Bread and Water

Change of Address

2011-03-12T10:46:00.002-06:00

Hi Everybody! Thanks for being loyal readers of Bread and Water. I wanted to let you know that I'm moving!

My new address on the web is:

www.MichelleLesleyBooks.com

Come on over and subscribe! You'll find all the old Bread and Water content, plus all the latest information about my new book, Jacob: Journaling the Journey, how to schedule me for a speaking engagement, and more!

And while you're clicking around cyber space, don't forget to "like" my new Facebook page: Michelle Lesley- Author. There'll be sneak peeks at Jacob, contests, and a lot more.

Back to the Basics, Part 3-- Himmed In

2011-02-16T06:14:00.001-06:00

Establish my footsteps in Your word,
And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me. Psalm 119:133

A few years ago, we had a little dog named Mathilda. She was cute, but to be honest, she was not one of my favorite dogs because she was completely disobedient. Maybe it was because she was rebellious. Maybe it was because she was dumb as a rock. I never did figure that one out.

We'd tell her to come; she'd run away. We'd tell her to stay; she'd run away. Frankly, pretty much anything we told her to do, she'd ignore and run away. Which was all well and good as long as she stayed inside the confines of our fenced back yard. As long as she stayed in familiar territory, she knew where and how far she could run and still be safe.

The problem was that in order to get from our back door to our carport, we had to go through the gate that kept Mathilda in the back yard.

Did I mention she liked to run away?

One day, someone opened the gate, and Mathilda was off like a shot. My daughter was on search and rescue duty that day, so she took off after Mathilda. Unfortunately, Mathilda, with no boundaries to contain her and in unfamiliar territory, got confused and crossed the street at exactly the wrong time-- just as a car was coming. And, sadly, this is where her story ends.

Have you ever heard someone say, "Children need boundaries"? Well, children aren't the only ones. Just as Mathilda discovered, the world can be a big confusing place, fraught with unseen dangers. Even before the Fall, when there were only two people in the world and things were perfect, God didn't just turn Adam and Eve loose to roam the planet indiscriminately. He placed them in the confines of Eden and gave them a one rule boundary. It was for their protection and their joy.

As Christians today, our confines are less visible than the borders of a garden. Our boundary is the Bible. For our protection and our joy, we must stay inside the walls of God's Word. In order to do that, we must:

Know what the Word says:

I will meditate on Your statutes. Psalm 119:48

Study God's Word. Memorize it. Dig down deep into it. Listen to Biblical preaching and teaching.

Obey the Word:

So I will keep Your law continually,
Forever and ever. Psalm 119:44

Often, the problems we experience and the confusing situations in which we find ourselves are a direct result of sin. God's commands are for our good, our joy, and His glory. When we stray from them, things get messed up. And after all He has done for us, is obedience too much to ask?

Go Back to what You Know:

For I trust in Your word. Psalm 119:42

Sometimes, despite our obedience and our love for the Lord, he allows confusing, painful, awful situations into our lives. We don't understand what's happening or why God would allow this terrible thing to take place. It's especially important at these times to stay inside the fence of God's word, draw upon His truths we have memorized and studied, and trust Him. When we're not sure what's going on around us, we can go back and stand on what we can be certain of: God's promises.

God is good, not evil. Psalm 100:5

God loves us. Romans 5:5,8

If we depend on Him and trust Him, God will strengthen us to walk through any situation He sends our way. Philippians 4:13

God can bring good out of any situation. Romans 8:28

Suffering can bring about invaluable spiritual growth. Psalm 119:67, 71, Philippians 3:10, Romans 5:3-4

God's overall greater purpose is more important than an individual's personal comfort. Genesis 50:20, John 3:16

God is faithful and will not abandon us. II Thessalonians 3:3, Deuteronomy 31:6,8

God's comfort is available to us. II Corinthians 1:3-5, II Thessalonians 2:16-17

One day, all things will be set right. Romans 12:19, Revelation 21:3-4

Know the Word. Live it. Breathe it. Stay inside its good and protective boundaries. It's for God's glory and our joy.

We interrupt this series to bring you...

2011-01-29T21:28:00.006-06:00

I'm so excited to share this with you! This week my publisher, Sheaf House, sent me the cover for my book, Jacob: Journaling the Journey.

It's an exciting women's Bible study on the life of Jacob, and in a format that's refreshingly different from most of the workbook Bible studies you're used to. In Jacob, you'll have the opportunity to really dig deep and discover what God is saying to you, personally, through the Scripture.

Jacob: Journaling the Journey follows the story of this "rough around the edges" Old Testament character as he grows from an impetuous mama’s boy into one of the founding fathers of the faith. Equally important to Jacob’s story are the family members—such as “Manipu-Mom” Rebecca, “Wild Thing” Esau, and Rachel, Queen of High Maintenance—who played such vital roles in his life.

So come join the journey. You'll find that the same God that moved mightily through the life of this rough-and-tumble patriarch can move powerfully in our hearts today.

Jacob: Journaling the Journey will soon be available for pre-order, and will be available through Christian retail stores and on-line this August.

Want a sneak preview? I'm available to speak to your church's women's group, at conferences, retreats, workshops, etc. E-mail me at songotsouth@yahoo.com (or use my regular contact information if you know me personally).

Back to the Basics, Part 2-- Sit at His Feet

2011-01-16T22:12:00.009-06:00

Luke 10:

38Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.
39She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word.
40But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me."
41But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;
42but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

I enjoy staging productions and events when I have time and the occasion calls for it. I put together business events when I worked a "real" job. I staged musicals when I directed children's choirs. But the production I enjoyed staging the most was my wedding.

I didn't have a wedding planner. Hardly anyone did back then, and, besides, I wanted to do it myself. I had a ball picking out flowers, shopping for the cake, and taking care of all the other arrangements. But even though I enjoyed those things, on my wedding day, I wasn't immersed in taking care of little details. I was focused on my husband. It would have been silly of me to neglect him in favor of rearranging centerpieces or something like that. And, today, my marriage would be a pretty cold place if all I ever did was fold my husband's laundry and serve him meals without us spending any time just enjoying each other's company.

It's easy to see how those kinds of scenarios would be detrimental to a marriage. But as the bride of Christ, we do things like this all the time. We get wrapped up in serving God and substitute that for sitting at His feet and loving Him. It's like having a birthday party without the guest of honor. Or a marriage without a husband.

Serving God in ministry is important-- after all, if no one put his hand to the plow and served, we'd have no pastors, teachers, missionaries, etc. --but our one on One relationship with God should take precedence over everything else. We get the cart before the horse when our relationship with the Lord is completely tied up in ministry and its results and effectiveness rather than in our own individual relationship with a Person-- Jesus Christ.

I've always jokingly said that God needs Marthas like me, because without us, nothing in the Kindgom would get done. But I'm discovering that's not true. God doesn't need the efforts of any human being in order to get Kingdom work accomplished. He's quite capable of getting the work done on His own. And, frequently, the tasks on my list that I think need to be done are not the same as the items on His agenda.

Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?"
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." John 6:28-29

God isn't my boss; He's my bridegroom.

He doesn't want my work; He wants my heart.

It's my job to love Him, to know Him, to have an intimate relationship with Him.

'Scuse me, I've got some work to catch up on.

Back to the Basics, Part 1-- Grab God's Hand

2011-01-12T06:18:00.002-06:00

Every year at this time, there's a lot of talk about New Year's resolutions. The new year seems to bring with it a feeling of starting fresh, getting a do-over. I've never really been one for making resolutions, but this year, New Year's coincided with some work God was doing in my life to give me a fresh start.

Sometimes we can get into a rut in our spiritual lives, a rut that's too deep to just step out of by making a few minor adjustments. God has to reach down and pull us up and out of it. That's where I was. Spiritually, I felt dry; as if God were in the other room, and I couldn't quite find the door to get to Him. My Bible study and prayer time were shallow and hit and miss at best, and I was frustrated.

In answer to my crying out to Him, the Lord began to pull me up out of that rut. As He did, what He showed me was that I needed to get "back to the basics" in my spiritual life. This article is the first in a series exploring the basics God is leading me back to.

Grab God's Hand

Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. II Timothy 2:5

Looking back, I can see that one of the ways I got into my rut in the first place was some "stinkin' thinkin'". My spiritual life was just beginning to show some signs of dryness around the edges. I thought it was because I was doing my Bible study and prayer time out of habit every day rather than doing them because I felt a supernatural draw to them.

I decided that, rather than have my time with the Lord as a built in part of my every day schedule, I would ask God to give me a hunger for Him and his Word, and that when I felt that longing for Him, I would spend time with Him. I honestly did this with the best of intentions, because I felt myself slipping away from the Lord and wanted to be close to Him again.

Good intentions are a great thing, but if the action they inspire is wrong, the intention is worthless. The action has to be the correct one. Mine was not. John Wesley said, "A fanatic is one who seeks desirable ends, but ignores constituted means." "Constituted means" simply refers to the normal order of operations God has set up. For example, if I want a cake-- a desirable end --I don't hit my knees, ask God to send me a cake, and then go look in the oven to see if it's there. I go to my cabinet, get out the ingredients, mix them up, and bake them. Those are God's constituted means by which I can get cake.

It works the same way in our spiritual lives. Holiness, sanctification (spiritual growth), and hunger for the things of God aren't three wishes magically granted by a genie, even if you call that genie "God". You have to use God's "constituted means" of doing the work to get there.

Paul describes our walk with the Lord as a race or athletic event (I Corinthians 9:24-27, II Timothy 2:5). You don't just rub a lamp, make a wish, and, BAM, you're a great athelete. You get up every day and train and condition whether you feel like it or not. Some days, you'll be excited about working out, other days, you'll want to stay in bed, but you still do it. It's the "doing it" that creates the desire to hone your abilities more, and makes you love the sport more.

Likewise, we will never develop holiness and a closer walk with the Lord just by asking Him for them and then sitting and waiting. As we ask,we have to do the work of study and prayer-- even when we don't feel like it. It is in the "doing it" that God creates the hunger for more of Him. I discovered as I waited and waited for God to draw me close to His side that I was slipping farther and farther away from Him. I was trying to get to my desired end without using His constituted means.

So, when we're down in that rut we can't get out of, we should cry out to God to reach down and lift us out of it, but that's not all. When God extends His hand to pull us out, we've got to reach up and grab hold of Him and hang on, even when we don't feel like it. That's called obedience, and Jesus said if we love Him, we'll obey Him (John 14:23).

There are going to be some dry spells. After all, God didn't talk to Moses from the burning bush every day, now did He? The answer is not to ask God to set the bush on fire, but to hang on to Him in faith when all we see in front of us is a charred pile of sticks.

Keep walking, keep obeying, keep seeking Him. He has promised we'll find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29).

When Animals Attack

2010-12-15T06:18:00.000-06:00

Dear Mom and Dad-

Thank you for not getting me a pet monkey when I was a kid, even though I begged and begged for one.

Love,
Michelle

Lately, and I'm not sure why, I have become fascinated with a television show on Animal Planet called "Fatal Attractions". It's all about people who keep dangerous exotic animals as pets. Usually, the pet owner ends up dead by the end of the show, hence the title. It's not a program for the faint of heart.

People keep the strangest animals-- venomous snakes, giant lizards, bears, and, yes, even apes-- despite the fact that they are known to be dangerous. Now, if you grew up in the '70s and '80s like I did, you might remember that there was a spate of movies and TV shows at some point back then-- "B.J. and the Bear", "Cannonball Run II", etc.-- that featured cute little chimpanzees and their human companions. So, you might be thinking what I was thinking the other day when an episode of "Fatal Attractions" focusing on pet chimpanzees came on: "How could those adorable little animals be dangerous?" They wear hats and overalls, give hugs and kisses, and even communicate in a rudimentary way. My parents told me the reason I couldn't have one was that they carried germs and that they would stink up the house.

Well, apparently, chimps are much more sinister than smelly. Even when people have taken them in as babies and raised them as their own children, many chimps, upon reaching adolescence, have turned violent and attacked their owners or others.

Moreover, the way they attack is particularly gruesome. Snakes will bite whichever of your body parts is closest. Bears flail their paws around indiscriminately, mauling whatever is in their pathway. Chimpanzees, however, attack systematically. They focus specifically on severing small appendages (ears, eyes, nose, lips, fingers, toes, and genitals) first, before moving on to a more "macro" assault on their victims.

Interestingly, most of the storylines on "Fatal Attractions" follow the same pattern. The pet owner is somewhat reclusive and secretive about owning the animals-- in many cases, because the species is illegal to own or has been illegally obtained. Some owners have even refrained from calling 911 when attacked out of fear that the animals will be confiscated.

Additionally, the fatal attack usually comes after months or years of much smaller assaults. A nip here, a show of aggression there. Those closest to the pet owner warn him repeatedly that the animal is dangerous, but he refuses to listen, thinking that the small attacks will be the extent of the animal's aggression. He believes he has control over the animal and that the animal respects, loves, and trusts him enough not to hurt him.

And, on this show, he always turns out to be wrong.

When it comes to sin, are we any different than these pet owners? I Peter 5:8 says:

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

At first, sin looks more like a cute, cuddly lion cub. It's small. It seems harmless enough. We have control over the situation. And besides, who could resist a little nuzzle with something so adorable?

We keep the cub a secret because we know we're not supposed to have it, or maybe because others just wouldn't understand how it's really ok to keep it, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

Time goes by. The cub gets bigger. It's not so cute anymore, but we still love it and can't let it go. We ignore the warnings that lions are dangerous. It begins to show signs of aggression from time to time, but we still think we're in control. And then, eventually, comes the final attack.

The extent of the damage depends on one thing, and one thing only-- whether or not we have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Just like the victims who refused to call 911 out of fear that their animals would be confiscated, a person who has never turned away from his sin and cried out to Jesus to be saved from it will die a horrible death. His physical death may look peaceful, but it's in the afterlife of hell that Satan will devour him for eternity.

The person who is saved won't die that eternal death in hell, but he will bear the scars of his sin in this life. Maybe he'll just lose a finger, maybe he'll be horribly mutilated. His ministry might be destroyed, or maybe his marriage, his business, his reputation, or a friendship.

You see, on the episode of "Fatal Attractions" dealing with chimps, the victim didn't die. The chimp tore off his nose, lips, ears, and fingers, and gouged out one of his eyes, in addition to doing other damage. The man is still alive, but he will be horribly disfigured for the rest of his life. He can still function and have a purposeful life, but he will never be able to get back what he lost.

And so it is when we cuddle up with sin and it eventually turns on us. When we repent, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us (I John 1:9), but the scars remain for the rest of our lives. He can certainly still use us, but we can never get back what we've lost.

What to do?

But resist him {the devil}, firm in your faith... I Peter 5:9

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. II Timothy 2:22

Run. Run for your life.

The "Merry Christmas" Melee

2010-12-06T10:57:00.002-06:00

It's that time of year again. Time for love and good cheer. Peace on earth. Joy to the world.

And war.

Over the last several years, there's been a sometimes quiet and respectful, sometimes loud and obnoxious battle raging between conservative Christians and merchants over whether said merchants use the term "Merry Christmas" or the more general "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings" in their advertising and in greeting customers at their stores.

I don't know about you, but it's driving me bananas.

Would I prefer for everybody to say "Merry Christmas"? Sure. But on my list of things to have an aneurysm about, it falls somewhere between my dentist telling me I should floss more and deciding where to get the dog a pedicure. I just really don't care that much. And I'm wondering, in the grand scheme of things that should be pressing upon Christians' hearts, should something this minor even register on the scale of issues that upset us?

What do we expect?

Speaking strictly numerically and statistically, genuine Christians-- not just people who say they're Christians and/or go to church, but people who have actually been regenerated by the blood of Christ --are a very small minority. Despite what you may hear to the contrary, the United States is not a Christian nation. It may have been founded on Biblically inspiried principles, but in practical societal terms today, this is a nation mostly made up of lost people.

This means that it's a safe bet that the majority of the people at the helms of these corporations are lost. And guess what? Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, and lost people gotta act like lost people (Romans 8:7). What this means is that their decision whether to use "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" has nothing to do with Jesus or respecting the "true meaning of Christmas". Their decision is going to be based on what's going to make the corporation the most money. If saying "Merry Christmas" will get more customers in the door, that's what they'll do. It doesn't mean they're honoring Christ, it mean's they're pandering to Christians.

When we exert pressure on these corporations to say "Merry Christmas", what real change are we effecting? Are we not just creating more people who honor God with their lips while their hearts are far from Him (Isaiah 29:13)? Are we not sending them the subtle message that external behavior, rather than a reborn spirit, is what counts? One day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). One day. But that day is not today. We can't force change in people's hearts by coercing them into saying "Merry Christmas". And, to God, a change of heart is the only thing that matters.

Where should our passions lie?

I used to belong to a Christian "social issues" organization. In many ways, it's a great organization. I got frequent e-mails from them regarding which social issues various corporations were investing their profits in, where politicians stood on the issues, and lots of other helpful information and resources.

But every autumn they would begin their annual "Merry Christmas" campaign. They have buttons you can order that urge people to say "Merry Christmas". They have leaflets and stickers and videos you can order for your church to promote saying "Merry Christmas". They publish a "Naughty and Nice" list of merchants who use "Merry Christmas" (nice) or some other wording (naughty), so you'll know which stores to shop and which to boycott.

And it made me stop and think-- how many manhours go into that campaign every year? How much money does the organization invest in it? How much money do churches and individuals spend on their materials? Is investing that much time and money in promoting "Merry Christmas" good stewardship?

We have brothers and sisters all over this planet who would give anything to own a copy of the Bible. There are crisis pregnancy centers that operate on a shoestring trying to help women and their babies. There are missionaries who live in poverty in third world nations taking the Gospel to those who have never heard it. There are people starving. There are children who have been kidnapped by human traffickers.

And "Merry Christmas" is what we want to get all worked up about?

What's more upsetting to us, the fact that someone says "Happy Holidays" or the fact that the person who said it might die and spend an eternity in hell? Where do our passions truly lie? Are we passionate about the same things God is passionate about?

This Christmas, can we just focus on what's important? We have a God who loves every person so deeply and so violently, and whose mercy and grace are so unfathomable, that He came here personally to redeem us.

And there are people all around us who don't know that.

And they desperately need us to love them enough to tell them that in Jesus there's hope. A way out of their sin. A way to get clean. A secure eternity. Peace.

God and sinners, reconciled. Oh, what a Merry Christmas!

The Stench of a Sweet Aroma

2010-11-15T06:20:00.001-06:00

It seems like I've been cutting up a lot of onions lately. Fajitas. Chili. Homemade soups. People have been cooking with onions since the days of Israel's captivity in Egypt (Numbers 11:5), and probably even earlier than that. You've really got to wonder about the first person to pick up an onion, slice into it, be overwhelmed by noxious fumes, and say, "Oh yeah. We've got to put that thing in the stew. That's just what it needs!"

But, lately, my walk with the Lord has been a lot like an onion. He keeps peeling back layer after layer of my heart. And the more he does that, the more my sin stinks. And the more I realize I stink, the more it stings me. And the more it stings me, the more I weep.

But God has promised that, when I give Him those sins, He will take them away and "cast {them} into the depths of the sea" (Micah 7:19), and the sting will be gone. Just like when I drop those onions into my pot of soup. No more tears, no more stink. I wash my hands thoroughly, and I'm clean (Psalm 51:2). It's over.

Or is it?

Why did I cut up that onion in the first place? After all, I could have just left it sitting in the fridge. There wouldn't have been any pain or tears.

But my soup would have been weak and lacking the robust flavor it could have had.

No good comes from an onion that's been left in the refrigerator. It's only when I cut up the onion and put it into the soup that anything good can come out of it. As it cooks, the onion's awful fumes are transformed into a full and savory flavor that completes the taste of the soup.

And that's why I keep coming back to God and asking Him to reveal my sin to me. It's a painful and teary experience, but when He takes my sin, forgives me, and deals with me, only good can come of it. What "cooks out" of my sin might be a lesson learned, compassion for others strugging with the same sin, and the wisdom to help them, humility, or more dependence on God.

Dealing with my sin with the Lord makes me stronger in Him, and that's mmm, mmm, good.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. II Corinthians 2:14

Order in His Courts

2010-11-04T06:35:00.000-05:00

Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it. Deuteronomy 12:32

Remember long division? Some of us probably remember it fondly. For others, it was a nightmare of ghoulish proportions. Likely, most of us can still remember how to do it.

Ever tried to teach it to an eight year old?

That was my life last week.

If you think about it, it's really not that any of the steps in long division are that hard. You have to know your times tables and you have to know how to subtract. That's pretty much it as far as mathematical operations go. The tough part is working step by step and getting all the steps in the right order. One number out of place, one step out of order, and the whole thing falls apart.

And then, so does your eight year old.

The Old Testament is the story of long division. God told His people what to do, how to do it, and in what order to do it...

Bring Me the firstfruits, then you can use what is left.

Marriage first, then sex.

Work six days, then rest.

Put Me first in everything.

He spelled it all out for them, even carved it in stone, and still, they couldn't get it. Many times, the majority of them gave up even trying and openly rebelled. For others, initially desiring to be obedient, striving became the order of the day. They added layers and layers of rules on top of the ones God had given to protect themselves from even coming close to breaking God's original commands. And somewhere along the way, they lost the heart of God, and began to worship rule-keeping. Their steps were out of order at the deepest and most basic level, and things fell apart for them. Often. And badly.

But don't judge the Israelites harshly. We do exactly the same thing. Some of us rebel. Some of us strive. And both ways are equally displeasing to God.

Because the first step in coming to God is to realize and admit that we can't get it right. God never intended that we should be saved and in right standing with Him by keeping His Law and doing good deeds. Galatians 3:24 tells us that the whole purpose of the Law was to show us that we can't keep it, and to lead us to throw ourselves upon the mercy of God for forgiveness and salvation.

Does God desire our obedience? Of course. But not as a way to garner His favor or to outweigh the bad things we've done. Because it's not our outward behavior itself that pleases Him, it's a heart that's wholly His (II Chronicles 16:9). He desires that we obey out of a heart of love and gratitude to Him for saving us.

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. John 14:15

Love Him first, then obedience will be a natural outflow.

Just take it one step at a time.

In Dependence

2010-10-12T06:28:00.003-05:00

I Kings 3:

7"Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.

8"Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted.

9"So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"

10It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing.

Solomon was a little freaked out. God had just given him the huge responsibility of leading the nation of Israel. And King David was a tough act to follow.

"Help, Lord," he said, "I have no idea what I'm doing."

Big, strong Solomon felt the same way we all do when faced with a daunting task-- like a scared little kid, clomping around in Daddy's shoes.

It was, at that moment, that God had him right where He wanted him. Vulnerable. Dependent. Seeking God's face.

In America, we prize an independent, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, self-made man. God desires exactly the opposite. He wants us to realize that without Him we literally can do nothing. He wants to do great things for His glory through people who are completely dependent on Him for everything.

And, so, sometimes He leads us to places where we have no other option but to cry out to Him for His help, His strength, His wisdom.

I'm in a place like that right now. My first book will be coming out in less than a year, and I'm learning the ins and outs of the publishing world. Fast. Marketing plans, publicity, sales-- all, to one extent or another, my responsibility. Are you kidding me? I'm a homemaker with a degree in psychology. My sales experience consiststs of youth fundraisers and a brief stint as a clerk in an office supply store while I was in college. I am totally out of my element. I'm a little freaked out.

Help, Lord, I have no idea what I'm doing.

I think He's got me right where He wants me. And it's a great place to be.

If You Like to Talk to Tomatoes...Is that Blasphemy?

2010-09-21T06:26:00.000-05:00

Larry and Bob meet my two youngest at LifeWay's Kid's Day.

Have we got a show for you!

I was recently taken to task on a Christian discussion forum by a brother, --well-meaning, I'm sure-- who saw the picture above on my Facebook page, and let me know in no uncertain terms that my kids should not be watching VeggieTales. If you're at all familiar with this Christian animated kids' show, you have already recognized its two main characters in the picture, Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato, with my two youngest sons. (If you're not familiar with VeggieTales, check out the back story here and here. You can also watch some of the videos on YouTube.)

Why the rebuke about my kids watching VeggieTales? Well, he raised some points I thought were important to consider. Maybe he's right and you'll agree with him. I don't happen to, but I'm glad that, through his remarks, God gave me the opportunity to think things through.

His stance? VeggieTales is blasphemous (his word) because it waters down the Bible and doesn't present Bible stories exactly as they appear in Scripture (for example, in "King George and the Duckie", based on the story of David and Bathsheba, the king covets someone else's rubber duckie rather than someone else's wife; in "Josh and the Big Wall", based on the story of the fall of the wall of Jericho, the enemy soldiers stand on top of the wall and drop frozen "slushee" drinks on the Israelites as they march around the wall).

Another argument was that VeggieTales never presents the Gospel, and rarely mentions Jesus, reducing the Bible to the level of Aesop's fables. Without the Gospel, Biblical truth can turn into moralistic deism, the false belief that we can be in right standing with God solely by "keeping the commandments", and kids may mistake this as the message of the Gospel, rather than salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone.

Ok, I can see where he's coming from, but here's what I think:

Don't depend on VeggieTales for your child's salvation.

If you're a genuinely converted Christian parent, you have a Biblical mandate to raise your children according to the Scriptures. Parents who are raising their kids in a Christian home are already teaching them the truths of the Gospel and taking them to church. They are not depending on VeggieTales or any other form of Christian children's entertainment to teach their kids the plan of salvation. The Bible, family worship, Biblical preaching, and kids' classes at church are the main dish with which they feed their children spiritually. VeggieTales, and the dozens of other Christian videos for kids, are like ice cream. They're yummy and fun, and, technically, they're part of the dairy group, so there's a little bit of nutrition in there, but it's an occasional treat. You don't feed your kid ice cream three meals a day.

Parents who are not saved are, by definition, not raising their kids in a Christian home. They are likely not teaching their kids the Bible or taking them to church (and, if, for some reason they are, the kids are being taught the Gospel), and VeggieTales isn't going to make their kids any more lost than they already are. Let's face it, you can be a nice "good people" family or a family of meth-addicted Hell's Angels, but without Gospel conversion, lost is lost, and VeggieTales, or the lack thereof, isn't going to change that.

VeggieTales introduces the idea that there is a God, and He has standards of right and wrong that we need to follow.

Again, kids in a Christian home are already getting this straight from the Bible. Kids who aren't being raised in a Christian home desperately need to be introduced to this basic concept. How can we know that we are sinners in need of a Savior unless we first know that there is a God, He has standards of right and wrong, and we have transgressed His law? Galatians 3:24 says, "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith."

VeggieTales teaches kids that they were made by God.

The tagline of every VeggieTales movie is, "Remember, God made you special, and He loves you very much." Kids in a non-Christian home might not have the opportunity to hear that anywhere else. They'll be taught in school that they evolved from animals, not that God made them.

VeggieTales teaches positive moral concepts and encourages kids to apply these concepts to their behavior.

Unselfishness, kindness, courage, obedience, love. These are attributes that most parents, whether saved or not, want their children to attain to. As Christian parents, we teach our children that we love because He first loved us (I John 4:19), that we can be courageous because God will give us strength for whatever task He has called us to (Philippians 4:13), etc. We funnel these concepts through the message of the Gospel.

Non-Christian parents are also trying to teach their children these concepts. How can it possibly hurt their efforts for a cartoon to not only reinforce what they're trying to teach, but also show both child and parent that these moral concepts are not the result of societal pressure to conform (as evolution teaches) but that they're God's idea?

Additionally, even if a child is lost, we want him to behave himself. What's wrong with a cartoon that encourages him to share, love, be kind, or talk through disagreements instead of punching his brother in the face? SpongeBob isn't teaching that kind of stuff.

Lord of the Beans vs. Lord of the Rings?

The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Christian romances, mysteries, historical fiction. Christian fiction is one of the largest and fastest growing book genres these days. Perhaps my brother would eschew all of these as well. I would hope so, if his argument is to have any integrity whatsoever. I have read the Chronicles of Narnia series (I read all the books to my children one summer) and numerous Christian fiction books, and I can tell you that most of them don't specifically mention Jesus, present the plan of salvation, or present Bible stories verbatim. So, if you're going to throw out VeggieTales, you're going to have to throw out a lot of other books and movies as well.

"I will open my mouth in parables..."

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: "I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES; I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD." Matthew 13:34-35

While nearly all of the parables Jesus told had to do with salvation (a few don't center specifically on salvation, such as the parable of the persistent widow {prayer}), He certainly was not against the idea of the parable itself as a vehicle of conveying Biblical truth. Though He did quote Scripture, Jesus was not teaching solely by telling Bible stories verbatim. He used illustrations and told stories. Lots of them. And Jesus wasn't the only person in the Bible to use parables. Isaiah did, Ezekiel did, and so did Nathan.

So search it out. Pray about it. Seek God for the kind of entertainment you place in front of your kids and be obedient to His leading. As for me and my house, it's time for VeggieTales.

Rolling out the Welcome Wagon

2010-08-25T06:23:00.008-05:00

The LORD said to him, "I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. I Kings 9:3

As Sophia would say, "Picture it:"

After church one Sunday, a friend says, "Why don't you come over to my house tomorrow night for dinner?"

So, the appropriate time comes on Monday evening, and you drive over to her house. The door is standing open because she is expecting you, and you're familiar enough with each other that you feel comfortable just walking on in.

As you're walking in, you see your friend standing there, and you say to her, "I invite you into this house! You are welcome here!"

Anything seem a little off about that?

Well, of course that seems strange. It's her house.

But that's what is taking place in churches all over America every Sunday morning. I saw it in a televised local church service last week. The worship leader stood up to lead the first song and said, "God we welcome you into this place!" I've heard others say things like, "Lord, we invite you into this house this morning!" We sing songs like "Holy Spirit, Thou art Welcome" and "Lord, we Invite You".

'Scuse me? Isn't the church God's house?

Of course, it isn't God's house in the same way the temple was God's house, in that there isn't a holy of holies where the actual presence of God resides. On the other hand, I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's only a building, like the post office or a doughnut shop.

At some point, way back when, or maybe even recently, a body of Believers got together and asked God to give them a place where they could worship Him. God saw fit to answer that prayer. He provided the land, the permits, and every brick, nail, and piece of sheetrock. He allowed His name to be placed there when we decided to call it "Grace Fellowship", "St. Luke's", or "First Baptist". He protects that building and allows it to stand as a testimony to the community: God, and God's people, can be found here.

It's not your church. It's not my church. It's God's church. And it exists for His glory.

But somewhere along the way, we've forgotten that. Somewhere along the way, we gave God an eviction notice and became squatters on His property. How arrogant have we become that we strut into church as though we own the place, and dare to invite Him, to welcome Him into His own house as though He were a guest? How dare we?

Maybe it's partly because we no longer have a holy of holies that we don't see God's house as sacred. "Ah," you may say, "but that's Old Testament thinking. Now we know that where two or three are gathered in His name, He is there in their midst. (Matthew 18:20)"

Really?

When it's my church, my comfort, my pew, my ministry that nobody else better touch, my style of music, my opinion about how long the sermon should be, my feelings that got hurt, my idea of how things should operate, what I got out of the service, are we really gathering in His name?

Welcome, Lord. Are You sure You want to come in?

Going to Pot

2010-08-19T06:22:00.011-05:00

John 2:

3When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."

6Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each.

7Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." So they filled them up to the brim.

8And He said to them, "Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter." So they took it to him.

9When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom,

10and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now."

Much has been said, and many words written, about Jesus' first miracle-- the turning of the water into wine at the wedding of Cana. Why was this first miracle a miracle that put Jesus in the position of a caterer? Why not a healing? What did the disciples think? Was it really wine or just grape juice (It was wine, my Southern Baptist bretheren. As much as we might not want to, we all need to get on board with that.) And so on.

But I don't believe I've ever heard anybody look at this account from the perspective of the waterpots.

What was it about those waterpots that made Jesus decide to use them? People used the water in them for washing their hands and possibly their dishes. They were common. Utilitarian. Probably not very clean. Why didn't Jesus call for golden pitchers or silver goblets for the fine wine He was making?

The waterpots were close to Jesus.

The wedding Jesus was attending was in a small town, in an average home. It was likely that the hosts didn't even own goblets or pitchers made of silver or gold. If they did, they certainly didn't own enough large ones to hold all the wine Jesus was about to make. Gold and silver containers would have been far away in a palace or a wealthy home. The waterpots were close to Him, ready and available.

The waterpots had a great capacity for being filled.

We're talking 120-180 gallons here. Your bathtub holds about 60 gallons when completely filled, so this would have been the equivalent of two to three completely full bathtubs of wine. Pitchers and goblets wouldn't cut it.

The waterpots were willing to get dirty so others could get clean.

(Ok, so I realize I'm anthropomorphizing here and that anthropomorphizing probably isn't even a word, but just go with me for a minute.) Those waterpots stood there year after year providing clean water for dirty people. They didn't consider themselves too good to be used for handwashing. They didn't pick and choose how or when they were used. They just stood there and fulfilled their purpose thankslessly, without complaint that they were being used or getting dirty. They were willing to take on a humble task, and Jesus took them and did a great work through them.

The waterpots were usable.

When Jesus told the servants to fill the waterpots with water, no one said, "Oh no, that's the good china! You can't use those!" The waterpots themselves were accustomed to being used. That's what they were made for.

The waterpots also didn't put up a fuss when Jesus wanted to use them for a new purpose. They didn't say, "We're too old to change," or "We've been doing this for years. Who are You to tell us to do somethng new?" They were at their Master's bidding.

What about us? Sometimes we want God to do great things through us like He did with the waterpots, but we don't want to be like the waterpots. We want to be gold pitchers or silver goblets. We want to be special, not humble. Pretty, not getting dirty. Served, not serving. Our way, not His way.

Are you close to Jesus?

Do you have a great capacity for being filled with His Spirit?

Are you willing to get dirty so others can be cleansed by the Gospel?

Are you usable?

Maybe "going to pot" isn't such a bad thing after all.

Comment Response II

2010-08-03T11:25:00.003-05:00

Brother Gee was kind enough to write back. (His first comment is in the post below this one.) His words are in italics. Mine are in plain print. His complete comment without my response can be found by clicking on the "comments" link here: "Follow On".

Thank you for taking the time to categorically respond to my recent comment. In the interest of maintaining a spirit of friendship and togetherness, i will refrain from responding, as to do so might result in this discourse degenerating to the level of argument.

This much i will put forth:

There are a couple of things that you misconstrued in my comment. For example, i never said that Jesus' life "did not matter". However, the fault is mine, for not being completely clear in my statements, as i was endeavoring to be brief.

I do sincerely apologize for misunderstanding what you meant. However, I didn’t say that you said Jesus’ life did not matter. My statement was that what you were basically saying was that Jesus’ life from conception to baptism had no salvific import. In other words, His life during that particular time period had no bearing or influence on our salvation. Again, if I misunderstood what you were saying, I apologize.

Secondly, after the death of Jesus the Christ, His inner teachings, the 'meat for the strong' were entrusted to His apostles and passed on to certain ones who came after. The early Church spent much time and spilled much blood endeavoring to eradicate these true teachings from the face of the earth. "Heresy" is the flag they waved as they swung the sword. What was left is the eviscerated shell teachings that billions follow as doctrine today - the 'milk for the babes'.

I’m not sure exactly which events you’re referring to with regard to “spilling blood” and “swinging the sword” when it came to the canonization of the New Testament. I can tell you, though, that if you’re referring to pseudoepigraphical writings such as the Gospel of Thomas, the Epistle of Barnabas, etc., being excluded from the canon of the New Testament, these books were never taken out of the New Testament because the were never considered Scripture in the first place. Christians at the time were aware of these writings and did not consider them to be the inspired, authoritative word of God because they either did not have apostolic authorship, or they did not claim to be the word of God, or they contained teachings which stood in direct contrast to divinely established teachings in other parts of the Bible, or some combination of these factors.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with a council canonizing the New Testament. (Every religion gets to decide for itself which writings will or will not be included in the book(s) it follows, and Christianity is no different.) In fact, there was everything right about it. It was necessary to keeping false teaching out of the church and to having a reliable document which contained only God’s word.

Matthew 7:7 states that one should seek until one finds. It does not state that one should follow blindly and without question.

Indeed it does. And what makes you think I or any other Christian you don’t know hasn’t done that? Just because I have come to the same conclusion that millions of others have come to about Jesus and the Bible doesn’t mean I reached that conclusion by following someone else’s teaching blindly and without question. I have spent decades searching the Scriptures and researching Christian teaching for myself.

I have also come to the conclusion that 2 + 2 = 4. So have billions of other people. That doesn’t mean we’re all blindly following mathematics without question. We believe it because it is true.

Could it be that the reason so many people from so many different walks of life across thousands of years have all come to the same conclusion about Jesus is that that conclusion is true?

The Bible has been edited and re-edited countless times. I respectfully ask all to consider what exactly was it that was being edited out, and why?

The Bible has been edited, not redacted or changed. I have a book coming out in 2012. I know a little bit about editing. I know my editor will catch any misspelled words or punctuation errors and fix them. Although she may suggest I re-write something, I know she will not re-write it herself or take out chunks of text that will change the tone or intent of my book.

The Bible is textually 99.5% pure. Since the original manuscripts were written, nothing affecting the essential doctrines of the faith has been altered. Author Matt Slick from the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry explains it this way:

“The fact is that the Bible has not been rewritten. Take the New Testament, for example. The disciples of Jesus wrote the New Testament in Greek and though we do not have the original documents, we do have around 6,000 copies of the Greek manuscripts that were made very close to the time of the originals. These various manuscripts, or copies, agree with each other to almost 100 percent accuracy. Statistically, the New Testament is 99.5% textually pure. That means that there is only 1/2 of 1% of of all the copies that do not agree with each other perfectly. But, if you take that 1/2 of 1% and examine it, you find that the majority of the "problems" are nothing more than spelling errors and very minor word alterations.”

Click here for the rest of his excellent article.

In addition, it would go against the very nature and character of God not to protect His word and preserve the truth about Himself in it so that we could know Him.

What kind of God would say: “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart,” (Colossians 3:21) and then turn around and present to us a Bible we can’t trust, exasperating us in our quest to know the truth about Him?

Why would Jesus say, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free," (John 8:32) and then not make sure we had that truth in the Bible?

How can He expect us to “worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23) if we don’t have the truth about Him?

There is no desire on my part to convert or convince anyone of anything. Each Soul's journey is their own. All choices made, or not made, are ultimately our personal responsibility. Please accept my apologies for appearing on your blog out-of-the-blue with concepts that are so obviously and diametrically opposed to what you have been taught to believe.

No need to apologize. I appreciate that you stopped by and expressed your thoughts and welcome you to do so again in the future if you’d like.

I do want to apologize if my “tone of voice” came across as derisive. I am obviously very passionate about this subject, and sometimes passion can have an unintended effect on the reader when it has to be crammed into the confines of the written word.

While it is not within my power to convert you or convince you of anything either, I would just ask you to consider, before dismissing the Bible and what it says about Jesus out of hand, whether or not it might be true. You seem to have studied the evidence for its not being true. Have you given the other side a fair shake? There are many good books on the subject, including:

Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell
Finding the Real Jesus, The Case for Christ, and The Case for Faith, by Lee Strobel
The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry

Josh was a lawyer who set out to prove the Bible and Christianity false, and in the process was overwhelmed by the evidence of its truth. Lee’s story is very similar, but he was a journalist rather than a lawyer.

Please also accept my thanks for your being gracious enough to respond to my comment. I wish you well upon your Journey.

And please accept my thanks for your kind words, your respectful tone, and for taking the time to read and comment on my blog. I wish you well also.

Comment Response

2010-08-02T10:53:00.002-05:00

I received the comment below from reader "Brother Gee" in response to my blog post entitled "Follow On". I felt I needed to respond to it in more depth than the comment box would probably allow room for, so I decided to address it in a separate blog post. Brother Gee's words are in italics. Mine are in plain print. If you would like to read Brother Gee's comment without my response, click on the hyperlink above and go to the comments section. For the record, I welcome any and all respectful comments, but any false doctrine contained in such comments will be addressed and refuted Scripturally.

Hello! Nice post. A short comment, if i may?
Jesus (the personality) incarnated in order to live a life that would set an indelible example for future generations.

Hello, and thank you for your kind words. Although I understand the distinction you’re making between “Jesus” and “the Christ” (below), Jesus was far more than just a personality. Jesus was 100% human and 100% God simultaneously. He was not incarnated in order to set an example. The example He set was a by-product of who He was. The reason Jesus took on flesh was so that He could pay the penalty for our sin, thus satisfying God’s wrath, which justly abides upon each of us.

The Life would be designed in such a way as to illustrate a Plan for Salvation that any human could follow to Liberation.

Jesus’ life did not “illustrate” a plan for salvation. Jesus’ perfect, sinless life, His atoning death, and his bodily resurrection were the plan for salvation. Not a plan, the only plan.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” John 14:6

Jesus did not say, “I am the illustration of a way,” He said, “I am the way.”

Acts 4:12, speaking of Jesus, says, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

“No one comes…but through Me,” “salvation in no one else”. Not only is Jesus Himself the way, but Jesus is the only way.

I’m not sure precisely what you mean by “liberation”, but the only true liberation is found by placing your faith in Jesus Christ and turning from your life of sin (which is what I mean when I use the word “salvation”). There is no liberation in any other area of life (or the afterlife) if a person is not first liberated from the captivity to sin.

However, it is important for us to understand that Jesus was simply the earthly vehicle for The Christ,

If you mean that “Jesus” was His humanity and “the Christ” was His divine nature, the two were inextricably interwoven. Although it’s difficult for us to wrap our finite human minds around the concept, it is important for us to understand the truth: Jesus Christ was, most emphatically, totally human and totally God at the same time, all the time that He was on Earth, from His conception to His ascension. His humanity was vital to His being able to die for our sin. Had He been only God, he would not have been able to die, because God is eternal and can’t die.

In addition, had he not been human, we would not have had a high priest who can “sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15

an eternal cosmic force most often referred to as "The Second Aspect" of God (ie., "The Son").

“Eternal”, yes. “Cosmic force”, no. Jesus is not a cosmic force, He is a person. He is the second person in the triune Godhead, co-equal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He is a Being, not a force.

After the Baptism, Jesus (the earthly personality) no longer exists. It steps aside and allows The Christ to take over the earthly vehicle. From that point on, it is The Christ who teaches, heals, etc.

Nowhere does the Bible teach this. Nowhere. Not one place in Scripture. In fact Scripture clearly refutes this idea:

“for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

When announcing His birth, the angels didn’t tell the shepherds that Jesus would one day become the Christ, they said He is the Christ.

“And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.” Luke 2:26

Even though Jesus was an eight day old infant, it was clear to Simeon that He was the Christ.

This important fact has not been clearly brought forward in the churches,

That’s because it’s not fact, it’s heresy.

and so men have been led to believe and follow the memory of a personality (Jesus) instead of understanding that the man lived his life up until the age of 30 in preparation to receive and accept a Cosmic Principle.

So, basically, what you’re saying is that as far as anything of salvific import goes, Jesus’ life didn’t matter until he was baptized and began His public ministry? If that’s the case, why didn’t God just cause Jesus to miraculously materialize on Earth at the age of 30? Why did God make a special point of causing Jesus to be conceived by the Holy Spirit, born as a human baby, and live through childhood, youth, and young adulthood? What was the point of all of that if it didn’t matter to salvation?

Because Jesus’ life, all of Jesus’ life—His personality, His deity, the fact that He was able to live an entire life without sin—are integral to our salvation. It was more than just preparation for His ministry (which included teaching, prayer, healing and other miracles, and culminated with His death, burial, and resurrection, and, later, His ascension-- not accepting and receiving a “cosmic principle”). God has a perfect and right reason for everything He does, and if He deemed it necessary to our salvation for Jesus to live a life from conception to age 30, then it was necessary and right.

This, in order to show all of future Mankind that we could do the same - achieve Transfiguration and Liberation from this plane of existence.

The only way humans can be liberated from this plane of physical existence is by dying. Then they go on to another plane of existence for eternity. Those who (before dying) have turned from their sin and placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Those who have not spend eternity separated from Him in Hell.

No one can achieve liberation from his sinful spiritual state. We can’t do it in our own strength or by being a good enough person or doing enough good things. That’s why Jesus has to reach down and save us from it.

With this Key, The New Testament can be penetrated beyond a superficial level, and those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, will reach a new level of Understanding.

The only way anyone can penetrate, understand, and have eyes to see and ears to hear the New Testament (or the Old Testament) is through the power of the Holy Spirit. And the only way to be empowered by the Holy Spirit is to be filled with Him. And the only way to be filled with Him is to turn from our sin and place our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. There is no other “key” to understanding the Scriptures:

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” I Corinthians 2:12-14

I want to close by saying that our great country, at least for now, grants us the right to believe whatever we want about God. God, however does not grant us the right to believe whatever we want about Him and still be assured of salvation. If your faith is in any Jesus that is not the Jesus of the Bible, you have placed your faith in an idol that you have fashioned with your mind. And, as I Corinthians 6:9 and Ephesians 5:5 tell us, idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 1:8-9 says: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”

Brother Gee, I beg you, turn from this false doctrine you believe, turn from your sin, and place your faith in the Jesus Christ of the Bible. Salvation is found only in His name through believing precisely what the Bible says about Him.

Follow On

2010-07-29T07:26:00.002-05:00

John 1

35Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples,

36and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"

37The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

38And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?"

39He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

You probably won't be able to fully appreciate this unless you have a child or a dog. Maybe a cat. I'm not sure about cats.

When we speak of "following Jesus" today, we mean that we follow in His footsteps figuratively. We keep His teachings. We obey Him. We submit to His leadership.

But when Jesus was physically present on earth, people were literally able to follow Him. Around. As in, walking right behind Him. Maybe even stepping on the backs of His sandals like my children do to me sometimes.

Which got me to thinking. Why do people follow other people around? And who are these people who follow other people around? And why are my children and my dog always following me around? And why does it annoy me when my children and my dog follow me around? (Ok, I haven't figured that one out yet, but there's some kind of a sin issue in there somewhere, I'm sure.)

Who?
First of all, you don't usually see an adult following another adult around unless one of them is a stalker. But there are a some occasions in which it might be appropriate and legal, for example, if the person being followed is a tour guide, or if the person being followed is a seasoned employee training a new hire. Much of the time, literal followers are children. And at my house, the dog.

Why?
Why do people follow people around? Think about it-- have you ever followed somebody around? Why did you do it? Do people follow you around? Why do they do it?

People generally follow another person around because:

a.) they are interested in what that person is doing,
or
b.) they want to learn from that person,
or
c.) they have no idea where they're going and the person they're following does.

That's why people followed Jesus around. They had heard that he spoke and taught as no one ever had before (John 7:46). They had heard about the miracles and healings. They were curious. Were the rumors true? What might they see?

For some, that initial interest blossomed into a desire to sit under the tutelage of Jesus. They couldn't get enough of His teaching, so these first century groupies followed him from speaking engagement to speaking engagement.

Certainly, none of the people who followed Jesus around had a clue as to where they were going, spiritually speaking. Jesus did. He not only knew the way to the kingdom of God, He was the Way (John 14:6). Who better to follow?

So why do my children and my dog follow me around?

Well, my dog follows me around because hope springs eternal in her that I will drop food on the floor, or that one miraculous day, the meal I'm cooking in the kitchen will actually be for her. She's not interested in learning anything from me and she knows her way around the house just fine.

My children follow me around for the same basic reasons people followed Jesus around. They're curious. They want to know what I'm doing, and they hope it will be something fun that will involve them. When they're young, even cooking, sweeping, and folding the laundry seem interesting to them (yeah, my kids don't get out much) and they want to learn how to do it just like Mom. When we're in an unfamiliar place, they follow me because they don't know how to get where we're going, and I do.

Which makes me think.

How am I walking? Am I walking the way Jesus walked? Do I walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11)? Do I walk in integrity (Proverbs 20:7) Do I walk blamelessly (Proverbs 11:20)?

Do I follow Jesus so closely that by following me around, my children can learn to follow Him too?

Facing the Furnace

2010-07-28T08:43:00.000-05:00

Daniel 3:

14 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?

15"Now if you are ready...to fall down and worship...very well; But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?"

16Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.

17"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.

18"But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

19Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.

21Then these men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their caps and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.

24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, "Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?" They replied to the king, "Certainly, O king."

25He said, "Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!"

26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire.

27The...king's high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.

28Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king's command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.

29"Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way."

What a great story. It's almost Disney-ish in the telling. Three boys rise from virtual anonymity to high and respected places of power and influence. Next-- oh no! --there's a brief period of drama and suspense. But then, as we knew it would, comes the happy ending. Cut and print. That's a wrap.

Hang on. Rewind.

If you grew up in church like I did, you probably can't remember a time when you didn't know the happy ending to this story. Check that. This wasn't a story. This was a historical event. It was a real situation that happened to real, flesh and blood people, with real feelings, just like you and me. And just like you and me, when these boys were in the middle of their circumstances, they didn't know what was going to happen next or how things would turn out in the end.

I think we forget that sometimes. We forget how frightening it must have been for Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to stand up to this megalomaniacal king and say, "Regardless of the outcome, we're not going to worship an idol." They served in Nebuchadnezzar's court. They had seen what this guy did to people who disobeyed him. Cruel and unusual punishment was his specialty.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego weren't out to be heroes. They didn't know that they would be written about and set an example for Bible-readers for thousands of years to come. Their only concern was personal obedience to God. Whether they lived or died. Whether or not anyone else noticed. They were in it for God, and God alone.

But since they were written about, what can we learn from their example?

Truly following and obeying God means trouble is coming our way.
How's that for an advertisement for Christianity? Jesus didn't say, "Follow Me so you can have 'your best life now'." He said, if you want to follow Me, you'd better realize from the get-go that you're going to have to deny yourself and prepare to be crucified daily (Luke 9:23). He said, "Look, the world hates Me. If you follow Me, they're going to hate you, too." (John 15:18-20) He said, "In this world, you will have tribulation." (John 16:33). Following Jesus is not a skip through the park.

Gird up. Now.
Where do you think Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego got the spiritual fortitude to stand against Nebuchadnezzar? These weren't guys who just attended church, read the Bible, and prayed whenever they happened to feel like it and had a lackadaisical attitude towards their walk with God. You know how I know that? Because people like that don't do great things for God. People like that fold when faced with the furnace.

These guys were firmly rooted in the Word and in prayer. They were serious about obeying God, even when it came down to meal time (Daniel 1:8-15). They had such an awe and reverence for God that they feared His judgment more than the furnace. They were able to stand firm because they were already girded up in the faith.

Don't kick against the trials, embrace them.
God is sovereign. Any circumstance that comes into your life was put there, or allowed there, by Him. Even if it's a circumstance that is confusing, horrific, or heartbreaking, He is allowing it into your life for His glory and for your good. Maybe He's trying to reveal something to you about Himself, such as His faithfulness or His power. Maybe He's disciplining you so that you will repent and obey Him. Maybe He's trying to teach you a skill, such as patience, endurance, or persistence in prayer. Whatever it is, what greater blessing could there be than the God of the universe wanting to work in your life?

Just as Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego did not have to be dragged kicking and screaming to the furnace, accept that God has the right to use whatever means He deems necessary to work in your life, and thank Him for even wanting to. (Romans 5:3-5)

Trials allow us to know God in a new way.
It's one thing to know, "...I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) just because the Bible says so. It's another thing entirely to know it because you have walked it with your own two feet. Just as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego would never have come to know the manifest presence of God had it not been for the furnace, we cannot know Him as Provider without experiencing desperate need. We cannot know Him as Healer without facing disease. We cannot know Him as Comforter without experiencing crushing loss. It is not until we are in the furnace with nowhere else to turn but to God that we can experience the fullness of His promises.

What about Bob?
Or Joe or Mary or Nebuchadnezzar and all his cronies? What effect does the trial you're going through, your reaction to it, and God's handling of it, have on the people around you who need to know Jesus? Maybe it's not just to grow you, but to bring someone else to salvation.

In verses 2, 3, and 27, Daniel gives a detailed list of the heads of state who witnessed this event. That was no accident. In His mercy, God brought each of these officials to Babylon to show Himself to them. Through Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego's obedience and subsequent suffering, God's glory and power, and the fact that He was the only true God, were displayed for all to see. Look at the reaction Nebuchadnezzar had in verses 26-29. In verse 26, this idol builder does a 360 and calls God, "the most high God". In verses 27 and 29 he says, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego...there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way."

Trials aren't any fun. They can be scary. They can be heart-wrenching. But if God gets glory, how small a sacrifice and how great an honor is our suffering.

With the FIRST Fruits (and all the subsequent ones, too)

2010-07-22T10:15:00.004-05:00

"Honor the LORD with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;" Proverbs 3:9

Ouch. God really convicted me of something yesterday. The verse above, in its proper context, is clearly talking about honoring God with our material increase: our money, our posessions, the tangible fruit of our labor.

I'm a stay at home mom. My paycheck does not come in the form of dollars and cents, but in hours and minutes. My wealth is time, and lately, I haven't been honoring God with it.

I confess, I have workaholic tendencies. I hit the ground running when I get up and don't stop until I go to bed. We just moved into a new house. There's a mountain of work to be done, and that's how I've been spending my wealth of time. I have squeezed God in when it was convenient for me. I have given God the leftovers of my time; the scraps from the table He Himself has seen fit to bless me with. I have pushed Him aside and lavished my wealth on work.

I dont' want to "make time for God" any more. I want Him to so consume my heart, my mind, and my spirit that I can't tear myself away. I want to be engulfed in flames of passion for communion with Him. He is only honored when I give Him what He is rightfully due-- everything.

Pursue the Imperishable

2010-06-30T11:51:00.003-05:00

I Peter 1:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,

7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,

15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;

16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;

18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,

19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you

21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,

23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

Luke 11:12 says that if we ask God for an egg, He won't give us a scorpion. But sometimes, when I ask God for an egg, He gives me a Denny's Grand Slam instead.

Such was the case with my Bible study this morning. I asked God to speak to my heart about something that's a concern for me right now, thinking He would lead me to one of those comforting passages that says that He cares for me (I Peter 5:7, Matthew 11:28). I only ordered an egg, but God knew I needed something more filling and nutritious. Something I could chew on for a while. Something that would stick to my ribs.

So He served me up a heaping helping of the first chapter of I Peter.

I've been asking God to teach me to need Him more. No, not just "need". NEED!!! And guess what I've learned-- God delights to answer prayers like that. Guess what else I've learned-- He doesn't usually do it by waving a magic wand over your head and instantly making you the way you want to be. He brings circumstances or people into your life that you have to walk through and work through. Along the way, He's sneakily transforming your character to make you more Christ-like. It's like nuclear physics homework, only not as easy or fun.

(Personally, I would prefer a magic wand. It's easier, faster, and requires nothing on my part. On the other hand, Cinderella got the magic wand treatment, and where did that get her? She didn't learn to sew a designer gown, shop for comfortable shoes, or make her own travel arrangements. How could she fend for herself the next time there was a ball? But I digress...)

So, I find myself in this situation where God is teaching me to really NEED Him. I've done literally everything I can do on my end. The only thing left is for God to move. And, boy, do I need Him to move. Like, yesterday.

So, I'm praying and praying and praying about this situation and God says, "Look, you're missing the point. The whole point of this little exercise is not about the end result (the resolution of the situation). That's temporal. It's not going to last. The point is what I'm teaching you as I walk you through it. That's imperishable. Eternal."

And so, I pursue the imperishable.

Because I was redeemed --bought back-- not with perishable seed (23) or with perishable things like gold or silver (18), but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ (19), and until I reach my inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for me (4),

I will forsake lusting after the perishable (14) and pursue obedience and holiness (15-16), which are imperishable.

I will greatly rejoice whenever I am distressed by perishable trials (6), because the proof of my faith --which is imperishable-- even proof by fire, is more precious, more valuable than all the perishable gold or material things in this world (7).

Pursue the imperishable things of God. They are more precious than food, shelter, safety, family, money, reputation, things. They are eternal.

Cleaning House

2010-05-05T07:50:00.000-05:00

II Chronicles 29:

1Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old;...
2He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done.
3In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them.
4He brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them into the square on the east.
5Then he said to them, "Listen to me, O Levites. Consecrate yourselves now, and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers, and carry the uncleanness out from the holy place.
6"For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done evil in the sight of the LORD our God, and have forsaken Him and turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the LORD, and have turned their backs.
7"They have also shut the doors of the porch and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.
8"Therefore the wrath of the LORD was against Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, of horror, and of hissing, as you see with your own eyes.
9"For behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.
10"Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that His burning anger may turn away from us.
11"My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to minister to Him, and to be His ministers and burn incense."
12Then the Levites arose...
15They assembled their brothers, consecrated themselves, and went in to cleanse the house of the LORD, according to the commandment of the king by the words of the LORD.
16So the priests went in to the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and every unclean thing which they found in the temple of the LORD they brought out to the court of the house of the LORD. Then the Levites received it to carry out to the Kidron valley...
18Then they went in to King Hezekiah and said, "We have cleansed the whole house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all of its utensils, and the table of showbread with all of its utensils.
19"Moreover, all the utensils which King Ahaz had discarded during his reign in his unfaithfulness, we have prepared and consecrated; and behold, they are before the altar of the LORD."
20Then King Hezekiah arose early and assembled the princes of the city and went up to the house of the LORD.
21They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah. And he ordered the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD...
24The priests slaughtered them and purged the altar with their blood to atone for all Israel, for the king ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.
25He then stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with harps and with lyres,...
26The Levites stood with the musical instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
27Then Hezekiah gave the order to offer the burnt offering on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song to the LORD also began with the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David, king of Israel.
28While the whole assembly worshiped, the singers also sang and the trumpets sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.
29Now at the completion of the burnt offerings, the king and all who were present with him bowed down and worshiped.
30Moreover, King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David and Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with joy, and bowed down and worshiped.
31Then Hezekiah said, "Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD " And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all those who were willing brought burnt offerings...
34But the priests were too few, so that they were unable to skin all the burnt offerings;
35There were also many burnt offerings with the fat of the peace offerings and with the libations for the burnt offerings. Thus the service of the house of the LORD was established again.
36Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced over what God had prepared for the people...

You know the history of Israel: bad king, good king, bad king, good king (actually, there were a lot more bad kings than good kings). The bad kings would come in and establish idol worship. They set up altars and made sacrifices to false gods, introduced cult prostitution, and even desecrated God's house with idol worship and paraphernalia.

Ahaz was one of those bad kings. II Kings 16 and II Chronicles 28 tell us he not only burned incense and made sacrifices to his gods, he "even made his sons pass through the fire" in worship of these idols. He took the gold and silver from God's house and used it to try to bribe another king to come help him fight against an enemy. He desecrated God's altar and tore down parts of the temple. He cut to pieces all of the temple utensils used for making sacrifices to the Lord. He had altars to his own gods placed in the temple, "in every corner of Jerusalem", and "in every city in Judah".

Ahaz was one bad dude. In fact, he was such a pustule of a human being that when he died they didn't even bury him with all the other kings of Israel. That's pretty bad.

And Hezekiah, Ahaz's son, became king in his place.

Hezekiah was one of the most Godly kings in Israel's history. He had seen with his own eyes the evil perpetrated by his father, which had infested God's holy house and spread throughout the land, and God put it in his heart to turn things around and lead his people back to God.

See any similarities between God's house then and God's house now? Between God's people then and God's people now? Is it time for us to grieve over the holy things that have been destroyed or taken out of God's house, and the filth that has been brought into His house?

We've got to sweep around our own front door.

Notice that Hezekiah didn't just go out and get a bunch of guys together and say, "All right, boys, we need to clean house. Let's get to work." He went specifically to the priests and Levites-- the church leadership, if you will --and said, "consecrate yourselves".

Consecration was a process of ritual cleansing. As the priests and Levites went through each step of the outward, physical cleansing, they were also setting themselves apart from worldliness and seeking God's hand of purification in their hearts.

Notice also that the priests and Levites had to consecrate themselves before they would be able to consecrate the temple. Just as Ahaz's own personal evildoing had trickled down and infected the people, so the temple leadership would have to cleanse themselves personally before God in order for a pursuit of holiness to pervade God's house and His people.

Those who study revival have noted that the majority of churches which experience revival do so under the leadership of a pastor who has experienced personal revival. Pastor, if you sense it's time to clean house at your church, step one is to make sure you have consecrated yourself and are walking blamelessly before God. Step two is to get your leadership together for times of cleansing and much prayer, that they may consecrate themselves before leading the people.

Once their personal cleansing was complete, the priests and Levites began to "carry the uncleanness out from the holy place". The evil done in the temple in Ahaz's day had harmed families, stirred God to anger, and made His people "an object of terror, of horror, and of hissing" in the eyes of the world around them. Likewise, the worldliness and sin-- from gossip and jealousy all the way up to pedophile clergy --we have allowed into the church has brought tremendous harm to countless families and has made the body of Christ an object of ridicule and hatred in the eyes of many of the people we seek to reach for Him. Can we expect that His anger towards us would be any less than his anger towards the Israelites?

When the priests and Levites began to cleanse the temple, they did so completely and permanently. In the same spirit of Jesus' own remarks that if your very hand or eye causes you to sin, you should remove it from your body (Matthew 5:29-30), the priests and Levites removed everything--no matter how small, no matter how valuable it may have seemed, or how much its removal might have offended someone--that didn't belong in God's house.

Verse 16 tells us they carried all these unclean things out to the Kidron valley. The Kidron valley (or brook, as it was sometimes called when water was running through the valley due to heavy rains) was an area outside Jerusalem where, under Kings Asa, Josiah, and Hezekiah, all manner of unclean items used in idol worship were disposed of, usually by burning. That's permanent. They weren't taking any chances that someone might come across these items and bring them back into the temple.

Not only did the priests and Levites take all the unclean items out of God's house, they purified and brought back all of the sacred items used for worshipping God that never should have been removed.

Is it time to carry the unclean things out of your church and down to the Kidron valley? Maybe it's an unbiblical docrinal tenet of your denomination. A program that brings glory only to the church members involved and not to God. A person in a position of church leadership who intentionally lives in sin and rebellion. An attitude of your own heart.

What about the holy items of worship that have been taken out of your church? Have sound, Biblical sermons been replaced by ear tickling pep talks and skits? Have Scriptural and doctrinal worship songs been replaced by the vain repetition of fluffy, feel-good jingles? Has prayer become simply a way to bookend your worship services or even disappeared altogether?

Pastors, it's time. Our churches are in captivity to worldliness due to our disobedience. God has chosen you to minister before Him; to lead His people to be consecrated to Him and worship Him. Do not be negligent about cleansing His house. Go into the innermost part of the house of God-- your heart, your family, your staff --and through humility, prayer, study of the Word, and sound Biblical action, remove every unclean thing, and bring back the sacred things with the help of your church leadership.

Only when God's house is clean will we be able to offer Him the sacrifices He truly desires:

the sacrifice of repentance, of a "a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart..." (Psalm 51:17)
obedience (I Samuel 15:22, Romans 12:1)
praise and thanksgiving (Hebrews 13:15)
spiritual and truthful worship (John 4:23-24)

THUS the service of the house of the Lord will established again, and the people will rejoice over what God has prepared for them.

Obedience Matters

2010-04-07T14:11:00.005-05:00

He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. Proverbs 28:9

Can you believe God would ever call prayer an abomination?

Imagine you have a teenage son or daughter (not such a stretch for some of us!) who always says the right thing (ok, that's a stretch):

"I'll be glad to clean up my room, Mom."

"All right! Liver and onions for supper again! Mom, you're such a great cook!"

"I love you, Mom."

"I'm so thankful to have you and Dad as parents!"

"Mom and Dad, I appreciate you. Keep up the great work!"

"My parents always make the best and wisest decisions!"

Granted, that's not going to happen in this lifetime, but wouldn't you receive such praise gratefully if it were offered? Would you be more inclined to extend curfew? Lend out the car keys more often? Buy that new outfit she's been begging for?

Now what if you found out that, while your child was saying all these wonderful things to and about you, she was cheating on tests at school, lying to you about where she had been, using drugs, or sneaking around with a boy you didn't want her to see? How much would all that praise mean to you then? Would any of it matter if your child were living in willful disobedience?

How much more are our prayers, our praise, our worship, an affront to a holy God if they are drawn from the well of a rebellious heart?

The call to take up our crosses daily and follow Him is a call to complete surrender and obedience. It's not:

"I'll obey if I feel like it."

"I'll obey if it doesn't conflict with what I want to do."

"I'll obey if it's convenient."

"I'll obey if it's fun."

"I'll obey if people will praise me for it."

It's doing what God tells us to do when and how he tells us to do it. Trust me, Jesus didn't feel like dying on the cross. It wasn't convenient, it wasn't fun, and, in that moment, nobody praised Him for it.

But He did it anyway.

Because He was obedient.

How can we who bear His name expect that He would call us to less?

I Samuel 15:22-23a says: "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry..."

May our prayers, praise, and worship spring from a consecrated lifestyle, in full submission to the Savior, so the Lord will not say of us:

"...this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me..." (Isaiah 29:13)

Go ahead and get your praise on...but get your obedience on first.

By Popular Demand-- Couponing Basics

2010-04-02T22:28:00.000-05:00

Ok, this isn’t exactly what you’d call a spiritual blog entry (well, I guess you could file it under “good stewardship” if you want), but people keep asking me about it, so I thought I would put it in one easily accessible place so I could refer people to it.

A few months ago, I started couponing in earnest. It has been saving me a ton of money on groceries, and people have been asking me to show them how to do it. First, let me say, I did not come up with this idea myself. There are lots of people who have been doing this for years that are much better at it than I am, and I have learned from them.

Here’s how I do it:

1. Follow a good local couponing blog. The gals that run these blogs have eyes and ears all over. They find the great deals, and do the leg work for you. Some of the couponing blogs (such as “The Grocery Game”) charge a fee to subscribe to the information on their sites, but there are plenty of great ones that are free and have all the same information.

I use www.mybatonrougemommy.com . There is also an excellent Christian couponing blog run by a lady in Nashville called www.faithfulprovisions.com (her information, is, of course, local to Nahsville). To find a good blog in your area, go to www.thefrugalmap.com, or do a web search with the word “couponing” and the name of your city.

Additionally, a lot of expert couponers have made some very helpful videos which they have posted on YouTube, so go to www.youtube.com and enter “couponing” in the search bar for more helpful hints.

2. Cut coupons. In the Baton Rouge area, the 3 major coupon distributors (Red Plum {RP}, Smart Source {SS}, and Proctor & Gamble {P&G}) put their coupon inserts in two places: the Sunday Advocate, and in the bundle of ad circulars that are delivered to your mailbox weekly (mine usually come on Tuesday or Wednesday).

P&G is always in the Advocate. SS is usually in the Advocate, but occasionally in the circular mailer. RP is usually in the circular mailer, but occasionally in the Advocate.

I have not yet figured out these companies’ distribution patterns. For example, RP does not put an insert in the ad circulars every single week. Likewise, P&G skips a week or three in the Advocate here and there. Every once in a while there is a really sad week in which there are NO coupons in the Sunday paper. That’s a good Sunday to take an afternoon nap.

Another good source for coupons to clip is women’s magazines. I happen to have a subscription to Better Homes and Gardens. They usually have 4 or 5 coupons each month. One women’s magazine is chock full of coupons. It is called “All You”, and is available on the newsstand at WalMart, or via subscription.

3. Print coupons. There are two major coupon printing web sites: www.smartsource.com, and www.coupons.com. A variety of coupons is available on each.

Here’s a tip for printing coupons from these two sites that you won’t find on most couponing sites: Go to www.mypoints.com and sign up. My Points is a site where you earn points for shopping on-line, clicking on e-mails they send you, answering surveys they e-mail you, etc. When you accrue enough points, you can redeem them for gift cards to various stores, including WalMart and Target, gas stations, restaurants, and other retailers.

One of the ways you can earn points is by printing your smartsource and coupons.com coupons through the My Points site. You earn 10 points per coupon you print and redeem. If you print and redeem 10 or more in a month, you get 25 bonus points. (Coupons can be found under the “Deals” tab.)

If you do decide to use My Points, you’ll want to get a separate e-mail account just for that purpose. My Points generates tons of spam you won’t want coming to your primary e-mail address.

Another good site for coupons is Target’s coupon site. Go to www.target.com, click on “see more” on the far right side of the home page, and then click on “coupons”. They usually have a good number of pretty decent coupons. The only catch is that some of them are manufacturers coupons (redeemable anywhere), and some of them are Target store coupons (redeemable only at Target), but the only way to figure out which kind it is is to print it out.

www.redplum.com is another smaller printable coupon site.

If there are certain products you like, go to the companies’ own web sites (you can find the web sites by doing a web search of the name of the product). Many of them have coupons under a tab that says “coupons”, “special offers”, “promotions”, etc. A lot of them also have a section where you can sign up for their newsletter or to receive special promotions by mail/e-mail, which will get you even more coupons.

I keep a list of companies whose products I use and need coupons for in the “favorites” (bookmark) list of my internet browser. When I need to buy that product, I just go to my list, click on a web site, and print out a coupon.

And, of course, the couponing blog you follow will give you a heads up on other printables from time to time.

Things to know about printable coupons:
Not all stores accept them. In my area, Ralph’s, Hi Nabor, and Dollar General do not accept printable coupons at all. WalMart Neighborhood Market will not accept manufacturer’s coupons printed from the Target web site even though these are manufacturer’s coupons just like the ones you clip out of magazines.

You absolutely, positively, must NEVER, NEVER, NEVER photocopy them. This is fraud, and it’s what is causing more and more stores to decide not to accept them.

Most web sites will only let you print a certain number of printable coupons (usually a max of 2). By hitting the “back” button on your browser after the first one prints, you will usually be able to get that 2nd one to print.

4. Decide which coupons to clip or print. A lot of the “super couponer” ladies clip or print every single coupon that comes along, whether it is for a product they need or not. If they find a good coupon deal on something they don’t need, they go ahead and buy the item and donate it to a food bank, crisis pregnancy center, etc. It is a great way to help out worthy causes.

I do this occasionally, but to be honest, I don’t normally have the extra time or money to chase down deals on things my family can’t use. Additionally, if you print out every single printable coupon that comes along, you will find that your savings are offset by the number of ink cartridges you have to purchase to print them. For clippable coupons you can’t use, try to think of a friend to pass them along to.

When you see a coupon, ask yourself:
Is there any way I can use this product? If there’s no way you could/would ever use it, either pass it up or pass it along to a friend.

Even if I wouldn’t normally use this product/brand, would I be willing to try it if it were really cheap/free, or if it were cheaper than my regular brand of this product?

Answering these questions before you clip or print will save you some time and effort.

5. Know your prices. You won’t be able to know whether or not something is a good deal if you don’t know what things normally cost. Educate yourself. Comparison shop. Take a notebook to the store and write down prices if necessary. I usually use WalMart’s prices as my “measuring stick” because they generally have the lowest prices on most of the things I buy.

6. Change the way you shop. The normal way to grocery shop is to make a list of the things you need and go to the store and buy them. I call this “reactive” shopping, and that’s how I used to shop.

Now, my shopping is “proactive”. Unless there is absolutely nothing I need from the store (and that’s never happened yet), I shop every week. On Sundays, I cut and organize coupons and then go through the circulars (in the Advocate) for Target, CVS, Walgreen’s and Rite Aid to see who has what on sale. I do the same thing on Tuesdays or Wednesdays with the grocery store circulars from the mail. (That sounds like it takes a long time, but once you get a system that works for you, it’s pretty quick.)

After that, I make my grocery lists. First, I figure out how much I have to spend. Next, I make my “necessities” grocery list. These are things I absolutely have to have that week (things I can’t put off buying until they go on sale). I look through my coupons and match as many of them as possible to the necessities list.

After I buy the things on the necessities list, I use the rest of my grocery budget to stockpile. I pull out those circulars with the great deals, and stock up on as many of them as my budget will allow.

As you build your stockpile, you will find that your necessities list gets shorter and shorter. Shampoo that costs $2 won’t be on the necessities list because you stocked up on it last week when it was on sale for 77 cents a bottle. In addition, you won’t find yourself constantly running out of things. Instead of running out to the store for more of that thing you just used up, all you have to do is walk over to the pantry, closet, or cabinet.

One thing to beware of when stockpiling is expiration dates. This holds especially true for medications and perishable, non-freezable foods (such as eggs or lettuce). I once saw a video of a stockpile in which the woman had bought baskets full of several OTC medications. For my family, one large bottle of Tylenol will last well over a year, so I don’t stockpile very much medicine. Watch the expiration dates, and don’t waste money buying more of the product than you can use before it expires.

For stockpiling perishables, a deep freeze is a great investment. It will more than pay for itself when you stock up on meat, milk, orange juice, cheese, and lots of other items that can be bought in bulk and frozen for later use.

7. Coupon Matching For the greatest savings, match your coupons with items that are on sale or clearance rather than with items at their regular prices. In other words, hang on to your coupons until the item on the coupon goes on sale.

For example, last week, a bag of frozen vegetables was $2. I had two 35 cents off coupons, but I hung onto them, waiting for the vegetables to go on sale. This week, they were on sale for $1. I bought two bags with the coupons for a total of $1.30. Last week, even with the coupons, two bags would have cost $2.70. I saved $1.40 by matching my coupons to the sale price.

8. Coupon Stacking Stacking is a wonderful thing. There are two types of coupons: manufacturer’s coupons and store coupons. Manufacturer’s coupons are issued by the same company that manufactures the product the coupon is for, and are good at any store that carries that product and accepts coupons. Store coupons are issued by a particular store for certain products and may only be redeemed at the store that issues them.

Some stores which issue coupons will allow you to “stack” one of their store coupons with a manufacturer’s coupon for the same item. For example, let’s say a can of Del Monte corn is on sale for 60 cents at Target. Target’s web site has a store coupon for 25 cents off a can of Del Monte vegetables, so I print that out. Last month, I clipped a manufacturer’s coupon out of a coupon insert for 25 cents off a can of Del Monte corn. I can use both of those coupons for the same can of corn, and I have just bought a 60 cent can of corn for 10 cents. There have been plenty of times when I have gotten items for free doing this.

The stores in my immediate area which allow stacking are Target, CVS, Walgreen’s, and sometimes Albertson’s (sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t)

9. Take advantage of store-specific promotions.
Re-usable grocery bags: Target and Albertson’s both give a 5 cent discount off your bill for every re-usable grocery tote bag you use. This may not seem like much, but If I buy six bags of groceries at Albertson’s every week for a year, I will have saved $15.60 on bags alone. I have also found that the re-usable bags hold more, are easier to carry, and are more durable than plastic grocery bags. You also avoid having hundreds of plastic grocery bags floating around your house.

CVS has a re-usable “bag tag” you can buy for $1. They scan the bar code on it every time you use your bag, and every 4th visit, they will give you an ECB (see below).

Store Money and Rebates:
Store Money: CVS and Walgreen’s offer what I call “store money” on certain items. CVS’s are called ECB’s (Extra Care Bucks, or Extra Bucks). Walgreen’s are called RR’s (Register Rewards). When you buy certain items in the store (the sale circular will indicate which items) a certain number of ECB’s or RR’s will print out either on or with your receipt. These “bucks” are supposed to spend pretty much like cash in those stores (there are some items you can’t spend them on, like prescriptions and photo processing, for example).

CVS’s system works very well, and I have never had a problem using my ECB’s. Unfortunately, I have had a lot of problems with Walgreens’ RR’s. Besides the items you are restricted from buying with them, there are all kinds of hidden rules about them (such as: you have to buy a certain number of items or spend a certain amount of money or the computer won’t accept them) that you don’t find out about until you are at the register trying to use them.

Since store money spends like cash, combining them with sale items and coupons is a great way to get things at these stores for extremely cheap or even free.

Rebates: Rite Aid has a system called “Single Check Rebates” (SCR’s). Rite Aid lists items in their circular each week for which you can earn a certain dollar amount of SCR’s. You buy the item, take the receipt home and enter the receipt number, store number and date on the Rite Aid SCR web site. At the end of the month, you request that they send you a check for your rebate, and they send you a check in the mail.

If you combine SCR’s with coupons, you can actually get paid to take items out of the store! For example, let’s say they have a tube of toothpaste on sale for $2, with a $1 SCR. If I have a coupon for $1.25 off, I spend 75 cents out of pocket when I buy the toothpaste, but when my SCR comes in, I have actually earned 25 cents and have a free tube of toothpaste.

10. Watch for coupons while you shop. While you’re shopping, keep an eye out for “peelies”—coupons stuck to the outer packaging of the product, which peel off—and “blinkies”—blinking coupon dispensers, usually attached to the shelf near the product they’re for. Some of these come in the form of a tear-off pad instead.

Well, those are the basics. Happy shopping!

Enjoy Jesus!

2009-12-26T12:24:00.004-06:00

If you can't tell by looking at the amount of time that has passed between my most recent posts, my life is pretty much taken over by ministry. I serve as the Associational Prayer Coordinator of my local Southern Baptist association, overseeing the prayer ministry to over 100 churches in my area. I serve as the chair of the school board for my church's K4-12 Christian school. My husband is the minister of music at our church, so I sing on, and help him coordinate, the praise team, and handle most of the music secretary stuff. I just received word that a women's Bible study I wrote a couple of years ago is going to be published. And then, of course, there's home schooling my 3 youngest children and ministering to my family.

Everywhere I turn, there's another ministry that needs my attention. And guess what has suffered? Over the past few weeks, it's been my personal time with the Lord. To say it has been hit and miss would be generous. When I finally did set aside the time I needed for prayer, God showed me that I have been so wrapped up in serving Him and working for Him that I haven't taken the time to spend time with Him and enjoy Him.

What would my relationship with my husband and children be like if all I did was cook their meals, do their laundry, and meet all their other needs, but never sat down and talked with them or spent time having fun with them? I think, like my family, while God desires that I serve Him, He just wants me. Not what I can do for Him, not how hard I can work for Him. Me.

So, it's my prayer for you and for me that we will never get so wrapped up in working for the Lord that we lose sight of our first priority, which is to spend time with the Lord. It's our chief end to glorify Him, but also to enjoy Him forever. And forever starts now.

Pray for Revival

2009-09-18T11:50:00.003-05:00

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; Acts 3:19

Prostrate yourself before the Lord in humility and prayer:
But He gives a greater grace, therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” James 4:6

Repent of known sin.
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. Rev. 3:19

Ask God to reveal any hidden areas of sin in your life.
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Ps. 139:23-24

Yearn for a deeper level of relationship with God.
O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Ps. 63:1

Forsake complacency about your spiritual life.
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jer. 29:13

Obey everything God commands, even when it is hard, humbling, inconvenient, or costly.
Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. I Sam. 15:22

Request that God will unleash His Holy Spirit, empowering your life, and sweeping through your church.
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? Luke 11:13

Return to your First Love.
Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Return to Me," declares the LORD of hosts, that I may return to you," says the LORD of hosts. Zech. 1:3

Expect God to work mightily.
But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me. Micah 7:7

View prayer as a high priority, just as Jesus did.
But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. Luke 5:16

Invite others to pray with you for revival.
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42

Voraciously desire that God be glorified.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Your glory be above all the earth. Ps. 57:5

Agree with God about His desires for your life and your church.
Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the LORD and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, "All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!" Ex. 24:3

Lift up the name of Jesus.
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself. John 12:32

Revive Us Again

2009-08-12T16:03:00.002-05:00

Thirty three per cent of clergy and thirty six per cent of laymen
report having visited a sexually explicit web site.
Christianity Today survey, August 2000

The divorce rate of born-again Christians (32%)
is higher than that of atheists and agnostics (30%).
Barna Research Group 2008

Twenty per cent of women who have abortions are born-again or Evangelical Christians.
The Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1996

We rarely find substantial differences between
the moral behavior of Christians and non-Christians.
George Barna, Founder, Barna Research Group

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless,

how can it be made salty again?
It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out
and trampled under foot by men.
Jesus, Matthew 5:13

Once upon a time, when I was a little girl, my parents took my sister and me to visit some of our elder relatives. For the evening meal, the lady of the house set a beautiful, formal table, complete with lovely crystal salt cellars at each place.

Having attended approximately zero formal dinners in my decade-long, paper plate existence, I had never seen a salt cellar. Since it happened to be sitting next to my goblet of unsweetened iced tea, I presumed it was my own personal sugar bowl.

I was puzzled as to why the spoon was so tiny, but forged ahead in an attempt to sweeten my tea with spoonful after spoonful…of salt. After one swig, I realized my mistake, but to maintain decorum, I did my best to eat my meal while taking an occasional small sip of the tea-flavored salt water. It was a long dinner.

I have never been so thirsty for a fresh drink of water before—or since—that moment.

We, the body of Christ, are supposed to be salt. Look around. How are we doing? By and large, instead of the church making the world thirsty for the Living Water, we have become so worldly ourselves that we are in danger of losing our savor altogether.

The Western church, the American church, the local church, maybe even your church—is in desperate need of revival. Not a revival meeting. Revival.

Revival is not a special event to win the lost. It is a time when God’s people, both individually and corporately, humble themselves, cry out to God in repentance and return to a fresh, empowered, obedient love relationship with Him.

Aren’t you tired of seeing statistics like the ones at the beginning of this article? Tired of the church having so little impact on a lost and dying world? Tired of simply going through the motions in your spiritual life and at church? Have you ever, as I have, taken a step back, looked at your walk and your worship, and said, “There’s got to be more to the Christian life than this”?

There is more. Much more. God desires that we have a full, exciting, vibrant, dynamic relationship with Him. But it’s going to cost us. It will cost our pride, our time, our repentance, our obedience, and our priority. It will require that we become dissatisfied and uncomfortable with the status quo of complacency.

I think we’re up for the challenge.

Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, and revive me in Your ways.
Psalm 119:37

Want Revival? Pray for Your Pastor

2009-08-06T16:04:00.003-05:00

Pastoring a church is like joining the Peace Corps: It's not just a job, it's an adventure. The natives can be restless and shooting fiery darts at them, the air conditioning unit keeps breaking and the plumbing backs up, sometimes clans are at war with each other, there's a jungle of paperwork to navigate, and meeting after meeting after meeting to attend. And they've got to do it all without offending anyone, somehow squeezing in time to prepare a couple of sermons and Bible studies every week, visit people in the hospital, and still spend time with their wives and children. But they do it because they love our Lord, and wouldn't do anything else.

Our pastors need our prayer and encouragement. But what does praying for our pastors have to do with revival?

Praying for our pastors is one of the most important keys to revival. Most of the time, when churches experience revival, it is because the pastor has experienced revival in his own life and then leads his church to begin repenting, praying, and returning to a right relationship with God. Usually, revival begins with the pastor.

Additionally, when churches experience revival, the pastor's job is made exponentially easier. He is no longer discouraged by preaching to hearts of stone, but exhilarated by preaching to those who seek to worship God in spirit and in truth and who hunger and thirst for righteousness. His congregation witnesses to the lost, reaches out to those in need, beats down his office door wanting to know how they can serve. They allow him to ditch his extraneous busy work in favor of studying God's word and spending time in prayer. Revival makes pastoring a joy.

So pray for your pastor. Get everybody else in your church praying for your pastor. And, hey, throw in the minister of music, youth, education, etc., too. You might just find that the more the sheep pray for the shepherd, the better the flock becomes.

And that's not a baa-aaa-aaa-d thing. :0)

The "Word of Faith" Movement is Nigh Thee

2009-05-09T02:53:00.003-05:00

Are you familiar with the Word of Faith movement? Perhaps you don't know it by name, but have heard of some of its adherants, such as Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Benny Hinn, or Creflo Dollar.

I have been doing some studying on this doctrine lately, but didn't realize just how heretical it was until I delved into it. If you are a fan of any of these speakers, please be aware that many of their teachings are actually in opposition to Scripture.

Among other things, this doctrine teaches that human beings are gods, that we can speak things into existence, that it is always God's will for us to be healthy and financially prosperous, and that if we are not wealthy or have not been healed, it is either because we don't have enough faith or because we aren't really saved.

I thought this video on the subject, by Justin Peters, was a good, informative overview.

National Day of Prayer

2009-05-07T09:57:00.001-05:00

Don't forget that today, May 7, is National Day of Prayer. Please set aside some time today to pray for our government, media, military, educational system, businesses, churches and families.If you'd like to attend a NDP event, there is probably one near you. See the NDP website for more details.

Whet your appetite for Bread and Water!

2009-04-30T17:09:00.003-05:00

I've installed a new widget at the bottom of the blog that enables you to become a "Follower" of Bread and Water if you'd like. Come on out of the woodwork and show your support! All the cool kids are doing it! :0)

It'll Grow on You...

2009-04-22T14:22:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine recently asked for some advice on church growth, and I thought I would share here what I shared with her:

Before a church starts thinking about publicity, programs, attention getters, etc., it should take some things into consideration:1. Is this a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching/teaching church? Do we stick to Scripture and preach the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth even if it makes people uncomfortable or (in a Biblically appropriate way) offends them?

Since the Bible is God's Word, it would make no sense for Him to want to grow a church that either doesn't believe what He has said, or twists what He has said to fit what the people want to hear. A few of the many Scriptures which I believe back this up are: John 4:23, Matthew 15:14, Matthew 23:13 and I John 1:6-10.

2. How do we know God wants us to focus on growth right now? The church belongs to God, and we are to be in obedience to Him in all things. Have we as a congregation spent time in intense prayer and fasting both individually and corporately to seek His direction for the church? There could be any number of things God wants to do in the church before bringing a whole slew of new people in. He may want to do some pruning of the membership or the doctrine being taught, He may want to root out some corporate sin that needs to be dealt with, He may want to concentrate on building unity for some period of time, etc. Consider Matthew 7:3-5, I Corinthians 3:3 and Revelation 3:15-16

3. People can grow an organization, club, colloquy or group, but only God can grow a church. If you have a group of people that is growing strictly by man’s efforts and/or in violation of Scriptural principles, it is one of the former, not the latter. The question is, do we want to grow an organization here, or do we want God to grow a church? I Corinthians 3:5-7, Psalm 127:1, Acts 2:47, Ephesians 5:23

4. How did Jesus grow a church? After all, we’re to be about the business of following and imitating Him, right? If we take a look at how Jesus’ own following developed while He was on Earth as well as how the first century church grew, we don’t find that they had to go out and drag people in. They didn’t send out fliers, have space walks, barbecues, concerts and all that kind of stuff that so many churches do today just to try to draw people in. That’s a “top down” approach. Jesus and the first century church took a “bottom up” approach. They studied the Scripture, prayed, ministered to people as they had needs, and preached and taught the Word, and the people came out in droves.

Now, there’s certainly nothing wrong with barbecues and space walks. Indeed, if a church is following Christ rightly and while they’re praying, God says to them, “Go rent a space walk as a way of ministering to the community,” (He has certainly told people to do stranger things than that before!) somebody in that church had best get him/herself to a space walk rental place, pronto. What I’m trying to say is that the thrust of drawing people in should be the lifting up of Jesus in the church. Space walks are lagniappe. Mark 1:21 -22, 28, Matthew 8:1, Acts 2:37-47

So, that would be my advice: a) Make sure the church is completely in line with what the Bible teaches, b) Seek God’s direction for the church through corporate and individual prayer and fasting, c) Recognize that He is the only one who can cause a church to grow, and that growth is a natural by-product of an obedient, prayerful, true to Scripture church. If your church does all that, God will reveal the specific things He wants y'all to do, and your church will find itself growing whether it wants to or not (and if it doesn't want to, RUN! :0)

The Garden of Weedin'

2009-03-31T07:54:00.005-05:00

It's that time again. Spring. Time to survey the damage winter did to the yard and get it back in shape. Sandwiched in between last week's several days of rain and the multiple days of thunderstorms predicted for this week, were a few beautiful days that were just perfect for tackling the jungle that once was my back yard. Yikes. I could have lost a kid in all that grass.

Much to my dismay, when I got up close and personal with the overgrowth, I discovered that, once again, the army of weeds I spend every spring and summer fighting off had made significant advances into the yard. It also seemed to have secured the perimeter of my fencerow with a tall and nearly impregnable line of defense.

Heaving a sigh, I remembered what one gardener friend told me last year. The best way to fight off weeds is to get the grass really healthy and growing so it will choke out the weeds and reclaim the yard. Sounded reasonable to me. And familiar, too. Where had I heard something similar to that before? The idea tickled my brain as I hauled out the mower.

As I began shoving my trusty mower through that mess, it hit me. Weeds....choking something out. There was something about that in the Bible.

Ever notice how many of Jesus' parables and illustrations inlude references to farming, plants, and other aspects of agriculture? The "Lord of the Harvest" gave us wheat and tares, fig trees, mustard seeds, vineyards, and of course, the parable of the sower scattering his seed.

Ah, that's what it was. The parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23). Remember him? He went out to seed his land, and the seed ended up finding its way not only to the good soil he had prepared, but also to some rocky soil, the roadside, and a patch of thorns (which NCV {New Century Version} translates as "weeds"):

Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants.

Matthew 13:7 (NCV)

That's exactly what was going on in my yard! The grass wasn't yet strong enough to choke out all the weeds, the weeds were choking out my good crop of grass. They were also making my fencerow look awful, so I finished up the mowing, and, mentally assessing our temperamental edger, decided to clean off the fencerow by hand.

As I began yanking at those pesky plants, God reminded me that we all have weeds in our lives that need to be pulled up. So just what constitutes a "weed" in our spiritual lives? Well, Jesus was kind enough to explain that in Matthew 13:22:

And what is the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching but lets worries about this life and the temptation of wealth stop that teaching from growing. So the teaching does not produce fruit in that person's life. (NCV)

Jesus compares the weeds to two things: "the worries about this life" and "the temptation of wealth".

"The worries about this life" could cover just about anything. It could be a financial struggle, a wayward child, a difficult marriage, a hostile work environment, or even a painful past that we're striving to put behind us. Any situation we deal with that looms so large, it blocks out our view of Christ and prevents us from trusting Him to handle it. Anything that takes our eyes off Him, tempts us to focus only on our circumstances, and derails the teaching God is trying to manifest in our lives.

"The temptation of wealth" could also cover a lot of areas in our lives. I Timothy 6:10 tells us that "the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil...". Evil. In other words, sin.

"A root". Hmmm...interesting.

Well, I was certainly dealing with plenty of roots. When it comes to weeds, it doesn't do much good to simply pull the leaves off or snap the stem in half. For some reason, weeds-- at least the ones in my yard --seem to take this as a challenge to grow back. You have to pull weeds up by the roots in order to get rid of them.

Likewise, if there is something in our lives which "stops {God's} teachings from growing" or prevents God's teachings from producing fruit in our lives (see Matthew 13:22 above) we need to have the Master Gardener root out the instigating problem rather than plucking at its leaves ourselves.

For example, if you're struggling with being a workaholic, you can break off part of the stem of that problem by cutting back on work a few hours a week, but the root of the problem may be that you have made work an idol in place of God, that you don't trust Him to provide for your needs, or that you are loving yourself and your work more than your family. If those root problems aren't dealt with you will likely fail in your efforts to cut back on work, or something else, such as a hobby, may spring up to take the place of those hours you would have spent at work.

As I continued to work, I noticed that some weeds were very easy to pull up and some were quite difficult. The easiest to pull seemed to be the weeds that had taken root in the decaying leaf matter on top of the soil rather than in the soil itself. The difficult ones were the ones that had been growing for a long period of time. Some of their roots were over a foot long. These roots had made their way far from the visible plant and into another part of the yard, which meant they were affecting much more than just the immediate area around the plant itself.

And so it is with our spiritual weeds. The best time to deal with sin or turn a troubling situation over to God is early, before it has a chance to take root, because once it does, it's going to be much harder to deal with and it's going to begin to affect more and more areas of our lives.

Dealing with sin or difficult situations pre-emptively is even better. Flee temptation before you have a chance to give in to it (I Timothy 6:11, II Timothy 2:22). Determine to commit your works to the Lord (Proverbs 16:3) and acknowledge Him in all your ways (Proverbs 3:5-6) and you will avoid some of the heartbreaking circumstances that might otherwise come your way.

As I struggled with one particularly stubborn weed, I noticed that its roots were intertwined with those of a couple of other totally different weeds. As I pulled at the one I was working on, the others were coming up as well.

When God pulls up those really difficult weeds in our lives, we will often find that He is simultaneously uprooting other sins and situations that have become enmeshed with the primary one. Sometimes when this happens to me, I feels like God is "piling on" and wish He would just work on one thing at a time in my life!

By the time I reached the end of the fencerow, I was sweating, my back was killing me, and I had broken two nails, despite the gardening gloves I was wearing. Pulling weeds is not a day at Disney World. It's tough work!

But as I stood back and surveyed the results of my efforts, I saw that the fencerow no longer looked trashy. It looked clean and neat. Something any gardener would be pleased with. And, something else had happened that I hadn't even noticed until that moment. As the roots of those weeds came up, they naturally tilled the soil.

It was moist,

loose,

rich;

the perfect condition for good seed to be sown by a Master Gardener.

Quoth "the Raven"...

2009-03-24T11:19:00.004-05:00

The following are quotes from 20th century evangelist Leonard Ravenhill. I enjoyed them and thought you might too.

"If weak in prayer, we are weak everywhere."
"Men give advice; God gives guidance."
"Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?"
"A sinning man stops praying, a praying man stops sinning"
"The only reason we don't have revival is because we are willing to live without it!"
"God pity us that after years of writing, using mountains of paper and rivers of ink, exhausting flashy terminology about the biggest revival meetings in history, we are still faced with gross corruption in every nation, as well as with the most prayerless church age since Pentecost."
"The Church used to be a lifeboat rescuing the perishing. Now she is a cruise ship recruiting the promising."
"The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized within the lifetime of the opportunity."
"My main ambition in life is to be on the devil's most wanted list."
"If Jesus had preached the same message that ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified."
"Entertainment is the devil's substitute for joy"

There's No Such Thing as an Atheist~ The Final Chapter

2009-03-20T06:20:00.003-05:00

So, if our minds know God exists, and our hearts know God exists, where does that leave the so-called atheist or agnostic?

Well, like I said before, there's no such thing as an atheist, only a rebellious human being.

If a person knows God exists, as we all do, and yet refuses to acknowledge Him or submit to His authority, he is by definition, rebelling against God. The Bible describes it this way:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.......For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.......For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Romans 1:18, 21, 25

This refusal to acknowledge the truth about God will not last forever, though. As my husband puts it, everyone is either a member of the "Believers club" or the "future believers club".

so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11

The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God " Psalm 14:1a

Considering the facts that we know God exists and that we will all have to acknowledge that one day anyway, atheism and agnosticism aren't the smart way to go.

There's No Such Thing as an Atheist~ Part II: The Tell Tale Heart

2009-03-17T06:35:00.000-05:00

Another way that we instinctively know God exists is the pre-programming of our hearts. Just as some computers are sold with certain software already installed, we come with the software of God's law already installed in our hearts:

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, Romans 2:14-15

It's called a conscience, and we're all born with one, whether we're raised in any particular religion or not. We know when we've messed up. How do we know? We feel guilty or ashamed.

Somehow, guilt has gotten a bad rap these days. Don't believe the hype. Guilt is good; a gift of God, even. Not long ago, I heard a popular television preacher telling the thousands of people in his church that, "God doesn't want us to feel guilty." While it's true that a Christian need not be plagued by feelings of guilt over things for which he has already asked and received God's forgiveness, initially, when we do wrong, we most certainly should feel guilty.

God has lovingly designed us with a sense of guilt and shame in order to draw us to Him. Guilt is to our relationship with Christ what a toothache is to our relationship with the dentist. The toothache tells us something is wrong with a tooth, it needs to be fixed, and we'd better get to the person that is qualified to fix it right now. If no one ever felt guilty, no one would ever see his need for salvation and turn to Christ in repentance, without which, salvation does not take place.

So, how do we make the connection between our conscience and the God who created it? How does our having a conscience prove that God exists? Well, it does require some introspection, but for anyone who will take a few minutes to sit down and think about why he feels guilty over his wrongdoing, the answer will become apparent.

We know that feelings of guilt and shame do not stem only from participating in criminal activities. Most of us are law abiding citizens, and yet we have still felt guilt over wrongdoing which may have been perfectly legal. Ironically, by the time someone commits an actual crime, he may have suppressed his conscience so many times that it has become seared and he does not experience feelings of guilt for what he has done.

Alright, if we're not breaking the law and still feel guilty over some particular behavior, could it be that we feel guilty because we're hurting someone? Well, generally speaking, we certainly should feel guilty if we hurt someone's feelings or reputation, or if we disappoint or betray them. But, how would that explain our feelings of guilt over things that have no apparent effect on others, or that no one knows about? What about that piece of gum you stole from the store as a kid? How about that test you cheated on in college?

"Wait," you may say, "the kid stealing the candy and the student cheating on the test aren't feeling guilty, they're feeling afraid that they'll be caught and will have to suffer the consequences." True, guilt and fear of being caught usually go hand in hand, but they are definitely two separate feelings. We know this because we can feel fearful of consequences for performing actions we know to be right. Ask any good samaritan who helps someone despite the fact he knows he might be sued later, or a missionary who knows he may be harmed if he shares the Gospel, or a German who hid Jews from the Nazis during World War II. Fear of getting caught and guilt over wrongdoing are two different things.

So what other explanation could there be for the guilt we feel over our wrongdoing which is not breaking the law, not hurting anyone, and which no one else will ever know about?

because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. Romans 1:19

Our hearts know, even if we don't want it to be true, that there is a God.

There's No Such Thing as an Atheist~ Part I: The Battlefield of the Mind

2009-03-12T06:26:00.004-05:00

There's no such thing as an atheist. Or even an agnostic, for that matter.

An atheist is someone who says there is no God. An agnostic is someone who says we don't or can't know whether or not there is a God.

I recently heard someone say that there are no atheists, only rebellious people. The more I think about that statement, the truer it rings. Why? Because it is impossible not to know there is a God.

It first enters our consciousness that there is a God when we simply look around at our surroundings. The Bible says:

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:20

All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. John 1:3

It's as simple as looking around and saying, "Wow. Look at all this stuff. How'd it all get here?"

The other day, I was involved in a discussion with a non-Christian who was wondering how anyone could possibly disbelieve evolution. Laying aside all the details, I believe the thing that most bothers many Christians about the philosophy behind the theory of evolution as well as the Big Bang theory is that, in many cases, these theories are not an attempt to describe how God might have created the universe, but how the universe might have come into being without God.

It couldn't have. There's no way.

We know this not only through the attributes of the things we're observing --that the botany, biology, chemistry, astronomy, physics, etc., of Earth work too well together and are too intricate and complex to have happened by mere accident or coincidence-- but also in the way we think about the things we're observing.

Have you ever looked at anything --your car, your dishwasher, your computer, your favorite painting-- wondered about its origins, and come to the conclusion that it simply materialized of its own volition out of thin air? Of course, you haven't. We don't think that way because that goes against every iota of life experience we've ever had. If we see an object, we know someone made it. Our experience feeds the logical way we think about this relationship between an object and its maker.

In addition to the overwhelming scientific evidence and intricacies and our life experience which God has provided to show us that He made this place, Romans 1:20 (above) tells us that the design of our brains is pre-programmed to make the connection between creation and Creator. We could not be "without excuse" if we were intellectually incapable of comprehending the relationship between the two, nor if we had not been created to think logically and rationally, deducing conclusions from the evidence available to us.

Our minds bear witness to the existence of God, in that:

since there is such an intricately detailed, well designed creation, it must have been made by an intelligent, powerful Being.
all of our life experiences lead us to the conclusion that if something exists, someone made it.
our minds think logically and deduce conclusions from the evidence we observe.
we have intelligence and are able to comprehend the relationship between a creation and its creator.

Playing Go Fish

2009-03-09T06:18:00.004-05:00

Not long ago, I stumbled across a fabulous vocal band called Go Fish. They bill themselves as "great music for kids that won't drive parents bonkers!" and they certainly live up to that declaration. I would classify them as a Christian version of "The Wiggles" except that The Wiggles drive me somewhat bonkers. They have released a number of songs that will appeal to adults as well, particularly their Christmas music. Here are a few of my favorites:

The Mom Song

It's About the Cross

Bible Book Bop

Their Vacation Bible School curriculum also looks great!

Go Fish's music is available for purchase (MP3 downloads as well as CDs) on their web site (link above), walmart.com, CBD, and Amazon.com.

Priming Your Prayer Wall

2009-02-27T22:04:00.005-06:00

A friend of mine recently remarked that sometimes when he begins his prayer time, he has trouble with his mind wandering to the various tasks of his day instead of being able to concentrate on doing business with God. I've had that problem too.

It's easy to get distracted no matter what you're doing, but since Satan isn't particularly wild about our praying, he frequently uses distraction as a tool to either keep us from praying altogether, or to keep us from entering into deep, focused communion with God.

Have you ever painted a wall? My husband frequently paints as part of his business, and there have been a few times when he was so hard up for an assistant, he had to settle for me. Painting is definitely not my forte. It's tedious and boring and I hate it. I hate it so much I even made up a little song to sing --under my breath, of course-- while I'm doing it, about how much I hate it. (I know, I know, "do all things without grumbling", but for me painting is more of a Psalm 55:17 proposition.)

But, thanks to my husband's good teaching, at least now I know how to do it right.

When he paints a wall, he doesn't just go in, throw some paint on the wall and leave (like I would, because I hate painting so much). He prepares before he paints. He makes sure the floor near the wall won't get spattered with paint. He protects the baseboards, chair rails, and mouldings. He removes the switch plates and outlet covers. Often, he will prime the wall with a base coat of a neat product called "Kilz", which covers up stains and marks and leaves a nice, clean surface on which to roll on the new paint. Only after all of that preparation does he begin painting.

I've found that that kind of preparation can be helpful before praying as well. So what can you do to prime your prayer wall?

Get as far away as possible from physical distractions. Get into a quiet room away from other people. (For me, that sometimes means I have to leave the house and walk the neighborhood or sit in the car while I pray!) Turn off the music, the phone, the computer, and anything else that might make noise. Sometimes a white noise machine can be helpful as well.

Keep a piece of paper and a pen handy. Before you pray, take a few moments to take a mental inventory of the rest of your day. Jot down any reminders to yourself or lists of things you need to get or do. Then, set it aside, both mentally and literally, but within arm's reach. Later, when you're praying, if something that's absolutely crucial comes to mind, just take a second and write yourself a very brief note about it and get back to prayer. I usually ask God to please help me to remember or accomplish whatever it is I've just had to write down.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7). There's nothing wrong with doing this verbally, in fact, if you hear yourself saying the words, it will reinforce your resolve to resist. If I sense that Satan is lurking around, tempting me to give in to distraction, I tell him, out loud, in the name of Jesus, to go away and leave me alone. He has no business making a nuisance of himself during your prayer time, and if you are a Believer, you are well within your rights to tell him to get lost.

Prime the wall. My "primer prayer" usually goes something like this: "Lord, thank you for drawing me to this time of prayer. Please keep my heart, mind, and will focused completely on You and prevent me from being distracted. If I do get distracted, please help me realize this right away and give me the discipline to re-focus on you. Direct this prayer time and bring to my mind all the things You want me to pray about." This gives me that "nice, clean surface" so I can start praying.

Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (II Corinthians 10:5). Once I have prayed my "primer prayer", if a thought comes to mind, I pray about it, even if it's something as simple as, "Lord, please help me remember to stop at the store and get bread on the way home." It's important to be discerning, though, about whether a thought is a distraction, or God is impressing on you that you really need to pray about this thing that you thought was trivial. If it's a genuine distraction, I usually employ the Scarlett O'Hara principle and say to myself, "I'm not going to think about that right now, I'll think about that later." Then I make a conscious decision to re-focus on the prayer issues before me.

Practice. Keep at it. Prayer is like anything else-- the more you practice it, the easier it generally becomes. Practice preparing for prayer. Practice asking for God's help to focus. Practice re-directing your thoughts when they go astray. The more often you do it, the less often you'll find yourself distracted.

Now go prime that wall and pray, pray, pray! It's a lot more fun than painting!

Book Report

2009-02-10T06:27:00.006-06:00

I just finished an excellent book on prayer entitled Praying Backwards: Transform Your Prayer Life by Beginning in Jesus' Name, by Bryan Chapell.

When we pray, we most often "sign off" by saying "in Jesus' name, Amen". But is this just Christianese for "over and out" or "yours truly"? Are we using the phrase as though these are the magic words that will make God hear and answer our prayer? Is tacking this phrase on at the end of our prayers really what Jesus meant in John 14:13-14?

Bryan Chapell shows us that praying in Jesus' name means learning to let the Holy Spirit mold our prayers to conform to God's desires. A quote by William Temple, included in the book, summarizes Praying Backwards well:

We do not pray in order to change His will, but in order to bring our will in harmony with His.

For those who live in my area, Praying Backwards is available through the local library, but this is one you're going to want to buy, along with a new highlighter. It's that good.

Praying Backwards is available through CBD, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

I Beg Your Pardon? I Never Promised you a Rose Garden.

2009-02-05T07:00:00.002-06:00

I once heard a pastor say that a Gospel that doesn't work everywhere is a Gospel that doesn't work anywhere. He was referring to the so-called "prosperity gospel" that seems to be gaining momentum in the U.S.

If you're not familiar with this movement, the basic idea is that, if you just have enough faith and/or sow enough seed (i.e. send money to a certain "ministry") God will bless you with wealth, new cars, new houses, etc. It must work, right? The pastors who push this "name it and claim it" (or as someone I know puts it: "blab it and grab it") crack "gospel" certainly seem to be doing well financially.

The problem is, it doesn't work for everyone. How did it work for Paul? What about John? Stephen? Peter and the other apostles? Certainly, they were faithful and gave everything for the cause of Christ, and what did it get them while they were here? What about Christians in India, China, parts of Africa, parts of the Middle East, and many other places today? They are being tortured, imprisoned and even killed for following Christ. Where is their health, wealth, and prosperity?

The fact is, God has not called us to a life of ease. He has not called us to life at all, but to death. Death to self, death to pride, death to greed:

And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." Luke 9:23

So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh--
for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Romans 8:12-13

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Matthew 6:24

God never promised us a rose garden. He promised us that if we follow Christ, we will be persecuted and hated. Wow, just when you thought witnessing couldn't get any harder! What a selling point for Christianity! But this is what our brothers and sisters across the globe face every day. Many of them, when they make a commitment to follow Christ, are signing their own death warrants.

What God has promised is so much better than material wealth. He has promised that when we delight ourselves in Him, He will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). When we truly do delight ourselves in the Lord, the desires of our hearts will mirror the desires of His heart. We won't crave fleshly things like wealth, but holiness, compassion, justice, and a closer relationship with Him. He hasn't promised us material rewards here, but hereafter.

John Piper puts it so much more eloquently than I can. Take a look at what he has to say:
John Piper Prosperity Gospel Video

Gloriful

2009-02-02T06:52:00.001-06:00

"Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.'" Isaiah 6:2-3

I don't know about you, but when I look around, I am saddened and dismayed by what this world has turned into. I don't see God's glory, I see sin, pain, divisiveness, and degradation.

But, the earth is full of God's glory.

Every time we see the beauty of His creation, experience the joy of walking closely with Him, obey Him even when we don't feel like it, or trust Him even when there's no logical reason to do so, He is glorified.

Every time God proves Himself true to His word by intervening, providing, protecting or healing, He is glorified.

Every time someone serves, helps, gives, comforts, strengthens, works, or encourages in Jesus' name, He is glorified.

May we, in our darkest hours, look for God's glory. And in our brightest hours, may we seek to bring glory to Him by being His hands and feet to others.

A Prayer for the President

2009-01-20T07:31:00.001-06:00

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,
for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. I Timothy 2:1-4

Today, we, the people of the United States, will inaugurate a new President. As President Obama begins his tenure in the White House, God desires that we pray for him.

Pray for the President's salvation- No one knows our hearts except God alone, but knowing how narrow the way is that leads to salvation (Matthew 7:13-14) and taking into consideration the President's words and actions, it seems likely that he is not saved. Our burden for his salvation should be two-fold, first, for his own soul and the salvation of his family, and second, that his salvation will enable him to be a Godly leader.

Pray for the President's, and his family's, safety and protection- His wife needs her husband, those two little girls need their daddy, and our nation needs a leader.

Pray that God will help the President to be a Godly husband and father- The presidency is a job that leaves little time for anything or anyone else. Pray that the President will have the time to spend with his family, leading them to Godliness.

Pray that God will surround the President with wise and Godly counsel- Proverbs 1:5 says: "A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel".

Pray that God will direct the President's decisions- Proverbs 21:1 tells us: "The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes."

Pray that, whatever the actions of the President, we will become a Godly nation- "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance." Psalm 33:12

May God bless our new President, and may God bless the United States of America.

It's ONLY Natural?

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

I admit it. I can be pretty nerdy when it comes to watching TV. While I occasionally enjoy a show whose plot is merely entertaining, most of the time I like to watch things that challenge me intellectually. Such was recently the case when I watched a very interesting program on the Discovery Channel.

The program was an attempt to give a naturalistic explanation for several of the miracles cited in the book of Exodus, mainly the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-5), the plagues (Exodus 7:14 - 11:10), and the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:10-31).

The Nile river turning to blood, for example, could have been an algal bloom (of red algae). This would have killed all the fish, but, according to the scientists' theories, created an environment ideal for the proliferation of frogs in plague #2. The flies in plague #4, they believe to have been biting flies whose bites left open sores, which, when infected by a bacteria which had been carried by the gnats from plague #3, could have killed livestock in plague #5 and caused the boils in plague #6.

Personally, while there were several holes in some of their theories, I found this all quite fascinating. There's no reason God couldn't have done things the way these theories suggested. We do, after all, have to remember that these events took place a few thousand years ago when people didn't know the things we now know about algae, bacteria, epidemiology, and so on. They had to record and describe things in the best way they knew how.

We also have to remember that whether, to take one example, the Nile turned to literal blood or was overtaken by algae, the end result was the same: all the fish died and the water was undrinkable.

At one point, the narrator interjected a comment which has been rolling around in my mind ever since. He said that many atheists don't like to find physical evidence that supports Biblical accounts because this evidence shows that there is a God. Conversely, many Jews and Christians don't like to hear theories of naturalistic explanations of how miracles could have occurred because they are afraid this takes God out of the equation.

While the former is undoubtedly true, I firmly believe that Christians and Jews have nothing to fear from naturalistic theories which attempt to explain the way God may have acted in certain circumstances. Certainly, some scientists have tried to explain everything naturally in order to remove the need for God, but at some point there is a hole in each one of those theories which only God can fill, precisely because

...all things have been created through Him and for Him.
He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. Colossians 1:16-17

If we think about it, could not God's working through the natural order of things which He had already set up show Him to be even more powerful and knowledgeable? Is it possible He set up the laws of biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, etc., in certain ways as He was creating the universe because He foreknew every single circumstance that would ever happen on earth and the way in which He would work through those laws rather than around them in order to bring about His desired result? Is not the logic and order we see in His creation evidence that He might work in a logical and orderly way within the framework that He Himself had already set up? Couldn't God's working through natural law be eve further evidence that nothing is a surprise to God? That nothing backs Him into a corner in such a way that He has no choice but to perform a "magic trick" in order to direct things? Certainly, in some circumstances God does suspend the laws of nature for His own purposes, but He doesn't have to. He's God. He can do whatever He wants in whatever way He wants.

It's within the realm of possibility that there will someday be plausible scientific theories (which don't conflict with Biblical principles or what we know to be true of God's character) for every single miracle and mystery in the Bible. If that happens, will God cease to be God?

Hundreds of years ago, it was believed that the earth was the center of the universe. When Copernicus, and later Galileo, began to circulate their research on heliocentrism (that the sun was the center of our solar system and the earth revolved around it), the church branded them as heretics. Who turned out to be wrong? The church.

Did God cease to be God when it was discovered that the earth was not the center of the universe? Of course not. In our modern world, we would be wise to take a lesson that the church in the 16th and 17th centuries should have learned: God is God. He does as He pleases for His own glory and not to fit into the box our finite minds have created for Him. He has ways of doing things that we have never even dreamed of.

At the same time, the scientific community would be wise to catch up to the faith community and surrender to the fact that no matter how the world came into being, how all the miracles in the Bible happened, or what scientific explanation might be behind any phenomenon in the universe, when you distill everything down as far as you can go, you're going to run into the least common denominator of every particle of matter or unit of energy in existence: God.

To go back to the plagues for a moment, even if there is a reasonable scientific explanation for each and every one of them, that only explains the how, not the why. Why is it that each plague started when Pharoah refused to let the Israealites leave? Why did the plague of frogs stop on the specific day Pharoah requested (Exodus 8:9-13)? Why did the plague of hail start at the precise time Moses stretched out his arms toward the sky (Exodus 9:23)? And finally, why did the plagues stop as soon as Pharoah let the Israelites go? To believe that any of the dozens of "why" questions that could be asked about the plagues alone (never mind all the zillions of other things God has done throughout history) could be answered by the comically flimsy explanation of "coincidence" would require infinitely more faith than believing the simple fact that God's hand was behind it all.

Science and faith do not need to be at odds with each other. In fact, many of the earliest scientists began their studies as a way to bring glory to God by discovering more about His creation. This paradigm continues today in the studies of scientists who are Christians, as well as in the many scientists who have come to know Christ as a result of their studies.

Whether God chooses to work within the confines of natural law or to supersede it, His goal for us is the same as it was for Pharoah:

"...that {we} may know that there is no one like the Lord our God."

(Exodus 8:10b)

Anything to Get the Kids to Read?

2008-12-09T06:33:00.007-06:00

This seems to be a new mantra that has sprung up amongst parents and educators over the last few years. I've heard it many times-- said with an almost religious fervor --as though a child who doesn't read is in the same immediate danger as a child who doesn't eat.

And whenever I hear this statement made with such intensity, I can't help but think, "Anything to get the kids to read? Really? Anything?" Just how far are we willing to go for the sake of reading?

Most recently I heard this statement made in response to a topic on my local talk radio station. It seems a high school English teacher assigned his class a book to read that contained a significant amount of profanity. Parents complained. The principal intervened and the assignment was terminated. Many who disagreed with the principal's decision repeated the litany, almost in unison: "Who cares if there's profanity? The kids were reading."

On another occasion, a Christian father and I were discussing the new movie and book, Twilight. He was planning to allow his "tween-ager" to see the movie in hopes that she would then read the books. He had made this decision, not because he thought the subject matter of the books or movie would be good for her (in fact, he indicated that he had decided to allow her to see it against his better judgment of the content), but because he wanted to do something that would get her to read more.

Now, granted, I haven't read the book series or seen the movie, so my comment stems only from the several reviews and articles I've read about them, but has reading become so important even to Christian parents that they feel the need to OK a book/movie for their children that gives at least the appearance of nominal approval to vampirism?

Don't get me wrong, I think reading is very important. I'm an avid reader, as are my children who are old enough to read independently. I guess I'm just a little perplexed that in a country with freedom of the press, where we have access to a bountiful supply of good books, both Christian and secular, that don't contain questionable material, we are getting sucked into the mentality that the only way to get kids to read is to present them with books that contain and normalize profanity, occultism, gratuitous violence and gore, inappropriate and explicit sexuality, and any number of other things that we wouldn't want them exposed to in real life. Why choose books like that when there are so many other better choices?

There are better ways to turn your kids into readers of good books:

Start early- Read to your kids from the time they are infants. Make it a normal, habitual part of life. I used to read to my babies when I was nursing them. I just read aloud from whatever book or magazine I happened to be reading at the moment myself. (That was actually a lot more interesting than reading Green Eggs and Ham or Go Dogs, Go to them a zillion times a day!)

Make it part of the daily routine- Just as you set aside time for brushing teeth, naps, daily devotions, homework, etc., set aside time every day to read to your children, or require your older children to spend a certain amount of time reading every day. One thing I have found that works well with my children is to occasionally allow them to stay up fifteen or twenty minutes past their bedtime, but only if they will use that time to read.

Make reading something to look forward to- Several years ago, I began a practice of reading my older children a book series every summer. We started with the Little House on the Prairie books, then moved to the Narnia books and others. As we near the end of the school year each May, one of the things I have them do is start looking around the library and the internet for the book series they want us to read that summer. They look forward to this each year. Finding an appropriate author or a topic your children like and having them watch for the latest book to come out is another way to build excitement.

Reward reading- Because I love to read so much, it is hard to for me to imagine anyone needing a reward for reading; it's kind of a reward in itself! Some kids need a little more motivation, though. They might enjoy participating in reading contests such as Pizza Hut's "Book It" program. Also, check out the programs at your local library. Our library sponsors a reading contest for both kids and adults every summer. It allows the reader to set a goal for the number of books he thinks he can read over the summer and then awards prizes for those who reach their goals. Or, if your kid is dying to see a movie that is based on a certain book, make seeing the movie a reward for reading the book.

Set an example- Be a reader yourself. Find an interesting book and curl up on the couch with your kids while they read their books.

Limit the electronic pacifiers- This is a good idea even if you're not especially interested in getting your child to read more. Unlimited time in front of the TV, computer, gaming system, or hand-held video games is hazardous to your child's intellectual health. Conversely, having your child read in order to earn "screen time" can be a good motivator.

As with everything else, it's important to abide by Biblical principles when choosing reading materials for ourselves and our children. Reading is important, but not as important as filling our kids' minds with Godliness.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8

Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

2008-11-26T06:20:00.004-06:00

O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

I Chronicles 16:34

Thanksgiving is upon us. It's my favorite holiday. I get "time off" from my job (although as a stay at home mom, my "time off" looks a lot like my "time on"!); I get to go visit family; there's no mad rush of gift shopping; and, the whole holiday is centered around eating. What could be better?

There's only one thing I don't look forward to about the holiday I love best. I'm not happy with the way Christmas has begun to overshadow Thanksgiving. The radio stations started playing Christmas carols before Halloween. The stores put out Christmas decorations earlier and earlier every year. The commercials for Christmas gifts and sales have been prolific since October. You almost get a sense that, aside from the good people at Butterball, retailers consider Thanksgiving to be in the way. They know that Thanksgiving is the "Gentlemen, start your engines!" rallying point for most shoppers, and without it, they could probably push Black Friday back to September and combine it with their Labor Day sales.

But more than my own personal annoyance and my desire to gather up all the retail CEOs and the media in one place and shout at them, "Nobody puts Thanksgiving in a corner!", I'm concerned for all of us as a national community. With everything that's going on in our country and the world right now, do we really need to skip over being thankful?

We Americans are so blessed we've become numb and ungrateful. What a slap in the face to people all over the world for whom simply surviving another day is an almost insurmountable task. How often do we have to worry about having water to drink that's clean enough not to make us sick? How many of us are starving to death because we have no access to food? How often do we have warring factions marching through our front yards? When was the last time we secretly huddled together to worship, afraid that at any moment we could be arrested, tortured, killed?

In the mad rush of all that is going on in our day to day lives, maybe it's not such a bad idea to slow down and give Thanksgiving its due.

Thank you, Lord...

...that I can see, hear, move, think clearly, and attend to my own needs.

...that I live in a country that protects my freedoms.

...for the family with which You've blessed me.

...for the roof over my head.

...for enough to eat.

...for saving me.

Don't skip Thanksgiving this year. Don't push it over in a corner and treat it as though it's an interruption of your Christmas plans. Relish it. Wallow in it. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

Superseding Authority: A Godly Response to Authority III

2008-11-18T06:56:00.001-06:00

Now after my previous blog entry on authority, I know exactly what you're thinking: What about ungodly leaders who order us to do ungodly things? Are we supposed to obey them? Should German Christians during World War II have obeyed Hitler and turned in Jews? Should Christians today who are citizens of countries in which Chrisitanity is illegal be obedient to laws saying they cannot pray, worship together, or witness? What about the numerous instances in the Bible which show Godly men and women disobeying the ungodly orders of an ungodly leader?

Well, I'm so glad you asked. :0)

There is one instance in which we can, nay, should disobey human authority, and that is when a command or law issued by a human authority directly conflicts with a command or law given by God. The instances above are some good contemporary examples. There are also several examples of this in the Bible:

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship the image Nebuchadnezzar erected.

Daniel refused to stop praying.

Shiphrah, Puah, Moses' mother, and Pharoah's daughter all disobeyed Pharoah's command to drown Hebrew baby boys.

Peter and the apostles refused to stop teaching about Jesus.

Paul and Silas continued to preach and witness.

"But," you may say, "we already have some laws that conflict with God's laws. What about abortion? What about states in which homosexual marriage is legal? What if I live in Nevada or Rhode Island where some forms of prostitution are legal? Doesn't the fact that those laws conflict with God's laws give me the right to disobey the authority which enforces them?"

There is a difference between these laws and the Biblical instances I've cited as well as the contemporary instances given in the opening paragraph. In the case of the latter, a law was laid down or a command given that required all people, or all of God's people, to break God's law or to stop doing something God had commanded.

The laws we have in the United States today legalizing abortion, homosexuality, prostitution and other sins are laws which allow, but do not require, people to do something ungodly. In other words, no one in the U.S. is forced to have an abortion or become a homosexual or a prostitute.

So, how do we respect the authority of legislators, judges, Presidents and other leaders who make laws allowing ungodly things? Do we bomb abortion clinics because they violate God's law? Do we just sit back and do nothing because we are to obey those in authority? Of course, neither of these extremes is a Godly way to act.

In America, we are blessed to have a form of government which allows us to legally try to change laws and leaders we believe are ungodly. At the very least, those of us who are old enough should be exercising our right to vote. And as I've said previously, we should be voting for the candidate whose platform matches most closely with Biblical principles.

Sometimes this will mean we will be voting for the candidate whose economic policies are less beneficial to us personally. I believe that's a sacrifice we as Christians should be willing to make. The Bible says that we cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24), that we should deny ourselves (Matthew 16:24), that we should put the welfare of others ahead of our own interests (Philippians 2:3-4), and that we should help out the weaker members of our community (Isaiah 1:17, 23, Luke 10:30-37).

Other ways we can legally work for change include writing and calling our legislators and other leaders and asking them to vote in a Biblical direction, lobbying, working for the campaign of a candidate whose platform is Biblical, protesting (in an orderly and Godly manner), running for office ourselves, and let's not forget: praying for our leaders and our country.

Praying is the most important thing we can do, first, because God commands it:

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,
for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
I Timothy 2:1-4

God desires that our leaders come to know Him and govern in a Godly way.

Second, when we pray, we have direct access to the One who is in authority over all earthly authorities. God is the only one who can change or re-direct the heart of a leader:

The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes. Proverbs 21:1

A Godly response to authority may not always be easy, but it is fairly simple: respect authority; obey God; work for change; pray hard.

Christian Service Announcement

2008-11-07T08:08:00.005-06:00

May I have your attention, please?

I am briefly interrupting this series for a worthwhile cause.

A friend of mine just made me aware of a great ministry called

Lutheran Braille Workers, Inc.

(please click here for more info.)

This important volunteer ministry publishes Braille and large print Bibles and other Christian literature internationally in 120 countries and over 30 languages.

They are experiencing a financial hardship right now and there is concern as to whether and to what extent the ministry will be able to continue to function.

Please prayerfully consider donating to this ministry that needs a helping hand right now.

Trust God and Obey: A Godly Response to Authority- II

2008-11-06T07:39:00.000-06:00

As we respond to authority, we need to internalize the fact that anybody who is in authority is only there because God allowed him to be there.

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Romans 13:1

For every person who is in authority, God has some reason for allowing him to be there. We may not understand how that person is part of God's bigger plan, but, really, is that anything new? God has always done things we don't understand and He'll continue to do so. He gets to do that because He's God.

Because God is the One who has given our leaders authority, we are to respect and obey them.

Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. Romans 13:2

If we reject the authority a leader has over us, we are actually standing in opposition and rebellion to God. If we refuse to obey, even if we harbor bitterness in our hearts and refuse to accept that this person is in authority, we are basically telling God He doesn't know what He's doing and that He made a bad decision. Not a good idea.

Notice also that this verse doesn't say we only have to obey leaders we consider to be Godly. It doesn't say "Godly authority", it just says "authority". Sometimes it's tough, but out of love and trust for God, we must respect and obey our leaders.

That thought shouldn't be a frightening one for Christians. One of the bedrock principles of our faith is that God has promised to take care of those who love and obey Him. We might experience some "momentary, light affliction" (II Corinthians 4:17) in the process, but in the end, whether on earth or in Heaven, everything is going to turn out ok. More than ok, fantastic.

The Day Aftermath or: A Godly Response to Authority- I

2008-11-05T05:53:00.000-06:00

Well, the election is finally over and we have a new President. A lot of Christians are disappointed at the outcome. I'm one of them. But you know what? God's still on His throne, the sun still rose this morning, and there's every reason to look forward to the next four years with hope and anticipation of how God is going to work rather than with defeatism and despair...

God's people

who are called by His name:

humble themselves and pray AND

seek His face AND

turn from our wicked ways

(II Chronicles 7:14a)

This is the only way real change is going to occur, regardless of who sits in the White House. Notice that this verse doesn't say, "Once those ungodly heathens come around and get right with the Lord, everything's going to be great!" Nope, ladies, we've got some sweeping to do, and it starts with our own back porch.

There's a Godly way to respond to those in authority-- be it the President, our boss at work, or anyone else --that has nothing to do with our feelings about whether or not that person deserves his position of authority, and step one is to follow the instructions above.

As individual Christians, we need to be Godly. As a local church, we need to be Godly. As the body of Christ across the nation, we need to be Godly. We need to be on our faces in repentance and in seeking obedience to God. We need to take proactive and concrete steps to get sin out of our lives and out of our churches, and strive for holiness. Why would God address our concerns about straightening out the world if we're not concerned about straightening out ourselves?

Let's not mope or pout. That's unbecoming behavior for a Christian. It's also an indication of a lack of trust in a God who is much bigger than any earthly authority. Let's prepare our hearts and our churches so we'll be ready for the great things God wants to do in us, through us, and for us.

Get Out the Vote!

2008-11-04T05:48:00.002-06:00

Don't forget (as if anyone could!) to vote as God directs you today.

Performing a Sin-ectomy

2008-11-03T07:10:00.000-06:00

Have you ever faced an issue of obedience in your walk that seemed so difficult you felt like you'd never get it right? Maybe it's something most would consider a "biggie", like pornography, gambling, or alcoholism. Maybe it's one of those heart issues that nobody sees except you and God, like racism, a critical spirit, pessimism, or bitterness.

Sometimes the sins we would consider to be "big" are, in a way, easier to deal with than the "small" ones. After all, it's a lot easier to avoid buying a lottery ticket or playing a slot machine than it is to prevent critical thoughts from jumping into your mind. You can take a different route home from work so you don't even have to drive past that convenience store or that casino, but we take our minds with us everywhere we go (although looking at the behavior of some people these days, you have to wonder! :0)

I'm working through not one, but two heart issues right now that are both really tough. (I'm not sure if God is piling on or being efficient!) I'm glad, though, that both issues finally came to a head in my spirit and that God is gradually working them out of me to make me more like Him. As I began the battle against these two sins, God sat me down and showed me some things I needed to know and do as I moved forward:

When God reveals sin in our lives, we can't just ignore it. We must face it and fight it no matter how difficult it seems. If we don't, the distance between us and God that was created by that sin won't just remain, it will grow. This is because we're now committing two sins, the sin itself, and the sin of refusing to deal with it and get it out of our lives.(James 4:17)

Only God can remove sin. We can try, through our own strength, to fix the problem ourselves, and we might even look successful temporarily, but ultimately, without His power, help, and strength, we wil fail. (Romans 7:14-25)

Prayer is absolutely imperative. Because we need God's strength and power, we've got to ask Him for it at least daily, and preferably continuously throughout the day. I have found that if I don't stay on top of these two obedience issues in my life by praying for God's help every single day, I start slipping back into my old ways. (Matthew 26:41 )

Commit consciously and completely. Remember the scene in the movie The Karate Kid in which Mr. Miyagi is talking to Daniel about committing to karate? He says something to the effect of, "You do karate "yes", safe. You do karate "no", safe. You do karate "guess so", get squashed, just like grape." Its much the same way with issues of obedience, except that the only safe choice is to "do obedience, 'yes'". It's important to make a firm and definitive decision to give ourselves completely to obeying what God has revealed to us, otherwise we'll be sure to waver when the going gets tough. Sometimes it is helpful to stand in front of the mirror and watch ourselves making a verbal pledge to God to obey, or write out our commitment on a piece of paper. (Galatians 5:1)

Take all the prayer you can get. While we should be discerning with regard to discretion, it's helpful to enlist as many people to pray for us as God directs. Not only will we have more prayers going up on our behalf, but we will find that being accountable to those who are praying for us helps us stay on track. (Colossians 1:9-10)

Be ready for the enemy's attack. If there's one thing Satan hates, it's a Christian who desires to be obedient to God. We have to realize that when we determine to set our feet on the road to obedience, he will attack. The obedience issue will suddenly become much more difficult; other things will pop up in our lives that have to be dealt with so we'll feel like putting the obedience issue on the back burner; depression or discouragement may come. Those things are all designed to deter us and keep us in sin, but we have to stand firm and keep moving forward in obedience. (Ephesians 6:12-13)

Get plenty of rest, eat right, and stay healthy. This is war. We can't fight off an enemy when we're tired and weak. Being in top physical condition when doing spiritual battle helps immensely. (Daniel 1:8-20, Mark 12:30)

Stumbling here and there is inevitable, but don't give up! When babies first start to walk, they don't just get up in the middle of the floor and walk perfectly from that day forward. They take a few steps and fall, then a few more steps and another fall. But, they keep on getting up and trying again. We're going to mess up when we try to obey, but we can't give up. We've got to keep at it. Eventually we'll get the hang of it. (Proverbs 24:16, Galatians 6:9)

Be vigilant and always on the alert for opportunities to practice obedience. The main hurdle I've been facing with my obedience issues is that I react automatically, quickly, and without thinking, to the stimuli that trigger my disobedience. It's almost Pavlovian in nature. I literally need God to change my mind and my thoughts. This has prompted me to pray two things: One, that God will help me to stop for a few seconds after a stimulus presents itself so I can think about my response before I give it; two, that every time I enter the presence of the stimuli, God will help me to be focused and alert to opportunities that arise to practice obeying Him. God has answered those prayers, and it has been immensely helpful. Looking for opportunities to obey has now become almost fun, like an Easter egg hunt. It is exciting to find that opportunity and know I'm doing the right thing for a change. (Romans 12:2, II Corinthians 10:5)

Be patient. If the sin we're battling is entrenched, it's likely gotten to that point over a long period of time (decades, in my case). It is probably going to take a while to eradicate it and replace it with Godly behavior. Although God sometimes sets us free from things immediately, usually with behavioral and thought issues He has us roll up our sleeves and do the hard work it requires to change. We just have to keep plugging away and remember that even if we only move an inch forward, we're still moving forward. (Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-4)

Keep score. Something I've found debilitating in the battle against disobedience is that at the end of the day I seem to remember only my failures and none of my successes. This is extremely discouraging and demotivating, so one of the things I have been praying is that God will help me remember what I've done right during the day. It has helped me to see my forward progress and reminded me to thank God for His help and give Him the glory for my successes. Additionally, as God has reviewed my successes with me, He has reminded me that He is cheering me on. He is always pleased when we get it right. (I Corinthians 13:5d)
Eyes on the prize. "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'" Matthew 25:21 "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12 We do what we do for God's glory and the applause of Heaven.

Hang in there with God. It is worth it!

Your Vote Counts

2008-10-29T09:53:00.003-05:00

California residents, please vote "yes" on Proposition 8. Florida residents, please vote "yes" on Amendment 2.

Click here to learn more.

Worship: All about ME ME ME?

2008-10-22T06:19:00.001-05:00

Take a look at this video. It's clever and it makes a good point. You almost don't know whether to laugh or to cry when you watch it. I'm not a big fan of Rick Warren, but he surely did hit the nail on the head with the first sentence of his book, The Purpose Driven Life:

It's not about you.

He's right. Life isn't about me. Worship shouldn't be either.

Naturally, in our churches we don't go around singing, "I Exalt Me" or anything else so blatantly ridiculous or blasphemous. (And if your church does, honey, RUN!) But, have you ever noticed how many of the songs we sing in church come from a "me" perspective rather than being "You" focused?

Lord I lift Your name on high

Lord I love to sing Your praises

I'm so glad You're in my life

I'm so glad You came to save us

I'm trading my sorrows

I'm trading my shame

I'm laying them down

For the joy of the Lord

I'm trading my sickness

I'm trading my pain

I'm laying them down

For the joy of the Lord

I am a friend of God

He calls me friend

Who am I that You are mindful of me

That You hear me

When I call

Is it true that You are thinking of me

How You love me

It's amazing

Me-centered songs talk a lot about people and the benefits we get from our relationship with God, while You-focused songs concentrate more on extolling the attributes of God:

Lord of all creation

Of water earth and sky

The heavens are Your tabernacle

Glory to the Lord on high

God of wonders beyond our galaxy

You are holy holy

The universe declares Your majesty

You are holy holy

Lord of heaven and earth

Alleluia alleluia for our Lord God Almighty reigns

Alleluia alleluia for our Lord God Almighty reigns

Alleluia holy holy are You Lord God Almighty

Worthy is the Lamb

You are holy holy are You Lord God Almighty

Worthy is the Lamb

Worthy is the Lamb amen

Jesus name above all names

Beautiful Savior glorious Lord

Emmanuel God is with us

Blessed Redeemer living Word

Now don't get me wrong, singing about our relationship with God is important. The Psalms are full of songs that talk about how we relate to God and how He relates to us. The 23rd Psalm is a great example. So is Psalm 103:2: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits. I like all three of the songs I've listed as "me-centered" and have used them in church on several occasions.

But consider this-- when searching for the lyrics for the songs I've quoted above, I went to the CCLI site I use when planning music for my church's worship services. The site has a feature that shows both the top 25 songs and the top 100 songs churches have used in previous weeks and months.

I found the three "me-centered" songs in less than five minutes. Two were in last week's top twenty and one was number 26. For the "You-focused" songs, I had to go to the list of the top 100 songs. It took me forty minutes to search through most of the songs on that list looking for songs that contained only lyrics centered on God and His attributes.

When I looked at the top nineteen songs my local Contemporary Christian radio station (KLOVE) played last week, seventeen of them are what I would consider to be "me-centered" or "people-centered" (numbers two and four would be the "You-focused" ones).

Look at Revelation 4:8-11. How do those who are actually face to face with God worship Him?

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME. (8)

Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created. (11)

Should the majority of the songs we use in worship be from our perspective, about us, about what we get from God? Where is our focus? Who are we worshipping, anyway?

Kissing the Face of God

2008-10-15T06:45:00.000-05:00

A few Sundays ago as we were getting ready to go to church, I picked up my five year old, hugged him, and asked, "Are you ready to go to worship?"

He smiled and nodded, gave me a kiss on the cheek and then said something which he will never recall, but which I will never forget. He said,

"I just kissed you and God at the same time."

I'm not sure what he, in his five year old reasoning, meant to convey by that statement, but I have been thinking about what God could have meant by it ever since.

Because I'm a Christian, my body quite literally houses the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9-11, I Corinthians 3:16-17, I Corinthians 6:19-20), so in a way, what my son said was true.

The last part of I Corinthians 6:20 says that because the Holy Spirit lives in me, I'm to glorify God in my body. Everything my body says or does is supposed to point people to God, so that when they look at me, they see Him.

Wow. That's a pretty heavy duty responsibility. Am I doing that?

Unfortunately, the answer is "no" more often than I care to admit.

I want to live that way, though. I want people to feel God's healing in my touch, hear His kindness in my voice, experience His forgiveness in my embrace. Because I'm the only Jesus some will ever see, I want to be Jesus to them.

How Should Christians Vote?

2008-10-06T06:20:00.008-05:00

Election day, November 4, is right around the corner. How should Christians vote?

First things first. Christians, especially Christian women, should vote. Not voting would not only be an insult to the sacrifice of the dedicated men and women who have given their lives in the cause of freedom and suffrage over the years that we might have the luxury of having a voice in our governance, but voting is a gift from God. Should we treat this gift lightly by failing to exercise it?

If you have never had the opportunity to visit a country, such as those in the Middle East, in which basic freedoms and women's rights are limited if in existence at all, I urge you to do so if at all possible. After I returned to the U.S. from a visit to the Middle East a few years ago, I realized just how much we take for granted what an enormous blessing it is that God has seen fit to place us in a land of liberty, abundance, and opportunity. When I vote, I see it as a way of returning thanks to God for the gift of freedom, and honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to secure our liberties.

For whom should Christians vote? The Bible says in I Corinthians 10:31 that whatever we do, we should do all things for the glory of God. "Whatever" and "all things" includes voting. Christians should vote for the person they believe will bring the most glory to God. Considering the candidate options with which we're often presented, this, at times, seems an impossible task.

How do we know which candidate to vote for? Like all other decisions in a Christian's life, this one should be governed by God's leading through prayer and Biblical principles. Ask God for wisdom (James 1:5) to make a Godly decision.

Study the candidate's platform and where he stands on each issue. Is he a proponent of anything that clearly conflicts with Scripture? Would he push to legalize or undergird things God calls sin? Can we, as Christians-- whose goal in life is supposed to be turning from sin and pursuing holiness --knowingly and intentionally disregard the fact that a candidate would stand in favor of sin rather than fighting against it, and give him our support?

Sometimes we lean towards voting for the candidate who would benefit us the most personally. Perhaps he has promised a tax cut for our particular bracket, or said he would improve the roads we use for traveling to work. In and of themselves, those are good things, but does his platform also include favoring things which would hurt others or be detrimental to the fabric of our society in general? In other words, should a Christian vote for something or someone who will benefit herself at the expense of harming others?

I don't believe we can do that and remain true to Biblical principles such as:

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4

Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; Romans 15:1-3a

As is frequently the case these days, the person we vote for, believing he will make the most Christ-like decisions, loses the election. I don't know about you, but I'm usually pretty disappointed when this happens.

I try to keep it in perspective, though. It's within the realm of possibility that the person who won the election will get radically saved after taking office and make even more Godly decisions than the other candidate would have made. It's also possible that he will unintentionally make the decisions God wants him to make for other reasons, such as political expediency or pleasing a particular special interest group. The Bible says in Proverbs 21:1, "The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes. "

Not only should we pray before we vote, but we have a Biblical mandate to pray for the winner after the election is over:

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
I Timothy 2:1-4

Above all, we must remember that, while the upcoming elections may determine who will sit in the White House, the Congress, or the State House, they do not, nor will they ever, determine who sits on the throne of the universe as King.

God is NOT Running for Office

2008-10-01T06:24:00.004-05:00

Everybody seems to have an opinion about God. Some love Him. Some hate Him. Some will swear He doesn’t exist, while others seem to have Him confused with Santa Claus. Many complain that He isn’t doing His job.

If you were to ask a hundred people who they think God is you’d get a hundred different answers. We all want God to be who we think He is. We want Him to fit neatly into the little box we’ve designed for Him so that—like the perfect purse or pair of shoes to our favorite dress—He doesn’t clash with our lifestyles, but rather, fits right in and complements what we’ve already got going.

Over the course of the past few months, I’ve heard or read statements similar to these:

I think Jesus was a liberal because He did X, Y, and Z.

I'm homosexual. God wouldn't create me this way and then send me to hell because of it.
I think God is much less concerned with (insert sin being defended here) than He is with people being nice to each other.

Please pray that God will bless me as I move in with my boyfriend.

I’ve decided _______ isn’t a sin.

We shouldn’t be preaching about this or that Biblical principle at church, because people might get offended and stop attending.

I’ve got news for all of us, myself included:

Who God is is not determined by opinion polls.

He’s not a politician who will change His personality or his stance on the issues to please us, because we are not His constituents—we’re His creation.

So just who is this God anyway? Moses had the same question when he was first starting out. In Exodus 3:13-15, God has just told Moses that He wants him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. Moses, trying to wrap his brain around this unforeseen turn of events, says to God in verse 13 (my paraphrase here), “Ok, when I get there and tell the Israelites that God has sent me to them, and they say ‘Who is this God you’re talking about? What is His name?’ What am I supposed to say?”

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM” (14a)

This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. (15b)

God is who He is. Not who we think He is. Not what’s convenient and palatable to us. Not who we want Him to be. He has always been that way, still is, and always will be, as we see at the end of verse 15.

Alright, so we know that God is who He is. How do we go about finding out what “is” is? Well, if we want to know who a human being is, we spend a lot of time with that person, we talk to him, we listen to what he has to say, and we watch him in action.

It’s the same with God. We spend time with Him. We talk to Him in prayer. We listen to what He has to say about Himself in His word, the Bible. We observe the way He acted in the Bible and the way He acts around us today.

As we get to know a person better, we may discover some things about him that we don’t like or don’t understand. Maybe he puts ketchup on his eggs (ick!), or roots for the wrong football team (anybody who plays against LSU), or—horror of horrors—puts the toilet paper on the roll so that it comes out from the bottom rather than over the top (We all know that’s the wrong way, right? It goes over the top. :0)

As we discover things we don't like about a human being, does our dislike or lack of understanding about one of his particular quirks or habits change said quirk or habit? No.

Again, it's the same way with God, and even more so, because while a person might be willing to change some of his ways to please another person, God is not. And if we think about it, why should He? And would we really want Him to bend to suit our fancies even if He were willing to do so?

Imagine you bought an over the top, fantastic new car and had the opportunity to meet the car's designer. At this meeting, he tells you all of the things you should do and not do to keep the car running in tip top shape. He even gives you a detailed owner's manual reiterating everything he's just told you. Would you believe what he says about taking care of the car?

How much more should we believe and obey what God has to say about the way we should live? He designed us. He knows exactly how we work and what is good for us and what isn't good for us. Moreover, He loves us and always wants what is best for us. We didn't design us or anything in our environment. We don't know everything. Lots of times we don't even want what's best for ourselves because we don't know what's best for ourselves. Who are we to tell God how He ought to run things? (Job 38:1-42:6)

When God says something is a sin--harmful to us and an affront to Him-- it is. When He says something is good and holy, it is. End of story, no discussion, period. You and I don't get to change those things to suit ourselves. When we try to, what we're ultimately saying is that God is wrong and doesn't know what He's doing. That we know how to handle things better than He does. That we are more qualified for the job of being God than He is.

This is the absolute antithesis of Christianity. Jesus said, "...If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." (Matthew 16:24) There is no such thing as a "Christian" who willfully, purposefully, and continuously decides to immerse himself in, and pursue, a lifestyle of anything God calls sin. Becoming a Christian requires that we put ourselves, our opinions, our feelings and our impulses aside and submit to the authority of Christ. Salvation does not take place until we embrace the fact that He is God and we are not.

When we refuse to bow to who God really is, who He says He is in the Bible, and start redesigning Him according to our own opinions, according to what's popular, or according to what is politically correct, what we have done is to set up an idol, a false god, to worship. Take a look at Exodus 20:1-4, and notice that in the middle of verse 4, it says we are not to "make for [ourselves] ... any likeness of what is in heaven above". While we may not be carving a literal statue of stars or planets to worship, which is the context of this passage, we frequently figuratively carve out our own likeness of heaven's God.

God is who He is. We can take Him or leave Him, but we can't re-make Him. We were made in His image, not He in ours. He isn't going to formulate a platform we'll like so He can earn our vote. He already holds the office of King, and even though He's frequently opposed, He's not going to be deposed.

The Church of Oprah

2008-09-24T07:00:00.005-05:00

If you're a Christian who watches Oprah, you need to see this clip from her after show discussion time, as well as this clip from one of her webinars.

Although she was raised Baptist and often uses pseudo-Christian vernacular, the mish-mash of religion she is a proponent of right now is neither Biblical nor Christian.

Be aware and be wise.

God Goes to the Movies

2008-09-22T06:12:00.004-05:00

Be sure to go see Fireproof this weekend if you get a chance. I've seen a lot of the promotional materials and clips, and it looks like it's going to be good.

An open letter to my friends who are struggling...

2008-09-10T06:18:00.011-05:00

Dear Friend,

I know you have been going through some rough times lately. Perhaps you have recently lost a loved one. Maybe you're ill with a serious disease. You might struggle with depression. You could be watching a loved one battle cancer or another terminal condition. Your marriage may be close to breaking up. Or maybe, just maybe, you're simply sick and tired of the way your everyday life is going. That the world is going to hell in a hand basket and you're getting sucked right down with it.

I've listened as you've poured out your heart. I've walked with you as you've struggled. I've held your hand and prayed with you. And while my heart breaks for you because of the circumstances you're going through, what crushes me even more is the despair, the hopelessness I hear in your voice. That there's no way out. That it's impossible to deal with the pain. That there's no one who can really help you.

But there is. And that's what I desperately need to tell you.

I haven't told you before, because when everything was going fine for you, you didn't want to hear it. But sometimes people just get to a point in their lives where things are so bad they're willing to try anything.

And so, I'm asking you to try, just try, one more thing. If you've already tried everything else, and nothing's working, what do you have to lose?

Please try Jesus.

Jesus loves you. He cares about your pain and your struggle. And He's the only One powerful enough to actually do anything about it.

I'm not talking about simply bowing your head and asking Him to get you out of the horrible situation you're in. I'm talking about bowing your life to Him. Giving up. Surrendering. Letting this King you've been doing battle with all your life conquer you for your own good, sit on the throne that rightfully belongs to Him, and set up His rulership over your life.

This King doesn't desire to reign over you so that He can tyrannize you. He's a freedom fighter. He has already made the ultimate sacrifice to set you free from the oppressive regime under which you've been living: you. All you have to do is renounce your throne and become one of His subjects.

What does this mean in practical terms? You set aside a little uninterrupted time to talk it out with God. You recognize that He is God and you are not. You admit to Him, and to yourself, that you have sinned.

"Sin" means to break God's laws. You know the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), right? At least some of them? Have you ever lied, stolen something (even something small), dishonored your parents? Then you have sinned. And by the way, your opinion on whether or not something should be a sin doesn't make a hill of beans of difference. When you can create the universe, heal the sick, walk on water, and rise from the dead, maybe you'll get to make the rules. Until then: God's turf, God's rules. And you've broken them. All of us have.

What happens when you break a local, state, or federal law? Well, if you get caught, there's supposed to be some kind of punishment. If you speed, you have to pay a fine. If you steal, you go to jail. If you murder somebody, depending on where you live and whether or not you can get the verdict overturned on a technicality, you get the death penalty.

There's punishment for breaking God's laws too. James 2:10 tells us: "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." In other words, if you've broken one of God's laws, you've broken them all. So, since we've all committed the same crime against God-- breaking all of His laws --we're all destined for the same punishment. Hell.

Yes, there is a hell just as surely as there is a heaven. Once again, your opinion on whether or not hell does exist or should exist matters about as much as your opinion on whether or not the sky is blue or whether or not it should be a different color. Your opinion does not change the facts.

The good news is that God himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, has already taken the punishment for the crime that we committed. Have you ever heard of a completely innocent victim of a crime volunteering to take the death penalty for the perpetrator for no other reason than that he loves him? Me neither. But that's exactly what Jesus did for you and for me. And believe me, it was cruel and unusual punishment.

But Jesus didn't just die in our place. He did away with the eternal death of hell by coming back to life after three days in the grave. And He's willing to share that victory over hell with anybody who wants it badly enough. It'll only cost you your life. Not your physical life, of course, but your spiritual life.

After admitting to God that you're a sinner, the next step is to believe with your whole heart that Jesus died and rose again to take the punishment for your sin (Romans 10:9-10). You gratefully tell God that you accept that Jesus did this for you. You ask Him to forgive you, and make a commitment to Him and to yourself that with His help you're going to turn away from a life of sin and serving yourself and turn to a life of serving and obeying Him. (This turning away is called "repenting".)

Finally, you put your money where your mouth is and act on what you've just committed to. You spend time reading your Bible and praying in order to get to know God better. When opportunities to sin arise, you turn away from them. As you grow in your relationship with God, you discover what He wants you to do with your life, and you follow that path.

This last step is a very important one that, all too frequently, gets left out. Simply mouthing a prayer and then going back to business as usual ain't gonna cut it. In fact, if you are able to go back to living the way you always have, with no discernable change of heart or behavior, at least a gradual one, you probably aren't a Christian. If you've truly given your life to Christ, you're going to be a different person. You're going to have an aversion to sin, and a love for God. Your attitudes towards other will change. Your priorities will change. Your beliefs about right and wrong will change.

Simply SAYING you're a Christian doesn't make you one. I could sit here all day long and tell you I'm a doctor. Sure, I've taken some biology classes, and I do have some medical knowledge, but I didn't go through medical school, I'm not licensed, and I don't treat patients. If I wanted to become a doctor, I'd have to fulfill the requirements of being a doctor. It's the same way with Christianity. If you want to become a Christian, you have to fulfill the requirements.

If you've stuck with me this far through this seemingly interminable article, you're probably thinking back to my very first paragraph and saying to yourself, "This 'giving your life to Jesus' stuff is all well and good, but my husband is dying/I can't find a job and my house is about to be foreclosed/my mother just died/I'm on the brink of divorce/etc. That's all I care about, all I can think about right now."

That's precisely why I told you about Jesus. When (and ONLY when) you give your life to Him, He helps you through your problems. You want peace when you're struggling with a rebellious child? Comfort after the death of a loved one? Strength when your body is in pain? Joy instead of sadness? These things, and many others, are just some of the "fringe benefits" you get from being a Christian. But you only get them as a result of giving your life to Christ. There is no other way.

Thanks for allowing me to get this off my chest, Friend. I just couldn't go one more day telling you that I'm praying for you to have peace or strength or healing without telling you how to get those things. And so I'll urge you just once more: try Jesus. Or as the Bible puts it (Psalm 34:8):

O taste and see that the LORD is good;How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Hurricane Gustav

2008-08-31T22:07:00.002-05:00

Please keep those of us who are in the path of Hurricane Gustav in your prayers. Thank you.

Update (9-18-08):

Thank you for your prayers. Although my family was without power for 7 days, we were very blessed not to have had any damage to our house.

Please continue to pray for those who are still recovering from the extensive damage of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

A Wretch Like Me...

2008-08-24T22:18:00.006-05:00

If you get the TV channel FamilyNet, be sure to check out a great apologetics show called Wretched. It is hosted by Todd Friel (who works with Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron on Way of the Master radio), and discusses issues relevant to the church and Christianity today.

More info. at this link: http://www.familynet.com/site/c.rwL5KhNXLtH/b.3975515/k.6B0A/Wretched_with_Todd_Friel.htm

For those of you who live in my area, it comes on channel 17 at 12:00 - 12:30 a.m. (so you might want to DVR/tape it!).

The 10 Commandments of Parenting- X

2008-08-14T11:35:00.011-05:00

10.

Thou shalt love.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. I John 4:11

Loving our children isn't something that just happens. It also isn't just a nice fuzzy feeling. It's a duty. A responsibility. A command from the lips of God Himself.

"...if God SO loved us..." What does that "so" mean? It's talking about the way God loves us.

By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (I John 4:9-10)

God loved us enough to do what was best for us even though it cost Him that which He held most dear. He loved us sacrificially and unselfishly.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Even when we were living in outright rebellion against Him and didn't care that he wanted what was best for us, God loved us.

For whom the LORD loves He reproves; Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. (Proverbs 3:12)

God loves us too much to allow us to continue our self-destructive behavior, so He disciplines us.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us (Ephesians 2:4) Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)

But, even as God disciplines us, in His mercy he forgives us when we repent of our sin.

The steps of a man are established by the LORD; And He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong; Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. (Psalm 37:23-24)

When we're holding God's hand and walking in His ways, He delights in us!

He who has clean hands and a pure heart; Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood; And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD; And righteousness from the God of his salvation. (Psalm 24:4-5)

When we're living in obedience to God, He blesses and rewards us.

Do we love our children the way God loves us? Do we...

love them sacrificially and unselfishly?
love them enough to want what's best for them?
love them enough to do what's best for them even if they fight us every step of the way?
love them enough to disicipline them?
love them enough to forgive them?
love them by delighting in them?
love them by blessing and rewarding them for doing well?

It's a huge challenge. Our kids are going to drive us up the wall, rebel, pout, whine, and at times, break our hearts. Just like we do to God. But if He so loved us, we ought also to love our children.

The 10 Commandments of Parenting- IX

2008-07-14T16:59:00.006-05:00

Thou shalt be forgiving.

“bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.” Col. 3:13

Imagine a home where there was no forgiveness. Anger and bitterness would reign supreme. Old wounds would be nursed and rehearsed. Grudges would be held tightly as treasured friends. Is this kind of home healthy for anyone, let alone children?

Of course not. In our homes, the place where we are most inclined to let it all hang out, forgiveness is even more vital than in any other venue. If you have a husband and/or children, you know that the people who live in your house are going to screw up. Royally, at times. And guess what? So are you.

How will you want to be treated when you mess up? I'm guessing that while you'll understand your family will be disappointed in you, you'll still want them to find it in their hearts to forgive you once they work through that disappointment. In obedience to the "Golden Rule" (Luke 6:31), therefore, you've got to extend forgiveness when your husband or children offend you.

When we forgive each other, we paint a picture of God's forgiveness. Just as God does not condone our sin when He forgives us, the forgiveness we extend on the human level does not mean that the offender's actions were ok. It is merely a way of saying, "I'm going to let this go instead of continually holding it against you."

God deeply values forgiveness. It is the entire reason He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth and allowed Him to be brutalized to death. Jesus endured all that pain and degradation so that each of us could be forgiven for offending God. And, if God could go through all of that to forgive us, how could we ever refuse to forgive our loved ones?

The 10 Commandments of Parenting- VIII

2008-06-30T13:20:00.004-05:00

Thou shalt set a good example for thy children by thine own Godly behavior.

“…walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,” Eph. 4:1-2

Do what I say, not what I do.

Monkey see, monkey do.

Actions speak louder than words.

Practice what you preach.

Which of those maxims seem to ring true when it comes to parenting? For years, every childrearing expert who has come along has reminded us that modeling the behavior we want our kids to exhibit is one of the most effective ways of shaping them. Of course, if you're a mom of a child who is old enough to walk and talk, you already know that modeling works, because, for better or for worse, you've already heard your own words fly out of your child's mouth or seen him imitate you at some point!

Your kids will imitate you. My kids will imitate me. How do we use that knowledge to pour Godliness into them? The Bible tells us that we are to be imitators of Christ (I Cor. 11:1; Eph. 5:1-2). We need to strive for Godliness in our own lives until we can say to our kids, as Paul said to the Corinthians, "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ."

They need to see us studying our Bibles and spending time in prayer. They need to see us resist temptation. They need to see us set aside our own desires in favor of serving others. They need to see us exhibit love, humility, kindness, patience, forgiveness and mercy. They need to hear us building others up instead of criticizing and gossiping. They need to see us work through problems with our husbands, families and friends in a Godly way. They need to see us admit when we're wrong and seek forgiveness.

So, in the spirit of that old children's song:

Oh, be careful Mommy's mouth what you say
And be careful Mommy's feet where you go
And be careful Mommy's hands what you do

Not only is "the Father up above...looking down in love", but our little ones are looking up at us too.

The 10 Commandments of Parenting- VII

2008-06-09T09:55:00.003-05:00

Thou shalt consistently and lovingly discipline thy children.

Proverbs 13:24:

Those who don't correct their children hate them. But those who love them are careful to train them. (NIRV)

A refusal to correct is a refusal to love; love your children by disciplining them. (MSG)

He who spares his rod [of discipline] hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines diligently and punishes him early. (AMP)

These kids today! Every generation since Adam and Eve has probably said it. Certainly today, you can't throw a rock out the window without hitting half a dozen ill-behaved brats. We've all cringed at the temper tantrum-throwing child seated at the next table in the restaurant, or watched a mom in the store tell her little sweetie "no" a dozen times, only to finally give in to his demands. Heck, most of us have probably been that mom on occasion.

Hundreds of books, both Christian and secular, have been written on the topic of how to discipline children, but much rarer are the writings about why we should discipline them. As always, the easy answer to that question for the Christian is: "because God said so". But why does God tell us to discipline our children? Because discipline teaches our children that we love them.

The most important way we can love our children is to lead them to salvation. Learning obedience to parents teaches them the concept of setting aside their own behavior in favor of submitting to the authority that has been placed over them. This has direct application to the spiritual construct of salvation. Salvation does not take place until we submit our wills to the authority and Lordship of Christ and commit to follow and obey Him.

I John 4:20 says: "If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen." I really believe this general principle applies to obedience as well. One of the things I tell my kids when I discipline them is that, although I don't enjoy punishing them or letting them suffer the consequences of their actions, I have to do it because I want them to start learning, through obeying me, how to obey God. I'm flesh and blood standing right in front of them, clearly telling them what to do and what will happen if they don't obey. If they can't obey me, how in the world are they going to learn to obey God, whom they can't see or hear with their eyes and ears? Conversely, if a child has been lovingly and consistently disciplined, how much easier will it be to introduce him to the concept of submission to God's authority?

Another vital spiritual principle that discipline helps teach is an understanding of sin, its consequences, and punishment. A child who has been disciplined knows what it means to be guilty of breaking the rules. He also knows that because he has broken a rule, some sort of undesirable consequence will follow swiftly. A child who has not been disciplined believes he does no wrong and that the world around him should be catering to his wants and demands. Which child will be able to grasp the idea that he is a sinner in need of salvation? Which one will understand contrition, eternal punishment, and eternal reward?

Teaching obedience also teaches our children that we are concerned about how they fare with others. My children have come to me in the past and told me that they don't like being around certain friends of theirs who constantly misbehave. On these occasions, I very carefully (to ensure that they don't become critical or develop an attitude of superiority) explain to my children that this is one of the reasons Daddy and I teach them good behavior. We don't want them to experience the sadness that misbehaving child is sure to feel when he realizes that people don't want to be around him. We teach them that we love them enough to want others to delight in them.

Discipline shows love for our children through concern for their safety. If my child doesn't obey me when I tell him not to run into the street, he could be killed by an oncoming car. If he runs into the street and then stands there and argues with me when I tell him to get back on the sidewalk, he could also be killed.

Many years ago, when I was teaching school, a kindergarten student of mine was killed in a house fire. He didn't die because he was unable to get out of the house. He was rescued, unharmed, and was told not to go back into the house. This little boy, notoriously disobedient, went back into the house. He died as a result of lack of discipline.

I have told my children these stories on occasion, not to scare them unnecessarily, but to show them just how serious the consequences of disobedience can be. All the spiritual principles in the world won't matter if a child isn't alive to learn them.

"Love your children by disciplining them." Show them love through their physical safety; show them love through their social well-being; and show them love through their eternal security.

The 10 Commandments of Parenting- VI

2008-05-30T13:54:00.004-05:00

Thou shalt teach thy children to pray.

“pray without ceasing;” I Thessalonians 5:17

When my kids were toddlers, I knew that there was no way they could wrap their little undeveloped brains around the abstract concept of God. It is certainly true, though, that God has made Himself evident within each of our hearts (Romans 1:19), because when the kids and I would pray together or talk about God, none of them ever once asked me who God was, even though they couldn't see, hear, or touch Him. Teaching our kids to pray fans that little spark of knowing God into flame. Start from birth, and help them to make it a lifelong discipline.

I'm not a big fan of "Now I lay me down to sleep", "God is great; God is good" and other memorized prayers. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with them, and they do contain some spiritual truths, but in my own experience the more familiar, rote, and repetitious something is, the less meaningful it can become over time. I think it's important to teach kids that prayer is an actual dialogue with God that should have meaning for our lives. We talk to Him. He listens. He talks to us. We listen.

When we teach children to pray, they need to know that they don't have to use "thee's" and "thou's" and a bunch of fancy language in order to be heard. There are millions of people all over the globe who wouldn't know flowery speech if it smacked them upside the head, and yet God listens to them just the same.

It is also essential that we teach them that while God is indeed our friend, He is also holy, and must be addressed with reverence for that holiness. When we recognize His holiness in our prayers by acknowledging Him as Creator of all things in the universe, listing and proclaiming His attributes (such as goodness, mercy, justice, grace, love, forgiveness, etc.), and humbling ourselves before Him, it puts us in the right spiritual attitude for doing business with God.

Another vital distinction to make is that God is not Santa Claus. He's not sitting up there waiting for our wish lists, granting them if we've been nice and denying them if we've been naughty. Kids are naturally self-centered, so it helps them to take that focus off the self if we teach them to thank God for the things that they already have, to pray for others, and to confess their sins.

Jesus gave us a great example of how to pray in the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13):

Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. We humble ourselves before God, recognizing His position and submitting to His sovereignty and authority.
Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. We intercede for ourselves as well as others. We ask that God's will, not ours or anyone else's, be done in each situation, and that He will receive the glory in every circumstance.
Give us this day our daily bread. We ask for God's provision for our needs and recognize that it is only by His hand that we have anything.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. We confess and ask forgiveness for our sins. We ask God to help us forgive those who have sinned against us.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. We ask for God's protection and the strength to obey Him and resist temptation.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. We again recognize God's sovereignty, give Him glory, and leave all of our requests with Him to deal with as He sees fit.

Your 5 year old's prayer, encompassing these areas, might look something like this:

Dear Lord, Thank you for being good and loving. Thank you for my family and my dog. Thank you for making the park so I can play there. Thank you for the food we've eaten today, and please give us the food we need tomorrow. Please help my friend Jason to feel better and get over the flu. I'm sorry I hit my brother this morning. Please forgive me and help me to be kind to him. I love You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Of course, he probably isn't going to come up with all of that on his own. The best way to teach kids to pray is to pray with them. You might go first, praying a simple prayer, and then have him pray, or you might want to try what I call a "ping pong" prayer. You pray one sentence, and he prays the next, and so on, until you're done. For example:

Mom: Dear Lord, thank you for being kind.
Kid: Thank you for being forgiving.
Mom: Please help the Jones family because they're sad that their cat died.
Kid: Please take care of our missionaries in South America.
etc......

One of the ways we can teach our kids to listen to God is to keep track of His answers to our prayers. At our house, I was concerned that, while we were all praying together, the kids were not making the connection between their prayers and what God was doing in our lives. I decided a good way to help them make that connection would be to keep track of answered prayers as well as blessings we hadn't thought to ask for, and other ways God was working in our family.

It was as simple as a trip to the dollar store. I bought a piece of posterboard and entitled it "What is God up to?" It now graces one wall of our breakfast room. Every time we have an answered prayer (even if the answer is no), an unexpected blessing, or an obvious move of God in our lives, I write it down on the poster. It has really helped the kids to see where God is moving. I can tell, because now they are the ones to remind me of an answer to prayer or something else that needs to go on the poster!

It has also helped them to learn that our prayers don't just bounce off the ceiling. God does care for us. He does want to hear from us. We can bond with Him by spending time talking to Him. Those are priceless precepts for kids and parents alike.

The 10 Commandments of Parenting- V

2008-05-21T16:19:00.008-05:00

Thou shalt train thy children in the words of

the Scriptures.

"These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. Deut. 6:6

My children are involved in a wonderful program at our church called Awana. (More information for starting Awana at your church here: http://www.awana.org/) They do lots of fun activities, and everything revolves around memorizing Scripture. I can't tell you how many hours I've spent listening to the kids recite verses so they can progress through their workbooks. I'm certain my kids have more Bible verses memorized than I do.

Training our kids in the words of the Scriptures starts with reading Bible stories to them, praying with them, and teaching them to memorize Bible verses, but it doesn't end there. The fruition of Biblical training is learning to apply those verses and Biblical principles to the situations that arise in our lives. If our kids never make the connection between the words of Scripture in their heads and how those words should affect what they do, we might as well not be training them at all.

Times of disobedience bring great opportunities to talk about the way God wants us to behave. We teach the kids the importance of praying and asking God to forgive them for their sins, as well as asking forgiveness from the person against whom they've sinned. It's also a good time to talk about Scriptures that should have (and should, in the future) governed the child's behavior. Some well-worn verses at our house include:

Ephesians 6:1 ~ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (NASB)
Philippians 2:14 ~ Do everything without complaining or arguing (NIV)
Ephesians 4:32a ~ Be ye kind, one to another (KJV)
Luke 6:31 ~ Do to others as you would have them do to you. (NIV)

TV shows, news items, other people's behavior the children witness, and the example we as parents set, whether good or bad, can provide other opportunities for discussion about the Scriptures.

If we want our kids to live lives of Godliness, we've got to take advantage of every opportunity we have to help them make the connection between, "What does God say about this?" and, "What am I going to do about it?" Not a bad thing for us parents to meditate on either!

The 10 Commandments of Parenting- IV

2008-05-13T11:49:00.007-05:00

Thou shalt make a pro-active decision that thy household will be a Godly one.

“Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it;” Ps. 127:1

When you build a house, you don't simply wish it into existence. You have to have plans drawn up, buy the right materials, find the right place to build, and actually get out there and start sawing and hammering.

The same is true of having a Godly household. It doesn't just happen by virtue of the fact that you and your spouse are Christians. You have to sit down together and make a definite decision, preferably before you even get married, that your home will be run in a Godly way.

Where will we attend church? How often will we have family devotions? What is our understanding of what the Bible has to say about what is and is not acceptable behavior for us as spouses and for our children? How will we respond when one of us sins or when the children are disobedient? What will we do if one of us feels that God is calling us to a new location or a new career?

Naturally, you can't foresee every scenario that might come up in the future, but if you lay a Godly, Biblical foundation from the start, you won't have to re-invent the wheel every time a new situation arises. You will have developed a Godly "policy and procedure" for facing life.

The 10 Commandments of Parenting- III

2008-05-07T10:44:00.006-05:00

Thou shalt have a Christ-centered marriage.

And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. Eccl. 4:12

There are so many little details to attend to when you're planning a wedding. Will the guests throw rice or blow bubbles? Will the bouquets be wrapped with pink ribbon or white? Will the groomsmen wear bow ties or regular ties? For someone like me who has to see absolutely every option available to her before making a decision, it can be a daunting and time-consuming task. Such was the day I sat down to pick out napkins for my reception.

Before I undertook the planning of a wedding, I never would have guessed that it would take more than about 30 seconds to choose napkins. You just pick out some napkins that go along with the color scheme of the wedding, right? Au contraire. There are huge ring binders (yes, that's binders, plural) chock full of hundreds of napkins in every imaginable color, size and texture. Once you nail down those preferences, you have to choose what you want embossed on the napkins. There, too, the choices are nearly endless.

So, I flipped through page after page of embossment designs, finding them either too corny, too plain, or otherwise unacceptable. Finally, I came to a very interesting one that I eventually chose. It quoted the second half of Ecclesiastes 4:12, "A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart, with a picture above the verse of a cord of three strands wound together. The ends of the outer two strands were tied to wedding rings, and the end of the middle strand was tied to a cross.

I had never noticed this little verse before that day, but thought it was a beautiful picture of a Christ-centered marriage. When a person is alone, she can quickly become overwhelmed. A spouse can help to bear the burdens of life, but the strength of a marriage of only two people pales in comparison to a marriage strengthened by adding a third partner- God.

Study after study has shown that children do best in a home where their parents are married to each other. They are physically and emotionally healthier, do better in school, are less likely to commit crimes, etc. When you add in the component of spouses treating each other in a Godly manner and striving to set a Godly example for their children, the quality of the home environment rises even higher. Just as putting God first in our own personal lives makes us better parents, so, putting Christ first in our marriages benefits us and our children exponentially.

The 10 Commandments of Parenting- II

2008-05-02T11:24:00.004-05:00

Thou shalt put God first in thine own life.

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." Deuteronomy 6:5

It's kind of like having your car in the proper alignment. When you're a Christian and you're striving after God's heart for your life, even when problems arise, things tend to go much more smoothly and peacefully. If you're a Christian living in the flesh, there is going to be an undercurrent of feeling out of whack, like you're spinning your wheels. You're likely to be more irritable, fearful, and confused.

From which of these spiritual places do you want to come when relating to and rearing your children? Which is more beneficial to you and to them?

When you're in right alignment with God every day, He is working in you to fulfill all the potential He placed inside you from the moment He breathed life into you. He's making you a better daughter to Him, a better wife to your husband, a better mother to your children, a better friend to those around you, a better employee to your boss.

It's the Army's slogan, but I think it fits Christianity so much better: "Be all that you can be." Do it in Christ....for your own good......and to better serve your family.

The 10 Commandments of Parenting- I

2008-04-25T22:57:00.008-05:00

Thou shalt be a Believer.

"They said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.'"

Acts 16:31

I can't imagine undertaking a task as huge as parenting without some divine intervention. It's a tough job!

Most things in life are simpler when you're a Christian. Not necessarily easier, but usually less complex. Take parenting, for example. If you're a Christian, parenting by God's word, you have a plan of action all laid out for you. You don't have to re-invent the wheel. What should I teach my kid about religion? What do I tell him about pre-marital sex? How do I reassure him about death? It's all in the Book. If you're not using the Bible as your parenting manual, it can be a much more confusing, fly by the seat of your pants operation.

When you're a Christian parent, you have the benefit of all the resources in God's storehouse. You've got a God who, at the end of a rough day, says, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28); a God who promises that wisdom is yours for the asking (James 1:5); a God whose name is "the Lord will provide" (Gen. 22:14); a God whose eyes "...move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." (II Chron. 16:9).

Finally, when you're a Christian parent pursuing holiness in your own life, God is working on you to make you more like Him: more loving, more joyful, more peaceful, more patient, kinder, better, more faithful, gentler, and more self-controlled. (Eph. 5:22-23) What parent couldn't use some help in all those areas?

The Blessing of Freedom

2008-04-10T13:16:00.005-05:00

Have you ever thought about what it's like to be a Christian in other parts of the world?

Indonesia, Nigeria- Christians are slaughtered for not conforming to Islamic law. In Nigeria, since the year 2000, thousands have been put to death.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, North Africa, Mauritania, Iran, the Comorros Islands, Sudan- Direct persecution by the state is written into the legal code. Any non-Islamic or dissident Islamic religious expression is forbidden. Any Saudi who seeks to leave Islam faces the strong possibility of execution.

Egypt- The Coptic Church (which is somewhat similar to Catholicism in its roots and practices) has been the target of church burnings and local massacres.

Pakistan- In 1997, the Christian town of Shantinagar, was effectively leveled.

China, Vietnam, Laos, Belarus, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan- Generally, there is freedom to worship in state-controlled religious bodies, but any religious expression outside of these bodies is strenuously controlled or suppressed.

The Roman Catholic Church is outlawed because it accepts the authority of the Pope, who is from outside the country. Priests and bishops have been imprisoned. Hundreds of Protestant leaders of the underground church have been arrested and sentenced to jail and labor camps.

North Korea- Nearly every free exercise of religion is viciously repressed, and thousands of people have been sent labor camps for practicing their faith.

Burma- An organization called the State Law and Order Restoration Council brutally oppresses tribal minorities, which, in large part, are comprised of Christians. Their tactics include: massacre, rape, forced labor, and the use of children to clear minefields.

(Information from: “Insights on Law and Society: A Magazine for Teachers of Civics, Government, History & Law”, Vol. 7.3 (Spring 2007); Published by the American Bar Association)

United States-
Christianity is protected under the Constitution and is the majority religion in this country. We even have the right to legal redress if our religious liberties are infringed upon.

We can worship publicly with no fear of government, military, or other attacks.

We do not have civil rights (such as the right to vote, work, or own property) taken away from us simply because we embrace Christianity.

We have the right to proselytize (as long as we’re not harassing anyone), advertise and spread our religion.

"Persecution" is usually limited to people hurting our feelings when we witness to them, and social issues that offend our sensibilities.

We have beautiful, comfortable churches (as well as Christian schools, organizations and stores), complete with heat and air conditioning; comfortable pews; nurseries; indoor plumbing; Bibles, music, and materials in our own language; musical instruments; technology; and paid, and frequently seminary-trained, pastors and staff.

So what are we doing with all these blessings? Have we gotten so used to freedom and opportunity that we consider them a birthright rather than a precious gift from God that He has the prerogative to revoke if He chooses? He did it with the Israelites time and time again in the Old Testament: They obeyed God. He blessed them. After a while, they got comfortable with all the blessings and became lazy. They strayed away from God. He gave them over to oppressive rulers. They cried out in repentance. He delivered them and blessed them, and the cycle started all over again.

What will it take to shake us out of our complacency, humble us in gratitude for the opportunities God has given us, and motivate us to use the freedom with which He has blessed us to build His kingdom?

From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. Luke 12:48b

Finding a New Church- Starting from Scratch

2008-03-29T10:08:00.003-05:00

When my husband and I have looked for a new church in the past, we've had our choices narrowed down for us because we are comfortable in our denomination and are not looking to change. When you're starting from scratch, you have a lot more choices to wade through, so it can be more difficult. Here are a few guidelines I'd suggest.

1. The absolute most important thing is to find a church that preaches and teaches only what matches up with what the Bible says, and all of what the Bible says. In other words, they shouldn't be teaching anything that's clearly contrary to Scripture and they shouldn't be leaving things out that are unpopular because they're afraid they won't attract as many people.

2. Pray about it. Ask God to lead you to exactly the right church in which to serve Him.

3. If you were raised in a particular denomination and felt comfortable in it, that might be a good place to start, either at the same church or a different church of the same denomination.

4. Ask around. Ask Christian friends about their churches and try visiting with them one Sunday. If you end up joining, you have the bonus of already knowing someone.

5. Do your homework. If there's a particular church or denomination you're interested in, chances are, they have a web site. There will probably be a section on the web site called "Our Statement of Faith" or something like that. Check that out and make sure all the tenets line up with Scripture. A lot of churches also have their pastor's sermons and/or their music on line, so you can get a feel for how things go on Sundays. You'll also be able to find out when services start, what kinds of programs are available, whether or not they have a nursery, etc.

6. "Interview" churches. Most pastors I know would be thrilled to death if a prospective visitor would call up and make an appointment to come in and talk to them about the church. Ask him whatever you want, find out what's required for membership, share your concerns, etc. He should be able to answer your queries openly and honestly. I would be very leery about attending a church if the pastor seemed secretive about general doctrinal issues, his own background, or church activities. Sometimes just meeting with the pastor will give you an idea of whether or not you want to give the church a try.

7. Try it on for size. You might fall in love with the first church you try, or it might be like shoe shopping and you have to try several before you find one that fits.

Don't give up. God has a place for you somewhere.

Easter Blessings

2008-03-22T12:41:00.001-05:00

http://www.sermonspice.com/videos/112/are-you-amazed/

I'm amazed. Are you?

He is risen.

Parenting- A Silent Witness

2008-03-20T11:05:00.004-05:00

I was talking to some friends the other day about some children I had recently seen misbehaving in a restaurant. The following two excerpts came up during the conversation. The first is from a waiter from Colorado who shared his experience on The Stained Apron ( http://stainedapron.com/misc.htm), a discussion site for waitstaff. Except for "bleeping" out some profanity, I have quoted it verbatim. The second was a personal experience of one of the friends I was talking to.

As you read, if you have children, think about the way they behave themselves in public now, as well as the way you will want them to behave as adults.

"One night I'm managing my little Mexican restaurant and it's super slow, maybe three deuces in the whole place. I'm talking to the hostess and for some reason she asks who the worst customers are. Without hesitation I say, "Christians." Being a gigantic Christian she is shocked and asks why.

I tell her about another restaurant where I worked where on Saturday nights, after late night mass I would always get this table of Catholics that would run my *** of, want a dozen separate checks and would leave me this folded up piece of paper that looked like a twenty. On the inside of the paper it said "Why are you disappointed that this isn't money? All the riches of heaven await you if you take Jesus as your savior." As a lapsed Christian I have taken Jesus as my savior, but little pieces of paper that aren't actual money don't pay my **** rent.

I continue telling her similar stories about how stingy Christians are especially on Sundays. You couldn't pay me fifty dollars an hour to wait tables on Sunday morning right after church. Everyone is a complete ****. All those little kids who aren't allowed to run around screaming in church have carte blanche in my restaurant. Then they argue about the service. Then they argue about the prices. Then they leave a quarter on the table because they just gave 10% to God, so why should they give even a dollar to some guy that just brought them coffee and pancakes. After an hour of berating Christian customers the hostess is in tears and asks to go home early. So, I send her home.

Next time I work with this hostess she apologizes to me. After I sent her home she called her Pastor, then went to his house and told him all the horrible things I said. The Pastor was disturbed and in Bible Study the next week he initiated a discussion about restaurant etiquette. He found that his whole flock were **** in restaurants and bad tippers. He then quoted some scripture that went along the lines of "The law of the land is also my law and you shall obey it." Then said that tipping 10% or better was the law of the land. It's a small dent in the bad Christian customers, but hopefully it will spread."

"My brother-in-law used to work as a manager at a local fast food place and he always said that Sunday afternoons and evenings (after the morning and evening services ended) were the WORST times to be working. The after church crowds never failed to (1) be rude to the workers (2) trash the dining room and the salad bar (3) let their kids run from table to table (4) leave their messes.

Three years of this and he refused to set foot in a church for like another five years. He didn't want to be around those people."

Whether we're conscious of it or not, our actions as parents have an effect on those around us. Are we raising our kids so that their behavior, both now and when they reach adulthood, draws people towards Christ or pushes them away?

And Just Where do You Think You're Going, Hmm? (Final installment in the "Check Yourself" Series)

2008-03-11T06:19:00.007-05:00

"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 you know the way where I am going."

Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?"

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:3-6

It was a night when confusion reigned. With two thousand years of hindsight we are able to sit back at our leisure and witness the scenario that transpired in the upper room. We are able to carefully consider and meditate on what Jesus had to say to His disciples. We have His very words before our eyes in black and white.

It's easy to lose perspective and start wondering why the disciples didn't just "get it". But we have to put ourselves in their sandals. Something was coming down the pike, and they weren't sure what it was. Jesus was washing their feet, talking death and betrayal, telling them He was leaving them, then coming back, then leaving again, and introducing the concept of the Holy Spirit-- something they'd never heard of before. It was a lot to swallow in one evening.

That's why there's a special place in my heart for Thomas. I think he's misunderstood and has gotten a bad rap over the years. "Doubting Thomas," indeed. Do you think he's the only one who was confused? No way. He's just the only one who was humble enough to admit it, and brave enough to ask Jesus to explain.

When Jesus said, "you know the way where I am going," perhaps the other disciples knew what He meant, perhaps some of them thought they knew what He meant, and perhaps some of them just smiled and nodded, embarrassed to admit they had no idea what He meant. Thomas was clueless, but the possibility of embarrassment in front of his peers was nothing compared to the thought that He might miss where Jesus was going. This was a guy who wanted to make sure he got it right, because wherever Jesus went, he wanted to go too.

Are we like Thomas? Do we want to go where Jesus is going so badly that we're willing to cast aside our pride, or even our lives (John 11:16), to follow Him? Because, for the Christian, that's the answer to the question, "Where am I going?". I'm going wherever Jesus goes. Wherever He leads me, I'll follow Him. Whatever He has for me to do, I'll do it. I will relentlessly pursue Him, and Him alone.

Jesus is not just our destination, He's our journey as well.

Who Are You, Anyway? (Part 5 in the "Check Yourself" series)

2008-03-05T11:45:00.000-06:00

If asked the question, "Who are you?", 99% of us would probably answer by giving our names. But does your name really tell people anything about who you are? If I answer the question "Who are you?" by saying, "I'm Jane," does it tell the person any more about me than if I said, "I'm Jen"?

So, who are you, anyway? It's all in how God has created and defined you: your life experience, your personality and your talents. It's an assessment of your resources that will help you as you answer the "Why am I here?" question. Take stock of the "pantry" of your personhood. What's in there that you can use in the assignments God hands you? Honestly answering the following questions (as fully and completely as you can) might help as you sit down and prayerfully consider who you are:

I am passionate about _______.
My personality and character strengths are ________.
My personality and character weaknesses are _________.
I am good at _________.
________ were some life experiences that led me to become the ________ person I am today.
I have talent and/or experience in the following areas or skills:__________.

And the most important questions:

Am I teachable and obedient?
Am I willing to do whatever it takes to become the person God wants me to be so I can fulfill the purposes He has for me?

Once you figure out who you are, embrace it. The way God made you is a unique and valuable gift given to you, and you alone. Never despise the gift of who you are by wishing you were someone else or coveting her experiences or talents. God made you the way He made you because that's the way He wants you. It wouldn't be right to second guess Him. One of my favorite Bible passages is Psalm 139 (please read it if you have a chance: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ps%20139&version=49.) Verse 14 says:

"I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well."