Ice, Ice, Everywhere…

The funniest thing happened today. You see, early this morning, it freezing rain started coming down and put this blanket of ice EVERYWHERE. The car was covered, the roads, the stairs, even each individual needle on the pine trees. So we went to church and afterwards we got in the car and went to drive up to the car port to pick up my mom. On a normal day, this task would have been effortless, with just a tiny incline that the van could handle with ease. Today, however, was much different. We backed out of the parking space and began our attempt at going to the door. No luck. We just sat there as the wheels spun and spun. We backed up a little more and gave it another try. Still nothing. Finally we backed way up and got a “running” start and at last we made it!

Isn’t our spiritual life much the same? On a good day, the incline we have to climb is effortless. Then the day hits that even the smallest task takes a running start to accomplish. Today is one of those days for me. So you could say that the weather fits my mood God is still good and no matter what comes my way He is in control and all that I need.

I am currently reading a book for the Puritan Challenge called The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes. This book is ENTIRELY fitting for days like today. I got to the end of one chapter to find this written prayer:

“‘Lord, I believe,’ (Mark 9:24), with a weak faith, yet with faith; love thee with a faint love, yet with love; endeavour in a feeble manner, yet endeavour. A little fire is fire, though it smokes. Since thou hast taken me into thy covenant to be thine from being an enemy, wilt thou cast me off for these infirmities, which, as they displease thee, so are they the grief of my own heart?”

What a great prayer for a gloomy day such as this

The Tentacle…

This is one of the most ridiculous products I have ever seen. If you are someone who visits my husband’s blog (www.brainofshawn.com) you will see this picture a little ways down on his page. He really wants one of these things and the response he has gotten from nearly everyone in our family is “FOR WHAT???”. Silliness aside, it really makes it seems as though the person wearing this “thing” has a tentacle for an arm. It looks like the monster lost the arm to its human costume.

Of course this got me thinking. The monster within… we all have one… some of us don’t try too hard to conceal it… some of us are mortified when it shows it’s ugly face. It’s different for everyone, yet it exists. My “monster” usually appears when dealing with friendships. I really am terrible. I can be a super-sensitive, anger-prone, grudge-clinger. At times, this is what my monster looks like and the tentacles come out! It really is quite the ridiculous mental picture… going along then all of the sudden… THE SWAMP MONSTER RETURNS!

Anyway, what does God’s word say about this? It’s a matter of the heart really…

Before Christ, we work alone at trying to earn our way through… and the result?

“The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?”-Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV)

“All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

“No one calls on your name
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and made us waste away because of our sins.” -Isaiah 64:6-7 (NIV)

So by ourselves, we can do nothing…

“…apart from me you can do nothing.”-John 15:5

We MUST rely on Him and Him alone…

“Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” -John 14:5-6

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” -John 15:4

 

When we do accept Jesus as our Lord we are washed clean, punishment paid (by Christ on the cross), and we are given the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Even when words fail us and we are so caught up in the battle against our “monsters” the Spirit intercedes for us…

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” -Romans 8:26-27

Constantly depending on our Father in heaven, the work of His Son on the cross, and giving access to the Spirit who lives in us, we can claim victory through the fruits that He gives us…

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” -Galatians 5:22-23

How do we slowly eliminate this “monster” with-in? Continually give ourselves to God. When I become that super-sensitive, anger-prone, grudge-clinger I go somewhere quiet and bare my soul to the Lord of all creation and let the Holy Spirit work. Reliance on the Father is the only defiance against such a beast!

 

 

What if…

What if, though you wanted to do something so great for God, He asked you to be a plumber. Not to pick on plumbers, but in the social status of today’s world, they are viewed as being at the bottom of the rung (though I could think of worse jobs).

See here’s the deal. I have had a shift in my life recently where everything that I used to define myself by, suddenly is no longer. So I am looking at myself and saying, “Ok God! Here I am, do with me what you will!” One problem… He hasn’t responded. The “jobs” that consume my time are things that I feel are so insignificant. I am not trained for anything, I have no degree, I’ve always been a home schooling mom and a coach. Now, my kids are enrolled in school and I resigned from coaching effective this season.

I know the answer, but I will be honest, I can’t seem to grasp it in my heart of hearts. The “answer” is to embrace God and find my identity in Him and Him alone because all these things are only temporary at any given moment. The only constant in the equation of my life is my God! Why do we refuse to cling to the only One who is unchanging, constant, stable, unfading, and unfailing.

I feel so out of touch. Maybe you’ve been there, maybe you’re there right now. Pray for me and with me as I take one step at a time through each day. Tonight it seems like each step takes a prayer and my feet feel heavy. I need my Lord to remind me of who I am and who He has made me to be through His Son. I am on a journey of self discovery and I am scared to DEATH! I cannot be concerned over what people think no matter their age, it’s between me and God.

Some verses for pondering:

“Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD. ” [Psalm 27: 14]

“He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;” [Psalm 37:6-7a]

“Wait for the LORD and keep his way.” [Psalm 37:34]

“I have become like a man who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.

I wait for you, O LORD;
you will answer, O Lord my God.” [Psalm 38:14-15]

“I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.” [Psalm 40:1-3a]

So what if God calls me to be a plumber? It’s a dirty job… but somebody has to do it… and hey, at the end of the day, I’ll know that even though you may act better than me… your poo still stinks

“If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” [1 Peter 4:11]

[Suggested Reading: Psalm 40]

Fright AND Flight!

Have you ever had to let go? Just close your eyes, let go, and jump? It’s not an easy thing. You have to release control, depend on something or someone besides yourself. Some people may be good at this… but not me! Nope. I’m the type that likes to be in control of my surroundings and circumstances. This is very difficult to achieve when one is going down a zip line! That’s right, a ZIP LINE! I have mentioned before that this summer our family volunteered at Bair Lake Bible Camp. The second week I was there I lived at the Farm House with all the junior staff teens. We tried to hold nightly activities for them after they got done with their jobs and on one particular night, we decided to go down the zip line. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it is a steel cable that is approximately 50 feet in the air. You, as the participant, are equipped with a helmet, and a harness… that’s it! You climb two flights of stairs, get hooked to the cable with a rope and a couple carabiners and OFF YOU GO! Skyrocketing through the air over an area the size of a football field with nothing keeping you from dropping but this rope that attaches you to the cable, that at the moment seems all too flimsy (even though they test it by sending a car across). It’s a ride that takes all but three seconds or so but it’s a ride that TERRIFIED me.

I watched all these kids go up those stairs, hook up, and then you hear the guide say “3,2,1… GO!”. They go flying down the line, some of them even flip upside down to try to grab leaves off the trees! I walked up the stairs (one of the longest walks EVER), got hooked up to the cable, then… I looked down. THAT’S RIGHT!!!! I looked down, 50 FEET! What took everyone else less than five minutes, took me THIRTY! I could not make myself let go! I would have rather run down those stairs and quit! It wasn’t a fright or flight situation, it was fright AND flight!

This gave me insight to who I am and the one of the biggest struggles I face… letting go. I was faced with a situation that requires me to let go. For the past eight years, I have home schooled all three of my girls. For the past eight years, I have been a stay-at-home mom. This year, the kids are enrolled in public school. I thought that it would be fine, until today. They started school a week ago, but I kept myself busy, today… not so much. So I was out of control of my kids lives and their environment. If someone is mean to them, I can’t do anything about it! I haven’t been called to the office yet for them beating anyone up so I figure everything is going fine. So I have to let go.

I think of Moses’ mother. She protected him for as long as she could and then she had to let go. Granted I get to see my kids every day when they come home, AND I didn’t keep them home to save them from death or anything, but still, she had to let go. She had to rely on the fact that God would care for him when she could not. Hannah is another example. She prayed and prayed for a child and promised that if God would answer she would give him to the Lord. She conceived and bore a son. The Bible doesn’t say, but I wonder if she even had a moment of hesitation or worry. She had to let go and rely on the fact that God would care for him when she could not.

There are times when we just want to hold on. We want to handle things on our own without any help from God or man. We want control. Now you might not be a stay-at-home mom who has a hard time sending her kids to school, but there must be something that you struggle with giving to God. I have a hard time relinquishing control, some may have a hard time giving God their spending habits, their temper, their tongue, their thoughts, their relationships, their lives.

May I offer a word of encouragement to both of us?

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.

“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

Here’s an exercise, try re-writing the psalm in your own words! Make it apply to your life and claim the promise of God’s control. The “river” that is mentioned is referring to the Holy Spirit the dwells within us and gives us grace and consoles us even though we do not deserve it. Selah is a word that is found about 74 times in all of Scripture, it’s meaning is interpreted as “pause” or “silence”; “to raise” or “lift”. What does this tell us? The word Selah appears after verses 7 & 11:

“The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah“

“The LORD Almighty is with us;
the god of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah“

Do you see the point that the psalmist is trying to communicate? All these “scary” things may come our way, the fear of letting go is to be out of control, but it is to allow God to be IN control. He is in control whether we let go or not, but we can melt in His arms knowing that He is our refuge, strength, “and ever-present help in trouble”, our fortress.

I need to let go. God loves my kids far more than I ever could (though that is hard for me to imagine, I know that it is true). In this journey of letting go, I have combined the definitions for Selah. I have “to raise” or “lift” my kids up to Him, “raise my voice” to my Heavenly Father, and then “pause” in “silence” as He does His work. You can do the same. LET GO! Lift it up to God, raise your voice in prayer, pause, be silent, BE STILL…

“Be still, and know that I am God”
Psalm 46:10

HOOAH!

You can hear it echoing in military bases, it’s cited throughout history, the spelling is debated (hooah, hoo-ah, hoorah, etc…), but it’s definition rings clear! It’s the battle cry of those who protect our country. HOOAH!

I attended a varsity volleyball game tonight. Whenever they got a kill (when they attack and the ball goes down for a point) they chant, “AHHH KILL, KILL, KILL (pound, pound, pound), HOOAH!” As I listened to this chant, it reminded me of a retreat that our youth group had. We did a military theme and “HOOAH” was our battle cry. When you look at the meaning of hooah, you will see that this term is not something to be used lightly! I Googled the phrase and the results where plentiful! 27,700 results for “hooah definition” and each site I clicked on rang the same resounding chant!

“No matter how one might spell the word… [it] is still an expression of high morale, strength and confidence. And, when powered by an overwhelmingly proud, and usually loud, tone of voice, hooah seems to stomp out any possibility of being bound…”. (U.S. Army Infantry Home Page)

“Former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan has his interpretation. ‘I don’t know how exactly to spell it, but I know what it means,’ Sullivan said. ‘It means we have broken the mold. We are battle focused. Hooah says ‘Look at me. I’m a warrior. I’m ready. Sergeants trained me to standard. I serve America every day, all the way.’ ‘” (U.S. Army Infantry Home Page)

As I watched the first game tonight, HOOAH was definitely a battle cry of a team who was battle focused! They were pumped and determined, and no one was going to stand in their way. It was a close defeat, and after that, hooah just became a word. The passion slipped away as the night continued and they didn’t seem to regain their focus.

The same thing happens to us. We are like race horses in the gate, we bolt out at the sound of the gun. Our day begins and we are gung ho and ready to go! As we become subject to moments of defeat, our battle cry dwindles to a mere whisper. Our faces hang low, and the bounce in our step all but fades. Those of us who know Christ, know where we must turn in moments like these. When defeat knocks at our door and temptation lurks around the corner, we must remember who we work for. Paul is very encouraging in this and is somewhat of a “drill sergeant” to our dedication to our Lord:

“…my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.” (1 Corinthians 15:58 - MSG)

“So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27 - ESV)

We should be facing each days challenge with a roaring HOOAH! Each battle that comes our way should be met with a resounding BOOM that could only come from God Himself, and why? Because it does. When we rely on Him, we can be confident that we will gain victory through Him who lives in us.

“Ye (you) are of God, little children, and have overcome them (evil spirits who try to lure us away from Christ) : because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4 - KJV) [parenthesized words are mine]

Let’s us look back at 1 Corinthians and take a glance at the context. Verse 15:58 was one of our key verses for our retreat and when you look at the what comes before that, it ties it all together.

“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’
‘Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57 - NIV)

We are the perishable who are clothed with the imperishable! We are the mortal clothed with the immortal! And all this through Christ! So we could say “Donuts in the lounge, you have been swallowed up in victory!” Or “Where, O foul mouth, is your victory?” “Where, O lying heart, is your sting?” ALL of our struggles will be swallowed up in the victory of Christ! Our part (yes, we have to make a choice, as usual) is to wail a deafening HOOAH!

IL Volleydogs, stand up and say HOOAH! Look at the definition, sense the pride, feel the burning passion to complete the task that you have set out to achieve! Defeat has no hold on you! Grab hold of this battle cry and mix it with the adrenaline that runs through your veins as you hear the whistle that signals the serve. Execute your play with the skill that you have acquired from the discipline gained in practice. Beat your bodies to make them the tool used to turn defeat in the other direction. Lean on each other as you conquer together the adversaries that you face!

Christians, stand up and say HOOAH! Look at the definition, sense the pride, feel the burning passion to complete the task that you have set out to achieve! Defeat has no hold on you! Grab hold of this battle cry and mix it with the strength that has been granted you through your precious Savior! Execute the tasks set before you by your Heavenly Father with the discipline gained from study and prayer. Beat your bodies to make them the tool used to turn defeat in the other direction. Lean on your brothers and sisters in Christ as you conquer together the adversary we all face!

TAKE THE STAND!

“Christ has broken the mold! I am battle focused. Look at me! I’m a warrior! I’m ready! I have been trained to standard! I serve God every day, ALL THE WAY… HOOAH!!!!”

[Suggested Reading: Psalm 91 (The Soldier's Psalm)]
(The picture above and the quotes where taken from the U.S. Army Infantry Home Page )

 

Gesundheit!

They say that when you sneeze, you should listen to see how many people bless you to know how many friends you have.  Well when our oldest daughter Amanda was a toddler, she took the blessing after a sneeze quite seriously.  Whenever she would sneeze, if no one responded, she would pipe up, “I SNEEZED!!”.  It was an announcement that EVERYONE had to hear and it was always followed by a chorus of “bless yous” and a satisfied baby girl.

We aren’t all that different from Amanda.  Only our “sneezing” comes in the form of works.  We often look for approval, acceptance, and even a pat on the back for the good that we do or have done.  We can say the right things when we are recognized but inside we feel a satisfaction that we have been noticed for all that we do.  When we join with a group of people to accomplish a large task and everyone is mentioned in the thank you, everyone that is except you, we feel like we have gotten the shaft.  We begin to feel unimportant and worthless.

What we need to do in times like those is to remember that we each have a purpose and that God sees us when no one else does.  It’s not very fulfilling now, but our reward lies in Heaven where Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us.

In Matthew 6 Jesus instructs us on the issues of giving, praying, fasting, what we treasure, and worrying.

“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (v.1)

 ”… when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” (v. 5)

 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” (v. 16)

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” (v. 19-20)

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” (v. 25)

The scriptures speak for themselves.  If we seek a reward here on earth, our reward here is all we get.   We should do things, not to be seen by others, but so that others will see our awesome God.  That through us His name would be glorified!  In return, God promises to reward us in heaven.  Is it something that we can see now?  No.  It’s not like the fund raiser pamphlet that you get every year from the school with the prizes pictured on it.  God knows that if we had the knowledge of what our specific rewards would be, our sinful selves would begin to boast about what WE have accomplished.  Our lives would no longer be about faith, and it would be all about works.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

God knows that if we think that we can earn ANYTHING that we become boastful even to the point of looking right past Him!

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Every day when we wake up, we have a choice… to live for God or… to live for ourselves.  God has our best interest in mind.  When we live for Him, He gives us a joy and peace that passes all understanding.  Look around you!  EVERYWHERE there are people looking for those very things!  They spend endless hours searching, longing, seeking… and they are sadly disappointed at every turn.  We have the answer!  We have the one thing that can fill them and satisfy their souls!  But… we have to be willing to be His vessel.  To be used BY Him, to GLORIFY His name and see others come to know the King of kings, and Lord of lords!  It all starts with seeking to please God and let the temporary praises of man pass us by.

So the next time you “sneeze”, stop and think… will you be looking for the blessings of man or the blessings of God?  Will you introduce the world to Him today?

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both…” (Matt. 6:24)

[Suggested Reading: Matthew 6]

Feeling Faint?

A word of encouragement… Jesus can do ANYTHING! I have seen Jesus do wondrous things is the lives of so many. We often find ourselves in situations and times where we are screaming, “Even so come Lord Jesus!”. I have been feeling that way lately. Just sitting here tonight, I made a play list in my music program called “Encouragement”. It’s for the moments I feel faint. Have you ever heard that song? It is excellent!

Am I at the point of no improvement?
What of the death I still dwell in?
I try to excel, but I feel no movement.
Can I be free of this unreleasable sin?

Never underestimate my Jesus.
You’re telling me that there’s no hope.
I’m telling you your wrong.

Never underestimate my Jesus
When the world around you crumbles
He will be strong, He will be strong

I throw up my hands
“Oh, the impossibilities”
Frustrated and tired
Where do I go from here?
Now I’m searching for the confidence I’ve lost so willingly
Overcoming these obstacles is overcoming my fear

I think I can’t, I think I can’t
But I think you can, I think you can
I think I can’t, I think I can’t
But I think you can, I think you can
Gather my insufficiencies and
place them in your hands, place them in your hands, place them in your hands

(The Moments I Feel Faint -Relient K)

I am such a music person. When I am feeling happy, there is nothing I’d rather do than sing my heart out to my God! When I am low, I find peace in a song. Different songs appease different moods. It is the companion that never judges, never leaves, and never expects anything in return. I think we all need that sometimes. God is very much like that as well. He is all about us. He pours out His love on us, He protects us, He is always there, never changing, ever-present, all-sufficient. Even when we are faced with trial, we have to cling to the promise that He is there, loving us through our trial and yet He is not finished with us in that He is helping us grow through our experiences 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 4 weeks a month, 12 months a year! The moments we feel faint we need to realize that God still holds us in those moments, we only need to allow Him to raise us up to be all that we can be. These times more than any other, we need to be on our knees in prayer. I saw a plaque the other day that said, “It’s hard to stumble when you’re on your knees”. Good quote! I am not sure who it is by, but it hits home for me right now.

Are you feeling faint? Think of it as climbing. Have you ever seen someone climb a cliff? It’s amazing! The ones who are really good. They are these muscular instruments that are on a mission to conquer! Do they do it alone? No. They have equipment, sure, but the most important thing is the life line. The line that holds them up if they slip. Do you see where I’m going with this? We are the climbers. We are these muscular instruments, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, climbing toward the goal set before us by our Father in Heaven. He is our life line. We may feel alone and that there are no other climbers out there, and even if they aren’t, it’s ok. If we slip, He is there to hold us up… we need to just rely on Him. Ever felt like rejecting His comfort and relying on ourselves? It’s like taking a knife and cutting the life line. It’s there to hold us up! When you feel faint… fall into the hands of a Father who loves you! Don’t cut your life line by turning your back on the One who loves you more than anyone you’ll ever meet.

“Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.” -Isaiah 40:28-31

Looks Can Be Deceiving…

Isn’t this a lovely cup. My husband LOVES coffee and has tons of to-go mugs. This is one of his most recent that he purchased when he visited Cabela’s which is a three hour drive from our home. If you are ever in a pinch to get him a gift, a coffee cup is always a winner.

Well, it’s two weeks before school starts and there is cleaning up to do. Shawn’s office is in a terrible state. So I went in to help clean. He had begun to organize and there were some things set aside for me to take back home with me… a box of coffee mugs being one of them. You see, he is always getting coffee to go from home and every once in a while I receive a box full to clean out. Nothing out of the ordinary, I brought them home and began to wash them. I opened his prized Cabela’s mug and plunged my hand into the black interior only to be met with this…

…yes, it is disgusting!!! That reminded me of a time in the Bible where Jesus was publicly scolding the Pharisees for their legalism and there outward “show” of faith when really they had no faith at all. All the external “to dos” and “traditions” but they completely missed the mark when it came to being right with God and accepting the One who came to save mankind.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” - Matthew 23:25-26

You would think that it would happen the opposite of what it did. One would imagine that the Pharisees, who have studied the Law and been the most knowledgable of the prophesy of the Savior, would be the first in line to meet, greet, and welcome the Christ. Who would have thought that some lowly fishermen would do this instead. They were lowly fishermen, smelly and dirty. Their exterior apperance matched the inward apperance of the Pharisees. But everyone saw how “righteous” and knowledgeable the Pharisees were. Everyone that is, except Jesus. Who being in His very nature, God, saw them for who they truly were…hypocrites. Hypocrites who were keeping men from seeing Jesus for who He was, God in the flesh, come to seek and save those who were lost.

The fishermen on the other hand, had no “superior knowledge”. They knew that a Savior was coming, and when Jesus summoned them, they followed. They weren’t perfect, they often didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about, they sometimes would doubt, and they even fled from Jesus the night He was betrayed. But they had moldable hearts. They knew they needed cleansing and that they were full of sin.

The Pharisees enjoyed their power and position in the eyes of man. The fisherman were not so popular to those around them. But Christ could see. He could see them on the inside…

“The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” - 1 Samuel 16:7

When He looks inside you… what does He see? Does He see someone who looks to man for acceptance, edification, and merit? Or does He see someone who lowers themselves before Him, and declares Him their only source of strength, knowledge, fulfillment, and being? You may be able to fool your fellow man, but you CANNOT fool God. He created you and He knows who you are when no one else sees you. He saw through the Pharisees “fanfare” and He sees through ours.

The cup may look pretty on the outside, but what awaits on the inside? Is it clean? Or is there a clump of slimy ooze sitting there beginning to grow mold? We can look great and go through the motions and still be stinky like a fisherman on the inside.

So once again we are faced with a choice…

God Seeker or Man Appeaser?
Cleanliness or Oozines?
Fisherman or Pharisee?

“choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve”
- Joshua 24:15

[Suggested Reading: Matthew 23]

Been Skunked?

This is Tigger. Tigger is our dog. He has a small problem. You see, Tigger doesn’t have many friends. Being the lonely dog that he is, Tigger has tried to make a friend. The only problem with that is… he was making friends with a SKUNK! Yep, that’s right! A SKUNK! The reason he looks so unhappy in this picture is because he is getting a major bath to de-stinkify himself… for the second time this summer! He keeps trying to befriend this little creature and every single time, he gets it!

Ever been skunked? Not literally (though I’m sure there are some very interesting stories out there). I think that we’ve all been skunked at some point. By a co-worker, a friend, a relative, or a spouse, we’ve all been there. Betrayal. It’s hard to get over and sometimes we never seem to be able to let it go. It’s in every movie, every book, and songs are saturated with the bitterness that comes from the treachery.

If you have had a chance to see Disney’s High School Musical, you will see a great example of how betrayal affects relationships. It’s a much cleaner remake of the 1978 film Grease where the two main characters Troy and Gabriella meet during Christmas vacation. Much to Troy’s surprise, Gabriella switches schools mid-year and they are re-united. They begin to form a relationship that brings out a side of them that their “friends” aren’t too happy about. So the two very different groups of friends get together to “break them up”. They betray them by using what they know about each individual against them to achieve their own purposes. The outcome? Unhappiness, sadness, the low point that you get in nearly every movie. Long story short, they succeed. To see how that ends up, watch the movie!

In the book Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a group of boys are stranded on an island and though they enjoy their new found freedom at first, things get out of hand and a power struggle takes place. Jack and Ralph part ways and the group divides. Though it seems that each group is secure, Ralph’s “clan” begins shrinking as boys defect from his group to Jack’s. The story progresses from this act of betrayal to end in many deaths and human hunting.

Ok all you country fans. Bring out your old Garth Brooks cds for this one! Papa Loved Mama is a classic story of betrayal. Just look at the lyrics…

“Well, it was bound to happen and one night it did
Papa came home and it was just us kids
He had a dozen roses and a bottle of wine
If he was lookin to surprise us, he was doin fine
I heard him cry for mama up and own the hall
Then I heard a bottle break against the bedroom wall
That old diesel engine made an eerie sound
When papa fired it up and headed into town.

Well, the picture in the paper showed the scene real well
Papas rig was buried in the local motel
The desk clerk said he saw it all real clear
He never hit the brakes and he was shifting gears.

Mama was a looker
Lord, how she shined
Papa was a good’n
But the jealous kind
Papa loved mama
Mama loved men
Mamas in the graveyard
Papas in the pen. “

Papa is a truck driver whose gone almost all the time and Mama is left home with the kids and apparently has an eye for other men. So Papa comes home to surprise her and, you got it, she’s “out”. He tracks her to a motel and drives his truck right through. He goes to jail, she dies… happy ending huh?

Betrayal. An awful word. When we feel betrayed there is one place that we can look for understanding, strength, and guidance. Jesus. If there was an award for the most gut-wrenching betrayals, Jesus would win. Of course our minds automatically go to the betrayal by Judas. One of the 12 disciples that spent day and night with Jesus. He had seen miracle upon miracle. He had witnessed the love of Christ, the wisdom, the compassion and mercy, yet he chose to betray the Son of Man.

“And while they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.” -Matthew 26:21

“‘Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!’

While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.’ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him. Jesus replied, ‘Friend, do what you came for.’

Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.” -Matthew 26:45b-50

The only conclusion that we have to this relationship is Jesus being crucified for our sins and Judas committing suicide.

“So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.” -Matthew 27:5

The second betrayal that comes to mind is the betrayal of Peter. One of the closest disciples of Christ, the one of which Jesus says will be the Cornerstone, and yet here we see betrayal… not once… not twice… but THREE times. Jesus knows this and even tells His disciples that they will flee from Him when His hour comes, but Peter disagrees…

“Then Jesus told them, ‘This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
‘ ‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.’

Peter replied, ‘Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.’

‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’

But Peter declared, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.’ And all the other disciples said the same.” -Matthew 26:31-35

Then…

“Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. ‘You also were with Jesus of Galilee,’ she said.

But he denied it before them all. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ he said.

Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, ‘This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.’

He denied it again, with an oath: ‘I don’t know the man!’

After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, ‘Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.’

Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, ‘I don’t know the man!’

Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: ‘Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.” -Matthew 26:69-75

Unlike the story of Jesus and Judas, we have a little happier ending to this betrayal. After Jesus’ death and then His resurrection, we see a picture of peace coming between the two. Jesus letting Peter know that He is forgiven and Peter affirming his devotion to Jesus the Christ.

“Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. ‘I’m going out to fish,’ Simon Peter told them, and they said, ‘We’ll go with you.’ So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’
‘No,’ they answered.

He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, ‘It is the Lord,’ he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’

Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.” -John 21:1-14

This was, as it says above, the third time that Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection. The reason that I chose this particular one is because, in Bible times, when you sat down to a meal with a group of people, it signified that you were at peace with them. Not only does Jesus provide for them while they still are unaware of who He is, He also shows them the love and compassion of forgiveness by sharing a meal with them despite their fleeing in such a horrible time. And now it is time for a challenge to Peter…

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?’
‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’
Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’

Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me?’
He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’
Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’

The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’

Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’” -John 21:15-17

So you have two different scenarios, one of a betrayal followed by a devastation that eats away at Judas until he takes his own life. The other is of a betrayal that is followed by bitter realization of the truth, remorse, and return.

Now lets shift the focus to us. Yes, we have been betrayed so often. More times than we care to count I’m sure. But how many times do we betray Christ on any given day? Do we dare count those? We look down on Peter and Judas, yet we hold on to sin that pries us from our Savior. We cherish this evil/darkness inside so much that we allow it to place a barrier between us and the One who suffered, died, and rose again to save us.

When Tigger gets skunked, he is shut outside until he gets a bath. When we skunk God, we are shut outside until we come to a bitter realization of the truth, remorse, and return. He gladly baths us in His mercy and we are restored to a right relationship with Him.

We are left with a choice, Judas or Peter? Which one will you be? The one who skunked Jesus and ended up going mad at the separation from His Lord. Or the one who skunked Jesus only to realize, remorse, and return? Every day we have a choice, who will you choose to be today?

 

[Jesus says]
“Do you love me?”
-John 21:17

Are We There Yet?

Long trips are no fun.  Especially with a six year old who seldom sits still.  Despite the modern technology of the DVD player in the car, we continued to hear the resounding sentence coming from the back seat, “Are we there yet?”  An eight-hour trip ended up feeling like 16 with the impatience that filled the seven-passenger mini-van.

We are often times like that in our spiritual walk, are we not?  We want results and we want them now!  If the church building is falling apart, we want a new one NOW.  If we are going through a spiritually hard time, we want God to fix the inner turmoil NOW.  “Deliver me now Lord!  Don’t you understand?”  If we have been trying to build a relationship with a brother or sister in Christ and haven’t seen results…”I give up, God can send someone else.”  Maybe you have been trying to witness to a local and they aren’t responding and your patience grows thin.  We want to gain Biblical wisdom and knowledge to have instant spiritual maturity, and we get frustrated when it doesn’t happen.

We live in such an instant age.  Everything from rice to photo development, we do not like to wait.  We can go through the quick lube for the oil change, get the tires changed while we shop, and it’s all about instant gratification.  Instant oatmeal, instant pudding (now you can buy them already in little plastic containers so you don’t even have to mix, you can eat them in the car if you want!)  With DVDs we don’t have to wait for the movie to rewind before we watch it again, CDs make it so that we don’t have to rewind and fast forward over and over to get to the song in the middle of the cassette tape. E-mail makes it possible for your message to be delivered instantly, and cell phones have made it possible for us to multi-task in a way that we never could before.

Our walk with God is no different.  We carry our busy schedules over to our Christian walk.  What we often forget is that God is not bound by our calendars, time constraints, or even the “honey-do” list that was left on the counter (or e-mailed to your palm pilot).  It’s His plan, in His time, the way He wants to accomplish the tasks that He has prepared. We ask, and wait as we tap our fingers, for the answer that we expect when we asked in the first place.  We forget that this is God we are talking to, not Domino’s where if you don’t get results in 20 minutes or less your next order is free.  We get so impatient when we want something that we stop focusing on where we are and only focus on where we’re going.

I desire nothing more than to study God’s word day in and day out.  I used to get so angry when I didn’t get at least a couple hours of study time in on any given day.  Then one day I realized that I was so focused on obtaining knowledge that I was missing out on so many life lessons that were right in front of me!  I got so caught up in my destination that the voyage was lost.

It’s like reading a book.  Shawn and I have very different methods of reading.  It’s not just our preference when it comes to reading material, but HOW we read.  I read to accomplish completion and Shawn reads for the experience.  One day as I was bragging about almost finishing my current book, he looked at me and said, “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.”

The Israelites had a lesson in patience.  After being delivered from the slavery of the Egyptians,

    “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.  The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.” – Exodus 14:21-22

God lead them (in a physical form though not human form, as that would come later in the person of Jesus Christ) through the desert.  Now they had been in SLAVERY, which believe you me, is no picnic!  They worked from sunrise ‘til sun set.  Blood, sweat, and tears every day with beatings for those who didn’t work fast enough.  Delivery from this life could only be met by gratitude, right?  WRONG!  As they traveled, they continually grumbled to Moses about bringing them into the dessert to die.  Commenting that they were better off back in Egypt.

    “Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur.  For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.  When came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter… So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” – Exodus 15:22-24

    “They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to he Red Sea, to go around Edom.  But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert?  There is no bread!  There is no water!  And we detest this miserable food!” – Numbers 21:4-5

Talk about impatience!  God had promised them a land flowing with milk and honey, and they were grumbling about the journey, they just wanted the destination.  Then when they finally reached their destination, they refused to go in because they were afraid of those who inhabited the land at the time.  My thought at this point is, “WHERE YOU NOT THERE WHEN GOD DELIVERED YOU?”  They had seen God do so much yet they were still unwilling to yield to the journey!

So they were forced to go on another journey!  Don’t want to obey?  Fine, then wander for forty more years!  They would now have to rely on God every day for everything!  They grumbled for food, God provided manna.  Unhappy with the Manna, they grumbled for meat.

    “The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat!  We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.  But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” – Numbers 11:4-6

They grumbled for water, God gave them water from a rock, keep in mind how many of them there are!  This was no trickle!  It seems that no matter what God provided they wanted more and they wanted it NOW!

We have these trials, frustrations, and requests that we bring before God.  Submit them to His will; leave them at His feet to deal with in His time, in His way.  Your struggles may ¸ÅQ    seem like a dessert, but STOP and take notice of the journey that God is taking you on and know that your destination is a land flowing with milk and honey.  You thirst, God will quench it with the Living Water, you hunger, and God will fill you with His word.  Are we there yet?  No… but release your agenda and submit to the journey and you will reap a harvest for your Lord much more plentiful than anything you get in one hour photo!

    “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” – Colossians 1:10-12