Author Archives: Becky Pliego

About Becky Pliego

I am grateful because God, in His grace, called me out of darkness and into his admirable light. When I did not look for Him, He found me. When I was in a pit of sin, He rescued me. I am not walking this road alone, my family is always with me, and we love Him, because He loved us first.

Welcome to Doctrines in the Kitchen

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Dear Friends, welcome to the banquet!
The table is set and now that you have found your place at the table, let me tell you what this is all about.
I remember when I used to say that I was a Christian and sang in the “praise an worship team”, and played the tambourine and everyone admired me. I also remember very well, that in the quiet of the nights I cried hugging my pillow, feeling so guilty for living a double life.  Today I see that I was probably not even a Christian all that time, and why do I say so? Because I can see now, through God’s grace,  that all those years where the stage and the microphones, and the lights were my life, I was not abiding in the Word of God; and Jesus clearly says,
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
(John 15:1-11 ESV)
Of course I knew these verses at that time; I grew in an Evangelical church. But, to be true, I had learned these verses as many others: in a very superficial way. I was very familiar with the passage above, for example, but I liked to stress only the verses that were convenient to me….
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you,  
ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you“
That is the part I knew, and quoted, and claimed.
Many years have passed since God opened my eyes, and my ears. And now I understand that one cannot be a true Christian if the Word of God is not engraved in one’s heart and mind. It is not about going to church or being part of a certain ministry. It is about abiding in the Word of God.
This is the reason why we have prepared a delicious, wonderful banquet for you. We want you to taste and see that studying the Word of God, that digging deep into it is sweeter than the joys you’ll find in any other book, it is sweeter than anything else! Those doctrines, which in a book may look “arid” have the power to change your heart.
This month, I have invited many great friends.  Godly women, who are in submission to their husbands, who love their families and the Church of God; women who are passionate about God and His Word. Women who love to dig deep into the Word, and whose passion is the Truth. These friends  will be sharing with us about different doctrines, and you’ll see, God willing, how sweet it is to sit at the table and taste their goodness. It is our prayer that God will open your eyes to see and your ears to hear what His Word says, so that you too, may delight with us at His table.
This is a general schedule (changes may occur without notification):
On Mondays, I will be publishing (when time permits) my gratitude list but I will focus only on the Doctrines taught in the Bible.
On Thursdays, I will be posting my usual “Borrowed Words” entry. The quotes this month will have to do with “Doctrine”.
On Sundays, I will be sharing, as always, a hymn, a prayer, or a Psalm.
So, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays are the days when you’ll see published what we have prayerfully prepared for you. (No, I am not telling you who will be sharing with us each day… it is a surprise! )

 

 

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>I am Preparing a Banquet.

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Have you ever planned a great feast for many?  Or a  banquet? Or a wonderful reunion with many friends that you love and want everything to be special and beautiful for them?
Well, that is exactly what I am doing. I am preparing a great banquet for you, yes for YOU!
And this kind of banquet is an old fashioned one. It will last a month. Can you imagine, a whole month of getting together, feasting, laughing, some times crying and many times falling to our knees in prayer?
I am excited about this, so be ready!
Consider this to be an invitation, the feast will start this next Friday, April 1st.
Be sure to come and invite your dearest friends. O, and I forgot to mention that just as in every good celebration, there will be surprises for some of you to take home!
I will be here, waiting for you.
Until then,

>Monday Night Prayer

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>From the Valley of Vision… to end our day.


THOU GREAT AND ONLY POTENTATE,
Thou hast made summer and winter, day and night;
    each of these revolutions serves our welfare
    and is full of thy care and kindness.
Thy bounty is seen
    in the relations that train us,
    the laws that defend us,
    the homes that shelter us,
    the food that builds us,
    the raiment that comforts us,
    the continuance of our health, members, senses,
    understanding, memory, affection, will.
But as stars fade before the rising sun,
    thou hast eclipsed all these benefits
    in the wisdom and grace that purposed
    redemption by Jesus thy Son.
Blessed be thy mercy that laid help on
    one that is might and willing,
    one that is able to save the uttermost.
Make us deeply sensible of our need of his saving grace,
    of the blood that cleanses,
    of the rest he has promised,
And impute to us that righteousness which justifies the guilty,
    gives them a title to eternal life,
    and possession of the Spirit.
May we love the freeness of salvation, and joy in its holiness;
Give us faith to grasp thy promises, that are our hope,
    provide for every exigencvy, and prevent every evil;
Keep our hearts from straying after forbidden pleasure;
May thy will bind all our wishes;
Let us live out of the world as to its spirit, maxim, manners,
   but live in it as the sphere of our action and usefulness;
May we be alive to every call of duty, accepting without question
   thy determination of our circumstances and our service.

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May we go to bed meditating on His goodness!

>Monday Morning Prayer

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You know how I love to share with you every Monday those mercies that God has bestowed so generously upon  me and my family. This weekend I have been thinking about some of the words that Staci Eastin said in her book, The Organized Heart,
“Make Your Schedule a Matter of Prayer“
Today, I am simply grateful for that phrase, for those words that have given me lots to think about. So today, instead of sharing my gratitude list with you; I will share a prayer from The Valley of Vision; a prayer for Monday mornings (In the evening I will post one to close our day)
O GOD ALL- SUFFICIENT,
Thou hast made and upholdest all things by the word of thy power;
                           darkness is thy pavilion,
                           thou walkest on the wings of the wind;
                           all nations are nothing before Thee;
                           one generation succeeds another,
                           and we hasten back to the dust;
                           the heavens we behold will banish away
                           like the clouds that cover them,
                           the earth we tread on will dossolve
                           as a morning dream;
But Thou, unchangeable and incorruptible,
                 art for ever and ever,
                 God over all, blessed eternally.
Infinitely great and glorious Thou art.
We are thy offspring and thy care.
Thy hands have made and fashioned us.
Thou hast watched over us with more than parental love,
                                     more than maternal tenderness.
Thou hast holden our soul in life,
and not suffered our feet to be moved.
Thy Divine power has given us all things
necessary for life and godliness.
Let us bless thee at all times and forget not how thou hast
           forgiven our iniquities,
           healed our diseases,
           redeemed our lives from destruction,
           crowned us with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
           satisfied our mouths with good things,
           renewed our youth like the eagle’s.
May thy Holy Scriptures
              govern every part of our lives,
              and regulate the discharge of all our duties,
              so that we may adorn thy doctrine in all things.
   Amen
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May our schedules this week be bathed with prayer; let us see that all that the Lord has set before us to do be governed by Him.

You may want to know that my dear friend Trisha is having a giveaway of Staci Eastin’s book, The Organized Heart, go visit her here, you don’t want to miss it!

>Ring Those Charming Bells on the Lord’s Day

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“A Song Concerning Loving-kindnesses”
delivered on August 10th, 1873 by C. H. Spurgeon
“By the grace of God I am what I am!” 1 Cor. 15:10
All that we have received has come to us by the way
of free grace!
If our sense of our own unworthinessis clear,
if we know what worse than nothings we are,
what a mass of sin and corruption we are by nature,
we shall never think that we receive anything from
God by the way of merit.
Still our proud hearts need to be told over and over
again that all the blessings we enjoy come to us by
the free and sovereign grace of God!
The bread on your table is flavored with grace.
Your meat has mercy for its sauce.
Every drop of water which cools your tongue tastes of mercy.
Charity clothes you.
Infinite love feeds you.
And as for your spiritual blessings, where are your
streams found, whence do they gush–but from the
inexhaustible fountain of eternal love?
God forbid that we should glory save in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ– and in the love which shone
from that cross to such poor,
unworthy ones as we are!
Those are charming bells indeed–
free grace and dying love!
Through the ivory gate of grace,
all mercies come to sinners.
“By the grace of God I am what I am!” 1 Cor. 15:10
Have a blessed Lord’s day, dear friends.

>The Organized Heart; a Woman’s Guide to Conquering Chaos by Staci Eastin – A Review-

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> I dare to say that this is undoubtedly the first and most important book any Christian woman who wants to start living a disciplined and organized life should read.

Cruciform Press

Through its easy and very engaging prose, the author, Staci Eastin, deals with the issues of the heart that are behind the scenes of the chaos and disorder in a woman’s life. At the same time, she encourages her readers to apply the gospel to the real problem we face when our house seems a mess, and the drawers are upside down and there has been no milk or juice in the fridge for several days: Our sinful nature.

This is a book that starts to deal with a very practical problem the way we should always start dealing with any issue of our daily life: Seeing our sinful nature and applying the good news of the Gospel to every aspect of our life.

The author Staci Eastin, knows the Word of God and applies it to her writing. She knows that we can’t conquer any sin in our life apart from God’s grace, she says,

“We never conquer sin by adding more rules. That’s what the Pharisees did, and Jesus chastised them for it. Jesus is interested in more than just outward works; he wants us to perform good works from the overflow of a loving and pure heart. My attempts to get organized always failed because I tried to change my habits without letting the Holy Spirit change my heart. It was only when I saw the sinful motivations behind my bad habits that I could see lasting change in my life.”

“Holiness is something we must strive for (Hebrews 12:14), and we must start in the heart. Identifying the heart issues behind your disorganization will enable you to repent of them. Through the strength of the Holy Spirit, you can rid yourself of these idols (Romans 8:13).”

Staci Eastin points that the real sin behind a disorganized life, is a heart issue and one that at the end is idolatry; it is from here that she deals through her book with four idols we have made and more that often bow to them:

“In this book, I have identified four idols that seem to particularly hinder women from serving God effectively. They are leisure, busyness, perfectionism, and possessions. You may find that you only struggle with one or two, or you may discover that your problems have their roots in all four. I will examine all of them so that you, by the grace of God, can identify where your weaknesses lie, and begin to experience a more joyful walk with the Lord.”

This is a short book (it has only 108 pages), and I would suggest that you read it with your journal at hand, because every chapter closes with a section entitled “Explore” in which the author interacts with her readers posing a few questions and pointing to several passages of the Scriptures (that you need to look up, another thing I appreciate) to dig deeper into the Truth that can set us free.

 So, be encouraged, my friends, to read this book before the other one that teaches you “how to organize your closet in 24 days and live happily ever after”.

Learning with you,

Dear visitor, thanks for stopping by. I hope I’ll get to “see you” back soon!