To the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9)

What is the essence of these numerous elements of our calling? Paul and Peter both tell us we are called to eternal glory. Colossians 1:27 defines the “hope of glory” as “Christ in you.” This is the essence of the hope of our calling: Christ in us. In every aspect of our calling, the common denominator is the abundant, eternal life found in Christ. This is the hope laid up for us in heaven; this is the calling that extends day by day beyond this earthly life through eternity. Truly this is a high (Phil. 4:13), holy (II Tim. 1:9), and heavenly (Heb. 3:1) calling: it is an invitation by God Himself into the fullness and joy of life in Christ!

Christ Our Inheritance!

The term inheritance refers to possessions, houses, lands, or wealth in modern-day English, Biblical Hebrew, and New Testament Greek. Notice the words God chose: this is the “riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” We often define an inheritance as something passed on to heirs upon the owner’s death. However, throughout Scripture God also uses the term to describe something given to someone to pass it on to their heirs (Heb. 11:8, Acts 7:5).

This is exactly what is happening here. Scripture calls us “the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance” (Ps. 33:12). Paul confirms, “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Eph. 2:22). We are His dwelling place, the temple of the Spirit wherein He delights to rest. We are His possession, purchased by the blood of the Son. We are valued by Him, not because of anything in us, but because of His infinite love.

And yet He also chose us for His inheritance that He might adopt us as children (Eph. 1:5) so that we could be heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17)—thus receiving Him as our inheritance (Eph. 1:11): our dwelling place, our possession, our treasure, and our security. Repeatedly, Jesus defines two specific elements of what His disciples inherit: everlasting life and the kingdom of God. This is His inheritance passed on to us! Through Christ, we are partakers of the divine nature and all that goes with it. Jesus couldn’t have put it more plainly than Rev. 21:7, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

Thus, it’s evident why we need the Spirit within us to open our eyes to the riches of the recognition of this inheritance. Truly “his ways [are] past finding out” (Rom. 11:33) in our own understanding. Knowing the riches of Him as our inheritance is progressing beyond mental assent to experiencing Him day by day in our lives.

Christ In You Today

Today, adopt for yourself and your loved ones the prayer of Paul. Spend time meditating on how God enlightens the eyes of your understanding, what the hope of His calling on your life is, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in you and for you is. What is your understanding? What does it look like when light dawns on your understanding? What hope has He given you for your walk with Christ? How is Christ being revealed in and through you today? What are some pieces of the wealth of the inheritance that is Christ? Prayerfully ponder the questions God gives to you, asking Him to open your eyes that you may more intimately know your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in each task He has set before you today.

You’ve been invited to continually behold the face of your Savior in the magnitude of His radiance and to discover the mysteries of His kingdom. Will you accept the challenge?

Knowing Our Faithful God

Check out Josh’s Anchor podcast on Knowing Our Faithful God from Deuteronomy 7:9!

Click to listen!

Drawn away

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (James 1:13-14)

We are good at blaming other people for our problems. It is easy for us never take responsibility for our actions or identify ourselves as the problem in a situation. As this passage indicates, we even blame God when we sin!

But here’s a few important thoughts that I think are easy to overlook in this passage. While it is shocking to our natural man that the cause of all our temptations is lusts of our own heart, I think there is something even more astonishing than that.

“God cannot be tempted with evil.” This obvious simplicity of this phrase has been ignored by my uncaring mind for as long as I have known this passage. Listen to what it is saying – God is one who CANNOT be tempted by any evil!

This is great news for us. Why? Because in covenant made by the death of Jesus on the cross, we have been given the opportunity to receive the divine nature – to live and move together as one with the creator of heaven and earth.

In this blessed state of union with God, we are hidden in the cleft of the rock of God’s holiness and shielded from the tempestuous winds of our flesh that would seek to separate us from Him.

This brings me to my final observation. “Every man is tempted when he is drawn away…” This phrase also struck me. Drawn AWAY. Drawn away from what? When we cease to simple rest ourselves upon Jesus and abide in His word, the insidious lusts of our own hearts draw us away from safety in Him.

Let us abide in Him today. Let us delight in much time and thought devoted to Him. Rest in Him and receive His life.

Welcome to Resting Life!

Do you find that you’re not as consistent in your walk with God as you’d like?

Do you want godly accountability and fellowship but don’t seem to know anyone around with a similar desire?

Do you want encouragement in knowing God in a deeper way?

Do you want to study the Bible and pray with other people who are serious about God?

Do you have questions about the Bible that you can’t seem to get answers to?

Do you need support and encouragement as you struggle in your daily walk?

You’re not alone. Other people face the same struggles in their walk with God. There is strength in fellowship and supporting one another as the body of Jesus Christ. Sometimes a time of fellowship in Him and the Word with other believers can refresh us spiritually and motivate us to deeper personal times with Him.

We’ve seen this in our lives, and that’s part of the purpose for this website. God has been working this idea in us throughout past several months. We would like to connect believers and facilitate mutual community sharing and growth.

A few tools we’ll be using in pursuit of this are the following:

Resting Life Monthly. A monthly newsletter filled with encouragement from Scripture, writing project news, life news, prayer requests, and answers to pressing life questions. Subscribe at the bottom of the page or on the home page at restinglife.com.
Live Events, where you can join in by audio or just watch our live video as we discuss God’s truth, immerse ourselves in the scriptures, encourage each other, and pray
Short Videos
Writing: may include books, articles, and blog posts
Resting Life Today. A Scripture verse for meditation each day.

The purpose of all of these is the edification of each other (1 Cor. 8:1, 2 Cor. 12:19, Eph. 4:11-12, 29, 1 Th. 5:11, 1 Tim. 1:14). It is to “not forsake the assembling of yourselves together…but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). Through these tools, we’ll be:

Discussing the Word and what God has shown us
Discussing questions about God, the kingdom of God, Scripture, or anything else/answering questions on anything in life from a biblical perspective
Reading Scripture together
Praying together
Supporting through fervent prayer any one of us who may have a particular need at that time

The idea is that the Holy Spirit leads each event so that His words will be spoken and not our own – for the purpose of glorifying God, advancing His kingdom, and drawing each of us nearer to Himself.

Our desire is that Resting Life be a participatory community where YOU dialogue with us and with other believers. We want to learn from you, and we want to be there for you when you need support, a verse, encouragement in a tough time, prayer, comfort, or anything else you may need. We welcome your participation through asking questions, sharing something God has spoken to you, and praying.

This isn’t about any theological or denominational position; it’s about the Lord Jesus Christ and the Scriptures. It’s about God and what He says to us – seeking Him with all our hearts! So whatever your theologies or denominational positions (or lack thereof) might be, if you want to seek God and know Him, you’re welcome to join the discussion!

We ask you to please pray about whether this is something God wants you to be a part of either regularly or as you can.

God bless you! We look forward to hearing from you and are excited about what He is doing, has been doing, and will do! Keep seeking Him!

What would you like to see in an online assembly of believers? How can God’s kingdom be advanced in us today?

Giveaway Winners!

We have giveaway winners! Thank you to all who entered the giveaway and participated in the Promise’s Prayer release day blog party!

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The winner of the Promise’s Prayer eBook is

Laura Pol!

And the winner of the signed paperback is

Sarah Kate!

 

Congratulations to both of you!

If you didn’t win, you can still order your own signed paperback here. Or you can purchase the eBook here. Or you can purchase a paperback on Amazon here.

And now, a sneak peek into Chapter 13:

 

Life on the farms with the men wasn’t any different. Nothing had changed in a week, except the crops were taller. Kaelan fell back into routine quickly, but inwardly the question still tormented his mind. Was this right? Was this what Adon Olam wanted? What good would a few vegetables do for the souls of the people? ~ Promise’s Prayer, page 111

Promise’s Prayer is Available! (+ giveaway!)

With much joy and excitement, I am thrilled to announce that my book Promise’s Prayer is now available in paperback and eBook! Promise’s Prayer is the first book of the family-friendly Christian novel series Truth from Taerna. 

It’s been a long (yet sometimes not long enough!) journey, full of challenges, new experiences, and days of hard work. From outlining this novel in summer 2014, finding character and setting inspiration on Pinterest, spending the entire month of November writing the first draft, months of nitpicky editing, and all the headaches of formatting, this is a journey I’ve enjoyed – not only because I love writing but also because this book carries a message that God gave me.

A saving-the-world book with a Biblical twist.

This is the thought that first inspired Promise’s Prayer, and combined with the centrality of prayer in a believer’s life, Kaelan and Carita developed quickly. Following them on their journeys has been an encouraging and challenging spiritual journey in my own life, and I’m so excited to finally be able to share it all with you.

Check out the other blog party stops below, read the sneak peek, and don’t forget to join the giveaway!

About the Book

Kaelan is restless for adventure and relentless in his efforts to bring the land of Taerna back to the blessings of Adon Olam and the prosperity of the days of his ancestors. Fueled by a solemn promise and his mother’s secret, he finds himself in the forefront of a desperate scheme that is crucial to Taerna’s future. Can he keep his promise? Can he save the people of Taerna from the corruption and rampant lawlessness that threaten them with extinction?

Shy and quiet Carita knows she possesses what Taerna’s people so desperately need. But how can she help them when her own soul is simultaneously tormented by witnessing unmet needs and handicapped by her own paralyzing fears?

When Kaelan and Carita come face to face with the true nature of Adon Olam’s call, will they each choose to embrace Adon Olam’s plan for Taerna—and for their own lives?

 

Click here to purchase on Amazon!
Click here to purchase a signed copy.

Sneak Peek!

Light leapt to Carita’s eyes. “Do they meet for prayer?”

Kaelan shook his head. “They meet each week,” he stated slowly. “They worship Him. They sing, and pray in turn, and listen to a speaker on Adon Olam. They give their money. And they pray before meals.”

The glow died out of Carita’s eyes faster than it had entered. “They don’t—really know him, do they?” Her voice was quiet.

Kaelan wrinkled his brow in confusion. “Some of them do, I think,” he declared. “It seems that way. Of course, it’s hard to tell. It’s better than I was expecting though. I wasn’t sure if the name of Adon Olam would elicit hostility or not.”

Carita swallowed. “I’m glad you found it otherwise.”

Her voice, however, almost contradicted her words. Kaelan couldn’t understand it. She supported his work, right? She wanted the people to be favorable to Adon Olam, right? Of course she did. He shook his head slightly, dismissing the thought, and his eyes sought Carita’s. “Thank you for what you’ve been doing around here.”

She raised her eyes calmly to his, a hint of surprise showing. Kaelan bit his lip. Hadn’t he just practically said that she was wasting her time and talents here? Did she think he was crazy?

She grinned slightly and stepped forward. “Welcome home.” She gestured to the door. “Laelara is in the kitchen. I’ll be getting the vegetables now.”

Giveaway

Celebrate the exciting release by entering to win Promise’s Prayer! One winner will receive a paperback and a second winner will receive an ebook.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Blog Party Special Stops!

Check out each of these stops today for special highlights, snippets, features on Promise’s Prayer characters, interviews, and more! Also, keep an eye on social media for Promise’s Prayer posts by special guests!

Ellrick Character Spotlight at Brie Donning (Brie Donning)

Author Interview at Elvish Pens, Fantastical Writings (Alea Harper)

Carita Character Spotlight at God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae (Raechel)

Author Interview at Seek Him First (Katherine Sophia)

Kaelan Character Interview and Spotlight at Random Reflections (Gabriella)

Release Announcement at The Flowering Vales (Erudessa Aranduriel)

Release Party Central at Resting Life (Erika Mathews – you are here)

 

 

About the Author

Erika Mathews is an author and editor who lives in the farm country of Minnesota with her husband and daughter. She’s a homeschool graduate with a Bachelor’s in Communications, a Master’s in Biblical Ministries, and a passion for sharing Jesus Christ and His truth. When she’s not working with books, she enjoys reading, outdoor activities, piano and violin, organizing, and using the Oxford comma. You can connect with Erika at restinglife.com, on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram.

Promise’s Prayer Unboxing (video)

Promise’s Prayer Release Date & Party!

I am thrilled to announce that my Christian novel, Promise’s Prayer, is set to release for Kindle and paperback on March 18, 2017! 

Party Sign-Up form!

Add to Goodreads

Kaelan is restless for adventure and relentless in his efforts to bring the land of Taerna back to the blessings of Adon Olam and the prosperity of the days of his ancestors. Fueled by a solemn promise and his mother’s secret, he finds himself in the forefront of a desperate scheme that is crucial to Taerna’s future. Can he keep his promise? Can he save the people of Taerna from the corruption and rampant lawlessness that threaten them with extinction?

Shy and quiet Carita knows she possesses what Taerna’s people so desperately need. But how can she help them when her own soul is simultaneously tormented by witnessing unmet needs and handicapped by her own paralyzing fears?

When Kaelan and Carita come face to face with the true nature of Adon Olam’s call, will they each choose to embrace Adon Olam’s plan for Taerna—and for their own lives?

Cover by Alea Harper. Isn’t it beautiful?

To celebrate the release of my debut novel, I’m hosting a one day blog and social media party, complete with a giveaway (or two, if there’s enough interest)! But I need your help. Would you be willing to join the party and post about Promise’s Prayer on your blog or social media account on March 18? Please click here for the Party Sign-Up form!

I also have opportunities for reviewers to receive a free Advanced Reader Copy of Promise’s Prayer. If you’d be willing to post a book review on the 18th, fill out the form linked above.

 

 

And here’s a sneak peek of one of my favorite interactions between Kaelan and his siblings. 

“Kaelan’s home!” screamed Liliora, dropping the trowel she held and racing to Kaelan with her arms stretched wide. He caught her up and tickled her, giving her a hug and grinning as her contagious little-girl laugh chuckled at him.

“Hi, Lili. Did you miss me?”

“Of course I missed you,” she grinned, nestling into his arms and beating her small fists lightly on his shoulders. “We’re helping Carita. I get to dig in the dirt, and plant the seeds, and—and—and cover them up, and then they will grow tall,” she threw out her hands, “and we will pick them, and Carita will eat them all up, in the winter.”

“Sounds like fun.” Kaelan played with her hair. “I’ve been digging in the dirt and planting seeds, too. Where’s Laelara?”

“She’s inside with Carita,” Liliora told him in her childish way. “They are very busy. They have lots to do. They have been busy, too. You should see what they’ve done at our house. They—”

“Kaelan!” Kelton cut her off. “You should have been here for the fishing. It was some of the best ever after the rains came.” He tossed a fist-sized ball high into the air before catching it again.

“My cat had kittens while you were gone,” Kethin cut in. “There were four of them. One was gray, one was gray and white, and two were orange and white. I like the gray and white one best. I named them all yesterday!”

“Sounds like a lot happened while I was gone,” Kaelan grinned. “And you’re working in the garden now? You’ll be expert gardeners before you know it!”

Again, please click here to sign up for the party!

After God’s Own Heart

Here’s something I wrote almost eight years ago that I thought I’d share.

“And when he [God] had removed him [King Saul], he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.” (Acts 13:22)

This is a profound statement. To think that God would actually say this about a human being is amazing. David’s heart, his passion, his desires were “after” (or according to) the heart of God. What is the “heart?” Here’s a few interesting definitions of the Greek word that is used in Acts 13:22.

“The soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavours.”
“The will and character.”
“The soul so far as it is affected and stirred in a bad way or good, or of the soul as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions.”
“The middle or central or inmost part of anything.”

This glimpse into the heart of God gives us a picture of what our lives should follow. Do we have a “heart” for the things God has a “heart” for? Are His desires, passions, and affections the same as our desires, passions, and affections? Are we so concerned about what we want to do that we don’t care what God thinks about what we are doing? Do we seek the heart of God to determine what our interests should be? These are challenging questions, but they are really some of the most important questions you could ever ask yourself. There are two options: God’s “heart,” or our “heart;” God’s way of life or our way of life. Which will you choose?

David often talked of how much he loved God and His word:

“I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.” Psalm 18:1
“O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.” Psalm 119:97

These words express the deep longings of David’s heart and show that his desires were truly “after God’s own heart.” This passion was what drove David to seek the Lord and focus on Him. As a result, God blessed Him with a prosperous reign. My challenge to you is this: seek the Lord and ask Him for a heart that only desires only what God desires, and for a passion for the things that he has a passion for. Can you honestly say the following?

“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” (Psalms 17:15)