SHOOT’N FROM THE HIP: If I deign you worthy….

STARTING HERE:
I am going to share something with you…. Something you wouldn’t think anyone would want to share…. But it is for a greater purpose…. I believe this in my heart…. So here goes!
I had been molested from the age of 10 to the age of 17 by my father…. And I thought for years I had to endure it because if I told…. It would be my fault the family would break apart…. It would also be my fault my mother hated me…. Yes my mother did hate me…. But it must be understood she couldn’t see how a 14-17 year old would keep a secret like that unless she were willing…. But she didn’t know that I had endured it because my father told me he would not touch my sister unless I refused to let him touch me…. Years later I found out he did so anyways…. So the suffering I had been through was for nothing…. I still have to tell myself “No…. I have forgiven my father….” But hey…. It is happening…. My father no longer lives that way to my knowledge….. But still needs to come back to the Lord….
I have done things in my past that I am not proud of…. I was an adulteress (many times over)…. I was a liar…. I worked as an “exotic dancer”…. I was a drug addict…. I was a boozer…. I was a murderess….
This is a very special SHOOT’N FROM THE HIP…. And it is called….
If I deign you worthy….
THE TAX REFUND:
I recently had a Godincident involving my mother…. It is one of quite a few I have experienced….. This is a very special one because I believe God had more than one purpose to it…. I have been hurting for years over the rift between myself and my mother…. And wishing and praying for healing….
For a couple of days here recently I knew in my knower that my mother was in need of $300…. One day I received a text from her and shared with her that my tax refund was going to buy me a car! I was so happy because we had been without proper transportation for a while…. Now my mother joked with me just like people will….. Said “Don’t forget u mom miss richpants!”…. It was a joke….. Because she didn’t know she needed $300…. Until she checked her bank account way after the joke….. I had sent a text asking her “Is it you or someone you know who needs $300?”…. I said it that way because I knew who needed it and how much…. But I wasn’t sure she knew…. She texted back and said “Me.”
Later I told my husband what happened….. He said “That is so wierd!”…. I told my mother…. And she had this to say:
“I had to make a payment I wasn’t expecting to make, and there was a payment coming out of my bank I could not stop! And it was going to put my bank account over by $300! I called the power company and they would not let me make arrangements! And I didn’t even know it til you asked!”
I shared this with my husband…. Who said “Man that is WIERD!” ( Must be his favorite word)…. I also told him I keep finding it amazing that God would use someone like me! As I was saying that to my husband and telling him why I felt that way…. God said this:
“If I deign you worthy…. Who is to say otherwise?”
WITH THAT IN MIND:
I have seen  people calling themselves things along the lines of “sinner saved by grace”….. This drives me nuts…. Not the least of my reasons being because sinners are not saved…. Which is why they are sinners…. They need Jesus’ cleansing blood to cleanse their sins from them…. They need to be made righteous in Gods sight through Jesus…. They are sinners….. We are not….. Even though we make mistakes still…. We have been freed from the law and freed from sin…..
SO:
Lets dig in and take a look at what Gods word calls us….
WHAT DOES JESUS CALL US?:
Little flock:
Luk 12:32“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.
Mine:
Joh 17:10All who are Mine belong to You, and You have given them to Me, so they bring Me glory.
My Child:
Mat 9:2 Some people brought to Him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, My child! Your sins are forgiven.”
SHOOT’N FROM THE HIP:
These are but some…. Just a few of the names we now have…. I have not always taken these names or many of the others I will share personally because of where I had been and the things I had done…. It sure took me a long time to see that which I even tried to get others to see…. That which Paul states so very eloquently….
WHAT DID PAUL SAY (King James Version)?:
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Take a look at that again in the New Living Translation:
Gal 2:20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
SHOOT’N FROM THE HIP:
No longer I…. I don’t live here anymore…. Jesus lives here…. Inside me…. And I live here in this earthly body in trusting faith in the One who died to give me life…. But you know what? That is not all…. We are called much more than that…. And not once are we called sinners…. In fact…. We have quite a few names given us by quite a few first century writers….
WHAT DOES THE WORD SAY?:
Let’s start with Paul…. Because I personally can identify with him moreso than any other Apostle….
Rom 1:7 I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be His own holy people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
I know…. I know…. You’re not in Rome…. So replace Rome with the city you live in…. Because I assure you…. What Paul wrote to Rome…. God meant for you too….
1Co 1:9 God will do this, for He is faithful to do what He says, and He has invited you into partnership with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Partners with Jesus! Wow! Pure and holy too:
1Co 1:30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and He freed us from sin.
SHOOT’N FROM THE HIP:
This…. Dear ones…. Gets me excited…. Especially now that my stubborn heart has finally been convinced by God these words were meant for me! It means that there was nothing I could have done that would render me useless…. Nothing anyone else did with or to me to make me unclean to Him…. That He can and will use me in any way He see’s fit at the time…. And though sinners can be used too…. A sinners destination is not the same as ours dear ones…. In fact…. Our origination even changed…. Watch this:
WHAT DOES THE WORD SAY?:
Eph 2:19 Therefore you are no longer outsiders (exiles, migrants, and aliens, excluded from the rights of citizens), but you now share citizenship with the saints (God’s own people, consecrated and set apart for Himself); and you belong to God’s [own] household.
Php 3:20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior.
SHOOT’N FROM THE HIP:
Now this is exciting! Citizens! Partners with Christ! Even pure and holy! Concecrated people sealed for redemption and Gods Glory by the Holy Spirit Himself…. Members of God’s family we are…. 
Not only that though….
Notice Paul calls us God’s house…. And God’s holy people…. I don’t think it is by accident that Paul uses all these terms….. That he says all these things about us and to us….. Just because it popped into his mind so he thought it was a good idea…. No dear ones…. He calls us those things for a purpose…. God’s purpose…. To show you how to live…. Who and what to be and behave as…. Someone had a saying once….. If you treat a lady like a harlot….. One day she will behave like a harlot…. If you treat a harlot like a lady…. One day she will behave like a lady….
Now though this be a somewhat rough and utterly human analogy….. I think the basic concept is the same…. I believe wholeheartedly that people will behave as they are treated…. If one understands the sentance I heard…. The title to this SHOOT’N…. It is each one of our duties to treat ourselves as God wants us treated and known…..
“If I deign you worthy, Who is to say otherwise….”
This included myself…. And I knew it…. Yet the sentance filled me so full of joy…. I started jumping around my kitchen! I can call myself His daughter! And be totally right in doing so….
Here are just a few more names we can call ourselves:
WHAT DOES THE WORD SAY?:
Eph 2:20 Together, we are His house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself.
His house….
Eph 2:21 We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.
A holy temple….
Eph 3:6 And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.
God’s children, the same body….
Eph 5:1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children.
Again…. His dear children….
Eph 5:8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!
People of light….
Eph 5:30 And we are members of his body.
His body….
Col 1:22 Yet now He has reconciled you to Himself through the death of Christ in His physical body. As a result, He has brought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault.
I want you to see this one VERY clearly dear ones…..
Holy and blameless, without a single fault.
SHOOT’N FROM THE HIP:
Clean…. Pure…. Spotless…. Loved….
I don’t know who out there desperately needs to hear this one but here it is:
GOD LOVES YOU. GOD CARES FOR AND PROVIDES FOR YOU AS HE DOES ALL HIS CHILDREN. NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE STRUGGLING THROUGH RIGHT NOW. NO MATTER WHAT HAS YOU CAUGHT IN IT’S VICE. YOU ARE FREE. YOU ARE HIS. YOU ARE WORTHY. JUST KEEP REPEATING IT SO YOUR STUBBORN HEART CANNOT GET AWAY FROM THAT TRUTH.
Paul has more interesting names for us…. Here are just a few:
Ambassadors for Christ….
Imitators of God….
Children of Light….
Saints (thats right…. I went there….)….
Beloved….
You will find these terms of endearment all over his letters to the churches…. And remember I told you just replace Rome (or Corinth, Collosse, Ephesus….) with your town…. See your name there…. Because whatever Paul wrote to the churches…. God meant for you too…. Because you are the church as well….
Lets look at what Peter said:
WHAT DOES THE WORD SAY?:
1Pe 2:5 And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What’s more, you are His holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
1Pe 2:9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.
SHOOT’N FROM THE HIP:
Ok so we can add Living Stones…. Chosen people…. Royal Priests…. Holy Nation….
GOD’S VERY OWN POSSESSION….
So that as a result of this…. We can show others how good God is! God chose us to be living examples of Him…. Joint heirs with Christ Jesus our Lord….
Certainly not sinners….
James calls us “His prized possession”(James 1:18)…. John calls us beloved…. Jude says we are His holy people….
This has been on my heart to share…. I want these words to work their way deep in the furthest reaches of your heart:

“If I deign you worthy…. Who is to say otherwise?”

What Others are Reading: