Been Skunked? August 20, 2007

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? August 17, 2007

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

The Scarlet Letter August 13, 2007

In the book The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne is subject to wearing a scarlet A on her chest to show that, while her husband was supposedly lost at sea, she had an affair and bore a daughter. She would not tell who the father was disspite preasure from the “town fathers”. Even when the father to her child is revealed, he dies before they can move away and she wears the scarlet A until the day she dies.

We all have sins that even after being saved haunt us. Maybe it’s not an A posted across our chest, but it’s there. It lingers and we have to constantly give it to Christ. The hard part comes when others are aware of our horrible sin. It can be an excellent witnessing tool BUT it can hinder us from time to time. Is it the guilt that eats at us and makes us paranoid about our past so that it torments our future? Maybe you have no idea what I am talking about, you are blessed if you have no baggage that still finds you when you’re not looking.

For me, it’s hard to let it go when, once people find out, they act differently toward me. Again, it could be paranoia. I pray this is so. Think of what it must have been like for Hester. She wears her sin on her chest for all to see. There is no secret to who she is. The looks from the other townspeople, the mother who tells her child to stay away from her because of what she had done. Before I knew Christ, I knew the scarlet letter. Then I felt no consequence because hardly anyone knew. Once I accepted Christ, I felt as though it was somehow branded on me even though I still had told no one. It was my dirty little secret between me and God. I have told a couple of people recently and now there is no hiding it. I can identify with Mary Magdalene. A corrupt life restored by Christ. Brought back to the loving arms of my Father in Heaven. So should I care what others think? Should I care that those who know keep their distance, or keep an eye on me even if it’s in the back of their mind. My Father has saved me! It’s been YEARS and yet I can still relate to Hester. Because even now as I write, I am thinking through the people who visit this blog and even though I don’t know some of you personally, I am scared to death at the response.

But there it is, my deepest, darkest sin… and you know what? MY FATHER STILL LOVES ME! My marriage is great! I have never been more in love with Shawn than I am today. We’ve been together almost 12 years and we are closer than ever. The only part of my sin that haunts me is the part that I am dealing with right now… you.

Today I heard a sermon on adultery and idolatry being the same in God’s eyes. When we choose sin over Him, we are cheating on Him. So in reality we all deserve a scarlet letter on our chest. To hear that cut me to the heart. That sin came rushing forward and the hurt that comes with it. To think that I hurt my Father in Heaven that way tears me apart. Father, forgive me for being unfaithful to You today. Help me to walk closer to You!

“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’…

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

‘No one, sir,’ she said.
‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’” John 8:1-11

“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

So it is done. You now know that I am not the perfect little girl next door. Christ has transformed my life!!!! I am NEW!!! PRAISE GOD I have been “letter free” for over eight years! If He can save a sinner like me, there is nothing He can’t do! You can look down on me, my El Shaddai (The All-Sufficient God) loves me and my El Henne’eman (The Faithful God) will be there for me no matter what anyone thinks. So, in the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

“If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

The Devil’s Grin August 11, 2007

Have you ever seen a picture of a grin that makes your skin crawl?  Like the Grinch on the old cartoon, or Tim Curry in Legend where he plays the devil?  Maybe it’s the bad guy in a movie where the actor or actress does a really good job of being over-the-top creepy.  Whenever I think of the devil’s grin, I picture one of those that I’ve seen in a movie… and it turns my stomach.

What turns my stomach the most is when it’s me that’s making the devil grin in the first place.  You see, I belong to Christ, and I desire to do His work and see His kingdom furthered.  We are in a spiritual battle, and if you think that’s creepy or insane, I pray for you because someday you will see that what you have heard from so many others is true.  This battle is not with flesh and blood but it is against the devil himself.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” -Ephesians 6:12

In this battle, those who belong to Christ are attacked at every side.  I think that we are attacked more than those who are not Christian because they already belong to Satan.  He owns their soul because they have never accepted the free Gift of God (Jesus Christ).

So tonight when I had a spat with my husband, how I react to the conversation has much to say about my true character.  It shows who I truly am, and I have to admit that who that is sometimes brings bitter tears to my eyes and tonight was no different.  You see, the true test of who we are is not dependant on the good times, but on the bad.  It is when we are tested that our true selves make an appearance and what an ugly appearance that can be.  That rancid, ugly side of me breaks my heart… because I desire so much to please my Father in Heaven.  When I choose myself over Him and retort in anger, or spew out insults… I’m not pleasing Him, I’m distracting from Him.  At those moments is when the devil grins because it’s at that moment that I have ceased to be effective for my God.

“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” – 1 Peter 2:11-12

Whether you are a Christian or not, the devil grins at our mistakes.  He knows that he can’t have the Christian because it is impossible to take us from the Father’s hand, but he tries to make us stagnant and ineffective for God.  If you aren’t a Christian, he’s working on you to keep you from seeing the truth and turning to the only One who can save you.  Either way, we can make him smile, and how?  God’s word tells us.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.” – 1 John 2:15-16

“It’s what comes out of a person that pollutes: obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness—all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution.” – Mark 7:21-23 (The Message)
“And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” – Ephesians 4:30-32 (NLT)

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” – Galatians 5:19-21

The world as an object isn’t bad, it’s the actions of the world (rather the people in it) that are what we need to be aware of.  I like the way the Message translation puts it in Mark 7 when it calls it “vomit from the heart”.  So when our hearts “vomit” the devil is there grinning from ear to ear.  It makes me angry just thinking about it.  It is helpful to know that there is victory in Jesus and through Him we can have a success that we cannot obtain on our own.

Let’s pray for each other and let the devil grin NO MORE!  Claim victory through Christ, let’s cloth ourselves in His righteousness being saturated in His character through reading His word and through prayer!  Encouraging each other to stand firm and to show forth the fruits of the Spirit.  Go in peace.

“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” – 1 Corinthians 15:58

 ”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. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” – Galatians 5:22-25

Impressions August 10, 2007

You’ve seen the kits in the store. The mold kits where you can make lasting impressions of your child’s hands or feet. It is a memory maker where you get to remember how tiny they were at certain stages in their lives. Our kids made these hand impressions last Christmas (with the help of their Nana and Papa). It was one of the sweetest gifts that I have ever received. We put them up in our living room and it is a constant reminder of the presence of my children. It warms my heart to see them there. I think of the time it took and the love they put into it. To hold their hands still long enough to let the plaster set. Then to be patient and let it dry. Then to choose the colors to paint it! It’s priceless. Every time I look at it, I will always remember how much they loved Shawn and I to make those for us.

When you read the Old Testament it is full of God’s works in the lives of the Israelites. They rebel, they are punished and God delivers them. As I did a word search on remember, I found so many scriptures of God trying to remind His people what He did for them. Mostly He tried to remind them of Egypt. The slavery that they were in bondage to and the awesome deliverance that God gave them. He delivered them out of the clasp of Pharaoh’s hand and yet they continued to reject Him.

God gives us all lasting impressions. It is our testimony. It is where He has delivered us from. For me personally, God delivered me from a failing marriage, a bitter past, a life of unfaithfulness, and gut wrenching anxiety. That was my life before. After yielding my life to Christ, my marriage was mended, I was happier (though until recently my bitterness didn’t completely fade), my faithfulness is rooted in my Savior, and my anxiety now rests in Him. Though that may have been the case, my life was still in the bottom of the barrel. Our family was very poor, living on a mere $222 a month that was provided by the state. My husband had lost his job due to a severe car accident and for a year was unable to get a job. We slept on a full mattress on a cement floor in a room at my mom’s house. Even when we were able to get an apartment, we had very little food and with two kids we often wondered what we would eat. I was delivered from my past but still needed to rely on God on a regular basis for my families survival. This was no rags to riches story, no Cinderella here, it was a faith walk.

Now, Shawn has a great and secure job, we have purchased a home, we have a good car, plenty of food and even a couple of pets that have become a part of our family. Sometimes once the bad times are over and our kingdom is having a pretty good day, we forget (like the Israelites) what it was like to have those bad days and Who delivered us. Instead of praying, “Your Kingdom come”, we pray, “Maybe tomorrow”.

In all of the 233 results for the word remember, some were of God remembering His covenant with Abraham, mostly they were of God telling His people to REMEMBER! He had impressed on the hearts of His prophets that the people needed to REMEMBER! Remember where they’d come from. Remember where they’d been. REMEMBER Who brought them through!

God has impressed on our lives a story and our story is part of His. We must tell that story. It doesn’t have to be all scripture and fancy church talk, it just has to be us, telling others what God has done in our lives! REMEMBER! Because once you remember where you’ve been, only then can you grasp where you’re going. God has given you a pressed hand print on your heart, you just have to look at it to be reminded of the love that He put into the gift that He gave.

” These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ” -Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Growing Together… August 10, 2007

Looking at the picture on the left, who do you think is the oldest? What if I told you that the “oldest” isn’t who you think it is. Something that has always stricken me as odd since I have been a Christian is the matter of “age”. When I was in my 20s, I never really felt like anyone took me seriously, except for four and five year olds. I was at such an in between stage. I was too old to be young, and too young to be old. Then when I became saved, I became aware of a completely different “age”. My “spiritual age”. Apparently your “spiritual age” starts when you are saved. This frustrated me for two reasons, 1) I was already battling being taken seriously because of my physical age, now I had a double battle on my hands; and 2) I wanted so badly to grow spiritually but I felt that it didn’t matter how fast I grew because I would always have the number of years hanging over my head.

The picture above is one that was taken at my daughter Lizzie’s 5th birthday party. She is sitting next to her great grandpa Bob who got her the cute little purse that’s in her hands. You’ve probably figured out that I am not talking about physical age when I asked the introduction question. My daughter was saved when she was four, my grandfather to this day has not. His anger toward God runs deep and “religion” is not something he’s willing to listen to (pray for him). Therefore by “spiritual age” Lizzie is older. Weird concept huh?

May I challenge this frame of mind for a moment. One day when I was particularly frustrated with my “spiritual age” stereotype. I had offered advice to someone and in some manner was shut down because “how could she know, she hasn’t been saved very long”. Granted it may not have been very godly advice because I really HAD not been a Christian for very long. But nonetheless I was on a mission to GROW! I went home and began reading my Bible. It’s funny how things can pop out at you at certain points that you completely looked over the day or week before.

I came across 1 Timothy 4 specifically verse 12 which says:

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young”

Now that’s my kind of language! “You can’t look down on me cause I’m a new Christian, GOD says so!” (My REAL spiritual age was showing itself, all that was missing was me sticking my tongue out then crossing my arms with a pouty face) Then I kept digging because this whole topic intrigued me greatly. At first I became confused and just assumed that because they had been saved longer, that they MUST be older spiritually. I don’t believe that that is accurate. I believe that we all grow at different rates with growth spurts at different times and of different sizes. Only God Himself knows how old we are. I think that you can somewhat tell depending on the fruit that is produced in a person’s life but nothing definite for sure.

My continued study took me to books like Titus 2 where Paul writes about the older teaching the younger.

“Then they can train the younger” (v. 4a)

Now here’s a thought as well, if Paul is writing to Titus to teach the older, that must mean that even the older learn from the younger!

“You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. ” (vv. 1-2)

And another thing that crossed my mind is that we are never in just one spot of that equation. We are ALL both older AND younger! We all need to be taught as well as teach!

In 1 Peter 5 Paul writes in more detail about the job of the elders of the church and how they are supposed to be examples to the flock, and then to the younger to be submissive to the older.

“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers…” (v. 2a)

“Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older.” (v. 5a)

We all have this awesome task of working together, building each other up, and growing up in Christ together!

“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
‘God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.’”(1 Peter 5:5b)

This all sounds great but somewhere along the line, it has turned into a competition of who knows more and therefore who should have the last say in how things go. What tradition has been, how things used to be, “if it’s not how I think it should be then it’s wrong because I‘m “older” and therefore I know more than you.” “Everyone should care what I say and let ME have the last say because of MY ’spiritual seniority’”. We so often get off track and focus on the wrong things that we miss such great opportunity to learn, teach, and grow like we should, the way God Himself intended. So you know what I think? I think that GOD should have the last say.

 

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ” (1 Peter 5:6)

A Mighty Fortress August 8, 2007

Big and magnificent! Impeccably structured for ultimate protection during conflict. It’s a fortress in San Marino. It lies more than 2,000 feet above the Italian countryside. Historically fortresses are built on high ground with thick walls that can reach up to 21 feet thick. In a time of battle, the fortress was a safe haven, a place of refuge, and the optimal place to fight the battle.

Our battles today are not with armor, swords, flaming arrows, or cannons. Instead they are with those we love, drugs, alcohol, money, competition at work, food, and the list goes on. In midevil times when the enemy was coming, they would move to the center of the fortress. Though our enemy seems to be the visual things listed above, it really goes much deeper than that. We battle with sin, we battle with Satan. In America we don’t often see the demon possesions and spiritual warfare that takes place, but it’s here. Every time we are tempted to do something that we know is wrong and we know we shouldn’t do it but we give it a second thought, we are listening to the deception of Satan himself. We are giving him the time of day. Eve did the same thing and look how that ended up. She listened to his lies, and gave audience to his trechary.

When you are faced with battle, where do you take refuge? Picture this. There is an attack coming on the fortress, instead of waiting to attack the approaching enemy from the walls, you rush out alone to meet them. How do you think the story ends? Of course any fool would know better! Retreat into the fortress and fight from the high walls where you have the advantage over your attackers.

Eve had a fortress, but she chose not to use it. She ran out to battle all on her own. And because of that, we have all lost. We are offered the same fortress that Eve had some 6,000 years ago… God. He is the Mighty Fortress! He is our protector, our stronghold, our sheild, our strong tower. He is the Everlasting King who shelters us and delivers us from our enemy. That’s right. We only have one enemy who shows himself in many different forms, and God has given us victory over him. If only we retreat into the Fortress.

“David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
‘The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
from violent men you save me.’” 2 Samuel 22:1-3

There is a catch. (You’re thinking “Oh great, I knew it was too good to be true!”). Don’t fret my friend for the way to the entrance of the Fortress is through Jesus. God loves us all and wants to give us the victory over our battles, but it can only be done through His Son. When Eve faced the battle alone she introduced sin into the world and we have all been doomed to be born into sin ever since. When Jesus came, He lived a perfect sinless life as a man who was also God. He was brutally punished for the sins of each of us and He died on a cross on a hill. But the best part of all is that He didn’t stay dead! He descended into Hell and on the third day was raised from the dead. Not as a ghost but in flesh! He appeared to hundreds of people as well as spending a short time with His disciples before ascending into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father where He sits today waiting until the time of His return.

We have to believe that Jesus is who He says He is and believe in what He did on the cross for us. When we accept Him we no longer live for ourselves but we live for Him. He is the Master and we are the vessels that He uses to do His work until the day of His return. From the moment we make that decision, we are welcomed into the Fortress of victory! Where we are held high by the Father and delivered from our enemy.

So what’s it gonna be? Will you stand alone or will you enter the Fortress?

“In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.

Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.

Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Free me from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.

Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
I trust in the LORD.

I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.

You have not handed me over to the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.” -Psalm 31:1-8

Meeting Mickey… August 7, 2007

I’ve always had an infatuation with Mickey Mouse. When I was three years old, my mom got me a GIANT stuffed Mickey Mouse for Christmas (see picture, Mickey was an excellent tea party guest). I always loved that Mickey and still have him to this day even though he has seen better days. For so long I would see Disney World commercials and dream of one day getting to meet the world renowned mouse. I would see that commercial where the four year old is walking around Disney World bumbed until she spots Mickey. She runs up to him, gives him a BIG hug and says, “I’ve been waiting my whole life to meet you!” I HATED that commercial! Here I was, twenty something and I was STILL WAITING!

Well, this past summer my chance finally arrived. I had the opportunity to take pictures at a wedding in Florida and, YOU GOT IT, to go to DISNEY WORLD! I was so excited that even the three day drive didn’t compare to the fact that I WAS GOING TO SEE MICKEY MOUSE.

So we arrived in Orlando on the fifth day of our vacation and I grabbed every single Disney brochure that I saw! Maps, facts, frequently asked questions and answers, you name it, I had a brochure on it. During dinner Papa, Nana and the whole family sat and charted our course of action in tackling the entire Magic Kingdom in one day. That night, much to Shawn’s dismay, the girls and I were so keyed up and excited that we couldn’t sleep. We all stayed up until early morning watching a cable channel that talked about all the rides and the sights that were a “must see”. We watched it over and over before we finally got some sleep.

The next day was fully of joy, laughter, thrill, and a TON of walking. Finally toward the end of our day, we still had some key sights that each person wanted to see, including Mickey Mouse. It doesn’t work like they say on the commercial. The characters are at certain spots throughout the Magic Kingdom and you have to stand in line for 30 minutes to over an hour (which we did stand in line for Arial for 1 hour and 15 minutes) in order to see them. So the girls and I embarked on our own to find Mickey! And sure enough we found him! But, you guessed it, there was a LINE! Our feet hurt, it was hot, and only a few select people got to go in at a time. The kids were cranky but still we waited and finally the moment came! The grown up in me knew that this was just some person in a costume, but the little three year old in me bubbled with joy!

All of that for a moment of joy. How much more joy will there be in the presence of God? If you think about it, we are in line for the moment we meet our Father face to face. I read and planned and walked ALL DAY, put up with bugs, tolerated the crowd (and was there ever a crowd!), sweat like crazy in the heat, and all for a fictional MOUSE! How much more should I be willing to give for my Savior? He is undoubtedly the most famous person to live, and He has saved my soul, and yet each day goes by and have I read, planned, WALKED, put up with the trials, loved unconditionally those who He has placed around me (even the grouchy, grumpy, old cusses), have I sweat for Him?

Mickey was my stuffed friend when I was three. Jesus is EVERYTHING I’ll ever need. It doesn’t matter if I own a huge house, got a pile of degrees, or drove the nicest car. When I stand before Him, He will see the effort I put forth for this cartoon character and how my effort for Him pales in comparison. Here are six things that I plan to work on starting today. If you can relate, maybe this will help you too.

Instead of reading the brochures, I’m going to READ His word:

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. ” -Psalm 119:105

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” – Joshua 1:8

PRAY often (when we pray we are planning to follow Him):

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Instead of walking aimlessly, I’m going to LIVE it out:

“If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ” – Romans 14:8

When “bugs” cross my path as DAILY TRIALS:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4

In the “crowd” I will LOVE OTHERS (unconditionally):

“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:35

” Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” – Ephesians 4:2

I choose to “sweat” for my Savior by WORKS He will do through me:

“Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’” -John 6:28-29

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” – Ephesians 4:11-13

So what do you say… will you read, plan, walk, withstand the “bugs”, deal with the crowd, and sweat for our Savior… you leave this world with nothing but the choices you’ve made for Him (don’t forget that refusing to choose is still a choice).

Suggested reading: 1 Thessalonians 5

Tea Time! August 6, 2007

So you may not like tea or even ever made tea. But more than likely you have at least made A cup of tea at some point in your life. My daughter Lydia LOVES tea sets! She requested one for her eighth birthday. In a slight miscommunication, my sister and I BOTH got her tea sets. Much to my surprise, she was not disappointed! For her party we had a Wii Tea Party. I know what you’re thinking, “What is that?” Well we figured the little boys who came over wouldn’t want to join the tea party so we added the Nintendo Wii to the mix and voila! You have a Wii Tea Party and what a success!

We had three pots for making tea. The kids all showed up, the boys began to play and the girls (9 in all) were ready for tea. So we turned on the kettle. Then came the whistle and the girls all danced with glee. We poured the hot water in each of the teapots, selected our flavors, inserted the bags… and waited… and waited… and waited. What a process for a simple cup of tea.

That got me thinking. Tea is a soothing drink, in London every day at 4:00 it’s TEA TIME! That’s right! At 4:00 everyone stops and takes time for tea. Not only is the drink itself relaxing, but the process to make it is relaxing as well. The teabag awaits, it’s met by the boiling water and magic happens! When you drink it in, it soothes to no end.

Our daily walk with Christ can be a lot like making a cup of tea. Like a tea bag, our Bibles sit on the table or nightstand waiting. Our lives go on, we have schedules that hustle us from place to place and there seems to be no rest for the weary, we are like boiling water. Sometimes our lives are so crazy that we feel like the screaming of the tea kettle is going off in our heads!

Sometimes we go days, just boiling but never making tea. We let God’s word go untouched. And so He waits… and waits… and waits. Sometimes out of a matter of “duty” we pick up the Book and glance at a verse or two and call it good. Think about this, if you are the boiling water and God’s Word is the tea bag, how good is your cup of tea going to be if you just let it steep for a couple seconds? YUCK! It’s barely more than boiling water!

STOP! Take Tea Time! Soak it up! Sit and steep! Exhale and let God’s Word infuse your heart. Take a verse and absorb it all day! God’s word promises to keep us in perfect peace when our minds are stayed on Him (Isa. 46:3). When we marinate in His word we have a “peace that passes all understanding” (Phil. 4:6-7). Our way is kept pure (Psalm 119:9-16), our hearts are given peace, and that overflows to those around us.

Have you ever spent time around someone who has daily time with God? When we are under stress, they are there to calm and sooth, they always seem to have just the right words for the right moments. They can be a soothing cup of tea to our stressed out souls. I have a friend like that, I know that she has bad moments too, but she is always steeping in her Lord’s promises and in His love. She is a blessing to those around her and God is able to work His peace through her and offer comfort to those boiling pots who have yet to have Tea Time with Him.

Today, take Tea Time with God! Carry what He gives you throughout your day, steep in His love, and soak up His peace, and you will find opportunity to even be a soothing cup of tea to someone else’s weary soul. He’s there… waiting.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -Phil. 4:6-7

Suggested Reading: Psalm 119:9-16

What’s Your Everest? August 5, 2007

Mount Everest! It’s gorgeous! It’s MASSIVE! And in an attempt to conquer such a mountain, you may face death! Anyone who has ever climbed this mountain has been forever changed. The planning is long, the training is hard, and the cost is unbelievable (anywhere from 25 to 60 THOUSAND dollars). You have to be in shape, take courses on equipment, technique, routes and survival. You have to spend two to three years taking regular climbs at high altitude to prepare yourself. You have to go to the doctor to make sure that your arteries and veins are in great shape to withstand the climb. eHow.com describes Everest in this way…

“It can vanquish those who disrespect it, and mercilessly test those who honor it. Yet Everest is indifferent to your presence. Climb it and you will receive a lifetime dose of humility and exhilaration.”

So why am I writing about Everest? Am I planning on taking a climb and am writing to ask for donations? Ummm… let me think… NO! But in relation to a sermon that I heard, it was the only mountain that I felt even came close in comparison.A while back, I heard a sermon on Caleb, one of the spies sent out by Moses to scout out the Promised Land. In the land there was this mountain. The story is found in Joshua 14 where Caleb goes to Joshua and asks for what is rightfully his in the inheritance. Apparently the Israelites had conquered the entire land EXCEPT this mountain. It was scary, there were mighty and fierce warriors embedded in the mountain, waiting to demolish anyone who threatened their territory. Caleb, though he was 85 years old, wants that mountain. Why? Because…

“I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” (Joshua 14:11-12)

He knew the Lord’s promise was true and he faithfully followed Him. This task was insurmountable and I can’t help but think that the younger warriors standing there maybe thought he was a fool for taking on this mission. So he goes, he conquers, and then sends out men to conquer more! He didn’t just stop with the mountain and call it good, he really took the Lord at his word and went above and beyond!

Now how about us? I was at Bair Lake Bible Camp this summer and I experienced something that I had never experienced before. Christianity lived out in mass quantity. I’m not saying that my church is not full of Christians living out the Christian life, but this was different. At home I am in a community that is quick to judge, easily offended, and rather vengeful. At Bair Lake, I saw potential for disaster in an atmosphere where not everything is perfect and you expect squabbles between workers because we live together for weeks! Even with the potential being there, above all things there was love. There was a humbleness. We all knew that we were not perfect, and therefore never belittled someone else or ragged on them mercilessly because of their mistake. It really felt like we were all in it together. I felt uplifted, encouraged, and loved.

During my quiet time one day I realized my current mission field was home. I am not afraid to leave home or even leave the United States, but I really feel that God has a mission for me right now, where I am. To bring that atmosphere to Indian River. Even a glimpse can attract a crowd. I can’t help but wonder if that isn’t the kind of atmosphere that Jesus provided, and therefore people flocked to see Him and experience the unconditional love that we are commanded to show.

So what’s your Everest? It’s different for everyone… God promises to be faithful to those who seek after Him. If it’s His will… we can’t lose!!! Victory is already ours, if only we will claim it. So what’s it gonna be? Will we be a Caleb? Or the snotty young warriors snickering at a faith that can conquer mountains?

“…the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”