How to Do Everything

You may remember my Congolese friend, Joy, that I meet with regularly to study English. When she came to America three years ago, she spoke multiple languages, but no English. Our wonderful God arranged for their family to be taken in by Tom, who works with Wycliffe Bible Translators, and his wife. Two years ago Joy's family moved from Florida to Iowa and started attending our church. When we began meeting together she was still learning the names of basic objects. We added verb tenses and prepositions along with practical helps like running a dishwasher, following directions on a boxed mix and cooking a turkey in a roaster.
Last Fall she held up her English Bible and said, "This is what I need more." She understands most of the Sunday sermons, even spoken through our West Virginian pastor! But she wanted to spend  time learning and studying God's Word.
We used the same Bible study as the other women at church, "Developing Genuine Friendships" and continue to use it as our guide. Each week we read the verse printed in the book, look it up in our Bibles, and discuss any unknown words before sharing the friendship quality and application. Sharing and writing our answers in English has led to some beautiful and precious insights.
This time, we read with Philippians 2:14, "Do everything without grumbling or arguing." After reading and discussing it, I admitted to complaining about someone who makes a big to-do about being a Christian, but is unkind, short-tempered and rude. "I don't know if I should say something or not," I mused.
Joy, hands crossed on the table, pointed her index finger at me, leaned forward and said, "You--do everything without grumbling or complaining. Let Jesus talk to her."
Oh, how I love Joy! Her love for Christ and wisdom speak to my heart. By simplifying the words of Scripture and sharing from her own life, she displays Jesus in so many ways. Her schedule and demands are more rigorous than most, but she never complains. She is thankful!
And as David and I read the Psalms this morning, I was reminded of her and how we are able to do everything: without complaining. We can--if, and when--we praise God and give thanks.
To quote Joy, "I am healthy and my family is good. Everything God gives me is good.  Ehhh! Why would I complain?"

"I will extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
² Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
³ Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.

⁴ One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
⁵ I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works.
⁶ Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness.
⁷ They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness,
And shall sing of Your righteousness.

⁸ The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
⁹ The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works.

¹⁰ All Your works shall praise You, O Lord,
And Your saints shall bless You.
¹¹ They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,
And talk of Your power,
¹² To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,
And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.
¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

¹⁴ The Lord upholds all who fall,
And raises up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵ The eyes of all look expectantly to You,
And You give them their food in due season.
¹⁶ You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

¹⁷ The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
¹⁸ The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
¹⁹ He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
²⁰ The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
²¹ My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever."

Psalm 145 

God Says, "Share"

In college, my roommate was in-state and I was out-of-state. She went home on weekends. I received care packages. Each time a package arrived she would chime, "God says, 'Share!'" I didn't want to. But I did--most of the time.

She was right of course. God says, "Share!" even in ministry.

How often do we take pride in being the only person to do a specific job in our local church or community? Long ago a friend shared her recipe for Scotcheroos then said, "But don't make them for church pot-lucks. That's my job."

We want to do the job well, to the best of our ability, but so easily exchange pride for humility. We begin to see ourselves as the only person who can do that job--or the only one to do it the way we want it done--and we lose sight of the purpose. God is not about the job. He's about Christlikeness: behind the coffeepot or offering plate, piano or pulpit. We count it an honor to be asked; validation to continue; imperative that we stay. But that's not biblical, nor is it right. Perhaps we've missed something in the teaching of the talents, the idea that those who are faithful with little will be entrusted with much. Jesus said it. And preached it (Matthew 25). But do we get it the way He meant it? Between our pride and independent society, we have a tendency to see the individual rather than the community.

The servant who had five talents, traded them. That involved someone besides himself.

The servant who had two talents did likewise.

The servant who had one talent dug a hole in the ground (by himself) and buried it (by himself).

When the master returned, he gave an excuse which he'd thought of--by himself.

Chances are the two who increased the new, generous, and amazing gift asked around. They sought help, counsel and ideas. "A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel..." Proverbs 1:5. They interacted with others to multiply the master's wealth through investments that suited their ability to manage it. They learned from others' mistakes. They looked and thought and asked and observed. And they were rewarded for their faithfulness (Matthew 25:21,23).

Increasingly, I am learning to "Share!" when it comes to ministry. A parent has the built-in privilege of training and sharing ministry with their children at home, in the local church and community. Although it is not without struggle, children imitate their parents for better or for worse.  Shame on us if we don't capture the opportunity at hand whether it's serving together in the church nursery, preparing meals, visiting friends in nursing homes or illness, or glorifying God through music together.

What takes more time, effort and faith is to do the same with others. As we seek to serve Him (not ourselves), we will experience an outpouring of love and desire to include others in the tasks God has given us. Praying and watching, we can come alongside new riders and encourage them to climb on the seat of service. We cannot simply push them into the world, however, without  first running alongside, hand firmly on the back of the seat. Spoiler: It is more difficult to encourage someone else than to do a task than to do it ourselves. As they tip and turn we labor to breathe and keep our balance, bent awkwardly, running but bearing the weight of their spiritual struggles as part of our own. And always, always, we are dogged by pride. It's a high-risk proposition.

For my part, I've let go of the seat too early. I've failed to be patient or understanding. More often, I've continued serving in my own way, in my own niche, neglecting the calling to share and expand God's good gifts in others.

The process, the modeling of a life lived in trust and obedience, is grace. We share opportunities, blessings and struggles of life-ministry. Then, as God allows, we let loose and watch them go! Another believer is enabled to use his or her life more freely. The Master's talents have been multiplied.

Service is not the goal. Christ is. But our love for Him is evident in our love for others. May we not be so blind-sighted in our service or ministry that we lose sight of a God who says, "Share! I did."

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Life as a Cardboard Box

I felt pressed to write an entry yesterday, so I did.  But I could have simply waited. With the heavy rains the last few days, the basement flooded. Our 17-year-old came up from her basement bedroom announcing, "It's an Amazon down there!"

And it was. This one-hundred-and-some-year-old house has five rooms in the basement--and four of them were floating. Surprise of surprises, cardboard does not weather water well.

The bottoms of boxes were soaked.  The contents, depending on their substance, were ruined.  Music, scrapbook material, Christmas wrappings dripped. In the complacency of life, boxes had been left on the floor--fabric patterns, song visuals. All that work and expense. Poof! Ruined. Gone.

And oh, how I was reminded that this body is not intended for eternity. Much like the cardboard boxes in the basement they fall apart, soak up disease, and decompose.

The hope, the promise, is that we will have new bodies, imperishable ones that will endure for eternity.

The warning is that I must guard against complacency and investing in those things that will not last; filling this frail box with unnecessary things that look pretty and make me happy at the moment, but have no eternal value.

And as we pulled our daughter's bed and furniture away from the walls, we saw things that would have remained hidden: food wrappers, pencils, paperwork. She hadn't planned on evacuating her room; there wasn't time to put things in place. It just happened. And so it is with us. Few have time to prepare in the end. It's all in the now.

As we traipsed in and out of the room with goods and towels, Henry, the goldfish, swam about unperturbed, well-suited to his environment. Regardless of what happened around him, he cared nothing for Christmas decorations, carpets, or clothing. Oh, to remember that beyond this life is one altogether different. What joy to live like Henry in a world of cardboard!

"But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming...

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” ³⁶ Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.
There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.
So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body....

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 
(1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 35-44, 58)

"For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.  If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.  If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

The Image in the Mirror

Have you listened to your prayers lately? If you're like me, you have set times of prayer by yourself and with others, but you also carry on a conversation with God as you travel each day. God's Word is the mirror (James 1:23-25) and my actions reveal what I believe about what I see. But the image? Perhaps the image in the mirror is best reflected in my prayers. After reading the book of Esther, I have been challenged to evaluate how I truly think about God based on my prayers.

From the beginning of the book I was struck by Esther's willingness to take advice from Mordecai, her uncle, and Hegai, the king's eunuch (Esther 2:15, 20). She did not have all the answers, she did not know or pretend to know what would be best, so she relied on the wisdom of others. My willingness to listen to those in authority reflects my willingness to listen to God. If I am doing life on my own, I am not in fellowship with God or others; pride clouds each step of my day. To ask for and take advice is to live in humility. In prayer, do I ask and wait? Or do I tell and do?

Having read the entire book numerous times, I'm convinced it should be the book of Mordecai. The title, "Esther," is itself a tribute to his humility and wisdom. Although we don't hear his prayers, we see his actions. Mordecai intervened on the king's behalf without expectation of reward (Esther 2:22-23).  He refused to butter-up Haman like his countrymen who had grown accustomed to winning the favor of their oppressors (3:2). He was true to God regardless of reward or reprisal. Does my prayer life reflect a desire to please others and win their approval over the approval of God? Or do I pray for courage, strength and wisdom to please Him and Him alone?

Esther, after seeking Mordecai's counsel, put her life on the line. After three days of prayer and fasting, she invited King Ahasuerus and Haman to a meal that was already prepared (Esther 5:4). There are many ideas about why Queen Esther would do this, but I wonder if she wanted to know Haman for herself. She had seen the document of death (4:8), but being a woman of wisdom, she didn't assume the worst. Each of us knows someone of self-importance, like Haman, who exposes himself needlessly. There's a good chance Haman felt he was safe enough to openly despise Mordecai and the Jews at that first meal. When I am in a safe place, how do I regard others? Does my prayer life assume the best of people or the worst?

Finally, Esther didn't initiate her request. She wasn't demanding or combative or impatient. She trusted that God would meet her need in His timing--and there was plenty to spare, more than 8 months! When given an opportunity, she voiced concern for the safety of herself and her people, not judgment on Haman. She respected the king with her request, stating the problem, not the solution, in her initial outcry. Do my prayers reflect a deep trust and respect for God? Do I wait on Him, as a weaned child sitting contentedly on his mother's lap? Or do I demand and claw and beg? Do I approach Him with the problem or the solution?

This morning I am struck with a serious need to evaluate my prayer life and personal beliefs of God-who He is and what He can do. My prayer, held up to Scripture, exposes my greatest desires and personal view of God. By His grace, He will help me repent and grow in Christlikeness. Have you listened to your prayers lately?

Stuck

Today is one of those dreary, tiresome days and I don't. want. to. do. anything.
But--there are websites to update, emails to send, clothes to fold, floors to sweep, agents to contact. And I have nothing.  No drive.  No motivation.  No desire.
My prayer?  My only hope?  "God, move me. Wherever You would have me go; whatever You would have me do. If it were up to me, none of it wouldn't happen. Not today."
So here I am, procrastinating--but with an important message for each of us. God can, and will, move us. Sometimes I'm more willing, able and motivated than others--even that is a gift. On days like today, I realize that I can't make it happen.
"Move me, God. Move me."

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.

 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him....  Psalm 37:4-7

 

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." John 15:5

What is Your God Worth?

While visiting Cancun, Mexico in January, we traveled to the ancient ruins of Tulum. After looking at the entrance to the inner city and walking past crumbled domiciles, our guide stopped in front of the temple, looked across the group and singled out our 11-year-old daughter. He motioned her to the front of the group so he could demonstrate the Aztecs annual sacrifice. We refused. As he explained the horrible, pagan ritual, we were struck by their reasoning: their gods deserved the best so that is what they gave--their young, virgin daughters.
We cringe and shudder at the thought.  They probably did, too--those who hadn't grown calloused.
How very different is our God! 

"Thus says the Lord: ‘Again there shall be heard in this place… the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: “Praise the Lord of hosts, For the Lord is good, For His mercy endures forever” and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord” (Jeremiah 33:12-11).

I was reminded of our visit to Tulum as I read the book of Nehemiah. The people of Judah left homes they'd lived in for nearly 70 years. They traveled to Jerusalem, worked to build a wall around the city, and settled into new homes and lifestyles. After the completion of the wall, they stood for hours, listening to the Word of God--and responded with confession and obedience. The reality of God and His true nature affected worship and honor. 
Show me your worship and I will show you your God. Follow the money. Follow the affection. Follow the time. Follow the focus of your conversation. Follow your thoughts. "Behold, your god!" 
Our worship reveals our god.
How easily we slip in and out of the pew on Sunday with no thought to how we reflected God's worth. Did we come in our best? Or did we simply crawl out of bed? Did we offer something costly? What was expected? Or nothing at all. Did we stand for the reading of the Holy Word, or distract ourselves with the mundane? How awful to think that we, like the Aztecs, would make abominable sacrifices because we do not know our God; that we would provoke His wrath rather than His pleasure because we lack an awesome fear and reverence for God. To think that we might enter the King's presence dressed in our own filthy righteous rags rather than the royal robe provided through the death and resurrection of His only Son! By faith we have access to the throne room of the Father, with bold confidence and thanksgiving.
Worship and rejoicing and giving result from knowledge. Knowledge of The Holy. What does your worship say about your God? Need God? Read His Word. And, perhaps for the first time in a long time, you will experience the scent of your carpet, the feel of the ground, as you fall on your face--a living sacrifice, the giving of your life, a reasonable act of worship.

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has become His counselor?”
“Or who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?”
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" Romans 11:31-12:2.

"For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise" Psalm 51:16-17.
 

When I Am Loved...

When life is meaningless and has no purpose, morality is lost. There is little reason to preserve or extend it--yours, mine or others. 
When life is hopeless and dark and callous, motivation comes in the form of pleasure and self. "Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die!"
When life is empty and hard and lonely, it is impossible to put one's feet on the ground and move into the day.
But God.
Loves.
But God.
Gave.
But God.
Calls.
How does one see the love of God when he is dead? He doesn't. How does one accept the extension of God's hand when he is blind? He can't. How does one hear the call of God when he is deaf? He won't.
But. God.
For you He made alive--you who were dead in trespasses and sins  Alive. Are you alive, though once you were dead? Or are you still searching, listening, longing?
Cry out. Look to Jesus. Ask--to see Him, to know Him, to understand. Throw yourself on His mercy. And then...
Then, accept. Take the gift. Follow His voice.
You will have life. You will find peace. You will see as never before. You will walk on a different plane.
For where there is Love--the true, sacrificial, undeniable love of God--we are filled to the fullness of Christ.
Where there is Love, we walk with humility, gentleness and patience, preserving unity.
Where there is Love we are no longer tossed and driven by words, circumstances and deceit.  We are confident that He who called us is faithful, who also will do it.   
Where there is Love, we see the futility, the emptiness of life without Him, of life without a purpose.  And we rejoice in hope. We are filled with purpose.  We are alive.  And life is meant to be lived. In a very real sense, we experience the resurrection each day, with each confession of sin, with each glimpse at what used to matter, with each acknowledgement of our dependence on Almighty God.  We live.
Because of Love.
"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,  that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—  to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,  to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen" (Ephesians 3:14-21).


((Ephesians 2:5) (Ephesians 3:16-19) (Ephesians 4:1-3) (Ephesians 4:11-15) (1Thessalonians 5:24)

Do You Really Want to See Jesus?

Most of the time, if we admit it, we are quite content with life--when it moves according to our routines and preferences. We settle in: coffee and a shower, personal time and a place to realign before leaving home, anticipated schedules and people and movement throughout the day. We're people. Routine gives us a sense of security and control.

But then God shakes our world. He has always been there, but in this moment we have the opportunity to see Him; to become aware.  Aware of His presence.  Aware of the need to be aware of His presence.  And we are faced with a choice: to bow the knee or refuse, to forgive or bear a grudge, to listen or harden the heart.  Not to obey is to disobey. Not to love is to hate.  Not to forgive is to grow bitter.

Mary, who loved Jesus, who poured out her offering with tears at His feet, thought all was lost.  And she became more aware, in an even deeper way than before, of her need.  She had desperately needed forgiveness and it was granted. Her belief and worship opened the Door from darkness to light. But now, now that she was forgiven, she needed Him, needed Jesus, daily. She longed for Him, looked for Him, sought Him.

"Why do you seek the living among the dead?"

And why, do we, the forgiven, seek Jesus among the dead? Among the busyness of ministry, the baubles of society, the adrenaline of sports and power and fame? 

"He is not here, He is risen as He said.  Come see the place where He lay."

Have we looked at the empty place?  Have we gazed on the stained, bloodied linen; our sin dried out, soaked up, left behind, folded up, laid aside, our debt paid in full? Have we seen the resurrected Christ, living victoriously, gloriously, the standard of faith waving on the breeze as He rides before us?

We have a choice. We can follow in step, our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith or we can sit in the darkened tomb and wrap ourselves in the sin He cast aside. To take on ourselves that which He has left behind is no faith at all.  "For let not that man (the one who doubts) suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways" (James 1:6-7).

If we truly want to see Jesus, we must leave the tomb. We must leave behind the desire to wallow in our sin, our past, our failure, and follow Christ.

To see Jesus is to turn from sin and seek Him; prayerfully, desperately read His Word. Ask questions, bow at His feet, pour out our hearts, confess our sin and wait upon Him. As He speaks we will suddenly find that life is not about us, that people do not deserve the credit we give them for the good or the bad, but that He is. He is the Creator, the Sustainer; He is before all things and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:16-17).

Do you really want to see Jesus? If you look for Him, you will find Him. If you know Him, you will share Him; for we cannot know Him and keep silent.

"'He is not dead, for He has risen just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.  Go quickly and tell His disciples...'  And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy.
"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen" (Matthew 28:6,8,18-20).

When Joseph Washed Jesus-Good Friday Musings

Parts of this post from a few months ago seemed especially fitting for this week.  May you be blessed as you reflect on our Savior and His great love.  
It was work for a coroner--horrifying and intriguing. Amazing as the body is, this one was dead. Dead and beaten. What kind of people wash, manipulate and care for the dead?
Joseph of Arimathea for one.  Nicodemus for another.  And their service to the dead, unrecognizable body of Christ touches me in a way I'm not sure I can communicate.
As I re-read the account of Joseph asking Pilate for Jesus' body (Matthew 27:50-61), I was impressed with his affluence, influence and confidence. God knew him hundreds, thousands, even eons, of years in advance. He predicted this rescue hundreds of years beforehand (Isaiah 53:9). Incredible. 
My journal entry for the day says, "Impression: Joseph was exactly who God intended Him to be. He was where he needed to be, when he needed to be there.  Because of God, he did not, could not, miss His calling.  Application:  I will not miss God’s call on my life.  He will accomplish His will according to His plan. 
The next day, I was still thinking about the process of taking Jesus' body off the cross and caring for it.  I wondered what Jesus' body looked like after being scourged, spat upon, struck, beaten and crucified? What would it have taken to lift, transport, or wash it?  According to Jewish tradition, the body would be held vertical by one person as another poured water and worked from the top down, cleansing and washing. Jesus' body, unlike most, would have been difficult to piece together and cover. It would have required great care and tedious wrapping. As an expression of devotion and generosity, Nicodemus brought one hundred pounds of spices to apply to Jesus' body (John 19:39).
It was would have been messy. Dirty. Uncomfortable. Wet. Cold. Uncertain. Frightening.  Had they  done this before?  Doubtful. Nicodemus was a Pharisee. Simon likely had servants to complete unpleasant tasks. And as far as Jesus was concerned, certainly no one other than Mary had cared so intimately for the Son of God. I've never dwelt on the thought for obvious reasons, but it is there.
As we approach Good Friday, we realize the wonder of God's love exceeds the physical wounds of the crucifixion.  The separation of eternal God from eternal God is inconceivable.  The wrath of untouchable God poured out on a spotless Savior is unbearable.  The power of the resurrection is insurmountable.  But God did.  God has. God is.
And in light of who Jesus is and what's He's done for me, I can't help but wonder if, through His Spirit and by His Word, God has equipped His people to minister to His Body when it is beaten and afflicted and sore and wounded and weeping?  To the persecuted church, the deserted mother, the fallen pastor, the imprisoned brother, the neglected child, the hungry beggar, the discouraged teacher....  May God enable and empower us to be in the right place at just the right time.  And may we be willing to roll up our sleeves and get dirty as we love and minister to the wounded Body of Christ and He loves them through us.  It's all about Jesus.

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
"Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”  (Matthew 25:34-46).

Unlocking Prayer

Our Sunday school class has been working through the Navigators 5:7 series on the basics of the Christian life. This week as I read verses on prayer, I was struck by James 4:3, "You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures" (NASB).  In that moment I thought of prayers offered, even that morning, that were for my own pleasure--to meet my desires.

We all have unmet desires and wishes. Sometimes we pray for physical healing, for better relationships, for a change in our Church, for weight loss or a successful outcome. The object isn't the issue. The attitude and motive are. After all, David the shepherd prayed, "He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake," not mine.

Jesus offered that same example when He taught His disciples to pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).  And I had to ask how many times I pray for God first. Too often I acknowledge Him then ask for the things that are on my heart, trying to hold them loosely and knowing that God will accomplish His purpose. But the attitude, the words, and the heart are for me--to make life easier, more comfortable, less confusing and uncertain.

Since reading and thinking about those verses, my prayer has changed. "Lord, teach me what pleases You. Help me seek out pray and live for those things that give You pleasure. Make me aware of those times I put myself ahead of You and give me discernment." And that's where God's Word comes in.  The only way to know God's heart, what pleases Him and what is best, is by reading His Word.  Because He is so very different from us, we will not find Him in our hearts (Jeremiah 17:9).  We can see His glory in creation (Psalm 19) and God uses that to draw us in and reveal Himself, but we can know Him and His heart, one on one. We get to know Him personally and intimately as we commit listen (read the Bible) and respond (prayer).  He wants to give us the desires of our hearts--even change our desires to match His--as we delight in Him (Psalm 37:4-11).

"Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete" (John 16:24 NIV).

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him" (1 John 5:15-16 NIV).

Called by Name

I love being a substitute teacher. Many of us remember the way we treated substitutes when we were young and don't wish that on anyone. But it's a great job.  Really.

It didn't take long for me to learn that eavesdropping was my ticket to power.  Kids talk to each other--by name--as they enter a classroom.  As the bell rang, I would address at least one child specifically, "Caleb, take your seat." Shock registered on their faces. They didn't know me, but I knew them. By name. I'm convinced we remember what's important--and in my book, each student is important, from the 3-year-old who told me his name was "Jeremy Dean, Fat-Man McGee, but my friends call me Ralph," to the 17-year-old gang member whose dial is tuned in to respect.

God knows, by name, inside and out. He knows everything there is to know about each one of us--and He loves us anyway. Jesus knew His disciples before He called them. In fact, God loves us so much He'd rather die than let us go (song by Point of Grace). That's a lot of love.  More than we can imagine.

As those who minister in and out of the church, people matter. To wear His name, to be a little Christ, means we are more concerned about others--their likes and dislikes, goals and abilities--than ourselves. At those times when the project or the product is more important than the people, we are doing something wrong. To love others as Christ loves us is to know them. 

Last Saturday at an out-of-town competition, kindergartner Abby ran across the gym and threw her arms around my waist. My heart leaped with joy and a huge smile looked down on her.  Later, I wondered about God. How often does the sight of Him interrupt my day? I imagine it brings Him great joy when we remember Him, express our love, and draw His name into a conversation.

How often do I look for, do I see, Jesus in those unexpected places?  Am I just as happy and pleased to see him as the little ones who throw out my name along with their arms?  Do I speak His name to others?  How well do Jesus and I know each other? There is salvation in no other, "for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12) There is power in His name.

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). John 20:11-16
"...they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads." Revelation 22:4

Lent, Sacrifice and Holiness

I ate fish at a fast food restaurant yesterday and was reminded of Lent.  It's not a corporate practice at our church, which would lead you to properly assume I attend a protestant church, but there is more and more of a trend toward practicing Lent among protestants in America.  Perhaps it's the prosperity and tingling of the conscience at the profound luxury we enjoy daily.  Perhaps it's a desire to more fully prepare for and enter the angst of Good Friday and the wonder of the resurrection.  Perhaps it provides a sense of control over one's holiness. 

This desire for control can be said of the many, many things we do that make us feel holy.  I have my own list. It could be teaching Sunday school, attending church (when other people are sleeping in!), reading my Bible, helping a friend, even sacrificing for my children.

But as examples come to mind, they are hinged like a Siamese twin to the reaction of others.  It's hard to separate the two. "You do that?!"  Gasp.  "Really?  That's wonderful!"  The voices cheer us on as we struggle to sacrifice and complete the task.  They keep us going and in the end, we feel good (God planned it that way--we reap what we sow). But then, like so many good things, the gift becomes the goal instead of the Giver.  Before long we're addicted to the praise of others and the good feelings that come from doing good things.

But wait, whoa.  God didn't say, "Do holy things because I do holy things."  Actually, "it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy' (1 Peter 1:16).”  Ooh.  I can't do that.  And that's the kicker.  I can't "be" holy.  I am not, in my essence or anywhere else except my glorified imagination, holy.

So the good feelings do me no good.  Seeking to help and sacrifice does me no good--and it doesn't depend on my denomination or church or practice.  I.  Just. Can't. Be. Holy.

But, God!  God, by faith, has given holiness.  He has it all.  Somehow, in His great wisdom and foresight, He designed a way to transfer His holiness to me--through Jesus Christ.  It doesn't make sense.  I can't explain it, but God declares, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21)

And there it is: holiness. Wonderfulness. Not my own, not to my credit, not for the praise of others, but eternal, internal, set-apartness for His glory and praise.  And I do holy things not to be holy, but because I am holy in and through Jesus Christ.

What a God!  The price of His holiness is beyond comprehension. The outpouring of His love is unfathomable. The depth of the riches of His grace is incomparable. And He has invited me to join Him both now and forever.  Forget the deeds, bring on God! That's what I need. That's what I want.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,  even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:4-10)

The Reward

When a radio host announced a recent death the other responded, "She's received her heavenly reward."
It struck me wrong and I had a lot of questions about this woman:  What kind of woman was she?  What kind of reward did she earn and how did she do it?  What about me?  What kind of reward(s) would I receive for my faithfulness?  Scripture started bubbling in my head about crowns and jewels and rewards, and before I knew it, that's what I was thinking about:  the rewards I'd receive in heaven someday.
God gives rewards.  He is a good Giver.  There are references throughout Scripture to heavenly rewards and blessings: crowns and jewels, for instance.  But those aren't the goal.
But my thoughts went immediately to Luke 17 and Jesus' story of the servant who does his job.  After a day in the field, he does not expect special favor.  He girds himself and serves his master before eating himself.  "Likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’” (Luke 17:10-11)  How often do we think of heaven as something we've earned after a life of service?  We don't.  All that we do for the Father, through Jesus Christ, is nothing more than a reasonable act of service (Romans 12:1).
Our American society, with a feels-good, it's-all-about-my-self-esteem mentality, has lost touch with the reality of an eternal reward. We think that our faithfulness, our sacrifice, our attempts to give up the "good life," have earned a special place in heaven, a harp and a robe and a crown.  And it's not that God won't give us good gifts, great gifts, amazing gifts; but we certainly haven't earned them.  They've been bought at a price, and that price rested on the life and death of our Savior and His Father who lovingly gave His Son.
In reality, isn't an eternal reward  not getting the punishment I deserve? Isn't it an eternal reward to gaze on Christ--unveiled, personal and reigning?  Isn't there incredible reward in knowing I am eternally a citizen of His kingdom?  That's probably what the radio announcer meant, but the conversation made me think.
Last weekend I called home and talked to Dad.  Mom was gone.  Even during our call their little dog went to and from the laundry room looking for her.  "It won't be long until his faithfulness is rewarded," Dad said.
And I've been thinking about that.  Mom sent home special treats.  But Foo Foo kept looking.
What, I wondered, am I looking for?  What gets me up in the morning and keeps me moving throughout the day?  What do I dream of?  What do I fear?  I can only aim at one thing and expect to hit the target. What is that one thing that would find me curled up and resting, sighing with satisfaction? 
It has to be Jesus.  The hope is, "Just a while longer, and your faithfulness will be rewarded with the return of your Master."  There's nothing like it!

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:1-6)

Why and How We Do Good News Club

Tuesday afternoon I walked out of the band room at the elementary school, Bible in hand.  My husband sat on the floor in the hallway with four children.  "Why did you want to visit with me?"  he asked.
"To know more about God," one said. 
"To ask God to forgive me," said another. 
It was a dream come true!

(For an update on Good News Club, click here: What Good News Club Means to Me: 12 Years In).

For years we drove a 15-passenger van full of children to and from our children's program at church, but it was in a different community than our own.  For some children it interfered with bedtime, some parents didn't know us personally, and many times we simply ran out of room.
We prayed, asked questions and looked into options--leaving our local church to join one closer to our community, working with area churches to begin a children's program--none of them seemed right.

We had a burden to share with children the truth of Jesus' life, death and resurrection because we know it's the only answer that makes sense of life. Jesus is the only way to have a right relationship with God (John 14:6). And children are so ready to hear and receive truth!

After three years of praying and seeking, we contacted the state missionary for Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) and asked how to start a Good News Club in our public schools. Individuals were ready to help, we just needed to know how.

What is Good News Club?  According to Child Evangelism Fellowship, "Good News Club^® is a ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship^® in which trained teachers meet with groups of children in schools, homes, community centers, churches, apartment complexes, just about anywhere the children can easily and safely meet with their parent's permission. Each week the teacher presents an exciting Bible lesson using colorful materials from CEF Press^®. This action-packed time also includes songs, Scripture memory, a missions story and review games or other activities focused on the lesson's theme."

One of the children's Bibles marked with memory verse slips.

You may be familiar with the wordless book or the gospel colors--gold, black, white, red and green.  Those are trademarks of CEF from decades ago, and they're still here. 

Beth Lamb, our state director, sent a letter to the superintendent of schools and made her aware of our desire.  In the United States, a 2002 ruling of the Supreme Court states that any school which allows outside clubs and entities to use its facilities is required to allow a Bible club as well.  It would be discrimination not to.

Beth offered training in our local church, helped us choose materials, gave us sample forms and invitations and sent us on our way.

We meet in band room once a week for an hour and half immediately after school.  Our club is for all children ages 5-12--kindergarten through 6th grade--and it works! 

Six years later, we have 30-50 children joining us.  God has blessed and is blessing His Word.  If you are involved in a club of your own or have questions, I'd love to hear from you.  It's a hassle to leave a comment on a blog, but you could greatly encourage someone else with your idea or question. 


But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God." (Luke 18:16)

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.  Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!  And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.  (John 4:34-36)

Up the Spiral Staircase

If you've read many of my entries, you may have noticed my struggles aren't especially varied.  Like you, I go around and around with the same things, time after time.  It's the way God made each of  us, with weaknesses He's allowed.  I have mine. You have yours. On the positive side, Proverbs 22:6 counsels parents to train each child according to his bent, "in the way he should go." Each person, even as a child, has a natural bent, a specific design. On the negative side, Isaiah 53:6 says "each one has turned to his own way."  My way is what I would choose, left to my own devices.  I am apt to choose my way, not yours--or God's.  Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death."  Thank God, He can change all that--and He has!

Although the same areas of sin hound me, they come around on a different level each time--or they should. This process of growth reminds me an upward spiral. We struggle with our selves, our way, our bent over and over, but as God does His faithful work, we experience it to a different degree, moving upward and onward, with each trip around the circle bringing us closer to Christ-likeness.

Years ago as I prayed over controlling my weight, 2 Peter 1:5-7 struck me with its practicality :

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;  and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love."

1) Add to your faith.... I believe in Jesus (if you're unsure about this for yourself, check out the panel to the right side). I believe God works all things together for my good and His glory.  This is my faith.
2) Add to your faith, goodness.... As the Holy Spirit convicts me of sin, I desire God's good for my life; I want to imitate His goodness. 
3) Add to goodness, knowledge... What does God's Word say?  I add knowledge as I read, memorize and meditate on the Bible.
4)  Add to knowledge, self-control.... By God's grace and with His help, I will obey God's Word and do His will instead of my own. 
5) Add to self-control, perseverance.... I may be able to do what is right once or even twice, but God wants me to change.  Through prayer (dependence on Him), accountability (dependence on others), and meditation on His Word (renewing of my mind), I will practice and learn to do what is right more often than what is wrong. 
6) Add to perseverance, godliness... Once this behavior or thinking or speaking is more consistently Christlike, I need God's help to change my attitude of victory--it is God's work, not mine.  It should reflect God, not me.  Godliness, not selfness.
7) Add to godliness brotherly kindness.... As God works change in my life, I am more aware of others who struggle with the same thing.  My initial reaction is criticism, comparison and judgment. Instead, God says to extend brotherly kindness and grace. 
8)  Add to brotherly kindness, love.... Not only am I to act with kindness, I am to love sincerely, from the heart.  Love covers a multitude of sin.  When this is the case, God's work in my life is just that--His work, not my own.

The Christian walk is one of continuous victory, but it leads upward and onward toward our Savior. "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being  having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:11-12).
 

When God Speaks

I put off writing an entry this week because I couldn't think of anything.  Bumbling around the kitchen Thursday morning, I asked God, "What would You write? If I were the reader, what would I need to know?"
Friday morning I sat down with my first cup of coffee and realized God had been speaking to me all week.  This is what He said:
- I am the only God.  The Sovereign Lord, your Helper. (Monday: Isaiah 50:4,7,10)
- Knowing Me is the ultimate knowledge and experience of life (Tuesday, Wednesday: Seeing with New Eyes by David Powlison, Ephesians 1 and The Truth Project, "Who is God?")
- When you are under attack, (and as my representative on earth, here and now, you are always under attack), My armor is available, perfect, sufficient, flawless (Wednesday: Ephesians 6:10-17).
- Serving Me results from gratitude for Jesus' atonement; as you learn of Me, your obedience will also be motivated by hatred of sin, a growing faith, and a knowledge of the newness of Christ in you (Wednesday, Thursday: The Complete Green Letters by Miles Stanford).
- Loving others the way I do means being sensitive and speaking words that match the emotional and situational state of others, not yourself (Friday: Proverbs 25:20; 27:14 , Developing Genuine Friendships).
- I am holy.  Do you really want to enter My "holy of holies?"  To stand in My presence, surrounded by My presence?  You will be an offering, stripped of every impurity.  Are you ready?  If you were at the temple, where would you be standing at this moment?  In the outer courts or the holy of holies or somewhere in between? (Thursday: listening to Kutless', "Take Me In" on the radio).
- Seeking to control others leads to hatred and strained relationships (Thursday: example of Leah and Rachel's ruined friendship and sisterhood through Getting to the Heart of Friendships by Amy Baker).
- Knowing and trusting Me completely will bring you comfort and Me worth-ship (Sunday: Pastor Tim Waldron, Revelation 4:11).
- To know Me is to live a life of thanksgiving and praise.  Creation praises Me regardless of wind, rain, cold, heat, distance or damage.  (Tuesday: Psalm 96, read with my wonderful gift of a husband.)
- When tragedy strikes, I am near.  Trust Me.  Set your mind on Me.  I will bring peace (Thursday: Isaiah 26:3, given in response to an unexpected death in a friend's family).
- I am calling you to change, to growth, to newness of life (Sunday: Colossians 2:7, youth Sunday school class).
- When you're unsure how to bless someone who has hurt you, "love never fails" (Thursday: 1 Corinthians 13:8).
God is speaking.  The question is, am I listening?  Am I stopping?  Am I available to His voice through His Word by His Spirit?

It's the Little Things

As our children were getting ready for school this morning, I offered to help.  "Got it, Mom."  Looking more closely I asked, "Would you like me to wash your glasses?"
"That'd be great!"
In that moment I was reminded that loving others, serving and ministering to their needs is not the big, never-fear-mom-is-here, heroic moment.  It's the watching, the seeing, the willingness to address the little things that lighten another's load.  It's saying in my heart and by my actions, what's important to you is important to me.  And for me, lately, it means being gentle--knowing another's weakness and protecting instead of damaging.
I have been helping Joy, my friend from the Congo, learn English.*  This fall we started the Bible study, Developing Genuine Friendships.  Helping her translate the Scripture and questions has been enlightening--for me.  Our daughter, Laura, said, "It's like being a thesaurus, Mom, you just have to use a lot of synonyms."
Last week we studied Philippians 4:7, "Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near." The English word gentle was new to her.  "When our second child was born, our oldest was Caroline's age," I said, gesturing at her 2-year-old.  "We told him over and over to be gentle with the baby--to be careful, soft."  Yes, she understood.  "Or, if you carry an egg home from the market in your hand, you're gentle because it's easily broken.  That's what we should be like with others.  Our gentleness should be evident; something they can see, something that's shown."  And with each description, my mind said, "ouch!" thinking of the many times I had not been gentle. This was a hidden area I struggled with but couldn't put my finger on. God was using this time with Joy and His Word as a tender reminder.
"The next part says, 'The Lord is near.'  Maybe because God is near--like me with our new baby.  He is watching, like a Father, and we are to be careful with those he loves. Or it could mean our gentleness is seen because God is nearby, helping us be gentle."
For the next question in the study, "application," we shared personal examples and were encouraged that God is changing us.
In the week since we studied that verse, I have recalled her beautiful lilting voice recite Philippians 4:7 and I have been blessed.  I have examined the speed and abruptness with which I go about my day.  It's fine when I'm alone, but as soon as someone else is involved, I need to slow down--to be aware of their interests and limits and adjust my tone, focus and process accordingly. 
How good God is to use the little things to teach us--and to allow us to love others through the little things of life!

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

*Shared with permission.

The Value of One Another

I enjoyed a great privilege this week:  the mirror only a true friend can hold.  Last week's post was originally emotional and overwrought.  Thanks to the faithful words of a friend, I went back and adjusted a few things. My goal has never been to exploit you, the reader, or make this a public confessional.  My hope is that we will all be encouraged and changed.  If I can contribute to your growth through my own life and applying the Word of God, it's a small price for holiness.
That was the gift from one friend among many.  Perhaps you, like me, could name the
- person you call with off-the-wall prayer requests, knowing she will keep it in strictest confidence,
- person who is beyond you in life and experience, but willingly shares from her own walk with God,
- person who is fun, who laughs with you and for you,
- person who calls you on your mistakes and loves you anyway.
Each one is treasure. Two years ago I stopped to chat with a couple of older saints in a golf cart and received an amazing gift toward building friendships: a vision for accountability.
Up to that point, I had avoided all references to accountability.  It didn't speak, "friend" as much as "foe." It felt like those asking wanted to swap responsibility--yours for mine.  Nope.  Not interested.
One of the women in the golf cart shared a model for accountability she was actively using and it sounded wonderful.  A small group of women (three-ish) met for an hour, once a week.  There was no Bible study, no book or curriculum, just life sharing. Each person needed to be willing to change and willing to challenge others.
After mulling it over, I prayed and did research.  Online articles by Dr. Richard J. Krejcir pointed to biblical examples and directives for interpersonal discipleship.  There is a measure of discernment needed in sharing our lives, especially as it relates to others, but we are also called to open ourselves and allow others to speak truth. It's part of the one-another's of Scripture. 
In a true accountability group, "others" ask hard questions, follow up on things I'd rather forget, and encourage me to endure.  They don't assume responsibility for my choices, but they care, they ask and they apply specific Scripture.  I listen to their struggles and victories and ask questions, seeking to keep Christ at the center.  The hardest part is the group size--making and keeping it small.  We want to include everyone and exclude no one, but it's best not to, just for this time.  Jesus's intimate group included Peter, James and John.  He exposed Himself to them as He did to no one else, He rebuked them, asked them hard questions, and allowed them the privilege of doing the same.
We began more than a year ago and decided to memorize the New Testament book of James as a jumping off point each week.  We haven't finished, but we're making progress.  It's an extremely good, rich, deep time of fellowship.  6:15a.m. comes early, but it's worth the yawns.  As we drink coffee and take notes we share laughter, sometimes tears, but God is there, directing and using us, for His glory and our good. 
And it isn't just us--our husbands, children, local church, co-workers, and people whose lives we touch benefit because we're not in it for ourselves, we're in it for the glory of God.
"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,  with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace....
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,  for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,  till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,  but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love" (Ephesians 4:1-6,11-16 NKJV).

 

Living Life Backwards

"This is what my father used to call, 'too-big-for-your-britches," my husband coached one of our children.  I listened with humility.  God and I just had the same conversation.

The holidays made devotional time difficult.  There just isn't a routine from one day to the next and my spiritual appetite (which decreases with time, unlike a physical one), had waned and wavered. 

Sunday was a busy day of ministry--Sunday school, choir, youth, worship.  A wonderful day.  I crawled into bed, ready for the end.  Before I knew it, my review of life was more about me and less about others.  The downward, negative spiral carried over into a wrong-side-of-the-bed start to Monday.  Realizing I was overly critical of others, I prayed, "God, please make me more aware of my own sin than the sins of others."  It was a dangerous request.

After everyone left for school and work, my heart said, "Your know what your problem is: you don't love people enough." Lie. Loving others isn't the problem; loving God is.

I answered, "I know I haven't been reading my Bible enough.  I should start with prayer and Bible reading.  That will help."

"But you've been reading Isaiah.  That's part of the Old Testament. That's not going to help."  Lie. God never changes. "You should skip it until you've figured out the love-thing." Lie. "Not by righteous works which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us...."

"The New Testament.  1 Corinthians 13.  I should review and meditate on that."

"Phtt.  You already know 1 Corinthians 13.  What good's it going to do to read it one more time?" Lie.  "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God."

So I read 1 Corinthians 13 by God's grace.  And repeated it.  And prayed.  And meditated on it, focusing on Jesus love for me.  Instead of me loving others, I could see God loving me and realized I was backwards in the saddle--looking at others instead of Him.

Sin is ugly.  And deceitful.

But God, in His goodness, allowed me a closer view of my need. 

Miles J. Stanford wrote, "There will always be a degree of 'labor' involved [in sanctification].... because self will never change;  it will always be sinful, never possessed of one good thing.  We must count on the exchange of the cross to separate us from the influence of self, freeing us to rest in the life of our Lord." (The Complete Green Letters,  p. 234)

Instead of standing with my back to the cross, looking at the shadow it cast on the lives of others, God turned me around.  To face Jesus.  And there, gazing upon the cross, I saw my failures in the light of God's incredible love, lost in the wonder of God's glory.  Filled with the love of the Father and Son, I was empowered by the Spirit to love others with abandon and sincerity.

My britches are a little more comfortable--and it's easier to move forward when you're facing the right direction.  The busyness has calmed.  I am regaining an appetite for God's Word.  And Jesus continues to be more gracious, more wonderful, more generous, more loving, kind and gentle than ever before.

"Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

"There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, 

“Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” (Luke 7:36-50 NKJV)

The Painful Truth

We had the privilege of eating at a Brazilian steakhouse with family this week.  As nearly twenty of us spread out around the table, my husband and I found ourselves in the midst of children.  To my right and across the table sat at least four ten-year-oldish children.  Rounds and rounds of meat on a skewer travelled past our table.  Responding to hunger, curiosity, and physical appeal, the wait staff stopped and cut off generous portions of each new offering.
After a generous dessert, we realized our nephew was now reclining on his mother's lap, stomach distended, tears in his eyes.  She gently massaged his discomforted belly and whispered quietly in his ear.
"Why is everyone laughing?"  he asked. 
"Because we've all done exactly the same thing," she answered.
The next morning my parents and I were discussing spiritual matters and I was reminded of the book, "The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness," and Timothy Keller's comparison of our sensitive egos to an extended organ.  The more immediate and painful our reaction to criticism or assistance, the more over-extended our ego.  If my opinion of myself is too high, I will respond with anger and defensiveness.  If my opinion of myself is accurate, I will respond with humility and gratitude for another's investment in my life.
Even as I read from the book of Isaiah this morning, I was reminded of the importance of truth and honesty and the fact that it must start here, with myself.  Until I can openly and honestly own up to my own mistakes, shortcomings and failures, I am in no condition to regard the world around me.  This is why the Word of God is so important.  Apart from the anchor of God's unchangeable, timeless, life-giving Word and way, I will wander and swagger through life, lost.  But as I take time to listen, to reconsider, to submit myself to His Person and Way, my compass is reset and my feet fall on solid ground.

"Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,

And princes will rule with justice...
The foolish person will no longer be called generous,
Nor the miser said to be bountiful;
For the foolish person will speak foolishness,
And his heart will work iniquity:
To practice ungodliness,
To utter error against the Lord,
To keep the hungry unsatisfied,
And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
Also the schemes of the schemer are evil;
He devises wicked plans
To destroy the poor with lying words,
Even when the needy speaks justice.

But a generous man devises generous things,
And by generosity he shall stand.
Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
And righteousness remain in the fruitful field....
The work of righteousness will be peace,
And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.
My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation,
In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places,
Though hail comes down on the forest,
And the city is brought low in humiliation....

Blessed are you who sow beside all waters,
Who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey." (excerpts from Isaiah 32)

Who's in Control?

If you have done any living, you can guess that this past week was rife with failure after the post, "How Sin Makes Me Fat."  I should have known better--but the goal is for all of us, not just myself.  Once again, I am human.  I fail.  Life goes on.
The greatest encouragement and challenge of the week came through The Complete Green Letters by Miles J. Stanford.  Perhaps one of you is a pastor-person or Bible scholar who would leave a comment and fill in the blanks, because this is a new thought I haven't entirely studied out.  If you haven't read the book, you will appreciate the insight.  If you have read it, perhaps this will be a timely reminder.
Well into Part 4 of the 5-part book, Stanford expounds on Galatians 2:20:  I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me (NASB).
In personal and group studies and teaching, I admit to getting caught up in the idea of "mortifying" the flesh (particularly in Jim Berg's book, Changed Into His Image). 
Here, Stanford explains that the old self, the sinful self, the unregenerate self, has been crucified; i.e. it is still hanging on that dreadful cross.  It is not dead.  I cannot bring about its death.  But it has been crucified.  It remains there, as I myself am "united with [Christ] in the likeness of His death"  (Romans 6:5).  My sinful self is rendered immovable, fixed, bound.
But, as he says at the end of the chapter, I am often ordered about by it, obeying its voice, desires and demands. 
"There is the allegory of the sea captain who, in mid-ocean, is charged with a capital offense, put in chains, and replaced by another.  As the ship sails on, the chained one seeks to assert his old authority over the crew.  Some of them might be foolish enough to respond, but there is no need to for he has been judicially deposed.  It is now simply a matter of acknowledging the new captain and refusing the threats and orders of the condemned one.  The death sentence is not yet carried out beyond his being held in the place of death, his power broken, but he will be executed when the ship reaches port.  In the meantime, he causes a lot of trouble.
"Is this not a picture of the Adamic source, held in the place of death, replaced by the new Source at the helm of the ship?  Our attitude toward the old man has to be this: 'I reckon on the crucifixion of the cross as your undoing, and therefore refuse your reign over me.  I count the Lord Jesus Christ as the Captain of my life.' When we reach the heavenly port, the conflict will be over; in the meantime, we rest in Him" (The Complete Green Letters, p. 222-223).
...it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."  Galatians 2:20
It is not a matter of giving up as much as it is a matter of control.  This week, I've asked God to replace the old Sydney-self-control and with the new Christ-self-control.  God works it out by His grace, through faith, and it's a much better solution than me, myself, mortifying--myself.