Counting the Cost

The Mistake of Reading Between the Lines

2012-01-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

"Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person."

Colossians 4:6

How often do you find yourself in the position of being misunderstood?

You attempt to make a point on a specific issue but discover that your words failed and others misconstrued what you were trying to say. Instead of accepting your statement or question at face value and replying logically and with reason, they look for unspoken and hidden agendas behind your words.

The responses you get can vary. You are either seen as lacking knowledge, judgmental, self-righteous, arrogant, hateful, or a host of other accusations. If you attempt to continue to drive home your point by reorganizing your words, what you thought was only a soul-searching question can erupt into a full-blown argument. In order to avoid that result, you walk away discouraged and defeated, dropping your point into the ash heap of unanswered and unresolved societal or spiritual conflicts.

It is understood that we don't all think alike when it comes to our world view and, unfortunately, that is even evident in how we express our faith. Each of us are built in different ways, and the most revealing of that truth is when we attempt to discuss spiritual matters with others. We won't always agree on everything that grabs our attention, but at least we can choose to respectfully consider what others are attempting to convey. And the best way we can do that is by not inserting something into the discussion that was never intended to be there.

A recent conversation with a dear and beloved brother in Christ made me realize that I am not alone in this problem. He is also experiencing it. The problem we both have faced is that negative reactions and condemnation can come from Christian family members and/or friends. He was accused of being "too devoted" to Christ (I was stunned. Is there such a thing?!). It was subtly insinuated that I was being hateful and not understanding how God works through others (at least, it appeared to be aimed at me). We expect to get negative reactions from the secular world. But when we are called to task by a professing Christian who has misunderstood what it is we are attempting to reveal, it becomes a bigger problem. The end result can be painful for those of us who are only trying to bring certain things to light, things that may have a direct or indirect effect on others and how they view them, and asking others to consider our point and respectfully inject their own thoughts.

However, what is even more troubling is when our point is understood and we then find ourselves being preached at, directly or indirectly, for asking it in the first place. I am not perfect, and if the issue at hand is deserving of correction on my part, then I will thankfully and gladly accept being steered back onto the right course. There have been times when it has been necessary because of my ignorance over certain things. I am grateful that the LORD has placed others in my life who keep my feet firmly planted. But when conviction propels me to press home a troubling issue, I expect different reactions from those whom I value as trusted members of the family of Christ.

I am probably the worst offender of having knee-jerk reactions, being forced to recant and apologize. I read so much that I have formed a bad habit of quickly skimming over things, looking for the meat of what is written, and sometimes not deeply considering what is there before I react. But one thing I am truly working on is to not make the mistake of reading between the lines and misunderstanding what it is someone is attempting to convey. When we do that, we become the judgmental ones. Instead of asking for clarification in order to properly respond, we allow self-righteousness and arrogance to overcome us, forgetting that we are speaking to someone who is also supposed to be valued and trusted to properly handle and dispense the Word of God.

Because of the current problems that are raging around the world, we are often forced to read between the lines, looking for the truth behind what is being told. What the secular world is allowing us to see can confuse or misdirect us, leading us off the righteous path and onto one that is full of dangerous pitfalls. The enemy never tires from his deceptions; never growing weary of luring us away from the truth, and his greatest weapon is the church. Therefore, we are commanded to stay vigilant (Matt. 7:15-16), to exhort (Col. 2:1-3) and, yes, even to correct a brother or sister who has strayed away from truth and is in danger of being deceived (1Thes. 5:14-15).

In order to be able to accomplish this, we must all be united in one spirit and with one mind. And this uniting should be the most obvious in our conversations with each other. Each of us have been given the amount of wisdom that God wants us to have. No more. No less. But if a brother or sister poses a important question that reveals the difference between what you have been given and what they have received, it is our responsibility to share the knowledge we have in order for them to gain further understanding. We should never read something else into what they have presented to us. And we should never become Pharisee-like in our response by assuming we have greater understanding than they have.

Our reaction should be full of the love we are expected to convey to them, never elevating ourselves above them or lording our self-perceived wisdom over the conversation. If we would employ the apostle Paul's exhortation in the beginning verse of this post, there would be far less pain inflicted on others and less division among us.

Unless the point being made by others is clouded with unspoken words or obviously off-track, stop reading between the lines. But if you must, at least have the courtesy to see the point being made. If you will do that, you may discover that they have wisdom that can be passed onto you as you engage in the conversation.

A pure and honest discussion full of grace and "seasoned with salt" is far better than one that has the potential to break the unity we should have with each other. Stop allowing the enemy to control the time we spend talking about the things of God. Pause and consider, then enter into the conversation with a clear mind and heart that is focused entirely on what God may be trying to teach all of us.

Only then will we be able to truly say that nothing was left to conjecture or speculation, but resulting in fruitfulness and for the benefit of us all.

The Christian Compromise Party

2012-01-06T13:03:00.001-07:00

Isn't labeling yourself a "Christian Democrat" an oxymoron?

In a broad sense, Webster defines "oxymoron" as "something (as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements." Of course, it can be argued by those bearing the title that they are "fiscal Democrats," as opposed to those who are "social Democrats." However, when you try to separate the two, failure is the only outcome.

Consider this...

If you attempt to define yourself as one or the other, you are compromising your Christianity. How, you ask? Because if you declare yourself to be a "fiscal Democrat," you are saying you support bigger government, higher taxes, abortion on demand (paid for by your tax dollars), and every other "entitlement" the Federal Government deems worthy and necessary (paid for by your tax dollars).

If you label yourself a "social Democrat," you support the issues mentioned above, and more (paid for by your tax dollars), thereby aligning yourself with those in the other category who ultimately take more from us to pay for the things you support.

Sadly, these things are a contradiction to the directions we are given by God in Scripture. So, if you attach "Christian" to your Democrat party label, it behooves you to reevaluate whether you truly are what you claim to be.

Have I made you think yet?

The same thing can be applied to those who refuse to support either party, based upon their distaste for the current Administration and/or our Congress who appears to be inept at getting anything done. Perhaps you like the title "Christian Independent" better. You say you love Christ but hate both parties for what you perceive to be their failures in governing this nation. But, in the meantime, you look with favor upon the current President, in spite of his position on abortion, gay marriage, and every other deviant behavior that's defended by his misguided constituents. You know...a favor for a favor in order to get re-elected?

Or you could label yourself a "Christian Moderate," which makes you neither hot nor cold and places you in the position of being "spewed," or spit, from Christ's mouth because of the bad taste you are leaving there (Rev. 3:15-16). There is nothing worse than a "lukewarm" fence sitter who will topple either way, depending upon the direction the political wind is blowing.

And of course we have those who stubbornly and determinedly will not budge from their "Christian Libertarian" position (or, better put, philosophy/ideology). I hate to offend them, but that label is the biggest oxymoron out there. I can't fault them for wanting to be liberated from the ever-growing monster we call our Federal Government that threatens to consume and rob us of our individual rights granted to us by our constitution. But...live and let live? Legalize drugs? Refuse to lead the fight against abortion? Maintain an isolationist posture, turn your back on growing international situations that may threaten our sovereignty, and not defend our allies as we should - most notably, Israel? These are just a few of those pesky little problems that define this party, and they certainly don't fit my idea of morality and virtue, much less the way to properly govern this nation and maintain order in society.

Although you may agree with certain talking points from specific candidates, each of these boil down to the position of belonging to the party of "Christian Compromise." It's not a good position to be in, don't you think? Especially when it comes to the faith one professes to have and the God you claim to serve.

What many fail or refuse to recognize is that every one of the candidates is just another human being who is a fallen creature quite capable of the things they vehemently insist they oppose. And when we place too much trust in what they may be saying, we elevate them to a place they don't belong. They are sinners, just like us. Each one of them knows how to "game" the system, regardless of the time they have spent in public office and how much they vilify those who have been there longer. And they will say and do whatever is necessary to draw you to their side and win the nomination.

Age and wisdom has convinced me that a politician is always a politician, no matter how smoothly and convincingly they speak against issues I, too, find disturbing or frustrating. Campaign promises are empty and meaningless. Ask yourself how many politicians have been able to accomplish the things they woo you with to garner your vote. I am betting you will be sitting here a long time trying to come up with even one example. And regardless of how well-meaning they may be, once they are firmly seated in the oval office and the things that are only privy to that esteemed position are revealed to them, the promises they made take a back seat to the reality of what's truly going on behind the scenes.

Politics is a necessary evil. I strongly believe it is the responsibility of every citizen to exercise their constitutionally given right to vote for the candidate of their choice. I may not agree with your choice, but I respect your right to exercise it. But it doesn't mean that you wear your Christianity on your sleeve, then embrace and espouse the convoluted positions some have on how this country should be run. By allying with certain candidates who have dangerous ideals that go against the grain of Scripture, and has the potential to further destroy this nation that was founded upon the laws and precepts of God that you claim to embrace, is a dangerous mix, and it's one that should be strongly avoided.

LIVE your faith. SPEAK up for it. WALK in it. REFLECT it...even at the polls.

In order for America to be restored and hope renewed by eliminating the current administration and their dangerous agenda, many of us who will vote may have to choke down a great deal of bile by voting for someone with whom we differ on certain issues. I am hoping we won't have to. I am fervently praying that God will clearly and decisively reveal to us His choice. However, if we refuse to stand up for Jesus Christ in the up-coming election and fail to vote for the man or woman who reflects Him the most, we'll stand for nothing and deserve everything that comes.

And that's not the position I want to be in when I'm standing before Him and He asks me, "So...how'd that 2012 election go for ya?"

When November rolls around, GET OUT AND VOTE, AND VOTE RESPONSIBLY! Do yourself a favor and ignore all the media hype and influence, and the continual barrage of accusations of ignorance by others because you think and believe differently. At this point in the game, all the name-calling and dirt-dredging is pointless and biased, from all directions. This nation desperately needs a change from the "change" it got in the last election. It's time to toss out the labels and use the brains God has given us by applying HIS wisdom and electing HIS choice for America, regardless of the party platform the candidates are standing on.

Personally, I'll be eternally grateful when our true KING returns to reign. We sure won't find ourselves trying to choose the best candidate because HE will be the only one. Until then, when my pencil is poised over the ballot, I will remember Joshua's warning to the Israelites:

"Now therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Joshua 24:14-15 ESV

I just wish Jesus would return before the next election. Hardly a day goes by that I don't groan over what I read, hear, or see and long with every fiber of my being for Him to come back and restore order. If He would, then we would have nothing more to concern ourselves with, the squabbling over who is best suited to bring America and the world out of the ashes of ruin will thankfully end, and true peace and prosperity will be known by everyone.

THAT'S a party I want to be part of.

2012 Resolved

2011-12-31T17:50:00.005-07:00

As this year comes to a close and the New Year begins, people around the world will be in full celebration. I have often thought it a strange practice to revel over the passing of one year and the beginning of another. I suppose it has more to do with the secular world being relieved that they successfully made it through the previous year, rather than rejoicing that God has given us more time on this earth.

Whatever the reason, streets around the world will be filled with partyers drunk on the fruit of the vine and the idea that the resolutions they have made will be fulfilled, making the New Year more prosperous and giving them a better life than the year before.

Looking back on 2011, there is much that could be grumbled about. In 2008, the citizenry had naively voted in a President that promised "change," but the "change" that came was not what most expected - or wanted, for that matter. As the worldwide economy continued its downward spiral, 2011 proved that the ideology that Obama brought to Washington D.C. would only compound the problem here in the United States. Jobs were lost, unemployment soared, savings dwindled, and homes were foreclosed upon. Political squabbling became the norm as we watched those who had created the mess unsuccessfully attempt to undo it.

Prices continued to rise, unrest and wars escalated in the Arab nations under the ruse of "democracy," and men turned on each other in the form of class warfare that was being perpetuated by the current Administration and tearing this nation apart. Capitalism, that had built this nation, was under attack. Socialism and Marxism were slowly being introduced and accepted by the ignorant mainstream who were struggling to keep their heads above water and fearful of tomorrow, viewing those more fortunate or industrious as wicked and greedy.

Although some, including myself, had legitimate gripes, protests and violence broke out across the nation. Stirred up by outside influence with an agenda to bring down capitalist America, the altruistic and agenda-driven liberal left rounded up the uneducated and uninformed and squatted in filthy and dangerous encampments. The have-nots wanted to take down those who did have, with the exception of a elite "few" that they deemed worthy of keeping theirs. Slowly but surely, the bloated Federal government is sucking Americans dry, stifling industry, discouraging risk, robbing citizens of their rights, and instilling a mindset in the complacent and apathetic that it knows what is best for them and will take care of their needs.

This all sounds pretty dismal, doesn't it? It sure has given us plenty to gripe and grumble about. Considering all that I mentioned above, it is no wonder that people will be celebrating the end of 2011 as the ball drops at midnight in Times Square, New York. They are hoping that 2012 will bring a renewal of hope and prosperity and allow them to forget about their worries and woes. But, all pessimism aside, I am betting that the things of 2011 were only the beginning of trouble and that mankind's grumbling and complaining will only grow worse as the problems in the world are carried forward into the new year.

I am just as guilty as the next for whining about my life and the perception I have for the things it lacks. This past year, I have fought envy over others and what they have and I don't, hatred for the world and its depravity, and a multitude of other unhealthy emotions. I certainly didn't gain anything by thinking or behaving that way. In fact, I would say with all conviction that I lost out on a great deal, wasting my time looking at the world and grumbling about it instead of knowing God is still in absolute control and counting the things that He has blessed me with in 2011.

I'm not hungry. He has filled my stomach.

I'm not homeless. He has provided a roof over my head.

I'm not alone. He has surrounded me with family and friends to be loved by and to return my love upon them.

And I am sure that if I took the time and you weren't bored into leaving, I could continue to write an endless list of things to be thankful for.

However, the greatest gift God has given me is Himself.

I will go so far as to say that when you have Jesus Christ in your life, He faithfully provides for you in ways we refuse to comprehend. Although we don't see it this way, nothing else is needed. I have learned the hard way that all of my grumbling and complaining is sinful and that an attitude adjustment was in order.

When we gripe and complain, we are telling Him that we are not grateful for the things He has given us. We become like the Israelites wandering in the desert, never mindful of the constant "cloud" in the daytime that hovers protectively over us and the "pillar of fire" in the nighttime that leads us through the darkness of this world (Exodus 13). He causes water to "spring" up to quench our thirst for Him and feeds us His "manna," the Word of God, through faithful shepherds like my own. And when we feel as though His well or His table is emptying, He refills them, satisfying our hunger and thirst and strengthening us to finish well this race we call "life."

My beloved Pastor Paul Guay recently reminded and convicted me of how unfruitful my grumbling can be. In his sermon on Philippians 2:17-18, Paul preached on his namesake, Apostle Paul's, letter to the people and how his desire was that they would "joy to share in the midst of sorrow." Although the apostle was facing a certain death, he asked the Philippians to rejoice with him, even as he was being "poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice" and to share that joy with others. Pounding home the meat (or gristle, as my sister, Dana, called it), Pastor Paul exhorted his listeners that we are to share not only in the suffering of others, but also in their joy. And we are to do it exceedingly so, for we "enhance" each others joy when we do, becoming the sharers of God's grace and mercies that are shed so broadly upon all of us.

If we attempt to flee from and avoid suffering as the world does (and which we all have done at some point in our lives), we are avoiding profound joy in being found worthy to offer ourselves in sacrifice to God. What more could we do for Jesus who was so "violently torn asunder" for the sins we have committed in order that we would not have to suffer the Father's wrath? How selfish we are in our suffering and joy by not sharing it. As Philippians 1:19-20 reveals, our greatest joy comes from our greatest suffering because, as the Apostle Paul so clearly demonstrates, the reward for doing so will be unequaled. The day we stand before our King and LORD Jesus Christ and cast our crowns at His pierced feet will be a day of rejoicing unlike any we have ever experienced.

As the year 2011 comes to a close and 2012 begins, I am more determined to grumble less and rejoice more. We have no clue what will come in the following months. But one thing we do know is that God is still God, even in times of trouble and tribulation. He is still LORD of the universe, holding dominion over all of creation. Whatever man may bring upon the world will never diminish that truth.

Therefore, my hope for 2012 lies in Jesus Christ and what He has promised me. With His help, I will grumble less and rejoice with exceeding gladness, knowing that a day will come when we will truly know peace and prosperity.

To all my readers, may you be resolved in this New Year to continue to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, of Him crucified, risen, and seated at the right hand of the Father. And may you also share in each others suffering and joy as we patiently await His glorious return!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Blog Jumping

2011-12-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

Children in Chibanzi

Thanks for dropping by! If you failed to find what you were looking for, or have already read through nearly two years of postings, I have another suggestion.

I recently posted a new article on my other blog, Wongani's Hope, that addresses the current and future needs Beka and Anna have in serving the LORD in Malawi, Africa. If you haven't yet been there to read the wonderful story of how God is working through these two amazing women, it will only take one click to jump you from this blog to the other and only in a matter of seconds.

Blog jumping can be fun in our search for meaningful posts and like-minded individuals, so I hope you will hover your mouse over Wongani's Hope and click on it. It's a quick journey, and its one that I am sure you will find rewarding on the other end.

Once you are there, look on the right hand side of the page for "Beka's Story" and the chronological listing from the beginning to the present below the title. Then get yourself a cup of your choice, sit back, put your feet up, and begin reading. I am betting that as you progress through the story, you will be anxious to read the next post to see the evidence of God's grace and providence.

When you are done, leave Beka and Anna a comment. I know they would love to hear from you and that you are praying for them and the children of Malawi. Then become a "follower" of the blog and watch as Wongani's Hope becomes a reality, for the glory and honor of God.

What are you waiting for? Get that mouse moving and start blog jumping!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

A Man After Malachi

2011-12-09T15:07:00.003-07:00

As Christmas approaches us, our tendency is to concentrate on the preparations, rather than the reason we celebrate it. Lists of card and gift recipients are written. Frustration over what to buy certain individuals consumes us. Decorations are brought out and dusted off and days are spent setting up the icons and doodads that represent this holiday season. Plans are made for the feast that will be served on Christmas day and, in the meanwhile, candies, sweets, and treats begin to pile up on every corner of the counter top, threatening to add those extra pounds that eating them brings.

Don't be mistaken. I love the Christmas season and see nothing wrong with making preparations for it, including putting up a tree. The sights and smells along with the excitement in the air bring back memories of my childhood. I look back with longing for the times I spent preparing the festivities for my children and my grandchildren, waiting with great anticipation to see them gather around my tree and watch their expressions as they opened the gifts I had spent hours purchasing and wrapping. These are memories that are dear and precious to me and I will always treasure them.

But when I think about the years that I did not fully understand why we celebrate this season, I am reminded of the greatest gift I failed to give them and often wish I could turn back the clock and re-do all of the Christmas's where Jesus Christ was not fully represented as He should have been. I wonder with awe over the emotions that came over me as I listened to the songs written about Him and gazed at the twinkling lights on the tree - even though I didn't know Him then. I am sure that past Christmas's would have been much different if I had known Him completely as I do now, and the appreciation for all the hard work done in preparation for that day would have been greater.

When I think about it, we are not much different than the Israelites were in their forgetfulness during seasons of celebration. As time went on, God's chosen people moved farther away from the true meaning of their existence and what was expected of them. They exchanged their relationship with the LORD for one of complacency and apathy, mingling with the pagan world and disregarding His will for them. Intentionally overlooking the real meaning of worship and service to God, the people ate and drank without forethought, failing to remain mindful of the reason for their festivities and rituals and the solemnity that should have preceded them.

Over four hundred years before God sent His Son into this world as a lowly babe, He spoke through His prophets one final time. In the book of Malachi, God warned the priests and the people of their unfaithfulness to Him. During the daily sacrifice, the priests had presented "polluted" and imperfect food, sick, blind and lame animals not even fit for their "governors," let alone the King of the universe. God's condemnation for this offense was great as He thundered His accusations of their unfaithfulness towards Him, cursing them for breaking the Levitical covenant He had made with Aaron (Num. 3:44-48; 18:8-24; Deut. 33:8-11). The priests were not only intended to represent the people before God, but also to represent God and the law of Moses before the people, and they had failed miserably.

One would think that after hearing the accusations, the priests would have mourned and repented. But as Malachi so clearly reveals, with the exception of a few who heeded God's warnings, they whined about and questioned His charges, denying the grievances of wrong-doing He was bringing against them.

Unlike other prophets who revealed the future coming of Messiah (see Isaiah 53 for the most astounding example), Malachi leaps across centuries to "The Great Day of the LORD" in his final chapter when God will avenge His name and His honor. Although it appears God used Malachi as His last messenger, the ending verses speak of another man whom God will choose and who will announce the arrival of the greatest gift God has given to mankind (Is 40:3-5; Matt 3:1-3). John the Baptist, the man chosen to herald the coming of the long-awaited King and Messiah, would prepare the Way for God's entry into the world to save men from their sins in one final and glorious sacrifice.

The sacrifice that was to come would rival the most perfect sacrificial lamb to be found amongst the people's flocks and laid upon God's altar. Unlike the imperfect animals brought before God by the priests in Malachi's day, this Lamb would be spotless and unpolluted, defining perfection to the utmost degree. God would demonstrate to the people what a true sacrifice was intended to be and one that would bring Him the greatest honor and glory.

The animal sacrifices made to God prior to this final sacrifice were not able to cleanse man completely and forever of his sin. The ritual had to be performed daily in order for God's mercies and providence to continue. But this Lamb would once and for all do what the others were unable to do. The blood that would spill from its veins upon the sacrificial altar would be shed for the sins of mankind, once and for all, its efficacy completely satisfying the requirements demanded by God, restoring His relationship with His children, and giving them life eternal.

This is what Christmas is all about. It's not about the festivities, the gifts, the food, the revelry, and everything else that is defined by the world. Although these things have their place in our celebration, the season is about a Man who was chosen before time began to become the sacrificial Lamb of God. And it just so happens that His birth and the circumstances surrounding it happened exactly as the prophets who spoke for God said it would.

Although God remained quiet for over four hundred years following Malachi's scorching condemnation for the unworthy sacrifices the priests brought Him, God spoke one final time through His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, "God with us." Jesus would tell of all the wonders of God and reveal to men His divine and holy nature. He would heal the deaf and the blind, the lame and the sick, and teach man the Way to eternal life.

There are many theories about when Jesus knew or understood the reason for His entry into the world. Some say He had awareness as a baby from the beginning. Others say that awareness did not come until later in His life. I have often wondered about this myself and have a tendency to lean towards the first theory. But one thing we do know is that everything He did moved Him closer to His ultimate destination. He began in a manger for all men to wonder about and walked willingly to the cross to fulfill the Father's perfect plan of redemption and eternal salvation.

When you look at the nativity scene that most likely is placed in a position of prominence in your home, take the baby Jesus from the feed crib and see Him as a man on the cross. His birth is, indeed, a magnificent and glorious gift to all mankind. But it was on the cross that the perfect sacrifice was made, and the benefit of Him willingly spilling His blood to atone for our sins reveals the greater gift.

After you have seen Him on the cross, see Him as your risen Savior seated at the right hand of God in all His beautiful glory and perfection (Luke 22:69; Mark 16:19; Acts 7:56; Heb. 1:3). Once you have done this, the Christmas season will hold greater meaning for you. The decorations, the food, and the gifts placed under your tree will have more significance and your heart will be better prepared to celebrate our LORD'S birth.

Merry Christmas, everyone! May it be filled with the presence of His Holy Spirit and His outpouring of love upon your family. And may you and yours worship Him in humbleness as you celebrate this season, remembering that God did not forever remain silent after Malachi. Four hundred years later, He brought us His eternal Word and a perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God, our blessed Savior and King Jesus the Messiah. And, 2,000 years later, we His children continue to celebrate in remembrance of that day with rejoicing and gladness.

May God bless us all with His Holy presence and pour out His grace upon the world.

And to our blessed Savior Jesus Christ who was born in the city of Bethlehem while the shepherds watched, the angels sang, and heaven rejoiced: may He receive all the glory, the honor, and the praise, both now and forevermore!

Our Pastor's Prayers

2011-11-30T14:03:00.003-07:00

"See him on his knees: he talks with God; he pours out his heart before the Lord; and in return—whether the world chooses to believe it or not, it is a matter of fact with us—in return the great Invisible Spirit pours into the praying heart a stream of sacred comfort, stays it in its time of trouble, and gives it to rejoice in its moments of sadness." ~ C. H. Spurgeon

For yesterday's devotion time, I opened a book I just received from Grace To You entitled "At the Throne of Grace - A Book of Prayers" by Pastor John MacArthur. After reading the forward written by his children, the preface written by MacArthur, and the first prayer, I am confident that it will become a treasured book. It will be one of those that can be read over and over again because of the depth of his expressions to God with cited Scripture verses to further exhort and encourage. They may be Pastor MacArthur's words, but they reflect what I am sometimes unable to express.

I often wish that I had the same eloquence that men like my own Pastor, Paul Guay, MacArthur, and Spurgeon were so blessed with. When you read their writings or hear their utterances, there is never a question as to what it is they are conveying. Although they may have a stack of papers in front of them blackened by ink with their sermon notes, the words that flow during their delivery issue from their hearts. It is from there that the Holy Spirit speaks through them in order that we, God's children, are able to glean His perfect will for us. They are teachers in the true Biblical form of the word and the man who is privileged to sit under men like these are truly blessed.

But we sometimes view prayer as a more personal relationship with God, one we are unwilling to share with others. I understand Pastor MacArthur's hesitancy to allow them to be put into book form. After all, for the honest preacher they are an unwritten and unpracticed intimate conversation with his God, an expression from the place with which only he and the LORD are familiar. His concerns that they may be wrongly used are well-founded. All too often, people merely go through the motions as they stand in public prayer, reciting by rote, half-listening, then mumbling "Amen" at its conclusion without really understanding where they are standing and the One who is seated before them.

The pastoral prayer given before the service starts is perhaps the most important time of worship. It is the Pastor who is able to open his heart and make it visible to others that unites us to humbly approach the throne of grace where our Holy God is seated. We stand together as one like-minded body with similar petitions, drawing us closer to the LORD we love. This all so important prayer prepares our hearts and minds for what is coming next. It is an opening statement to God that we have gathered to come before Him in worship, praising Him, laying our petitions before Him, and anxious to hear His word.

The second prayer in MacArthur's book had a different theme. It told the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness. I believe the prayer's intent was to reach into the minds and hearts of those who may have been sitting idle in their pews, unconcerned or unaware of all that God the Father through God the Son has done for them. And for those who had already received salvation, it was confirmation of this truth; a reminder, so to speak. Reading Pastor MacArthur's words took me back to my beginning, the time of not knowing Him and of my former depravity. They made me appreciate the love God has for His children, and of the selfless sacrifice He made to save me.

When our Pastor starts the service with prayer, rarely does he speak for himself. Rather, he employs what is commonly called the "third person" form of the subject. The pronoun goes from being singular and aimed at oneself (I and me) to plural (we, us), drawing the congregation together as one body with similar conditions, praise, hopes, and pleas. Although it is a way of uniting us with one voice, our hearts meld together and we join with him as we approach the throne of grace to lay our petitions before the LORD.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be alone with God, to commune in prayer with Him in the privacy of your "inner room" (Matt. 6:6) where it is just you and Him. These are moments of intimacy and closeness that are unequaled, for the believing man is confident he is in God's presence and that He hears every word. Jesus often slipped away from the throngs to have those intimate moments with the Father (Mark 1:35; Mark 6:46; Luke 5:16; Luke 9:18; Luke 22:41). But we should also delight and take comfort in the times when others are speaking for us. God's presence is no less real, and His ear is just as receptive in these circumstances.

The pastoral prayers that are being spoken define the commonality we have with each other. They are a way of sharing the precious and divine attribute of knowing Jesus Christ and the gift of salvation He has so graciously bestowed upon us. It is a way for God to draw our minds and hearts away from the pressing issues that may have followed us into His sanctuary, and to place our focus on Him as our worship begins. The Pastor's words prepare our hearts for the sermon to come that will further exhort and encourage us.

Although there are those who have been gifted with the ability to speak fluently or persuasively, just the simple words of an honest heart is all that is necessary to secure an audience with God. It is often said that others covet our prayers for them and their needs. But the LORD covets them the most. He longs to hear from us, regardless of the number of words used or how they appear to sound to others. Whether our prayers are presented singularly or in unison, He is waiting for us to approach Him without fear or feelings of inadequacy.

Therefore, when your Pastor stands before you and asks you to bow your head with him in prayer, do so with all humbleness. Be grateful for the faithful servant God has placed before you, one who is willing to speak not only for himself, but to also include you and your needs in his prayers (1Tim. 2:1-2).

Unite with him in spirit as he adds your unspoken praise or requests to his own. Delight in the knowledge that the family of God to which you belong are joined together in what God desires the most from us: desiring His presence and approaching Him in humble gratitude.

And when your Pastor is done, don't just mutter your agreement. Let your "Amen" be filled with heartfelt sincerity, expressing recognition with one united voice for the prayer that has been presented before the throne of grace.

Asking the Right Question

2011-11-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

"At Gibeonthe LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, 'Ask what I shall give you.' And Solomon said, 'You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love andhave given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, O LORD my God,you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I maydiscern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?' " ~ 1Kings 3:9

When you go before the throne of God in prayer, what do you ask of Him?

I am not talking about petitions for those things that are common to prayer: healing, protection, comfort, peace, and usually presented with a plea for immediacy. What if you already have all these? What if, like King Solomon, God had already blessed you with position and that which comes with it, yet, like Solomon, you long for more and know that it is not within you to accomplish it?

Although Solomon's situation was a tad bit more complicated and God came to Him in a dream instead of the other way around, he carefully chose his words. But do we?

God's response to Solomon, "Ask what I shall give you," gave the king the perfect opportunity to have anything and everything a man could want. He could have just as easily asked God for diamond-studded chariots, a bottomless vat of wine, fields yielding crops year round, and a treasury overflowing with the earth's riches. Solomon could have requested that God give him long life, or for the defeat of all his enemies without lifting a finger. In other words, he could have employed what is being taught by today's blab it and grab it preachers who tell you to pray for health, wealth, and prosperity, demanding it to be given to you because you are told you are deserving of it. But God had chosen Solomon for a purpose and, because His decision was a wise one, He also foreknew Solomon's response and gladly granted him that which he asked, and more.

I am going to go out on a limb and say that the vast majority of us would not have asked for wisdom and discernment. The proof is best given by the multitudes who believe what they are being told by the prosperity preachers and are practicing it. Our sinful nature would have compelled us to ask for a long life of ease, the fancier car, the bigger house, and an endless supply of cash to throw around on worthless things that bring temporary pleasure.

Because most of us consider our own wants and needs before we think about how we could use it to further God's kingdom, greed and covetousness would be our first reaction. (If you think you wouldn't be prone to this, consider what you would first do if you won the lottery.) We probably wouldn't even be aware that it had crept to the forefront, overshadowing His purpose for asking the question. That is, until conviction over just how depraved our hearts really are washed over us, or we later learned that what we thought we needed only brought temporary pleasure, more disappointment, or misery.

God isn't a genie in a bottle to summon and ceremoniously present us with everything that woos and tempts us. If He was (and thankfully, He's not), our first request would always be for a better position in life, more money, more comforts (what was your first answer to winning the lottery?). You may argue that Solomon already had more than most, a palace, wealth, and a position of authority, so what more did he need?

Solomon understood that it was his immaturity in leadership that caused him to lack the most important thing which would ensure God's will for His people was accomplished. He needed God's wisdom in order to correctly discern the difference between good and evil. With this precious gem, Solomon would be fit to rule and lead his adulterous kingdom with righteousness and Godly justice and his throne would be secure. And because he recalled that God had fulfilled His promise to his father, David, and gave Him the praise for doing so, God was pleased and gave Solomon what he did not ask for - health, wealth, and prosperity, including the wisdom to properly dispense it.

"It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, 'Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold,I now do according to your word. Behold,I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.' " ~ 1Kings 3:10-14

Notice the condition at the end of God's announcement - the "if" attached to the beginning of the last sentence. Considering that David had sinned many times against Him, it boggles the mind that God only mentioned David keeping His commandments. After all, Solomon's mother was Bathsheba and we all know that story. But Solomon would have his own problems that were brought about by disobedience to God's statutes, and he would struggle and prove his own weaknesses many times. As his life concluded, Solomon gained the greatest piece of wisdom man can attain. He understood that the most precious thing man can possess is a right relationship with God and the wisdom He imparts upon His children to walk in obedience and righteousness. All else is meaningless...

"The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." ~ Eccl 12:13-14

A long time ago, I began to ask God to pour out His wisdom upon me. Like Solomon, I knew that I was incapable of judging correctly without it. I was no different because my life was also full of mistakes and errors in judgment. Charles Spurgeon sums me up, and what I came to know, quite nicely:

"Many a man might have known if he had but been aware that he did not know. A sense of ignorance is the doorstep of the palace of wisdom."

Because of my past and the folly I so energetically found myself in, I yearn for God's wisdom, asking Him to always keep my heart and mind firmly fixed upon Him and His desire for me. Without it, I would be helpless and unable to live my life for Him.

In response, God is slowly but surely honoring my request, giving me only what I need at any given moment- no more, no less. To be honest, I don't think my mind could handle the profound wisdom He gave to Solomon. The term "information overload" has significant meaning in that regard; my mind is too puny to handle it, and God knows it. However, it doesn't mean that I don't occasionally hit Him up for more comforts and ease. But they are becoming less frequent because He places my focus on Him and the things He desires, rather than my own perceived lack. Although it is often an uphill battle, God is helping me learn to be content and thankful for the bounty of blessings He has given me.

If God chooses to impart upon us His wisdom, what more do we need? Buried within its eternal depths are the answers to everything, even those occasional unexpected and unwelcome things that life throws at us. There is nothing we, with His help, can't overcome. The discernment the Holy Spirit has given us is the necessary tool to understanding and applying the wisdom He chooses to give to those who ask.

God doles His wisdom out to us in predetermined increments according to the person and the need. We will never know the length and breadth of it. He is God and we are not. But He wants to share much of it with us, and I gladly embrace it when He does.

Therefore, when you go before God's throne to present your petition, follow Solomon's example and first praise Him for the things He has already done for you. Then ask Him for wisdom to discern between the waning good and the growing evil that is so predominate in this world and threatens to discourage you. That request alone will assure the ultimate answer to whatever it is that sends you there in the first place. The wisdom He blesses you with will help you understand the "why's" over the issues of life and better yet, equip you to handle the next thing that comes around.

"God’s heart, not mine, is the measure of His giving; not my capacity to receive, but His capacity to give." ~ C. H. Spurgeon

Who knows? As He did for Solomon, God may even give you a unexpected bonus for asking the right question. There is no guarantee that He will and, if that is your purpose, it would be best to rethink what you are doing. However, if He does choose to do so, count it as a blessing, then consider doing this:

Return the favor. Take the gift He has graciously given you, lay it at His feet, and ask, "What is it that I can do for You, LORD?"

Fight, Flight, Freeze...or Faith?

2011-11-08T14:17:00.004-07:00

"Often when we lose all hope and think this is the end, GOD whispers, ‘Relax, it’s just a bend, not the end.’ Have faith, keep faith, and see what God will do for you."

Someone posted the above words on Facebook the other day and it's one of those things that has stuck with me. So much so that I have found myself using it for unplanned situations that have reared up, both in others' lives and my own.

There is bottomless depth to these words. A mine full of the gems of wisdom. The problem is that we sometimes refuse to believe them when we find ourselves facing the unexpected.

If our comforts or security are threatened, our first instinct can be one of three things. We either freeze, take flight, or fight back. The "fight or flight response" theory was first described by Walter Bradford Cannon, which was later seen as too simplistic because of the expected reaction his test subject, namely zebras, employed when threatened. Thus, the additional term "freeze" was added to further explain what is common to some other creatures in the animal kingdom.

It has been determined by human behaviorists that men and women react differently to stressful situations. I'll give them that much, but did it take millions of dollars in grants and centuries of study to figure that out? They must be slow learners. Men will most commonly react with aggression and fight back. Women will flee, turn to others for help, or try to diffuse the situation. Of course, the secular world of psychology has created additional terms that describe every action or reaction regarding the "psyche" and the response man gives to certain circumstances he finds himself in. Ya gotta love 'em. But they have intentionally omitted the most vital "link" (to borrow the evolutionist's term) in their attempt to find out what makes a person tick. I hate to tell them this, but I'm not a zebra.

The evolutionist has convinced himself that we somehow rose out of the ooze and muck, left a trail of slime as we climbed up the evolutionary ladder, eventually stood up on two feet that developed over billions of years, and were suddenly struck with the realization there were other creatures from the same source, whatever that may be, who wanted to eat us. As "homosapiens" found themselves in the defensive position, somewhere and somehow the "primal instinct" to protect themselves took over, causing one of the above reactions. Thus, the answer to why we respond to certain situations the way we do.

At last! It all makes perfect sense to me!

I hope you know that I am being waggish (I just discovered that word - it means "facetious," not serious, trying to be humorous or funny). But you already knew that, didn't you. So...let's back up a little to that missing "vital term" the secular and unbelieving world refuses to acknowledge in their attempt to define the mysterious human being and how he reacts to the world around him. Strangely enough, it starts with the first letter of the other three: Faith.

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." ~ Heb. 11:1-3

There...that's better.

Do you see what the writer of Hebrews is saying? Everything was made out of nothing and came into being by God breathing out a word. This makes it understandable why we can believe in Him - that is, have faith that He existed then, now, and forevermore and that all the universe was created by Him- yet not see Him. Because He has told us so and has given us the requirement needed to understand it - faith.

Do you want more proof?

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." ~ Gen. 1:1-2

Of course, you first have to believe what He tells us in His Word (the Bible), and that requires faith that only He is able to give you. If your faith lies in anything but Him, you won't understand it and, sadly, there are those like I mentioned above that believe it's all just a fairy tale.

But back to the zebra...

As I said earlier, I'm not a zebra that, when being chased by a lion, takes off running like a rocket, zigzagging back and forth in an attempt to prevent myself from being eaten. But it doesn't mean that I haven't acted like one in the past. Or played possum as a predator stood drooling over me. I have even reacted aggressively and snarled back on occasion. These are typical reactions every human experiences. They are built into us for a reason, but so is faith, whether we choose to recognize and accept it, or not.

Every one of us has faith in something. It may be in ourselves, in others, in material things we accumulate, or idols made of wood or stone that are blind, dumb, and powerless to save us. The problem with that kind of faith is that there is no hope or real defense in it. It is misguided and causes us to place our faith in things that have no ability to bring us anything but trouble, misery, and an eternity of more of the same.

Like the zebra discovered as the lion bore down on him, being devoured by the world can be very unpleasant. As much as the secularist would like to believe that we evolved from nothing, that zebra didn't have what is innately given to man as the most important reaction to draw from: faith in an all-powerful God Who is ready and willing to make what appears to him to be an end to the road, but is just a bend with something better lying beyond it. Call it an escape route, if you will; unseen at the time, yet waiting for us to reach it.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." ~ James 1:2-3

For those of us who have been given faith, we recognize that there is always hope around the corner, even when we temporarily feel as though the road has come to a dead end. Whether it be the loss of a job, illness, family troubles, or any other circumstance life dishes out to us, after we pick ourselves back up, we are bolstered and our faith renewed by remembering these words:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~ Jer. 29:11

This isn't the Joel Osteen method of prosperity and planning your "perfect life now" (if he doesn't recant and repent, one day he will spend an eternity knowing how that zebra felt). It is faith that God's promises to us will never be broken, in spite of what may come. It is faith knowing that some of the trials or tribulations we come across in our lifetimes are often intended to strengthen that faith in Him. Even if we can't presently see Him, it is faith believing that He is always with us to help guide, teach, and comfort us when trouble does come. And it is unshakable, steadfast, secure, and fixed. One day there will be an end to the road, a final bend, so to speak. And what lies waiting for us beyond that bend will be glorious, magnificent victory over all we have endured in faith for His sake, and it will be for all eternity.

If you find yourself wanting to employ one of Mr. Cannon's useless responses, stop and think.

Don't fight - the battle is being fought for you.

Don't take flight - your Advocate is standing ready to defend you.

Don't freeze in fear - the enemy is trembling at our Savior's feet because he knows he has been defeated.

Instead, relax. God has everything under control, even that prowling lion snapping at your heels. Plow deep for what's missing; that which lies waiting for you to utilize. "Have faith, keep faith." Fool the secularists and their theories and just watch and wait to see what God has in mind for you.

I am betting the odds that the zebra comes out ahead and the lion goes home hungry.

Differences and Distinctions

2011-11-01T13:39:00.004-06:00

Wongani before Beka took him home to be with her

As most of you know by now, I have two blogs - this one and Wongani's Hope, which is dedicated to a wonderful young woman and missionary in Malawi, Africa by the name of Beka Feth and her soon-to-be-adopted son, Wongani. Beka's journey has been an incredible one and I hope you will take the time to read her story.

Beka has been going through the process of adopting Wongani. Unfortunately, what she has discovered is that it's not as easy and convenient as it was for Madonna when she adopted a child from Malawi.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Beka isn't a world-renowned secular music star like Madonna who brought international media attention over her second attempt to adopt another child.

But maybe it has more to do with the fact that Beka doesn't have the bankroll that made it possible for Madonna to adopt two children from Malawi, in spite of her not meeting the legal requirements. Madonna was able to appeal the lower court's decision, gaining approval by Malawi's Supreme Court. After all, she donated $3.8 million dollars to "help Malawi orphans with food, school, and shelter." It's clear that money and status incline the ear and persuade loose legal decisions, especially in nations as poverty-stricken as Malawi.

Only those who share Madonna's home or are intimately connected to her and the children she adopted know if the court made the right decision. It goes without saying that the children would definitely experience a "richer" life than that which they were brought out of. With her kind of money, they would never lack for anything, unless her motives were more driven towards how it would make her appear to her audience. Celebrities are motivated by "image," but it doesn't guarantee that the children will receive the quality of love and devotion they need.

What is disturbing, however, is that the second child, David, was not an orphan. His mother died giving birth to him, and his uneducated father, Yahone, was led to believe that he would still have contact with his son after the adoption. When it became apparent that his parental rights would be completely taken away from him, he attempted to stop the process. Even though Yahone was a poor potato farmer, he loved his son. But, once again, money and fame spoke louder and he was convinced to allow Madonna to take him home with her.

By the way, three years passed before Yahone was given the privilege of seeing his son. Time and distance has a way of destroying any relationship that may have been developed between them, and I'm sure that any memories of his father had been erased from David's mind.

Where does Beka Feth fit into all of this?

There is a vast difference between the two women. One is motivated by money, fame, and ungodly behavior. The other is driven by faith, trust, and a willingness to serve the LORD, even though her pockets are empty.

One was driven by questionable motives concerning adopting an orphaned child in Malawi. The other compelled by a love so deep and abiding that her heart could not be without him.

One woman used her influence and fortune to attempt to establish a $15 million school for 400 Malawian girls. The other woman relied upon prayer and her own sweat and blood, hard work and the beneficence of her family and friends to build a place of hope for all the toddlers who are thrust back into poverty once they are too old for the Crisis Nurseries.

Madonna feels $18 million isn't enough. Beka Feth is thrilled when $18.00 is placed in her hands.

One woman parades herself before the poparazzi who splay images of her walking among the orphans and destitute of Malawi for all the world to see.

The other woman, Beka Feth, quietly and humbly waits for recognition and support; never expecting notoriety, never wanting glory for herself. And when trials are thrown in front of her progress, she only asks for our prayer.

The difference between the two women is startling. Madonna is driven by altruism and her own works, seeking glory for herself. Beka is led by God to complete HIS work, giving Him all the praise and glory He expects and deserves.

Because Beka lives on hope and prayer and a meager allowance, the threat of losing Wongani is looming over her. She also doesn't meet some of the legal requirements Malawi has instituted for adoption. Recently, she was instructed by Social Welfare to secure an attorney to complete the process, and the outlook is dim.

Beka needs our help.

Let me put it this way: God requires our help. If you have read Beka's story, the evidence of His providence and His will cannot be disputed. As I mentioned in the most recent post on the other blog that outlines Beka's present need, He is fully capable of seeing Beka through this latest trial with positive results. But He prefers that we join with Him. He is looking for hearts that are after His own, hearts that are willing to dig deep and pray often.

Wongani, safely home with Beka and thriving!

Who knows? Maybe this test is as much for us as it is for Beka and Wongani. If it is, I hope you are paying attention. I am, and I am trusting the LORD to meet her needs and forever bind her to Wongani - with my help.

Please take a moment and visit Wongani's Hope. Read the update that is there. Pray, and pray some more. Then, if your heart is compelled and you have the means, please cheerfully consider helping Beka (2Cor 9:6-8).

Your gift won't be wasted or spent foolishly. It will be greatly appreciated by Beka and faithfully used for God's glory and to further His kingdom.

When Something Is Too Deep For Words

2011-10-28T11:41:00.000-06:00

If you are like me, the turmoil around the world can sometimes overwhelm you. You watch it on television, read it in the news, see it shared on a social site, or actually witness it yourself. A range of emotions can wash over you, from grief to outrage. If it sticks with you, you feel compelled to pray for the situations and the people involved.

But that's where it can sometimes stop.

Words will not come, even though you desperately understand the need for them. The images and the story spin like a whirling dervish in your mind. Discomfort grows as you struggle to form a petition to bring before God's throne. You want to express yourself, thinking that if you are unable to make your thoughts clear, He won't understand them. You attempt to frame your words in such a way that causes you to think you sound more like a frantic, babbling idiot than a sensible child running to his Father for intercession and intervention. And when you are done, you wonder if your prayer reached Him, or merely bounced off the ceiling.

I think thoughts like what I described are common with us. And we certainly know where they come from. Perhaps the adversary's greatest weapon in his arsenal is to try and draw believers away from an intimate relationship with the LORD. He knows he can't have us, but he will sure continue to try and discourage us and draw us away from God's merciful throne. He has been very successful in this endeavor over the centuries that have preceded us, turning multitudes away from the life-giving grace God has extended to all men and making His children question His continued presence in their lives. The sad part is that the enemy will continue to attempt to deceive us until he's finally defeated. Personally, I look forward with great anticipation to that day, and it can't come soon enough.

After reading two articles the other day that spoke of the total depravity of mankind and the depth of the dark pit that the world is falling into, I found myself in the condition of being speechless. "Shocked" is too mild a word. In fact, I was unable to apply any words to the emotions I felt. I was struck dumb and mute. My heart felt as thought it was being ripped from my chest as I stared in disbelief at my computer screen. Surely, what I was reading couldn't be true! But when I realized that it was, it became nearly impossible for me to express myself in prayer. Instead, I languished in utter disbelief and profound grief.

It is during times like these when something too deep, too disturbing, too depraved prevents me from forming and defining clear petitions to present to God. Paralyzed with utter dismay and astonishment, I am only able to groan with painful mourning over the condition man finds himself. At that moment, there is no earthly language that is adequate enough to express myself.

But that inarticulate sound that comes up from the depths of my soul is enough. No words are necessary. God has always been aware of what I have just come to know. It is not required of me to give Him the details, only to let Him know I am aware of it and to express my deep desire for Him to respond, even if it is in the most primitive of ways.

When I am at a loss for words, I need to remind myself of the Holy Spirit's continued indwelling presence and one of His reasons for it. If I become so weak with despair, grief, or anger and can only moan over the grievances of men, my pleas won't stop at the ceiling. He will swiftly carry them to the throne of God, express them in the heavenly language, and intercede on my or others' behalf.

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,for those who are called according to His purpose." ~ Romans 8:26-28

Knowing and believing that the Holy Spirit is there to speak for me when I cannot is enough. And it is comforting. It is a precious reminder that even my unformed words that are battering my heart, when expressed in "groanings," are heard and carried to God's inclined and willing ear.

So, if the things you see, read, or experience are just too deep for words, don't feel troubled over your inability to eloquently express yourself in prayer. Sometimes it only takes one word. But if you are unable to form even a single word, the groan that rises from your heart and escapes your lips is also sufficient and carries with it all that is necessary to be understood.

How Big Is Your Heart?

2011-10-21T11:48:00.002-06:00

Or perhaps I should ask, "How deep is your pocket and how willing are you to reach into it, regardless of the amount, and give what you find to God?"

That's a tough question. It forces us to examine ourselves, something most of us are unwilling to do for fear of what we might find there.

We want to think we have a big heart, don't we? But the truth is that most of the time we look to our own wants and needs first without giving His a second thought. Other times, we make a mental assessment of how our money and time will benefit us before giving it to God for Him to use. If there is a little left over after addressing our own comforts and desires, then we will consider giving a pittance for a cause. But only a pittance. After all, we wouldn't want to completely empty our pockets...just in case an emergency or something else more important comes up.

I am once again reminded of the rich young man who approached Jesus and asked Him how he could find the way to eternal life (Matt 19:16-24). As he patted himself on the back for his self-perceived obedience to the law, Jesus looked into his heart and revealed what was really lacking. This man's pockets were deep, yet he only did that which was legally required of him and nothing more. When Jesus told him to empty those pockets and give all he had to the poor, his unwillingness to do so was obvious as he walked away, dejected and sorrowful. The cost was far too high for him. He had no desire to rid himself of his wealth because he considered it his most prized possession and what it could do for him, not what it could do for Christ's kingdom.

The object lesson here is not that it is wrong or sinful to be wealthy. Nor does it teach us that good works will somehow gain us a toehold in heaven (Gal. 2:15-16; Eph. 2:8-10). Rather, Jesus' intention was to reveal what truly ruled this young man's heart. There is no doubt in my mind that, if his heart had been different and he had joyfully done what he was being asked, it would have been returned to him one-hundredfold (2Cor. 9:10-11). That's the message we miss in this story. Some of the blessings that are bestowed upon us are to be showered upon others in order that God will be glorified and His work completed. And when we open our hearts to generously give our time or money for His purpose, He will turn around and continue to bless us. Maybe not by refilling our pockets, but certainly in the reassurance that we aren't valuing material things above Him, and the evidence of His constant presence in our lives.

To be honest, I am no different than the rich young man, other than the fact that he had more money than I do. I can make all the excuses in the world to justify what little I do for God - a dwindling savings account, the economy, joblessness, giving to my family who really don't need it, first meeting my own comforts. But none of them satisfy the guilt I often feel when I see others in such great need. I live like a king compared to some. There are times when their hopelessness screams from the images I see or the words I read, and conviction that maybe I'm not doing enough washes over me. I consider that a good thing, though. It means that God has opened my eyes and ears and that my heart is being conformed to better serve Him. Hopefully, it's getting bigger, and my fear of being left without at my age is being exchanged while I'm still here for joy in sharing what I do have.

It goes without saying that everyone who has a hand out wanting it to be filled are not necessarily where you should give your time and money. It is also worth repeating that good works will not gain you favor with God. Those works of your own are seen by Him as "filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6) that will be burned life chafe and their ashes blown away in the wind. Only His works that we joyfully perform for Him will bring us a lasting and eternal reward. But, I would bet the ranch that somewhere there is a place or a person He has in mind that could use your help and He might be waiting for you to take the challenge.

So, how big is your heart? Five dollars, here; a pocket full of change, there?   I'm not trying to send everyone on a guilt trip. It's not my business how you spend your money, or the amount you place in the offering plate, anymore than how you think I should spend mine (2Cor. 9:6-8). But ask yourself if you really need that latte, dinner and a movie, or a bigger and better something that you think will improve your life. Look around you and count the things the LORD has already blessed you with. Then broaden your horizon and, through new eyes, look at the possibilities a dollar or two, or a few moments spent, would make in the life of someone else.

I have begun doing this merely because the LORD brought someone into my life that has caused me to reexamine how big my heart truly is. I think when He created me, a corner of my heart was reserved especially for this person. But it was slumbering until the appropriate time of my life that He had determined for me came around, then He awakened it to be used for His glory, His work. Without a second thought to what I had in my pocket, I grabbed the opportunity to be a part of His plan, even if it's only what I perceive to be a small and seemingly insignificant role.

It was all God's doing, not mine. When I think about how quickly I responded to His gentle nudge, I am left in wonder. I will say that I do have a generous heart but, in the past, I had to carefully weigh how much I would give. If the circumstances surrounding meeting this person had been different, I would probably have had mild interest and less enthusiasm, maybe making a one-time gift. But because my heart belongs to my Savior, after awakening it He began watering that small corner in my heart, making it grow and spread until it was nearly consumed with the desire to joyfully assist Him any way that I could.

That's the benefit of having your heart get bigger. It means that He is gradually molding and shaping it to reflect His own heart so that the love He has for you can be spread abroad and sown upon other hearts in need of Him.

If you are looking for a more worthy place to spend that latte money, just let me know. I am positive I can suggest an alternative.   But, if you think you have already stretched yourself as thin as you are willing to go, remember that God created our hearts with lots of extra room for more. After all, we are always asking Him to make our hearts like His, and the depth of His heart is bottomless.

Who knows? Just maybe there is a corner of your own heart in slumber and waiting to be awakened, too. Allow God to stir it from its sleep and then reach deeper to see what might be caught in the seams and lying idle at the bottom of that pocket.   Use your time and money wisely for His honor and glory. Believe me, the reward will be far greater than a fleeting moment of pleasure sipping on a latte.

Strange and Unlikely Visitors

2011-10-11T13:48:00.006-06:00

Wow...I didn't realize that this blog has suffered so much because of the necessity to write on my other blog, until I looked at the date of the latest post. I apologize to those of you who have faithfully returned to see if there is anything new. But I want you to know that the well isn't dry. Between squeezing in flurried moments of cleaning, shopping, meals, trying to stay ahead of the game, and everything else that tries to consume our daily lives, it is just pouring out its precious waters onto other pages that have a more urgent need.

Although I haven't added a new post, lately, I still check in every day. As I have mentioned before, the first place I look is at you. My traffic counter lets me see the state or nation you reside in and, if you have a blog of your own, a peak at what makes you tick.

Blogs are revealing and their intended purpose varies. Some people merely create them to keep other family members up-to-date on what's happening in their tight circle. Many have become an avenue through which a person can unload their thoughts and express themselves in ways that he or she is unable to do face-to-face with others. And then there are those who use it to elevate themselves while hiding behind an avatar of deception, those who expound upon their misguided perceptions/ideologies/philosophies, or the occasional atheist who enjoys transferring his hatred for God onto its pages.

It sometimes saddens me to see a blog writer's empty and troubled life spread so vividly for all the world to view. It is as if they are crying out for help to an audience of strangers that border on voyeurism and who could care less about the person behind the words. Their posts express a need, they long to be heard, but there is no physical hand to help lift them up and help put their focus on what really matters.

Confusion and desperation for answers is prevalent on some of the blogs I visit from my traffic counter. It is especially obvious on those which haven't been constantly maintained and updated. Their last post often reflects a void they are unable to fill; empty, meaningless, a wandering befuddled mind searching for answers, but finding none.

When I first started this blog, I had the idea that it would only be read by those of like-mind and spirit. I couldn't have been more wrong. The majority that stumbles upon this site cover a very broad spectrum of false beliefs or utter unbelief. What is most revealing about them, however, is what they lack: the One that so many of them reject or deny and that could bring them the peace and tranquility they so obviously desire.

Although I was once just like them, it is now strange for me to think that there are those who believe that their hope relies upon themselves, their own work, or a mute, deaf, and lifeless idol of wood or stone (Lev. 19:4; Psalm 31:6; Psalm 96:5; Psalm 106:36; Isaiah 2:8; 31:7; 40:19-21; 42:8, 17; 45:16, 20; 1Cor. 10:14; 12:2; Rev. 9:20). Or, worse, the belief that there is no hope at all once their lives end here. They are unlikely visitors who have unknowingly found themselves on a blog that is dedicated to the One they are searching for or Whom they have chosen to reject, a blog that I try to fill to the brim with His Word, His Ways, His will, His Truths.

I have often wondered how long my strange and unlikely visitors linger here. Do they pause and wonder what this blog is all about and spend a few moments to read the things I have written? Does any of it penetrate that diamond-hard shell that has encased their hearts? (Zech. 7:12) Or do they suddenly see that this blog is not a place they want to be and leave as empty and despairing as when they first came?

Whether you want to believe it or not, my unbelieving friends, Jesus Christ is also your LORD, your Savior, and the purpose of this blog is to point you to Him. It has been created with the hope that it will bring you to the Light of understanding, repentance, belief, faith, and trust in the One True God, Jesus Christ.

And this blog is intended for you, believer, who has been accepted into the beloved family of God, to exhort and encourage you as we await the glorious and imminent return of our LORD and Savior.

To my readers who have not yet believed this Truth, He has delayed His return because of you. His desire is that through this blog, or through another form of intervention that He chooses, you will believe He is your Redeemer and your God and will worship Him. There will be a day in the not-so-distant future when you will come to that realization. When you do, you will either gladly and joyfully bow your knee and profess Him to be LORD, or be forced to as you recognize your grievous error of unbelief and await your eternal judgment for it.

"For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written,

'As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.'

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God." ~ Rom. 14:10b-12

If you find yourself to be an unlikely visitor to this blog, I am asking you to take a few moments and thumb through its pages. It goes without saying that I am positive you will find something here to give you pause and cause you to examine yourself and where you really stand. If you are looking for answers to what life has dealt you or what lies beyond your perception of reality and eternity, there is hope contained within its words.

Read the things written here with an open mind and a willing heart. Search the Scriptures that are cited. You can even view them by hovering your mouse over the citation. After all, nothing you read here is of my own making. It is borrowed from God's own Word and His Word is trustworthy, faithful, and true. It is a seed to be planted and it will never return void of fruit when it is shed abroad on man's heart.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you." ~ Jer. 29:11-12

To all my strange and unlikely visitors, I hope you will become a "return visitor." If you do, it will tell me that you did find something or Someone you were looking for. Maybe it will even encourage you to change the reason for and the direction of your own blog.

If that happens, then you will know the true purpose for stumbling upon mine and that it wasn't just an accident.

Let me know if it does, will you?

180 Movie: I Dare You to Watch This

2011-10-01T13:17:00.000-06:00

How many times have you found yourself engaged in a lengthy and often heated conversation with someone who is pro-choice only to leave feeling more frustrated and heartbroken than you were before you began?

Anyone who values the life of an unborn child has experienced this at least once, if not more times than you can count. But there are those whose hearts are so deeply affected and grieved by the horror of abortion that to be involved in this type of conversation leads them to go to extraordinary measures to try and convince the one they are speaking to that their thinking is a grave and deadly error. Ray Comfort is one such person and he has gone the extra mile with his new video production, "180."

Those who are familiar with Ray Comfort and his off-beat but effective brand of street preaching know of his success in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you have watched the videos of Ray and his associates, like Tony Miano and Kirk Cameron, boldly approach sinners on the mean streets of southern California, or are a regular reader of his many blogs and websites, you understand and approve of his style and delivery and applaud the conviction that quite often comes across the faces of those with whom he is speaking.

Sin is sin. We all know that no one sin is greater than another in God's eyes. As Ray and the others always reinforce, if we have broken one, we have broken them all (James 2:9-11). But I can honestly say that I have rarely, if ever, witnessed the speed of conviction over the obvious sins Comfort lays out in his street witness than when the topic of abortion is presented in "180." As is displayed in this pro-life video, the results and the time it took to convict are nothing short of jaw-dropping.

I am sure there will be some who will condemn Ray Comfort for using the analogy of the Holocaust to present his case against abortion. Although the images are graphic, you will see just how effective the parallels are and how our society, especially our youth, are not being taught about important historical facts and the people who have played a genocidal role in our world. I share in his tremendous dismay and grief over the reaction he received to his initial question about who Hitler was. But Ray is successful in tying the two together because the Holocaust and abortion are equally atrocious and destructive to the sanctity of life, and both should be viewed as unmitigated and unwarranted slaughter of the innocents.

I hope you will take 33 minutes and 3 seconds to watch this video, even if you are of the mindset that you wouldn't personally abort your own baby, but feel that a woman has the right to choose for herself, or there are special circumstances that make it acceptable. As my niece wrote when she shared it on Facebook, "I dare you to watch this." You may just find that you also will take a 180 degree turn in your thinking.

That is the reason this pro-life video was produced and that's what Ray, the producers, and I are praying will happen. If our prayers are answered and your heart is changed, please share this on your own blog and ask others to do the same. Purchase a copy for mere pennies and hand it to someone you know, share it with your church, or even give a copy to a stranger.

By doing one or all of the above, together we can end abortion and give the unborn the first breath of life they deserve.

Just A Note

2011-09-28T12:47:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, I have two blogs. The second one, Wongani's Hope, has a new post, the third installment of Beka's story. I hope you'll take a few moments and visit it. If it's your first time there, you can read the whole story to date by scrolling to the bottom of the page and working your way up.

I am praying that Beka's mission will touch your heart and that you will become a "Follower" of the blog. Please leave a comment, too, so that Beka will be encouraged by your support. She's an amazing young woman and the LORD is doing marvelous work through her. We would also love it if you would share this blog with others so that others will pray for the children of Malawi.

Thanks for taking the time. Beka and I both appreciate it and we know you won't be disappointed!

In Christ's and Beka's service,

Karen

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

2011-09-21T14:29:00.002-06:00

In 1967, a R & B singer by the name of Aretha Franklin reintroduced a song that quickly became a hit. "Respect" was originally released by Otis Redding in 1965, but the two versions were uniquely different. Redding's version, a blues tune, sang about a "desperate man" pleading with a woman to respect him. Franklin's interpretation, which had a more up-beat tempo, impressed that she deserved respect, rather than begging for it, and the sexual connotations were evident in the lyrics, "sock it to me," that are sung over and over again.

The song has been touted as a "landmark for the feminist movement" and has continued to be one of the genre's greatest hits. In fact, Franklin's version continues to be profiled in movies and television, including Steven Spielberg's animated television series, "Tiny Toons" that was produced for children. "Babs Bunny," the young female rabbit in the series, lip synchs the song as the rest of the cast back her up. So much for healthy Saturday morning cartoons.

It is disturbing to think that the word "respect" has lost its original meaning, as is evident in the example above. When one considers how it was implied in the song that bears its title, the definition of the word is no longer used in its proper context to direct one how to either apply it or receive it. And I think it can be safely said that there is a general, overall disregard for the necessity of respect in today's culture, especially among our youth. They are simply not being taught the original purpose of the word and the importance of putting it into practice. Recently, I learned that lesson the hard way through a grandchild's bad behavior and disrespect, and it prompted me to write this.

Webster defines "respect" as having high regard or esteem for a particular person, idea, situation, or thing. To be "respected" is to have others display esteem upon your person, indicating that the level of authority you are conveying is worthy of the application. Everyone wants respect, some demand it, but not all of us receive it, or even deserve it, for that matter. It can also be said that we must earn respect, and this is accomplished by demonstrating to others something within us that is deserving of the honor.

However, if we take a Biblical look at the word and see how God applies it to all of us, it is possible that we find ourselves recognizing the error in our thinking and how we may have misinterpreted and misused the application of "earning" and applying respect.

One of the most troubling demonstrations of the lack of respect in our society, and a pet peeve of mine, is the refusal of young people to grant it to their elders and those of authority over them. I don't need to detail the evidence. It is glaringly obvious in every aspect of society, including the media, the internet, television, schools, and their behavior outside their homes. There's not a lot of difference between the present and what it was like when Jeremiah lamented over the sins of Israel. The youth had no respect for the elderly then, either (Lam. 5:12), and the elderly could no longer be found at the city gates where they taught and instructed them (Lam. 5:14). Children still want to challenge the authority of their parents, their teachers, law enforcement, and even their church leaders who are attempting to guide them. However, the degree to which they practice disrespect has grown exponentially since the 1960's and has become a serious problem as our youth wallow in "self".

In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus told the parable about two men, one a tax collector and the other a Pharisee, who had gone to the temple to pray. The crowd that had gathered around Him to hear the lesson considered themselves to be "righteous" and "viewed others with contempt." As Jesus told the parable, I've often wondered how many hearts understood what He was telling them. The contrast between the self-righteous Pharisee and the repentant tax collector was vivid. The LORD'S conclusion to His parable can also be applied to respect or the lack of it: "...for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The "contempt" our children have for society, their parents, their grandparents, and others who have been placed in authority over them have thrust them into a position of "exalting" themselves over others. It goes without saying that unless they are taught what true respect means, their attitude will never be replaced with a humble one. If they are living in a home where the husband has no Godly love for his wife and she doesn't respect him (Eph. 5:33), if they are working in an environment where they have no respect for their employers or their job (1Peter 2:18-19), or if they have no regard for their nation and those God has put in place to govern them (1Peter 2:13-17), then we can expect them to continue to be disobedient and stay on a pathway to destruction.

When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, the directive He gave in the fifth was aimed at the youth and included a blessing upon them if they followed it. “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you." (Ex 20:12). Honoring parents and grandparents is a form of respect that is necessary for a healthy and spiritual well-being. Without it, the child becomes selfish, disrespectful, insolent, manipulating, and demanding. And as he matures, he will carry those qualities on into every aspect of his life and pass it on to his own children, to the detriment of society as a whole.

Proverbs were penned by King Solomon as a way to instruct his children in the ways of God. The profound wisdom he impressed upon them would help them to mature into righteous and just men able to keep peace among his people, and the wisdom they would need to attain these things would be proved later in their lives. As Prov 16:31 impresses, "Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life..." and, "The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old." (Prov 20:29) Young people need to be taught that what they mistakenly perceive to be their own fair-haired "wisdom" is nothing more than an immature and disobedient way of thinking and that those with more years and experience should be respected for what they can teach them.

It's time that parents, and even grandparents, started to demand the respect they have earned through a lifetime of experience and God-given wisdom. If you were raised in a home like mine that taught you to respect your elders, even if you believed they weren't worthy of it, then you need to start teaching your children the same thing and enforcing the necessary discipline upon them when they don't. When children are taught to REFLECT Jesus Christ, they will also earn the RESPECT they desire.

It's up to you to learn what Scripture can teach you about respect, not what the secular world and its music, videos, and literature want to impress upon you. Recording artists Redding and Franklin got it wrong. Get it right and then pass it onto your children and grandchildren.

Making the Best of My Time

2011-09-15T13:40:00.001-06:00

I am learning about time management. I've never been real good at it. I can become easily distracted by other projects that appear to be more important than one I may be currently working on. I'll set one aside and re-concentrate my focus onto something else and, all the while, the first project lies waiting to be completed. Or, I'll try and juggle two or more at a time, then not be satisfied with the end results of either. When I get in this funk, there's only one direction for me to turn: God.

When I first started this blog, I had a stack of things I had written over the years that I figured would just go unread by others. I would share them with family and maybe a few close friends, but that was as far as they would go. So, when the blog needed its first posts to get it up and running, I had a good supply to draw from. As time went on, inspiration kept coming at a pretty good rate and I was usually satisfied with what was being written. But once again, the distractions of life and what appeared to be more important than keeping this blog fresh caused me to forget where the inspiration was coming from. I would acknowledge that fact, put my focus back onto the reality that God started this blog for a reason, and all would be well...at least until I needed to be reminded, again.

That's where I find myself, today. As many of you know, I have volunteered to create and administrate a new blog, Wongani's Hope, for a missionary to Malawi, Africa that I have grown to love and admire. As I frantically work to catch its readers up to what's happening with her, in the back of my mind is a nagging voice telling me to also give this blog the attention it deserves, and that the LORD expects. I believe in my heart that He wanted them both floating around in the ethernet so that others would benefit from them. Both have importance. Both are the work of His hands, as is evident when I look at my traffic counter's world map and the circles that indicate where my readers are from. He has a purpose for both blogs and it's up to me to make sure that His purpose is met.

A beloved Aunt once said, when I was fussing about getting housework done, "It'll be there tomorrow." She was right then and if she was still with us, she would be right today. The things we perceive to be of most importance in our everyday lives are actually the least important. They are things that have the capacity to overpower the tasks God has set before us. It goes without saying that we are expected to take care of the possessions and blessings He has given us, but sometimes they can be temporarily set aside for His bigger purpose. After all, there's a world out there who has never heard of Him and His Son and the reason for this blog was to introduce Him and tell of His glorious works, plans, and will for mankind.

"He made the moon to mark the seasons;the sun knows its time for setting." ~ Psalm 104:19

Just as the LORD set the seasons and established the heavens to mark time, He has also marked the time I will spend on both blogs. When I feel as though I'm overwhelmed trying to juggle both of them, and while the need for housecleaning, laundry, meal preparation, and intimate times spent away from the computer with family and friends lie in the background, I need to remember this. If I allow Him to be the Administrator of both blogs, as well as my life and all it entails, His purpose will be met.

"I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.

I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away." ~ Ecclesiastes 3:10-15

That's the best time management advice I can think of so, from now on, I'm going to make the best of the time He's planned for me and, hopefully, both blogs will reflect that.

I hope you will also go out and make the best of the time the LORD has given you and that it will honor and glorify Him, as it should.

Until next time!

Remembering the Reason Behind 9/11

2011-09-10T18:22:00.000-06:00

One of the most often asked questions following the tragedy of 9/11 was how God could allow it to happen. This question drove Americans to fill church pews in record numbers the Sunday following the terrorist attack, hoping that an answer would be provided. It goes without saying that if they had occupied the right church, they would have heard the right answer.

We find ourselves a decade after what is now seen as the most brutal attack on American soil, preparing to hold homage to those whose lives were cut short that day. The saddest part, however, is that many have forgotten what they heard from those faithful men who stood behind the church pulpits, and the pews have emptied of those who sought solace there.

The truth behind what brought this to our soil has been replaced by political correctness in its worst form: denial of the historical and Biblical facts surrounding those who carried out the attack and what God says must come next.

The following sermon was given by Pastor John MacArthur, Grace Community Church, in Sun Valley, California, on September 16, 2001. It can be said with all sincerity that his congregation heard the truth that day and if they were listening and truly wanting to hear why God would allow the attack on 9/11, they would never forget it.

I hope you will take the time to listen to both parts of the sermon. God's truth and His warnings are contained within it. May it bless you. But, more importantly, may it return your focus back onto Him, His nation Israel, and His desire for all men.

In Christ,

Karen

Come and Meet Beka and Wongani!

2011-09-08T17:18:00.003-06:00

I should begin by saying that patience has never been one of my virtues, but I seemed to have more of it when it came to creating my second blog. I was bound and determined that it would have the third-party background I wanted. Unfortunately, however, Blogger had different ideas. So after my patience wore thin (and the patience of two of my beautiful nieces, Katy and Becky, who manage their own blogs and offered their help), the urgency to get this new blog up and running overpowered what little I have been granted by God. (Hindsight makes me think that His patience was running out on me to get it going!)

With that said (and gratefully behind me!), I would like to introduce my readers on this blog to Beka Feth, missionary to Malawi, Africa, her soon-to-be-adopted son, Wongani, and the new blog created especially for the two of them!

http://wonganishope.blogspot.com/

I hope you will take the time to visit Wongani's Hope and read the introduction I have written about the nation and people that the LORD has chosen for Beka. As I explain there, it will give you a deeper perspective of the challenges that she faces in Malawi.

And better yet, I hope you will return to the blog soon and read Beka's story in her own words. I guarantee that you will fall in love with her and Wongani, as have the rest of us. And if I'm right that you will, I pray you'll become a "Follower" of the blog so you can watch her progress (which has been moving so fast that it's becoming a blur!).

Now! With that taken care of, I can refocus my attention here for a moment and get a new post up! Thank you all for your patience while I've been away. I truly appreciate your visits, more than you know!

In Christ,

Karen

A New Project In the Making...

2011-09-05T13:07:00.002-06:00

Hi, everyone!

Once again, I'm finding other things taking me away from posting on the blog. But this time, the reason is a good one.

Last May, my husband and I were blessed to be able to hear a presentation given by Beka Feth, a missionary to Malawi, Africa. Since then, the LORD has moved in amazing ways, demonstrating to us that the work she is doing is of His own making. He's also encouraging me and others to become involved in that work. Not in Malawi, but here in the States. It's been a reminder of how gloriously long is His arm!

Without going into details right now, I just wanted you to know that I am creating a blog for Beka and will also be administrating it, too. God has impressed upon me an urgency in getting it up and going, thus the reason this blog is temporarily suffering. Once it's up and running, I am confident that He'll give me the words and the time to service both blogs. Until then, however, posts here will be a tad bit infrequent.

There's plenty of stuff to read here. As I encouraged you the last time I found myself without the time to keep the blog fresh, look over the archives and "Labels" because I'm sure you'll find things you've never read.

When all the finishing touches to Beka's blog have been made, I'll share it with you here on this blog. As I said above, God is doing amazing things through her in that tiny nation, and I know you'll agree. When you see and read about her journey, I hope you'll all become "Followers" of the blog as we watch Him transform the people in Malawi through Beka.

Until then, stay tuned into this blog! I sincerely appreciate your visits and promise to keep it focused and centered on the LORD, praying that it edifies, encourages, and strengthens you until His glorious return.

For Christ's honor and glory,

Karen

Chasing After the Wind

2011-08-30T14:10:00.000-06:00

If you were to face the loss of a job, dwindling finances, and a mortgage you can't pay, how would you react? If the economy became so bleak that the necessities of life became harder to acquire, what would be your response? Despair? Hopelessness? Desperation that drives you to do whatever is necessary to cling to these things?

I would say that the majority of us react that way. The last two generations have become used to having everything they want or need, even at the expense of placing themselves in the graveyard of debt, passing it onto their children to deal with after they are gone (Eccl. 2:18-22).

Jesus said that at the time of the end, men would continue to revel and spend, in spite of the things that are happening around them (Matthew 24:37-39). If you don't believe that we are approaching His return, stop and take a look around you. Open your eyes to how you and others view life; the recreation you think you deserve, and the toys and gadgets that you think brings you happiness. Ponder the waste of time and money spent on frivolous, decadent displays of "self" which only further supports the LORD'S warnings of how men will be living their lives during that point in history.

"All is vanity," wrote Solomon in Ecclesiastes (Eccl. 1:2). Who knew this better than Solomon? He had been given riches and possessions beyond the wildest dream of any man. He asked for wisdom and God gave it to him. He reveled and spent more than the wealthiest in history (Eccl. 1:14; 2:1-3; 2:11-12). Yet, as his life drew to a close, Solomon realized that all that he had learned and acquired was nothing compared to knowing God and His will for man (Eccl. 5:6-8; cf Isaiah 49:4).

Solomon gained the greatest wisdom by acknowledging the folly of "chasing after the wind" and the results that it could bring (Eccl. 2:10-11). The wisdom God gave him, albeit not what he expected, was revealed to him at the close of his life, not while he was enjoying the benefits in his youth (Eccl. 5:18-20). I can think of no better way to end this post than to use the words of the wisest man to ever walk this earth and the summation of his life:

"Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, 'I have no pleasure in them'; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets— before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.

...The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.For God will bring every deed into judgment, withevery secret thing, whether good or evil." ~ Ecclesiastes 12:1-8, 13, 14

I encourage you to take a closer examination of the things you value. You may just end up in the same place Solomon found himself: that all he had done was chase after the wind. None of the temporal things - riches, possessions, wisdom - truly matter in the big scheme of life. It's WHO you know and obey while enjoying the benefits of His blessings on this earth that really matters. As Solomon discovered - and I hope you do, too - that kind of wisdom will bring the greatest riches, and they will last an eternity.

Sheep or Sheeple - Which One Are You?

2011-08-25T13:18:00.001-06:00

John 10:1-21

My grandkids are in 4-H. Since my 13 year old granddaughter, Ani, began three years ago, she has twice taken the Grand Champion title for the steers she has fed and conditioned. Her brother, Liam, who is going to be 11 in January, has raised pigs for the last two years and has done quite well. Kieran, brother number two who just turned 8, will be transitioning from a Clover Bud and open classes and into qualified projects next year. I'm proud of all three of them. The 4-H organization has taught them how to value livestock and the industry, and the responsibility and time and effort it takes to raise their animals.

But one animal that none of the kids will be raising during their 4-H tenure is sheep. Sheep are easy to raise and feed, and the cost of doing so is dramatically less than raising a market steer or a pig. Most parents prefer the seemingly non-offensive, less smelly, smaller animal to the larger varieties. They think that their child should start out with livestock that's easier to handle and would never harm them. They may have a point, especially for the "backyard" livestock keeper. Who doesn't love a baby lamb and their cuddly, soft, downy wool? And a well-fed lamb does produce wonderful chops! The essence of my grandkids' decision not to raise one, however, is basically due to the challenge the larger animals offer, and the lack of the same with sheep.

Let's take a look at the character and habits of sheep.

Sorry, but sheep are dumb. Sheep have a deeply embedded herd mentality. Sheep have a propensity to follow after danger, grazing with their heads down, not knowing where they're going, and not recognizing danger before it's too late. In spite of those attending them bearing the title "shepherd," it is almost impossible to drive them in the direction you want them to go. All is well as long as the lamb has company - other lambs, that is. Place a lamb skin on a wolf, and they will follow it, thinking it's another lamb. (I once had an Old English Sheepdog that could get any balking herd of sheep to follow after her because she had the appearance of a lamb - in spite of her hatred and resentment for the things.)

When the lambs are presented in the show ring, no halter, ropes, driving sticks, or canes are required. All the handler must do is place one of his or her hands under the lamb's lower jaw and the other on its rump to propel it into the position they desire. When they stop to set it up (place it in its show position), the lamb stands there, imagining that the hand that's under its jaw is preventing it from moving. My point is made: imagine an animal so dumb that it actually thinks it's tethered or unable to move where it wants because someone has a hold of its jaw. (A sheep's brain weighs 140 grams, as compared to a cow's brain weighing in at 425-458 grams. Compare both to a human brain weighing 1300-1400 grams, and that's all that needs to be said.)

Those who have no true knowledge of sheep might think, "That kid has trained that sheep well!" Even though the kids work long hours conditioning their lambs, they begin when the lambs are very young. The less-seasoned showman considers the lamb a pet and it is most often treated like one. By playing with it and keeping a hands-on approach, the lamb becomes accustomed to being handled and falls easily and submissively into the proper techniques that are required to show it in the ring. They are just simply an easier animal to raise and handle - unless you want to drive them.

Does any of this sound familiar?

It is no wonder that people are likened to sheep. The often-used pun "sheeple" is appropriate in regard to how men behave. They follow after danger with their heads down, fall into a herd mentality, and are unable to recognize a wolf in sheep's clothing (much like my old dog who fooled the sheep every time), and fail to follow after the true Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Usually all it takes for a person to be led astray is a slyly placed hand under his jaw and a little push in the wrong direction, and off he goes! Once he's in the position that the enemy wants him to be in, he remains frozen there. He isn't aware that all he would have to do to break free from that which restricts him is to cry out for his Shepherd's aid and return to Him.

There is a sheep pen that has been established by the LORD where He puts all those He has gathered. On the perimeter of that pen is a gate that He has secured and through which He leads His sheep out. They know His voice and will turn and run from a stranger. They know He is their Shepherd and will protect them. They also know that the pastures He leads them to will be lush and verdant. When one strays away from Him, He will leave the others behind to search for it. He has even given His life for His sheep. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who cares for His flock. I might even go so far as to say that the sheep that belong to Him are wise.

Unlike the foolish 4-H sheep described above, those who belong to Jesus know their Master and are faithful to Him. He has no need for restraints to keep His sheep obedient and subjected to Him. He makes no demands upon them except to love and obey Him. When His sheep know Him, the hand He places upon their hearts is gentle, not forceful. It guides them towards righteousness and holiness, perfection and peace. And eventually, Jesus will shepherd them to His eternal kingdom where they will be forever free to graze with their heads down without fear.

So, are you a sheeple or a sheep? It's a good question to ask oneself. Jesus desires to add you to His flock. Truly, there's no better place to be. And if you are one that's being held captive by the hand of deception that is only leading you astray, simply call out to Him. He's ready and willing to break that hold for you and lead you to safer pastures.

I hope I see you there.

Getting Knocked Off the -Ism and -Ist Perch

2011-08-18T12:27:00.000-06:00

If there was ever a time in history that has the propensity to confuse and befuddle Christians with excessive terminology, it's in this generation. And the biggest problem with all the "isms" and "ists" that are being passed around is the division that is caused when differing viewpoints are debated - usually hotly and with little or no regard to the commonality Christians do have with each other: belief in Jesus Christ and His Gospel of salvation in its fullness.

The "5 Points of Calvin-ism"..."Arminian-ism"..."dispensational-ism"..."preterist"..."pre-mid-post-millenialist"...and every other "ism" and "ist" that can stir up and muddy the waters of the Gospel message reminds me of the photo I've attached to this post. We have become a bunch of different types of birds, each jostling for space on a narrow perch, and all singing discordant tunes that are out of harmony with each other. This does nothing more than bring dissension among believers and a stubborn drive for each bird to make his position the only valid and legitimate one and to guarantee he remains on the perch.

Of course, then we have those who label themselves with cute hyphenated versions of "-isms" and "-ists" like silly little school girls. The "Calvi-dispy" crowd and others remind me of immature children who form their own private little club. In order to become a member, one must jump through the hoops these elitists have erected, learn the lingo, and agree completely with them. If not, you have no hope of becoming part of this intimate and divinely inspired group and you're knocked off their perch.

This is not to say that I don't have my own convictions on these important doctrines, and most of those convictions are in line with the -ist and -ism crowd (minus half a point). What I am saying is that all too often our approach comes across as arrogant and argumentative, rather than with gentle instruction and a desire to help others see their errors. We become exclusive, wanting only to associate with those of like-mind. We bar the door of our tight-knit, hand-selected, little group from those with differing opinions (and often misguided ones) and then gossip among ourselves about their ignorance. Believe me. I have witnessed this.

Should this be the way we, as Christians, behave?

It goes without saying that no one wants to deal with a trouble-maker. Someone who inserts himself and attempts to cause division should be removed and handed over for the LORD to discipline, if that be His will. But to merely turn your vitriol on someone who has the wrong understanding of a particular doctrine, and who may be quite capable through the intervention of the Holy Spirit working through you in coming to a right understanding, is the wrong way for us to behave.

Who are we to decide for God who should be the recipient of that understanding? Is He not Sovereign in His choices? Has He not given us the means and the knowledge to share with others what we do know and a clear mandate to accomplish it? For us to hide our "lamp" under a "jar" is for us to also hide the Light of Christ that gives understanding and reveals the hidden and hard things. The knowledge that has been given to us and the understanding we have should be put on a "stand so that those who enter may see the Light." (Luke 8:16) By employing Jesus' instructions, the goal of reaching unity in common belief is more easily attained, thereby keeping peace in His body of believers instead of us acting like a bunch of squabbling birds fighting over position on the perch.

It is no small wonder that so many refuse to hear the Gospel when they see us fighting amongst ourselves over "-isms" and "-ists." How is that furthering the Truths of God? At best, all we are accomplishing is proving the unbeliever correct in his assessment: hypocrisy, arrogance, pride, and a stubborn determination to always be right are still very much present in the Church.

Like those who have gone before us have discovered, there will come a time when we all will be amazed (and probably ashamed) at how much we may have missed the mark regarding certain doctrines. None of us should think that we have all the right answers. If we do, we're only fooling ourselves and placing ourselves in the precarious position of being knocked off our self-elevated perch. There is only One with ultimate wisdom regarding these issues and He will determine how and when we come to a full understanding of them in His own way.

Although I am in agreement with many of my brothers and sisters regarding certain tenets of belief, I will humbly reserve sufficient space for God to correct and instruct me when He deems it necessary, even if it's through another. The ironic part about it is that I believed these things before I even knew they had a name with a suffix attached to their end. I didn't need to bog my mind down with -isms and -ists in order to understand them. They came with the Gospel, and that was enough for me. The most important thing I can do for Him right now is to allow Him to lead me in how I share what He's given me to others with less knowledge so that they, too, may benefit from His wisdom.

God knocked me off my self-elevated perch a long time ago, and I cannot express the gratitude I have for that lowering of myself. Every once in a while I try and climb back onto it, but I'm beginning to see that the view is much better down here, at least until I reach the level of wisdom He desires for me. If I do have a position on that perch, it's one that He has ordained for me, not one I've chosen for myself.

So, enough with the "-isms" and "-ists" - at least for a time. They only benefit mature believers in furthering their understanding of God's purpose and will by digging deeper into His Word. There's a world of unbelievers out there who need to hear the Gospel of salvation in its purest form: simple and direct with nothing left to conjecture or debate, and nothing that will confuse or distort their understanding of it. Once they have that firmly planted in their hearts, the rest will come by the Holy Spirit's intervention and instruction.

Are You a Mary or a Martha?

2011-08-14T15:03:00.000-06:00

But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

Luke 10:40-42 ESV

This is an easy question for me to answer. There's no doubt that I'm a Martha.

I want to be a Mary, but I find it difficult to allow others to serve me. Instead, I charge headfirst into making sure that the comforts of others are met before my own, and the end result is usually exhaustion and regret that so much of my time I was allowed to be with them was wasted on making sure things ran smoothly.

This summer has been filled with visiting friends and relatives. I looked forward to them coming, even for a day or two, but my excitement quickly dissipated as I found myself fussing over them and worrying that every moment was filled with making sure their needs were met. Unlike Martha who complained that Mary failed to help her, I felt I needed to do it all so that my visitors' vacations would be memorable ones full of fun and relaxation. Therefore, I missed out on a lot because of my predisposition to try and handle everything, including my six grandbabies and two of my son's fiance's young girls running in and out and meeting their demands.

It didn't take me long to realize I was actually worse than Martha!

Mary had it right. She also had the best seat in the house: at Jesus' feet. She knew her time with Him was going to be short and wanted to take advantage of every second of the time she had to spend with Him. As I look back on the last month, I realize that I missed out on the enjoyment I could have experienced with my family because I refused to sit down with them and let come what may. Unlike Mary, I failed to choose the "good portion," those times of reminiscing, memory building, and laughter that comes with the precious time we spend with those who live far away and are only able to visit once in a great while. The photos I took should have been a reminder of the good times. Instead, they are a reminder of how brief those intimate moments were because of my frantic desire to serve my loved ones, and the regret I feel for having done so.

Unfortunately, I will probably continue to be a Martha - at least most of the time. It's just the way I'm equipped, wanting to make sure that everyone's needs are met. But the next time I'm given the gift of having my family surrounding me, I'm going to strive real hard to be a Mary and treasure each second with them.

I'm going to sit down and let my family gather around my feet. I'll let the dirty dishes and clothes pile up and the wet towels hang out on the line. I'll try and turn a blind eye to the messes that build, knowing they can be dealt with later. I'll accept the offer of help from the other adults that I so often refuse. And as my grandchildren run rip-shod over my space, I'll smile to myself as their mischievous antics are buried deeply in my heart to recall at a later time when they are away from me.

I thank the LORD for blessing me with time to be with my family, even if I didn't utilize it they way I probably should have. He has reminded me that the "good portion" of simply being in and enjoying their presence is the absolute best place to be. The wonderful memories of them that He's buried deep in my heart, regardless of how brief, can never be taken away from me, and I will treasure them forever.

I'm Still Here!

2011-08-02T12:53:00.000-06:00

Once again I find myself trying to balance the summer projects, visiting friends and relatives, chasing after grandchildren, and this blog. It may appear that my interest in it is waning, but nothing could be farther from the truth. I'm still here!

I usually try to post something new at least every three days. Although I have many new ideas rolling around in my head, even some titles in the draft file waiting for inspiration, there just aren't enough "quiet" moments without interruptions to complete them.

So, if you are looking for something to read, I'd love it if you searched through the archives under "Labels". There just may be something there you haven't read in the last two and a half years this blog has existed, or something you did read that you'd like to read again! Sometimes I go back and read them as if it's the first time. I hope you do, too, and find what you're looking for.

The summer is coming to a close here in our mountain valley. It won't be long before precious family we don't see often enough go back to their own homes, 4-H projects are completed and this week's fair concludes, and I am left to wonder what I will do with myself, as is so often the case. It's been a wonderful summer full of renewal and building memories. I will cherish each moment that's passed.

Keep checking back. Those rare moments of opportunity to write do come - once in a while. Until then, continue to have a great summer and may God bless each and every one who drops by.

In Christ,

Karen

When the Wrong Use Of a Word Becomes a Lie

2011-07-25T12:53:00.000-06:00

The wrong terminology can have devastating effects, especially when used by political factions with an agenda. If the incorrect usage of a word is intentionally perpetuated, it's not long before people everywhere are indoctrinated to believe it's application is correct. It becomes a form of brainwashing with the intent of convincing the masses to think and move in a particular direction. And there's always someone or something that is adversely affected - like Israel.

When I Googled the phrase and image "occupied territory," the results were staggering but not surprising. First and foremost, Israel and its "occupation" of the West Bank and Gaza Strip glaringly stood out at the top of the long lists of websites and definitions. One such site, Wikipedia, defines the phrase in the following way:

Occupied territory is territory under military occupation. Occupation is a term of art in international law; in accordance with Article 42 of the Laws and Customs of War on Land (Fourth Hague Convention); October 18, 1907,^[1] territory is considered occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army. The occupation extends only to the territory where such authority has been established and can be exercised. At the end of a war, usually the victorious side is in possession of territory previously possessed by another state. This territory is known as occupied territory. Acquisition of occupied territory is incidental to a war, where the military forces of the occupying power come into the possession of territory previously held by another state. Occupation is usually temporary; and under the subsequent articles of the Hague convention (articles 43, 44, and etc.), and the Fourth Geneva Convention the status quo must be maintained pending the signing of a peace treaty, the resolution of specific conditions outlined in a peace treaty, or the formation of a new civilian government.^[2]

^{Wikipedia follows this definition up on another of its sites by describing the "Israeli-occupied territories" on its borders, citing the United Nations' (UN) Security Counsel Resolution 242 following the Six Day War in 1967, and demanding that Israel withdraw from the territories it has "occupied" and initiate "termination of all claims or states of belligerency." Wikipedia further adds that the UN demanded Israel show "respect for the right of every state in the area to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries." (emph. mine)}

^{To this day, the on-going so-called "peace process" that has consumed American Presidencies since Jimmy Carter (whose writings, actions, and speech have revealed his true feelings for Israel and the Jews, and is an embarrassment to our nation) has remained stagnant with no equitable solution in sight. All of the posturing in front of the cameras and hand-shaking between Israel and the Arab world, with each succeeding President standing between them, are merely a front to give the impression that "respect for the right of EVERY state in the area to live in peace" is not a possibility, but a pipe dream.}

^{The so-called "Palestinians" are seen as the victims and Israel is seen as the aggressor, keeping the Arabs living among them subjected to poverty with no state of their own. Forget the fact that Israel, which is the size of the state of New Jersey, is bombarded on a daily basis with the terror of incoming rockets into her towns and cities, suicide bombings, and the vitriolic hatred of the world. Because of the perpetuation of a single phrase and the indoctrination of the world's population into believing it, when the wrong use of a word or phrase becomes a lie, the world will not recognize it as such.}

^{The following video is provided by One Jerusalem, an organization dedicated to retaining the city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel; no divisions, no compromise. If you want to know the truth about the phrase "occupied territories" and the true history behind the West Bank, watch it. After you do, let's all start using the right term in relation to the on-going dispute over the land of Israel and Who really owns it.}

"For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of My people and My heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up My land, and have cast lots for My people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it." (Joel 3:1-3 ESV)

Don't Taunt My God

2011-07-21T13:30:00.021-06:00

(This was first posted in May of 2009 and written by my sister, who has contributed a few times to the blog. One of her passions is for the unborn and the sanctity of life. We need to encourage her to contribute more often! I hope it also encourages you to stand up for God in today's battles as young David did against Goliath. ~ Karen)

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." Revelation 3:15, 16 (NASB)

When you think about it, there are not a lot of things that are good lukewarm. In fact I would challenge you to name even one. Well, I don't really want to take that bet but you know what I mean. Food is usually best if it is hot or cold. Mmmmmm. Cold milk, cold watermelon, compare those to lukewarm milk, lukewarm watermelon. No comparison.

Today, we as Christians tend to be lukewarm when it comes to issues that we need to take a stand on. Normally it's fear that drives us to sit on the fence. We certainly wouldn't want someone to think that we are judgmental or one of those religious nuts would we? So, we either allow the world to skew the truth in our minds or we don't say anything at all for fear of retribution.

Take the abortion issue for instance. How many times have you heard this statement when a friend or acquaintance is explaining their stance on life? "Well, I consider myself pro-life because I would never do that. But I don't want to push my views on anyone else. So I believe abortion should be between a woman and her doctor and her family. It should be legal."

Here is my answer to that person: " Um, excuse me, but how can you be pro-life if you would stand back and allow the systematic murder of our most innocent and vulnerable? This is one of the most picture perfect examples of being lukewarm. Do you think as a Christian that Jesus is pleased with your answer?" There it is. Fear of looking judgmental. Fear of looking too radical. Who cares what the truth is? Who cares that the world in its self centeredness and sin is taunting the Living God.

That brings me to the following story. We've all heard it, but have we really?

For about the last 3 months or so, our adult Sunday school has been studying 1Samuel 17. The story of David and Goliath. Our teacher has challenged us to really dig for the reason that God put this story in His bible. Growing up, and even until the last few months, I was like most people and saw it as a story of the little guy going up against the big mean guy and prevailing. I saw it as a story of courage and faith. All of that is true. But I missed the big picture.

For 40 days and nights the armies of Israel were being taunted by a Philistine warrior named Goliath. We all know he was big. Most scholars put him at about 9ft. 6in., give or take. Truly, I don't care about an inch or two here or there. This was a large scary man. He was also covered from head to toe with the latest in armor and had a shield-carrier who walked out before him. He carried a javelin which probably weighed around 30 lbs. and he could fling it because of the way it was made. He also carried a large sword. Well, Israel was terrified. Shaking in their boots so to speak. Goliath was asking for someone to come and fight him. "Hey guys, if you win (yeah right) we'll be your slaves; if we win you come and be ours." King Saul had even offered his daughter and basically no taxes for the man who would go out and take him on. No takers. Until David enters the picture.

Small of stature, young, just a shepherd, never been a warrior before. Dad had sent David to find out how his brothers were doing on the front and to take some provisions to them. About the time he got to the battle front to greet his brothers, David heard the taunting coming from Goliath. He saw the army of Israel turning and running. He was asked, "Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he has come to defy Israel." He also heard what Saul would do for the man who took this giant on. Now listen to this: David says, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the Living God!!?" I love this man. He has a heart for God. Did you hear what he was saying?

The story doesn't stop here. Satan starts his wicked work. The attempt to discredit starts. One of David's older brothers, Eliab, says to David, "Why have you come down? (You little pipsqueak), And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? (Yeah, you and your nothing little job). I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle." David says, "What have I done now? Was it not just a question?" So he goes to King Saul. Man, oh man. King Saul sees this inexperienced, small youngster and tries to discourage him from the battle also, but David doesn't give in. Finally Saul relents and gives David permission to go out and fight Goliath.

BUT FIRST let's try on this armor. Doesn't fit. Won't work. But it doesn't stop David. He goes out, gets 5 smooth stones (Goliath had 4 sons. He knew he only needed one for Goliath) and says to Goliath, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into our hands." Well, we all know the end of the story.

So, about now you are saying to yourself, "where is she going with this?" My question to you is this: was David lukewarm? Who was his first love? Who was He fighting for? We need to ask ourselves these questions when faced with our Goliaths. Do we run from the fight or do we go to it knowing that our God is fighting for us? Do we tell the truth when faced with the lies of this world or do we run from it? Do we allow the world to taunt the Living God with horrors like abortion, or do we pick up our little pathetic slingshots and our few stones and allow our God, the fiercest of warriors, to sling them for us? He wants to use us like He used David. He wants us to be like David, a man after God's own heart. But to do that, we must be hot for Him.

This is a rallying cry for all of you out there who love God, who are tired of the taunting from the world. I'm not afraid, and there is One Whom I do not want to offend.

The Cost of Faithfulness

2011-07-15T11:50:00.021-06:00

(I thought I would re-share this with you. Written over a year ago, it's a reminder of the cost we may pay for our faithfulness to Christ. I hope it encourages you.)

As I sat down to study and read my devotionals this morning, my mind was still heavy over the loss of an old friend last night. By loss, I mean he decided to delete me from his Facebook friend list. I have known him for almost 40 years, we went to school together and when we reconnected on FB, it was a pleasure to know he seemed to be the same sweet person I remembered. But time has a way of changing people in ways we can't fully understand.

My friend and I had both changed, which is a good thing from certain perspectives, because I needed to change, as I'm sure he did. We had matured and grown but most importantly at a specific time in our lives, had received and embraced convictions that now mastered our lives. As we went on reestablishing our once-solid friendship, we were able to disagree over some things and still love and respect each other. But it appeared that another change was beginning to be revealed that my friend found he couldn't, nor wouldn't, tolerate. It was this that caused a tear in the fabric of our friendship, one that pulled at the threads of reason and truth and brought damage to it. Whether or not it can ever be mended is not clear to me at this point. But I still cling to a thread of hope that it can and after going into God's Word and receiving confirmation and peace over the conflict, I must leave it all in the Lord's hands to sort out.

Christ once said, "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." (Luke 12:49-53)

Jesus could have further added that there would also be division between friends because there would be those who would refuse to believe what others would bring them in the way of the truth of God's Word. They would reject it and, perhaps, respond with willful separation from their family or friends and turn to others they have surrounded themselves with who bring them a false and destructive message.

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, THEY will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. THEY will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." (2Tim. 4:3-4 - emph. mine)

People such as those mentioned in Paul's exhortation to Timothy are not thrust upon those who refuse to hear the truth. They are unable to infiltrate a church or a heart that is divinely guarded and protected by God. Instead, they are invited in or sought out by the ones who want their ears tickled because of their desire to create a god of their own choosing rather than the God of the Bible. The message these false teachers bring is more pleasing to their sense of fairness, individual responsibility, and what they, themselves, desire from God. Rather than believe the truth that is being told them, they prefer the "myths" of sly, malevolent, untruths that appease their conscience and allow them an excuse for every aspect of their lives and how they live them. In other words, THEY choose to "exchange(d) the truth of God for a lie" (Rom. 1:25) with conscious willfulness and blatant disregard for the true message they have received.

We have a tendency, whether we consciously know it or not, to compromise God's truth in order to prevent dissension or division. After all, who wants to lose a valued friend or loved one over an argument? But it goes much further than simply wanting to maintain a relationship with someone you cherish by avoiding conflict. If we are who we claim to be, that is Christ's chosen, then we have a responsibility to obey His command that we "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matt. 28:19), and to "be prepared in season and out of season [to] correct, rebuke, and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction" (2Tim. 4:2) those who are being grossly misled. There should never be compromise when it comes to preaching or teaching the Word of God. We must choose whom we will serve, God or man, and remain firmly grounded on His truths.

The cost of remaining faithful to God can seem devastating to us at times. It can mean being isolated from the ones we love here on earth, being castigated as "hateful", "mean", "self-righteous", or a host of other accusations. It can cost us friendships. But I think Oswald Chambers in today's devotion from "My Utmost For His Highest" speaks loudly of our responsibility to our Creator in how far we must go to assure God we are doing our best for Him, in spite of what may come out of it. It's where I want to be and how I want my God to see me: faithful to Him regardless of the cost.

"The Price of Vision"

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord." Isaiah 6:1

"Our soul's history with God is frequently the history of the 'passing of the hero.' Over and over again God has to remove our friends in order to bring Himself in their place, and that is where we faint and fail and get discouraged. Take it personally: In the year that the one who stood to me for all that God was died - I gave up everything? I became ill? I got disheartened? or - I saw the Lord?

My vision of God depends upon the state of my character. Character determines revelation. Before I can say, 'I saw also the Lord,' there must be something corresponding to God in my character. Until I am born again and begin to see the Kingdom of God, I see along the line of my prejudices only; I need the surgical operation of external events and internal purification.

IT MUST BE GOD FIRST, GOD SECOND, AND GOD THIRD, UNTIL THE LIFE IS FACED STEADILY WITH GOD AND NO ONE ELSE IS OF ANY ACCOUNT WHATEVER (emph. mine). 'In all the world there is none but Thee, my God, there is none but Thee.'

Keep paying the price. Let God see that you are willing to live up to the vision."

To Christ be all the glory, honor, and praise! And may our Lord and Savior have our complete devotion, in spite of the cost!

Remember Them

2011-06-30T11:45:00.000-06:00

"Does God judge the apparent foolishness of a particular Christian witness and the absence of immediate, tangible fruit? Or does He look at our intent, our heart, our desire to follow Jesus' mandate in the great commission?"

The words of Tom White, Director of The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), in the July newsletter brought conviction upon me as I read about the heroes I so often forget. I say "heroes" because that's exactly what our brothers and sisters are who face persecution in ways that most of us in the west are unable to understand or comprehend. It's not enough to just read about them once a month. They must be remembered and the images of their faces and their stories burned upon our hearts with a scorching iron as a constant reminder that "there, but for the grace of God, go I."

Many churches in the United States refuse to stand with organizations like VOM who choose to enter the spiritual battle against the dark forces that hold believers in chains. They look upon them as violators of the laws of the states in which these people reside, preferring instead to remain neutral in order to keep what they consider a peaceful relationship with the heads of these oppressive nations. They choose to forget the words of our LORD Jesus Christ when He sent His disciples out to carry His message of salvation to a world lost in sin and the warnings He gave them that persecution would most certainly come upon them.

"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for My sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles..." (Matthew 10:16-18)

Often, the restrictive or hostile nations allow certain denominations to remain, mainly because of the compromise these churches maintain with them. To me, it becomes obvious they have little regard for the command they've been given by Christ to make disciples of all nations. Instead, they align themselves with those who oppress the very people whom they are sent to minister unto and forsake the Gospel. Even more obvious is their refusal to heed the LORD'S admonition regarding what His purpose was in sending them out and what He expects from His followers:

"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 10:34-39)

The people we read about in VOM's newsletters are living the LORD'S words and the sting of the "sword." And they are "worthy," not only in the context of Christ's words, but also "worthy" of our recognition. Their understanding of this passage in Scripture is a brutal reality to them as they are forced from their homes and possessions, their jobs, their villages and towns, and the pain they feel as their families and friends turn their hatred of Jesus upon them. Many are left with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the faith that sustains them. Far too many suffer physically, often by the hands of their own family. And a multitude have died horrible deaths because of their refusal to deny Him.

You may call them "foolish" if you believe they are. You can disagree with their willingness to violate the man-made religious laws of their nations and condemn them for doing so. You can sit back in complacency, apathy, and condemnation, preferring to be obedient to your own selfish dictates. Or you can stand with them in solidarity and faithfulness to Jesus Christ. You can pray that their tireless work for the LORD will bear "immediate, tangible fruit" that will bring honor and glory to Him.

When the time comes for God's faithful to receive their reward, whose do you think will be greater? You by your refusal to stand with and defend the persecuted church? Or will it be those who are daily taking up their cross, in spite of what they may suffer, and are fulfilling the Great Commission as mandated by the LORD? Those who fight against the persecuted church through compromise with the enemy do nothing more than bring increased persecution. The cost to believers in these nations is great. But what is even greater is the cost brought about by those who stand in opposition to the persecuted. They have inflicted great damage upon the LORD and His kingdom through their ignorance and blatant refusal to make disciples by fearlessly following their example.

"For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38)

I pray the same conviction I felt from my failure to always remember will also become yours. Not just when you're reminded on occasion, or once a month from VOM's newsletter, but always. Our brothers and sisters in hostile and restricted nations are asking from us the same thing Paul asked the Ephesians:

"Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." (Ephesians 6:19-20)

May the "heroes" who "fearlessly" stand for Jesus Christ remain faithful and obedient in the face of their oppressors. And may they remember the words of encouragement from the LORD when they do:

"So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 10:26-33)

And may we, their brothers and sisters around the world, remember them in prayer and help bear the burden of their cross for our LORD Jesus' sake, and for His eternal kingdom.

Just Wait Until Your Father Gets Home!

2011-06-26T14:00:00.000-06:00

These words heard by nearly every child born on this earth were intended to strike dread in them and the anticipation of a trip to the woodshed. They were perhaps some of the most remembered words uttered from my mother’s mouth. But, Mom wasn’t short of her own switches. She was quite capable of doling out immediate punishment if the need arose.

In fact, there was a time when part of the punishment consisted of Mom making us go out to the backyard and cut our own thin branch from a tree. You know the kind. They were smaller than the diameter of a pencil, about two feet long, and made a high pitched buzz as they came whizzing through the air towards your backside. Mom would place it on top of the refrigerator where it was handy and a constant reminder that her eye was on us. My sister once took it upon herself to remove it and break it into pieces while Mom wasn’t looking. Her efforts to dispose of it brought further wrath and she was promptly marched to the backyard and told to cut another one. We quickly learned that Mom’s supply of switches was endless.

However, Dad’s preferred choice to mete out discipline for extremely bad behavior was his belt. It never came off his waste unless the offense was a serious one and a life lesson was in order. A quick slap on a bare behind ultimately got our attention and prevented us from repeating our mistake. But the sound of Dad marching down the hall to our bedroom where we waited, and the jingle of his belt buckle as he whipped the belt from his pant loops, usually had us crying and repenting before he entered the room. And, as was most often the case, his heart would melt at the sight of us and words would replace the sting of the belt.

My husband once told me that his father went to a tanner and had a strap made with my husband’s name on one side and his sister’s on the other. His Dad would hang it in obvious sight as a constant reminder that, even though he was gone quite often, it would be readily available when he got home.

As children growing up in a large immediate family, we were sure to engage in activities with our cousins that would get the adult’s attention and the need for discipline. My father’s middle sister, Donna, was especially quick to catch us and mete out our deserved punishment. When I was four or five years old, a group of us had uttered a word that seemed harmless at the time, but raised the ire of my Aunt. She herded us together and made us sit in a line on the front porch. Standing before us and delivering a stern lecture on why the word we used was not appropriate, a bar of soap was whisked out from behind her apron. As she marched down the line like a drill sergeant, she accurately and efficiently shoved the bar of soap into each of our mouths. The taste of the soap lingered in my mouth for what seemed like days and it was a long time before the word ever again crossed my lips.

By today’s standards, many would think my siblings and I were harshly abused. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, if my parents had known about some of the stuff we had gotten away with, I am sure they would have put us under lock and key. Either that, or Dad would have needed a new belt every few months and Mom would’ve run out of limbs to cut switches. We were well-behaved kids, respectful and polite. But we were also typical kids with a bent towards mischief and curiosity.

During the generation I was growing up in, it was expected that kids be disciplined for bad behavior. We could not get away with much. The small town we lived in was close-knit and everyone’s eyes were on us to make sure we stayed the well-behaved kids they expected us to be. As with any small town in the 1950’s and 60’s, there was the average knot head that was always getting into trouble, and everyone knew it. But the community was ready and willing to step in and help turn the kid around.

As my sister and I were raising our own children, we were at a family BBQ and the Aunt who wielded the bar of soap was present. We sat and watched as our kids tore around the yard with their cousins and raised all sorts of Cain. At one point, both my sister and I caught the kids misbehaving and both of us spoke to them at once. For some reason, they did not appear to hear us, even though we felt that we had used our best you-better-stop-that-right-this-minute-or-you’re-in-trouble voice.

Our Aunt began to laugh at us. She informed us that the tone and tempo of our command sounded more like a wimpy plea rather than a demand to stop what they were doing. So, thinking her experience and maturity could provide us with some insight, we asked her to demonstrate. Rising to the challenge, she looked straight at the kids and in a low and threatening voice, and words I fail to remember, told them to cease and desist at this moment - or else. To our amazement, they did! My sister and I were stunned. What was the difference between how we had reprimanded the kids and the method my Aunt employed? It had to be the bar of soap. We were certain she still carried one around with her and our kids must have known it.

I am one among many who believe that today’s children could use some old-fashioned discipline. A trip to the woodshed or a march to the backyard for a good switch does no harm as long as the one doing the disciplining keeps a clear head as to why he has to do so. As Proverb 23:13-14 wisely instructs us: “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.” And as God did with the children of Israel, when my own kids misbehaved to the point of needing restraint, I always followed up with an explanation as to why they received their punishment. Just as I knew my parents and Aunts and Uncles loved me, my children also knew I loved them in spite of what I had to dish out.

If we would only take a moment and look closely at the behavior of children being raised in today’s disrespectful environment, we would see a vast difference between them and the ones who are being taught Biblical values and morals. In God’s infinite wisdom, He watched as His children misbehaved and wandered away from His truths. His response was always to bring out the rod of discipline in order to turn their heads back around. And as Proverb 22:6 points out, if we employ His will by raising our children the way He desires, they will carry these lessons with them for the rest of their lives. I am proud of my two sons who are now grown with children of their own. Each matured into honest, respectful, and respected men who applied the lessons they learned to their lives. The values that were instilled in them as children have been handed down to their own children in spite of the world’s dogged effort to convince them otherwise. And I can assure you that neither son bears emotional scars for having been occasionally spanked when they grossly misbehaved.

Our children must learn that there are consequences for their actions. Instead of putting a child into “time out” or attempting to “reason” with a willful and stubborn individual as he kicks and screams, the rod of correction is usually more successful. The sting of a switch lingers far longer than a feeble attempt to sweetly reason with a child. I have watched my children, my grandchildren, and others' children gleefully skip away after a verbal reprimand, learning nothing except that they got away with whatever it was to bring it.

This generation is sadly failing Parenthood 101. Parents today have this misguided idea that children must freely express themselves and are simply trying to figure out their identity and individuality. There is less quality time and instruction spent with their children and we are seeing a surge in bad behavior and violence as the result. Parents want to be their childrens friend rather than their parent, guide, and teacher; leaving them to their own devices and careening towards disaster and failure as adults.

“Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.” (Proverbs 22:15) God has given us a clear and sane reason why parents should turn to the rod of discipline more often. Born into sin, our children are empty vessels when they enter the world. It’s up to us to choose how the child is filled. If we leave them to themselves and the influence of the world, we can be assured the contents will spell trouble and dismay. “The rod of correction imparts wisdom; but a child left to himself disgraces his mother…Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul.” (Proverbs 29:15, 17)

In the twelfth chapter of Hebrews, the author speaks of the benefit of God’s discipline and the parallel between our earthly father’s need for it and the infinite wisdom of our heavenly Father’s rod of correction. The type of discipline we employ with our children should be considered nourishment to their souls. It awakens their conscience and instructs them on Godly behavior. It equips them with the necessary tools to live productive and value-filled lives. “Because the Lord disciplines those He loves…,” so should our chastisement be done out of heart-felt love and desire to see our children mature into responsible adults and decent, law-abiding citizens. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (v 11)

I learned a valuable lesson from the Aunt who had the bar of soap and who commanded attention when she spoke. My husband used to tell our sons that everything they did reflected back on us and how we raised them. If I had chosen to ignore the wisdom my Aunt had to offer and the lesson behind my own parent’s discipline, I’m sure trouble would have come more often.

As I look at today’s society, I have to question how some people were raised and whether they ever heard the words, “just wait until your father gets home”. One day our Father will come home, and this time, He won’t hesitate to bring out His eternal rod of discipline and apply it where necessary.

If you need any help, I have a good, sturdy tree full of switches in my backyard.

Book Review: Dug Down Deep: Building Your Life On Truths That Last, by Joshua Harris

2011-06-22T12:04:00.003-06:00

Whether you are an unbeliever seeking answers for the first time, or a seasoned Christian needing a refresher course, this book contains something for you.

By drawing on his and his family's own life experiences and shortcomings, Joshua Harris effectively causes us to consider what the foundation of our faith is built upon. Is that foundation on dangerous ground, or does it stand on the Solid Rock, Jesus Christ, and His Gospel of Grace?

Harris begins by gently defining the often troublesome catchwords that can sometimes confuse or trip up those who are trying to build a solid relationship with the Lord: orthodoxy, doctrine, theology, justification, sanctification, to name a few. His simple and direct approach leaves his readers with a clear and basic understanding that all of the above are vital in creating what is required for a good foundation on which to build your faith.

As I moved through the book, I found myself wanting to linger and contemplate Harris' words. I applied them to myself and realized my own failings or lack of consideration on certain points. Perhaps the most convicting was the final chapter, "Humble Orthodoxy", and how we relate to others. Harris convinces us that, in spite of our perceived level of maturity in Spiritual Truth, fervent study, and determination to be "right", "Every one of us will have a lot to apologize for."

The "non-essentials", those things that divide and cause dissension among believers and reside outside of God's grace (which is the only thing that really matters), will ultimately be answered in Heaven by the One with all the answers. Harris concludes that we will all find out how wrong we were about them and how little they mattered in relation to the bigger picture: Jesus Christ and His work to secure our salvation.

If you need a good book for your summer reading list, I recommend you add "Dug Down Deep". It's poignant, thought-provoking, Truth-filled, and often humorous. You may not agree completely with Harris (as I did with a particular point in Chapter 9), but one thing you will find yourself doing is picking up your shovel and digging down to the bedrock of your faith in Jesus Christ.

I can't think of a better way to spend your summer.

(Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. Please visit their website and rank my review. Thank you!)
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/view/9843/bmc:4

Small "g" or Big "G"

2011-06-17T11:46:00.001-06:00

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain..."

Exodus 20:7

The above commandment is perhaps one of the most ignored in Scripture, even by professing Christians.

Forget the fact that unbelievers freely misuse the LORD'S name without forethought on a regular basis. Their abuse of it demonstrates their ignorance of the One Whom they are blaspheming. You can almost forgive them for it because of their lack of understanding. However, those who claim to know God don't have an excuse for their gross negligence of His command and the disrespect they demonstrate by blaspheming His Holy Name.

I recently listened to a portion of a sermon that had been posted online. I say "portion" because after less than two minutes into the recording, the pastor expressed his frustration with some "technical difficulties" regarding the sound equipment by using God's Name "in vain." What was disturbing was how quickly and easily the words left his mouth and the little chuckle that followed. To be honest, why would I want to continue to listen to the sermon he had recorded before his congregation if he had no more respect and reverence for the One he was going to preach about? Needless to say, I didn't listen to the sermon.

When I hear others exclaim, "Oh, my God!", or misuse His name in other various ways, regardless of the reason, it literally causes a physical reaction within me; a discomfort and uneasiness, as though I had been physically struck, and it makes my heart ache. My usual response is to say to them, "Yes, He is." It's my hope that, somehow, this truth will sink in and cause them to rethink their words and their position in relation to Him.

He is God Almighty Who has absolute and eternal power, majesty, and sovereignty over ALL of creation, including us. Isn't He more deserving of our awe, our respect, our reverence? Isn't He the One Who, with Divine and eternal love has given us all things, including Himself as Father, Savior, and Friend, Who provides for and sustains us even in the worst of times?

When we fail to remember this vital and necessary truth about our God, we relegate Him to nothing more than a god with a small "g" - a god who deserves no more acknowledgment than we are willing to give Him; a god of our own creation, one that fits the mold we've chosen for Him and don't mind using His Name as a swear word. We are telling Him that we are sovereign over Him and His holiness, and that our thoughts about Him don't matter. He is a little god in our eyes and we refuse to magnify Him above ourselves.

God deserves a big "G" in the front of His Name. Not only in the way we think of His Person, but also in how we speak of Him, especially if we claim Him as the One and Only God Who has brought us from death to life. He is the Creator, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. The Everlasting and Eternal God Who deserves ALL our praise and worship and certainly doesn't deserve having His Name used as a profanity, especially by those who should know better.

Give His Name the honor and glory it is due. Use His great Name to elevate Him above all things and self, and to proclaim Him to others in need of His saving grace. For it was by His grace that YOU also were saved and His Name should never be blasphemed or used flippantly or abusively by anyone so blessed.

Let Him know you haven't forgotten how important He is to you by reminding others that, indeed, He is our God whose Name deserves our highest esteem. If you don't, as His commandment above states, He has promised He won't forget, either.

Are We There Yet?

2011-06-14T16:19:00.033-06:00

(This summer is going to be a busy one while our grandson spends it with us and I try to keep up with his and his cousins' energy (and his laundry!). I hope you don't mind an occasional "repeat" of prior posts while I attempt to reorganize my writing schedule. This post is from June of 2009. How time does fly! I hope you enjoy it and are encouraged, even if you've already read it. New posts won't be as often, but I promise to add as many as I can squeeze in! Have a wonderful and blessed summer, everyone! ~~ Karen)

“Are we there, yet?”

Every parent has heard these words uttered from the back seat of the car. I am unable to count the number of times my own children asked the question repeatedly on a long trip. At first, the question is asked in anticipation of being somewhere that fun and excitement awaits them; an amusement park, the beach, or just traveling to see family and friends. And during the first portion of the journey, the children obediently sit and talk about all they will do when they arrive at their destination. You have brought along games for them to play and songs are sung, which whiles away perhaps the first hour. But something happens after a couple of hours and the atmosphere dramatically changes, as do the tones of their voices.

“When will we be there?”

As discomfort sets in, attitudes suddenly take a turn. Their voices assume a whining quality. Bickering between them starts over seat space. “He’s got his feet on my side!” Hands cannot be kept to themselves. “Mom! She poked me in the eye!” One of the children begins to tease another. “Mom! He said we weren’t going to get to go swimming when we get there!“ You give them “the look” and tell them to behave or Dad will stop the car. In the meantime, Dad sets his jaw, his hands are now choking the steering wheel, the radio volume goes up, and he pushes the speed limit just a little harder. There are moments of relief when the kids believe your threats and silence fills the back seat. But it is usually a brief moment because, sure enough, an offense will be committed and retaliation will begin anew. You suggest they take a nap "because the time will go faster." You are now at the point where you turn to your husband and ask, “How much longer?”

Children are incapable of distinguishing time. To a child, every day is today and tomorrow seems like a vast distance somewhere off in the cloudy future. If they are told that in a week they will be going on a trip somewhere exciting, a countdown begins as if they must convince themselves it is a reality. As they mature, their concept of time changes and a better understanding of it is learned. However, I have often mused on God’s establishment of time - the second, the minute, the hour, the day - and his purpose behind it.

The Lord set the precedent for time in Genesis 1 when He created the heavens and the earth. From a chaotic mass of matter and darkness, He formed them by His Word and by the power of His Spirit.

“God called the light ‘day’, and the darkness He called ‘night’. And there was evening, and there was morning - the first day.” (Gen 1:5)

He continued until six days were established and then rested on the seventh. By doing so, God distinctly defined time as we know it, even setting seasons and years. I believe His doing so was uniquely for our benefit, for there would be “times” throughout history that would be vital pivotal points in His plan for mankind.

We mark and measure our lives by the time God has given us. While we age, we attempt to look forward and ask, “Are we there yet?." As I write this, the turbulence that is overcoming the world presses that question even more to the forefront. Prophecy, foretold hundreds of centuries ago and written in the annuls of history, is beginning to unfold before us. Like our children, we sit in the back seat and wonder why it is taking so long for the trip to end. Our discomfort causes tension, uneasiness, or an anxiousness for something we know will be far better than anything we have experienced. I long for the journey here to be over and to at last be at my final destination. But the time God established for us is unimportant to Him. As is often quoted, “God’s timing is not ours."

There will be a “time” when God will put things back in their proper order, when His Son will return and restore all of Creation back to its original purity and beauty and sin will be no more. It is not for us to know the hour (Acts 1:7), but we are called to recognize the signs of His return (Matthew 24, 25). In the meantime, we must cling to His promises, strive to be obedient, and remain in His will, no matter how impatient we are about the length of time it is taking.

“The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.” (Romans 13:12)

As Paul comforted believers in Rome, I draw upon what I would tell my own children on a long and arduous trip:

“We’re almost there!”

2011-06-08T15:38:00.002-06:00

When you're trying to deliver something of importance to other people, do you ever feel as though you are talking to an empty room?

The information you are attempting to convey leaves your lips but evaporates like vapor into the air instead of penetrating the minds and hearts of those to whom you are speaking. Your words, whether spoken or written, seem to be carried on a barely distinguishable wisp of wind, and those they are intended for give no more recognition or response to them than a person who is deaf, dumb, and blind.

What's even worse is the lack of response you get from professing Christians. Often, the world around them which they have created and how they perceive it is more important to them. Either that, or they're so absorbed in their own minds and causes that they refuse to drag themselves out of the exclusive box they've built and actually open their eyes and ears to the possibility that something else is going on around them and which they refuse to acknowledge and give response.

What's wrong with this picture?

Every true Christian has (or at least should have) a passion to serve Jesus Christ in various ways. Far too often, however, the self-absorbed Christian's passion becomes what they see as the only service of importance to the LORD, and what may interest another Christian who wants to share important news and make requests for their own passion or work falls flat when the self-absorbed Christian is presented with it. These types of Christians' horizon becomes narrowed and their vision blurred. They can't see beyond their own noses and the singleness of mind they're caught up in because they have become blinded by self-worth and only what they view as something worthy of their notice.

Whether you are reading or hearing about the on-going work to end abortion, the vile deeds committed against persecuted brothers and sisters worldwide, the degradation of the society in which we live, or any other myriad problems the world is embroiled in, every one of us should have a heart that is ready and willing to respond to other Christians when necessary. Our own passions should be laid aside for a moment and notice given to the important work of our brothers and sisters and the requests they bring us for our immediate attention, action, and prayer.

Instead of giving the impression that we are uninterested in those things outside our own experiences and interests, or giving mere lip-service to those who bring them to us, we should be showing that we aren't as shallow as some would believe us to be. All it takes is a word or two of acknowledgment to reveal that we are truly listening and that we care about what others are bringing us.

We should ALL be united in one common cause: spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But we shouldn't fail to remember that the LORD also works outside the exclusive box some have erected around themselves. When we do remember this, we are able to hear, to speak, and to see the needs we've failed to see in the past and respond accordingly.

Our reaction or response - or lack thereof - will reveal where our hearts truly lie, and the type of Christian for which we want to be remembered.

Are you listening?

Looking Beyond the Familiar

2011-05-30T12:22:00.003-06:00

"Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!

Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!"

Psalm 144:15

Sometimes the ordinary events of our lives are ignored for what they truly are: blessings from God.

Without hardly a thought, we trudge through our day performing the same menial tasks we've been doing for years or decades and take every bit of it for granted. Even when our day includes a tidbit of a break from the mundane, we fail to acknowledge what is special about it.

I glance through the window into the yard outside and my eyes don't look beyond the landscape that surrounds me. They remain focused on the immediate vicinity and the things I am familiar with.

How much are we missing by not refocusing our attention on the greater details of our lives and looking beyond the familiar? I would surmise that we're missing out on a lot more than what is right in front of our eyes. Even when that special something or someone is present, if we're not careful, we fail to look deeply into what's been placed there.

The tendency we have to begrudge the little things in our lives is robbing us of the realization that God's hand is in every bit of them. Today, I am able to see with new eyes into the richness of His blessings that stretch beyond the familiar. He's opened them to show me how much He loves me, even in the smallest of details.

In spite of my current trials and my unreached desires, God has surrounded me with the beauty of His creation and the love of my family. He has reminded me of the endless bounties He's poured out upon me - not too much, but just enough.

The LORD has broadened my horizon so that I can see Him more clearly.

What more could I ask for?

Waiting For the Rapture

2011-05-26T11:26:00.000-06:00

Harold Camping was wrong in 1994 and he was wrong last weekend. And because his latest prediction proved to once again be wrong, before publicly explaining his error, he needed a couple of days to "recalculate" his math in order to continue to deceive his foolish handful of followers that blindly trot after him and believe his nonsense.

Camping's latest calculation has been officially publicized as October 21, 2011 - and his math will be just as wrong as the sum of his first two predictions.

To be blunt without sounding harsh, I wish he'd just shut his mouth, (Titus 1:11) read his Bible, and believe the words the LORD spoke in Matthew 24:36:

"But concerning that day and hour NO ONE knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only."

If Camping would take this sound advice, he would make our jobs a whole lot easier in presenting the Gospel and leading others to salvation. But because he continues to ignore the above-cited verse and the truth behind it, the world laughs, the lost scoff, and belief in Christ and His imminent return to Rapture His church is rejected.

I don't know Harold Camping. Nor do I care to hear him preach his position on Scripture. To be so blatantly wrong about one teaching tells me he's most likely in error on the rest of the Gospel. What is evident, however, is that he has a unhealthy curiosity about the Rapture of Christ's church coming to fruition. Whether it's because he's one of those the LORD warned us about that would try to deceive, or he's just plain ignorant, I have no desire to know him. I do, however, have deep concern for anyone who would follow after him and his craziness.

Because of men like Camping, this puts me in the position of being on the opposite side of the fence from him: a healthy and Biblical curiosity about the Rapture. And because I do yearn for that "twinkling of an eye" moment (1Cor. 15:52), I find myself asking whether it is wrong for me to long for the day that the LORD’S enemies are at last defeated; when all evil and wickedness is cast down into the pits of darkness and eternal condemnation; and when Jesus Christ reestablishes His righteous holiness and perfect justice upon this imperfect world and all is made whole again.

To be honest, I don’t know if my occasional impatience and the answer to the question above is right or wrong. But I can certainly relate to King David as he penned the imprecatory Psalms that plead with the LORD to destroy his enemies.

A friend recently wrote that she would give anything to wake in the morning to good news. Because of all that is going on in the world and the fact that we witness it in a matter of minutes on television or the internet, her heart longs for the promise made by God of peace and brighter days to come. We mustn’t fault her because to truly know and love the LORD Jesus Christ means that His children yearn for all that He is, all that He gives, and all that He will eventually bring. His providence that He now graciously pours out upon us is evident. But we know that far better things await us and, for most, the expressions of our desire to finally be at rest from all that the sinful world brings is often seen by others as improper utterances.

There are souls that need saving. There is a message of hope and salvation that needs to be given to the world. All who the Father promised to the Son must be brought into His haven. Unlike Harold Camping, the saint understands this. Yet, while he toils to serve the LORD to help Him fulfill this work and battles against the Harold Campings of the world, his longing for it to be completed resides in the back of his mind and often comes spilling out in expressions of disgust, dismay, or despair.

Our time spent for God can be clouded with the face of apostasy and heresy, and of persecution upon His faithful children who live in dark nations. Unspeakable vile deeds performed by wicked men and women, and even evidence of apostates like Camping inside the doors of Christ's church, can overwhelm us. As my friend knows all too well, the battle for God’s righteousness and the souls of men has never been more fierce. Neither has the saint’s desire been greater to see the LORD’S victory come to fruition.

While I wait for an answer to my question, I am unable to rely on my own strength. Like King David, I must draw upon the LORD’S strength to see me through to the end. Although I have family and friends who could be counted as His enemy, I must persevere in fervent prayer that they soon become His friend and His child. Each saint, including my friend who wants to hear some good news reported, knows with all their hearts that the LORD stands ready at the door and that His return is imminent.

At present, our hearts cry out with King David’s, “O LORD, return to us! May Your enemies be put to “shame and confusion”! (Ps 35:26) Restore this fallen world to its former glory!”

But we are assured that there is a time that has been predetermined when He will step through the door to conclude what He began (Rev 19-22). Until that time comes, I must wait for what I long for. His enemies will eventually be made "His footstool" (Heb 10:12-13). Christ has assured me of that. But while He tarries, my prayer for my brothers and sisters, and myself, is that we remain fit and ready for battle, to continue to bear witness to His salvation, and be able to endure through what may come in our lifetime and the end of this world as we know it.

When the Rapture finally arrives and our LORD at last catches us up to be with Him forever, I will join my friend and a multitude of others as we shout with upraised voices in eternal and everlasting praise that the Lamb of God has gathered His saints in preparation for His final return to overcome the world and to defeat His enemies.

But until that time comes, men like Harold Camping should be ignored, counted as a false prophet, and he and his followers should be recipients of our prayers. At his advanced age, he'll find out soon enough just how wrong he has been and when he does, he'll wish he had taken the opportunity while he had it to recant, repent, and join the rest of us while we patiently wait for the glorious Rapture of Christ's church. At this juncture, that's the best we can hope for in men like Camping.

"Then I saw heaven opened, and behold,a white horse! The One sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and He hasa name written that no one knows but Himself. He is clothed ina robe dipped in blood, and the name by which He is called isThe Word of God. And the armies of heaven,arrayed in fine linen, white and pure,were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp swordwith which to strike down the nations, andHe will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written,KING OF kINGS AND LORD OF lORDS." (Rev 19:11-16 - ESV)

In spite of men like Harold Camping, come quickly, LORD Jesus.

The Inerrant Word of God

2011-05-13T12:05:00.002-06:00

Proverbs 30:5

There is a lot of buzz circulating throughout the church over certain men who, in the past, were regarded as those who could be trusted to correctly handle the Word of God, yet have strayed into the corridors of apostasy.

Many wonder how these men who once seemed firmly grounded upon the inerrancy of Scripture could now be preaching a blatantly false Gospel and/or doctrine. After all, their former behavior seemed to reflect a desire to know Jesus Christ and further His kingdom as they acquired seminary degrees, doctorates, wrote books, and built their institutions into mega-church empires. When notoriety such as this catches the eyes of Christians and fills the pews of their churches, it shouldn’t surprise any of us that, when they do stray from the path of God’s truth, some of us will take notice and find great offense.

History is replete with men who have perpetuated the belief that the infallible Word of God has been corrupted by man and, therefore, needs to be changed back to what they perceive as its original translation and intent. There is a certain amount of truth to this because the church has experienced it with men the likes of Joseph Smith who began the Mormon movement. The Latter Day Saints tirelessly stand on the teaching that the Bible can be trusted “insofar as it has been correctly translated.” (See the 8th Article of Faith) Others, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, weren’t satisfied, either, and created their own interpretation. The list is endless of heretics who were dissatisfied with God’s precepts and doctrines, thus creating their own and defiling the purity of Scripture.

However, it would have taken decades, if not hundreds of years of work to alter Scripture to substantiate claims that the Word of God has been changed to deceive mankind into believing a false doctrine. One would have to believe there was a conspiracy from the beginning of time that the inerrant Word of God would be defiled by scheming men bent on destroying God’s truth. Right? Well, therein lays the problem to the whole mess the church is finding itself in. It began in the garden and was whispered from the lips of the serpent that tempted Eve, and it continues even up to today.

The condition of the present church is in grave danger of falling prey to men and women who have motives and agendas born out of darkness. They, like Eve, are being led by the first tempter, Satan and, in return, are leading a multitude of souls to destruction. Because professing Christians are willing to follow them and have their "itching ears" tickled by their deception (2Tim 4:3), they are unable to see the greed and "passions" these men and women harbor and the grave danger their motives and agendas will bring (2Tim 3:6). It isn’t necessary for these wolves to worm their way into the hearts and minds of the body of Christ. Christians have opened wide the door to their hearts and minds to allow them entry and to present them with a more palatable Gospel to ease their guilty consciences. They have become willing participants in a damning environment and they’re not even aware of it; or worse yet, they are feverishly embracing it.

Mankind is in a constant search for the truth and he will go to extraordinary lengths to gain it. The problem, however, is that some stubbornly refuse to acknowledge that all truth has already been given and is readily available to them if they will only look outside themselves and fix their eyes on the One Who gave it. Instead, they prefer to believe that truth is relative, insisting it is subjective to individual experience and perception. When confronted with the truth of God’s Word, it assaults their ideal of fairness and insults their own sensibilities. In the end, they create for themselves and, sadly, others, a more digestible doctrine that alleviates the guilt and shame that’s buried deep within them.

It is obvious that today’s church is being overtaken by deceivers who stand behind the pulpit. The list of today’s false teachers is beginning to defy those from centuries past. Although the Apostle Paul wasn’t afraid to name names, there is no need for me to name the present deceivers because true believers know who they are. If they don’t, then they should do their homework in order to guard themselves from being led astray. If we are approaching the day of our LORD’S return, as some of us believe, it would benefit us all to remember His words and those of His Apostles warning us of the multitude of antichrists that would infiltrate the church and attempt to lead us away from the truth of Scripture (Matt 15; Matt 16; 1Tim 1:3-7; 2Tim 2:15-18; 2Tim 3:1-9; 2Peter 2:1-22; Jude 3-25).

Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, exhorted him to guard himself against preying wolves that had slipped into the church. He warned of the boastful and proud who had “a form of godliness but denying its power,” telling him to "avoid" them (2Tim 3:1-9). Peter wrote the same warning in his second epistle, telling the people that false prophets and false teachers were, and would be, among them. Both Apostles, as well as Jude, knew that there would be many who would follow after their destructive heresies and that God’s children must take extreme measures to keep themselves from being swept away by them. Their warnings should also be heeded by us as today’s emergent climate of “feel good” theology creeps into the fibers of the church.

There is a clear and present danger to those who are seeking the truth and also for those who believe they may have found it. Some will never look beyond their own nose. Others will follow after men who delight in re-writing God’s Word to suit their own desires, greed, and arrogance. But as there always has been, there will always remain a constant few who will remain faithful to the infallibility of Scripture and preach and teach it in its purest form. They will never deviate from it or reinterpret it to fit a sinner’s need for an excuse for their depravity. And we can be eternally grateful for this.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.” (Matt 24:39)

The Word of God is eternal, inerrant, infallible, sovereign, trustworthy, good, and beyond reproach. Man has and will continue to try, but he will never be able to change it...and that's a promise in which we can believe and find rest.

A Matter of Life or Death

2011-05-06T14:37:00.002-06:00

My Dad was a man of conscience and conviction. Although he struggled all but two years of his life over guilt for not having enough “faith” to live a life burdened with the legalism of his church, he was greatly respected and loved by family and friends. On the day of his burial, my family and I were stunned at the number of people flowing onto the cemetery grounds. The impact he had made on others’ lives was evident as they came forward to pay their last respects.

Through the tireless efforts of faithfulness from our Pastor who built a solid friendship with Dad, he came to know his LORD and Savior just two years before leaving this earth. The guilt was washed away along with his sins as he came to understand that 68 years of works had “gained” him nothing. Peace and joy over his rebirth overtook the lifetime of depression and despair. And we rejoiced with him.

Dad remained that man of conscience and conviction, but in ways that defied the old man. If he had been younger and in better health, the worthless works of his past would have been exchanged for righteous works for his God. Mom once told me that he said he regretted wasting so much of his life. We all experience that moment of regret; the moment of not having known Jesus Christ sooner and been given more time to serve Him with our new hearts of true faith. But Dad grabbed what little time he had left with determination and gusto. Because of his age, he had a newer and more vibrant understanding of how short life is and how vitally important the Gospel is to mankind.

Once during one of Dad’s weekly sessions with our Pastor, an issue that troubled Dad was raised. It wasn’t that Dad didn’t have a sense of humor. He just felt that the sanctuary was not the place for idle words. Because of his own past experiences that spoke of the extreme opposite of this problem (a joyless, sober, weeping, hell-fire and damnation atmosphere) and a lifetime of deception that kept him from knowing his God and the truth of His grace, Dad needed to express his concern. What he told our Pastor is one of those unforgettable things you hear and after having heard it, remains buried forever in your heart. Unburdening his concern, he told our Pastor that the Gospel and its message was “a matter of life or death.”

Having had his heart opened by the LORD and delivered out of the bondage of a dead church at such a mature age, Dad knew this better than anyone. Although he didn’t live long enough to see and understand the invasion into the church by the emergent, health/wealth/prosperity, and word-of-faith wolves, he knew all too well what he had been drawn out from. He wanted to make sure that everyone knew the seriousness of not having a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and sound Biblical teaching.

I, too, share Dad’s passion. If I could have a conversation with him now, we would agree that there is no middle ground with God; not under the weight of what we once knew, but freed from that burden and our new-found understanding. Dad could have just as easily rejected his old thinking and been swept into a universalist/free-will mindset if the LORD hadn’t intervened and placed men such as our Pastor before him. But he knew that God never said, “Meet Me halfway.” Instead, once Dad’s heart was opened to receive God’s Son and His Holy Spirit, he charged forward to the finish line where his old self ended and his new life began.

Although Dad can’t speak to us now, I will echo his words to those of you who might be foolishly looking upon your profession of Christ and what salvation means with far too much brevity and not enough gravity. As he once expressed to our Pastor, I say to you: knowing the truth of God and His plan of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ is a matter of life or death. We would both agree that there is a time and a place for laughter. My childhood was full of it. But brevity should only come after we first understand the implications of it with or without Jesus Christ.

I hope that what my Dad once said also penetrates and remains in your hearts. As King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, there is a time for everything - even laughter. If Dad had it to do over again, I think he would have impressed this in his conversation as a means to explain his discomfort. His new-found relationship with Christ afforded Dad the freedom to laugh, but he wanted to make sure everyone else also understood the severity and vital importance of the Gospel and the new life it would bring. Dad's simple statement of truth was one that spoke the most importance in determining this life or the next: an eternity of joy and laughter, or an eternity of sorrow and pain.

Dad was right. It truly is a matter of life or death.

Go out and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, of Him crucified and of Him risen from the grave, to all the world. After you do, your laughter will have more meaning as He welcomes you home with smiles and rejoicing into His eternal kingdom.

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time tolose; a time to keep, and a time tocast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (ESV)

Learning to Swim One Stroke at a Time

2011-05-02T16:25:00.000-06:00

Matthew 14:30

I don’t think Peter knew how to swim, or even tread water, for that matter.

Considering he was a fisherman and spent his days on the deep waters casting and pulling his nets, there is some irony behind that thought. If you merely look at the verse at face value, that’s what it appears to be saying. But one needs to dig deeper to find its hidden message. Peter didn’t know how to swim and needed a immediate lesson or two as he felt himself sinking below the water’s stormy surface. And the Hand that helped him up was just the one to teach him.

Today is one of those days where I, too, have forgotten how to swim. I thought I had stepped out of the safety of my boat in faith Sunday and with my eyes fixed fast on my Savior, only to have them diverted away from Him for a brief moment. And down I went.

All it took for me to start sinking was a comment made by another. It may have been said in jest, I’m not sure, but it was uttered quickly with no attempt to reveal the story behind it. The 60 or more strangers who heard it and were not privy to the whole story were left to create their own ideas about my husband and myself. Embarrassment flooded my face, I’m sure, as a a few laughed uncomfortably.

Later, while in the process of offering myself in service, the same person took another precise cut at my heart with his sharpened blade of self-perceived authority and abrupt approach. I felt as though my lungs were taking on water, and I was only able to mumble a short reply of “Oh” as he turned his back on me a second time and walked away with no explanation.

Like a rock, I started sinking towards the bottom, and that's where I found myself this morning. It was my turn to be given the Hand up and a lesson or two on the necessity of knowing how to swim through the storms of life.

It is moments like these in our lives where we are left bewildered and confused, especially in a setting that this type of circumstance should never occur. Our eyes are fixed where they need to be and our hearts are being prepared for service. Suddenly a person or circumstance throws us a heavy anchor on a long chain and draws our eyes briefly away from Jesus. For a second or two, we dumbly look down at the terrible weight we’ve just been burdened with and wonder what to do with it. Instead of instantly handing it over to the LORD to dispose of, we cling to it and let its weight begin to drag us to the dark and murky bottom of our insecurities.

We need to improve our reaction times. Peter didn’t wait until he was up to his neck in water to gurgle out his cry for help. The account in Matthew says that he was only “beginning to sink” when he cried out to Jesus, “LORD, save me!”

Peter employed three words. Jesus used one hand. And up from the water of doubt and little faith Peter rose.

When we are unable to stay afloat by our own power, or when someone starts poking holes in our life raft, we need to pray those three simple words. When we are faced with situations that demand a response, instead of attempting to explain for clarification or defend our character, we need to pray, “LORD, save me!” If we wait until the problem begins to fester and allow the pain to build, it’s only wasted time and deeper depths into which we sink.

This morning, Jesus had to gently chastise me like He did Peter for my own “little faith” and “doubt” (Matt 14:31). I’m thankful that He did.

In spite of the man, his careless words and attitude and the anchor he threw me yesterday in an attempt to drown me, I’ve handed the burden over to Jesus. He’s much stronger and more capable of dealing with others' indiscretions than I am. I'd only make a big mess of things.

My feet are now back on solid ground because I’m learning from the greatest Teacher how to swim through the trials my life throws at me - and I’m doing it one stroke at a time.