I never get tired of writing about grace. I’ll quote from that old sage, Randy Quaid in “Christmas Vacation”, “it’s the gift that keeps on givin’.” But in all seriousness, grace really is the “free gift”, as scripture describes it, that continues to have different meanings every time that we experience it. Grace is the gift we continue to unwrap!
We tend to think of grace in general terms as something that God gives to us that we don’t deserve. Although this is true, it is a very general definition that doesn’t do God’s grace justice. As human beings we are constantly the recipients of grace from a loving God but we truly don’t know all of the ways in which our lives are impacted and upheld by this religious affection.
Did you know that there are many different kinds of grace? Most often, grace is associated with our salvation because this is the greatest grace shown to us as sinners. However, there is grace that encompasses every part of our lives. Common grace, delivering grace, the grace of longsuffering, uncomfortable grace and saving grace just to name a few. Each of these are different aspects of the over-arching grace of God.
Common grace is that which is extended to all mankind. Examples of common grace would be the ability to work and provide for one’s family, overall health, the balance of the ecosystem on planet earth to provide food and sustainable living conditions. Life in general is a common grace since God is not obligated to extend anything but death to the sinner. “Every good and every perfect gift comes down from God!”(James 1:17) So, anything good we have in life belongs to and comes directly from Him!
Next is delivering grace. We all like this kind of grace. Usually this is the grace that we ask for the most in our lives. Grace that would deliver us from our trials, temptations, hardships and overall discomfort that comes with living in a fallen world. This is what our Savior prayed for in the garden when He asked, “If it is possible, may this cup pass from me.” (Luke 22:42) If it was possible for our redemption to be secured any other way, Jesus, fully God and fully man, was asking for deliverance. As we know, it was not extended to Him. Praise God that it was not! Our salvation was bought by God the Father not extending grace to Jesus in that moment. What a lesson for us in understanding the concept of unanswered prayer and the preciousness of the grace we experience!
Longsuffering or merciful grace is that which God extends to the unrepentant sinner or the child of God who is wayward. The Bible talks about a “sin leading to death” in 1 John 5:16; although this is an often difficult passage of scripture, it tells us that God’s grace has an end. We can trample and take advantage of God’s grace to the point that He no longer extends grace but retracts it! This is what is known in scripture as “hardness of heart.” Scripture is clear that this condition not only affects unbelievers such as Pharoah but also believers like the disciples. The gospel of Mark records in 6:52 that “their [disciples] heart was hardened.” The idea here is of a stone that is not malleable. No matter how hard you try, a stone will never yield to the touch of your hand. Oh that we would be so careful not to presume upon the graciousness of the Lord!
Uncomfortable grace is a new one for me. Not new in practice but new in theory. I have most definitely experienced uncomfortable grace but was not familiar with the term until recently. Paul Tripp defines it this way, “uncomfortable grace is God putting us into situations that we would not put ourselves in so that He can work out somethings in us that we would not work out on our own.” In other words, sometimes we are comfortable with where we are in our Christian walk. We don’t want to be stretched, confronted or refined. We are happy to stay where we are but the Lord is never content with leaving us somewhat sanctified; there is no such thing! Sanctification is the process by which believers are made into the image of Christ and I have yet to meet anyone who has attained that standard! Our walk is always moving. We aren’t stopping with the Lord or moving backwards. He is about our growth and perseverance. He is for us! And “if God is for us who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
Lastly, the most precious of all the graces, saving grace. If you haven’t figured out by now, our God is a gracious God. It encompasses all that He does from His glory filling the earth to His concern for the smallest detail in our lives. Salvation is His crowning glory. Just as common grace is extended to saints and sinners alike, death is our just punishment in the face of a holy God. God could have chosen not to reconcile sin and leave us to die in our trespasses…and He would have been right. But in His infinite grace and His perfect wisdom He CHOSE the cross. Can you fathom that? There was no reason for Him to offer salvation. There was no reason for Jesus to endure Calvary. No other reason other than grace.
I am often reminded of the words to the hymn “Marvelous Grace”. When was the last time you marveled at the grace of God?
“Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured; there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Grace, grace, God’s grace! Grace that will pardon and cleanse within!
Grace, grace, God’s grace! Grace that is greater than all my sin!
Is there really any better time to reflect on the grace of God than Christmas?
Christmas is the beginning of Easter, the beginning of our salvation, the point in time where all of history converged. The very purpose of all of life for every single human being from Genesis to Revelation, including you and me, is wrapped up in 33 years of God on earth…and it began with Christmas! Jesus, the baby in a manger, God incarnate is grace.
Merry Christmas!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Coconuts vs. Rotten Apples
Girls, girls, girls…can I be honest with you from one girl to another? What are we doing?? Do we even realize that we are becoming our own worst enemy? So, I am parenting a twelve year old boy who is the cutest thing ever because all mother’s think their kids are the cutest! I often joke with him and tell him that he would be my choice if I were a girl his age! He blushes and then we laugh! But I want to tell you, the girls are making me sad…that’s right, sad. Sad for him and sad for them. If you are already overly aggressive at twelve then what is the hope for you and our young men in the future?
We have an epidemic of women in their late twenties and early thirties who are checking their biological clocks and pursuing every man with a pulse who isn’t in an orange jumpsuit! Of course I am being a bit facetious but it is amazing how clear things become when you are a spectator instead of a participant. I have to say that I am concerned for our young women because they are simply perpetuating this behavior in men! When a young man cannot even walk down the hall by himself without being accompanied by girls who are clamoring for attention where does that leave him? How can his parents teach him to pursue a young woman when he doesn’t have to? How can they teach him to be the leader of his home when he hasn’t been given the chance to take the lead in starting a simple conversation?
Girls, ladies, women…we have got to turn this thing around! We have got to get back to the days of allowing men to choose or they will never choose! Why are men delaying marriage and dating women for decades until they are almost forced down the aisle?? Because they can! They don’t have to work to win a woman’s heart. They don’t have to climb the tree for the prize fruit because there is fruit all over the ground! My advice: be a coconut not a rotten apple!
A man who will lead his family will never start out taking a back seat to a woman’s lead. If he does, there will be a lot of conflict and anguish that occurs as he fights to take his rightful place in the home. Eventually, he will either get there or give up! Sadly, most men are giving up because they are tired of the power struggle. You see, this is what God placed within them from the very beginning and when we squelch that or try and reverse the roles then we are messing with divine design!
I write this as a challenge for all of the young girls who are already starting out on a wide path paved by the world. I long to see us take back our marriages, our homes and our womanhood from the enemy! Let’s begin by looking intently at the good roles that God has given us as RESPONDERS not pursuers. Let’s give men their jobs back and take a break from the responsibility that was never ours to begin with!
Now to the mothers of these girls: teach your daughters well! Teach them that their actions, words and CLOTHING should witness to what is in their hearts! Teach them to find themselves worthy of a young man who would genuinely want them. Not because they are accessible but because he worked for it! Teach them to dream of a godly husband and do the things that will attract that kind of man. Why? Because this is what is truly in our hearts. This is what all women desire but we are impatient and anxious. The curse that was placed on Eve because of her sin is perpetual: “Your desire will be for your husband.” (Genesis 3:16) That’s not sexual desire that is the desire to lead, to be the man! Is God true or is He true?? Absolutely! His word is always applicable, always true and always GOOD! Let’s teach our girls to drink deeply from the well of God’s word and find their satisfaction and fulfillment from their One and Only soul mate, Jesus Christ!
I am praying for you…
We have an epidemic of women in their late twenties and early thirties who are checking their biological clocks and pursuing every man with a pulse who isn’t in an orange jumpsuit! Of course I am being a bit facetious but it is amazing how clear things become when you are a spectator instead of a participant. I have to say that I am concerned for our young women because they are simply perpetuating this behavior in men! When a young man cannot even walk down the hall by himself without being accompanied by girls who are clamoring for attention where does that leave him? How can his parents teach him to pursue a young woman when he doesn’t have to? How can they teach him to be the leader of his home when he hasn’t been given the chance to take the lead in starting a simple conversation?
Girls, ladies, women…we have got to turn this thing around! We have got to get back to the days of allowing men to choose or they will never choose! Why are men delaying marriage and dating women for decades until they are almost forced down the aisle?? Because they can! They don’t have to work to win a woman’s heart. They don’t have to climb the tree for the prize fruit because there is fruit all over the ground! My advice: be a coconut not a rotten apple!
A man who will lead his family will never start out taking a back seat to a woman’s lead. If he does, there will be a lot of conflict and anguish that occurs as he fights to take his rightful place in the home. Eventually, he will either get there or give up! Sadly, most men are giving up because they are tired of the power struggle. You see, this is what God placed within them from the very beginning and when we squelch that or try and reverse the roles then we are messing with divine design!
I write this as a challenge for all of the young girls who are already starting out on a wide path paved by the world. I long to see us take back our marriages, our homes and our womanhood from the enemy! Let’s begin by looking intently at the good roles that God has given us as RESPONDERS not pursuers. Let’s give men their jobs back and take a break from the responsibility that was never ours to begin with!
Now to the mothers of these girls: teach your daughters well! Teach them that their actions, words and CLOTHING should witness to what is in their hearts! Teach them to find themselves worthy of a young man who would genuinely want them. Not because they are accessible but because he worked for it! Teach them to dream of a godly husband and do the things that will attract that kind of man. Why? Because this is what is truly in our hearts. This is what all women desire but we are impatient and anxious. The curse that was placed on Eve because of her sin is perpetual: “Your desire will be for your husband.” (Genesis 3:16) That’s not sexual desire that is the desire to lead, to be the man! Is God true or is He true?? Absolutely! His word is always applicable, always true and always GOOD! Let’s teach our girls to drink deeply from the well of God’s word and find their satisfaction and fulfillment from their One and Only soul mate, Jesus Christ!
I am praying for you…
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Can I Get a Witness??
I’m going to be brutally honest and tell on myself…
When I was a kid I used to love to hear someone get up and give their testimony. Mainly because I am a good Baptist girl who has grown into a good Baptist woman and I’m nosey. Now, before you grab your ladder to climb your high horse, watch out for that speck in your own eye! Let’s face it, as women we love, I mean lurve, a good story don’t we? It seems that all of our senses are heightened when we are on the verge of an important piece of information. I do want to clarify. I’m not talking about mean-spirited, dragging -someone’s- personal- life- through- the- mud –for- the- purpose- of- my- own- satisfaction story. There is a difference between gossip and nosiness, although the two usually run close together so be careful! Anyway, I’m talking about people giving their life stories, finding out the details of an engagement or news of a long awaited pregnancy. I just love the details. Lord help me, I am detailed down to the ridiculous. My poor husband has learned over the years to trade in the common “yes” and “no” answers for more adjectives and run on sentences..he’s a good man and he’s worn down!
Anyway, back to testimonies. One thing that always intimidated me was that I never felt like I had a really GOOD testimony. I would hear these people talk about serious drug addiction, alcohol abuse, eating disorders and all manner of prodigal living and think to myself, “Well, I’ve just been saved, that’s all.” It almost seemed like the more grievous the sins, the closer to God! So, whenever someone would ask me to give my testimony I would get very uncomfortable because I wasn’t sure what that was. I didn’t have a great story. I hadn’t been a homeless runaway with any addictions and tattoos in unmentioned places. I had been a Pastor’s daughter that was raised in church and saved at age 5. Then it dawned on me, most of these stories were glorifying the sin and drawing attention to self instead of God.
From there, I began to really think about the word testimony. Most of the time when we hear the word testimony we think bio with a little bit of Jesus on the side. You know, my name is Stephanie, I am thirty-something years old, I am married to Kraig, two kids etc; However, the literal translation of the word testimony is “witness or bearing witness.” The word testify and testimony can also be translated, “someone who has personal and immediate knowledge of something.” That’s when the Holy Spirit gently pressed in on me, “your testimony is your witness to the truth of the gospel in your life!” So, basically, how does my life witness to the truth of Jesus? The reality is that according to scripture, we are all totally depraved and wayward before the cross. There is a wonderful saying that brings this home, “It’s all level ground at the cross.”
So, it really doesn’t matter what my sins were before the cross; it matters that they are forgiven in Christ. The glorious reality of the gospel in my life is what takes place AFTER salvation. You know what? That’s when it gets good! That’s when you hang on the edge of your seat to see the unspeakable mercies and indescribable grace of a Savior who continues to shut our mouths in awe! So, for the record, I’m going to give you a brief testimony as a witness to the truth of the gospel in my life by saying this, “Jesus me who I am NOT!”
“I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him in all speech and all knowledge, even as the TESTIMONY concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:4-8
When I was a kid I used to love to hear someone get up and give their testimony. Mainly because I am a good Baptist girl who has grown into a good Baptist woman and I’m nosey. Now, before you grab your ladder to climb your high horse, watch out for that speck in your own eye! Let’s face it, as women we love, I mean lurve, a good story don’t we? It seems that all of our senses are heightened when we are on the verge of an important piece of information. I do want to clarify. I’m not talking about mean-spirited, dragging -someone’s- personal- life- through- the- mud –for- the- purpose- of- my- own- satisfaction story. There is a difference between gossip and nosiness, although the two usually run close together so be careful! Anyway, I’m talking about people giving their life stories, finding out the details of an engagement or news of a long awaited pregnancy. I just love the details. Lord help me, I am detailed down to the ridiculous. My poor husband has learned over the years to trade in the common “yes” and “no” answers for more adjectives and run on sentences..he’s a good man and he’s worn down!
Anyway, back to testimonies. One thing that always intimidated me was that I never felt like I had a really GOOD testimony. I would hear these people talk about serious drug addiction, alcohol abuse, eating disorders and all manner of prodigal living and think to myself, “Well, I’ve just been saved, that’s all.” It almost seemed like the more grievous the sins, the closer to God! So, whenever someone would ask me to give my testimony I would get very uncomfortable because I wasn’t sure what that was. I didn’t have a great story. I hadn’t been a homeless runaway with any addictions and tattoos in unmentioned places. I had been a Pastor’s daughter that was raised in church and saved at age 5. Then it dawned on me, most of these stories were glorifying the sin and drawing attention to self instead of God.
From there, I began to really think about the word testimony. Most of the time when we hear the word testimony we think bio with a little bit of Jesus on the side. You know, my name is Stephanie, I am thirty-something years old, I am married to Kraig, two kids etc; However, the literal translation of the word testimony is “witness or bearing witness.” The word testify and testimony can also be translated, “someone who has personal and immediate knowledge of something.” That’s when the Holy Spirit gently pressed in on me, “your testimony is your witness to the truth of the gospel in your life!” So, basically, how does my life witness to the truth of Jesus? The reality is that according to scripture, we are all totally depraved and wayward before the cross. There is a wonderful saying that brings this home, “It’s all level ground at the cross.”
So, it really doesn’t matter what my sins were before the cross; it matters that they are forgiven in Christ. The glorious reality of the gospel in my life is what takes place AFTER salvation. You know what? That’s when it gets good! That’s when you hang on the edge of your seat to see the unspeakable mercies and indescribable grace of a Savior who continues to shut our mouths in awe! So, for the record, I’m going to give you a brief testimony as a witness to the truth of the gospel in my life by saying this, “Jesus me who I am NOT!”
“I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him in all speech and all knowledge, even as the TESTIMONY concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:4-8
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Jesus plus....
It once was said, I believe, by A.W. Tozer, that “what we think of God reveals more about us than anything else.” When I begin to ponder the glories of Jesus I feel totally inadequate to write words that do Him justice. He is like a diamond of the highest quality that reflects light from each facet. Just when you think that you have studied the diamond thoroughly, you turn it, only to find a thousand new prisms to delight in! Indeed Jesus is the Jewel of Heaven. He is our inheritance that Peter says is “imperishable, undefiled and unfading”. Why should we think that if earthly treasures such as gold, silver and material possession do very little to satisfy us for any length of time that our eternal inheritance would be made of the same substance? We look at our eternal inheritance through fleshly, sinful desires and believe the lie that the things that we crave that are passing away will somehow delight us for all eternity. As the apostle Paul has said, “May it never be!”
The thing that will keep us satisfied for all eternity is “much more precious than gold.” It has more facets of beauty than any jewel brought forth from nature. In Colossians it states that “in Christ Himself..are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Jesus is the fullness of God in bodily form and He is enough to satisfy for all eternity being our Living Water, the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the Good Shepherd, the True Vine, the Way, the Truth, the Life and the Resurrection. These are all of the “I Am” statements that Jesus proclaimed about Himself. In Himself he provides for our physical needs, our emotional needs and our spiritual need!
Often times I fall into the trap of looking forward to all of these things. I look ahead to eternity and think of how wonderful it will be when all of my needs have passed away because I am in the presence of God. I fail to remember that Jesus is my inheritance now. He is “I Am” not “I Will Be”. I am grieved for all of us when we aren’t satisfied with being able to say, “Jesus is enough.” I find myself shrinking back from offering Jesus alone to hurting people. I petition the throne of God for Jesus and ...(fill in the blank). I feel that it is petty or belittling to only have the simple answer of the gospel and the instruction of scripture to guide those with complex issues and tangled webs, deep hurts and real fears. I search within myself to find pithy sayings, practical application and a quick-fix for all of their problems.
“Just Jesus? People need more than just Jesus. They need counseling, more money, a better job, a husband, physical healing, a vacation. If I could just give them this…and Jesus then everything would be okay.” Oh, that we would think bigger thoughts of the God we serve. The God who SPOKE the world into being, the God who created and ordained the life of every human who has ever lived, “having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.” The God who holds our very breath in His hands (Daniel). The God who created us knowing we would fall and determining to create us anyway. The God who while we were still sinners sent His Son to die for us that we might be reconciled to Him. The God who was sinned against, who was offended and yet provides a way to pay the debt for us… to Himself, by the gift of Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. Do you get that? Let the weight of that fall on you because it is a great weight.
We owed a debt to God and HE made a way for the debt to be paid to Himself by Himself. Would that alone have been enough? But He gives us Himself as our inheritance FOREVER. Our hearts should sing! Our souls should rejoice! Our obedience should be with gladness of heart!
The cross of Christ, the gospel of Jesus and the weight of His glory should cause all things to seem trivial in comparison. And yet, it doesn’t. It doesn’t for me. It doesn’t for most of us who claim the name of Christ. We have made God very small. We have made Him only able to secure for eternity but unable to change our lives now. We have compartmentalized His power and looked to other created beings as the answer to all of our problems. We look to men to satisfy our longings as women. We look to jobs to affirm our worth as men. We look to our parents to make us complete people. We look to our doctors to make us well. We look to counselors to fix our problems. We look to the government to secure our finances. We look to ourselves for strength. We only look to God for what comes later.
Lord, forgive us! Show us all that you are and all that you have done! Satisfy us through Jesus alone! Forgive us for when you haven’t been enough. Convict us for thinking that you are not sufficient for every problem, trial, temptation and circumstance.
Psalm 104
Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment,
stretching out the heavens like a tent.
He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;he makes the clouds his chariot;he rides on the wings of the wind; he makes his messengers winds,
his ministers a flaming fire.
He set the earth on its foundations,so that it should never be moved.
You covered it with the deep as with a garment;the waters stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke they fled;at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them.
You set a boundary that they may not pass,so that they might not again cover the earth.
You make springs gush forth in the valleys;they flow between the hills;they give drink to every beast of the field;the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;they sing among the branches.
From your lofty abode you water the mountains;the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.
The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly,the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
In them the birds build their nests;the stork has her home in the fir trees.
The high mountains are for the wild goats;the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.
He made the moon to mark the seasons;the sun knows its time for setting.
You make darkness, and it is night,when all the beasts of the forest creep about.
The young lions roar for their prey,seeking their food from God.
When the sun rises, they steal away and lie down in their dens.
Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening.
O LORD, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;the earth is full of your creatures.
Here is the sea, great and wide,which teems with creatures innumerable,
living things both small and great.
There go the ships,and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.These all look to you,to give them their food in due season.
When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
When you hide your face, they are dismayed;when you take away their breath, they die
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your Spirit,they are created,and you renew the face of the ground.
May the glory of the LORD endure forever;may the LORD rejoice in his works,
who looks on the earth and it trembles,who touches the mountains and they smoke!
I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,for I rejoice in the LORD.
Let sinners be consumed from the earth,and let the wicked be no more!
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!
The thing that will keep us satisfied for all eternity is “much more precious than gold.” It has more facets of beauty than any jewel brought forth from nature. In Colossians it states that “in Christ Himself..are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Jesus is the fullness of God in bodily form and He is enough to satisfy for all eternity being our Living Water, the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the Good Shepherd, the True Vine, the Way, the Truth, the Life and the Resurrection. These are all of the “I Am” statements that Jesus proclaimed about Himself. In Himself he provides for our physical needs, our emotional needs and our spiritual need!
Often times I fall into the trap of looking forward to all of these things. I look ahead to eternity and think of how wonderful it will be when all of my needs have passed away because I am in the presence of God. I fail to remember that Jesus is my inheritance now. He is “I Am” not “I Will Be”. I am grieved for all of us when we aren’t satisfied with being able to say, “Jesus is enough.” I find myself shrinking back from offering Jesus alone to hurting people. I petition the throne of God for Jesus and ...(fill in the blank). I feel that it is petty or belittling to only have the simple answer of the gospel and the instruction of scripture to guide those with complex issues and tangled webs, deep hurts and real fears. I search within myself to find pithy sayings, practical application and a quick-fix for all of their problems.
“Just Jesus? People need more than just Jesus. They need counseling, more money, a better job, a husband, physical healing, a vacation. If I could just give them this…and Jesus then everything would be okay.” Oh, that we would think bigger thoughts of the God we serve. The God who SPOKE the world into being, the God who created and ordained the life of every human who has ever lived, “having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.” The God who holds our very breath in His hands (Daniel). The God who created us knowing we would fall and determining to create us anyway. The God who while we were still sinners sent His Son to die for us that we might be reconciled to Him. The God who was sinned against, who was offended and yet provides a way to pay the debt for us… to Himself, by the gift of Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. Do you get that? Let the weight of that fall on you because it is a great weight.
We owed a debt to God and HE made a way for the debt to be paid to Himself by Himself. Would that alone have been enough? But He gives us Himself as our inheritance FOREVER. Our hearts should sing! Our souls should rejoice! Our obedience should be with gladness of heart!
The cross of Christ, the gospel of Jesus and the weight of His glory should cause all things to seem trivial in comparison. And yet, it doesn’t. It doesn’t for me. It doesn’t for most of us who claim the name of Christ. We have made God very small. We have made Him only able to secure for eternity but unable to change our lives now. We have compartmentalized His power and looked to other created beings as the answer to all of our problems. We look to men to satisfy our longings as women. We look to jobs to affirm our worth as men. We look to our parents to make us complete people. We look to our doctors to make us well. We look to counselors to fix our problems. We look to the government to secure our finances. We look to ourselves for strength. We only look to God for what comes later.
Lord, forgive us! Show us all that you are and all that you have done! Satisfy us through Jesus alone! Forgive us for when you haven’t been enough. Convict us for thinking that you are not sufficient for every problem, trial, temptation and circumstance.
Psalm 104
Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment,
stretching out the heavens like a tent.
He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;he makes the clouds his chariot;he rides on the wings of the wind; he makes his messengers winds,
his ministers a flaming fire.
He set the earth on its foundations,so that it should never be moved.
You covered it with the deep as with a garment;the waters stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke they fled;at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them.
You set a boundary that they may not pass,so that they might not again cover the earth.
You make springs gush forth in the valleys;they flow between the hills;they give drink to every beast of the field;the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;they sing among the branches.
From your lofty abode you water the mountains;the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.
The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly,the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
In them the birds build their nests;the stork has her home in the fir trees.
The high mountains are for the wild goats;the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.
He made the moon to mark the seasons;the sun knows its time for setting.
You make darkness, and it is night,when all the beasts of the forest creep about.
The young lions roar for their prey,seeking their food from God.
When the sun rises, they steal away and lie down in their dens.
Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening.
O LORD, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;the earth is full of your creatures.
Here is the sea, great and wide,which teems with creatures innumerable,
living things both small and great.
There go the ships,and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.These all look to you,to give them their food in due season.
When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
When you hide your face, they are dismayed;when you take away their breath, they die
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your Spirit,they are created,and you renew the face of the ground.
May the glory of the LORD endure forever;may the LORD rejoice in his works,
who looks on the earth and it trembles,who touches the mountains and they smoke!
I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,for I rejoice in the LORD.
Let sinners be consumed from the earth,and let the wicked be no more!
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Corn Mazes...Hansel and Gretel anyone??
It’s fall or rather should I sound sophisticated and say autumn? Either way, it is the most wonderful time of the year! After intolerable heat and humidity the crisp breeze is a welcome change.
Now…I am onto this whole thing about corn mazes. I was watching the news this morning and they had an aerial view of a corn maze that looked like a medieval labyrinth of some kind. The audio headline declared, “Couple gets lost in corn maze and police are called to get them out!” Nice! This is encouraging news especially since I plan on making my first visit to one in just a few days. Not to mention that I have been roped into going in the dark. I believe the statement straight from the lips of the owner contained the phrases, “very dark”, “flash light” and “good luck”.
I will now let you in on a secret about myself that will make the story that much more laughable: I am a self-professed fraidy – cat (whatever that means..out of the same dictionary as “swanee” I think). So, I am fearful at best when it comes to being in the dark even when I am with people. I will walk from my house to the neighbors house whooping and making a lot of fuss so that the lions and tigers and bears oh my! won’t eat me alive in the 10 yards from my front door to theirs! You can never underestimate self-preservation and overall paranoia, it can keep a person alive – at least that’s what I’ve been telling myself for the better part of my life. But, that’s a whole different issue and we’ve gotten off the point. Let’s WIND our way back to the corn maze…
So, now that I am armed with all of this second hand knowledge I started to actually think about what my plan would be if I got lost or impatient. My first plan of attack would be the cell phone. My hope is that even though we are in such a rural area I will be able to text for help. (Note to self: Be sure to ask about cell coverage before we begin!) Then, well, then I don’t really have a plan after that except for prayer…and a lot of it…that is very loud and enthusiastic, just in case there are people around me who can come to my rescue. If all else fails I can send S.O.S. signals into the dark sky with my trusty flashlight until they send out the helicopters. (Second note to self: Make sure batteries are new, take snacks and look up S.O.S. signals via internet prior to arrival!)
All of this makes for a good laugh and I promise to update you when I return (keep your eyes peeled for news updates on GMA next weekend!) In the hilarity of it all there is a greater metaphor to think about: the corn maze of life! Now, don’t laugh, I know it is a bit of a stretch but when I was privy to a view from a thousand feet above a corn maze I immediately thought, “That’s life!” When I look at my life I see a maze. Although I know that at some point I will reach the end, for now, that knowledge is hidden from me. There are times when I can only see the next step in front of me, I don’t know where I am or even where I am going but we serve a God with a thousand foot view!
It is not for us to know the times or the seasons, the why or how of everything, it is simply left to us to trust. The interesting thing is that trust is not built on circumstantial evidence. Trust is built on concrete evidence of things from the past.
Recently, we had a trust issue with one of our children. It dawned on me at that moment that we really have no reason to trust them, they haven’t necessarily done anything to earn our trust at this point in their lives. Until now they have taken orders and been told how and what to do but eventually we have to back off and create room for independence. However, independence doesn’t come with 100% trust right off the bat! Over time, they will tell us whether or not they can be trusted based on their past behaviors.
So it is with the Lord. Faith is another word for trust but often times we think that faith is like courage, something we have to muster up within ourselves. Faith is not only a gift from the Lord, given to us by the Holy Spirit that we might believe in Jesus but faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” Words like substance and evidence don’t conjure up weak imagery. The truth is that our faith is a firm foundation on which to stand because it is grounded in the character of God. Scripture says that God cannot be anything but faithful which means he will be true to His promises. How do we trust for the future? Because we know the past! We can see God’s work in our own lives, in the lives of those around us and in the lives of men and women since the beginning of time. We serve a God who is able to be trusted when we cannot see tomorrow, the next hour or even the next minute. He has the aerial view and is able to rescue you, see you through to the end or sustain you while you wait for help..snacks and all!
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths!” Proverbs 3:5-6
Now…I am onto this whole thing about corn mazes. I was watching the news this morning and they had an aerial view of a corn maze that looked like a medieval labyrinth of some kind. The audio headline declared, “Couple gets lost in corn maze and police are called to get them out!” Nice! This is encouraging news especially since I plan on making my first visit to one in just a few days. Not to mention that I have been roped into going in the dark. I believe the statement straight from the lips of the owner contained the phrases, “very dark”, “flash light” and “good luck”.
I will now let you in on a secret about myself that will make the story that much more laughable: I am a self-professed fraidy – cat (whatever that means..out of the same dictionary as “swanee” I think). So, I am fearful at best when it comes to being in the dark even when I am with people. I will walk from my house to the neighbors house whooping and making a lot of fuss so that the lions and tigers and bears oh my! won’t eat me alive in the 10 yards from my front door to theirs! You can never underestimate self-preservation and overall paranoia, it can keep a person alive – at least that’s what I’ve been telling myself for the better part of my life. But, that’s a whole different issue and we’ve gotten off the point. Let’s WIND our way back to the corn maze…
So, now that I am armed with all of this second hand knowledge I started to actually think about what my plan would be if I got lost or impatient. My first plan of attack would be the cell phone. My hope is that even though we are in such a rural area I will be able to text for help. (Note to self: Be sure to ask about cell coverage before we begin!) Then, well, then I don’t really have a plan after that except for prayer…and a lot of it…that is very loud and enthusiastic, just in case there are people around me who can come to my rescue. If all else fails I can send S.O.S. signals into the dark sky with my trusty flashlight until they send out the helicopters. (Second note to self: Make sure batteries are new, take snacks and look up S.O.S. signals via internet prior to arrival!)
All of this makes for a good laugh and I promise to update you when I return (keep your eyes peeled for news updates on GMA next weekend!) In the hilarity of it all there is a greater metaphor to think about: the corn maze of life! Now, don’t laugh, I know it is a bit of a stretch but when I was privy to a view from a thousand feet above a corn maze I immediately thought, “That’s life!” When I look at my life I see a maze. Although I know that at some point I will reach the end, for now, that knowledge is hidden from me. There are times when I can only see the next step in front of me, I don’t know where I am or even where I am going but we serve a God with a thousand foot view!
It is not for us to know the times or the seasons, the why or how of everything, it is simply left to us to trust. The interesting thing is that trust is not built on circumstantial evidence. Trust is built on concrete evidence of things from the past.
Recently, we had a trust issue with one of our children. It dawned on me at that moment that we really have no reason to trust them, they haven’t necessarily done anything to earn our trust at this point in their lives. Until now they have taken orders and been told how and what to do but eventually we have to back off and create room for independence. However, independence doesn’t come with 100% trust right off the bat! Over time, they will tell us whether or not they can be trusted based on their past behaviors.
So it is with the Lord. Faith is another word for trust but often times we think that faith is like courage, something we have to muster up within ourselves. Faith is not only a gift from the Lord, given to us by the Holy Spirit that we might believe in Jesus but faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” Words like substance and evidence don’t conjure up weak imagery. The truth is that our faith is a firm foundation on which to stand because it is grounded in the character of God. Scripture says that God cannot be anything but faithful which means he will be true to His promises. How do we trust for the future? Because we know the past! We can see God’s work in our own lives, in the lives of those around us and in the lives of men and women since the beginning of time. We serve a God who is able to be trusted when we cannot see tomorrow, the next hour or even the next minute. He has the aerial view and is able to rescue you, see you through to the end or sustain you while you wait for help..snacks and all!
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths!” Proverbs 3:5-6
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Taking Back Our Homes - Part One
Part One: The Problem
Hellooo ladies! I am back from the land of summertime, sunscreen, no schedule and sweat. It was a wonderful summer that went quickly and I am excited to experience the first signs of autumn which also happens to be my favorite season! Speaking of seasons, there are seasons of life as well - trite but true. I am finally at the point where I have enough living behind me to actually be able to say I can see seasons. Unfortunately, it takes getting older to be able to experience reflection but it brings so much wisdom – wisdom I wish I had many years ago! Alas, this is how God intended it. We should come into the world with no wisdom and great energy and leave this world with great wisdom and no energy. Selah girls, SELAH….(means ponder deeply)
Very recently, Kraig and I have been challenged to reassess and reprioritize our lives as a whole but most specifically in the area of parenting. I must say that I have the first beginnings of an ulcer that started very close to Landon’s twelfth birthday and I can accurately prophesy that it will get larger as he gets older. We are on the very edge of the cliff (and yes, it looks like a cliff) looking over into the teen years and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared…or at least VERY anxious. So, as any loving mother would do I have been a controlling, emotional ball of overreaction, assumption and generally freaking out over everything. Nothing makes you feel more helpless than realizing for the first time that you cannot control the way your child thinks. And if your child thinks wrongly he will eventually act wrongly! Up to this point we have been all about behavior modification. Isn’t that what parenting toddlers and small children is about? “Don’t hit your brother with that, Jeffrey! Don’t put the penny in the light socket, Jeffrey. Jeffrey, don’t eat that off the floor..Jeffrey, Jeffrey, Jeffrey.” There is a level of physical demand that is required just to keep them from killing themselves but glory in the fact that at this point, you can! Secondly, a child until they reach the age of 8 or 9 will mostly take what you say as gospel. They may begin to test a little bit but, for the most part, they are totally buying into your philosophy on everything. These are good times! Even though you may here “Why Mommy?” more times than you ever thought you could stand, be grateful for their open hearts if not for their open mouths!
Then, then comes the pre-adolescent and adolescent years. Keep in mind I speak as no expert here because I have not survived this stage but hopefully my meager gleanings might help you. It’s like one of my friends told me just the other day, “We have to stick together!” No joke! What I am slowly learning is that the days of behavior modification are still in play but heart modification is not! The truth is we are never able to change our children’s hearts. We can shepherd them but we cannot make them pure in heart or love the Lord. We can take them to the Word, instruct them in the Word and diligently pray for their retention of the Word but we cannot make them receive the Word. I don’t write this to scare you or cause you to despair but I do want to cause you to think, maybe even reprioritize a few things.
While we were on vacation I began to read a book entitled “Family Driven Faith” by Dr. Voddie Baucham. I cannot recommend it enough to parents, all parents, even grandparents. Buy it, read it, reread it, ask your spouse to read it, answer the questions, pray over it and let it sink in. I would assess, from my own experience, that it is pretty easy between the ages of 5 and 10, (unless of course you are parenting a strong willed child to which I would say be very zealous in sparing the rod and spoiling the child! We had one for about a year and it was the only thing that seemed to speak the truth more clearly to him!!) but, between 5 and 10 years of age it is easy to say, “We’re doing okay here. We don’t have everything right but we have most things right and our kids haven’t fallen off the deep end. Maybe we finally have some of this parenting thing figured out.” (To which God, my parents and all other parents who have raised their kids laughed behind my back!) You might even be nodding your head in agreement until the day you try to have a rational conversation with your kid, presenting clear and concise evidence and they choose to think otherwise! What?? Since when did you begin to think for yourself? Since when did you begin to think that adolescent consensus is better than parental wisdom? Thus begins the “where-have-we-gone-wrong-in-parenting-this-rebellious-obstinate-child-who-thinks-he-knows-it-all” state of surprise and anger that is eventually followed by “what do we do now?”
Enter Dr. Baucham and his flashlight, shining into the word of God to instruct me! You see, I knew all along that the home was the primary place for biblical instruction. I knew that although school and church were there to instruct, they were merely a supplement to our guidance as parents. What I failed to realize was that we needed two additional goals in educating our children: An all-encompassing biblical worldview passed to our children and our own knowledge of God’s purposes. At first glance I would have answered in the affirmative that we had both but as I took a more deliberate look I quickly saw the glaring discrepancies!
As we end today, take a few minutes to think about your role in the discipleship of your own children. Are you taking an active or a passive role in instructing them in the ways of the Lord?
Hellooo ladies! I am back from the land of summertime, sunscreen, no schedule and sweat. It was a wonderful summer that went quickly and I am excited to experience the first signs of autumn which also happens to be my favorite season! Speaking of seasons, there are seasons of life as well - trite but true. I am finally at the point where I have enough living behind me to actually be able to say I can see seasons. Unfortunately, it takes getting older to be able to experience reflection but it brings so much wisdom – wisdom I wish I had many years ago! Alas, this is how God intended it. We should come into the world with no wisdom and great energy and leave this world with great wisdom and no energy. Selah girls, SELAH….(means ponder deeply)
Very recently, Kraig and I have been challenged to reassess and reprioritize our lives as a whole but most specifically in the area of parenting. I must say that I have the first beginnings of an ulcer that started very close to Landon’s twelfth birthday and I can accurately prophesy that it will get larger as he gets older. We are on the very edge of the cliff (and yes, it looks like a cliff) looking over into the teen years and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared…or at least VERY anxious. So, as any loving mother would do I have been a controlling, emotional ball of overreaction, assumption and generally freaking out over everything. Nothing makes you feel more helpless than realizing for the first time that you cannot control the way your child thinks. And if your child thinks wrongly he will eventually act wrongly! Up to this point we have been all about behavior modification. Isn’t that what parenting toddlers and small children is about? “Don’t hit your brother with that, Jeffrey! Don’t put the penny in the light socket, Jeffrey. Jeffrey, don’t eat that off the floor..Jeffrey, Jeffrey, Jeffrey.” There is a level of physical demand that is required just to keep them from killing themselves but glory in the fact that at this point, you can! Secondly, a child until they reach the age of 8 or 9 will mostly take what you say as gospel. They may begin to test a little bit but, for the most part, they are totally buying into your philosophy on everything. These are good times! Even though you may here “Why Mommy?” more times than you ever thought you could stand, be grateful for their open hearts if not for their open mouths!
Then, then comes the pre-adolescent and adolescent years. Keep in mind I speak as no expert here because I have not survived this stage but hopefully my meager gleanings might help you. It’s like one of my friends told me just the other day, “We have to stick together!” No joke! What I am slowly learning is that the days of behavior modification are still in play but heart modification is not! The truth is we are never able to change our children’s hearts. We can shepherd them but we cannot make them pure in heart or love the Lord. We can take them to the Word, instruct them in the Word and diligently pray for their retention of the Word but we cannot make them receive the Word. I don’t write this to scare you or cause you to despair but I do want to cause you to think, maybe even reprioritize a few things.
While we were on vacation I began to read a book entitled “Family Driven Faith” by Dr. Voddie Baucham. I cannot recommend it enough to parents, all parents, even grandparents. Buy it, read it, reread it, ask your spouse to read it, answer the questions, pray over it and let it sink in. I would assess, from my own experience, that it is pretty easy between the ages of 5 and 10, (unless of course you are parenting a strong willed child to which I would say be very zealous in sparing the rod and spoiling the child! We had one for about a year and it was the only thing that seemed to speak the truth more clearly to him!!) but, between 5 and 10 years of age it is easy to say, “We’re doing okay here. We don’t have everything right but we have most things right and our kids haven’t fallen off the deep end. Maybe we finally have some of this parenting thing figured out.” (To which God, my parents and all other parents who have raised their kids laughed behind my back!) You might even be nodding your head in agreement until the day you try to have a rational conversation with your kid, presenting clear and concise evidence and they choose to think otherwise! What?? Since when did you begin to think for yourself? Since when did you begin to think that adolescent consensus is better than parental wisdom? Thus begins the “where-have-we-gone-wrong-in-parenting-this-rebellious-obstinate-child-who-thinks-he-knows-it-all” state of surprise and anger that is eventually followed by “what do we do now?”
Enter Dr. Baucham and his flashlight, shining into the word of God to instruct me! You see, I knew all along that the home was the primary place for biblical instruction. I knew that although school and church were there to instruct, they were merely a supplement to our guidance as parents. What I failed to realize was that we needed two additional goals in educating our children: An all-encompassing biblical worldview passed to our children and our own knowledge of God’s purposes. At first glance I would have answered in the affirmative that we had both but as I took a more deliberate look I quickly saw the glaring discrepancies!
As we end today, take a few minutes to think about your role in the discipleship of your own children. Are you taking an active or a passive role in instructing them in the ways of the Lord?
Taking Back Our Homes - Part Two
Part Two: Solution #1: The Biblical Worldview
So, if you hung in for day one and didn’t lose too much sleep over the assessment of your situation, or even if you did, this should help to put some “how” into the equation! Let’s press on!
Please don’t get overwhelmed by the terminology here or the fact that it seems like this would be directed to a particular stereotypical Christian parent, whatever that looks like. The truth is, as believers we all desire to have our children love the Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength from an early age. We desire to have them stand strong in the Lord and in the power of His might through the tumultuous teen years and emerge into adulthood as close to saints as possible. We desire to see them be further along in their knowledge of the Lord and living lives that surpass wherever we were spiritually at that point but we are failing and there is research to back it up! The Barna Group recently conducted a survey and found that kids in their late teens and on into their twenties are leaving the church in droves! We aren’t talking about 30 or 40 percent, we are talking about 70 and 80 percent. How frightening to think that our children would walk away from the Lord and His great glories at the very time they are moving out from under our wings and watchful eye! This would seem to suggest that they are simply adopting our belief system instead of owning it for themselves.
So, why the trend? The two things that are directly related are first, an inauthentic faith from parents and a flimsy biblical worldview in children. The first is pretty simple. You’ve heard the saying, “Children learn more from what they see than what they hear?” Our children are the single closest spectators of our lives. From infancy through childhood on into young adulthood our children are acutely aware of how well we are living what we are teaching them. If we fail to find the Lord important in our own lives, why should they? One of the single greatest gifts my Dad, as a pastor, ever gave to me was a life that consistently modeled what he proclaimed from the pulpit. His authenticity continues to draw people to question what it is that makes him a man of integrity, character and able to do the hard thing.
One of the many things he instilled in us from an early age was that Sunday was the Lord’s Day. On that day, we would be in church, there would be no work or extracurricular activities and we would rest as a family. I knew from a young age that when Sunday came around there would be no compromise. Worship was a priority. As we got older and sports, jobs and friends came into the picture, he lovingly but sternly made sure that we knew there was to be nothing that interfered with being in the Lord’s house, among His people. I knew where the Lord stood in my Dad’s life. I didn’t have to ask him, I knew because I saw it! Our lives will be a consistent display of our priorities and no matter what we say our kids will know what matters most whether it is work, money, sports, vacation or any other idol. A heart that is for the Lord will result in behavior that is for the Lord…isn’t that the very thing we want for our children? Heart modification…you can’t pass on something you don’t have!
The second piece of the puzzle that is lacking is a biblical worldview. Simply put, this is seeing ALL of life through the lens of scripture. Mostly we compartmentalize God. We teach our children to do the same. God is for Sundays, prayer before meals and Christmas time (after Santa of course). God is good for times when you have a problem or when you are trying to get a promotion, make the team or pass the test. God is for me, my needs, wants, desires and my satisfaction. God is not for Friday nights, trips to Vegas, the music I listen to, the movies I watch, the people I date, my career path in college, my language, my clothes or my thoughts. Basically, God is for when it benefits me. Is anyone tracking with me here? Since life is about ME then God must be about ME. Therefore, I can bring Him out when it benefits ME.
This is what we call cat vs. dog theology. A cat says, “My owner feeds me, cares for me and cleans up after me therefore, I must be God.” A dog says, “My owner feeds me, cares for me and cleans up after me therefore, He must be God.” Hence the difference between most cats and dogs. When a cat owner comes home most cats really could care less. When the dog owner comes home most dogs are waiting at the door for their arrival. There are way too many of us who have listened to the culture and have adopted a “feline” theology instead of a “canine” theology.
So how do we overcome this very real issue and ensure that our kids have the strong foundation of a biblical worldview? We bring God and His word into our homes and into every aspect of our lives. It says in Deuteronomy 6:7-9 in regards to the words of God, “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Can you think of anything that isn’t covered in this passage? You teach them diligently when you sit, walk, lie down and rise up. Then, if you forget when you look at your hand, in the mirror, come to your front door or pull in the driveway they will be there. So, I think it is safe to say that there isn’t a time or situation when the Lord should not be on our lips.
Let’s give a few examples: When we take our children to the beach we can expound on the great expanse of the ocean and talk about how God told Job that He “commanded the waves to stop here and go no further.” When we talk about issues between friends at school we can take our children to the Word for instruction. When we experience hardship we can begin to teach them about faith and learning to trust God even when we don’t understand why things happen because ultimately, He is good.
This is the process of instilling a biblical worldview. We must be diligent to teach our children the truth that there is no aspect of our lives great or small that the Lord is not intimately acquainted with, using for His glory and orchestrating for His our eternal good. I cannot think of a firmer foundation for a young man or woman leaving home for the first time to stand upon when facing a sinful world. However, as neatly packaged as this seems, it will be difficult especially if your children are older and this is something new. Keep in mind that Satan does not want you to be successful in this and he will work to thwart you at every turn! Scripture encourages us to “not give up in doing good.” Persevere in prayer and be consistent. About the only thing I have learned in the few short years I have been a parent is that consistency makes up for a lot of other faults!
As we close today ask yourself if you have the foundation of a biblical worldview yourself. Are you passing that along to your children? If not, what adjustments can be made to change this in your life and the lives of your children?
So, if you hung in for day one and didn’t lose too much sleep over the assessment of your situation, or even if you did, this should help to put some “how” into the equation! Let’s press on!
Please don’t get overwhelmed by the terminology here or the fact that it seems like this would be directed to a particular stereotypical Christian parent, whatever that looks like. The truth is, as believers we all desire to have our children love the Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength from an early age. We desire to have them stand strong in the Lord and in the power of His might through the tumultuous teen years and emerge into adulthood as close to saints as possible. We desire to see them be further along in their knowledge of the Lord and living lives that surpass wherever we were spiritually at that point but we are failing and there is research to back it up! The Barna Group recently conducted a survey and found that kids in their late teens and on into their twenties are leaving the church in droves! We aren’t talking about 30 or 40 percent, we are talking about 70 and 80 percent. How frightening to think that our children would walk away from the Lord and His great glories at the very time they are moving out from under our wings and watchful eye! This would seem to suggest that they are simply adopting our belief system instead of owning it for themselves.
So, why the trend? The two things that are directly related are first, an inauthentic faith from parents and a flimsy biblical worldview in children. The first is pretty simple. You’ve heard the saying, “Children learn more from what they see than what they hear?” Our children are the single closest spectators of our lives. From infancy through childhood on into young adulthood our children are acutely aware of how well we are living what we are teaching them. If we fail to find the Lord important in our own lives, why should they? One of the single greatest gifts my Dad, as a pastor, ever gave to me was a life that consistently modeled what he proclaimed from the pulpit. His authenticity continues to draw people to question what it is that makes him a man of integrity, character and able to do the hard thing.
One of the many things he instilled in us from an early age was that Sunday was the Lord’s Day. On that day, we would be in church, there would be no work or extracurricular activities and we would rest as a family. I knew from a young age that when Sunday came around there would be no compromise. Worship was a priority. As we got older and sports, jobs and friends came into the picture, he lovingly but sternly made sure that we knew there was to be nothing that interfered with being in the Lord’s house, among His people. I knew where the Lord stood in my Dad’s life. I didn’t have to ask him, I knew because I saw it! Our lives will be a consistent display of our priorities and no matter what we say our kids will know what matters most whether it is work, money, sports, vacation or any other idol. A heart that is for the Lord will result in behavior that is for the Lord…isn’t that the very thing we want for our children? Heart modification…you can’t pass on something you don’t have!
The second piece of the puzzle that is lacking is a biblical worldview. Simply put, this is seeing ALL of life through the lens of scripture. Mostly we compartmentalize God. We teach our children to do the same. God is for Sundays, prayer before meals and Christmas time (after Santa of course). God is good for times when you have a problem or when you are trying to get a promotion, make the team or pass the test. God is for me, my needs, wants, desires and my satisfaction. God is not for Friday nights, trips to Vegas, the music I listen to, the movies I watch, the people I date, my career path in college, my language, my clothes or my thoughts. Basically, God is for when it benefits me. Is anyone tracking with me here? Since life is about ME then God must be about ME. Therefore, I can bring Him out when it benefits ME.
This is what we call cat vs. dog theology. A cat says, “My owner feeds me, cares for me and cleans up after me therefore, I must be God.” A dog says, “My owner feeds me, cares for me and cleans up after me therefore, He must be God.” Hence the difference between most cats and dogs. When a cat owner comes home most cats really could care less. When the dog owner comes home most dogs are waiting at the door for their arrival. There are way too many of us who have listened to the culture and have adopted a “feline” theology instead of a “canine” theology.
So how do we overcome this very real issue and ensure that our kids have the strong foundation of a biblical worldview? We bring God and His word into our homes and into every aspect of our lives. It says in Deuteronomy 6:7-9 in regards to the words of God, “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Can you think of anything that isn’t covered in this passage? You teach them diligently when you sit, walk, lie down and rise up. Then, if you forget when you look at your hand, in the mirror, come to your front door or pull in the driveway they will be there. So, I think it is safe to say that there isn’t a time or situation when the Lord should not be on our lips.
Let’s give a few examples: When we take our children to the beach we can expound on the great expanse of the ocean and talk about how God told Job that He “commanded the waves to stop here and go no further.” When we talk about issues between friends at school we can take our children to the Word for instruction. When we experience hardship we can begin to teach them about faith and learning to trust God even when we don’t understand why things happen because ultimately, He is good.
This is the process of instilling a biblical worldview. We must be diligent to teach our children the truth that there is no aspect of our lives great or small that the Lord is not intimately acquainted with, using for His glory and orchestrating for His our eternal good. I cannot think of a firmer foundation for a young man or woman leaving home for the first time to stand upon when facing a sinful world. However, as neatly packaged as this seems, it will be difficult especially if your children are older and this is something new. Keep in mind that Satan does not want you to be successful in this and he will work to thwart you at every turn! Scripture encourages us to “not give up in doing good.” Persevere in prayer and be consistent. About the only thing I have learned in the few short years I have been a parent is that consistency makes up for a lot of other faults!
As we close today ask yourself if you have the foundation of a biblical worldview yourself. Are you passing that along to your children? If not, what adjustments can be made to change this in your life and the lives of your children?
Taking Back Our Homes - Part Three
Part Three: A Knowledge of God’s Purposes
Just about the time we felt that Kraig and I were starting to get a handle on instilling a biblical worldview, we had yet another challenge set before us. This time the challenge came from a series of messages preached by Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Dallas, TX. Again, I cannot recommend his preaching with any more enthusiasm. In his late thirties, he has an amazing story in that he has a rare form of brain cancer that is in remission. He is practical, passionate and preaches truth with great clarity. This series of messages in particular is called, “Village Identity”. The first message however, was the one that spoke volumes to my heart and opened my eyes to something I had missed up to this point in my Christian walk.
We have heard a lot about purpose in recent years. There have been many books, bible studies and conferences surrounding the subject of purpose. Purpose is important because it gives us motivation for why we do what we do. It answers our most basic fundamental questions about existence and what we can hope to make of life. Purpose is the fuel that drives our passions, desires, hopes, plans and many people have wasted their lives because they lacked purpose. On the surface it seems that our purpose is a simple answer. We typically revert to our daily routines to answer the question, “What is my purpose? Well, I am a Mom so I make the lunches and get the kids ready for school. I make sure there is food in the house, clothes that are clean and homework is completed. I am a wife, I am a nurse, I am a teacher, I am a”…fill in the blank. So our purpose is wrapped up in what we DO. The problem is if our purpose is wrapped up in our works then we get the idea that we have something to do with earning our purpose – that we are only as purposeful as what we are able to do. What does that mean for the person who has lost their job, is physically handicapped or is unknown? This is why our culture screams for fame. This is why we have shows like “American Idol” and “America’s Got Talent” to name a few. This is why once people have tasted fame they have a hard time returning to the obscurity of everyday life and many of them take their lives because they feel like they no longer have a purpose.
As believers we can’t simply answer these questions without factoring God into the equation. Furthermore, we need to know what God is doing so that we, as His people, can be about what He is doing. If we aren’t about what God is doing then our purpose and all that we would do is futile at best. So,what if we backed it out even farther and asked “What is God’s purpose and how do I fit in?”
It says in Psalm 23:3 that all God is to us in verses 1 and 2, is for His name’s sake. Scripture is full of references that teach us that God does what He does for one purpose: the praise of His glorious grace! So, if God’s purpose is His own glory then YOUR purpose is His glory. 1 Corinithians 10:31 puts it simply, “Whether you eat or drink, whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Therefore, we can quickly see that our purpose has little to do with us. In fact, everything that God has done for us through Christ is so that we might be freed up to make much of Him! Does it sting a little bit? It did for me. What about the God who loves me, cares for me and is in pursuit of me? What about ME? The truth is God does love us, care for us and pursue us but not because of us! We are NOT the object of His affection. God loves, cares, pursues and saves us FOR HIS GLORY! Read Ephesians 1:1-14 and count how many times the phrase “to the praise of His glory” is stated.
So, why is this GOOD news? Why is taking me off the throne good news to me? Well, mainly because if you were created to bring glory to God and you fulfill that purpose then it will bring you joy! If someone came up to you tomorrow and said “I know what your purpose is in life and I can help you to fulfill it” wouldn’t you be ecstatic? You wouldn’t waste a single minute finding out what it was and how to get it! Well, here it is! Better yet, all of the commands God has given us in His word are to line us up with His plan so that our joy might be full! God is for our joy! Let me say that again, God is for our joy! It is a great lie of the devil that God is about robbing us of our joy and that He sets up rules in order to keep us from joy. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
At this point, many of you may be wondering how suffering fits into this picture. How many of us haven’t asked at one point or another, “God, if you are good, why is this happening to me?” Suffering fits in by showing us that God is enough in those times. You see, God is the gospel. The good news is that we get Jesus. He is our inheritance, our peace and our crown. Most of us still think that our inheritance is heaven and that we are saved from hell so that we can go to heaven. Although as redeemed we will go to heaven, heaven is a benefit but not the gospel. John 3:16 doesn’t say, “For God so loved the world that He sent HEAVEN that whosoever believes in HEAVEN should not perish but have eternal life.” God sent His Son. Our inheritance is Christ, not riches like those here on earth but the unfathomable riches of God and who He is will satisfy our souls for all eternity.
In conclusion, you have to get over you! I have to get over me! This is not about us and we are not the point. If we could finally, once and for all, turn off the television and the radio, turn off the media and the culture and realize that we don’t have to make much of us then we would be FREE! When it is about us then we are easily bothered and angered by people when they don’t perform. We are constantly looking for someone to blame for our unhappiness, dissatisfaction and misfortune. But when we are freed up to fulfill our purpose in making God’s name great we can extend grace, love deeply, serve selflessly and parent effectively!
Lord, thank you that your purposes are all wrapped up in who you are! Thank you that we exist to bring you glory and in that we find great joy! Grant us wisdom through your Word in parenting the gifts of grace you have given us in our children. Amen!
Just about the time we felt that Kraig and I were starting to get a handle on instilling a biblical worldview, we had yet another challenge set before us. This time the challenge came from a series of messages preached by Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Dallas, TX. Again, I cannot recommend his preaching with any more enthusiasm. In his late thirties, he has an amazing story in that he has a rare form of brain cancer that is in remission. He is practical, passionate and preaches truth with great clarity. This series of messages in particular is called, “Village Identity”. The first message however, was the one that spoke volumes to my heart and opened my eyes to something I had missed up to this point in my Christian walk.
We have heard a lot about purpose in recent years. There have been many books, bible studies and conferences surrounding the subject of purpose. Purpose is important because it gives us motivation for why we do what we do. It answers our most basic fundamental questions about existence and what we can hope to make of life. Purpose is the fuel that drives our passions, desires, hopes, plans and many people have wasted their lives because they lacked purpose. On the surface it seems that our purpose is a simple answer. We typically revert to our daily routines to answer the question, “What is my purpose? Well, I am a Mom so I make the lunches and get the kids ready for school. I make sure there is food in the house, clothes that are clean and homework is completed. I am a wife, I am a nurse, I am a teacher, I am a”…fill in the blank. So our purpose is wrapped up in what we DO. The problem is if our purpose is wrapped up in our works then we get the idea that we have something to do with earning our purpose – that we are only as purposeful as what we are able to do. What does that mean for the person who has lost their job, is physically handicapped or is unknown? This is why our culture screams for fame. This is why we have shows like “American Idol” and “America’s Got Talent” to name a few. This is why once people have tasted fame they have a hard time returning to the obscurity of everyday life and many of them take their lives because they feel like they no longer have a purpose.
As believers we can’t simply answer these questions without factoring God into the equation. Furthermore, we need to know what God is doing so that we, as His people, can be about what He is doing. If we aren’t about what God is doing then our purpose and all that we would do is futile at best. So,what if we backed it out even farther and asked “What is God’s purpose and how do I fit in?”
It says in Psalm 23:3 that all God is to us in verses 1 and 2, is for His name’s sake. Scripture is full of references that teach us that God does what He does for one purpose: the praise of His glorious grace! So, if God’s purpose is His own glory then YOUR purpose is His glory. 1 Corinithians 10:31 puts it simply, “Whether you eat or drink, whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Therefore, we can quickly see that our purpose has little to do with us. In fact, everything that God has done for us through Christ is so that we might be freed up to make much of Him! Does it sting a little bit? It did for me. What about the God who loves me, cares for me and is in pursuit of me? What about ME? The truth is God does love us, care for us and pursue us but not because of us! We are NOT the object of His affection. God loves, cares, pursues and saves us FOR HIS GLORY! Read Ephesians 1:1-14 and count how many times the phrase “to the praise of His glory” is stated.
So, why is this GOOD news? Why is taking me off the throne good news to me? Well, mainly because if you were created to bring glory to God and you fulfill that purpose then it will bring you joy! If someone came up to you tomorrow and said “I know what your purpose is in life and I can help you to fulfill it” wouldn’t you be ecstatic? You wouldn’t waste a single minute finding out what it was and how to get it! Well, here it is! Better yet, all of the commands God has given us in His word are to line us up with His plan so that our joy might be full! God is for our joy! Let me say that again, God is for our joy! It is a great lie of the devil that God is about robbing us of our joy and that He sets up rules in order to keep us from joy. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
At this point, many of you may be wondering how suffering fits into this picture. How many of us haven’t asked at one point or another, “God, if you are good, why is this happening to me?” Suffering fits in by showing us that God is enough in those times. You see, God is the gospel. The good news is that we get Jesus. He is our inheritance, our peace and our crown. Most of us still think that our inheritance is heaven and that we are saved from hell so that we can go to heaven. Although as redeemed we will go to heaven, heaven is a benefit but not the gospel. John 3:16 doesn’t say, “For God so loved the world that He sent HEAVEN that whosoever believes in HEAVEN should not perish but have eternal life.” God sent His Son. Our inheritance is Christ, not riches like those here on earth but the unfathomable riches of God and who He is will satisfy our souls for all eternity.
In conclusion, you have to get over you! I have to get over me! This is not about us and we are not the point. If we could finally, once and for all, turn off the television and the radio, turn off the media and the culture and realize that we don’t have to make much of us then we would be FREE! When it is about us then we are easily bothered and angered by people when they don’t perform. We are constantly looking for someone to blame for our unhappiness, dissatisfaction and misfortune. But when we are freed up to fulfill our purpose in making God’s name great we can extend grace, love deeply, serve selflessly and parent effectively!
Lord, thank you that your purposes are all wrapped up in who you are! Thank you that we exist to bring you glory and in that we find great joy! Grant us wisdom through your Word in parenting the gifts of grace you have given us in our children. Amen!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Wandering in the Wilderness
Are there modern day wilderness wanderings? Times when the Lord has brought us out of Egypt and loosed the chains of slavery in order to move us to freedom…but the exodus turns into a journey, a wandering in the wilderness? I wonder…
It says in Exodus that the Lord heard the cry of the Egyptians and came to their rescue. What about this cry was different from all the other cries that had been lifted up on their behalf in 400 years? Was it a cumulative effect? Was God just tired of hearing them whine over their conditions? I don’t think so. Although we as parents get tired after hearing the same question 136 times in one day, God doesn’t. He doesn’t go into aggravation mode and shut us out. (You Moms know what I’m talking about: if you didn’t hear, “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom”, over and over you might have to check your pulse to see if you had in fact had a Calgon moment or you might start looking for Jesus and streets of gold!) So, what was it that made this time, the time? Just that, time, or more precisely, time-ing. I constantly have to remind myself that God isn’t looking at his watch, or mine for that matter, as He works in my life. I on the other hand have a strong tendency to obsess over my own sense of timing…it seems that the two are never the same…can I get a “Amen?”
So, FINALLY after 400 years in slavery the Israelites are getting their first taste of freedom in a miraculous way! They are seeing seas parted, food falling from the sky and water coming from rocks! Not just that, but they stood idly by as the Egyptians begged them to take their possessions…(“well, if you say so”)..and the same sea that parted for them washed over ALL of Pharoah’s army right before their eyes! I seem to think that if I had seen all of that in one day that I would never question the Lord again. “Overtake giants in the land? Yes, Lord. Conquer a city with a few trumpets? Yes, Lord. Hang out in a fiery furnace? Yes, Lord. Love my neighbor as myself…Yes, Lord?? Give ten percent of all I have…yes..Lord??? Wait on your timing in my life….Lord?”
Aren’t we smart? Aren’t we so quick to cast a stone at the Israelites? But, God desired to teach them a few things first so, it says in Exodus 13:18, “God led the people AROUND by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea.” Just a minor detail that is easily overlooked. However, let’s not miss the fact that God could have taken them straight to the Red Sea but the cloudy pillar led them by way of the wilderness. “Wilderness” is a term that refers to land that contains little vegetation or trees and because of a sparsity of rainfall, it cannot be cultivated. So, basically we are talking about one big desert.
The Israelites spent approximately two years in the wilderness traveling toward Canaan, ie: The Promised Land. During this time God had much to do in reestablishing his covenant with His chosen people. You see, after 400 years in captivity the nation had been assimilated into the Egyptian culture as the older generations died off and new generations were born. The generation that participated in the Exodus was not familiar with anything other than slavery in Egypt. Although some traditions were probably passed down, the freedom to worship was taken away along with all of the other freedoms that a slave is denied.
So, for that initial 24 months the Lord spent time instructing His people, through Moses, on how to live as a holy nation, a chosen people BEFORE He brought them into the land they were to possess. Nothing God does is a coincidence! Therefore, the tiny detail of Exodus 13:18 served a great purpose: God was preparing His people! Why? No doubt if the people had gone straight from the exodus into the promised land they would have been a “little” Egypt. There would have been no distinction, no separation, just a replica of the pagan culture they had been enslaved to and a part of for centuries!
We can easily draw several conclusions from this study:
1) God is never random about anything! He is purposeful when it comes to everything!
2 ) Wilderness wanderings, which seem to have no purpose but to frustrate us, are necessary parts of God’s will for our lives, even today.
3 ) The pagan culture in which we live runs deep and it will take getting away with the Lord to retrain our minds.
4 ) As a Christian, being “set apart” from the world is still just as important as it ever was. Peter reiterates in the New Testament, “You are a holy nation, a chosen people. Therefore, be holy as I am holy.” (1 Peter 2:9; 1:16)
If we were to continue on, we would learn that as soon as the people reached the edge of Canaan, on the very verge of seeing and possessing the promised land, they turned back in unbelief. As a result of their disobedience, the Lord kept them from entering the land for another 38 years and all of the people over the age of twenty, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, died in the wilderness. The very people who saw all of the miraculous moving of the hand of God during the exodus died because of their disobedience.
Can you image making one final decision of disobedience that sentences you to death? Well, if you can’t, then you should. Because the fact is, every single act of disobedience from the first to the last sentences us to death…because it is sin. But God…don’t you love that statement? BUT GOD, in His great grace sent Jesus to pay the penalty in full for our disobedience. We don’t have to die in our disobedience! Praise God!
So, in closing I have two very important questions for us to ask ourselves in light of what we have just read: First, do you trust God? Second, are you thankful for Jesus?
“Lord, keep us from being so focused on the wandering and the wilderness. Keep us focused on you, trusting your plan for our lives even when everything looks desolate. Help us to understand that you have purpose in every part of the journey. Make us thankful for our exodus from slavery and our freedom in Jesus Christ no matter where we wander.” Amen.
It says in Exodus that the Lord heard the cry of the Egyptians and came to their rescue. What about this cry was different from all the other cries that had been lifted up on their behalf in 400 years? Was it a cumulative effect? Was God just tired of hearing them whine over their conditions? I don’t think so. Although we as parents get tired after hearing the same question 136 times in one day, God doesn’t. He doesn’t go into aggravation mode and shut us out. (You Moms know what I’m talking about: if you didn’t hear, “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom”, over and over you might have to check your pulse to see if you had in fact had a Calgon moment or you might start looking for Jesus and streets of gold!) So, what was it that made this time, the time? Just that, time, or more precisely, time-ing. I constantly have to remind myself that God isn’t looking at his watch, or mine for that matter, as He works in my life. I on the other hand have a strong tendency to obsess over my own sense of timing…it seems that the two are never the same…can I get a “Amen?”
So, FINALLY after 400 years in slavery the Israelites are getting their first taste of freedom in a miraculous way! They are seeing seas parted, food falling from the sky and water coming from rocks! Not just that, but they stood idly by as the Egyptians begged them to take their possessions…(“well, if you say so”)..and the same sea that parted for them washed over ALL of Pharoah’s army right before their eyes! I seem to think that if I had seen all of that in one day that I would never question the Lord again. “Overtake giants in the land? Yes, Lord. Conquer a city with a few trumpets? Yes, Lord. Hang out in a fiery furnace? Yes, Lord. Love my neighbor as myself…Yes, Lord?? Give ten percent of all I have…yes..Lord??? Wait on your timing in my life….Lord?”
Aren’t we smart? Aren’t we so quick to cast a stone at the Israelites? But, God desired to teach them a few things first so, it says in Exodus 13:18, “God led the people AROUND by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea.” Just a minor detail that is easily overlooked. However, let’s not miss the fact that God could have taken them straight to the Red Sea but the cloudy pillar led them by way of the wilderness. “Wilderness” is a term that refers to land that contains little vegetation or trees and because of a sparsity of rainfall, it cannot be cultivated. So, basically we are talking about one big desert.
The Israelites spent approximately two years in the wilderness traveling toward Canaan, ie: The Promised Land. During this time God had much to do in reestablishing his covenant with His chosen people. You see, after 400 years in captivity the nation had been assimilated into the Egyptian culture as the older generations died off and new generations were born. The generation that participated in the Exodus was not familiar with anything other than slavery in Egypt. Although some traditions were probably passed down, the freedom to worship was taken away along with all of the other freedoms that a slave is denied.
So, for that initial 24 months the Lord spent time instructing His people, through Moses, on how to live as a holy nation, a chosen people BEFORE He brought them into the land they were to possess. Nothing God does is a coincidence! Therefore, the tiny detail of Exodus 13:18 served a great purpose: God was preparing His people! Why? No doubt if the people had gone straight from the exodus into the promised land they would have been a “little” Egypt. There would have been no distinction, no separation, just a replica of the pagan culture they had been enslaved to and a part of for centuries!
We can easily draw several conclusions from this study:
1) God is never random about anything! He is purposeful when it comes to everything!
2 ) Wilderness wanderings, which seem to have no purpose but to frustrate us, are necessary parts of God’s will for our lives, even today.
3 ) The pagan culture in which we live runs deep and it will take getting away with the Lord to retrain our minds.
4 ) As a Christian, being “set apart” from the world is still just as important as it ever was. Peter reiterates in the New Testament, “You are a holy nation, a chosen people. Therefore, be holy as I am holy.” (1 Peter 2:9; 1:16)
If we were to continue on, we would learn that as soon as the people reached the edge of Canaan, on the very verge of seeing and possessing the promised land, they turned back in unbelief. As a result of their disobedience, the Lord kept them from entering the land for another 38 years and all of the people over the age of twenty, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, died in the wilderness. The very people who saw all of the miraculous moving of the hand of God during the exodus died because of their disobedience.
Can you image making one final decision of disobedience that sentences you to death? Well, if you can’t, then you should. Because the fact is, every single act of disobedience from the first to the last sentences us to death…because it is sin. But God…don’t you love that statement? BUT GOD, in His great grace sent Jesus to pay the penalty in full for our disobedience. We don’t have to die in our disobedience! Praise God!
So, in closing I have two very important questions for us to ask ourselves in light of what we have just read: First, do you trust God? Second, are you thankful for Jesus?
“Lord, keep us from being so focused on the wandering and the wilderness. Keep us focused on you, trusting your plan for our lives even when everything looks desolate. Help us to understand that you have purpose in every part of the journey. Make us thankful for our exodus from slavery and our freedom in Jesus Christ no matter where we wander.” Amen.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Good but not Godly
I have a burden on me the size of Texas as I write to you! I don’t know exactly what else to say that compares to the heaviness of heart that I am experiencing! This post is specifically for single women who are maybe even engaged but not yet married. I pray that this finds its way into your heart and takes strong root.
There is an epidemic among us that is harming our families, stifling our children and bringing lifelong disappointment and strife that can be avoided. Girls, I am talking about marrying good and not godly. I counsel women almost daily that sit across from me and regret that decision. I also sit across from women who are so desperate to be married that they cannot or will not listen to any voice that cautions them against their will.
I can confidently say after almost 13 years of marriage that marriage to a believer is hard but I can’t imagine not having the same life purpose drawing us back together time and again. Do you know why God was so adamant about the nation of Israel staying separate from the nations around them? Because they didn’t have the same purpose! The Bible compares it to two oxen that are headed in different directions. How much work do you think two animals hooked to the same plow will accomplish if one wants to go to the left and the other wants to go to the right? Not much! One will have to consent to the other in order for them to move forward. This whole matter was so serious that God specifically told the Israelites they were not to intermarry. Why? God knew that intermarriage causes assimilation into the culture. It is simply impossible for you to be married to someone but not become part of their families, their lives, their practices. You just can’t remain separate. You are now one flesh but with two different mindsets. You know what we call that? Schizophrenia! Scripture puts it this way, “What fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)
As I write I can almost hear the excuses being offered up in your minds. “He says he is a Christian and he isn’t evil like someone of darkness, he’s a nice guy! He’s a good man, he provides and protects and he is very responsible. He’s good to me, he takes care of me and he isn’t opposed to church, he just likes to sleep in on Sundays.” And the list goes on. These are actual things that I hear all the time. I had one girl who said, “He just makes sin not seem so bad plus, he knows the Bible, he’s very strong in his faith.” My heart broke in that moment and I told her as lovingly as I could, “Sweetie, this man doesn’t love you! If he did, his sole purpose in your relationship would be KEEPING you from stumbling not being the block that you stumble over!”
Can you say that? Are you involved with a man that asks you to do things that go against the very fabric of who you are? Are you in a relationship or engaged to a man who is a stumbling block to your walk with the Lord? Maybe you cannot honestly answer “yes” to those questions but can you say this, “The man I am dating or about to marry is leading me toward the Lord. He is actively helping me to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ. He is the example in our relationship as a leader not a follower.”
Girls, you were never meant to be the leader, you were meant to be the follower. The Lord is completely able to provide all of what you need in a godly man if you will trust Him and wait for it. Please, I beg you, do not be so anxious to get married that you make a mistake that you will have to live with for the rest of your life! You see, we think that good will eventually lead to godly and on rare occasions it does but mostly it doesn’t. If your desire is to serve the Lord, raise your children in the same way and strive to glorify God then you cannot marry good and not godly! The time to choose wisely is NOW! Seek godly counsel from your Pastor, pray that the Lord would give you clarity by His Spirit and be honest with yourself. If you have to look for evidence of spiritual fruit or if you are continually making excuses for him, if you are the spiritual leader or he has made a profession of faith because you won’t take “no” for an answer then proceed with all caution! After your salvation this is the single most important decision you will ever make, don’t take it lightly and don’t let your heart override your head! Good will not always be godly but godly will always be good!
There is an epidemic among us that is harming our families, stifling our children and bringing lifelong disappointment and strife that can be avoided. Girls, I am talking about marrying good and not godly. I counsel women almost daily that sit across from me and regret that decision. I also sit across from women who are so desperate to be married that they cannot or will not listen to any voice that cautions them against their will.
I can confidently say after almost 13 years of marriage that marriage to a believer is hard but I can’t imagine not having the same life purpose drawing us back together time and again. Do you know why God was so adamant about the nation of Israel staying separate from the nations around them? Because they didn’t have the same purpose! The Bible compares it to two oxen that are headed in different directions. How much work do you think two animals hooked to the same plow will accomplish if one wants to go to the left and the other wants to go to the right? Not much! One will have to consent to the other in order for them to move forward. This whole matter was so serious that God specifically told the Israelites they were not to intermarry. Why? God knew that intermarriage causes assimilation into the culture. It is simply impossible for you to be married to someone but not become part of their families, their lives, their practices. You just can’t remain separate. You are now one flesh but with two different mindsets. You know what we call that? Schizophrenia! Scripture puts it this way, “What fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)
As I write I can almost hear the excuses being offered up in your minds. “He says he is a Christian and he isn’t evil like someone of darkness, he’s a nice guy! He’s a good man, he provides and protects and he is very responsible. He’s good to me, he takes care of me and he isn’t opposed to church, he just likes to sleep in on Sundays.” And the list goes on. These are actual things that I hear all the time. I had one girl who said, “He just makes sin not seem so bad plus, he knows the Bible, he’s very strong in his faith.” My heart broke in that moment and I told her as lovingly as I could, “Sweetie, this man doesn’t love you! If he did, his sole purpose in your relationship would be KEEPING you from stumbling not being the block that you stumble over!”
Can you say that? Are you involved with a man that asks you to do things that go against the very fabric of who you are? Are you in a relationship or engaged to a man who is a stumbling block to your walk with the Lord? Maybe you cannot honestly answer “yes” to those questions but can you say this, “The man I am dating or about to marry is leading me toward the Lord. He is actively helping me to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ. He is the example in our relationship as a leader not a follower.”
Girls, you were never meant to be the leader, you were meant to be the follower. The Lord is completely able to provide all of what you need in a godly man if you will trust Him and wait for it. Please, I beg you, do not be so anxious to get married that you make a mistake that you will have to live with for the rest of your life! You see, we think that good will eventually lead to godly and on rare occasions it does but mostly it doesn’t. If your desire is to serve the Lord, raise your children in the same way and strive to glorify God then you cannot marry good and not godly! The time to choose wisely is NOW! Seek godly counsel from your Pastor, pray that the Lord would give you clarity by His Spirit and be honest with yourself. If you have to look for evidence of spiritual fruit or if you are continually making excuses for him, if you are the spiritual leader or he has made a profession of faith because you won’t take “no” for an answer then proceed with all caution! After your salvation this is the single most important decision you will ever make, don’t take it lightly and don’t let your heart override your head! Good will not always be godly but godly will always be good!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The Modern Day Hitchhiker
When I think back to my childhood I can remember being schooled on the importance of never picking up a hitchhiker. These people, mostly men, skirted the highways and byways of America with a prerequisite unkempt look and an exaggerated thumb stuck out in the wind. I learned from a young age that these were people to be avoided and that most of them spelled “danger” with a capital “D”. So, when I think about the prevalence of hitchhikers these days and the fact that we are so quick to give them a ride, I am more than a little disturbed. Not to mention the fact that many of us ARE hitchhikers and we don’t even realize it!
The dictionary defines a hitchhiker as “someone who travels by obtaining a free ride.” Newsflash! Our churches are filled with hitchhikers!! No, you may not be able to spot them right off because they mask as legitimate vehicle owners but take a closer look and that thumb with an invariable 90 degree bend will be easy to
spot! I want us to look at the characteristics of a hitchhiker to help us further our attempts at examining our own lives to see if this defines us. Let me interject here before we get too deep into discussion to clarify a few things. We are analyzing the stereotype of hitchhikers not anyone and everyone who has ever thumbed a ride because of a broken down vehicle or some sort of unfavorable circumstance that left them without a ride! Let’s begin:
1)Hitchhikers are uninvested. Looking back to the dictionary definition, hitchhikers obtain a “free” ride. They aren’t sharing in the expense of vehicle ownership. They aren’t shouldering the burden of soaring gas prices or annual vehicle maintenance. They are sporting the “W.I.I.F.M.”attitude – “what’s in it for me?” They don’t want to share in any responsibility they are simply along for the ride and when the ride is over they are done.
2)Hitchhikers are uncommitted. The very nature of these people is one of transience. They are moving from one place to the next. When you drop them off they will likely pick up another ride and another and another until they find someplace to settle for a while. Although some have final destinations in mind, most have a general direction but no specific route they are following to get there.
3)Hitchhikers are unplanned. Timeframes and plans are typically not part of the hitchhiker’s daily worries. They are getting as far as they can, stopping to eat when necessary and generally playing it by ear from one day to the next. Let’s just say being intentional and deliberate are not things that are high on their list of priorities.
4)Hitchhikers are unsafe. I can’t even begin to estimate the many stories I have heard about people picking up hitchhikers to their own demise. There is something attractive and convenient about the ability to render oneself untraceable when committing a crime. Many well meaning people have met their end at the hands of a wandering repeat offender.
So, now that you have entertained me up to this point and we are thoroughly schooled on the finer points of hitchhikers you ask, “what does this have to do with me??” I have come to warn you that hitchhiking is on the rise however, you won’t see these people on the side of the road but sitting in your church pews! They won’t look like your average vagabond off the street – they will, in fact, look a lot like you! They will dress like you and speak Christian-ese like you but they have no intention of putting down roots! They are along for the free ride and they
will eventually move on. They love the fact that they can come in and be fed without having to serve. They enjoy a “no strings attached” relationship. They are perfectly content to let you pay for the gas, shoulder the burdens of car maintenance and take on the responsibility of ownership.
Ladies, I love church! I love church for many reasons but first and foremost because it is the BRIDE of my Lord and Savior and I am part of that bride and the body of Jesus Christ. However, I am increasingly heartbroken over people who do not want to take their commitment to the church seriously! I don’t know about you but when a husband thinks about someone mistreating and taking advantage of his bride it makes him angry. We have passed off the fact that committing to a local church is respect for the bride of Christ! I use the word commitment instead of attendance because the commitment of membership entails a deeper,deliberate, intentional choice. You are saying, “I am committed to this body of believers. I find my spiritual food here, I serve here, I worship with other members of the body here, I use my time, tithe, gifts and talents here and I will help to bear the burdens of these people HERE! I’m in it! Not half-way, but all the way! I’m putting down roots and investing my time here.”
The only qualification for finding a church home that is even biblical is the exaltation and Christ-exalting proclamation of the word of God! Not programs, not denomination (because Jesus wasn’t Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian etc; - He was God!), not youth groups or missions projects or the ladies’ quilting guild or the size of the building, the size of the budget or the number of members!
Be sure that if you are committed to joining with a local church and getting your hands dirty that you will have some conflicts because churches are full of hypocrites and people in need of sanctification (along with the rest of the world!). Be sure that you will get your toes stepped on by the Pastor as he preaches the tough things in scripture to keep you from just drinking milk for the rest of your life! Be sure that you will be convicted of sin and challenged to change sinful habits. Be sure you will be tired at times because you have been busy about the work of the church and caring for its members. But know that the bonds of fellowship that are forged in the furnace of suffering and the laughter of rejoicing are eternal bonds that are bought by the blood of your Groom…and He is waiting for the time when He gets to take you, all of you home together!
In summary, there is no hitchhiking in the church of Jesus Christ that pleases the Lord. It isn’t biblical and it isn’t safe. It hurts you just as much as it hurts the church that you are leeching off of. Do take your time to find a good, Christ exalting church, pray about it, take your commitment seriously and then put down roots. Settle in, invest, commit, plan, be safe, ATTEND REGULARLY and keep your thumbs tucked in!
“Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves as is the habit of some, but encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25
The dictionary defines a hitchhiker as “someone who travels by obtaining a free ride.” Newsflash! Our churches are filled with hitchhikers!! No, you may not be able to spot them right off because they mask as legitimate vehicle owners but take a closer look and that thumb with an invariable 90 degree bend will be easy to
spot! I want us to look at the characteristics of a hitchhiker to help us further our attempts at examining our own lives to see if this defines us. Let me interject here before we get too deep into discussion to clarify a few things. We are analyzing the stereotype of hitchhikers not anyone and everyone who has ever thumbed a ride because of a broken down vehicle or some sort of unfavorable circumstance that left them without a ride! Let’s begin:
1)Hitchhikers are uninvested. Looking back to the dictionary definition, hitchhikers obtain a “free” ride. They aren’t sharing in the expense of vehicle ownership. They aren’t shouldering the burden of soaring gas prices or annual vehicle maintenance. They are sporting the “W.I.I.F.M.”attitude – “what’s in it for me?” They don’t want to share in any responsibility they are simply along for the ride and when the ride is over they are done.
2)Hitchhikers are uncommitted. The very nature of these people is one of transience. They are moving from one place to the next. When you drop them off they will likely pick up another ride and another and another until they find someplace to settle for a while. Although some have final destinations in mind, most have a general direction but no specific route they are following to get there.
3)Hitchhikers are unplanned. Timeframes and plans are typically not part of the hitchhiker’s daily worries. They are getting as far as they can, stopping to eat when necessary and generally playing it by ear from one day to the next. Let’s just say being intentional and deliberate are not things that are high on their list of priorities.
4)Hitchhikers are unsafe. I can’t even begin to estimate the many stories I have heard about people picking up hitchhikers to their own demise. There is something attractive and convenient about the ability to render oneself untraceable when committing a crime. Many well meaning people have met their end at the hands of a wandering repeat offender.
So, now that you have entertained me up to this point and we are thoroughly schooled on the finer points of hitchhikers you ask, “what does this have to do with me??” I have come to warn you that hitchhiking is on the rise however, you won’t see these people on the side of the road but sitting in your church pews! They won’t look like your average vagabond off the street – they will, in fact, look a lot like you! They will dress like you and speak Christian-ese like you but they have no intention of putting down roots! They are along for the free ride and they
will eventually move on. They love the fact that they can come in and be fed without having to serve. They enjoy a “no strings attached” relationship. They are perfectly content to let you pay for the gas, shoulder the burdens of car maintenance and take on the responsibility of ownership.
Ladies, I love church! I love church for many reasons but first and foremost because it is the BRIDE of my Lord and Savior and I am part of that bride and the body of Jesus Christ. However, I am increasingly heartbroken over people who do not want to take their commitment to the church seriously! I don’t know about you but when a husband thinks about someone mistreating and taking advantage of his bride it makes him angry. We have passed off the fact that committing to a local church is respect for the bride of Christ! I use the word commitment instead of attendance because the commitment of membership entails a deeper,deliberate, intentional choice. You are saying, “I am committed to this body of believers. I find my spiritual food here, I serve here, I worship with other members of the body here, I use my time, tithe, gifts and talents here and I will help to bear the burdens of these people HERE! I’m in it! Not half-way, but all the way! I’m putting down roots and investing my time here.”
The only qualification for finding a church home that is even biblical is the exaltation and Christ-exalting proclamation of the word of God! Not programs, not denomination (because Jesus wasn’t Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian etc; - He was God!), not youth groups or missions projects or the ladies’ quilting guild or the size of the building, the size of the budget or the number of members!
Be sure that if you are committed to joining with a local church and getting your hands dirty that you will have some conflicts because churches are full of hypocrites and people in need of sanctification (along with the rest of the world!). Be sure that you will get your toes stepped on by the Pastor as he preaches the tough things in scripture to keep you from just drinking milk for the rest of your life! Be sure that you will be convicted of sin and challenged to change sinful habits. Be sure you will be tired at times because you have been busy about the work of the church and caring for its members. But know that the bonds of fellowship that are forged in the furnace of suffering and the laughter of rejoicing are eternal bonds that are bought by the blood of your Groom…and He is waiting for the time when He gets to take you, all of you home together!
In summary, there is no hitchhiking in the church of Jesus Christ that pleases the Lord. It isn’t biblical and it isn’t safe. It hurts you just as much as it hurts the church that you are leeching off of. Do take your time to find a good, Christ exalting church, pray about it, take your commitment seriously and then put down roots. Settle in, invest, commit, plan, be safe, ATTEND REGULARLY and keep your thumbs tucked in!
“Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves as is the habit of some, but encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Waiting well...is there such a thing??
Oh my goodness! I can hardly believe that I have five minutes to sit here and write to you! I almost feel as if I have forgotten how to write, what to say and certainly how to be witty! Our summer has been full of heat, humidity, weddings, swim meets, VBS, humidity and more humidity! There’s nothing that quite defines a summer in the state of Virginia like tree frogs and humidity.
So, I sit here in a peculiar frame of mind because it seems that this is a time of waiting…for everyone, including myself! In the last several days I have talked to no less than ten people who are frustrated with the heaviness of waiting on something! Waiting on the weekend, waiting on the job, waiting on a specific date, waiting for something to be over, waiting on God to hurry up and MOVE, waiting for the world to change etc; Generally, we wait patiently for a day or two, maybe a week if we are really persevering but for the most part I’ve never met anyone who “waits well”. In our microwave society we have conditioned ourselves to not wait for anything. I get insolent having to wait for a cup of coffee to brew if it takes 1 ½ minutes much less an entire pot! So, it begs the question, “Is there a way that we can teach ourselves to ‘wait well’”?
In relying on my trusty biblegateway.com search there is one passage in particular that gives us instructions on waiting. In Luke 12, Jesus is teaching to His disciples. Although there were multitudes around Him that would resemble something of a modern day mosh pit, Jesus specifically addresses His disciples. So listen up girls and take notes!
Waiting well involves waiting without, yes, WITHOUT anxiety. In verses 22-31 of Luke chapter 12, is the very familiar passage about birds of the air and lilies of the field. But in verse 29 Jesus plainly says, “and don’t worry!” There you have it, plain as day, DO NOT WORRY! Then He follows up in v. 30-31 by saying (as I paraphrase), “all the rest of humanity seeks after food and clothing and as your Daddy I know that you need these things but instead, you as my children, seek my kingdom first and all these things will be added to you.”
There is a second part to waiting well here in these verses. We are to wait being busy about His kingdom. Jesus says, seek me first! When I set down to prioritize, which happens to be multiple times daily as an avid list maker, I put the most important thing at the top of the list. The thing that must get done before anything else goes in the numero uno spot. Everything else is a distraction until I can check that one thing off my list. The same applies here. The idea is that we will be so consumed with seeking Him that the secondary, material things take a back seat. The problem is that we have made the secondary things primary! And let me say right now, I am guilty. I will have no problem gnawing your arm right off if you get in the way of dinner and we won’t even discuss the carnage that might ensue if you determine to prohibit me from finding the nearest Ross, TJ Maxx or Marshall’s! So, let’s confess our mixed up priorities and get them straight, first things first!
Thirdly, we are to wait expectantly. In the latter part of the chapter (12:35-38), Jesus begins a parable about a household of servants that are waiting on their master to return from being out for the evening. The exact words of instruction He gives to them are “be dressed for action and keep your lamps burning.” The imagery here is of servants who are standing at the door waiting for their master to knock so they can greet Him. They aren’t asleep with the lights off! Sometimes we are just asleep with the lights off! But the Lord encourages us to wait in expectation for what He is going to do. Okay, so far we are waiting expectantly, without anxiety, being busy about His kingdom.
Fourthly we are to wait in perseverance. So, how many times have you prayed and asked the Lord to move and then given up on that prayer after a while determining that it will never happen? We don’t have to go deep into the bible to find several women who were prayer warriors! These women persevered in prayer and clung to the faithfulness of God.
Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel were all barren! These women were the three matriarchs that were to give birth to the chosen lineage of Christ! Isaac, Jacob and Joseph were born of women who petitioned the Lord year after year in prayer for God to open their wombs. What a testimony to persevering during a time of waiting on the Lord! Our focal text even says, “if (the master) comes in the second or third watch of the night, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!” The second watch and third watches were between the hours of 9pm and 3am so we get a glimpse of the perseverance that these servants embodied by waiting up late into the night for their master.
Lastly, in order to wait well we must wait obediently. In verse 42, Jesus is giving a job description for a faithful and wise manager and in v. 43 He pronounces a blessing on the servant “whom his master will find so doing when he comes.” The manager was doing his job! What a novel idea for us! We spend so much time being consumed with the next thing or trying to figure out God’s will for tomorrow that we miss what He is wanting to do today. God’s will for you is what you are doing right now! As long as it isn’t illegal or immoral then you are in the center of His will. Thankfully, our God doesn’t play divine “Let’s Make a Deal” from His throne while we squirm to decide which door we should choose. Maybe His will is behind door number one or maybe it’s behind door number three? How unsettling to think that I might pick the wrong door and be in a state of doom for the rest of my life! So, back to the point, the servant was being obedient and doing the thing that the master had given him to do. Are you?
Which brings me to my final thought: We must be joyful in our “waiting well”. Not a joy that is based on all the right circumstances but a joy that is firmly grounded in a right standing before a Holy God accomplished through the atonement of Jesus Christ the Righteous. Regardless of what life may bring, one thing is sure for us as children of God, we are reconciled and redeemed eternally. I will leave you with this encouragement from James 1:2-4, “Count it all joy my sisters when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience and let patience have its perfect work that you may be complete lacking nothing!” Wait well girls, wait well!
So, I sit here in a peculiar frame of mind because it seems that this is a time of waiting…for everyone, including myself! In the last several days I have talked to no less than ten people who are frustrated with the heaviness of waiting on something! Waiting on the weekend, waiting on the job, waiting on a specific date, waiting for something to be over, waiting on God to hurry up and MOVE, waiting for the world to change etc; Generally, we wait patiently for a day or two, maybe a week if we are really persevering but for the most part I’ve never met anyone who “waits well”. In our microwave society we have conditioned ourselves to not wait for anything. I get insolent having to wait for a cup of coffee to brew if it takes 1 ½ minutes much less an entire pot! So, it begs the question, “Is there a way that we can teach ourselves to ‘wait well’”?
In relying on my trusty biblegateway.com search there is one passage in particular that gives us instructions on waiting. In Luke 12, Jesus is teaching to His disciples. Although there were multitudes around Him that would resemble something of a modern day mosh pit, Jesus specifically addresses His disciples. So listen up girls and take notes!
Waiting well involves waiting without, yes, WITHOUT anxiety. In verses 22-31 of Luke chapter 12, is the very familiar passage about birds of the air and lilies of the field. But in verse 29 Jesus plainly says, “and don’t worry!” There you have it, plain as day, DO NOT WORRY! Then He follows up in v. 30-31 by saying (as I paraphrase), “all the rest of humanity seeks after food and clothing and as your Daddy I know that you need these things but instead, you as my children, seek my kingdom first and all these things will be added to you.”
There is a second part to waiting well here in these verses. We are to wait being busy about His kingdom. Jesus says, seek me first! When I set down to prioritize, which happens to be multiple times daily as an avid list maker, I put the most important thing at the top of the list. The thing that must get done before anything else goes in the numero uno spot. Everything else is a distraction until I can check that one thing off my list. The same applies here. The idea is that we will be so consumed with seeking Him that the secondary, material things take a back seat. The problem is that we have made the secondary things primary! And let me say right now, I am guilty. I will have no problem gnawing your arm right off if you get in the way of dinner and we won’t even discuss the carnage that might ensue if you determine to prohibit me from finding the nearest Ross, TJ Maxx or Marshall’s! So, let’s confess our mixed up priorities and get them straight, first things first!
Thirdly, we are to wait expectantly. In the latter part of the chapter (12:35-38), Jesus begins a parable about a household of servants that are waiting on their master to return from being out for the evening. The exact words of instruction He gives to them are “be dressed for action and keep your lamps burning.” The imagery here is of servants who are standing at the door waiting for their master to knock so they can greet Him. They aren’t asleep with the lights off! Sometimes we are just asleep with the lights off! But the Lord encourages us to wait in expectation for what He is going to do. Okay, so far we are waiting expectantly, without anxiety, being busy about His kingdom.
Fourthly we are to wait in perseverance. So, how many times have you prayed and asked the Lord to move and then given up on that prayer after a while determining that it will never happen? We don’t have to go deep into the bible to find several women who were prayer warriors! These women persevered in prayer and clung to the faithfulness of God.
Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel were all barren! These women were the three matriarchs that were to give birth to the chosen lineage of Christ! Isaac, Jacob and Joseph were born of women who petitioned the Lord year after year in prayer for God to open their wombs. What a testimony to persevering during a time of waiting on the Lord! Our focal text even says, “if (the master) comes in the second or third watch of the night, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!” The second watch and third watches were between the hours of 9pm and 3am so we get a glimpse of the perseverance that these servants embodied by waiting up late into the night for their master.
Lastly, in order to wait well we must wait obediently. In verse 42, Jesus is giving a job description for a faithful and wise manager and in v. 43 He pronounces a blessing on the servant “whom his master will find so doing when he comes.” The manager was doing his job! What a novel idea for us! We spend so much time being consumed with the next thing or trying to figure out God’s will for tomorrow that we miss what He is wanting to do today. God’s will for you is what you are doing right now! As long as it isn’t illegal or immoral then you are in the center of His will. Thankfully, our God doesn’t play divine “Let’s Make a Deal” from His throne while we squirm to decide which door we should choose. Maybe His will is behind door number one or maybe it’s behind door number three? How unsettling to think that I might pick the wrong door and be in a state of doom for the rest of my life! So, back to the point, the servant was being obedient and doing the thing that the master had given him to do. Are you?
Which brings me to my final thought: We must be joyful in our “waiting well”. Not a joy that is based on all the right circumstances but a joy that is firmly grounded in a right standing before a Holy God accomplished through the atonement of Jesus Christ the Righteous. Regardless of what life may bring, one thing is sure for us as children of God, we are reconciled and redeemed eternally. I will leave you with this encouragement from James 1:2-4, “Count it all joy my sisters when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience and let patience have its perfect work that you may be complete lacking nothing!” Wait well girls, wait well!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Learning to Love Thunderstorms
I would definitely say we have had our share of thunderstorms this summer. It seems that every day for the last week or so about 4 or 5 o’clock in the afternoon that there is a dull rumble of thunder in the distance followed ever so quickly by a torrential downpour – or what people in the south like to call a “gulley washer”. This is southern slang for one of those storms that comes out of nowhere, pours buckets for about 15 or 20 minutes to the extent that the ground can’t absorb the overflow and so the gullies flood. If you have ever been caught in one driving down the road or woken up to its fury in the middle of the night, it can seem like the longest 15 or 20 minutes of your life!
I often like to read the lyrics of old hymns because there is such awesome theology in them; theology that speaks of people who knew the Lord in a way that seems almost foreign to us now. One such hymn is William Cowper’s “God Moves in Mysterious Ways”. I was particularly drawn in by these verses:
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow’r.
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
These words not only made me think of the unpredictable nature of thunderstorms but also the unpredictable nature of God. The paranoid side of me, when I see dark clouds forming and a storm ahead, automatically thinks the worst, plans for the worst and inevitably waits for the worst . I’ll be honest. The unpredictable nature of God is not always comforting to me either. Well, if I am being honest, most of the time it isn’t comforting to me. I am a planner, a control-freak, type A etc; I want to know the end from the beginning. I want to know all of the why’s, when’s and how’s to every situation. I don’t like the angst and anxiety of not knowing what tomorrow will hold or how to prepare for it. I want to know when the storm will be over!! It is unsettling to say the least! But recently, the Lord has really started to test me in this area and to convict me as well because…well, because it is sin. Sin that I do not trust Him for what I cannot see. Sin that as the bible says, “without faith it is impossible to please God.” Not somewhat possible, not maybe possible but IMPOSSIBLE to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
I ask myself “why is it that you are convinced that God is only able to work in good and happy times?” What brings Him greater glory: An impossible, stormy, cloud-covered situation or a bright, clear, happy circumstance? I know which brings ME greater glory and joy. But isn’t that the point when God says “I will not give my glory to another” – even you, even me (Is. 42:8)? In the sunshine it is so easy for us to give credit to ourselves or to not even think about giving anyone credit, we just move along from day to day while things are good. However, when the storm hits, the thunder shakes the foundation and the lightning threatens to strike, where is our focus?
Sometimes we ask a lot of “why’s” from God and we fail to realize that explanation rarely changes things. Revelation changes things. We get so hung up on an explanation that we cannot see that what we need is revelation. We need more of Him to get us through the storm, not a ten point dissertation on why we are in the middle of the storm. In the middle of the night when the storm rages I don’t want a stranger to hold onto, I want my husband! I know him, I feel safe with him, I trust him. So it is with God. When we know Him, we find security in His presence and we focus on His presence not on the storm.
Consider and meditate on these things: Would Peter’s faith have ever been strengthened by walking on water if there hadn’t been a storm? Would the disciples have seen Jesus for who He truly was if there had been no crisis for Him to perform a miracle over? If men were not lame, demon-possessed, blind or dead would Jesus have been worshipped for the power He embodied as God in the flesh?
I am guilty of thinking that every unfavorable circumstance in my life is a result of God’s displeasure with me. I rationalize that in some way I am being disciplined because life is hard. Sometimes this is the case. Sometimes we face consequences to our sin but there are times when we are simply vessels for which His glory might be revealed. In John 9:2-3, right before Jesus was to heal a blind man his disciples asked, “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he would be born blind? But Jesus answered and said, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” This man, blind from birth, was a vessel to reveal God’s glory. Do you think being blind had been a burden to him? Do you think that the thought that he was blind due to some unpardonable sin had been a heavy weight to bear? Absolutely! But all of this “that the works of God might be displayed in him!”
The Lord has promised us in His word that “all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). We can bank on the fact that we WILL get the good in Christ Jesus but HE chooses how He gets the glory. We don’t get to choose how He gets His glory. We don’t get to choose what cross we will bear. This is what scripture talks about in denying self, taking up your cross and following Him. Putting aside our ideas of how things should be, what we want to be or how we would like things to go and allowing God to simply USE us for His good pleasure. We can choose to allow ourselves to willingly lay down our lives as vessels to His glory every day. You see, ultimately, everyone will be a vessel for God’s glory whether through wrath or through grace but ALL mankind WILL give Him glory. “What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory” (Romans 9:22-23)? What a gracious gift to be marked out for honor rather than for wrath! This very fact should make our hearts sing with delight and our “yokes easy and our burdens light.” What grace to be used for the glory of God even when all we can see is the storm!
I often like to read the lyrics of old hymns because there is such awesome theology in them; theology that speaks of people who knew the Lord in a way that seems almost foreign to us now. One such hymn is William Cowper’s “God Moves in Mysterious Ways”. I was particularly drawn in by these verses:
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow’r.
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
These words not only made me think of the unpredictable nature of thunderstorms but also the unpredictable nature of God. The paranoid side of me, when I see dark clouds forming and a storm ahead, automatically thinks the worst, plans for the worst and inevitably waits for the worst . I’ll be honest. The unpredictable nature of God is not always comforting to me either. Well, if I am being honest, most of the time it isn’t comforting to me. I am a planner, a control-freak, type A etc; I want to know the end from the beginning. I want to know all of the why’s, when’s and how’s to every situation. I don’t like the angst and anxiety of not knowing what tomorrow will hold or how to prepare for it. I want to know when the storm will be over!! It is unsettling to say the least! But recently, the Lord has really started to test me in this area and to convict me as well because…well, because it is sin. Sin that I do not trust Him for what I cannot see. Sin that as the bible says, “without faith it is impossible to please God.” Not somewhat possible, not maybe possible but IMPOSSIBLE to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
I ask myself “why is it that you are convinced that God is only able to work in good and happy times?” What brings Him greater glory: An impossible, stormy, cloud-covered situation or a bright, clear, happy circumstance? I know which brings ME greater glory and joy. But isn’t that the point when God says “I will not give my glory to another” – even you, even me (Is. 42:8)? In the sunshine it is so easy for us to give credit to ourselves or to not even think about giving anyone credit, we just move along from day to day while things are good. However, when the storm hits, the thunder shakes the foundation and the lightning threatens to strike, where is our focus?
Sometimes we ask a lot of “why’s” from God and we fail to realize that explanation rarely changes things. Revelation changes things. We get so hung up on an explanation that we cannot see that what we need is revelation. We need more of Him to get us through the storm, not a ten point dissertation on why we are in the middle of the storm. In the middle of the night when the storm rages I don’t want a stranger to hold onto, I want my husband! I know him, I feel safe with him, I trust him. So it is with God. When we know Him, we find security in His presence and we focus on His presence not on the storm.
Consider and meditate on these things: Would Peter’s faith have ever been strengthened by walking on water if there hadn’t been a storm? Would the disciples have seen Jesus for who He truly was if there had been no crisis for Him to perform a miracle over? If men were not lame, demon-possessed, blind or dead would Jesus have been worshipped for the power He embodied as God in the flesh?
I am guilty of thinking that every unfavorable circumstance in my life is a result of God’s displeasure with me. I rationalize that in some way I am being disciplined because life is hard. Sometimes this is the case. Sometimes we face consequences to our sin but there are times when we are simply vessels for which His glory might be revealed. In John 9:2-3, right before Jesus was to heal a blind man his disciples asked, “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he would be born blind? But Jesus answered and said, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” This man, blind from birth, was a vessel to reveal God’s glory. Do you think being blind had been a burden to him? Do you think that the thought that he was blind due to some unpardonable sin had been a heavy weight to bear? Absolutely! But all of this “that the works of God might be displayed in him!”
The Lord has promised us in His word that “all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). We can bank on the fact that we WILL get the good in Christ Jesus but HE chooses how He gets the glory. We don’t get to choose how He gets His glory. We don’t get to choose what cross we will bear. This is what scripture talks about in denying self, taking up your cross and following Him. Putting aside our ideas of how things should be, what we want to be or how we would like things to go and allowing God to simply USE us for His good pleasure. We can choose to allow ourselves to willingly lay down our lives as vessels to His glory every day. You see, ultimately, everyone will be a vessel for God’s glory whether through wrath or through grace but ALL mankind WILL give Him glory. “What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory” (Romans 9:22-23)? What a gracious gift to be marked out for honor rather than for wrath! This very fact should make our hearts sing with delight and our “yokes easy and our burdens light.” What grace to be used for the glory of God even when all we can see is the storm!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Love and Marriage, Love and Marriage...
It truly has been too long! Summer is here and she is hot and busy as usual! Sometimes writing is like anything else - when you don’t use it, you lose it. I almost feel as if I have forgotten how to do this thing and I get overwhelmed. Summertime is notorious for a lack of creativity in my brain. I think it must be the heat that drains the life and mind out of a person. It would seem to be a reasonable explanation for why we flock to swimming pools or the nearest body of water to sit for hours and do nothing but bake in the sun!
I think I mentioned at one point, several posts ago, that we have a lot of couples getting married from our church this summer. Love is in the air! Likewise, we have just finished a marriage study at our church by John Piper entitled “This Momentary Marriage”. (As a side note, this is my very enthusiastic endorsement for this series which is a 9 part podcast downloaded for free at desiringgod.org or you can purchase the book by the same title. If you want to understand the true meaning of marriage along with the highly esteemed roles of husband and wife, run to get this book!!! Excellent, must read, etc;.) Having been a wedding and event planner for nearly six years now I have seen A LOT of weddings. And with A LOT of weddings come a lot of ideas about marriage. Unfortunately, most are getting more wrong than they are right - which is very disheartening from a believer’s point of view. It seems that there are three mistakes that are repeated over and over. I hope that this might serve to elevate your view of marriage if nothing else!
First, most couples are basing their marriage on love. Before you cast me out as a heretic of all things romantic, let me explain! Love is hardly even definable these days. Love is a “junk draw” term. You know, the kitchen junk draw that is the catch-all for inkless pens, random screws, the 80’s broken cassette tape, a dated phone book and any other useless thing that is only needed the day AFTER you throw it away! You get my drift! I love Mexican and I love my husband, but, I don’t love Kraig in the same way I love Mexican (some days it is close - notice I didn’t use shoes as the analogy, HA!). The reality is, we love everything that makes us feel good for the moment but if that person or thing ceases to make us feel good we are out! Why? Because marriage is based on the feeling of love not a covenant promise or a deliberate choice. Why? Because we don’t understand the covenant of marriage.
“Marriage is not something to be entered into lightly.” If you have attended many wedding ceremonies you may have heard the officiant make this statement. The world would say, “marriage is not to be entered into lightly because you might make the wrong choice and beg to be released.” The truth: I can promise no matter how wonderful things are there will be days when you want to be released - and he will too! But the real reason marriage is not to be entered into lightly is that it is a reflection of the relationship between Christ and the church. You have a noble challenge to uphold the glorious relationship of Jesus and His bride, the church. So, marriage is not really about love as a feeling; it is more about love as a commitment to the Lord first. Mainly because your spouse is not going to be able to be a sustaining source for your joy.
Which is precisely point number two. Your spouse will not be a sustaining source of pleasure, joy, passion, happiness and all things fulfilling in your life. I fall short on a regular basis of being to Kraig and for Kraig all that he needs. I am simply not made to sustain him or even be a foundation for his joy. (I am mostly a source of sanctification more than anything but we’ll make that another conversation entirely - when he starts writing!) My point is that when we make our spouses into a type of Messiah then we set them and ourselves up for failure. There is no person created for you to complete you. Until we know the lover of our souls in the person of Jesus Christ we will continue to put unreasonable expectations on those that we date and marry. Although this may not end in divorce, it can make for a very unhappy home and many doubts of having “chosen the wrong one.”
Lastly, we don’t wait in expectation for the consummation, literally and figuratively. This seems like a literal statement about abstinence and it is, but I want to address the figurative side for now. Consummation is the culmination or completion of something. In the Jewish culture once a man was betrothed to a woman he went away to prepare a place for them to live. Traditionally, he was building onto his parent’s home and once his task was complete he would come to receive his bride and consummate their relationship through marriage but the couple typically remained separated until that time. Keep in mind that this was way before the times of cell service, home phones, pony express or even the telegraph so there wasn’t any notice for the bride. Her role was to watch, wait and prepare from the day he left until he returned, not knowing when he would return. Hopefully sooner rather than later she would look up and see a caravan coming from far off. As they approached, she would hear shouts of “the bridegroom is coming, the bridegroom is coming” at which point she would quickly veil and ready herself for a glorious wedding celebration that would last for days! Now, you want to talk about romantic? I am smitten!
The bride never takes her eyes off of the horizon. She never looks for another bridegroom and she waits...patiently with joy and expectation. We are the eternal bride of Christ but we rarely live life in faithful, patient expectation, awaiting the arrival of our bridegroom. He has indeed gone to “prepare a place for us” and will return at a time that no one, not even the Son is knows. How would our lives and our marriages be different if we were busy about readying ourselves for the return of our Savior? Suddenly, all of the misconstrued feelings, emotional letdowns and unmet expectations pale in comparison to the eternal weight of glory that will be our future!
Marriage is wonderful, marriage is hard and marriage is glorious not because of the two people that make the union but because of the God who joins the two together. The mystery of what occurs in a wedding ceremony is not based on man but based on God, the author and designer of the marriage covenant. “What God has joined together, let no man separate” (Mark 10:9) Congratulations to all of our couples and may the God of our Lord Jesus Christ richly bless you as you seek to reflect His glory as husband and wife!
I think I mentioned at one point, several posts ago, that we have a lot of couples getting married from our church this summer. Love is in the air! Likewise, we have just finished a marriage study at our church by John Piper entitled “This Momentary Marriage”. (As a side note, this is my very enthusiastic endorsement for this series which is a 9 part podcast downloaded for free at desiringgod.org or you can purchase the book by the same title. If you want to understand the true meaning of marriage along with the highly esteemed roles of husband and wife, run to get this book!!! Excellent, must read, etc;.) Having been a wedding and event planner for nearly six years now I have seen A LOT of weddings. And with A LOT of weddings come a lot of ideas about marriage. Unfortunately, most are getting more wrong than they are right - which is very disheartening from a believer’s point of view. It seems that there are three mistakes that are repeated over and over. I hope that this might serve to elevate your view of marriage if nothing else!
First, most couples are basing their marriage on love. Before you cast me out as a heretic of all things romantic, let me explain! Love is hardly even definable these days. Love is a “junk draw” term. You know, the kitchen junk draw that is the catch-all for inkless pens, random screws, the 80’s broken cassette tape, a dated phone book and any other useless thing that is only needed the day AFTER you throw it away! You get my drift! I love Mexican and I love my husband, but, I don’t love Kraig in the same way I love Mexican (some days it is close - notice I didn’t use shoes as the analogy, HA!). The reality is, we love everything that makes us feel good for the moment but if that person or thing ceases to make us feel good we are out! Why? Because marriage is based on the feeling of love not a covenant promise or a deliberate choice. Why? Because we don’t understand the covenant of marriage.
“Marriage is not something to be entered into lightly.” If you have attended many wedding ceremonies you may have heard the officiant make this statement. The world would say, “marriage is not to be entered into lightly because you might make the wrong choice and beg to be released.” The truth: I can promise no matter how wonderful things are there will be days when you want to be released - and he will too! But the real reason marriage is not to be entered into lightly is that it is a reflection of the relationship between Christ and the church. You have a noble challenge to uphold the glorious relationship of Jesus and His bride, the church. So, marriage is not really about love as a feeling; it is more about love as a commitment to the Lord first. Mainly because your spouse is not going to be able to be a sustaining source for your joy.
Which is precisely point number two. Your spouse will not be a sustaining source of pleasure, joy, passion, happiness and all things fulfilling in your life. I fall short on a regular basis of being to Kraig and for Kraig all that he needs. I am simply not made to sustain him or even be a foundation for his joy. (I am mostly a source of sanctification more than anything but we’ll make that another conversation entirely - when he starts writing!) My point is that when we make our spouses into a type of Messiah then we set them and ourselves up for failure. There is no person created for you to complete you. Until we know the lover of our souls in the person of Jesus Christ we will continue to put unreasonable expectations on those that we date and marry. Although this may not end in divorce, it can make for a very unhappy home and many doubts of having “chosen the wrong one.”
Lastly, we don’t wait in expectation for the consummation, literally and figuratively. This seems like a literal statement about abstinence and it is, but I want to address the figurative side for now. Consummation is the culmination or completion of something. In the Jewish culture once a man was betrothed to a woman he went away to prepare a place for them to live. Traditionally, he was building onto his parent’s home and once his task was complete he would come to receive his bride and consummate their relationship through marriage but the couple typically remained separated until that time. Keep in mind that this was way before the times of cell service, home phones, pony express or even the telegraph so there wasn’t any notice for the bride. Her role was to watch, wait and prepare from the day he left until he returned, not knowing when he would return. Hopefully sooner rather than later she would look up and see a caravan coming from far off. As they approached, she would hear shouts of “the bridegroom is coming, the bridegroom is coming” at which point she would quickly veil and ready herself for a glorious wedding celebration that would last for days! Now, you want to talk about romantic? I am smitten!
The bride never takes her eyes off of the horizon. She never looks for another bridegroom and she waits...patiently with joy and expectation. We are the eternal bride of Christ but we rarely live life in faithful, patient expectation, awaiting the arrival of our bridegroom. He has indeed gone to “prepare a place for us” and will return at a time that no one, not even the Son is knows. How would our lives and our marriages be different if we were busy about readying ourselves for the return of our Savior? Suddenly, all of the misconstrued feelings, emotional letdowns and unmet expectations pale in comparison to the eternal weight of glory that will be our future!
Marriage is wonderful, marriage is hard and marriage is glorious not because of the two people that make the union but because of the God who joins the two together. The mystery of what occurs in a wedding ceremony is not based on man but based on God, the author and designer of the marriage covenant. “What God has joined together, let no man separate” (Mark 10:9) Congratulations to all of our couples and may the God of our Lord Jesus Christ richly bless you as you seek to reflect His glory as husband and wife!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
The stronghold of yesterday, the dissatisfaction of today and the idolatry of tomorrow. Three mindsets that the enemy uses to keep us bound. The Israelites have always been a fascinating sociology study for me because they truly are a picture of exactly how mankind thinks and acts. The Israelites were bound by memories of yesterday, a total dissatisfaction in today and an idolatrous hope for tomorrow. I’m quick to look at them and judge harshly. “What’s wrong with these people? God has just delivered them from slavery, made them extremely wealthy in the process and is guiding them through the wilderness to a land He has promised them and yet they are still questioning His goodness! Hello??” Then, that plank in my eye starts to make it very hard to look at them any longer and I have to focus on myself. I am startled - this is me!
The stronghold of yesterday.
At one point in the wilderness when the Lord had already told the Israelites where they were going, provided manna for them and been their pillar of guidance they decided that they didn’t have it so bad in Egypt. At first glance it would seem as we read that the concept of slavery being better than freedom is absurd! However, it doesn’t take much for us to forget the negative details of a situation. Take for instance, childbirth. The pain is pretty intense and most women would say that it rivals any other pain they have ever experienced. Ask that same women two or three years later and it might not have been so bad. Twenty years later, no big deal. Why? Because they survived and because the beauty of time is that it makes our memories less and less clear. I’m truly convinced this is why women have more than one child to begin with although there are women who just love childbirth...you have my respect!
Isn’t this just a picture of us? We look at yesterday and long for things to be the way they used to be? It doesn’t take much for us to reminisce of days gone by, happier times of “remember when”. Then, before we know it, we are trying to recreate yesterday, today. We are held captive by yesterday, even when yesterday we were in slavery. But God has said in Isaiah 43:18-19,"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a NEW thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” God is all about doing something new in our lives. Not just new but different for the purpose of His glory. God is never satisfied with standing still. Sanctification is a progression of being set apart. Our spiritual growth is just that: growth, a walk, a race, endurance. We have to let go of the yesterday and move on to what God calls us to today.
Dissatisfaction in today.
This is the hinge that causes us to swing back into yesterday or forward into tomorrow. Today. Sometimes, like if we are on vacation, we are content in today. Sometimes, like when we are sick, we are not content in today. When things FEEL right for us, we are in. But when things don’t FEEL right for us, then we are ready to move on. We are addicted to good feelings. I’m guilty. I don’t run yippy-skippy into a hard day. There are days when I look forward to the sun going down just so I can get in the bed and start over tomorrow. The problem is I waste a lot of todays searching for perfection and being overwhelmed with tasks. Then, I get distracted.
Can anyone relate? Distracted with all I have to do, distracted with what I don’t have time to do, what I didn’t get done yesterday and what has to be done tomorrow. Distracted with problems that might happen or have already happened, distracted with technology, distracted with other people, just distracted! Distraction causes us to lose focus and when we lose focus we lose effectiveness. Do you see it? Do you see how Satan uses feelings and distractions to keep us tied up for today? Instead, God means for us to be busy about what He has given us to do, today. Think of all of the people in scripture whose lives were impacted because they were busy about the task at hand. Abraham. Moses. David. The shepherds. These men saw the glory of God not because they were looking back into yesterday or daydreaming about tomorrow. They were focused on today. So many times in scripture there is a call for us to do what we are going to do, now! Jesus said, “Repent [today]! For the kingdom of God is at hand” (Matt. 3:2). It says in Hebrews 3:7-8, “Today, if you hear my voice do not harden your hearts.” Today, today, today. Whatever the Lord has urged you to do in His word, don’t wait, do it today!
The idolatry of tomorrow.
This is such a big one for me. I’m a typical girl, I like to dream about things. I like to make plans and have goals. I don’t work well unless I am working toward something. The problem is I am usually working toward something that is of earthly value instead of eternal value. The weekend, vacations, the holidays, special events, shopping etc; I find this to be true for many women that I know. We have set our focus on one thing and we are fixated on this coming to fruition in our lives. For some it might be a relationship, for others it might be marriage or children, healing or a job. It has been all of these for me at one point or another in my life. I develop the mindset of “the sun will come out tomorrow!” When I get this job, when I finally get married, when I am over this illness THEN I can get on with what the Lord has for me. Do you know what that is? Idolatry. Satan loves to take these “good” things and replace God with them in our lives. We are placing our hope in the thing and not the Lord. We are waiting on the thing and not the Lord. We are looking for something to fill us that was never meant to and now we are beginning to worship that one thing as the answer to all of our problems. I love how Isaiah 44:20 says it, “She feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has led her astray; she cannot save herself or say ‘is not this thing in my right hand a lie?’”
Do you see that? We are eating ashes and holding onto a lie when we idolize tomorrow. God means for us to feast on the banquet of Jesus today and hold fast to His word today! There is always going to be something lacking in our lives. If there was not a lack then we would not need the Lord. You see, if God gives us health, wealth, many well-behaved children, and a wonderful marriage but doesn’t give us Himself then He isn’t good! The question is would we be satisfied with all of those things without Him? So, my encouragement for you is this: give yesterday to the Lord, He is there. Give tomorrow to the Lord, He is there too. Then, focus on the word of the Lord and consecrate yourselves for today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord!
The stronghold of yesterday.
At one point in the wilderness when the Lord had already told the Israelites where they were going, provided manna for them and been their pillar of guidance they decided that they didn’t have it so bad in Egypt. At first glance it would seem as we read that the concept of slavery being better than freedom is absurd! However, it doesn’t take much for us to forget the negative details of a situation. Take for instance, childbirth. The pain is pretty intense and most women would say that it rivals any other pain they have ever experienced. Ask that same women two or three years later and it might not have been so bad. Twenty years later, no big deal. Why? Because they survived and because the beauty of time is that it makes our memories less and less clear. I’m truly convinced this is why women have more than one child to begin with although there are women who just love childbirth...you have my respect!
Isn’t this just a picture of us? We look at yesterday and long for things to be the way they used to be? It doesn’t take much for us to reminisce of days gone by, happier times of “remember when”. Then, before we know it, we are trying to recreate yesterday, today. We are held captive by yesterday, even when yesterday we were in slavery. But God has said in Isaiah 43:18-19,"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a NEW thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” God is all about doing something new in our lives. Not just new but different for the purpose of His glory. God is never satisfied with standing still. Sanctification is a progression of being set apart. Our spiritual growth is just that: growth, a walk, a race, endurance. We have to let go of the yesterday and move on to what God calls us to today.
Dissatisfaction in today.
This is the hinge that causes us to swing back into yesterday or forward into tomorrow. Today. Sometimes, like if we are on vacation, we are content in today. Sometimes, like when we are sick, we are not content in today. When things FEEL right for us, we are in. But when things don’t FEEL right for us, then we are ready to move on. We are addicted to good feelings. I’m guilty. I don’t run yippy-skippy into a hard day. There are days when I look forward to the sun going down just so I can get in the bed and start over tomorrow. The problem is I waste a lot of todays searching for perfection and being overwhelmed with tasks. Then, I get distracted.
Can anyone relate? Distracted with all I have to do, distracted with what I don’t have time to do, what I didn’t get done yesterday and what has to be done tomorrow. Distracted with problems that might happen or have already happened, distracted with technology, distracted with other people, just distracted! Distraction causes us to lose focus and when we lose focus we lose effectiveness. Do you see it? Do you see how Satan uses feelings and distractions to keep us tied up for today? Instead, God means for us to be busy about what He has given us to do, today. Think of all of the people in scripture whose lives were impacted because they were busy about the task at hand. Abraham. Moses. David. The shepherds. These men saw the glory of God not because they were looking back into yesterday or daydreaming about tomorrow. They were focused on today. So many times in scripture there is a call for us to do what we are going to do, now! Jesus said, “Repent [today]! For the kingdom of God is at hand” (Matt. 3:2). It says in Hebrews 3:7-8, “Today, if you hear my voice do not harden your hearts.” Today, today, today. Whatever the Lord has urged you to do in His word, don’t wait, do it today!
The idolatry of tomorrow.
This is such a big one for me. I’m a typical girl, I like to dream about things. I like to make plans and have goals. I don’t work well unless I am working toward something. The problem is I am usually working toward something that is of earthly value instead of eternal value. The weekend, vacations, the holidays, special events, shopping etc; I find this to be true for many women that I know. We have set our focus on one thing and we are fixated on this coming to fruition in our lives. For some it might be a relationship, for others it might be marriage or children, healing or a job. It has been all of these for me at one point or another in my life. I develop the mindset of “the sun will come out tomorrow!” When I get this job, when I finally get married, when I am over this illness THEN I can get on with what the Lord has for me. Do you know what that is? Idolatry. Satan loves to take these “good” things and replace God with them in our lives. We are placing our hope in the thing and not the Lord. We are waiting on the thing and not the Lord. We are looking for something to fill us that was never meant to and now we are beginning to worship that one thing as the answer to all of our problems. I love how Isaiah 44:20 says it, “She feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has led her astray; she cannot save herself or say ‘is not this thing in my right hand a lie?’”
Do you see that? We are eating ashes and holding onto a lie when we idolize tomorrow. God means for us to feast on the banquet of Jesus today and hold fast to His word today! There is always going to be something lacking in our lives. If there was not a lack then we would not need the Lord. You see, if God gives us health, wealth, many well-behaved children, and a wonderful marriage but doesn’t give us Himself then He isn’t good! The question is would we be satisfied with all of those things without Him? So, my encouragement for you is this: give yesterday to the Lord, He is there. Give tomorrow to the Lord, He is there too. Then, focus on the word of the Lord and consecrate yourselves for today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
The Breath of the Lion
“Count it all joy my [sisters] when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. And let patience have its perfect work that you may be complete lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4). Kraig and I have been in a season of trial for the last few months. The trials have been varied and Satan has pulled out all the stops to try and discourage us. After a while you just get weary from all of the attacks. In these times it is easy to allow defeat to lead to despair. Our only hope in tribulation is to go to the truth of God’s word and allow our minds to be bathed in a biblical perspective of trials.
First, our God is so good that He is diligent to tell us time and again that we will have trials and tribulations as His children in this world (John 15:18-19; John 16:33; 1 Pet. 1:6-7; 4:12-14). God has not left us to wonder when we endured hardships and He even goes a step further to encourage us through His word to persevere in faithfulness during these times. He is quick to let us know we are in a fight but He doesn’t leave us there...
Secondly, God gives us armor to protect ourselves and a weapon for defense. Ephesians 6:10-18 instructs us on how to gird our bodies from head to toe! There isn’t a part of us left uncovered; scripture even describes this as the FULL or WHOLE armor of God. The great and mighty Warrior that we serve doesn’t give us partial armor. He doesn’t send us into battle haphazardly. He makes sure that we are protected from the deliberately styled hairs on our head (thank goodness for that) to the pink polish on our toenails! Then, He places a weapon in our hand so that we can do some damage! The sword of God’s word is a dagger by which we can inflict wounds against the schemes of the devil!
Thirdly, God has given us knowledge of our enemy. In times of battle there are soldiers whose specific task is to find out all they can about the enemy. Why? Because the more they know the better chance they have at protecting themselves against surprise attacks and the better chance they have at defeating that enemy. On the heels of the death of Osama Bin Laden we are bombarded with detailed information about how our military worked tirelessly to know him, know the people he surrounded himself with and eventually to know his whereabouts.
Girls, know your enemy but know him through the truth of God’s word! Scripture tells us in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be WATCHFUL! Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.” Then, the Lord instructs us how to handle these attacks in the very next verse, “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your [sisterhood] throughout the world.” Do you see that? You are not alone! One of Satan’s greatest deceptions is making us believe that we are isolated in our trials. When he tempted Jesus in the desert, Jesus was isolated. Satan loves nothing more than to draw us out from a fellowship of other believers where we can receive encouragement and support, to a place of lonely isolation.
Fourthly, God has provided a rich support system for us in trials through the body of Christ. There are few times when it is more important for us to look for strength from the family of God (aka church!) then in times of trial. Jesus is the head of the church and more than half of the New Testament was written to churches or about them for a reason! God’s will for us is to join with a local body of believers that we may find comfort, encouragement, refuge and a place to sharpen our swords. Soldiers always have times of rest in between shifts where they can be renewed before the next patrol. We are no different. We need time to refuel, refocus and refresh. One hour a week on Sunday is not going to be enough for you or me to make it through an entire week of combat! We need to be in the word daily and involved in church (ie; Sunday School, small group, bible study, Sunday night, Wednesday night etc;) as often as we possibly can!
Lastly, He provides us with a Commander, a war hero, if you will. This One who leads us has already gone before us in battle. He has already been “tempted in all things as we are” but He has come out victorious, “yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). I don’t know about you but if I’m headed into war then I want the most trained, successful guy out there leading me! I want him decorated from head to toe to the point where he has the license plate to show for it! Jesus, our Warrior King, has not only fought the battle but He has already won it! All we have to do is stand and watch the enemy fall! At the end of the ages, when He comes in all His resplendent glory we will only be spectators as He defeats the real “public enemy #1” once and for all! Watch as the final battle scene unfolds:
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and He has a name written that no one knows but Himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which He is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended.” Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-3
Wow! We win! What security to know the outcome before we even begin! As the last few days have unfolded for Kraig and I, there have been some low points when we have struggled to remain steadfast and joyful. There were even times when we felt like the ridiculous would border on sublime as the next wave came our way. In a still quiet moment the Holy Spirit brought the prophet Daniel to mind. Daniel was busy about serving the Lord and doing his thing. He wasn’t looking for trouble but he was most certainly doing all to the glory of the Lord which means he got Satan’s attention! Because of His faithfulness and unswerving commitment to the one true God, he faced real lions. Imagine it. Hemmed in, constrained in a dark, isolated den of hungry lions, seeking whom they may devour. The low deep rumbles, the hot breath from their nostrils...It says in Daniel 6:23 that “Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him.” What a display of the glory of our God! And Daniel’s life was full of these experiences! Great faith faces great trial which results in great glory. I’ll say that again, great faith faces great trial which results in great glory! Girls, when we are on the front lines and busy about the Lord’s work we may feel the hot breath of the lion on our faces but praise God, we will emerge from the den unharmed as we see the glory of God revealed up close and personal! Now that’s a front row seat you won’t ever forget!
First, our God is so good that He is diligent to tell us time and again that we will have trials and tribulations as His children in this world (John 15:18-19; John 16:33; 1 Pet. 1:6-7; 4:12-14). God has not left us to wonder when we endured hardships and He even goes a step further to encourage us through His word to persevere in faithfulness during these times. He is quick to let us know we are in a fight but He doesn’t leave us there...
Secondly, God gives us armor to protect ourselves and a weapon for defense. Ephesians 6:10-18 instructs us on how to gird our bodies from head to toe! There isn’t a part of us left uncovered; scripture even describes this as the FULL or WHOLE armor of God. The great and mighty Warrior that we serve doesn’t give us partial armor. He doesn’t send us into battle haphazardly. He makes sure that we are protected from the deliberately styled hairs on our head (thank goodness for that) to the pink polish on our toenails! Then, He places a weapon in our hand so that we can do some damage! The sword of God’s word is a dagger by which we can inflict wounds against the schemes of the devil!
Thirdly, God has given us knowledge of our enemy. In times of battle there are soldiers whose specific task is to find out all they can about the enemy. Why? Because the more they know the better chance they have at protecting themselves against surprise attacks and the better chance they have at defeating that enemy. On the heels of the death of Osama Bin Laden we are bombarded with detailed information about how our military worked tirelessly to know him, know the people he surrounded himself with and eventually to know his whereabouts.
Girls, know your enemy but know him through the truth of God’s word! Scripture tells us in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be WATCHFUL! Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.” Then, the Lord instructs us how to handle these attacks in the very next verse, “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your [sisterhood] throughout the world.” Do you see that? You are not alone! One of Satan’s greatest deceptions is making us believe that we are isolated in our trials. When he tempted Jesus in the desert, Jesus was isolated. Satan loves nothing more than to draw us out from a fellowship of other believers where we can receive encouragement and support, to a place of lonely isolation.
Fourthly, God has provided a rich support system for us in trials through the body of Christ. There are few times when it is more important for us to look for strength from the family of God (aka church!) then in times of trial. Jesus is the head of the church and more than half of the New Testament was written to churches or about them for a reason! God’s will for us is to join with a local body of believers that we may find comfort, encouragement, refuge and a place to sharpen our swords. Soldiers always have times of rest in between shifts where they can be renewed before the next patrol. We are no different. We need time to refuel, refocus and refresh. One hour a week on Sunday is not going to be enough for you or me to make it through an entire week of combat! We need to be in the word daily and involved in church (ie; Sunday School, small group, bible study, Sunday night, Wednesday night etc;) as often as we possibly can!
Lastly, He provides us with a Commander, a war hero, if you will. This One who leads us has already gone before us in battle. He has already been “tempted in all things as we are” but He has come out victorious, “yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). I don’t know about you but if I’m headed into war then I want the most trained, successful guy out there leading me! I want him decorated from head to toe to the point where he has the license plate to show for it! Jesus, our Warrior King, has not only fought the battle but He has already won it! All we have to do is stand and watch the enemy fall! At the end of the ages, when He comes in all His resplendent glory we will only be spectators as He defeats the real “public enemy #1” once and for all! Watch as the final battle scene unfolds:
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and He has a name written that no one knows but Himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which He is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended.” Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-3
Wow! We win! What security to know the outcome before we even begin! As the last few days have unfolded for Kraig and I, there have been some low points when we have struggled to remain steadfast and joyful. There were even times when we felt like the ridiculous would border on sublime as the next wave came our way. In a still quiet moment the Holy Spirit brought the prophet Daniel to mind. Daniel was busy about serving the Lord and doing his thing. He wasn’t looking for trouble but he was most certainly doing all to the glory of the Lord which means he got Satan’s attention! Because of His faithfulness and unswerving commitment to the one true God, he faced real lions. Imagine it. Hemmed in, constrained in a dark, isolated den of hungry lions, seeking whom they may devour. The low deep rumbles, the hot breath from their nostrils...It says in Daniel 6:23 that “Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him.” What a display of the glory of our God! And Daniel’s life was full of these experiences! Great faith faces great trial which results in great glory. I’ll say that again, great faith faces great trial which results in great glory! Girls, when we are on the front lines and busy about the Lord’s work we may feel the hot breath of the lion on our faces but praise God, we will emerge from the den unharmed as we see the glory of God revealed up close and personal! Now that’s a front row seat you won’t ever forget!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Help Me!!
I’ve been thinking recently about writing a bible study but I have several ideas and can’t seem to settle on one. I realize this doesn’t surprise most of you. I think as women because we are able to multi-task then we are naturally inclined to multiple things instead of one thing. In other words, it is hard for us to make a decision. I’d rather you not give me a choice. Take for instance the Hallmark store. This would be my kryptonite. If you want to totally paralyze me for several hours, this is the place to send me. Then, if you want to keep me captive for the rest of the week just tell me that I have to narrow it down to one card! I literally break out into a nervous sweat trying to choose a card that says exactly what I want it to say, in the way that I would say it, with the right amount of humor balanced with a subtle seriousness, in five lines or less for $2.99. (I could be way off on the price since I haven’t physically visited a Hallmark store in years.) Even after it is all said and done I will second guess my choice 105 times before the card ever makes it to the recipient. (I realize I may be alone in my insidiousness and if so, keep calm and carry on to the third paragraph.)
I just thank God for the provision of the “return”. If it weren’t for that I would be surrounded by a wealth of “buyers remorse” purchases. This is the exact reason why I can’t do these bargain basement, all or nothing, fight off the fanatics sales. Not only is there no time to ponder the choice but I end up grabbing something I already have two of in order to make sure that I get the deal! I am a marketers dream! BUT! I am wise to my own weaknesses and therefore, I am not a BOGO queen or a black Friday diva and if you have ever gotten a present from me it probably didn’t contain a card...now you know why!
Now, after all-that-you-never-wanted-to-know-and-weren’t-wanting-to-ask, I come to this question: Help me blog readers! I need to know what you struggle with most in your walk with the Lord and in your lives as Christian women. You don’t have to go into any detail just make the explanation plain enough for me to decipher! You can comment here, send me a message on FB or feel free to email me at scmcbride@msn.com. I will keep my ideas secret for now and see if the Lord solidifies anything with your answers. Thanks girlies! I look forward to hearing from you!
P.S. Maybe I should write about how to make a decision...what do you think?
I just thank God for the provision of the “return”. If it weren’t for that I would be surrounded by a wealth of “buyers remorse” purchases. This is the exact reason why I can’t do these bargain basement, all or nothing, fight off the fanatics sales. Not only is there no time to ponder the choice but I end up grabbing something I already have two of in order to make sure that I get the deal! I am a marketers dream! BUT! I am wise to my own weaknesses and therefore, I am not a BOGO queen or a black Friday diva and if you have ever gotten a present from me it probably didn’t contain a card...now you know why!
Now, after all-that-you-never-wanted-to-know-and-weren’t-wanting-to-ask, I come to this question: Help me blog readers! I need to know what you struggle with most in your walk with the Lord and in your lives as Christian women. You don’t have to go into any detail just make the explanation plain enough for me to decipher! You can comment here, send me a message on FB or feel free to email me at scmcbride@msn.com. I will keep my ideas secret for now and see if the Lord solidifies anything with your answers. Thanks girlies! I look forward to hearing from you!
P.S. Maybe I should write about how to make a decision...what do you think?
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