Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Cheerleader, Coach, or on the Front Line
This past Christmas season, I read a book called "The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver. It's about a young girl (Taylor) venturing out from her home state of Kentucky and landing in Tucson, Arizona. One of the lines in the book is from Taylor's friend and mentor. She says to Taylor, "Some folks are the heroes and take the risks, and other folks do what they can from behind the scenes."
A couple of years ago, as I was teaching a group of high school girls, God revealed something to me that I shared with them. Like many, I've always felt I should probably go overseas to share the gospel. Physical and financial limitations, and just the plain circumstances of life, kept this from ever happening. What God revealed to me so very sweetly one day was that I was not to be the one fighting on the front line. I was to be one equipping the saints to go fight. In gratitude and relief, I have been submitting to the purpose God has given me.
Oswald Chambers, in today's devotion (My Utmost for His Highest) puts it this way - "Many of us refuse to grow where God plants us. Therefore, we do not take root anywhere. Jesus said if we would obey the life of God within us, he would look after all other things." Mathew 6:30
Consider the situation in Haiti. Many people have an ache in their heart. They want to do something. But, consider this. God has prepared so many people for just this situation. The experts are there. Do they need more people, many of whom may not have the skills needed and may just get in the way? Do they need more resources? Do they need your prayers? I submit to you that the most powerful thing you can do is pray. And, then if God lays it on your heart, send some of the resources He has entrusted in You. And if you are equipped and skilled, then go.
Cheerleader, Coach, or on the Front Line. Each has it's purpose. Each is important to God. Let us find our place, and then dig our roots deep and become the best we can be. For His Glory.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Who do you remember?
- Name the last 3 winners of the Heisman trophy
- Name the last 3 winners of supporting actress
- Name the last 3 winners of the gold medal in the 200 meter race at the Olympics
Stumped yet? Okay, try this one...
- Name 3 teachers who had an influence on your life - either positive or negative
- Name 3 adults who had an influence on your life - either positive or negative
- Name 3 peers who had an influence on your life - either positive or negative
Which list was easier to complete?
In a world that has gone crazy with celebrities and sports heros, isn't it refreshing to realize that the people who matter most to you, who have the most influence on your life, are the ones close enough to touch? They are the ones you can have a cup of coffee with, who aren't too busy to take your phone call, the ones you don't have to fight paparazzi to see.
This Christmas, let us think about how we can show love and appreciation to those in our life who matter most to us. Gifts are great. But another quick question, can you remember 3 gifts you received last year and who they were from? I have nothing against gifts - the Bible has many occassions where gifts were shared (Wise men to the newborn babe, gifts of food shared at the celebration of Purim, etc.). But, before we spend money we don't have on gifts that others will soon forget, let us consider the things that matter most to us. The gift of laughter. The gift of kindness. The gift of encouragement. The gift of cleaning up after Christmas dinner (truly never forgotten!). Games and memories shared with ones we love. The gift of peace - setting aside family disagreements in a spirit of harmony.
Most important of all - The gift of blessing. Speaking, verbally (where one can hear), a blessing to someone. Let them know how glad you are that they are in your life. Speak a blessing to them that they will fulfill their God-given destiny. Declare favor into their future. The blessing will help their gifts and talents come out to the full.
There is incredible power in our words. This year, may our words bless those around us. Remember to think before we speak. May this year be one of memories far beyond the physical gifts that are given. May the blessings carry us on to eternity. And, this year, may you be one who is remembered for the love and blessings you bestowed on those around you.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Why does God keep making people?
Today, in my quiet time, I was reading Matthew 11-13. Verses of chapter 11, 25-27, read as follows: "At that time Jesus said, 'I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him'". (emphasis mine)
Then, in chapter 13, we have the parable of the tares and the wheat. Verses 24-30 read: "Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' The slaves said to him, 'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?' But he said, 'No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, 'First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.''"
The parable of the tares of the field is explained by Jesus in verses 37-43: "And He said, 'The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; for as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.'"
So, my question is, why does God keep making people when He knows most of them are going to hell? In the parable of the tares, we can see that evil is allowed to co-exist with believers. God has been teaching me that this occurs to strengthen the believers. You may know the story of the chick in the egg. A child saw a chick trying to peck its way out of an egg. The chick was struggling, and in an attempt to help, the child broke open the egg and the chick broke free. Unfortunately, the chick soon died because it was too weak. God had ordained the struggle of breaking through the egg as a time of developing strength that the chick would need to survive.
So it is with believers. We need the struggle of co-existing with non-believers in order to build our spiritual muscles.
In Matthew 11:27, quoted above, it states "and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him". Does this mean that not everyone will have the same opportunity? Will not everyone have the chance to learn about God?
Fortunately, we can find the answer to these questions in these verses - 2 Peter 3:9 - "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance" (emphasis mine). Ezekiel 18:32 - "'For I have no pleasure in anyone who dies', declares the Lord God. 'Therefore, repent and live.'" Titus 2:11 tells us "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men" (emphasis mine).
God is not willing that any should be doomed to an eternal hell. Christ came to this earth, the embodiment of God, the revelation of God, the sacrifice for all sin - past present and future. After departing this earth, Christ sent His Spirit - the Holy Spirit - to indwell His chosen followers. As His chosen ones, we have each been given a mission to share the gospel to all who come across our path, and make disciples - teaching them in the ways of God (Matt 28:19-20).
Why does God keep making people? I don't know. I'm glad He made me, my family, my friends. I'm grateful that He still has faith in humanity, that He chooses to allow us to exist for this time - to be part of this piece of His Story. Pray with me that we would be aware of those around us who need to know His Story. Let us share the Good News of Christ and the salvation He imparts. And then let us teach each other and grow up in maturity in God's kingdom. Let us grow strong among the tares of life. For His Name's sake and for His Glory.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
No More!
Attack signs are loss of vision, dark clouds, an overall blanket of doom, thunder/rumblings - rattling lies, waves/high seas - you are going down.
The power tool is the storm cry. Realize that Jesus is in the boat - He has never left - He is there! Call on Him.
Rebuke the storm - Stand and declare the authority of Christ. Submit to God, resist the devil. Say to these lies & feelings - Cease! Be specific.
Replace with desired result - "Quiet down!" "Peace be still!" Rebuke & replace with faith prayers.
Those of you who know me know that my family and I have undergone an extended season of testing. Through it all, I've been submitting to God - searching my heart for sin to confess - praying to learn the lesson I needed to learn.
Yesterday, it happened again. That overwhelming sense of doom. All is hopeless. It's never going to get better.
Hunter was in another accident. His car is totalled. For those of you who are keeping score, that's 4 totalled cars between him and me since June 2007. Praise God, he is okay. The thoughts that overwhelmed me were about how much his insurance (already very high due to his previous accident) would be going up. How this additional burden would weigh on him as he's preparing for college. The cost of replacing his car. The deductible to be met. How this was just adding to the previous burdens we were facing - financial difficulty, job stresses. Wave upon wave of grief and despair were crashing over me. Tears were pouring like waterfalls from my eyes as I was driving to work. My face redder than Rudolph's nose. And then....
I remembered Pastor Mark's teaching from Sunday. I boldly gathered up all my courage and faith and shouted "No More! Satan, you and your demons are bound in Jesus' name from my family. You will have no more influence over us. You will keep your hands off of my son Hunter, off of my husband Rick, and off of me. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, remove yourselves now from our lives and begone. In Jesus name, in the name of Jesus Christ who died for our sins and rose again, who saved our souls for eternity. In Jesus' name."
Then the praises began - praises for Jehovah Jireh - our Provider, praises for El Shaddai - Almighty God, praises for Jehovah Rophe - the Lord who Heals, praises for Jehovah Shammah - the Lord is there. I praised God for the healing that would take place in my body, for the provision for our family, for the protection He would provide for us. Now it was waves of peace and mercy cascading over my soul. Tears of joy streaming down my face.
That was yesterday morning. Last night Rick found a position he may be interested in applying for. A friend of mine has a car for a decent price that he'd be willing to take payments on from Hunter. My appointment with my naturopath revealed that my body is handling things well, and we're moving to a new phase of treatment - a marked improvement from the last visit. Blessings from the Lord are overflowing.
I encourage you. If you find yourself overwhelmed as mentioned above, and it's not from everyday stress or your own sin, look to God. Bind the demonic influences from your life in the name of Jesus. Replace the void with praise. And watch God work in your life. Yield to Him. He will take you places you never thought you could go.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sleep Escapes Me
God is working in our lives and it's truly amazing. We are one of the families that is undergoing a financial upheavel. Dramatically reduced pay, attempting a work-out plan with our lender, uncertainty of our future - all these would be very legitimate causes for lack of sleep. But, that's not it. Despite all the great reasons to worry, God has given me peace. He has assured me that He will provide for us. So, why can't I leave it with Him? Why must I continue to pick up the burden?
It's the "I can't see how He's going to do it" that's keeping me up at night. At various points of my life, through bad car accidents, major illnesses and other life-changing events, God has held me in His arms, healing and restoring me. Many times I would give Him ideas on how He could accomplish things in my life, solve problems, "fix it". I am sure I gave Him many a chuckle. Every time in the past, He has done it His way, and not mine. Shocking! A mere mortal such as myself having less knowledge, insight and capabilities than the All Powerful Creator of the Universe who is accomplishing His Plan with or without me!
So, is this part of the overall plan - to have us suffer like those around us? Will this be used now and in the future to minister to others? That would be great. For now, I think I need to focus on learning how to cast my burdens upon Him. In addition, a lesson that needs to be learned is how to share my burdens with others so they can help me carry it. Galations 6:2 tells us to "Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ." (NASB) This particular situation has been very private and painful. Like many around me, I feel it is too embarrassing to share. But, if I as a believer am having trouble with this scenario, how much more so my non-believing fellow Americans? How can they even begin to go through this without the hope and assurance of Christ?
Well, this problem will not be solved in this post. But, this life with Christ is an adventure. It isn't over till He says it's over. Until then, I will continue on to the best of my abilities. And when that isn't enough, He'll take care of the rest.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Each heard in his own language
Regardless of where you are on the whole "tongue" issue, you must admit this is a powerful demonstration of the awesomeness of the Holy Spirit. Can you imagine, being part of the crowd of this diverse multi-cultural group, and hearing the gospel proclaimed in your language, while your neighbor is hearing it in theirs. No special headphones, no electronic translators, everyone hearing God's message as if He were proclaiming it specifically for them.
This weekend we heard a message at our church about how God truly cares for the whole world. We've heard a lot of teaching about having a relationship with God, and how we are so very precious to Him. This is all true. Let us not, however, lose sight of the mission. Matthew 28: 16-20 tells us (The Message) Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally. Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."
Lord, we ask You, we beseech You, give us opportunities to train everyone we meet, far and near, in this way of life. You are with us as we do this - day after day after day. Give us a sense of Your presence, and the courage to speak Your Truth to a lost and dying world. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Know where you stand
Throughout scripture, we see that these type of events signal the end of days (Mathew 23). We are told that the day and time are unknown for the end of days (Mathew 23:36). Even if you don't sense the end of time, your personal days on this earth are unknown to you, but known to God (Job 14:5).
So, my question is this - do you know where you stand? If your life were to end today, do you know for sure where you would spend eternity? Let not your head hit your pillow in slumber until you have sure knowledge of the answer to this question.