i will give you the rain

Modesty Defined

2012-03-07T21:40:00.012-08:00

Our dress is definitely an important topic and should be considered serious enough to take it before the Lord. It is obvious that the Church body universally has wrestled with this topic and we can see some pretty amazing extremes—the Amish for example—creating rules as to even the color and cut of a woman’s garment. There are a many standards (sometimes conflicting) that have arisen through recent years and been touted as biblical. Some people quietly hold them to themselves, while others boldly proclaim that all Christians should dress a certain way—defining modesty to be a length of skirt or length of sleeve or closed toe shoes, etc. It is obvious that in these cases the danger doesn’t lie in being immodest…if you are fully covered in a loosely fitted garment you are definitely in the safe zone there. The danger lies elsewhere. Personal standards, preferences, and convictions are one thing. Using the word “biblical” to give credence to certain standards is another.

So, what DO we wear? Do the Scriptures give us a pattern as to color, cut, or style? While the Bible doesn’t give us specifics (“Thou shalt only wear a dress—that covers your calves—with sleeves to your wrists!” ), He did give us enough instruction on the topic required of a Godly woman to teach us how to “adorn [ourselves] in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety…(which becometh women professing godliness) with good works” (1 Timothy 2:9-10).

It is important to start on the inside. Clothe your heart with modesty—first and foremost with the “garments of salvation…a robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10) and then with a “meek and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:4). Once you give the Lord full inspection of the wardrobe within…you will begin to want Him to take inspection of the closet in your room as well.

God made you a woman! And He wants you to both dress and act as a woman! (Deuteronomy 22:5) He loves femininity. This may require a makeover both inside and out!

I believe the Lord did not give us specific information on dress in His word on purpose. He isn’t against creativity or style. Those were actually His ideas. As the Creator of all things, He loves us to be creative ourselves. He made us all unique, with unique tastes. What one person thinks is pretty, someone else would never put on. What one person thinks is stylish, someone else would not be caught dead in. God gave us personal style on purpose…He wants us to enjoy it!

But God does tell us in His Word that He hates worldliness—He hates sin. And here is where the rubber meets the road. This takes what we wear or don’t wear to a different level. It is not just a rule—it is a decision. Once a decision is made, it must be managed for the rest of our life. We must look at “what is modest or not modest” with that perspective. There ARE certain types of garments that might cause us to sin, or worse, cause another to be tempted with all sorts of wrong thoughts. God wants us modest in order to take away our shame.

Remember that in the Garden of Eden, both the man and his wife were naked and they were not ashamed. There was no need to cover up their bodies. Sin had not entered into the world, and therefore, neither had shame. But we are told that as soon as Adam and Eve took the fruit and ate it (disobeying God’s one command), their eyes were opened, “and they knew that they were naked” (Genesis 3:7). Not only did they now have the knowledge of evil, they tried to cover it up by sewing fig leaves together and hiding when God came to call. Yet God, who knows everything, took the time to ask a most important question to the guilty party, “Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? (Genesis 3:11). And, as you know, the Blame Game commenced…and everybody lost!

“Who told you?” What a question! God wanted Adam and Eve to take His question personally and own the reason for their shame. There were immense consequences for their behavior—He put a curse on the entire earth and all that dwells therein…and then He banned them from the Garden. He did not want His special creation, and all their descendants, to know this shame forever. As believers, we rejoice in the fact that God gave a promise of redemption that day and graciously kept that promise through the Lord Jesus Christ.

I know that Genesis chapter 3 is all about the doctrine of “The Fall” and is not a lecture on “Modesty”—but I want us to look at it from that perspective for just a few minutes. Modesty is a serious issue, for it involves our shame!

Modesty is covering our nakedness.

Nakedness is shame—and shame is a result of sin!

Note that God did not allow Adam and Eve to live like they always had—fig leaves or no fig leaves. We are told in Genesis 3:21 that before Adam and Eve were forced out of the garden, God took an animal and killed it (the first death) in order to “make coats of skins, and [He] clothed them.”

It is interesting that the word for “coat” in this passage—Kethoneth—is a tunic, "generally with sleeves coming down to the knees, rarely to the ankles."

In desiring to cover man’s naked shame, God did not put them in a tent, but He also did not leave them attired in scanty leaves. We are told He made them coats. And I believe we can, from the rendering of the word, be safe to say it covered their shoulders, their torso, their hips, and their thighs.

This is how God first defined modesty, as well as His mercy, in the shedding of innocent blood. And I believe it would be good to heed it

This gives women a better idea of what we should cover in order to be modest—at the very least. This, on the other hand, does not give any specific idea of what that covering should look like. Here is where we really must use discretion, the knowledge of what the female body does to a man’s mind, and much prayer. What God says is okay for you, may not be okay for another…vice verca!

As Christian women, we must take all things to God for His approval. All things! Ask the Lord to teach you what is modest and what is not. Make modesty a matter of prayer. If your desire is to dress in a way that pleases your Heavenly Father, He will show you what is appropriate. He will do this in several ways:

1. Through your own spirit. Don’t ever forget that the Lord gave us a conscious and He never wants us to allow it to grow cold. We must allow His Spirit to communicate truth to ours…allow it to shadow every motive. And remain as sensitive as you can. If in doubt, don’t!

2. By asking men in your family to help you out. Remember that, as a woman you were designed to attract. And you do. Because of this fact, you must be very aware of how our clothes (their fit or lack of material) affect the minds of men. Don’t be embarrassed to ask your dad or a brother to look at some outfits you might think are in question. Give them permission to pull you aside if you ever wear something that appears too provocative. (Note: Girls, please keep this strictly to your dad or brother or husband—taking this issue outside your family would be both silly and indiscreet). As Christian women, we need to be attentive to this issue and help our brothers in Christ remain victorious in the ever-present battle they fight daily in their minds.

3. Be open to the counsel of Godly women. This is vital in the life of every girl who strives to be like Christ. It may first be your mother…but will then include other women who you look to with respect. These women will speak directly and indirectly to the issue of dress…and you would be wise to glean from their words and example. Sit under their teaching, ask them specific questions, and allow them to lift specific requests up to the Lord on your behalf.

Stay in the Castle—a lesson on a woman's true value and her beautiful dwelling place

2011-11-16T10:26:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest desires of a woman is to be wanted, needed, loved…

And because of this God-given desire…

One of the biggest fears of a woman is to be rejected.

And because of this fear…it is often a girl’s thinking to conclude: since there isn’t a guy who seems to be interested in me at this time, or since the guy I like chooses to go out with someone else, or since my boyfriend broke up with me and is now dating a prettier girl, or since I am single...then, I am not loved—which sadly translates into a girl’s mind that “I have no value!” This is a wrong and dangerous conclusion—one very easily drawn, I’m a girl, I know, but dangerous all the same.

When we base our value on what the opposite sex thinks of us, we open ourselves up to a world of hurt. We behave according to what we feel we are worth. And we sadly allow others to dictate just exactly how much that is. But God bases our value on something far different then what movies, books, magazines, or advertisements tell us. The world wants us to buy their products…that is all they care about.

The world is not concerned about your self-esteem, your weight loss, your hair style, or your beautiful face…the world doesn’t care about how your clothes fit or who sees you in them! The world only wants your money. And the world knows that if they can make you feel bad enough about how you feel, you will take their advice and buy what they are selling.

Your value is not based on what your friends think. And your value is definitely not based even on what you think of yourself! This is where you can really get in trouble. You are fickle, admit it! I am fickle! And your feelings about your appearance changes quite frequently! You feel pretty good about how you look until you spot a more elegant and sophisticated lady, a picture on pinterest or actress on a movie, a hairstlye that puts your locks to shame, or a glimpse of yourself in a dressing room mirror...and down you go. You are not pretty enough! It efffects your attitude for the day. It effects the way you treat others. It makes you spend more money. It often will dictate wrong decisions. That is what wrong conclusions do!

Your value is based solely upon Someone else’s opinion of you—and this Someone is not fickle! He says that He will never change!

So…what am I worth?

God, your Creator and Redeemer, cares very deeply about you. He intimately cares for you and He tells you in scripture just how large your price tag really is. In fact, He declares that your worth cannot even be put down in digits…it is far more than any number sign could brag! In fact, what exactly does He say?

“Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies” (Proverbs 31:10).

Does that make you feel special? It should…and here’s why!

Rubies are measured in carats. The average commercial grade ruby will cost $300 per carat. This, however, can go up dramatically depending on the stones color, clarity, and overall cut. If the stones have been heat treated or enhanced by an artist they become very pricey and jump to the thousands of dollars per carat category. In a random Google search I found a ruby gem selling at $3,895 per carat.

That is a lot of money. But God tells you that you are worth more than that. The word more does not have a limit—it just means greater…and greater…and greater. Isn’t that amazing? God is telling you that He values you limitlessly! According to Proverbs 31, if you are choosing to live a clean life, with an excellent spirit, your value increases without one penalty. You only become more valuable! In fact, let’s take a look at a couple verses that prove how much God treasures this kind of woman.

“How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with Thee” (Psalm 139:17-18).

“Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name” (Malachi 3:16).

God thinks about us all the time and when He discovers that we are also thinking about Him (and talking about Him) He writes it down in a journal He keeps about us. Did you know God kept a diary on you? Well, He does. He is very aware of your thoughts and words toward and about Him. He holds you that dear. (Think about the things you record in your diary—the special events, the way someone made you feel, the exciting parts of life!) With this knowledge, we should take precautions and consider how we take care of ourselves: we are to never cheapen our value, or allow others to cheapen it by handling us in a way that does not protect or treasure our true worth.

A precious gem is to be cherished. You are cherished by the Lord and until a man comes along who will cherish you in that same way, a short term relationship (no matter how wonderful it seems) is not worth it! Take the time during your single years to experience what it is like to be treasured by the Lord—in doing so you will begin to understand just exactly what you are looking for in a romantic relationship and you will become the woman that the incredible, godly, manly man of valor you are waiting for desires to marry. Don’t forget about him!!! He does exist, right now, even if you have yet to meet him!

I was raised in a Christian home, and although I understood and believed the gospel at a very young age, I was not convinced that I had much value. I was afraid to be real…I somehow came to believe that if my parents or my friends or the Lord really knew me, they would reject me. I knew how awkward I felt. I knew I was not as pretty as other girls. I knew that I was hiding secret sins. I knew my weaknesses all too well. I knew me. I did not like me. And because of this thinking I found myself compromising what I knew was right (even in the smallest ways) in order to be accepted, to become connected to the “in crowd,” to be looked at by boys, to feel pretty…to feel loved.

Although I was saved, I had no sweet communion with the Lord during these few years—I was not reading the Bible and I had no desire to please Him—my negative thinking of myself was really onlyself-absorption (which is true for those who think too highly of themselves as well). During these years I was only building trouble into my relationship with my parents and bad habits that eventually were hard to break.

And then one day, it happened. I felt what it was to be rejected. For a teenager who did not know her worth personally, I was devastated. I was undone. And it was exactly what I needed. I needed to know that kind of rejection in order to come face to face with my ungodly fear and realize my error.

It was during that hurtful time that my ears became more sensitive to the Spirit’s voice and I could hear Him, for the very first time, speaking truth into my ears. He began to tell me over and over that I was accepted in Jesus and nothing could ever replace that reality.

I have learned that when I am not distracted by others (or myself) I am more primed to grow spiritually. At 17, I found myself friendless, lonely, and feeling very unloved…in reality: I was finally ready to throw myself on Christ and find my worth in Him alone.

For the first time the gospel became very real. I was nothing, Christ was everything. I could do nothing to save myself from sin and hell, exactly what I deserved, but Christ had given His very life so that I might be forgiven. I was accepted in the Beloved!

During this time the Lord began to ask me to turn certain areas of my life over to Him—areas that I thought I had the right to control. When I discovered that He made me and gave His life to save me my desire to please and honor Him grew. And because God never allows anything to come our way unless it is for our good, I found that I could trust Him explicitly. What freedom that brought and continues to bring. It takes freedom in Christ to turn it all over to Him and trust that He knows what is best.

So…what does that mean?

One of the first things that God challenged my “right to control” was romance. He wanted me to look at the subject differently than I ever had before. He basically wanted me to take my hands off and let Him decide when and where and who. My first surrender seemed quite costly at the time—I was taking a huge risk.

He asked me to step back and quit looking—quit trying—He asked me to give the entire business to Him. And I did. I told the Lord that I would wait on Him to bring me a husband. I told Him that I would let Him choose who that man would be. I asked Him to correct my worldly thinking (about dating around and needing a boyfriend in order to feel validated) and replace it with His thoughts (He had it all under control and had a job for me to do in the meantime). I asked Him to help me stay true to my commitment. I begged Him to help me stay true.

I felt the weight and the seriousness of the sacrifice. And I will be honest with you—applying the decision came with much more need for determination and discipline. It was tested and tried for many, many years.

We are told that a ruby that is exposed to intense heat becomes more valuable. Don’t ever forget that beautiful truth, girls. When you give the area of your love life over to the Lord, your value can onlyincrease. The more intense the sacrifice, the long time of waiting for it to ever be resolved, the mockery you may receive because of it, the friends you may lose over it, the boyfriend-less years that will definitely be the result of it…this is the “enhancement” used to make you shimmer and shine and attract in the most beautiful and godly manner. This is the process that increases your worth! You will be becoming the kind of woman that a dashing, handsome, godly man of valor (a man who is seeking to protect and love a woman) is readying himself in order to marry.

If romance seems to be taking its own sweet time, remember, your value is increasing not decreasing as you wait for your story to unfold.

Giving God your love life really is a risk worth taking!

In the book of Habakkuk, God told His people “though it tarry, wait for it…” (Habakkuk 2:3). This is a declaration of hope. Whenever God asks you to wait on Him, you have the promised assurance that He will pull through. When you choose to wait on God, girls, you do risk it all…but you have a promise from the Lord that He will give you the desire of your heart—“delight thyself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart”…“though it tarry, wait for it…”! Who would not want to risk it all for such a promise?

We are asked to wait! That means we have to stop manipulating at times, stop pondering and planning how to get what we need! But we must never give up what we desire…only wait for it expectantly!

Girls, we really have to be honest with ourselves and admit that we have an incredible talent at manipulation. We attract! A God-given thing. It is a natural given…one designed by our Creator. We attract…men pursue. The problem lies in the misconception that if we don’t think we attract (or don’t think we attract a certain person or at the time that we desire to do so), then we do what we can to get the attention we think we need. We pursue. This kind of behavior is not characteristic of one choosing to wait on God.

It can be characterized by flirting, dressing sensually, being too silly with the opposite sex, compromising our standards, etc…all for a look, a touch, a date, a feeling! There is nothing wrong with making yourself beautifully attractive (indeed you should!), but not if your motivation is one of manipulation alone. And not if it involves the wrong kind of pursuit on your part—a lowering of a standard. We must allow the Holy Spirit to have full inspection of our motives. He's not out to make your life boring—only to protect you!

Waiting requires a total trust in God, in His promises, and in His love. It means taking your hands completely off of the situation! It is setting your mind (and all that fills it—every thought that just won’t stop) down at the feet of Jesus! It is purposing to keep yourself at His feet!

Have you ever considered trusting the Lord totally in the area of who you will marry and when?

Scripture is full to the brim with verses that command, exhort, and encourage us to incorporate the action verb rest into our daily routine. What? Rest doesn’t seem much of an action does it? Neither does sitting still! “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7). But it is! It is the only action that propels our heart, mind, attitude, outlook, and purpose to contentment…to that wonderful place called peace!

To wait upon the Lord requires a quiet mouth and a quiet mind—that would be no fretting, no complaining, and no worrying…

Waiting on God makes you feel very vulnerable, but you are never fragile—for your security is founded upon a Rock that will never be moved. “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart” (Psalm 27:14) “I will wait quietly before God…He alone is my Rock…my fortress where I will not be shaken” (Psalm 62:2).

There is nothing fragile about a rock! And no matter how we feel while we wait, our hold is firmly established on something much greater than our feelings—if we choose to trust the Father with the entire affair! Are you willing to trust God with the entire affair?

Waiting on God is risking everything.

You risk getting the desire of your heart—a love life now and eventually in a marriage—a family.

I’m here to ask you to risk it all—to risk the fleeting romance for an amazingly fulfilling romance that can only come through marriage to the man God has just for you!!!!

The world calls that foolish. The world (your friends) may reject you, laugh at you, mock you—but God will bless you. He knows His plan is far better than you could ever imagine. And He desires to make you more valuable, more beautiful, more, more, more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! –while you wait on Him to bring it to pass.

I’m asking you to risk it because it really is worth it!!!!!!!!!!

So…what if I’ve already failed?

You are a jewel and Jesus is the Artist that holds you tenderly in His hands. And He has an incredible purpose for every jewel that He holds.

When we have given ourselves over to worldly thinking or ungodly actions—even if we have given ourselves sexually to someone before marriage—Jesus buys us back using His own blood to pay for our mistakes. Jesus uses His own blood to wash off the impurities and make us shine. The issue is not where you came from, how you got there, or what you have done…the issue is being placed in His hands—His nail scarred hands. The issue is knowing you are there.

Are you there, girls? Do you know for sure that you are His alone? Have you made wrong decisions and violated His standards? You can place yourself back in His hands right now and know the forgiveness and relief that it will bring. His one goal is your beauty and, if you let Him, He will do far more than you can ever hope or dream.

There are 4 woman named in the genealogy of our Saviour who were tainted with pagan or immoral lifestyles—these are women who decided to turn from what they knew as normal ways of life to a God who turned their lives upside down with incredible blessings.

They are real women and their names and stories are recorded in the Bible—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. If God was after sinless, pure family blood these women would never have made the list. If God was only seeking perfection these women would never have been included in the blood line of Jesus.

Tamar— a woman who played the part of a harlot in order to rightfully bare a child with Judah

Rahab— a prostitute from Jericho, the city God promised to bring to total destruction

Ruth— a Moabitess whose family served false gods

Bathsheba— a woman who committed adultery with King David

God allowed women who made big mistakes to be in the royal line. God allowed woman who were from ungodly cultures and pagan families to be in the lineage of the Messiah—the Saviour of the world. Why? What is God’s point? What is God looking for in women?

I will answer that question by looking quickly at just two: Rahab and Ruth. These women are incredible examples to us. Their stories teach us a great deal and show us God’s amazing mercy and joy in using those who are trusting in His commandments.

Rahab: she is in the line of Christ solely for turning from her sin and choosing to obey (keep the standard) by hanging the red chord out her window—proving her faith in the One true God! After the marching brought the walls down (she lived in the wall) and death to the entire city, she was saved. Rahab eventually married a Godly Israelite named Salmon and gave birth to Boaz!

Ruth: she is in the line of Christ solely for choosing to follow the God of the Israelites even when she was not commanded to. She chose to be a sweet servant to her grieving mother-in-law. And because of her decision to leave her pagan family, she traveled to Bethlehem and met Boaz. Boaz married Ruth! Ruth had Obed, Obed had Jesse, and Jesse had David. King David.

No matter what you have done, choose to follow Christ and His Word today.

So…what is the Standard?

Choose to marry God’s best for you. Save yourself from this point on for your husband alone…in word and in deed and in your thought life. And determine to use your single years serving the Lord faithfully.

1. Save yourself:

No sex before marriage! Sex was created to be enjoyed within the context of a marital union between a man and a woman. The Bible is very clear on this point. There are many issues not addressed in scripture, but this one is clearly presented—it is a standard you must stake down as immovable and rest comfortably and safely on its high ground! You will be tempted and may even fail if your standard consists only of statements like: “I don’t really want to have sex until Iget married…” or “I’m not planning on going all the way” or “I don’t think it is a great idea…”—instead, it is a statement you are not ashamed to say to anyone: “GOD DOES NOT ALLOW FOR IT!” Period! Staking a standard is creating boundaries in every relationship you have with the opposite sex, and that boundary never moves, even if you end up being engaged to be married to a man who deeply loves you!

2. Marry a believer:

And then the standard goes a step farther. We are told to not be unequally yoked with a non-believer. It is against God’s standard for you to marry a man who is not a Christian—even if you desperately love him. Girls, you should never be that close to a guy who doesn’t know Christ. You should not even be hanging out with boys who do not know Christ or date guys who do not know Jesus. Again, this kind of commitment is not just saying, “I will not marry a non-Christian” it is a decision to not even become the tiniest bit emotionally attached to one. It is choosing certain standards that will keep you from such an attachment. If you are choosing to trust the Lord to write your love story then this won’t even be an issue. Failing to hold this standard high will result in many troubling years.

These are mandates set forth by the One who created romantic relationships. It was all His idea. Don’t forget that, especially if you are tempted to get an attitude over the fact that God wants to tell you how to go about it. To every standard there is a safeguard. If we want to honor God in keeping His mandates, let’s choose to walk in a way that will help us reach this goal.

One thing about staking a standard—it sets you apart. This is NOT a bad thing!

1. Separate yourself quickly from anyone who does not hold this standard—you will never keep a standard if you are spending quality time with people who do not know its value. Don’t place yourself in situations that lower your ability to say no to temptation. Don’t draw a line…make it a chasm.

2. Acquire some accountability—a good Christian friend you can be honest with, parent, sibling, pastor’s wife, youth worker, etc. Allow someone the privilege of speaking into your life and asking you questions to keep you above reproach.

3. Do things that will encourage your determined decision—get involved in Bible Studies, choose personal disciplines and share them with others, involve yourself in Christian ministry (very important), be a mentor to someone younger than you are.

When you choose to allow the Lord to write your love story you are opening yourself up to the greatest relationship of all time…your relationship with Christ! It now can grow and become ever so precious. Waiting on God gives you time to do just that. When He’s the One who’s going to make it all happen—you want to know Him better. You want to know His voice.

He lets you pour out your desires, ask your questions, and tell Him your fears. And He loves to comfort and teach and give you all the hope you need.

When we understand this concept we have a greater desire to sit still, to rest, to wait. How else would He get our complete attention? When you desire what you don’t have, and you get anxious about it or tempted to change it, treat it as an invitation from Jesus to “come in and sit with Me awhile”—for that is exactly what it is. He wants you at His feet like Mary. Remember what He said to Martha—try placing your own name in the rebuke! “My dear ________, you are so upset over all these details! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it—and I won’t take it away from her” (paraphrased, Luke 10:42-43).

Spend your single life becoming the kind of woman a godly man of valor desires to marry. Don’t sell yourself short. You are worth so very much! Be where you should be if he is ever going to find you—in that beautiful place called “waiting on God”…it is a castle.

Stay in the castle!

An Unlikely Blossom

2011-03-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

‎"The JOY OF THE LORD is [my] strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).

I carried a beautiful bouquet of evergreens, seeded eucalyptus, and winter berries showcasing one exquisite amaryllis down the aisle the day I wed my sweetheart. It was bound in wood and grapevine twig. I had spent hours searching for and cutting out pictures I loved, choosing the exact greenery I desired, and falling in love with the perfect winter flower—a large white amaryllis. Several months before our marriage, I met with my florist and handed her my folder of ideas—relying upon her expertise and creative hand to make my dream a reality. She seemed to like what I had put together and was very confident about pulling it off. She did. It was everything I wanted it to be. I was so very happy to be Kevan’s bride!

The amaryllis flower grows from a bulb and is usually seen standing very tall in the middle of January…in direct sunlight…on someone’s warm kitchen windowsill (or any warm windowsill for that matter). It requires warmth and light for it to bloom in the bleak mid-winter. And is very stunning and delightful to behold during months with snow on the ground…something green on the inside when all of outside nature has gone dormant.

When my husband and I got back from our honeymoon we were met with a sweet surprise. My father came to our little home bearing the bulb of our wedding amaryllis. Our florist had ordered the plant in advance of our big day so that it would grow and bloom just in time for the ceremony. I hadn’t really thought about how they would procure the blossom I wanted so badly—that took planning on their part—and prayer, the florist admitted—they needed that bloom on a certain date, or they wouldn’t have an amaryllis for my bouquet.

“But then,” my father relayed to me, “what to do with the brown bulb that was shooting out another green stalk?” They had a great idea. They decided to give it to us. That seemed kinder than throwing it away.

We were delighted to see this brown bulb sitting on top of the dirt sending life up for the second time in the season. It was rather a novelty to have the actual plant used for our ceremony. This was our amaryllis. And we were quite proud to show it off. We liked to talk about it. But we had no direct sunlight to place it in…no warm windowsill to sit it on…and I did not know how in the world we would see another bloom—let alone four. But that is exactly what we had the joy of using for a centerpiece on our kitchen table for my birthday, January 17. A vase holding four blooms. We were amazed. In about three weeks’ time, the stalk grew to be almost a yard tall and the white flowers at the top were magnificent.

I watered it twice, I think. I took lots of pictures of its progress. I rested it on something solid when the weight would pull it down. Um, ya…that’s about the extent of any attention it received from me. And yet, we were rewarded for even those measly attempts at keeping it healthy.

I cut the flowers and made several pretty vases happy. I chopped the green stalk all the way down to the bulb. I quit watering it. I left town for 3 weeks. I commented several times on the dry nothing that was left when we returned…and wondered how long I should leave the basket of dirt in our living room before throwing it away or at least putting it somewhere dark and cool to go dormant. I wondered that for over a month and a half. No direct sunlight. No warm windowsill. No expectation to see it bloom again.

So what to my surprise?…but to go from a brown nothing to about an inch of bright green growth in one night!!! For yes, that is what I found happening in that pile of dirt just a couple mornings ago! And now that stalk is almost a foot tall. How in the world did that happen? I immediately watered it, of course, and felt bad for neglecting it all this time.

I am literally amazed at how much life can come out of seemingly nothing (to the naked eye). How strength can come shooting up out of no known nourishment—that little basket has had no direct sunlight now for three months…and no warm windowsill either. I know it "needs" both. And yet, now for the third time in three months, it’s doing it again…it’s becoming beautiful. That tells me that it was more than just a dry, brown bulb...it was still alive…relying on food and energy I could not see.

This has been a needed object lesson to observe, teaching sweet truths to my heart. I want to be a strong shoot for my Saviour. I want to blossom and give beauty. But I get so caught up, almost daily, with the reality of my very dry brown bulb planted in very dry brown soil—life’s circumstances, that don’t seem to give any nourishment or warmth my direction…at all! How can one thrive, grow…bloom in that? My natural man tells me over and over that it can’t. God is reminding me, yet again, through the simple display of nature that it can. And will.

I must dwell like the amaryllis bulb…in whatever “soily” circumstance He has seen fit to place me. Quiet. Content. Waiting to bloom, not whining because i'm not. That bulb was okay with being ugly, being disregarded, or thought to have no life left…! It was okay with that. It was even okay to be in the dark and not know the warmth of the sun. And, why? Because there really was life, it really was readying itself for another blooming cycle no matter what could be “proven” outwardly. That bulb showed life and strength solely from where it was drawing its health and energy. And you know what? I don’t notice the bulb anymore. I only gaze in wonder at the green stalk whenever I walk by…anticipating the joy of blooms…soon.

The miracle of life burst through the dry bulb when no one was looking—without any fanfare or formality. And it will continue grow even if I am not around to gaze at its beauty.

Nehemiah tells me that ‎"the JOY OF THE LORD is [my] strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). Not MY joy, but His. There is a big difference between me and the LORD and there will be a big difference in my ability to produce if I am drawing on His joy or my own. Hudson Taylor, missionary to China, put it this way—“it is the consciousness of the threefold joy of the Lord, His joy in ransoming us, His joy in dwelling within us as our Saviour and His joy in possessing us, as His Bride and His delight; it is the consciousness of this joy which is our real strength. Our joy in Him may be a fluctuating thing: His joy in us knows no change.”

No matter where I am planted or how neglectful my soil seems I am alive in Christ I can grow and produce fruit. The strength I need to accomplish this comes from dwelling on the truth that the Lord has incredible joy IN me.

That is an amazing thought to ponder. But it is true—“the LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy…he will joy over thee with singing” (Zephania 3:17). And it is this joy—the joy OF the Lord for His own—that is our strength.

I am promised the same type of growth I see with my neglected, dry amaryllis bulb. In Isaiah 35 God is bringing comfort to His people who have weak hands, feeble knees, and fearful hearts—he tells them with exuberant speech that their lonely desert place will blossom as a rose and rejoice…“it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God” (Isaiah 35:1-4).

The Lord delights to do the seemingly impossible in a believer who has learned to be content and quiet in dry soil—gives strength and the ability to produce. And those that look on in wonder will “see the glory of the Lord and the excellency of [their] God” (Isaiah 35:2).

I look forward to enjoying an amaryllis blossom once again, very soon—a reminder of the joyful day I was married—but greater still, a reminder of God’s joy over me every single day I live, here now on earth and throughout all eternity. I will take the lessons I’ve learned from a dry, brown bulb and strive to be quiet and content while I wait on Him alone—while I wait for the green shoot to appear and transform into a plant that will blossom for His glory and honor.

‎"The JOY OF THE LORD is [my] strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).

How Shall They?

2010-05-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

“How shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent?” (Romans 10:14-15)

The steps taken in order to reach the lost, in Romans 10, are absolutely necessary for true evangelism to take place. Although the methods may vary, the formula does not—it must not!

A believer must be sent and exhorted to preach the Word of God to those who have not heard.

An unbeliever must hear the Word before he is able to believe and call upon Jesus for salvation!

Twice in Scripture, once through the prophet Isaiah and once through the apostle Paul, God declares—in a very poetic way—His sentiments regarding this process! “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things” (Romans 10:15).

Beautiful—that is how He describes their feet…not their desire, not their willingness, not even their heart—but their feet. Odd! But there it is, in black and white! And what God calls precious we must too—for according to Romans 10:14-15, the lost will never be able to (fully) come to Christ without a witness to show them the way.

To the Savior, the act of going—the actual walking (a sign of movement and determination)—is highly treasured. Therefore, to the Christian, the act of going must be highly prioritized.

Sent
“How shall they preach unless they’ve been sent…?” Romans 10:15

In order to be “one that is sent” you must have someone sending you. The choosing and sending of missionaries was a very important part of the early church—and it was faithfully practiced. I found it fascinating to read in Scripture that the leaders of the church took seriously the command to “separate, [lay] their hands on them, and [send] them away” (Acts 13:3). They were not waiting for someone to feel “the call” and then choosing to “support them”—no, the leaders were actually, after much prayer and fasting, selecting and calling for that person or persons to go!

The Holy Spirit was very much involved in this process, and, it appears that both the elders and those being “set aside” were sensitive to the Spirit’s leading. The elders were actively involved in looking within their congregation for those who they could send into “all the world” or at least into their respective Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria.

How easy for a church to become so focused on the needs of the local body (although valid) that they quickly loose sight of the Great Commission. We don’t like to “lose our best,” in fact, we may become greedy as a church and never want to say “goodbye” to anyone. We become so comfortable with praying and supporting that we forget the most obvious: God intends more to go!

The last thing our Savior did before leaving this earth was to verbally commission all believers to "go into all the world"! As long as there are those who have not heard…it is of utmost importance to send those who have, out!

He calls the FEET OF THEM THAT PREACH a beautiful thing. A church should be focused on the feet—producing more and more workers with the ability and the tools to go—either into the local community or into another culture’s community.

(Mark 6:7; Acts 1:24-26; Acts 6:5; Acts 13; 1 Timothy 1:18)

Preach
“And how shall they hear without a preacher…?” Romans 10:14

God ordained that through the foolishness of preaching man would be saved—“for God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty…that no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Corinthians 1:27, 29). And, as Paul further points out, “we preach Christ crucified!” Period. Nothing more, nothing less! We are not commanded to confound those to whom we speak…we are commanded to preach Christ—He alone does the confounding, the convicting, and the converting! “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).

(Mark 6:12; Acts 2; Acts 7; Acts 13:4a)

Hear
“How shall they call on Him in whom they have not heard…?” (Romans 10:14)

It is here that we incorporate not only the responsibility of the Christian but also the response of the non-Christian. After teaching several parables, Jesus addressed the crowd with this powerful statement: “If any man has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Mark 4:23). In other words, having a pair of sounding devices (one on either side of your head) may guarantee the fact that you have ears…but not necessary that you “hear.”

There is a vast difference!

So many people walked away from Jesus while He taught here on earth, either scratching their heads—bewildered, without a clue as to what He meant, or in anger—offended by His inferences.

They were not willing to understand His deeper meaning—it was easier to not get it than to ponder the prophecies declared of old and acknowledge their fulfillment! It was easier to kill Him than to repent of personal sin and hail Him as the Messiah!

Jesus went on to say how important it is to “take heed that you hear!” Before you begin to listen…be determined to be attentive to what is being said! Paul “beseeched” his audience to give full attention to his words. Peter lifted up his voice and begged the people to “hearken” unto that which he had to say.

When what we say is true and vital to salvation, we must plead for the audience to listen up!

For although many may reject what we say, there are those who will “heaken to [the] words” of Christ—they will understand what they hear because they have taken the time to truly listen. Those who have “ears to hear” are given the grace to humbly accept what they now perceive to be true!

(Matthew 13:17; Mark 4:23-24; Acts 2:14; Acts 7:2; Acts 13:16; Acts 26:3; James 1:22; 1 John 1:1; Revelation 1:3)

Believe
“How shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed…?” (Romans 10:14)

Once someone has heard the message of the Gospel and perceived it to be true, he must then “reckon” it to be so! It must be appropriated—it must be “believed”—or it is of no effect. There were those in Scripture who heard and chose not to believe…what a very sad reality. But those who “gladly received the word,” verbally stated that acceptance by asking a very simple question: “What must I do to be saved?” Willing to do whatever is necessary to be saved, those who truly believe are ready to act out that belief! And that leads us into the very last point!

(Acts 2:37, 41; Acts 13:48; Acts 16:30)

Call
“How shall they call…?” (Romans 10:14)

The importance of this last step is quite critical. To believe is a quiet dawning on the soul…to call is the public confession of what has already taken place. Scripture states that we must do both—we must believe (“believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” Acts 16:31) and we must call (“why tarriest thou? …call on the name of the Lord” Acts 23:16). “To call” is to identify oneself with Christ—publicly pulling away from your former life and worldview. “To call” is to preach ones first sermon as you declare to the world (at least the world around you) that “Jesus saves!” “To call” is to identify oneself with “all the saints in every place.” And “to call upon the One” in whom you DO believe, is to secure the assurance of ones salvation! I know—I’ve been there!

(Acts 23:16; Romans 10:12, 13; 1 Corinthians 1:2)

“How shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent?” (Romans 10:14-15)

Bear it with Belief

2010-03-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

“Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him” Psalm 105:19

Through many years of experience I have come to realize it is not only fruitless, but also detrimental to my spiritual growth, to cry out in self-pity for the removal of God’s chastening when confronted with trials. Usually such prayers are random bursts of confusion over God’s character or they are overt reaction to pain (like unto the physical jerk and verbal frustration when stubbing a toe)! Prayer within this context only reveals that I am not being “filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” and therefore not “walking worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing” (Colossians 1:9-10).

My response to trials should be carefully evaluated. “A fool uttereth all his mind; but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards” (Proverbs 29:11) is a proverb we should apply to our prayer life. I am so grateful for the inspired Word that promises to give us doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). When we are faced with an overwhelming circumstance we must take the time to allow the Scriptures (not our own understanding) to instruct us on how to think and how to pray regarding our trouble. This will mean an immediate dying to self (and its need for pity, anxious fretting, depression, complaint) and it will mean taking the time to sit down with Christ and see what He would have us do!

What does God’s Word say about suffering in the life of a believer?

What does God’s Word say about this specific need?

Who in Scripture also faced this problem? What was their response? What was the result to their response?

Did David find reason to praise God in the midst of this same sorrow?

God has taught me more about His sovereignty (and the reason I can trust His sovereignty) by asking me to carry hard things! I don’t desire hard things, but I do desire to know my Savior…my godly response to hard things conforms me into His likeness! Being conscious of this reality gives me motivation to seek His will over my own and then shut my mouth before opening it up again to Him in prayer!

Joseph’s life is an excellent example of this principle. He was horribly mocked by his brethren, thrown into a pit, ignored, sold into slavery, and falsely accused…he experienced every human emotion and feeling that would accompany such affliction: “whose feet they HURT with fetters: he was laid in iron (an instrument, a bond—fig. harshness, strength, oppression).” Joseph underwent a lot of physical pain. But his life is characterized by submission to His God—a God he obviously believed to be in complete control of every abuse he received. His afflictions were ordained by the Lord—each rejection a part of His plan!

That is easy to believe for Joseph…but what about for yourself?

Do you ever think on that truth when you are faced with difficulty? Have you ever considered that your own pain may be the catalyst God will use to bring about His will in a situation still unknown to you? Or that the suffering you now know (that secret hidden hurt) is placed upon you so that God’s glory might be revealed in not only your life but also the lives of future generations?

Psalm 105 declares that it was “the word of the Lord” that tried Joseph (not his brothers and not Potiphar or Potiphar's wife) and that nothing would change regarding that trial until God’s appointed time for that change to occur. When we recognize this statement as truth, our response to trouble (either big or small) will begin to be less self-centered and more God-centered! We will not run to the Lord with anxious thoughts in a spirit of fear but rather run to Him in order to rest and seek refuge in His promises.

When trials arise, God is not only allowing the affliction…He is in full control of how long we will be under its mighty weight. He is working out His plan and purpose. His purpose is always our sanctification, but His plan may include unforeseen, future events (with Joseph it included the saving of a nation—a nation through which the Messiah would be born Psalm 105:8-45).

Dear reader, trust God to know what is good and right. “Direct [your] prayer” unto the Lord and “look up”—anticipate results (Psalm 5:3). But wait on God without a pushy, arrogant spirit—give Him time to what He will do.

We are told in Psalm 105 that God’s word alone brings relief to our trials—therefore, desire God’s will above your own. The prophet Jeremiah states “it is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth” (Lamentations 3:26). Good? Yes…very good! Nothing that God allows is in vain!

Joseph and Jeremiah both knew the pressure of burdens too heavy to hold on their own. Their lives show a determined obedience to do that which their God required!

Endurance—that is what God wills.

But how do we endure righteously?

When brought into a “dark place,” Jeremiah says we must quiet ourselves…sit alone and keep silent…put our mouth in the dust...and learn to give our cheek to those who smite us “for [our Creator] doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men” (Lamentations 3:26-33). We can eagerly submit to the One who pities our flesh, to the One Who does not inflict pain for any reason but for our greater good—Who “has compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.” He controls the calendar and the clock and every desire of man! Pain will naturally bring panic! And panic my friend, naturally puts our mouth into motion! Without the command to BE QUIET, I'm afraid we would never hear what our Savior has to say! Humbling ourselves before Him—dwelling within His presence—that is how we righteously endure!

Joseph’s full and free forgiveness to those who wronged him—“ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good”—declares that he also chose to believe and act upon the exact truth Jeremiah cited.

“This I call to mind, therefore have I hope. It is the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness (Lamentations 3:21-23).

Joseph and Jeremiah both experienced the manifestation of such a Redeemer. They were subjected to cruelty, false accusations, and imprisonment, but they never lost their confidence in their God. They believed in His sovereignty and acted upon that belief! They called out to the Lord in their grief and He heard their cries. He drew near to them in the midst of their pain. They believed God was watching over their every move and that He was aware of their reproach! They believed that He would righteously judge their cause!

When God lays any trouble upon you, silent yourself before Him! Take time to search His word! Be determined to learn of Him—don't assume you know His will or His character without careful study of the Scriptures! He will teach you how to think—His thoughts are opposite your natural inclinations. And He will show you what to pray. Scripture is the perfect petition to take before His throne. He will give you all you need.

To panic, to despair, to seek for sorrow’s early release is to waste precious time in getting to know your Savior better and it will quench the Spirit’s ability to show you great and mighty things—things which you know not!

Rest, look up, trust in God’s perfect timing (and promised escape) instead—He knows what He is planning to do! Your trouble is a part of that plan! Rejoice in the Savior Who has entrusted to you this specific pain! Bear it well—bear it silently—bear it with belief!

“Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him” Psalm 105:19

Ready, Aim, Fire

2009-10-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

“This charge I commit unto thee…that thou mightest war a good warfare” (1 Timothy 1:18)

I think the below statements regarding the word “day” in the Genesis account of creation, have excellent reasoning ability attached to them! They are easy to know and remember and use next time you find yourself in a conversation with anyone regarding the topic of Theistic Evolution or the “day age” (long period of time) theory. Those 3 words, know, remember, and use are vital to a good discussion regarding the accuracy of scripture. I appreciate believers who have a greater understanding of these issues and a passion to see them righted, who take time to do the research, and then give us the tools we need in order to confidently engage a skeptic—and I REALLY appreciate when those tools are easy for my little mind to grasp (and therefore remember and actually use.)

We need to have “the truth” established within us...something to draw from in order to refute or counter “the lie” being thrown our way. We should strive to be prepared for the topic...! (the topic being anything that would defy sound doctrine—wouldn't that be prudent and wise?) This is crucial—especially for me—for I am easily flustered and feel ignorant when I am with a person who shoots down any scriptural text with impudence.

Mark Zook, missionary to Papua, Indonesia, taught the importance of using questions to make someone doubt their own position. What do you mean by that? is a good one for starters. Being confident of the truth (and of your own belief), coupled with good questions that shed light on the holes in someone else’s theory, is a powerful approach. This, of course, means we must fill our satchels with the proper ammunition and practice loading our guns and firing. (Firing on the lie…not the person believing the lie!) Using questions allows you the ability to be winsome and non-confrontational instead of negative and arrogant. You don’t want to encourage someone to hate you…but to question their own belief. It isn’t about getting your point across…it is about a lost soul or misguided believer coming to “the knowledge of the truth.”

This following article was written for a Creation Blog—it was used to remind me that God’s Word is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is the weapon He has given to us to use! God can take care of Himself and He defends His Word with accuracy every single time. It is our responsibility to be aware of the battles around us (the war on creation, on life, etc.) and then properly train and fight, as if to gain the victory! Read the Word daily…read it looking for specific truth. This teaches us how to handle our weapon, how to pull the sword out of its sheath and gain the strength needed to hold such a powerful piece of defense for long periods of time. Ask God to teach you how to defend His Word. We need to have the ability to wield our weapon with determined precision and valour! This is important if we are to fully engage the enemy—and see his defeat. Memorization, meditation, and opening our mouths to “make Christ known” are excellent field exercises to make us fit soldiers of the cross. There are also many sites online that can help us do just that—so many books written, so many dvd’s created, so many tracts published. These resources are often very easy to watch or read and grasp (like the blog post below) and were created in order to properly outfit the believer. Pick a topic and study it…glean from others and then go use what you have gleaned to the glory of the Lord.

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The Book of Genesis in the Bible says God created the universe, and everything in it, in six days. Some people have tried to harmonize this description with the theory of evolution by suggesting that the “days” in Genesis must have been long periods of time, or ages.

But the Bible has its own amazing way of showing that the long “ages” idea is wrong. The days were real, ordinary, solar days of 24 hours each.

Here are the reasons why:

Genesis 1:14 says God created the lights to divide day from night, and to be for signs, for seasons, for days, and for years. If the days are ages, then what are the years.

If a day is an age, then what is a night? The concept becomes ludicrous when you try to stretch the length of a day.

Whenever the word “day” in the Bible is limited by a number (such as the first day, the third day, the sixth day) it always means a 24-hour day.

Whenever the word “day” is used with the phrase “evening and morning,” it always means an ordinary night-day cycle.

Among the Ten Commandments that God gave to Israel, recorded in Exodus 20, God said that His creation in six days followed by a day of rest was to be the pattern for the Israelites' working week: six days of labor followed by a day of rest. “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work …,” God said, “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is.” This would not make sense if they had to work for six million years followed by a million years of rest.

Some people think that a day may mean a thousand years, because the Apostle Peter said that “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). But Peter did not say a day is a thousand years, but it is as a thousand years. He is saying that God is outside time, that a thousand years are no more significant than a day in God's eternal scheme of things. People who say Peter meant that a day is a thousand years are ignoring the second part of Peter's statement, which says a thousand years are as one day. How could we count how many days are in a thousand years if a day only means a thousand years? It becomes silly when you try to force a meaning that wasn't intended.

The passage about a day being as a thousand years has also been said to mean that a day is simply a long period of time. But that makes nonsense of Peter's statement. It would mean that Peter was saying that “a long period of time is a thousand years.” See how ridiculous things get when you stray from the straight meaning of Scripture?

The clear meaning of the days of creation is the obvious one: they were literal, ordinary, 24-hour days. Nothing more and nothing less.

—www.creationtips.com

The Serious Side of Life

2009-07-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

“…be ye therefore sober” (1 Peter 4:7)

I have been memorizing the book of 1 Timothy and have been delighted as the Word of God has come alive in my prayer life, my conversations with others, and in my reading the whole of scripture solely from hiding this large passage in my heart.

The Holy Spirit is our teacher and He promises to use God’s Word to exhort, train, convict, comfort, and change us. All Scripture, Paul tells us, “is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). According to these verses, God’s Word is the means we have for equipping ourselves adequately in order to be well-prepared—efficient and perfectly fit for whatever we may face in this life or the life to come! I desire to be prepared.

I have found that the first three chapters of 1 Timothy alone carry with them the proper tools for whatever I may encounter: it has shown me how to better pray for others, how to glorify the God Who called me, how to witness, how to defend the gospel, how to confidently stand upon the truth, what my purpose is as a believer, how to combat sin, how to worship, how to define false doctrine and what to do with it, what not to think upon, how to conduct myself in the presence of others and in the presence of the Lord, and more specifically, as a woman, how to live in a manner that pleases my Creator. These chapters expound upon the character and judgment of God—revealing His love, longsuffering, mercy, divinity, authority, wisdom, immortality, faithfulness to man, and incredible sacrifice. And, as if that is not all, memorizing this passage has increased my commitment to Christ—the Redeemer of my soul. It has stirred within me a deeper passion to see lost men brought to the knowledge of the truth. And it has instilled within me a greater love for the Holy Scriptures—a greater hunger and thirst for the things of God.

One word that continues to jump out of the book of 1 Timothy is the word sober! For men in leadership, this attribute is an absolute…but it is also commanded to be seen in their wives as well—and in chapter 2, women who adorn themselves in it bring glory to their God, beauty to their person, and order to the Assembly! It is understood that all women, married or single, must place higher attention upon dressing themselves in sobriety (“in silence”) than in jewelry or costly attire. Young men are equally exhorted to bring their minds under the subjection of such a discipline. In other words, the Spirit seems to say to my heart, this is of utmost importance to every believer—every elder, pastor, man, husband, wife, woman, boy, or girl. “Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord” (Zechariah 2:13).

I am finding that sobriety focuses my mind on the eternal, motivates a quiet spirit (and a reason to close my mouth), and adds intense passion to my prayers. To be sober, is to be serious.

The idea of being sober is confirmed through many of Paul’s letters and the apostle Peter; the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah (and others); and through Jesus Christ Himself.

The challenge that I continue to receive from the Spirit as I meditate on this letter to Timothy is “how much time are you giving to learning and putting into practice what it means to be sober?” And then the question arises from that challenge: and WHAT exactly does it mean to be sober?

The Strong’s Concordance defines the word sober as: “sound in mind, self-controlled, moderate in opinion or passion, discreet, temperate, abstinence from wine, circumspect. To discipline, to correct, to teach.”

Webster’s definition backs up the Greek language and gives further insight into how we may live this word out practically: “marked by sedate or gravely or earnestly thoughtful character and demeanor. Unhurried, calm. Marked by temperance, moderation, or seriousness. Showing no excessive or extreme qualities of fancy, emotion, or prejudice. Well-balanced, restrained, rational.”

The idea of teaching our mind to be circumspect, controlled, and calm is wonderful. Who would not want to be all of those things at all times? The trouble lies not in the wish “to be”, but in the will to carry out such a desire. For that requires thought, time, and training. Discipline always involves training…a boot camp, so to speak, on being still before the presence of our Almighty God. In order to begin to “be sober” I will begin to feel restraint, correction, a possible heaviness…and I must not resist. To be sober does not mean we are comfortable. In fact, to be sober can be quite opposite our idea of comfort!

I must reckon with the reality that sobriety means being serious about all things. It is not a dissenting on humorous dialogue, pleasure, side-splitting laughter, or fun and games…! Laughter is, by God's definition, the best medicine! I love to laugh! But we are not to leave sobriety at home when we are off to be jolly! We must always take it with us. Sobriety is moderation—in all things. It is not forgoing the utmost pleasures of this life (pleasure was His idea) but it is allowing for tears—allowing your heart to fill with the knowledge of a lost soul or another's pain—and having the ability to step away from pleasure in order to meet those needs. It is letting the Lord stir His emotions inside of you. It is learning to recognize sin—and grieve over it—in your own life or in the life of another. It is hating that which God hates! It is self-control—recognizing when you have fed your flesh enough! It is the ability to say, “Enough!” It is learning to be steady in your reactions and responses, and firm in that which you believe. It is consistency in your walk! It is a desire to feed on Christ MORE than the desires of your own heart—finding yourself needing Him more than your fun or your friends or your most earnest desires. And it is engaging yourself (your time, your energy, your passions) in those things that God loves—evangelism, exhortation, discipleship, service, prayer.

First of all it will require a saying “no” to some things in order to clear our calendar. We are not saying “no” to sin necessarily…we are just saying “no” to some activity that might be filling a valuable slot of time with lesser things! If we are to teach our mind to be sober we must make room for it. It will require periods of time. Sobriety does not just happen through quick daily reading of His Word. Although it doesn’t have to be a full blown inductive study every time we open our Bible, we must seek to create opportunities for digging deeper in the treasure of God’s Word. This will work best if we have a plan, a specific time, a passage, a notebook, and a heart content to wait upon our God!

Second, it will require a willingness to engage in prayer. “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer” (1 Peter 4:7).

We need to be asking our Savior, the Man of Sorrows, to burden us with that which burdens Him. He is looking for disciples willing and ready to stay awake and pray along side their Master. I am often asleep with Peter, James, and John—not because I don't want to stay awake—but because I am not attentive to the Spirit. I say that I care about His desires and want to please Him but I find myself unable to “keep my eyes open”. Why? I think it is because in reality what I say is far from the truth—I really DO want my "sleep" more than the burden of prayer and the energy I must pour out in communicating to the Father.

I wonder...if those 3 friends of our Lord had purposed to stay awake that night in the garden, and helped each other do so, might they have succeeded? I wonder…if they had strained to hear what their Master was saying just "a stone's throw away," would they have been overwhelmed by Jesus’ emotionally disturbed pleas, obvious burden, and loud cry of utter surrender? Do you think that hearing such deep agony might have arrested their attention and driven sleep from their eyelids? Even without a full understanding of what was going on, I think those men would have been praying—praying for their friend in obvious pain and turmoil of spirit, and for themselves—that God would give them a greater knowledge as to what was happening.

That is what I desire—to actually hear the plea of God, to feel the beat of His heart through His Word, to sense His burden, to see His tears, to be overwhelmed by the need, and to not be able to shake that reality from my mind—to not be lethargic regarding reality—so much so, that it will drive me to pray.

Jesus, we are told, lives to make intercession. That is what He does, all day, every day...! And He is asking us to pray with Him.

“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober…let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation” (1Thessalonians 5:6, 8).

And third, sobriety comes with great humility! Being sober is being willing to take last place. It is willing to work hard and long even if no one is paying a lick of attention to your accomplishments for the Kingdom of Heaven. It is focusing completely on Christ while you are on His mission! So often our eyes are turned to what we are doing (compared to what others are doing) and we quickly forget this important principle.

We far to easily dissect another believer’s actions and motives compared to our own (not compared to the Word of God). We become concerned with petty details which rob our spirit of sobriety (even when we are not aware of it)—consumed with how another's lack of help effects us negatively, how individuals replace our way of doing things, how the ministry is wearing us out, how someone is being elevated while we are being shoved under the carpet, how we are misunderstood, how we are persecuted, how we are having to pull all the weight ourselves, etc… Do these comments sound familiar!? In ministry we are tempted to look at all the joys and trials, all the happy, helpful people, and all the people that get on our nerves more than we look up at our Commander! When we are busy looking at everyone else it is because we are totally turned SELFWARD! Self is a barrier to sobriety.

In Romans 12:3, Paul reminds believers to guard against this form of pride, this indiscreet behavior: “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

We must consider others more highly than ourselves. We must turn away from self completely! This is an important part of being sober-minded. I believe this sin can easily creep in and invade our heart masked as a multitude of well-justified thoughts. Let us be careful to moderate every single frustration and bring it under the subjection of Christ, who “thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant…and being found as a man, he humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:6-8). In the end (and even now because of eternity) all the pettiness does not matter!

To be sober is to remember Christ above all things. It is to take Him with you everywhere you go…whether it is to church, or to witness, or to dinner with a friend, or outside to play! He will teach us how to moderate our actions and bring every passion under control. He will help us see people as either lost or saved and therefore give us the knowledge that will motivate a boldness to share Christ. He will show us what to watch, read, who to spend time with, where to walk, what to pray, how to serve, what to think upon, how to be content. He will gain further access into our hearts, giving us a greater desire to know Him. The more time you spend with Jesus, the more intimately He will share His thoughts with you. It is from those incredibly rich times you spend with Jesus that practical application for your life will flow! It is from those times that your prayer life will increase…because you have now experienced the Savior sharing His burden with you. And you must carry it well!

The more this desire for sobriety grows in my heart and mind, the greater I am aware of how far I am from obtaining it. Let us strive together to be like Christ completely, “exhorting one another: and so much the more as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). I urge you to memorize a portion of scripture—it is an excellent way to discipline your mind and your free time.

To be sober is to keep our eyes fixed firmly on heaven and keep before our face the image of eternity—we are to “love His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8) and to pay utmost attention to the little time we have left. Jesus will come again and receive up into glory only those who have called upon His name! To be sober is to desire that which your Savior desires and He “is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ…But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer…Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1Peter 1:13. 4:7, 5:8).

The Enemy Within

2009-05-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

“Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord” Isaiah 1:18

I am quite aware that naturally, dwelling inside this beating chest—inside this body that can be dressed up and easily made to appear intelligent or witty or wise—lives a wicked and deceitful heart! According to scripture, it is out of this rebellious heart—this heart that can feel compassion even if it does not house Christ—that will come every thought and intent of my mind...and, therefore, every action that follows! What good ever came from evil? None. God declares that even charitable acts (spun out of empathy) are as filthy rags, if they do not originate in Christ Himself.

That reality is startling and will take an individual from pride to either offense (wounded pride) or humility (dead pride) in about zero seconds! Wounded pride is a very dangerous thing to possess. It stops up the ears and robs one of understanding. It defies a holy God. Allowing the truth to “level” us, on the other hand, is vital to redemption and restoration. We must admit our true state—by agreeing with what our Creator concludes.

There are those who choose to be offended by truth and doubt God’s authority. They despise His “telling it like it is”—they do not believe He has either the right or the grounds to be so hard on humanity (good people who are just trying to survive life, for crying out loud!). They view God as an old “stick in the mud,” or worse, as a horrid dictator trying to control humanity out of an obsession with His haughty ego. Many find His Word hard and turn away.

But the truth of scripture is not meant to deject—it is meant to deliver—to deliver one from oneself. From one’s traitor heart. I desire to be humbled by this reality. To daily raise the knife on my pride and slay it utterly! I must not allow myself the luxury of petting or nursing any part of my old man—in order to do so (no matter how innocent or justified I feel in the matter) is to also obey its lusts thereof (Romans 6:12).

How ridiculous man can be! In order to save face, maintain some level of control, or to live a life free from the confines of authority man will choose to be bound to sin’s master. Bound—chained to unrighteousness and forced to do only what it dictates (Romans 6:13)! Christ’s desire is to free man from this bondage. Man is only fooling himself if he thinks he is consciously deciding his own destiny—scripture is clear, apart from repentance, man’s end is death.

We must allow our Creator to assess, diagnose, and prescribe the remedy our souls need for survival—or we will die with regret! This is obviously true for the unbeliever. But it is vital to those who are saved as well!

“I” will always deceive me. Always! God, on the other hand, cannot! This fact alone causes me to look completely outside of myself for any counsel and direction regarding every single matter! I must desire to look to the Lord alone: to gather my words and obtain the discretion as to when and how to use them; for ability to decipher all my feelings, ideas, dreams, and desires; and, most importantly, to know that what I believe about God’s Word is acceptable to the God who penned it.

My past experience may give insight but it is never to be trusted (Proverbs 14:12)! Only what God says is to be trusted! He is not only the author of truth, of wisdom, of redemption, and of life…He IS every one of those words! You cannot separate God from His character. He gives life because He is Life!

And He doesn’t just pass out wisdom when we pray for it…He actually gives Himself to us fully when we ask.

I may know for certain that Christ’s blood has covered my sins. I may be assured of the resurrection from the dead. I may be confident regarding my eternal home. I may even have a heart that desires to live in a way that pleases my Savior. And yet, I am still in danger of being deceived. For the heart that desires truth also desires to be pampered, and pitied, and right! Therefore, I cannot “follow my heart”! I must only follow HIS.

In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul exhorts the church to “put on the new man” and therefore, (performing that action) man will be putting away all sin. The new man is made after God and is characterized by “righteousness and true holiness”—two attributes we would never gain through our own efforts, no matter how hard we tried. But they are what is required to satisfy a righteous and holy God! When it comes to the thoughts and intents of my heart (for out of this reservoir flows all my behavior) I must not rely upon my own understanding. I must take myself and set it aside! And then I must pick up the “new man” and clothe my mind and my will and my emotions with the garment of God’s absolute truth.

Our feelings, “compassions”, or preferences must never dictate our responses. Therefore, we might need to hold out on them—we might need to sit on them for a bit…and take time to consider if God would agree with what we think and feel is appropriate.

“Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord.” This plea comes after a rather disturbing discourse on God’s disgust over Israel’s actions. He wanted nothing to do with Israel’s appearance anymore. With strong language, God tells them that their sacrifices and feasts were a trouble to Him—“My soul hateth [them]…I am weary to bear them” (1:14). “Come now,” He says, “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (1:18). Our Lord wants nothing to do with “obedience” if our hearts are tainted and rebellious. No matter how holy our words and actions appear they are a stench in His nostrils. He longs for those who seek Him with a whole heart. He desires humility! With humility we are promised “the good of the Land,” but a stubborn refusal to submit to God’s standard will guarantee “the sword” (1:19-20).

Be wise and accept the Lord’s invitation to reason with Him…individually.

Ask Him to be an intricate part of every thought and every action—“Lord is this what I should think, say, do…is this glorifying to your Name…is this what your Word teaches?” Allow Scripture the influence over your feelings, compassions, and preferences FIRST…and then allow those God-given emotions to be used for His glory! They were given to us in order to motivate our response not to decide it. Without consideration we would never see a need. Without passion we would never speak out. Without sensitivity we would never work with those who required help.

But misplaced emotions—and the actions that can come from them—may actually hinder the work of the Lord.

“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God…” (Romans 12:1). Lay your beating heart down on that altar…your understanding, your intellect, your reasoning…and allow the Lord the privilege of replacing what He calls “cold stone” with a “heart of flesh” (the Hebrew word bâsâr taken from the word bâsar which means “to be fresh, full”)…that you may “walk in [God’s] statues and keep [His] ordinances, and do them” (Ezekiel 11:19-20).

“Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord” Isaiah 1:18

What in the World are We Doing?

2009-04-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” John 3:16

I am becoming more and more aware that those who do not know Christ are often embedded with worldviews that literally forbid belief in an Almighty and Only God.

I sadly do not have to go into a "place of ill repute" to sense that reality. It is all around me. I am finding people close to me that have no fear of God, even among friends that grew up in Christian homes. They never truly believed while under the subjection of their parents and, therefore, have rejected the truth of God’s Word in their adult years. Sadly, they don’t only reject it…they fight against it. They seek to draw others away from their Maker as well. It grieves my heart to be in their presence and hear them “think” out loud.

In the library the other day, checking email, I was not so much taken in by the conversations around me (libraries are genuinely quiet places), as I was with what was on the computers in front of me (in full view). There seems to be no shame in our society, or at least very little, as a rule! While sitting in Starbucks or standing in line at a bookstore I have heard strangers talk about God and His Word as if they were picking dinner choices…what they like and don’t like…without any regard to His being Supreme Authority—not even regarded as a deity requiring a minimal amount of respect. No, He is thought of as a “choice”! And He is discussed as one. And they don't like what He is offering, thank you very much. This lack of holy fear gives them the awful ability to carelessly cast His law and His love out the window like a piece of unwanted trash—or to carefully and cruelly mock His existence.

It grieves me to hear people ignorantly talk about the truth that will one day decide their destiny. Speaking philosophically, they believe themselves to be very intellectual—but it is their very pride that condemns them to death—“woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight...as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so shall their root be as rottenness...because they have cast away the law of the Lord of host, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 5:21, 24). “Professing themselves to be wise, they [become] fools” (Romans 1:22). They glory in their arrogant freedom to choose what they want or don't want to believe. But they are not freely choosing their own path. They are as dead men walking, “according to the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2)—completely bound to their lusts and fulfilling the desires of the flesh, as one would obey an oppressive master. They are slaves to their sin. And they are deceived to the uttermost.

Working in subsidized apartment complexes and public schools doing Good News Clubs I have also become more and more aware of the role parents play in educating their children in spiritual matters. Basically…they aren’t playing one. I hear it, I am exposed to it…I am saddened by it. We are several generations into a major lack of “the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4) here in America, and many parents are either knowingly or ignorantly (both are inexcusable) instructing their children in unrighteousness. Turning a blind eye to unlawful behavior (either their child's actions or the behavior of those their children are exposed to on TV) does not make a parent naive...it makes them a teacher of wickedness. What is to become of them? There is so much filth taken in on a daily basis that confusion controls most of their daily decisions—even when they are completely unaware of it. Men and woman are so bound to the consequences of their own sin that they have no moral grounding to teach another what is right and wrong. This is a result of a Godless society!

Fear, pain, arrogance, pride, despair, anger, bitterness, extreme sadness…this is what I see when looking into their eyes. And what is welling up inside of me is a growing passion to be used more and more of God to reveal the risen Savior (the Lord who brings life and freedom to those bound in death) to the world around me—the world of coffee shops, libraries, and Wal-Marts—my world!

What is God calling you to do in “your world”?

Consider what He did for ours!

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” John 3:16

Prayer—The Warrior's Resource

2009-03-31T23:43:00.000-07:00

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).

I am increasingly aware and appreciative of the prayers that others lift up on my account. I do not consider the time they give in prayer a light matter, but one of great importance. I am both humbled and made grateful for those who battle on my behalf—those who call or write to tell me so…and those who war even without my knowledge.

It is through prayer that I am empowered, encouraged, and exhorted by the Spirit. And it is through prayer that I am motivated to continue keeping on even when I would rather give up! Prayer works—not only in the visible realm, often delivering me from discouragement, depression, negative attitudes, a bad perspective, or a bad circumstance—but in the invisible realm as well, defeating principalities and powers of this wicked world, intent upon bringing the work of the Lord to naught.

Paul taught Timothy (his own son in the faith) to “pray for all men”—period. And I think we can pretty much assume he wasn’t referring to “God bless so and so” petitions either. Paul’s recorded prayers are not only powerful, they are wonderful patterns for us to emulate (Ephesians 1:15-23, Philippians 1:1-11, Colossians 1:3-14)—not only for our family, those we worship with, the American church and its leaders, and our national authorities on every level—but even beyond our borders as well! How often do our prayers cross cultural and geographical boundaries? How often do we pray for local pastors serving the church in Nigeria, Nauru, or the Netherlands—and what about the believers who gather under their teaching (sometimes in secret)? Do we pray for their national authorities—and the influence society plays upon the Christians who must live under their rule?

Reality is, we are easily overwhelmed! To consider adding anything else to our already busy schedule can put us into a sweat—without taking the time to process the request we have already decided we really don't have time for it. We barely find a half hour to pray as it is...“and now I'm suppose to add another couple countries to the list—with all their problems regarding leadership and religious persecution?” Where in the world is Djibouti anyway? Honestly, I didn’t know until today! I had to look it up.

The truth is—we don’t pray because we are not familiar with names, locations, or the religious bents of other countries! Because of this lack of information we often don't think past the end of our own block! I personally have enough difficulty deciphering “politics” here at home…let alone remembering the guy who won the last presidential election in some far off African nation!

The fact is—we can! About 5 minutes worth of research provides you with ample ammunition! We have so many handy ways of quickly (and I mean really quickly) pulling up just about any information we would ever need to know about any country here on earth. If you are blessed with some sort of Internet connection you pretty much have the world at your fingertips. In a matter of seconds your prayer page could look something like this:

Djibouti—Eastern Africa
President Ismail Omar Guelleh
Prime Minister Mohamed Dileita Dileita
US Ambassador and Representative (to the UN) Roble Olhaye Oudine

And viola, you are praying for a country and the people that make up that country in a way you have never prayed before!

And through wonderful organizations like The Joshua Project, Strategic World Impact, and The Voice of the Martyrs you can add the names of pastors and their flocks—along with their struggles and stories—to that list in time to share them with your family around the dinner table this very evening. It’s that simple. It doesn’t so much take time as it takes priority!

We need knowledge in order to be accurate in our aim. God wants us in full armor—and our “faces set like flint”—always ready to engage the enemy on many front lines. He wants us praying through someone else’s fight!

Going to our knees on behalf of the ministry of another is essential if they are to continue putting feet to that ministry.

I strive to continue in those things that I have learned of the Lord, being ready in season and out of season, to give an answer for the hope that lies therein! I know that your prayers work to help bring that desire to pass. Please pray that I will be faithful to practice what I preach. And to practice it even before I preach it. I pray the same thing for those of you who read this blog and seek to please the Lord above all else. I would like to know how I could pray for you specifically!

We are exhorted to “shod [our] feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15)…the time we spend doing just that will make us ready to walk into any situation the Lord desires that we walk into, for His glory alone.

What we wear on our feet is very important. The Lord knows the “terrain” (the details within each situation) better than we do. We must always choose the shoes He has ordained for that purpose. Let us be very attentive to the Spirit’s preparation.

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).

Reporting for Duty

2009-03-18T23:06:00.000-07:00

“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).

How do you view the idea of being owned—entirely? Have you ever grasped the full mentality of such a position? Does it feel a little stifling? Archaich? A contradiction to the Freedom we are promised in Christ?

Theologically, we may know we are the servants of the Lord—why, we sing about it at church, read about it in devotionals, and talk about it with other believers. To deny that position would be unquestionable. But practically, behaviorally, we may not always act as if our lives are under the orders of Another. We get up and walk wherever we please (John 21:18), not always checking in with our Commanding Officer—we take counsel with ourselves instead—doing that which is “acceptable” among other believers. We like to assume (assumption does not require reckoning) our declared love, worship, and devotion is all that Jesus (the One who died in order to purchase our redemption) wants from us. We believe we are giving Him a wonderful gift: our desire to serve Him. But when push comes to shove we may not fully complete a task He's given or completely forget to ask His opinion on a certain matter. We feel comfortable in our Christianity and are afraid to ask if He would like to see change. We pray “Your will be done” but often do not wait upon His bidding. Sadly, our knowledge does not always affect our actions—we talk and perform as if we will not have to answer for every word and deed. But, according to scripture—we will!

“Deana, a slave of the Savior...” is not the usual greeting I put in a letter to a friend or give as an intro when meeting someone new—but maybe it should be. Such a reference is telling, is it not? Everything that comes thereafter would be weighed by a perfect standard—whether I am putting my pen to paper or choosing a topic for discussion. This declared reality would require greater thought and constant dialogue with my Master when communicating with someone else. What I say or scribble must not be my words only...but my words approved by His Word! It doesn't have to take away style, opinion, love, care, or creativity...but it will take away sin! So much would be left unwritten. And in many cases, so many things would be left unsaid.

The apostle Paul was always quick to identify himself as “not of himself” but belonging to Someone greater. He began almost every epistle with the declaration that basically stated I do the bidding of Christ alone! The word servant, in 2 Timothy 2:24, literally means having a sense of subjection or subservience—a slave. If we have been bought with a price then we are not our own. Period. That absolute truth cannot be ignored without consequences. If we are pursuing the freedom we have in Christ, in a scriptural manner, then we will naturally find ourselves bound to the Lover of our souls with chords that are not easily broken! It is not a forced servitude...it is a sacrifice of devotion—a compelling love that will drive us to commit all of our ways to the authority of Christ. This will be true even when our flesh screams for us to pick up pride in order to judge situations from a human viewpoint and react according to our natural inclinations. It is natural to respond to a negative comment with a negative comment. It is natural to be condescending to a fool who says “there is no God”—especially if that fool is obnoxious.

Paul knew that.

And that is why he reminded Timothy that he was the servant of the Lord—not a gifted pastor, faithful worker, or wonderful teacher—but a slave. “Timothy,” Paul is saying, “Remember, you belong to God entirely. You must obey, even when life (or the people who make up life) makes obedience tough!” No matter how foolish others may seem to be—no matter how stubborn, sinful, or set in their own ways—God would decide how Timothy should deal with them...not Timothy! I think we should take note!

“The servant of the Lord must not strive”—which means to war, to dispute, to quarrel. God does not want us to be quick to verbally draw our guns even if the other party is dead wrong. It is not our job to correct wrong thinking or modulate wrong actions. We are never told in scripture to war against flesh and blood but against the spirit of evil that dwells in heavenly places. As soldiers of the cross, we must fight against the power of darkness, not the individuals that are bound or deceived by that darkness.

There is a right way to handle the “foolish and unlearned” (vs. 23) and there is a wrong way. As servants of the Lord, it is our duty to discover what our response should include. Even when we are assured of the truth we must temper our approach—it is not about gaining the victory—it is, however, about gaining souls unto salvation! And that must be done in love. We must be careful not to tear down a person while we are tearing down their position—this is not the Spirit of Christ. Jesus Himself rebuked Jame's and John's brilliant plan to “call down fire from heaven” upon those who were rejecting the Lord. “[I] did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them” (Luke 9:55-56). The reality of eternity should affect our course of action—“if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth” (vs. 25). We must, therefore, strive to be relational—talk to them as if they “may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil” and become a brother or sister! (vs. 26).

That possible reality itself should help to keep our attitude in check. Paul says, “the servant of the Lord must...be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient.” Godly persuasion will be confident and pointed...but it will never be contentious or defensive. The Lord's servant must be mild, winsome, and full of kindness. It is possible to be right and pleasant at the same time—even if the other party is neither! This will require patience though—a willingness to continuously endure ill. “The servant of the Lord” must forbear! “The servant of the Lord” must choose to be gentle with all words, kind with every expression, winsome with his personality, and patient with all expectations.

Paul instructed Timothy to impart knowledge instead of quarrel—teach your opposition, don't argue with him. It is vital to be a student of the Word, of Gospel Doctrine, and of those subjects you wish to address if you desire to see change in someone else! Learn what to say in an excellent manner first, open your mouth second! God desires that His people be prepared—allow the Savior the opportunity to prepare you. Spend time with Him. Think. Learn. Pray. “Study to shew thyself approved” (vs. 15) and practice what you learn. Godly persuasion will wisely divide the Word of truth—it will not hit someone over the head with it!

Amy Carmichael said to “rebuke without a pang” is to not understand Calvary love. We understand such love only when we remember that we are not our own—we belong to a precious Savior who will never demand from us that which He did not voluntarily take upon Himself. Jesus, in order to please His Father, chose the life of a slave. He “made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant...and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:7-8). Let us faithfully follow His example!

“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).

A Risk Worth Taking

2009-02-28T20:41:00.000-08:00

“Though it tarry, wait for it” (Habakkuk 2:3).

I think one of the most valuable lessons I have learned (and continue to learn) through the years, is that of sitting still. Sitting still may be an easy concept to grasp but it is very hard to put into practice. To wait upon the Lord requires a quiet mouth and a quiet mind—that would be no fretting, no complaining, and no worrying during that long (for isn’t any wait long?) period of “not moving” (Psalm 37:7). It requires a total trust in God, in His promises, and in His love. It means taking your hands completely off of the situation! It is setting your mind (and all that fills it—all those thoughts that just won't stop) down at the feet of Jesus! It is purposing to keep yourself at His feet!

Not too long ago I heard someone say that those who wait on God risk everything!

The world calls that foolish; God calls it most valuable.

Those who wait on God are vulnerable but they are never fragile—for their security is founded upon a rock that will never be moved. “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart” (Psalm 27:14). “I wait quietly before God…He alone is my rock…my fortress where I will not be shaken” (Psalm 62:6). There is nothing fragile about a rock! And no matter how we feel while we wait, our hold is firmly established on something much greater than our feelings—if we choose to trust the Father with the entire affair.

God shouts to His people through the prophet Isaiah: “Your strength is to sit still!” Shouts—that is what the scriptures say! He obviously wanted to get their attention—the Israelites where running around forming allies with other countries when God had already promised them the victory. We must be very careful not to do the same thing. When we are in our own little battles it is easy to forget God’s promised “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5)! We take up our armor and charge, either physically (through manipulation of others or rashly made decisions), or mentally (through spending way too much time considering all our options)! Declare your trust in that promise today—declare it by sitting still! Our actions (and reactions) say a great deal about what we believe…! Take time to evaluate yours today.

The wait makes our relationship with Christ more precious—it is because we have time (if we take the time) to know Him better. When we understand this concept we have a greater desire to sit still. How else would He get our complete attention? If we plead with God to change a trial to a blessing or fill lonely hours with companionship more then we purpose to commune with Him during the time of distress, we will never know true intimacy with Christ! When an anxious thought fills your mind this week treat it as an invitation from Jesus to “come in and sit with Me awhile”—for that is exactly what it is! The “prescribed waiting period” is not an endurance test—He actually enjoys our company!

Those who wait upon God have everything they ever need—their expectation is in Him—and they believe that what they lack He alone will supply (Psalm 62:5). “The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for Him” (Lamentations 3:25). Sitting still is hard to do when something needs to be done. There will be times when you feel you must make an effort to change something that is bothering you, right a wrong, or remove a trial. Before you take any action, spend time before the Lord pleading His intervention and surrendering every “idea” you have as to when and where. And then, do that one thing Naomi counseled Ruth to do: “Sit still, my daughter [my son], and see how the matter will fall” (Ruth 3:18). This verse alone has brought me comfort upon comfort. It is the command to not worry—to not get uptight—when life is confusing or downright upsetting! It is a command that comes with so much relief—realizing that there is nothing I can do or want to do apart from Christ. It is much easier to “sit still and see” than to worry about how in the world it is all going to happen. Wouldn’t you agree?

This kind of trust in Jesus will bring utter delight to your Savior…and that is what you should desire above all things. As our True Lover, it is the most intimate gift we can give Him—for it is our most precious possession. “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act” (Psalm 37:7).

“Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress, so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God” (Psalm 123:2). He loves our eyes—He wants them gazing at Him! So often our eyes are darting to and fro trying to figure out which way is the right way! There is obviously something powerful about placing our eyes upon the Savior—He didn't just say He finds the utmost pleasure in those that look to Him for everything but in the eyes of those that look to Him for everything! I believe it indicates a voluntary act. It is something I must choose to do—a conscious decision to look away from my all my fears, worries, and problems in order to fix my gaze on Christ alone! And that, dear friend, communicates volumes to the Lord!

Next time you find yourself anxious over any matter, remember what Jesus said to Martha in Luke 10 and rest in the utter simplicity of sitting still at His feet: “My dear [deana—try placing your own name here], you are so upset over all these details! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it—and I won’t take it away from her” (Luke 10:42-43).

“Don’t be impatient…travel steadily along…He will honor you” (Psalm 37:34).

“Though it tarry, wait for it” (Habakkuk 2:3).

Too Many to Count—part three

2009-02-22T21:42:00.000-08:00

“I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9).

And that great multitude cried with a loud voice, “Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb” (Revelation 7:10).

I would like to post three more stories…short and to the point…but utterly important to ponder. Taking the time to revisit true accounts of who God used to further His gospel in the past will place that one goal we must have as believers firmly in our soul today. It was the last thing Jesus instructed us to do before He went back to heaven—“go and make disciples of all nations.” Period—to the point! The methods and means may vary but our purpose is the same—we must be about the salvation of man. That is what should motivate our every move. Hudson Taylor, John Paton, and Mary Slessor desired this purpose above all else. Their physical losses (comfort, family, health, fame, wealth) will be traded in for an eternal reward—forever rejoicing with those they were willing to die for.

Chinese from the Interior
Ningpo Province

Hudson Taylor was the first missionary to enter the Interior of China. He experienced the call to “go” as a teenager—“Go for Me to China”—the Lord spoke clearly on a December day, in 1851, and Hudson obeyed! Although he endured storms at sea and many trials on that five-month journey by boat, God miraculously saw Hudson to his destination at the age of 22!

Hudson Taylor began to learn the language and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in the river towns until he moved “West of the mountains, South of the clouds, North of the lake”—Inland China—in 1865. Through his passion and vision the China Inland Mission was birthed! His fervent prayers and mighty influence drew more than 800 men and woman to leave the companionship of family and comfort of home to cross the ocean and minister within the far reaching miles of inland China. That number is staggering—one man's work encouraging 800 more to serve! At Hudson’s death in 1905 over 125,000 Chinese Christians were serving God in their own country. The Word of God increased in the mountains of China—the Word of God continues to increase in the mountains of China—all through the faithful obedience of one man. Our step forward, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem at the time, may have a monumental effect upon the Kingdom of God.

Hudson’s family endured many griefs and hardships—Hudson himself underwent many trying years personally and spiritually while serving in a foreign land—but it did not deter him from the task. We do not share Christ’s Redemptive plan with others because we are emotionally, physically or spiritual “set”—we share because that is what our King told us to do. Hudson trusted all of his pain and confusion to Jesus and waited for healing and comfort—but while he waited, he worked. He received both revival of heart and harvest of souls.

Can you imagine what would have happened if Hudson Taylor had chosen to put aside God’s obvious command to “go” until he felt adequate enough to carry it out? Multitudes of Chinese alone will one day bow in worship before the throne of their great God—all because of Hudson Taylor’s humble response to the Spirit and obedience to the Great Commission!

The Tannese
New Hebrides

As a young man, John Paton heard the Lord say, “Go across the sea as the messenger of My love; and lo, I am with you.” John was determined to follow that order! In April of 1858, John said goodbye to his homeland of Scotland and sailed to the South Pacific. He arrived on the small island of Tanna (in the New Hebrides) in November of that same year. His faith was severely tested on that cannibal soil—he was overwhelmed by the superstitions and the cruelty of heathen at their worst. Witnessing war, murder, and the cooking and eating of human flesh filled John’s heart with both horror and pity—driving him at times almost to the point of despair.

It was the reality of God’s presence, “Lo, I am with you,” that gave him the strength to complete the task God had given him to do. Years and years of grueling trials, death threats, and grief were used by God as a machete to hack through the thorns and thistles hindering the furtherance of the gospel on the island of Tanna. Although discouraged, this man of God labored on and was rewarded!

Paton declared, "In heathendom, every true convert becomes at once a missionary. The changed life, shining out amid the surrounding darkness, is a gospel in largest capitals which all can see.” And so, John had the privilege of watching men transformed from brutal savages to those zealous for the things of Christ.

Paton died at the age of 83 in 1907. The last sentence of John’s autobiography states: “Let us commune with each other again, in the presence and glory of the Redeemer.” The angel told the apostle John that multitudes of every tribe and tongue would one day stand before their Creator in heaven giving all praise to the Savior of their souls—and because of John’s faithful obedience—the Tannese are included in that incomprehensible number!

Okoyong Tribe
Africa

At the age of 29, Mary Slessor stepped upon African soil along the Calabar River in 1876. Mary left a hard life in Scotland (her father was an alcoholic) to serve her Savior among the cannibal tribes of Africa. She entered what was known as “The White Man’s Grave” with incredible spunk and determination! The further Mary traveled the more needs she discovered and her heart was full with the passion to share Christ with those who had never heard. Working in the coastal villages she longed to go where no white man had ever gone before. As she would lay awake at night and hear the distant noise in the jungle, she prayed fervently that she would be able to go “and help reach them!” The human reasoning given her by other missionaries always said: “No. You would be killed. They cannot be reached.”

Despite this negative response, Mary never gave up praying. God answered the cry of her heart and in 1888 she traveled up river to the Okoyong people—feared by many other tribes. She was the first outsider to ever live among them. A day did not go by without a serious crisis. These people knew only vengeance and cruelty…through the gospel of Jesus Christ, lived and preached, Mary began to teach them what love looked like. Through her intense ability to work, share, learn language, and teach (despite sleepless nights, tropical disease, and physical exhaustion) the Okoyong began to accept Jesus. Free of pagan gods, the Okoyong were now released to understand the love of a Savior—the love Mary had demonstrated year in and year out! Idols disappeared and churches were built!

Azo Tribe
Africa

Although rejoicing in the salvation of her blessed Okoyong Tribe, Mary Slessor felt a great tug on her heart for the “region beyond”! The call was “Onward!” and she answered that call without looking back.

Without looking back—what an example of Paul’s “focusing all my energies on this one thing” exhortation in Philippians 3. Without entertaining one thought regarding any demands her body would have “rightfully” made for retirement, Mary settled among the Azo people. This cannibal tribe also rejected Christ’s message at first, but soon began to listen to what Mary taught because of her example! Although none could read or write yet many believed those things Mary taught. Soon more than 200 converts were reported and Mary begged for pastors to come and teach these new believers.

Mary walked those rough Azo paths until she was too old and feeble to do so. It was then she was carried. In January of 1915, the Lord took Mary home to heaven. Her body was taken down river to Cape Town. There she was buried on a hill next to the mission station where she first served. It was there her body was buried…for her spirit went directly to be with her Savior. After 39 years of dedication in Africa, Mary will one day have the privilege of praising her Redeemer with a vast number of the Okoyong and Azo Tribes (and I am sure countless others), bowing before His heavenly throne for all eternity!

Continue to read true stories of believers who risked everything for the sake of the gospel and, as you do, allow their faithfulness—their utter determination—to excite your own spirit toward fulfilling the Great Commission. Use their stories to excite your own children toward this end.

God was true to His Word, even when it looked like He had forsaken His own. Despite death, disease, fear, captivity, rejection, curses, loneliness, and heartache He answered their prayers—He carried them along and He eventually established His church among heathen nations. He did not do it automatically—in fact, many missionaries of the past were not able to see the full impact the gospel brought to the areas they pioneered. That is often true today as well. It takes time. Lots of time. It is hard to see spiritual progress…goodness, it is hard to see physical progress…especially when you are up to your knees in malaria, markets, misconceptions…cultural differences, language learning…or laundry for that matter. And that is why it is absolutely necessary to supply those, who labor in the field, with encouraging words! With reminders of God’s promises! “A good report” (Proverbs 15:30). The last was God’s idea completely—He desires that we provide refreshment for those far away!

Spend time this week crying out on behalf of the missionaries you know…those who have left family and the comforts of home, in order to draw others to this reality of the “heavenly throne” we are promised in the book of Revelation. Pray that they would be filled with hope and strengthened in their task. And then write and let them know you are praying.

Hudson Taylor, John Paton, and Mary Slessor had the support and prayers of their churches in Scotland and England—but they were not blessed to receive communication as readily as we are today. Take advantage of this technology more often…post a letter, send an email, make a phone call…! Let these dear servants of the King know that you remember their struggle, that you fight their battles in the heavenly realm, that you appreciate their extreme sacrifice, that you have not forgotten their dedication, and that you look forward, with great anticipation, to that wonderful day in eternity future when you will gather to worship the Savior with the very people they are being diligent to reach.

“I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9).

Too Many to Count—part two

2009-02-16T07:45:00.000-08:00

THURSDAY EVENING, JULY 25
SPEAKER REV. WILLIAM ROBY, OF MANCHESTER

Although the date was passed and the meeting transpired, he could not move from that very spot. As he stood there, it was as if time reversed in his mind. He found himself back in his childhood home, sitting by the fire and listening to his mother tell exciting stories of the Moravian missionaries taking the gospel to Greenland. And so, in one moment, it seems to me, Robert was transformed. “Will you give up your plans for My plans?” a Voice plainly spoke in his soul. “Are you willing to suffer that the heathen be saved?”

"Yes, Lord,” he said aloud—and from then on his one driving passion was to take God's Word to some far away place!

Robert sought out Mr. Roby, the man on the poster, and asked if he would secure him an appointment under the missionary society. Mr. Roby was so taken by this young man's earnestness and abilities he spent much of his own personal time instructing him for a service overseas.

As Robert waited to go abroad he took a gardner position in the home of the Dukenfieds. There he met their daughter Mary and discovered that her secret desire for missionary service was as full and strong as his own. He quickly fell in love with Mary and asked her to go to with him to the foriegn field—her excited “yes!” was thwarted when her father found out—“My wife and I have no objection to your marriage, if you will stay in this country; but we will never agree to our only daughter going to some uncivilized land where she would suffer many hardships and, more likely than not, die an early death!” Amidst the dissaproval of parents, the heartache of unfulfilled dreams and the fervent love they had for each other Robert and Mary chose to walk a higher road—they chose to walk beautifully. The love they had for their Lord, and the passion they owned to win the lost was stronger than their human desires for each other! Their determined decision was to part from one another—and so, Robert and Mary said goodbye knowing they may never see one another again.

Robert arrived in Cape Town, Africa in 1817. As a 22 year old, single missionary he dove into his work with ardency. After 8 months of language study, Robert began risking his health, and, at times his very life, to reach out to those who had never heard the gospel of Christ. He lived in African simplicity—his diet conisisting only of milk and dried meat. But Robert had great impact—not only on the natives but also on many of the Dutch missionaries serving in that region—he challenged their thinking greatly when it came to evangelizing the servants. One Dutch man told Robert it would be better to “call the baboons” than to reach out to the Hottentots working in his own home. After opening up the scripture and ministering its truth to the missionary, the man finally said to Robert, “You took a hard hammer and you have broken a hard head.”

Robert was very lonely, but the only news from Mary was that her parents still had not consented to her coming—in fact, they seemed more opposed than ever. In his next letter home, Robert's reply was painfully transcribed, but truthfully written: “In my suffering I am cheered with this one recollection—that it is for Jesus' sake and the salvation of the heathen.” These words came from a heart filled with the deep dissapointment of hope deferred.

But God has His own way, does He not? Almost 2 years to the month that Robert arrived in Africa, God delivered Mary, by boat, to the very town he lived! By an unexpected miracle, Mary's parents completely changed their minds and allowed their daughter the joy of joining Robert in his work.

God eventually led Robert and Mary to the Bechwana tribe on the Kuruman River. It was there they faithfully worked, preached, prayed, and endured great hardship for many, many years without the blessing of one conversion. But with beseeching prayer and steadfast forbearance, both Robert, and his wife Mary, stayed the course and witnessed the birth of a church in 1829 as 6 Bechwana believers were baptized.

God is a rewarder of all those who diligently seek Him! God blesses those who give up their own desires for His. After 30 years of labor, Robert completed the translation of the entire Bible before his death—completely fulfilling the task God had given him to do. The evangelistic movement grew deep and wide!!!!! Because of Robert’s faithful answer to God’s call many of the Bechwana tribe will be numbered in “the great multitude” that gather to praise their King.

I have been greatly effected as I have taken the time to study out the lives of this man and his faithful wife—what joy they brought their Master as they forsook all to carry out His Great Commission. Not only did God use their lives to gather many Bechwana to glory, but Robert and Mary's daughter (bearing her own mother's name) became the wife of David Livingstone. Many, many more were gathered to glory long after their death!

How exciting it will be to look upon the faces of those Bechwana men and woman around the throne of heaven all because 2 very real people, with very real dreams and deep rooted emotions, dared to live a life of total abondonment to their Lord and Savior.

“I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9).

to be continued...

Too Many to Count—part one

2009-02-08T14:27:00.000-08:00

“I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9).

And that great multitude cried with a loud voice, “Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb” (Revelation 7:10).

With the limited imagination I own (and believe me when I say that it is very active, even if limited) I strain to grasp the grandeur of this future event—the beauty of these words spoken in every language, the unfathomable joy pouring from every heart, the reality of eternity beginning to dawn on every mind. I strain, but I am only able to catch glimpses! This promised reality is magnificent—the presence of God, the tribes of Israel, the elders, the beasts, the angels, and the redeemed from every nation all together in the glory of perfection—every eye fixed upon the One who reached down and rescued man from the utter darkness of the grave.

It is hard to comprehend that magnitude here on earth! But I find that taking the time to ponder my own salvation adds incredible emotion to my imagination—for I am numbered (although it cannot be numbered) among this heavenly throng! I was damned to hell—I was doomed to destruction—it was by God's mercy alone that I was not, and will not be consumed! And so it helps to consider how, when, where, and why the Lord rescued my own soul from condemnation. The more I think upon these realities and those God used to show me the truth, the more excited my spiritual senses become. I am grateful for parents, for friends, for pastors, and for other believers who prayed for my conversion, counseled me with scripture, and explained the gospel in its entirety. I am grateful for the Holy Spirit who pursued me, who drew me, and who enabled me to choose to believe and, therefore, to receive the gift of life. My own salvation was wrought with a great price! And I am grateful for those who “worked” to bring it about! The conclusion of life on this earth will birth an eternal worship service—the incredible awareness of just what that price was, while standing in the presence of the One who paid it—will be motivation enough to never stop “cry[ing] out in a loud voice.” In fact, that knowledge alone urges me to begin right here and now. I am overwhelmed with gratefulness and an urgency to share Christ with those who have not yet heard...

There will be a day when all we know will come to a full blown stop—“and an angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven and sware...that there should be time no longer” (Revelation 10:5-6). Time is a precious resource. And so, as Scripture declares, we must value it highly! “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16).

What about our relatives? What about our co-workers? What about our friends? What about our next door neighbors? Will they join us in praise to the Redeemer?

What about the tribal man sitting in fear inside his smoke filled hut—he has just buried his dead wife (and to appease the evil spirits, laid his living child alongside his wife's body before covering them both with earth). Completely oblivious to the hope Christ is offering, this man suffers unmeasurable grief. Darkenss fills his empty eyes, and, as of today, nobody has introduced him to the Savior Who waits to bring him peace—a word he cannot define.

What about the little Asain girl bound to the most hideous form of servantude? She has never felt the touch of a father's love or a mother's caress—only the horrific reality of being sold by those who should protect her. She desires death as relief from the physical abuse—unaware that Jesus can bring freedom and complete healing to her body, soul, and spirit. Darkness fills her very depths, pain has saturated all her senses—she can only see, taste, smell, hear, and feel its reality.

What about the Muslim woman enamored by a false god and a book that distorts the meaning of every attribute belonging to her true Creator—life, love, mercy, forgiveness, freedom, eternity, salvation, joy, truth, etc...? Deluded by an imitation, she is completely ignorant of the “God” she desires to please—this in turn brings bondage and inner turmoil. Will she be surprised on the day of judgement as her sentence of destruction is passed or will she gather among those who praise the Lamb that was slain—the Lamb slain to deliver her from lies and idolatry? Will Jesus take her by the hand and lead her “unto living fountains of waters...and wipe away all tears from [her] eyes” (Revelation 7:17)?

I have been giving a lot of thought to those who will one day stand before God in Revelation 7, “clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.” This pondering has become a study and I have been challenged with my findings—challenged by Paul's “watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry” exhortation to young Timothy (2 Timothy 4:5). I have also been reproved by the lives of those who have gone before me in order to fulfill the work of reaching the nations. I have read how they watched, endured, worked and faithfully completed their tasks.

The results of their faithfulness were often slow in coming and they definitely could not be measured on a human scale. Devotion to "reaching the lost" is utter folly to the world. It is never profitable to measure anything of eternal value according to the world's standard. Never.

But it is powerful to pinpoint the nations, the tribes, the towns, the villages, and the individuals who will be in heaven—and it is practical to discover who God used and how he used them to get them there. It is important, I believe, to take the time to soak up their sacrifice and let their choices influence our own. “How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14).

Bear with me as I ponder this together with you. Observing, calculating, and drawing conclusions as to passion and practice in evangelism can be for our edification, our education, and our exhortation. I hope it is used to increase your prayer life—for it has increased mine. I desire that it will give you ideas, give you courage, and give you compassion for those who yet do not know Jesus. Our goal should be that of our Savior's: The Lord is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Let's be willing to move out of our comfort zone in order to secure the eternal comfort of another.

Samaritans
John 4

There will be those from the village of Sychar, in the land of Samaria, worshipping the Savior in their eternal home because Jesus “need[ed] to go through” that unpopular place! Jesus chose to travel the road to Sychar (He chose the disagreeable route)... before He walked the lonely road to Calvary! He physically sat down beside a well and engaged a woman in conversation. He creatively drew her to a spiritual topic. And Jesus verbally communicated His plan! He took time to speak into the life of one woman…and because of that encounter He was able to speak into the lives of an entire community! Jesus is our example of missionary service—He left the glories of heaven in order to live, breathe, and minister upon “foreign soil.”

He took a road uncommonly traveled by Jews
He placed Himself where people would be passing
He took time to sit among those despised by His own people
He spoke to a woman
He talked about the nitty gritty of her sin
He presented Himself to her as the Messiah

“The woman left her water pot and went her way into the city,” declaring all that Jesus had told her to the people of the town. “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of the woman which testified…and many more believed because of His own word” (John 4:28-40). I look forward to worshipping alongside this unnamed woman...and I can't help but wonder what the ripple effect of her boldness to share all that God had done for her has produced? How many more “Samaritans” will be present before the throne because this little town of Sychar believed!

Gentiles from Caesarea
Acts 10

The apostle Peter heeded the Holy Spirit’s command “to go” where he had never gone before. That act of obedience took him to those he believed to be “unclean.” But it was there, in Caesarea, that Peter declared the truth that states: “God is no respector of persons” (Acts 10:34-35). God had many things to teach this “missionary” and much of it he “learned on the way!” One step at a time.

He promptly followed the Spirit’s leading
He traveled to Caesarea trusting God completely to unfold His will (he didn't wait till it was fully revealed)
He shared his testimony of the vision he had with Cornelius and the others gathered together
He gave the gospel in its entirety

“The Holy Ghost fell on them which heard the word” and they were baptized in the name of the Lord (Acts 10: 44-48). I am particularly moved by Peter's willingness to listen and follow the Spirit, without so much of a hestitation. He trusted the Spirit completely—even as God shook up his “little known world” and asked him to immediately step out of his cultural and theological box. “Just step out,” God basically said, “and trust Me to show you where to walk, who to talk to, and what to say!” There was a mission to be done and Peter chose to be used by His Savior to perform that mission...and because of that willingness, the Gentile church was born. A small group of believers (small enough to fit in Cornelious' house) will be among the throng in heaven worshipping our great King—all because one man dared to follow the Spirit's command!

Greeks from Antioch
Acts 11:20-26

Unnamed men of Cyprus and Cyrene (possibly converts under the missionary service of the church in Jerusalem) were the first to take the Good News to Antioch. There these men spoke to the Grecians, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ—“and the hand of the Lord was with them; and a great number believed” (Acts 11:21).

Men left their towns to carry the Word to those who had never heard
They preached Christ in the strength of the Lord alone
The church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to exhort the new “Christians” (they were first called Christians in Antioch)
Barnabas enlisted the help of Saul—there they stayed for over a year—and “assembled themselves with the church and taught much people” (Acts 11:26)

It was from this church that Saul and Barnabas were sent out for missionary service—this body was formed, matured, and reproduced. The time that elapsed from being evangelized...to evangelizing...was pretty short. How exciting to think of the many that were saved, because of those missionary journeys.

I look forward with anticipation to the day I will worship with this special group of believers—all because “some...men of Cyprus and Cyrene...when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.”

“I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9).

to be continued...

I’ll Be What You Want Me To Be, Dear Lord

2009-02-01T22:35:00.000-08:00

“Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God” (1 Corinthians 7:24).

What do you want to be when you grow up? What are your plans now that you’ve graduated from high school? Are you going to go to college? Do you think you might go back to Russia? or Taiwan? or Mexico? Are you making plans to return to Indonesia any time soon? So, you want to be a missionary??? What’s your objective? your destination? your goal? In other words, “What exactly are you figuring on doing with your life—and when exactly do you plan on getting started?” Believe me, it would be very satisfying for all parties involved (myself especially included) if answering such questions were as easy as choosing what you wanted for dinner and then making it! And then eating it! Period. Planned, purchased, prepared, pastured! But, it is not! And so, many conversations—starting out with an ordinary question—end awkwardly. How does one explain the deep, deep desires of one's heart, the earnest longing to serve one's God, and yet the decision to wait upon His timing to fulfill both, to those who just want a simple answer? One doesn’t!

Many years ago my need for Christ became a burning desire to know Him more. I knew that knowing Christ would mean full surrender. Although the pride in my life seemed to work overtime to barricade such defeat, God in His faithfulness was the Conqueror! I knew for certain God’s hand was on me and that He was selecting me for service—but what exactly did He have in mind? The fact that God had called me was evident! But what was I to do…where was I to aim...where should I place my focus?

Because I knew the Lord wanted to be personally involved when it came down to answering the question—“What do you want to do with your life?”—I began to want to do only those things that would glorify Him. It was easy to choose what I wanted—harder to then choose to put those things in His hands, and leave them there!

“I’ll be what You want me to be, dear Lord,” I had told Him. I meant it! I mean, I thought I meant it, that is, until He gave me an answer I wasn’t quite willing to accept! It didn't look like the answer I was expecting. It required a lot of work—and yet it was not recognized. It was difficult to explain. It was hidden. It was secret. It was lonely. But the rubber needed to meet the road—my talk needed to become practical application. Our Savior doesn’t much care for words or sentiment—unless they are faithfully practiced. He wanted my willingness for sure, but even more than that, He wanted ME!

God declared just exactly what He had called me to be—not in a loud voice and not in an actual “thus saith the Lord” voice—but down deep, down in the recesses of my heart—and I knew that He was giving me my orders. As I took the time to find Him working within every circumstance He allowed to enter my life, I found Him—and there, in the midst of whatever was going on, He would draw me aside and whisper, “I want you to be a servant!” I desired to be a wife, a mother, a missionary, and one who would disciple many…He desired me to be HIS! His completely! The results are still unfolding—but the reality of my calling is sure! Whether I liked the answer was not the point. Would I be willing to obey?

How grateful I was, and am, for that word! I need clarification. My personality thrives on confirmation! He is faithful to continue to supply both!

Every past experience and every present situation has been affected. Not to say that I have behaved correctly within each one—but my attitude and, therefore my response, has definitely been altered within each one. The task is to serve all who are involved. Period! That reality, in itself, completely clears the air. When that assignment is applied, my way is visible. I have something to aim for. My focus is sure! My goal is reachable!

He has led me to serve my family, my church, the body of Christ, friends, strangers, children, and even those who are hard to get along with—especially those who are hard to get along with! The beauty of fulfilling this call?—well, I was able to fully commit to it when I was 16, 18, and 28—and yes, it means I am still able to commit to it today! I can do it when I am single or if I am married, no matter my profession or where I live, if I am in America or across the ocean! And working according to God’s will is what brings utter freedom and satisfaction.

This is exactly what Christ has called me to be...to do…and as I wait for the fulfillment of all my dreams, this is exactly what He wants me to continue to do! As His perfect plan unfolds, changing my name or my position or my geographical location, He never wants me to waver in this task!

Christ leads me by His own example: “taking the form of servant, He humbled Himself” even to death (Philippians 2:8). Paul, therefore, exhorts me to “lead a life worthy of [my] calling, for [I] have been called by God” (Ephesians 4:1-2)—called by God to be like God!

What do you want to be when you grow up? Well, my simple answer—I want to be like Jesus.

“Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God” (1 Corinthians 7:24).

The Key to a Quiet Life

2009-01-25T20:31:00.000-08:00

“Supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made on behalf of all men: for kings and rulers in positions of responsibility, so that our common life may be lived in peace and quiet, with a proper sense of God and of our responsibility to Him for what we do with our lives” (1 Timothy 2:1 Phillips).

As I ponder the change that January 20th brought to our Nation—all the media coverage, all the negative coverage, all the coverage period—I am easily out of sorts, depressed, or fed up! But that is not what God calls me to be. He desires to gather up those emotions and use them for the furtherance of His Kingdom. He wants me to use all my internal energies toward more constructive responses (ie praying, praying, or...uh...praying!). According to the 2nd Chapter of 1 Timothy, there is an important and “proper” response—one that leads to peace and quiet (at least in my heart and home—the promised peace to the world will come at Christ's return!)—and it is a response the Lord holds me responsible to keep! That is sobering to consider...especially when I consider the time I spent (or better put, did not spend) in prayer for my county this last week! Pray? Yes, I did! Consistently? Uhhhh, no, I did not! There is one word that comes to mind: minimal! And when I take a moment to recall the time I thought about or talked about my country, that word minimal, in regards to prayer, becomes very shameful indeed! I have been commanded to pray, and in the sight of God our Savior this is undoubtedly the right thing to do:“for His purpose is that all men should be saved and come to realize the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3). Writing out a prayer helps me to Biblically, and therefore, boldly, come before the throne of God. I ask you to join me in praying for those God has seen fit to put into office.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Your word tells me that I must pray for all people in authority over me, that I may live in peace, in godliness, and in dignity (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Lord, I give thanks this day for every branch of government and every individual that you have appointed to rule and judge within this great Nation. You appoint Kings and you take down kingdoms! You, O Lord, are Sovereign!

I plead Your mercy upon our President, Barack Obama, his cabinet, and our Vice President, Joe Biden; I plead Your mercy upon our Congress—those residing in the House and the Senate; I pray specifically for our Congressmen, Representatives, and Senators; I plead your mercy upon our Mayors and Governors; and I plead Your mercy upon our Supreme Court Judges—those who hold great power—as they pass laws that either reflect or discredit Your judgment. I lift up Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice John Paul Stevens, Justice Antonin Scalia, Justice Anthony Kennedy, Justice David Souter, Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Justice Steven Breyer and Justice Samuel Alito, and ask that they will look to their higher Authority, the Eternal Judge, in the last day.

Whenever I assemble with other believers to pray, Your word tells me that it must be without anger and controversy (1 Timothy 2:8). Forgiveness is a major key to not being “outsmarted” by the enemy (2 Corinthians 2:11). I am familiar with his evil schemes and desire to come before You, Lord Jesus, with no harbored bitterness against anyone. Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart, be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord (Psalm 19:14).

As my prayer is to be an expression of my love, may it be pure and Christ-like, full of compassion and tender mercy! Lord, You felt great pity when you saw people, because their needs were so great, and because they did not know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36-37). Lord, You are that Great Shepherd and You are good. You promise to be a Guide to those who have gone astray. You promise to bring back those that are scattered. Lord, please rescue those that are lost—break their chains of bondage. Bind up the injured and strengthen the weak (Ezekiel 34).

Lord, I pray that these men and women would come to full salvation from sin and gain an understanding of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). I pray against the god of this evil world, who has blinded their eyes from seeing the glorious light (2 Corinthians 4:4). I pray that Your light would dispel their darkness and that they would be freed from the power of Satan and be set apart to God (Acts 26:18). May I stand firm against the strategies of the wicked one as I pray for those in authority over me—for I wrestle not with flesh and blood, but against rulers, and against authorities of the unseen world and wicked spirits in heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:11-12).

Lord, you desire that none should perish. I pray that our President and those who hold high office would believe that you exist (Hebrews 11:6)—that they would seek You with all their hearts, and that they would find You (Matthew 7:7).

I pray that those in authority over this country would display a godly and just rule (Proverbs 16:12). May they commit their works to You, for then their plans to succeed will come to fruition (Proverbs 16:3). I pray that those who govern this nation will seek wisdom from You alone, for You alone can grant it (Proverbs 2:6). I pray that they will please You in all their ways—for You promise to protect those who please You—even their enemies will be at peace with them (Proverbs 16:7).

Lord, I pray that these men and women would practice self-control, for without it they are like a defenseless city (Proverbs 25:28). Lord, their actions will greatly effect the protection of this county. I pray that they would have a tender conscience—that they would confess their sins and forsake them (Proverbs 28:13-14). And I pray that they would hate dishonesty and brides (Proverbs 28:16).

Dear Father, I pray that you will bless our Nation through these individuals. You have promised to listen intently to my prayer, and I am confident in Your word that says that whatever I ask according to Your will, will be given to me (1 John 15:14-15). It is Your will that none would perish. It is Your will that all would come to a greater understanding of the truth. I anticipate the remarkable secrets You will reveal (Jeremiah 33:3).

In Your most Precious Son’s Name, Jesus Christ, and through His Blood, Amen.

“Supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made on behalf of all men: for kings and rulers in positions of responsibility, so that our common life may be lived in peace and quiet, with a proper sense of God and of our responsibility to Him for what we do with our lives” (1 Timothy 2:1 Phillips).

You Gotta Go!

2009-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

“Go and make disciples of all nations...teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20 NLT).

The usual practice engaged in during the turn of a New Year is that of making resolutions. We resolve to eat better, to work harder, to love deeper...and yet to our shame, when those grand resolves are met with challenge, in many cases, they are outwitted and topple! We had been determined to hold our tongue...but we failed the first opportunity we were given! The problem is with the one who tries our patience, of course, and they seem to be at every turn. “I could better watch my temper if I didn't have to deal with that individual.” Sound familiar? Well, it's an excuse! And excuses come and go—and sadly they take our desire for righteous behavior right with them if we are not careful to confess our inadequacy and try again. Unless we are determined to not give up, we will do just that! Old habits are hard to break! I am thinking of several habits I wish my resolving alone would do away with: lethargy, fear, making the easy choice (not necessarily the right one!)...just to name a few! I am resolved more than ever to “Go into all the world...” (Mark 16:15) and yet that will not happen unless I actually go! Unless I put words, feet, and hands to my resolve it will be forgotten and go stale!

Our resolve is only our admittance to a problem and the desire we have to see it changed, it is not the problem solver. This must be clearly understood or we will never experience revival. If you want to get in shape then you must plan to exercise—your muscles need to be manipulated or they will not be transformed. If you want to hold your tongue then you must have a ready word to any rebuke or irritating comment—without such preparation you will only end up saying the wrong thing...again! And if you want to share Christ to a world lost in sin then you must know what Biblical evangelism is—and you must go about practicing it.

Along with the Word of God, YOU are what God ordained to use in order to tell the world about His redemption. Evangelism does not “just happen”—it involves people—people willing to carry out Jesus’ command to “go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” It requires feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace and a mouth willing to tell others how they can find that peace. And just like any resolution, YOU must put into action a plan of attack or you will see no fruit. If you desire to effectively do this, you must learn and then follow the example Jesus set while He was here on earth! We are told that Jesus was determined to only do that which His Father bade Him to do. If you are resolving to “Go!” this New Year, then jot down some of the ways Jesus went about it—and apply them! Here are some that I have noted:

Jesus overcame temptation. Satan will come to tempt me as well (when I am discouraged, loaded down with care, filled with doubts, tired, etc) and he will give me reason to dwell there, and in fear or frustration, forsake the command. I must be as ready as my Savior was. Jesus defeated His enemy with the Holy Scripture—I must do the same—for I must believe (and therefore act upon) what I declare to the lost to be true!

Jesus yielded to the Holy Spirit. I must never forget the importance of this deferring act. God will use me to befriend an individual, to declare His truth, and to pray for their salvation, but it will always be the Spirit that arranges the encounter, draws the heart to understand, and answers the prayer by making them a child of God!

Jesus made preaching high priority! I must do the same. Although it is always important to “live out” my Christianity it should never be done as a substitute for “preaching out” my Christianity. I must look for ways to step out of my comfort zone and open my mouth. There must be words to back up any spiritual principle I practice. Whether it is honesty in the work place or holiness in the public square—I should be able to explain why (from a Biblical Worldview) and lead someone to the Scriptures.

Jesus was committed to people and He was committed to prayer! As I read through the Gospels I see our Savior teaching crowds, healing crowds, feeding crowds, walking with crowds, having compassion on crowds (that can wear a person out!!!!). We know that Jesus experienced physical exhaustion...and yet we know He never sinned! Jesus ministered to people, but He also pulled away from them—“getting into a boat and rowing to the other side”—not to take a nap, but in order that He might pray! Jesus was committed to prayer as much as He was committed to people! If people are essential to evangelism…prayer is vital! Jesus not only received His “daily assignments” during times of intercession, He received power and the needed strength that allowed Him to minister so beautifully. I think the two must be in place—or evangelism will not be effective. If I minister without prayer I will become frustrated, impatient, and unloving to those I am trying to win to Christ—for I will be doing it all in my own strength (as if it us up to me!)—and I will fail miserably! Jesus knew that it was His Father that drew men’s hearts, and so, He talked to Him about it constantly.

Jesus called others to help. He said“'Come after me!'...and straightway they forsook their nets and followed Him” (Mark 1:17-18). I am not supposed to do this on my own! I need the support and the encouragement from others. And so do you! We need to draw from each other's strengths, lift each other up when we are tired, and be an intricate part of each other's prayer life! If I am resolved to “Go” then I must persuade you to come along with me!

Evangelism is just as necessary today as it was when the Church began. We are not asked to consider making this a priority...we are commanded to carry it out! God desires that none perish but that all come to saving faith—we must passionately desire the same thing! Here is where the church must be resolved—for according to the Word of God, there is only one way that we can carry this out: “How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14).

“Go and make disciples of all nations...teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20 NLT).

The Promised Curse

2008-12-31T01:35:00.000-08:00

“It shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee” (Deuteronomy 28:15).

This grim verse of doom comes on the heels of an amazing tally of God’s supply—promised provisions for His people (14 verses to be exact). Do you need a secure hold through life, protection from your enemy, victory in your battle, food on your table, love within your family?—“hearken diligently to the voice of the Lord” and you are freely given each and every one! But this Almighty Blessing Giver brings a grave warning to all who refuse to walk in His ways. He calls them curses.

Not long ago I heard a Preacher say, “God will never do anything in your life without telling you about it first.” He is an honest God. Blessing or curse—whatever it is we are experiencing at this moment—we had it in writing first. The absolute wonder of this truth is this: we have the ability to choose what we want to receive.

That reality is sobering. The fact that we can curse ourselves (by how we choose to behave) must be pondered in a serious light. We must seek to obey our God in every area of our life: our speech, our morals, our worship, our work, our community, our entertainment, our money, our authorities, etc. He has something to say regarding each one. Therefore, we have a responsibility to know just exactly what it is He has to say.

After spending quality time recounting all that God had done to bless their forefathers, Joshua puts out a plea to those of the household of Jacob—basically he says, “Now its your turn! Today, YOU must decide to personally serve the Lord in sincerity and truth—YOU must choose this for yourself” (Joshua 24:14). Joshua then stands up and forcefully states his own allegiance to God. “As for me and my house,” he declares boldly, “We will serve the Lord” (Joshua 25: 15). That command, issued to the Israelites before receiving their promised inheritance, is ringing in our ears yet still: “Choose you this day whom you will serve.” We must heed it! This is significant to securing a blessing instead of a curse. There is a decision to be made—and it is to be made daily. What will we choose today?

Will we choose to trust in man? Will we use our own reasoning abilities to get us out of tough situations? Will we find security in our own strength—whatever strength we can muster? Will we forget God in our time of distress and turn to others for counsel? Thus saith the Lord in Jeremiah 17:5: “Cursed be the man!”

Will we choose to keep what God calls His? Will we refuse the Lord our tithes and offerings? Neglecting to cheerfully give back a small part of all that He has given to us, will we choose to hoard those resources instead? God declares forthrightly that He departs from those who depart from His ordinances—“For I am the Lord, I change not” (Malachi 3:6). If we do not bring our tithes into His storehouse He will close up the windows of heaven—His physical blessings toward us will dry up! If you rob me, He says plainly, “Ye are cursed with a curse” (Malachi 3:9).

Will we choose to neglect those in great need? Will we ignore the fact that many are in want—pretending they do not exist? Are we comfortable to stay within our houses of warmth oblivious to those left out in the cold? Will we turn around, turn the channel, or turn the page when confronted with those in poverty? Will we judge their plight in condescending tones? The Bible calls it “hiding our eyes.” Whether this is done in pride or ignorance the result is the same—“ye shall have many a curse” (Proverbs 28:27).

Will we choose to take the law into our own hands—a traffic law, a tax law, a property law—and decide what is best? God calls it removing landmarks! And He does not like it. Will we choose to allow injustice to bind the innocent? Will we treat the stranger, the fatherless and the widow with indifference—putting the letter of the law above the spirit of the law? Will we use our power to abuse those who have no protection? “Cursed be he!” (Deuteronomy 27:17-19).

Will we choose to preach, teach, share, or counsel others while neglecting our own personal sin? Will we judge harshly those in immorality while dabbling in it ourselves? Will we choose to lie and cover up our wrong behavior in order to appear godly? Will we minister to others in order to receive praise? Will we choose our own glory instead of Christ’s? “Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully” (Jeremiah 48:10).

Will we choose to dishonor our parents? Will we turn aside from their teaching and engage in sinful lifestyles, openly mock their standards, or just neglect our duty to love and respect them? Will we choose to ignore their physical needs—and justify the sin of not taking care of them? Will we choose to harbor bitterness against them? Will we choose to place our own knowledge and desires above their advice and refuse to seek it out? “Cursed be he that setteth to light by his father or his mother” (Deuteronomy 27:16).

The Hebrew word that our Lord God uses throughout the Old Testament for curse is translated to mean execrate in the English language—“to declare to be evil or detestable; to denounce; to detest violently; to put under a curse.” God chose to use very strong speech when setting forth His decrees. He will honor His word. If you obey them, He will bless you abundantly. But, if you disobey them, He will determinedly set Himself against you—against your family, your crops, your wealth, your health, your defense, etc.! We cannot separate our Lord from His commandments—they are one and the same. God is the “I Am”—His name, His character, His ordinances, His promises… “I Am!” Do we believe Him? He loves His Law! Therefore, we are also called to love His Law.

God declares that disobedience is detestable—whether we feel it to be detestable or not! So many of our sins are easily justified as “meaningless”…but they will bring a curse, nonetheless! David prays, “Search me and know me—create in me a clean heart—keep me from presumptuous sins—make the thoughts of my heart acceptable in Your sight!” David understood the importance of not cursing himself—Psalm 119 is a powerful testimony to that fact! I pray that I will treasure the precepts God has set out in His Word and, therefore, choose to receive the promised blessing—not the promised curse.

The Attitude of Hospitality—part two

2008-12-17T12:40:00.000-08:00

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Meeting the need of another

Obviously, hospitality is more than just being able to see the need of another; it is reaching out to meet that need! Meeting a need requires a deliberate act—opening up your home, cooking a meal, delivering a meal, making a phone call, putting your own schedule on hold to play a vital role in someone else’s, writing a letter, giving financially, speaking words of encouragement and counsel, listening, listening, listening, being sensitive to the struggle of another, spending quality time in prayer that God would comfort and provide, praying out loud for those in need, etc... But the ability to preform that act, whatever it may be, is often rooted in your own experience. The more you acquire in the “need department” the more resources you will be given to meet the needs of others, that is, if you have responded correctly (as did Job) to God’s sovereignty.

Webster’s defined the word attitude as a “mental position, a feeling, or an emotion toward a fact or state.” The only way we gain valuable treasure, a reservoir that we will draw from in order to minister to those in need, is by receiving our own trials with the correct mental position. When God began to reveal this truth to me, it changed my perspective drastically—even though it did not decrease the pain. God was teaching me the absolute precious value of experiencing a need! Agony, disappointment, heartache, sorrow, discouragement, etc… these emotions still overwhelm me at the point of need—they still well up inside my soul without warning when I am reminded of my want or when pain has been inflicted—but now they do not control my response.

As I cry out to Jesus and seek His comfort, in the midst of my pain, I become increasingly aware of His presence. Despite my "not again, Lord!" thoughts and the tempation to think that He must not care, I choose to look up though my tears. And there I see Jesus holding my situation (that ugly, hurtful, lonely situation) in His nail scarred hands—He has those precious hands stretched out in front of me and He is asking if I would accept this difficult reality as a gift—He wonders if I would be willing to embrace it as I would one of His blessings. In that intimate moment, my mind expands to the realness that what I choose will effect another—the truth that God is entrusting a priceless resource to my possession—a possession I will be able to invest in someone else's life. Even when my strength fails (for it does!), my desire is to reach out and do that one thing that is pleasing to the Savior.

I still often wrestle with the fact that in doing so I am not only saying “Yes, Lord”, but I am willingly agreeing to His timing and to His decision as to the amount of pain I will be receiving. I spend a lot of time praying that Jesus would give me the strength to continue holding it. It is a complete surrender—a death I feel to the uttermost. But what follows is a stillness that covers every ounce of the pain and an awareness that God only asks from me that which He intends to use. He tells me that I am of greater value to His Kingdom when I am content.

Are you experiencing loneliness in your life, disappointment in your marriage, or accusation from a friend? What is your mental position regarding that thing? I’m not suggesting you justify the sin committed by another or ignore the pain that is real—but how about leaving that which is out of your control with the Lord, and instead, consider your attitude in light of His sovereignty. When we focus on those things we cannot change we will quickly become self-centered, and that, we have learned, is a sure way to quit "doing good." A wonderful picture of this principle in play is found in Luke 22. Jesus is arrested—talk about being sinned against, feeling deserted, and stepping into a situation that seems completely out of your control. In the fear and choas of guards and soldiers and swords and fire coming to take his master, Jesus' dear friend and loyal disciple reaches for his sword in order to defend the Savior—slashing through the ear of one of the High Priests servants. Jesus, despite His own agony, stooped down and touched the place that had been wounded, bringing complete healing to the young man's ear. Jesus "went about doing good" even in the midst of a horrible trial. That is because Jesus had the correct mental position (He had settled it earlier in the garden) regarding what was happening.

You must believe that nothing enters your life without our Savior’s stamp of approval. Are you resisting what God is obviously allowing by thinking you don't deserve it? Has it made you angry? Are you sulking? Are you harboring bitterness—updating that record of wrongs daily in your mental journal?

Or...are you surrendering your attitude toward this trial and taking the time to seek Christ through it?

Dear believer, God has a plan for your pain—He wants to use your sorrow to awaken your heart to His love, and He wants to use your affliction to make you aware of someone else’s pain. Allow Him that precious privilege. Respond correctly to His chastisement—whatever that may be.

Be assured that God has a purpose. He wants to teach you how to adorn the attitude of hospitality in a practical way—He wants you to wear that attitude, as did His Son. He allows the need in order that you might experience what it is like to have Christ meet that need. Tell the Lord that you desire to glean from what He allows in order to minister God's blessings to others.

Your awareness of another’s loneliness is heightened when you are alone yourself. Your sensitivity to those who suffer is learned while enduring your own pain. You would not know the depth of another’s need without being in want yourself. View your trial as a precious jewel—a valuable experience—that will teach you how to serve others as your Savior chose to serve you. Thank the Lord for it—for you will only excel in this “good work” if you accept what the Lord is allowing you to experience. It is okay to ask the Lord to take it away—it should increase your prayer life—but wait quietly for the Lord to remove it. You will find that your acceptance will make you a better friend and will grant you freedom within your relationships (even those hard relationships).

When you are determined to turn your eyes from yourself and accept hard things in your life, you will beautifully demonstrate the quality of hospitality. It is gained through humility!

In desiring to be hospitable learn how to be nothing. It is only in emptying yourself (of yourself) that Christ can fill you completely with His love, compassion, time, and energy! Hospitality is the attitude that allows you the wisdom to see a need. Hospitality then becomes the act of meeting that need!

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

The Attitude of Hospitality—part one

2008-12-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

In the book of Matthew, Jesus instructs us to “let our light so shine before men” that others may see our righteous deeds and, therefore, praise our Father! In 1 Timothy, Paul instructs men who desire the office of Elder to show love toward the believers—especially strangers and foreigners—and he exhorts women to actually array themselves (as one would fine jewelry), with the ornaments of good works. God is making His desire quite clear—we are to emulate His character continually. “Jesus…went about doing good” (Acts 10:38) and so must we! Following this example of Christ seems to define a godly woman as well as a faithful worker!

Hospitality is a practical way for us to apply this command! To “go about doing good” is to keep our eyes wide open to those who have needs…and to keep our arms wide open to those who need care. Hospitality is ministering to the physical, the emotional, or the spiritual needs of others!

Seeing and Meeting

The first thought that pops into our heads when considering hospitality might be fixing one of our favorite meals and then inviting a friend over for dinner—the fun is abounding and the fellowship, oh, so sweet! There is something very fulfilling when we receive another in this way. It just feels good to know we have blessed someone else! Although this picture is not completely missing the point, it is definitely not conclusive! There is so much more to consider. Yes, we are to show hospitality to close friends, fellow believers, and traveling missionaries—we are to open our homes, invite to our tables, or supply specific needs. But it behooves us to look deeper into the heart and soul of this word, for we are not only asked to “do” good works but to “adorn” ourselves with them! The first requires an action…the second, an attitude!

Gaining an appropriate attitude is a duty we must never neglect when considering the ministry God has called us to! A ministry, coupled with the wrong attitude, can be very damaging. Paul states, very clearly in scripture, that not just the act but the “attitude of hospitality” is crucial to both the role of a man and of a woman in the church! Men should never lead without it! And women should never worship without it!

Attitude /n 2 a: a mental position with regard to a fact or state b: a feeling or emotion toward a fact or state 3: a position assumed for a specific purpose

Obviously, according to Webster’s definition, an attitude is setting you up to respond either correctly or incorrectly to certain people or situations! The proper attitude makes all the difference in the world. The attitude that is rooted in pride will cause you to sin—you will neglect, or unintentionally miss, valuable lessons that teach you how to meet another’s need. In contrast, an attitude taken straight from the mold of humility will produce good works in accordance to hospitality.

If hospitality is both seeing and meeting immediate needs, how does our attitude effect the way we carry it out?

Seeing the Need of Another

We must be selfless! This is the first role our attitude must play in the act of hospitality. If we are self-consumed then we will be blinded to the real needs of those around us! If seeing is required for Biblical hospitality, then it is vital to remove distractions! I'm not sure about you, but in my life, “I” am my biggest distraction!

Many years ago, God started asking me to surrender my own perspective on life and allow Him to reign in my heart and mind completely. God began taking the “me” out of everything and replacing it with “Him.” He must matter most—whether I was considering my own needs or those of another. I wasn’t always the most cooperative daughter. I still squirm at times! But I have come to learn that surrender of what is lovely produces the most beautiful reward.

Wanting to be like Christ is far from being like Christ. Being like Christ involves a lot of work—and it needs continual evaluation from someone outside of yourself. As soon as you feel you have taken a step in the right direction, you are met with a wall of your own failures (or of somebody elses)! The attitude your flesh wears wants discouragement to set in. Oh, how our flesh longs to feel sorry for itself and to think the “task” completely impossible. But our Lord, if we listen closely, is cheering us on. He is reminding us that we do not make progress in our own strength—ever. And He knows what it is like to serve those who are oblivious to our sacrifice. When we are tempted to look to ourselves, feel sorry for ourselves, pity ourselves, coddle ourselves (you get the point!), we must ask God for the ability to crucify “ourselves.”

The hymn writer, Frances Havergal, not only learned the secret behind such death—she took the time to pen its process! Verse by verse, Frances surrendered each and every part of who she was. The first stanza starts: “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord to Thee; take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.” She identified those things (and those body parts) that we often attach to our will—our hands, our feet, our desires, our loves—and she deliberately gave them to Christ, for His use alone. Open up a hymnal, and in your quiet time with Jesus sing and pray each line to the Lord with a willingness to be used of Him. Spend quality time surrendering the attitude of your heart! When that happens, you will not only see better, you will be given new eyes—eyes that can keenly observe someone else’s need!

Before such surrender our vision was dim and the quality of our sight depended on how we felt at the time! Not now! Now we are able to see those around us through the eyes of our Savior. And because of that, we exercise the act of hospitality more completely. We cannot meet needs unless we see them first. And we cannot see needs, unless we are looking outside of ourselves!

There will be times when we are overcome with our own trials—when our own desires are being unmet and we feel unable to meet another’s. It is hard to “go about doing good” to those around us (especially those closest to us) when we are painfully aware of our own want. But it is possible! Amy Carmichael wisely writes that the very moment we are “conscious of the shadow of self crossing our threshold, we must shut the door and keep that door shut!” It is when we neglect this forceful action that we become consumed with the lie that says: I cannot meet another’s need when I am needy myself. This thought is justified with a hundred different reasons as to why, and, just like that, we become selfish—often oblivious to the fact!

The problem is not that we desire comfort, but that we use our pain as an excuse to neglect “good works.” If we focus on what we deserve (and are not receiving) more than how we can be useful to others, we will leave off applying the principles observed in Philippians 2. And we will quit being hospitable.

When you have needs, look to Christ, not to your selfish heart. Your heart will teach you to place your expectations on others—not on the Lord (and He wants them!)—and it will feed you the bread of discontentment! Jesus excels in the area of hospitality. Let Him do what He does best—let Him serve you. Jesus took the character quality of hospitality to an amazing level by giving up His very life for yours. “Let this mind [this attitude] be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Jesus will meet your needs and, in doing so, will free your heart so that it can perceive the needs of others!

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

To be continued...

Accepted In the Beloved

2008-12-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

“God is no respector of persons: but in every nation, he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted...through [Jesus'] name, whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:35, 43).

I heard the story of Jesus for the first time when I was a small child. My parents were diligent to instruct me in the ways of God through all my growing up years. I chose to believe with my mind those things I heard, and prayed as a little girl, trusting Jesus to “save me from my sin.” I learned Bible Verses, went to church, and participated in church activities…but I continued to have a sense of need and fear regarding my salvation. It extremely bothered me. Although I had “outwardly accepted” the free gift I was told about, I had not allowed Jesus access into my life to change me—and I struggled with many sins. I wanted to keep my sin hidden. I was afraid to be seen as I really was—afraid I would not truly be accepted. I feared that rejection immensely. I believed the good news, that Jesus died and rose again—I never doubted the truth that Jesus was God—but I had never experienced its power.

As a teenager, I gave way to bad peer pressure, involving myself in wrong activities and lies. I saw God as a punisher, not a rescuer, and my guilt was a burden I could not get rid of. Instead of turning from sin when convicted of it, I would “confess” it to God and seek to do penance—something to make me acceptable (feel acceptable) in His sight once more. I would “ask Jesus into my heart” again; I would make promises, never intending to keep them; I would deny myself the one thing that got me into trouble…for a while. But time only proved I was controlled by sin, not by the Spirit. I did not feel loved by God. I did not feel my behavior would allow such love. I had never fully accepted His payment for my sin debt, because I had not fully understood the gospel. I wanted to be rid of my sin problem but my spirit was full of pride.

I had never laid myself bare before the Lord—I wanted to appear clean without having to come to grips with the reality of my sin. I will never forget the day God began to reveal this truth to me. I had recently been wounded. God, in His great wisdom, had brought me to a place of despair and the feeling of human rejection was overwhelming. He used that trial in my life to soften my heart toward His compassionate care. As I opened up the comfort of His Word, I was overwhelmed by the desire to be “accepted in the Beloved” like never before. This thought consumed me. I wanted to KNOW that I was His completely—I believed that that alone would secure my satisfaction.

He tenderly revealed to me that His acceptance of me was based upon His goodness, not upon my performance; therefore, it was possible. There was such freedom in that truth—God knew me utterly and accepted me entirely?—it was hard to wrap my mind around it. But as I allowed God to look upon the ugliness of my sin I was able to trust, for the first time, His complete ability to forgive and cleanse me. I could do nothing to earn salvation and my attempts were repulsive to the Savior. I was overwhelmed with His great love for me and I desired to please Him above all else. I opened myself up to His Word—I had never read the Bible for personal instruction in the past—and He began to change me. I began to hate my sin (not just hate the consequences of that sin) and pray for true deliverance from those things that bound me.

God answered those prayers.

I continue to gain the victory and enjoy my relationship with Jesus—it grows sweeter day by day. "I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine" (Song of Solomon 6:3). He gives life. And He is faithful to every promise.

"God is no respector of persons: but in every nation, he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted...through [Jesus'] name, whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:35, 43).

Move Me With Compassion Lord

2008-11-04T21:43:00.000-08:00

“Pray for all people…this is good and pleases God our Savior, for He wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1,3-4 NLT).

Prayer is of utmost importance to God—He asks “who will stand in the gap?” and desires that my response be “I will, Lord!” All through scripture God has delighted to work through the prayers of man. He wants to use man as an intricate part of His miracles (i.e. Moses lifting his staff at the shore of the Red Sea). It is His design. I desire to be a part of that plan.

I am learning that taking the time to pray makes the passion in my heart more than just an emotion. Anyone can be stirred and overwhelmed by the need to pray…but it requires self-discipline and quiet time alone to take that need to the Throne of Grace. Emotion must be grounded in activity or it is worthless to the Kingdom of God.

I have been learning the importance of being deliberate about my prayer times: Setting a specific time designated for prayer (walking in the morning). Making lists (people’s names, countries names, tribes, churches). Writing out “God’s Own Heart” in order to structure my prayers (Scripture).

I have been challenged greatly by Jesus’ plea in Matthew 9:36-38. If I desire to be like Christ I must gaze on those around me through His eyes. Jesus looked upon the multitudes (city dwellers, religious people, those ridden with disease) with the tenderness of a Savior.

“Jesus was moved with compassion…” Jesus allowed His emotions to “get involved!” Although it doesn’t stop there—it must start there. I must allow the Spirit opportunity to “move” me with compassion as well. Although there are times when our sympathy for another comes quite naturally, for the most part, we will remain oblivious to many needs around us unless we deliberately ask God to give us this discernment.

“…because they fainted…” Jesus took time to be attentive to the real needs and the problems behind those needs. Real need: they were scattered. Problem behind that need: they had no shepherd.

Those that appear angry, confused, rude, or depressed…have a reason to be angry, confused, rude, or depressed—they are scattered. They have no sense of direction. Their behavior will most likely offend us. They usually are not asking for deliverance and will probably despise your attempts of showing care! It is easy to be irritated with the store clerk who treats you like a criminal for choosing his checkout line. It takes time however, to see past your frustration regarding the incident, and with compassion, ask God to save him from his wandering.

“Other sheep I have, that are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold and one Shepherd” (John 10:16).

It is the reality of their true condition that will give you the desire to introduce them to their Shepherd. If that does not move you, spend time praying that it will!

“…the harvest is plentiful…” Jesus always recognized the spiritual need alongside the physical want. He immediately identified them as “God’s Harvest”—individuals God desired to bring to saving faith. If God desired that, so would His Son! If His Son desires that, so should I! It is important to always link the physical to the spiritual—for sin is man’s greatest problem. There may be a place for anger management seminars, support groups that meet every Tuesday, and medicine for depression but these helps must never replace Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, and Psalm 11:6. Unless there is freedom from sin, man will remain condemned.

“Pray therefore…” Jesus used His compassion, and sensitivity to their needs, as motivation to pray for their salvation. He pleaded with His Father to send laborers to work the fields. It is so important to plead God’s Mercy on those that are lost. Our greatest desire should be their rescue.

First, look out at the multitudes (in Wal-Mart, the place you buy groceries, etc.). Second, remember what you see. Third, write down names of those you meet, or just descriptions if you were never introduced (i.e. the hateful mother with two small children I passed at the mall last Thursday, etc.). And fourth, pray that they will be found!

“Pray for all people…this is good and pleases God our Savior, for He wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1,3-4 NLT).

The Heart Of Our Father

2008-10-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

“We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found” (Luke 15:23-24 NLT).

It has been very good to observe the character (or lack thereof!), and the tendencies of “the lost” in the parable of the Prodigal son. Jesus told this story to the Pharisees and the teachers of religious law who were complaining about His association with tax collectors and sinners—“such despicable people—even eating with them!” (Luke 15:2 NLT). It is easy to sense their utter disgust at those our Savior chose to befriend. Therefore, He creatively puts together three illustrations, one right after the other—in order to stop their foolish mouths—this story being the last. His point was simple: Men who are lost, need to be found.

Jesus’ mission was to do just that. The Pharisees were as guilty as those they shunned…but they had deceived themselves with religious garb and self-righteous talk. Jesus knew their hearts and turned away from their pride—they did not see themselves as “lost” and therefore they could not “be found.”

The parable of the lost son is very powerful—it describes in detail the state of man’s lost condition and the faithful love of his Redeemer. Humility played a key part in this son’s turn around. Jesus wanted to teach the Pharisees what God holds in great value, and it was not “their righteousness.” Their religious show was a reproach to the Almighty. God treasures the heart of a repentant sinner—even a sinner that bears the stench and grime of his ungodly actions.

Scripture tells us that the tax collectors and the notorious sinners came to Jesus in order to hear Him teach—this indicates that they were aware of their need. Jesus spends time with those who desire truth—His heart is open to them.

“A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, I want my share of your estate now, instead of waiting till you die” (Luke 15:11-12 NLT).

When the Prodigal son demanded his “rightful” possessions he showed love only for himself. Self is the lost man’s entire concern. He may appear benevolent at times, but his heart only beats for his own needs—if meeting the needs of others brings satisfaction, then that is what he will do—but when push comes to shove, he is always thought of first. He is greedy. He is impatient. He lives for the present, the now, and gives no thought whatsoever, to the promised what will come (the promised reward or judgment).

“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and took a trip to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money on wild living” (Luke 15:13 NLT).

The Prodigal son was wasteful—he lived as if he had no concerns. Any respect he gained came only through superficial means. No matter how successful he appeared, this son was living a lie. A lost man will bring himself to ruin oftentimes thinking himself very wise. He is truly blinded to his damned condition. Riotous living will eventually take its toll. The man who is lost will begin to experience great need—but will have no spiritual understanding as to reagarding its source. In the parable, the son ran out of money. Those who live only for themselves will end up loosing everything as well—their resources, their spouse, their children, their friends, their dignity. Here is where the importance of humility comes into play. Man’s pride will always try to fix the situation his sin has created without the help of God. The Prodigal son settled for the husks that he fed to the pigs—unbelieving man will always settle for those things of no true value. He will seek worldly advice (wicked counselors, false religions, magazines, TV, friends) and be content with temporary satisfaction (drugs, religious taboos, divorce, debt, bankruptcy). He will never know true freedom from want apart from humility.

Verse 17 tells us that this desperate man finally came to his senses. How does a man, so far wasted, come to understand where his true help lies?

“I will go home to my father and say, Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son” (Luke 15: 18-19 NLT).

The behavior of the “the repentant” in this story is so vital. He had a dose of reality and chose to allow his mind to compare his state to those of his father’s household staff. He had to make a deliberate choice. This required “death to self”. To consider who he was, a son, and yet see himself as worse than a hired servant, was important to his recovery. For the first time he saw his real need, and identified himself as a sinner. He didn’t just say, “Oops, I made a mistake”—but placed himself as the lowest of the low, with no hope of restoration. He is determined to stand before his father in complete vulnerability—he wants nothing more than to be forgiven. He does not go home to claim his right as a son—he goes home to serve. This is the true state of a repentant heart.

The son’s determination becomes action. He makes the journey. The road to his father’s home was long and probably full of people telling him the trip would be worthless—but this man was already convinced he was lost, and nothing would stand in his way of making peace with his authority.

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20-21 NLT).

Observing the love and commitment of “the father’s heart” toward restoration is beautiful. The fact that he saw his son a great way off, indicates that He is expecting him—that he has been looking for him. I am challenged by His optimism and eagerness. The father runs toward his son—as soon as He sees him (far, far away). He desires for the boy’s struggle to end. He doesn’t resent his child, making him walk the entire distance. He loves his child, and therefore wants to relieve him as quickly as possible.

This father’s tenderness is incredible. Not one question as to “and exactly what have you done with all my money?”—but kisses him—kisses the face that has become dirty and sun burnt. Touches the one who has despised him utterly—despised his love, his protection, and his honor. Embraces the one who has chosen to embrace everything contrary to his upbringing. His compassion is full.

It seems that the father completely knows his child’s heart—before the son utters one word of his confession, the father has fully forgiven him. He never once brings up the past and demonstrates his pardon by lavishing his son with the very best. He dresses his son in fine robes and chooses to place a ring upon his hand—a symbol that will always identify acceptance and the entitlement to his father’s name.

I desire to have the same compassion for those who are lost. I desire to watch and wait for those I am praying into the Kingdom—expectantly. I desire to have the same tender response to those who seek redemption.

Killing the fatted calf and throwing a party is the best conclusion to this tale! This daddy's joy is completely overflowing—a wonderful glimpse into our own Father's Heart!

“We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found” (Luke 15:23-24 NLT).

I Don't Deserve This

2008-10-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

“God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.” James 4:6

God’s Word is very direct and it is always truthful—it is a powerful discerner of both the thoughts and intents of the heart! This must be fully understood and believed, or it will not change us, as it is promised to do. We may read it, study it, hear sermons preached about it, take notes on what we hear—we may even teach its truth ourselves—but it will have no effect upon us, unless we believe it to be true.

When reading verses like this in James, we may breeze past them with a sigh of relief, praising God for His acceptance of us and therefore the promised abundant grace at our disposal at all times. But could our gratefulness be insincere? Could our sigh of relief actually be an avoidance of introspection from the Almighty? What is pride…what does it mean to be humble?

The English word humble comes from the Latin word humus, which means earth. Webster’s defines humility as not being arrogant or assertive, reflecting a spirit of discretion and submission. The Greek word that James used in chapter four, indicates that of disposition—taking on the manner of lowliness, whether choosing that position or being forcefully placed in that position—regarding a certain circumstance. God gives grace, James declares, to those who purposefully dwell in a state of surrender, regardless of what is happening around them—regardless of what is happening to them. This is where it begins to break down. This is where I personally can begin to “cover up” my pride and deceive even myself that it does not exist in my own heart.

Pride is a hindrance to our inheritance. Can you reflect inner peace at the same time you are being falsely accused? Can you sing for joy despite the pain being inflicted? Have you ever known contentment within a situation you pray will change? Have you been given Christ-like love for those who irritate you? Do you own the ability to endure whatever may come? We are promised these realities through the Spirit—but we will never experience a single one without the willingness to “turn the other cheek to those who strike [us]” (Lamentations 3:30 NLT). Jeremiah preaches in Lamentations, chapter three, that it is good “to submit to the yoke” and that there is blessed hope only to those who “lie face down in the dust” (vs. 26-30 NLT). We are not given the choice to suffer insult or not—but we are always given the ability to choose humility in the midst of it!

If pride is the hindrance to gaining these precious possessions, then I believe that our attitude is the manifestation of that pride. The definition of a DRA (my mom’s creation—translated, dirty rotten attitude) can be summed up in 4 little words: “I don’t deserve this!”

Attitude is a response—a bad attitude is a bad response! I don’t wake up deciding to be grumpy, unforgiving, or just plain mean, just for the fun of it. No—it is because someone rubbed me the wrong way, it is because I was treated unfairly, it is because God continues to allow prayers to remain unanswered, and I, arrogantly choose to respond incorrectly. I take these situations, situations beyond my control, and I decide the best way to deal with them (which is, whatever makes me feel better, of course). It brings some sort of relief to strike out at that which causes pain. Although this is sin, it is easily justified—I am experiencing pain, or rejection, or frustration at the hand of another—and my flesh convinces me that I can take care of the problem as I see fit!

Are you guilty of choosing attitudes according to how they make you feel? Are you willing to humble yourself in only certain situations—willing to forgive certain people and not others? We must be very careful of this—the promise of God’s grace comes after the declaration of his judgment! He tells us that He will resist those who choose to resist Him. When we resist what He is allowing, as if we deserve better, we are resisting Him. Again, this is strong language and not something we would easily admit to. We don’t have to—God defines what it means to resist Him, for us—and therefore we are without excuse! “The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy” (James 3:5).

What makes you sinless?—committing one error in comparison to your neighbor who has committed a hundred? What makes you humble?—all the right responses you have chosen in comparison to the one little attitude you are holding on to that says, “I don’t deserve this!”? There is great danger in this kind of thought process. We deserve hell!

“Be afflicted and mourn and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up” (James 3:9-10).

When we choose to not put on humility we bring the judgment upon ourselves. We are essentially telling the Lord, “I don’t need You—I don't need more peace or more love or more contentment,” and His response is, “Okay!” With His arm stretched out against us, He purposefully turns His face away! Our behavior measures out His mercy! That is what James is teaching! You want grace abounding more and more? “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded” (James 3:8).

Humility says, “I am nothing! You, O Lord, are everything! I don’t deserve this; I deserve far worse. It is Your blood that redeems me. Show me my sin! Help me not to evaluate the sin of another—even those sins that are committed against me. I surrender to You completely. I choose, right now, to lie face down before Your throne, and I trust You alone to lift me up!”

He will, for “the Lord is good unto them that wait for Him…although He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies” (Lamentations 3:25, 32).

“God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.” James 4:6

Your Troubles Tremble

2008-10-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

“When the Red Sea saw You, O God, its waters looked and trembled! Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there.” Psalm 77:16 & 19 (NLT)

I can often feel just like the children of Israel—hemmed in as it were—by vast wilderness. The view, either in front of me or behind me, is extremely hindered by rock, and the obstruction brings great discouragement. I am not sure why the Lord saw fit to “lead me out” and my natural mind begins to question His judgment. I am tempted to feel that I must know what lies beyond that boulder if the Lord wants me to continue to walk in that direction. Isn’t it my right to know what lies beyond? Why does He hide, so thoroughly, the one thing I desire to see so fervently?

I hold in my possession a treasure the children of Israel, at that time, did not have—their own glorious history and promising future—in writing. God took it upon Himself to author a beautiful and intricate story—a picture book—full of illustrations I can read in order to understand my God better. He took time, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years, to express His character and His sufficiency. He took time, in order that I might believe that what He says He will do—He will do—no matter what lies in between the promise and its fulfillment!

God chose the wilderness path out of Egypt, specifically, with Israel in mind! He chose the rocky, dry ground and the treacherous landscape. I must believe, with all my heart, that God has chosen the path I walk upon as well—that He purposefully sets the rocks in front of me! I must believe that what He ordains is for my protection! Exodus 13:17 states that after Israel's miraculous freedom from their bondage in Egypt, “God led them not through the land of the Philistines, although it was near.” Did you catch that "not"? Although they would have reached their destination quickly and would have had a pretty clear idea of where they were going, God deliberately placed them on a road to nowhere—“peradventure the people repent [change their mind] when they see war, and they return to Egypt.” The Lord wanted His children to “make it”…He knew their weak, human hearts and in His loving faithfulness He made it literally impossible to do what their fears would compel them to do—turn around and go back!

As alone and deserted as they felt—Deuteronomy, chapter one, declares that those feelings were far from reality. The Lord wanted to fight for them. The Lord wanted to be their sole protector. He wanted them to believe that He would bear them, “as a man doth bear his son.” He promised to go before them “to search out a place to pitch [their] tents in” and to always show them which way to go. The rock that appeared to block their vision, should have been of no consequence. If only Isreal would have remembered to look up toward the cloud by day and the fire by night—if only they would have been faithful to keep their eyes upon their Guide—there would have been less murmuring and more obeying. Deuteronomy 1:32 reveals God’s disappointment in their behavior: “Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God.”

We must believe our God! But can’t you just feel their frustration?—God promising deliverance, and yet, only finding another rock beyond the one you just struggled to walk around, and then another rock and another and another! Where is the open road? Where is the evidence that God is leading you to where He said you were going? Have you felt hemmed in of late? Are you, after climbing that last mountain, exhausted and weary, now discovering a body of water too deep to swim? Behind you, a demonic army, taunting and ridiculing your faith—before you, an impossible sea—dark and foreboding—mocking every miracle you have ever witnessed!

Here is where the story must come alive and our confidence must be strengthened! Here is where we must believe! Don’t listen to the growing noise of the enemy—God promises to defend you and has already blinded the “Egyptians” (Exodus 14:20)—the reality of their presence should never influence your faith. And don’t look at the vast impossibility slapping its waves up on the beach—God has already promised you a land flowing with milk and honey on the other side—if He has promised you something it is already yours!

I believe there is purpose in every move our Lord makes, and I am striving to see His mighty hand at work within every “dead end”. At times my trial can seem eternal—but it is not. One second the children of Israel were staring in dread at the Red Sea, the next, they were walking upon dry ground. A roadblock will always remain until it disappears. That is almost too simple to be profound—but read it again—for it is profound! Your trial will be visible until God sees fit to remove it. The obstical is not the problem, it is only a catalyst to reveal a miracle. Once it is time, your trial will vanish—no matter its size or complication—and there will be no question as to who removed it. Its existence is there to prove God’s supreme power over all things. I love the simplicity of Psalm 77:19 “a pathway no one knew was there.” There is a road you cannot see—it is there—believe that today!

I like to think that my troubles tremble when they see the Lord. If I could just picture that when I tremble at my troubles!

“When the Red Sea saw You, O God, its waters looked and trembled! Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there.” Psalm 77:16 & 19 (NLT)