"Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king." 1 Peter 2:13-15, 17 (NIV)
I read an article the other day that was talking about the "Evangelical Christian" movement in politics and its lack of an "issue to rally around." This article, along with my readings and discussions with my very wise husband, got me to thinking about all of this. What does the Bible have to say about "Christians" interjecting themselves into the political movement with their personal agendas? Well...unfortunately for them, there is not very much to support these actions. Throughout the ages, God has revealed himself to men in positions of authority and to the prophets and judges who advised them. Nowhere does it say that Christians should become political activists and stand on street corners with signs about various political issues. Nor should they use money to hire lobbyists to push their agendas through among those in power. Our one command to activism was "go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:15-16) So these "evangelicals" that are at the forefront of politics are really not evangelical at all! True evangelism occurs in one's neighborhood or wherever you meet someone who does not know Jesus. Sharing the life, burial and resurrection of Christ with whoever we meet should be our only "agenda." In John 6, it says "Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself."(v 15) Jesus told Pilate "my kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36) That should be a sign to us all. Our goal is to present the gospel of Christ to as many people as we can and then they shall avoid condemnation. If someone is a child of God, he or she will make the right decisions in their life. It is not our responsibility to condemn or protect the actions of those who are not in Christ Jesus. In Jude it is written "in the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires. These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them..." (17-23a) If we would be less concerned with conforming the politics of this world to our "christian values" and more concerned with bringing the lost of this world to the everlasting life through Christ, more people would live in the ways set forth by Christ of their own volition. "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight." (1 Cor. 3:19) I am not saying that we should not exercise our right to vote or be concerned with the state of our nation. We can even be involved in politics for the interests of our country and show our faith through our opinions and actions, but not to promote a hidden agenda. I believe we should be less concerned with how to force our values on the lost and more concerned with sharing the Good News of Christ that will make the lost WANT to live in the values of true Christianity.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Third Grade Humility
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)
When I was going into the 3rd grade back in 1980, my mother and father decided to put me into a new school. It was a preparatory school for girls and I had to interview and be "invited" to attend there. It was a great honor, even then, for I knew that it was a financial burden to my family and an opportunity that would change my future. Since we lived outside of town in a suburb, the school bus did not run in my neighborhood. Therefore my mom had to take me to school each day and pick me up. Everyday we would talk about something, or I would read to her from one of my books, or we would learn a new vocabulary word and how to spell it. But the car trip of the first school day stands out in my mind like it was yesterday. She was driving along and she said "now there are going to be girls here from very rich families. We do not have houses or cars like theirs, and their dads may be doctors or lawyers, but remember that they are no better than you." And she followed it up with "and if you ever get the idea that you are better than anyone else, I will take you out of this school." That was my first lesson in true humility. Do not ever...and I mean ever...consider yourself better than someone else. (The other lesson was do not let anyone beat down your self-esteem, but that is another blog entry.) My mother has given many wise lessons in life, but this one is truly Biblical. For Paul says the same thing in Philippians 2. I think sometimes Christians can have a tendency toward self-righteousness if they do not guard themselves against it. We can think "I am saved" and "I do not commit those terrible sins" when in reality our judgement of others is equally as sinful as those who are in the world. Psalm 25:9 says "He guides the humble in what is right and he teaches them his way." So let us remember that the Lord is the only one who is to be lifted up. We came from the most humble of beginnings for we were created from the dust of the earth. Our goals should be to glorify God through all that we say and do, and draw others into his saving grace and pray for them rather than judging them for misguided actions.
When I was going into the 3rd grade back in 1980, my mother and father decided to put me into a new school. It was a preparatory school for girls and I had to interview and be "invited" to attend there. It was a great honor, even then, for I knew that it was a financial burden to my family and an opportunity that would change my future. Since we lived outside of town in a suburb, the school bus did not run in my neighborhood. Therefore my mom had to take me to school each day and pick me up. Everyday we would talk about something, or I would read to her from one of my books, or we would learn a new vocabulary word and how to spell it. But the car trip of the first school day stands out in my mind like it was yesterday. She was driving along and she said "now there are going to be girls here from very rich families. We do not have houses or cars like theirs, and their dads may be doctors or lawyers, but remember that they are no better than you." And she followed it up with "and if you ever get the idea that you are better than anyone else, I will take you out of this school." That was my first lesson in true humility. Do not ever...and I mean ever...consider yourself better than someone else. (The other lesson was do not let anyone beat down your self-esteem, but that is another blog entry.) My mother has given many wise lessons in life, but this one is truly Biblical. For Paul says the same thing in Philippians 2. I think sometimes Christians can have a tendency toward self-righteousness if they do not guard themselves against it. We can think "I am saved" and "I do not commit those terrible sins" when in reality our judgement of others is equally as sinful as those who are in the world. Psalm 25:9 says "He guides the humble in what is right and he teaches them his way." So let us remember that the Lord is the only one who is to be lifted up. We came from the most humble of beginnings for we were created from the dust of the earth. Our goals should be to glorify God through all that we say and do, and draw others into his saving grace and pray for them rather than judging them for misguided actions.
Friday, March 27, 2009
This is the day the Lord has made
"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24 (NIV)
I remember as a child learning the song that comes from this verse in the Psalms. It was probably in Sunday School or Vacation Bible School and I would sing it out loud with all the other children! It was one of those repetitive songs, sort of "marching along", that you can sing over and over and never tire of it because it just goes along with whatever you are doing at the time. Very few things inspire the human spirit quite like a song. Many of the Psalms are songs that could be set to music, and many of them have been made into current worship songs. David loved to sit in the fields and tend his sheep and sing songs to God while he played his harp. God refers to him as "a man after my own heart." (Acts 13:22) Yet David was far from the perfect little boy who slayed the great Goliath early on in his days after being anointed by Samuel. He spent years running from Saul, he wasn't the best father a child could ask for, he committed adultery, and he had a man murdered to cover his sin. Yet he cried out to the Lord in all his indiscretions and maintained his love and praises to Him begging for forgiveness. We can learn much today from David. First, you don't have to be perfect to be a man (or woman) after God's own heart. You simply have to want a deep and committed relationship with Him. Even though we slide on the slippery slopes of humanity and sometimes fall into a pit (Psalm 103:4), God is always there at the edge to lend us a mighty hand and pull us to safety. We are His children and he wants the best for us and that includes loving us when we are miserable failures or at the pinnacle of success. So remember this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! Sing a song to the Lord today and thank Him for all his glorious gifts in your life. He will love hearing your beautiful voice and you will love the warm feeling of joy and peace that comes from praising Him! "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love endures forever." (Psalm 118:29)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
What is your favorite sin?
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin." Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)
What is your favorite sin? Is it alcohol, or drugs, or food, or pride, or vanity? The list goes on and on. Some struggle with internal conflicts while others are just tempted outright with the sins of this world. There is usually at least one thing that we struggle getting rid of in our journey to fulfilling our purpose for God. We continue to ask forgiveness, yet we continue to sin even though we are convicted by the Holy Spirit every time. What if Jesus had given in to temptation in the desert after His baptism? He was tempted by the Devil three different times, but the one I relate to most is the food. After 40 days and nights of fasting, I don't know about you but I probably would have been hungry too...what was the trouble with having a little bread? There was nothing sinful about eating in and of itself. It was the covenant that Christ made with the Holy God that would have been broken. That was the true sin, plus the fact that Satan asked him to turn stones to bread. He would have been using his powers for evil and not for good. If Jesus would have fallen short of the glory of God and consumed one little morsel of bread, our eternity would be in jeopardy. We would no longer be covered with the blood of a sinless Lamb, but would still be under the Law. What if our sins impacted our eternity the way His did? Would we still be as prone to commit them if we did not have grace and forgiveness, or would we consider the repercussions more? So I ask you again, what is your favorite sin? What is holding you back from becoming all that God has planned for you? What is the last tie that binds you to this world and keeps you from becoming the person that God intends? May we ask and pray and beg the Lord to bind that sin in us so that we may be used for His good purpose and be "not conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing, and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)
What is your favorite sin? Is it alcohol, or drugs, or food, or pride, or vanity? The list goes on and on. Some struggle with internal conflicts while others are just tempted outright with the sins of this world. There is usually at least one thing that we struggle getting rid of in our journey to fulfilling our purpose for God. We continue to ask forgiveness, yet we continue to sin even though we are convicted by the Holy Spirit every time. What if Jesus had given in to temptation in the desert after His baptism? He was tempted by the Devil three different times, but the one I relate to most is the food. After 40 days and nights of fasting, I don't know about you but I probably would have been hungry too...what was the trouble with having a little bread? There was nothing sinful about eating in and of itself. It was the covenant that Christ made with the Holy God that would have been broken. That was the true sin, plus the fact that Satan asked him to turn stones to bread. He would have been using his powers for evil and not for good. If Jesus would have fallen short of the glory of God and consumed one little morsel of bread, our eternity would be in jeopardy. We would no longer be covered with the blood of a sinless Lamb, but would still be under the Law. What if our sins impacted our eternity the way His did? Would we still be as prone to commit them if we did not have grace and forgiveness, or would we consider the repercussions more? So I ask you again, what is your favorite sin? What is holding you back from becoming all that God has planned for you? What is the last tie that binds you to this world and keeps you from becoming the person that God intends? May we ask and pray and beg the Lord to bind that sin in us so that we may be used for His good purpose and be "not conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing, and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)
Monday, March 23, 2009
Woe
"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!" Matthew 18:7 (NIV)
What an interesting word: Woe. We rarely use it today. It's roots can be traced back before the 12th century. It is used to express grief, regret, or distress. Woe is used in context in the Bible over 95 times, usually referring to nations, cities, or people who have turned from God or caused others to turn from God. The reward for causing woe was often destruction, dismay, or spiritual blindness. Oh Lord, please do not cause woe to come unto me! Jesus said in Luke that it would be "better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin." (17:2) The Bible is filled with "woes" for the nation of Israel because they so many times turned from Him, yet it always follows the woe with grace for discontinuing the act of straying. "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14) Our world continues to wallow in woe even today, though most do not understand why. If we would humble ourselves and seek the Lord's face, He would be gracious to us. Yet we turn from Him and cause others to turn away or to never know His power, grace, and glory. "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) God longs to be merciful to us, just as He has since the beginning of time itself. Why are we so blind that we cannot see that our hardship can be the beginning of a great blessing from Him or it can be the beginning of eternal destruction? I choose the blessing. The Lord has shown Himself to be great and merciful to me in all my times of doubt and self-destruction. I cling to the promise that "the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion." (Isaiah 30:18) May we pray continually that we are spared the Biblical "woe" and prostrate ourselves before our God and receive His grace and mercy.
What an interesting word: Woe. We rarely use it today. It's roots can be traced back before the 12th century. It is used to express grief, regret, or distress. Woe is used in context in the Bible over 95 times, usually referring to nations, cities, or people who have turned from God or caused others to turn from God. The reward for causing woe was often destruction, dismay, or spiritual blindness. Oh Lord, please do not cause woe to come unto me! Jesus said in Luke that it would be "better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin." (17:2) The Bible is filled with "woes" for the nation of Israel because they so many times turned from Him, yet it always follows the woe with grace for discontinuing the act of straying. "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14) Our world continues to wallow in woe even today, though most do not understand why. If we would humble ourselves and seek the Lord's face, He would be gracious to us. Yet we turn from Him and cause others to turn away or to never know His power, grace, and glory. "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) God longs to be merciful to us, just as He has since the beginning of time itself. Why are we so blind that we cannot see that our hardship can be the beginning of a great blessing from Him or it can be the beginning of eternal destruction? I choose the blessing. The Lord has shown Himself to be great and merciful to me in all my times of doubt and self-destruction. I cling to the promise that "the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion." (Isaiah 30:18) May we pray continually that we are spared the Biblical "woe" and prostrate ourselves before our God and receive His grace and mercy.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Watch and Pray
"Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. 'Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?' he asked Peter. 'Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak'." Matthew 26:40-41 (NIV)
We are nearing the hour when Jesus would be betrayed and God's final actions of eternal salvation would begin. Jesus was sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane while His disciples slept nearby. All He asked them to do was "watch and pray." I know there are times when the Holy Spirit has burdened me to watch and pray and I have been so tired or distracted that I was overcome. I sometimes wonder how the disciples didn't "get it" that Jesus was going to die in a short while. Why weren't they overcome with anguish and fear? It's as if they didn't realize what was going to happen until it finally did and then they were shocked and dismayed. Then I remember that they didn't have the benefit of the Holy Spirit just yet. They were not endowed with the Counselor (John 15:26) to encourage them and help them understand what was going to happen. I sometimes take for granted that I am eternally saved from the devil's damnation and I have foregone a prayer time to "get busy." But we have no greater gift that our ability to talk to God and "watch and pray" for the trials and temptations in our lives. When Jesus was in the ultimate distress all He wanted to do was talk to His Father. He simply asked His friends to talk to Him too. He didn't take matters into His own hands, which He could have easily done, but he relinquished His power to allow God's plan to unfold. Oh, if we would only relinquish our worldly powers to do the same...
We are nearing the hour when Jesus would be betrayed and God's final actions of eternal salvation would begin. Jesus was sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane while His disciples slept nearby. All He asked them to do was "watch and pray." I know there are times when the Holy Spirit has burdened me to watch and pray and I have been so tired or distracted that I was overcome. I sometimes wonder how the disciples didn't "get it" that Jesus was going to die in a short while. Why weren't they overcome with anguish and fear? It's as if they didn't realize what was going to happen until it finally did and then they were shocked and dismayed. Then I remember that they didn't have the benefit of the Holy Spirit just yet. They were not endowed with the Counselor (John 15:26) to encourage them and help them understand what was going to happen. I sometimes take for granted that I am eternally saved from the devil's damnation and I have foregone a prayer time to "get busy." But we have no greater gift that our ability to talk to God and "watch and pray" for the trials and temptations in our lives. When Jesus was in the ultimate distress all He wanted to do was talk to His Father. He simply asked His friends to talk to Him too. He didn't take matters into His own hands, which He could have easily done, but he relinquished His power to allow God's plan to unfold. Oh, if we would only relinquish our worldly powers to do the same...
Friday, March 20, 2009
Wait Patiently for Him
"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land." Psalm 37:7-9 (NIV)
I once had a friend tell me that everything we have is either a gift from God or is acquired through sin. This was very profound to me. I would like to believe that all things are gifts from God, but unfortunately some people take things that do not belong to them or receive accolade for things they did not do. This is the way of this world, which is controlled by Satan (Ephesians 2). In our society of instant gratification, it is hard not to take matters into our own hands. If we want something, we go buy it. It doesn't matter if you do not have the money for it. You deserve it...you should have everything you want and everything everyone else has too! You want to have the position of your supervisor? Get them fired and move right into it whether you are qualified or even capable of doing it. Want to have a baby? Just do it-no need to be married in a covenant relationship with someone of the opposite sex. This is how our world is operating right now. But it is not much different from people in the Old Testament over 2,000 years ago. Jezebel had Naboth stoned to death so her husband, the king, could have Naboth's vineyard since he would not sell it to him (I Kings 21). But we should not fret when the evil people of our world succeed in their schemes and receive praises and reward. We should be patient and still and wait upon God to reward us. He will give us exactly what we need and most often more than we imagine if we will avoid our propensity to do evil. The evil men will be cut off from the land and from God. They will be eternally condemned while those who fear the Lord will live with Him forever and eat from the tree of life in paradise (Revelation 2:7).
I once had a friend tell me that everything we have is either a gift from God or is acquired through sin. This was very profound to me. I would like to believe that all things are gifts from God, but unfortunately some people take things that do not belong to them or receive accolade for things they did not do. This is the way of this world, which is controlled by Satan (Ephesians 2). In our society of instant gratification, it is hard not to take matters into our own hands. If we want something, we go buy it. It doesn't matter if you do not have the money for it. You deserve it...you should have everything you want and everything everyone else has too! You want to have the position of your supervisor? Get them fired and move right into it whether you are qualified or even capable of doing it. Want to have a baby? Just do it-no need to be married in a covenant relationship with someone of the opposite sex. This is how our world is operating right now. But it is not much different from people in the Old Testament over 2,000 years ago. Jezebel had Naboth stoned to death so her husband, the king, could have Naboth's vineyard since he would not sell it to him (I Kings 21). But we should not fret when the evil people of our world succeed in their schemes and receive praises and reward. We should be patient and still and wait upon God to reward us. He will give us exactly what we need and most often more than we imagine if we will avoid our propensity to do evil. The evil men will be cut off from the land and from God. They will be eternally condemned while those who fear the Lord will live with Him forever and eat from the tree of life in paradise (Revelation 2:7).
Thursday, March 19, 2009
False idols still today
"He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol, or swear by what is false. He will receive blessings from the Lord and vindication from God his savior." Psalm 24:4-5 (NIV)
How many of us can truly say that we have never lifted up our souls to an idol even for a minute? I don't mean the wooden poles and golden calves in the Old Testament, I mean the false idols of today. Money, power, vanity, lust, and the list goes on and on. We take God given things which were proclaimed "good" when God made the earth and have corrupted them into sin. The worship of false idols has never been so apparent in America than today. We love money!! Money and power are good!! Of course, the minute that money and power fail us we cry out to God wanting to know why He has forsaken us. The fall of the economy and the loss of homes, jobs, and all the things that make us important in our own eyes have gone away. What do we have then? One can only hope they have the blessings of the Lord and have their priorities in order. The Lord will provide for those who keep their eyes on Him. Our family is a great example of this. Last year, I unexpectedly lost my income. We weren't sure, or should I say I wasn't sure, how things were going to proceed in our life. My husband's enormous faith and guidance has lead us into our new business and more blessings from God that we ever fathomed. Our friends and family prayed for us, reached out to us, and we now understand that our blessings don't get directly deposited into the bank account twice a month. They come all day, every day, from our Father above. There is nothing greater than succeeding in a time of so much failure because you have true faith-understanding that all honor and glory go to God for everything that you have accomplished when the world seems completely against you. I pray for our country and our president and for all the people who have lost in our time of distress. Our "hope" that is so prevalent in speeches today seems in vain to me. We cannot truly have hope until we have FAITH in the One who gives us hope. Things will continue to get worse before they get better. And I don't mean the return of economic stability to the world-I mean the return of our Savior Jesus Christ to reign on high and overcome the evil of this world. I just praise the Lord for giving me and my family one more day together in His grace until it is time to live with Him forever!
How many of us can truly say that we have never lifted up our souls to an idol even for a minute? I don't mean the wooden poles and golden calves in the Old Testament, I mean the false idols of today. Money, power, vanity, lust, and the list goes on and on. We take God given things which were proclaimed "good" when God made the earth and have corrupted them into sin. The worship of false idols has never been so apparent in America than today. We love money!! Money and power are good!! Of course, the minute that money and power fail us we cry out to God wanting to know why He has forsaken us. The fall of the economy and the loss of homes, jobs, and all the things that make us important in our own eyes have gone away. What do we have then? One can only hope they have the blessings of the Lord and have their priorities in order. The Lord will provide for those who keep their eyes on Him. Our family is a great example of this. Last year, I unexpectedly lost my income. We weren't sure, or should I say I wasn't sure, how things were going to proceed in our life. My husband's enormous faith and guidance has lead us into our new business and more blessings from God that we ever fathomed. Our friends and family prayed for us, reached out to us, and we now understand that our blessings don't get directly deposited into the bank account twice a month. They come all day, every day, from our Father above. There is nothing greater than succeeding in a time of so much failure because you have true faith-understanding that all honor and glory go to God for everything that you have accomplished when the world seems completely against you. I pray for our country and our president and for all the people who have lost in our time of distress. Our "hope" that is so prevalent in speeches today seems in vain to me. We cannot truly have hope until we have FAITH in the One who gives us hope. Things will continue to get worse before they get better. And I don't mean the return of economic stability to the world-I mean the return of our Savior Jesus Christ to reign on high and overcome the evil of this world. I just praise the Lord for giving me and my family one more day together in His grace until it is time to live with Him forever!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
We should be ashamed of ourselves
"My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism...Listen my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? But you have insulted the poor." James 2:1, 5-6b
There is a dear sweet little lady at my church who lost her husband a while back. She seems lost without him and often wanders aimlessly around the halls trying to find somewhere to "fit in". Most of the members either shun her or are shallow in their concern for her trying to find a way to get away as quickly as possible. I know that church is her only outlet for interpersonal communication with the world outside her home. It would seem as though we would welcome her and tend to her needs. I know that sometimes it is hard to deal with people, elderly or not, who seem to have lost the ability to function inside of our social mores. We should pray for them and treat them with as much respect and dignity as those greatest among us, especially if they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus said "he who is least among you all-he is the greatest." (Luke 9:48) We should reach out to the poor and down-trodden who cannot seem to tend to themselves. And we should be ashamed to use the same tongue to praise the Lord and then speak meanly about someone or insult them whether it is to their face or behind their back. May God have mercy on our souls for the world sometimes overtakes us and we fall prey once again to the meanness and sin that surrounds us.
There is a dear sweet little lady at my church who lost her husband a while back. She seems lost without him and often wanders aimlessly around the halls trying to find somewhere to "fit in". Most of the members either shun her or are shallow in their concern for her trying to find a way to get away as quickly as possible. I know that church is her only outlet for interpersonal communication with the world outside her home. It would seem as though we would welcome her and tend to her needs. I know that sometimes it is hard to deal with people, elderly or not, who seem to have lost the ability to function inside of our social mores. We should pray for them and treat them with as much respect and dignity as those greatest among us, especially if they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus said "he who is least among you all-he is the greatest." (Luke 9:48) We should reach out to the poor and down-trodden who cannot seem to tend to themselves. And we should be ashamed to use the same tongue to praise the Lord and then speak meanly about someone or insult them whether it is to their face or behind their back. May God have mercy on our souls for the world sometimes overtakes us and we fall prey once again to the meanness and sin that surrounds us.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Faith
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." Hebrews 11:1-3 NIV
Faith is the foundation of the Christian believer. Everything that we have and hope for is based on our faith that God made the world from nothing, that Jesus came to save us, and that the Holy Spirit lives inside of us. We cannot prove any of these things through our conscious minds or meager understanding of creation through science. If you try to explain God's existence through human understanding, you will fail every time. God may allow you to see glimpses of His fantastic existence, but those fleeting glimpses will surely disturb your mind and lead to greater questions if you do not have the ultimate belief: FAITH. I don't know about you, but I personally would not want a god who could not command or create anything he chooses and who was confined to human understanding and worldly restraints. My God is bigger than life and the mind which He gave me to reason my way through this short life. When we begin to allow God to reveal Himself to us through His Word and the world He created, our understanding far surpasses any scientific support that can be found by humanity. Our minds are filled with wonder and our hearts with praise. We have the "peace of God, which surpasses all understanding" (Phil 4:7). So do not focus your mind on things of this world but allow God to reveal Himself to you fully when you have faith.
Faith is the foundation of the Christian believer. Everything that we have and hope for is based on our faith that God made the world from nothing, that Jesus came to save us, and that the Holy Spirit lives inside of us. We cannot prove any of these things through our conscious minds or meager understanding of creation through science. If you try to explain God's existence through human understanding, you will fail every time. God may allow you to see glimpses of His fantastic existence, but those fleeting glimpses will surely disturb your mind and lead to greater questions if you do not have the ultimate belief: FAITH. I don't know about you, but I personally would not want a god who could not command or create anything he chooses and who was confined to human understanding and worldly restraints. My God is bigger than life and the mind which He gave me to reason my way through this short life. When we begin to allow God to reveal Himself to us through His Word and the world He created, our understanding far surpasses any scientific support that can be found by humanity. Our minds are filled with wonder and our hearts with praise. We have the "peace of God, which surpasses all understanding" (Phil 4:7). So do not focus your mind on things of this world but allow God to reveal Himself to you fully when you have faith.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Royal Priesthood
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9
We are a royal priesthood. This is certainly something interesting to consider. Before Jesus came to die for our sins as the ultimate sacrifice, only the Levite priests could enter into the tabernacle to intercede for the people to God. The Holy Spirit dwelt between the wings of the cherubim on the ark inside the Holy of Holies. This elite group of men were the elect who could talk to God. After Jesus died on the cross, the veil that lead to the Holy of Holies was torn, never to impede God's people again from interacting directly with Him. If we are saved by the blood of Jesus, we now act as our own personal tabernacle since the Holy Spirit dwells inside each of us. We can go to God anytime we wish to commune directly with Him and receive His gracious blessings. A Levite priest no longer has to go to God for us and then come out to bestow blessings upon us. There is no need for the Tabernacle with the Holy of Holies because we are now God's dwelling place! I think many Christians today take their ability to commune with God for granted. They just trust that they are His child, and then do not "worry" about whether they will be with Him for eternity in Heaven. We should consider it an honor and a privilege that we can go to God anytime anywhere. Wikipedia defines privilege as "a special entitlement or immunity", so when you think about prayer remember that God Himself granted you special entitlement to come to Him. He wants us to come to Him, that is why He sent Jesus to rid the world of its necessity to keep all of the laws originally laid down for them. Remember what an honor and a privilege it is to go to God directly to build a relationship with Him so that when you get to Heaven you will have many crowns to cast at the feet of Jesus.
We are a royal priesthood. This is certainly something interesting to consider. Before Jesus came to die for our sins as the ultimate sacrifice, only the Levite priests could enter into the tabernacle to intercede for the people to God. The Holy Spirit dwelt between the wings of the cherubim on the ark inside the Holy of Holies. This elite group of men were the elect who could talk to God. After Jesus died on the cross, the veil that lead to the Holy of Holies was torn, never to impede God's people again from interacting directly with Him. If we are saved by the blood of Jesus, we now act as our own personal tabernacle since the Holy Spirit dwells inside each of us. We can go to God anytime we wish to commune directly with Him and receive His gracious blessings. A Levite priest no longer has to go to God for us and then come out to bestow blessings upon us. There is no need for the Tabernacle with the Holy of Holies because we are now God's dwelling place! I think many Christians today take their ability to commune with God for granted. They just trust that they are His child, and then do not "worry" about whether they will be with Him for eternity in Heaven. We should consider it an honor and a privilege that we can go to God anytime anywhere. Wikipedia defines privilege as "a special entitlement or immunity", so when you think about prayer remember that God Himself granted you special entitlement to come to Him. He wants us to come to Him, that is why He sent Jesus to rid the world of its necessity to keep all of the laws originally laid down for them. Remember what an honor and a privilege it is to go to God directly to build a relationship with Him so that when you get to Heaven you will have many crowns to cast at the feet of Jesus.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Proud Parent
"...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15
My husband and I have made it a priority to keep our hearts and minds on things above. This includes asking daily for the Lord's will for our lives and for the lives of our children. We are so blessed to have such wonderful boys who love their family, appreciate the things they have, and especially love the Lord. A little time ago we had a record snow storm for Alabama and, of course, everything was closed down. It was on a Sunday, so we were all a little sad that we would not be able to attend Sunday School and Worship Service that morning. We all enjoy going to church every week and feel like it "fills our tank" to worship and be around such a loving group of people at the same time. Our youngest son was particularly sad that we wouldn't be going to church, so he watched Dr. Charles Stanley with us on television. I was so proud that he was truly interested in hearing the sermon that was on TV. He could have very easily been outside playing in the snow and it would not have made much difference. Later in the week I was in his room putting up some laundry and looked at his Etch-A-Sketch beside his bed that he received for Christmas a couple of years ago. On it was sketched "I Love God." My heart leaped and my pride burst forth like a fountain. You could not have found a more proud mother on the planet at that moment! It is truly a blessing to know that you and your children will spend eternity in heaven together. It is an even greater blessing to know that your children think about and praise God on the earth. We should all be so open with our love for God. I know that I am truly blessed and I boast only in Jesus that we are so fortunate to have the loving family that we do.
My husband and I have made it a priority to keep our hearts and minds on things above. This includes asking daily for the Lord's will for our lives and for the lives of our children. We are so blessed to have such wonderful boys who love their family, appreciate the things they have, and especially love the Lord. A little time ago we had a record snow storm for Alabama and, of course, everything was closed down. It was on a Sunday, so we were all a little sad that we would not be able to attend Sunday School and Worship Service that morning. We all enjoy going to church every week and feel like it "fills our tank" to worship and be around such a loving group of people at the same time. Our youngest son was particularly sad that we wouldn't be going to church, so he watched Dr. Charles Stanley with us on television. I was so proud that he was truly interested in hearing the sermon that was on TV. He could have very easily been outside playing in the snow and it would not have made much difference. Later in the week I was in his room putting up some laundry and looked at his Etch-A-Sketch beside his bed that he received for Christmas a couple of years ago. On it was sketched "I Love God." My heart leaped and my pride burst forth like a fountain. You could not have found a more proud mother on the planet at that moment! It is truly a blessing to know that you and your children will spend eternity in heaven together. It is an even greater blessing to know that your children think about and praise God on the earth. We should all be so open with our love for God. I know that I am truly blessed and I boast only in Jesus that we are so fortunate to have the loving family that we do.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
It's a Beautiful Day
"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-His eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20 NIV
I was watching Good Morning America on Friday and U2 was on promoting their new album. They have a song called "It's a Beautiful Day" which came out several years ago and is still one of my favorite songs. It always speaks to me about reveling in the beauty and glory of our world and God's creation. I have been feeling the need to speak about the beauty of the world since Spring has kicked in over the last couple of days. Following a record snowfall, it seems the earth just burst forth into magnificent green and warm. It always amazes me the feelings I get inside when the seasons change-it seems each one is a relief from the last, no matter how much you have enjoyed it. Then this morning in Sunday School, the teacher had Romans 1:20 read. I realized that God speaks to everyone through His magnificent creation of our world and humankind. We are supposed to recognize His accomplishments and revel in our humanity as part of His grand plan. Humans were so important that He sent His only son, Jesus, down to save this fallen creation that we may abide with Him forever and ever. We are His first love and He longs for us to have a relationship with Him for eternity. All you have to do is look around to see how worthy of our praise that He really is!
I was watching Good Morning America on Friday and U2 was on promoting their new album. They have a song called "It's a Beautiful Day" which came out several years ago and is still one of my favorite songs. It always speaks to me about reveling in the beauty and glory of our world and God's creation. I have been feeling the need to speak about the beauty of the world since Spring has kicked in over the last couple of days. Following a record snowfall, it seems the earth just burst forth into magnificent green and warm. It always amazes me the feelings I get inside when the seasons change-it seems each one is a relief from the last, no matter how much you have enjoyed it. Then this morning in Sunday School, the teacher had Romans 1:20 read. I realized that God speaks to everyone through His magnificent creation of our world and humankind. We are supposed to recognize His accomplishments and revel in our humanity as part of His grand plan. Humans were so important that He sent His only son, Jesus, down to save this fallen creation that we may abide with Him forever and ever. We are His first love and He longs for us to have a relationship with Him for eternity. All you have to do is look around to see how worthy of our praise that He really is!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Get out of the Boat!
"'Lord if it's you,' Peter replied, 'tell me to come to you on the water.' 'Come,' he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out. 'Lord, save me!' Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. 'You of little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt ?'" Matthew 14:28-31
I read this passage and completely understand how Peter could have been so frightened by the raging sea, waves, and storm around him. I also understand that he was in the present of JESUS and I often wonder what made him doubt. I would like to believe that I would have walked right out to Jesus and just stayed out with Him until we were good and ready to get back in the boat...but then I remember that I am human, just as Peter was, and I cannot say for sure what I would have done. I think sometimes we want something so badly and the Lord wants to give it to us. He basically tells us to "get out of the boat" and He will take care of everything if we just have faith. Why, then, do we step out on faith and end up sinking into the water when we doubt what we know to be true? We know that the Lord is going to take care of us. It may not be exactly the way that we thought, but He will never let one of His children drown in the sea on which we are sailing! In these tough times, it is easy to become fearful for our livelihood and our family. But God is going to take care of us and provide everything that we need as long as we keep our eyes on Him and our faith remains strong.
I read this passage and completely understand how Peter could have been so frightened by the raging sea, waves, and storm around him. I also understand that he was in the present of JESUS and I often wonder what made him doubt. I would like to believe that I would have walked right out to Jesus and just stayed out with Him until we were good and ready to get back in the boat...but then I remember that I am human, just as Peter was, and I cannot say for sure what I would have done. I think sometimes we want something so badly and the Lord wants to give it to us. He basically tells us to "get out of the boat" and He will take care of everything if we just have faith. Why, then, do we step out on faith and end up sinking into the water when we doubt what we know to be true? We know that the Lord is going to take care of us. It may not be exactly the way that we thought, but He will never let one of His children drown in the sea on which we are sailing! In these tough times, it is easy to become fearful for our livelihood and our family. But God is going to take care of us and provide everything that we need as long as we keep our eyes on Him and our faith remains strong.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Noble Character and Worldly Bodies
"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.' Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:28-30
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting...now there's a great contrast to our current culture. Seems we are bombarded by more and more ways to remain charming and beautiful up until the bitter end. Beauty creams at a minimum. Addiction to plastic surgery at the other end of the spectrum. People apparently are supposed to know everything about us they need to know from 10 yards away...but God thinks differently. "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things." (Colossians 3:2) He knows that we age and that our bodies may be broken down by the sins of this world. But if we live and trust in Him, we will age gracefuly. We may be weathered or worn or slightly overweight but He looks right through that exterior skin to our hearts. There is where the true beauty lies in a woman who follows in the footsteps of Jesus. So we can fight the aging process with human means or we can rely on God's means to keep us beautiful until we get those brand new bodies when we are resurrected in Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15 says "The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 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 (v42-44)." Praise the Lord! I can't wait to get my perfect, eternal, imperishable body.
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting...now there's a great contrast to our current culture. Seems we are bombarded by more and more ways to remain charming and beautiful up until the bitter end. Beauty creams at a minimum. Addiction to plastic surgery at the other end of the spectrum. People apparently are supposed to know everything about us they need to know from 10 yards away...but God thinks differently. "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things." (Colossians 3:2) He knows that we age and that our bodies may be broken down by the sins of this world. But if we live and trust in Him, we will age gracefuly. We may be weathered or worn or slightly overweight but He looks right through that exterior skin to our hearts. There is where the true beauty lies in a woman who follows in the footsteps of Jesus. So we can fight the aging process with human means or we can rely on God's means to keep us beautiful until we get those brand new bodies when we are resurrected in Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15 says "The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 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 (v42-44)." Praise the Lord! I can't wait to get my perfect, eternal, imperishable body.
Monday, March 2, 2009
You can't pick your fruit...
"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
When we receive the Holy Spirit into ourselves by accepting Christ, we are endowed with spiritual gifts that will ultimately "bear fruit" in our lives. I think we sometimes believe that we can pick and choose these fruits to our liking. Sometimes we feel love, other times peace, etc. But God intends for us to bear ALL of these fruits on our one tree. We should at all times be showing each of these as christians. If you lack kindness or self-control, you should be praying to ask God why you are experiencing a lapse in the fruit that you bear. We are the only Bible that some people will ever read, and if you are a walking contrast somewhere between Christ and the world, you will never fully reach the potential God has set for you.
When we receive the Holy Spirit into ourselves by accepting Christ, we are endowed with spiritual gifts that will ultimately "bear fruit" in our lives. I think we sometimes believe that we can pick and choose these fruits to our liking. Sometimes we feel love, other times peace, etc. But God intends for us to bear ALL of these fruits on our one tree. We should at all times be showing each of these as christians. If you lack kindness or self-control, you should be praying to ask God why you are experiencing a lapse in the fruit that you bear. We are the only Bible that some people will ever read, and if you are a walking contrast somewhere between Christ and the world, you will never fully reach the potential God has set for you.
Isaiah 26:3
"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3 NIV
This is probably my favorite verse of all time. God spoke it to me in the middle of the night during a time in my life when I was begging for some personal peace. It seemed everything around me was in turmoil and it was rapidly making its way into my heart and mind. I was constantly troubled by my personal relationships, my finances, my career, and pretty much anything else you can worry about at any given time. I cried out to God to give me a little peace in my mind and heart, and He faithfully returned the call immediately with this verse. It has been my rock in so many situations since I committed it to memory the day I received it. May it bring peace to you and may you cry out to the Lord for your own verse of inspiration for your life. I know He will be faithful to answer your call as He was to answer mine.
This is probably my favorite verse of all time. God spoke it to me in the middle of the night during a time in my life when I was begging for some personal peace. It seemed everything around me was in turmoil and it was rapidly making its way into my heart and mind. I was constantly troubled by my personal relationships, my finances, my career, and pretty much anything else you can worry about at any given time. I cried out to God to give me a little peace in my mind and heart, and He faithfully returned the call immediately with this verse. It has been my rock in so many situations since I committed it to memory the day I received it. May it bring peace to you and may you cry out to the Lord for your own verse of inspiration for your life. I know He will be faithful to answer your call as He was to answer mine.
What started it all-11-02-03
The Lord has lead me to realize that my burdens are not too great for Him. I should lay them before Him with the understanding that He will deal with them in His time. Ever since I was a child, my mother encouraged independence and self-sufficiency. She did not ever want me to be a burden upon anyone should she or my father leave this earth before I could take care of myself. This part of my upbringing overflowed into my spiritual life along with my drive and independence. It was not until I reached the pinnacle of my success in life at that point did I realize that I was completely unhappy and unfulfilled. I realized that the one thing lacking in my perfect life was God. I had communed with Him as a child and knew His grace as a teen, but I lost true fellowship with Him as a young adult. I let "man" lead me through my 20's and into my 30's. I then began to realize that my life was filled with discontent and I was tormented by insecurity, fear, self-loathing, and many other demons. I began a whole-heartedly quest to find my Lord-lost somewhere between my heart and my head. At my first quiet call, He was there immediately to comfort me. I have found great solace and peace in turning my life over to Him once again, planning never again to lose Him. In this fast-paced and frantic world, He is the only Rock that I need to sustain me.
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