The Requirement of Obedience

Throughout the Bible there are all sorts of references to the concept of responding to and conforming our lives to the commands of the Bible - a.k.a., obedience.

My pastor preached an awesome, Spirit-led message on obedience this past Sunday. He cited God's promise in the book of Joshua where God essentially says, "Think constantly on my Word. Hold it in your heart and mind day and night so that you will be careful to do everything it says. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:8, my paraphrase)

Notice the requirement that we actually "do" what the Bible says - not merely read it and believe it.
Notice the requirement that we do "everything" the Bible says - not just the parts that are comfortable and that require little personal sacrifice.

So, wishing to allow God to really work in me and change me through the sermons I hear on Sunday mornings, I have been meditating on this concept of obedience this week. I have looked at numerous scriptures in the New Testament that imply the same, basic, mandatory-obedience concept: "We know that we have come to know him if we obey His commands." (1 John 1:3)

A while ago I did a summary of all of Jesus' commands just in the book of Matthew.
Check out my list below:

JESUS’ COMMANDS…

-Don’t hide my light within you. Shine brightly (through good deeds) for me.

-Do not have anger or discord in your relationships. Seek and pursue peace and reconciliation.

-Do not entertain lust. Do not look at a man or woman lustfully.

-Do not divorce – except in the case of adultery.

-Do not swear or make oaths. Be such a person of your word that those measures are not necessary.

-Do not retaliate upon your enemy. Love them, pray for them, and try to bless them.

-Do not be showy or prideful with your acts of righteousness. Do what you do in secret – seeking to please God, not seeking to impress man.

-Give. Do not spend your money on earthly treasures. Do not try to amass earthly treasures. Use your money for things of eternal value. Use your money to build-up treasures for yourself in heaven.

-Pray. Pray for God’s Will, not your will.

-Forgive everyone who sins against you. Be merciful to those who wrong you.

-Fast.

- Don’t spend your time worrying over the temporary things of this life. Let concerns of His Kingdom be first in your mind and agenda. Trust that He then will provide all your temporary needs.

-Do not be critical or judgmental toward your brother. Focus first on your own weaknesses and sins.

-In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. Love others like you love yourself.

-Freely give because of how you have freely received.

-Do not be silenced because you are intimidated by man and wanting to be a people pleaser. Be bold in your witness because you fear only God. Be concerned only with pleasing Him.

-DO NOT be an instrument of sin, causing others to sin or leading others into sin.

-Deal SEVERELY with sin, to rid yourself of sin.

-Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, with ALL your mind, and with all your strength.

-Attend to the needs of “the least” of people, serving them as if I were serving Christ; understanding that when I ignore and reject them I am ignoring and rejecting Jesus!

-GO and make disciples of all nations.

From this list alone, I am personally convicted about:

1) Continuing to pursue peace with someone who I know is angry with me

2) Checking my motives when I do "acts of righteousness" so that I am not trying to be seen or praised

3) Not trying to pile-up earthly treasures but rather trying to pile-up eternal treasures which will be earned by giving away my time, my resources, & my money to others for the glory of God in their lives

4) Keeping my mouth shut when I want to say critical, judgmental, or slanderous things about others

5) Caring for the needs of the weak, the small, the poor, and those who could never possibly repay me.

6) Making disciples; intentionally investing my life into teaching others to be true followers of Jesus.

I know that I cannot earn God's love or favor through my obedience. 

Scripture teaches against that just as loudly as it teaches the requirement of obedience.

Still, I want to be obedient.

My Lord, Savior, Creator, and Judge asks it of me. 

I believe that my adherence will produce great and eternal blessing.

What about you? Where do you need to obey today?

HABAKKUK!!!

Did you know that Habakkuk is a kick-butt book of the Bible!?!?

Cloaked in it's way-back-then-language is the awesome and relief-giving message that God has a plan!!! Habakkuk felt angry and confused that godlessness and injustice seemed to prevail, but God reminded him that He was and always is in control. Check out my summary of the book and its message below:

Habakkuk's Complaint:
"How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?... Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?... there is strife, and conflict abounds... justice never prevails... Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?"
(parts of Hab 1:2-4, 13)

The Lord's Answer:
"Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told."
(Hab 1:5)

Habakkuk:
I will stand at my watch... I will look to see what he will say to me."
(part of Hab 2:1)

The Lord:
"The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea... the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him."
(Hab 2:14, 20)

Habakkuk:
"Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known... Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength."
(Habakkuk 3:2, 17-19a)

I Consider My Life Worth Nothing

"In every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." 

(Acts 20:23-24)

I skimmed through the entire book of Acts this morning. I was compelled to do this because of much recent meditation on the responsibility of every Christian and every church to be radically, completely devoted to the service of Jesus and the spread of His gospel. Though I was just seeking to get a quick, overall synopsis of the mission of the early church, I came to a stop when I read and re-read the scripture above, written by Paul.

Paul's attitude of abandonment in toward His work for the Lord Jesus is stunning. It agrees completely with the same attitude of abandonment that Jesus calls us to all throughout the gospels. Repeatedly, Jesus clearly communicates that all of our lives and all of our resources are to be centered around the chief aim of telling others about Him and bringing glory to Him.

I am gripped in my soul as I realize the changes that need to be made in my life in order that I might have the same intentional, impassioned, missional lifestyle that the disciples in the book of Acts had. I have been begging God for the outpouring of His Spirit to work within me the desire and willingness to live in this way despite how hard or sacrificial it may be.

Oh that I might have the same filling of the Holy Spirit that Paul had; the same abandoned determination to testify for the gospel that I will say "I consider my life worth nothing to me!"

The Global Purpose of God's Great Grace

I was born into a context where the gospel of Jesus is relatively accessible. I have heard about Jesus' death on the cross practically since the day I was born. I am overwhelmed whenever I think about where I would be without the gospel. And I am humbled when I consider that I had nothing to do with where I was born. The only reason I have heard the gospel of God is because of the grace of God.

Meanwhile, more than six thousand people groups equaling nearly two billion people still do not have access to the gospel. For generations they and their ancestors have been born, have lived, and have died without even hearing the name of Jesus. They have all gone to hell. I am even more humbled when I consider that they had nothing to do with where they were born either.

So why have I heard the message of the gospel when they have not? Why have I received such mercy from God? This question is not just for me but for all who live where the gospel is accessible and who participate in churches where the gospel is abundant. Why have we been given such immeasurable grace when none of us has done anything to deserve it?

You and I have been given the great mercy of God for a global mission from God. He has called, commissioned, and commanded each of us as Christians to give ourselves to the spread of his gospel in every part of the earth. Every church that passionately loves the gospel of Christ will purposefully live for the glory of Christ among those who have never heard his name.

-from Radical Together by David Platt

CHURCH - Useless Tradition ...or... A Place for True Worship?

Today in Mark 7, I have seen some scripture in a new and piercing light. What I will write may feel offensive to some, but I am highly convicted that God's message is clear and one that we will either respond to or ignore:

A bunch of the religious folks came to Jesus and asked him why His disciples weren't washing their hands before they ate. These religious and seemingly spiritual people insisted upon the keeping of certain traditions that they felt made a person clean and acceptable before God. One such tradition, established by older generations, was the mandatory washing of hands before eating. Their exact words to Jesus were, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders?"(Mark 7:5) Jesus' response to their question was harsh. He called them "hypocrites," told them that they were giving him only lip-service rather than true heart devotion, and that their worship was useless. Finally, He said the words that really struck me: "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men...  You have a find way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions." (Mark 7:8-9)

For those of us who have been in church for years, are an active part of our churches, or have even been turned-off by a poor church experience, I believe this story holds stunning application to church culture. This story, I believe, demands some questions to be asked:
Are we just being religious and going through the motions of man-made traditions? Are we insisting upon the keeping of empty church traditions and programs simply because that's the way things have always been done? Are we continuing in the "traditions of the elders" not because they are effective methods of producing glory for God but simply because we're scared of change and of what unknown things God might ask of us? Are we content to cling to our church traditions because they only require surface-level lip-service rather than costly, life-changing surrender to Christ? Have we actually set aside the clear commands of God's Word and chosen instead to rest comfortably in the keeping of useless church rituals? Are we mistakenly calling those rituals "worship" and fooling ourselves into thinking that God is pleased with our show?

Jesus Offers Hope When Life Doesn't Make Sense

John 11 tells a story with a wonderful application to our lives when our circumstances are painful or just don't make sense:


Mary and Martha were the sisters of Lazarus. Scripture indicates that these three were good buddies with Jesus, the miracle worker. It says, "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus" (John 11:5). Yet, when Lazarus gets sick and his sisters send word to their all-powerful Lord so that he can come and heal Lazarus, Jesus did absolutely nothing! "When he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days" (John 11:6).  Jesus explains his inaction by saying, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it" (John 11:4). At this point in the story, I imagine that Mary and Martha may be feeling pretty hurt, even betrayed. They have walked in close fellowship with Jesus, and Jesus has repeatedly proven his ability to perform miracles and heal the sick, yet He chooses to do nothing to heal their brother. Ouch. 


Moving on in the story...... Jesus becomes aware that Lazarus is no longer sick - he has actually died. Listen to Jesus' seemingly not-too-compassionate comment about Lazarus' death: "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe" (John 11:14-15).


Jesus finally went to see Mary and Martha. By the time he arrived Lazarus had been dead for four days! Both of the women said, "Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died" (John 11:21, 32). I believe I would have probably said the same thing, maybe with some anger in my voice. But, to their surprise, Jesus told them that their brother would rise again. Jesus looked at Martha, in her grief and anguish, and assured her of who He was and what He could do. He then asked her, "Do you believe?" (John 11:26b). Martha said, "Yes, Lord, I believe!" With Mary, Jesus did not have this sort of spiritual conversation. With her, He cried.


Jesus then went to the tomb and commanded the stone to be rolled away. He said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40)  Sure enough, Lazarus walked out of the tomb alive. Scripture then says that "many" who were standing by witnessing this whole situation put their faith in Jesus.


The application of this story, to me, is clear and powerful:
God will allow us to experience all sorts of pain and circumstances that don't make sense from our earthly perspective. We may feel neglected, forgotten, betrayed, or angry at Him. We know that He loves us and we know that we love Him, and so we wonder why in the world He would allow life to happen like it does.  However, He has a wonderful, eternal plan at work, and He knows that our pain can be "for God's glory.... so that God's Son may be glorified." God is both wise, glad for the dark times because of their potential to grow our faith, and compassionate, crying with us as we hurt. God will work in and through our ugly life circumstances in order to bring us to a place of greater belief in Him. Our belief will enable Him to work wonders.  Then, as others witness our spiritually-mature, faith-filled responses to hard times, they will see the greatness of our God and be drawn to Him.

Yay, God - you have a purpose in the pain!
When life doesn't make sense to me, you are holding everything in your hands.

Growin' Like a Herb!

A couple of months ago Nick brought me home five bags of herb seeds: basil, cilantro, dill, thyme, and parsley. While I felt loved by his gesture, I did have a teeny bit of disappointment because I was just planning to go out and buy already-grown herbs. Wasn't sure how I felt about having to start them from seed and wait for them to grow. Now..... it is official.... I'm thankful it's happened this way. God has taught me a lesson in the growing of my herbs.

Though it seemed like it took forever, the little boogers finally sprouted and poked-through the soil. They grew very slowly at first because the weather was not consistently warm. Then as it became a consistent 95+ degrees outside, they shot up tall and healthy. Where at first I was disappointed in their growth, the heat came and turned them into something I was proud of. Then about a week ago I noticed that though they were tall, they weren't very full or thick. They also sort of stopped growing; like they had done enough and wanted to quit. Well, one night I was making some spaghetti sauce and needed to cut some basil. Then I made some tai grilled chicken and needed to cut some cilantro. To my delight,  within one day it became evident that my cutting on those particular herbs had caused them to really thicken up and produce more! Cutting yielded growth. What might have appeared destructive to a young, new plant actually served to make it stronger and more fruitful!

I see my life and my current circumstances so clearly in this plant-picture.
Over the course of years, God has turned the heat up in my life and caused me to grow stronger and more mature in Him. It was not comfortable, but it was necessary. And now, lest I become too comfortable in my relationship with Him and feel that I have "arrived," He has taken His pruning shears to work once more. My circumstances are uncomfortable. The cutting is painful. But, I know that He has a plan and a purpose that is grander than I can see, and I know that I can rejoice in the growth and fruit that will be produced in me as a result of the trials.

 I hope you can relate to this and find encouragement if you're being cut-on right now.

I Pledge Allegiance to the Bible

I've been helping with our church's Vacation Bible School this week. Yesterday morning in the opening assembly I stood with the children, put my hand on my heart, and said the pledge to the Bible. 

I was not prepared for the emotion that clinched my heart and brought tears to the corners of my eyes. 

I joined my voice with the voices of over 200 other children and adults, and we all said:

I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God's Holy Word. 

I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

I will hide its words in my heart so that I might not sin against God.

Dang. Ouch. Ugh.

Read that again. Slowly. Really think about what it says and what it implies.

That's what I found myself doing yesterday (while both fists were clinched on the backs of the two 2-year olds I was wrangling).

When I was growing up, I said that same pledge to the Bible every summer during VBS. 

Oh if I had only grasped and meant the words I said. 

Oh if I had only understood my desperate need to cling to God's Word as my guide and safeguard. 

Then, I wondered, how many within my church and churches all around America would benefit from a regular, somber rehearsal of the Pledge to the Bible. How differently would we live if we really used God's Word as a light to our path and if we really hid it in our heart?

 

Take one book of the Bible for example: 1 Thessalonians. I've been reading and re-reading through it this week. Its authors convey a very serious and dedicated handling of the gospel message, a determination to please God rather than man, and an expectation that such living will be accompanied by strong opposition and suffering that must be endured. These scriptures command us to always be kind to everyone, to minister to one another, to build one another up, and to overflow with love for one another. They command us to be sanctified: dedicated to God and His divine purpose for our lives, devoted to moral and spiritual excellence, pure and separated from the world. I don't know about you, but it is evident to me that the contents of 1 Thessalonians alone are much greater and higher and holier than what my life has looked like so far. 

I have not practiced appropriate allegiance to 1 Thessalonians.

I have not practiced appropriate allegiance to the Bible.

I have been aiming to do much better.

What about you? Do you need to Pledge Allegiance to the Bible?

Recognition of His Power = Recognition of Our Great Need

God has made His Spirit and His power accessible to us. That statement alone is profound.

In Ephesians 1:18-19, Paul prayed that the eyes of our hearts would be opened so that we would understand "his incomparably great power for us who believe." Do we really grasp that? The power of the Creator of the Universe, so huge that it has no comparison, is available to us!!!!!! Paul continues on to say that this power is "like the working of his mighty strength which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead." Wow. The power that God utilized to raise Jesus from the dead is the same power that is available to be utilized in the lives of us who believe.

Pondering this truth makes me feel keenly aware of how desperately fallen and needy we all are.
Surely we are experiencing far less that what He intends. I am convinced of it.
The more I see Him, the more I see how desperately I need Him.
The more I come to know Him, the more I cry out for His invasion in my life and the lives of those I love.

I will never have any hope of being who He's called me to be unless His Spirit does a work in me that I will never be able to do for myself.

I will never be able to join with my brothers in a mighty revival of the Spirit of God unless He breaks our hearts and sets them onto a completely new direction.

My church will never have any hope of rising to be the selfless, passionate, and repentant body of believers we've been called to be unless He has mercy and pours of His Spirit upon us.

And so, I'll keep praying.
I'll keep crying out to God to do for me and my family and my church what none of us deserve but what we all desperately need: An outpouring of His Spirit that is so powerful and so personal that it cannot be ignored. An outpouring so persistent that we all are broken-hearted over our sin and alive unto Him who desires to make much of His glory in our lives! I shudder to think of how insignificant our days and years will be if He does not do this.

Ready, Set, Wait.

I shared a piece of advice with a friend yesterday. As soon as it came out of my mouth, it punched me in the gut. It was like the Holy Spirit said, "That advice was for you, Janet. Listen to what you're saying." I kinda brushed it off at the time, but then again this morning I was praying about an issue, and I heard my advice all over again. It was really good advice. Biblical advice that I really need to put into practice. In so many ways thus far in my life, I have not heeded the advice that I gave my friend. So, I figured since it was so applicable and timely for me, it might also be helpful to something you're going through right now.
Are you ready? Here goes.........

It's usually a lot more appealing to be busy and to be doing, doing, doing rather than to wait on God and trust His path and provision. Try to resist the attitude of self-reliance that would have you to believe you must make things happen entirely for yourself. Learn to become comfortable with seeking and waiting - lest in your busyness you miss God's best, right in front of your face.

Oh How Much We Need You, Lord!

I spent a while praying this morning for the leaders and members of my church - including myself and my husband. This week I have a real burden, an urgency, a gut-level realization of how very much we need the Holy Spirit to work in our lives; to deeply convict us of our worldliness and selfishness so that we are broken, repentant, and most able to experience the mighty presence of God when we come together on Sundays to worship.

In the Bible I read of a God whose power is unlimited and who invites us, through Jesus, to participate in that power. That's what I want! That's what I want for my church! And, I'm pretty sure that in order to experience God in this way we will have to become far more broken, far more hungry, far more submitted to His ways, and far more determined to seek Him above all other pursuits of our lives.

After I prayed I was reading in Isaiah about God's people, the rebellious nation of Israel. They forsook the Lord, turned their backs on Him, and went their own way time and time again despite hundreds of years of His divine care and provision for them. Their's is such a sad story. And as I read, I was saddened by how much we, the church, may be mirroring their sad example:

The Lord has spoken:

"I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox (notoriously dumb animal) knows his master, the donkey (notoriously dumb animal) his owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand." Ah sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt... They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.... Their land is full of silver and gold; their is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses; their is no end to their chariots. Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made. 

Isaiah 1:2-4, 2:7-9 (parentheses mine)

Holy Spirit have your way in us - that we will experience this life as God has intended, not as we wish. 

Come Lord Jesus and teach us how to let you truly be Lord.

The Fatherless.....Singing of Their Father

Some friends of ours are considering a foreign adoption. Aware of the fact that adoption is such a literal and wonderful enaction of the gospel message, I decided to have a look this morning at what the Bible has to say about the "orphan" and the "fatherless." Did you know that there are over 30 verses in the Bible where God clearly expresses His compassion and concern for the fatherless? He also clearly instructs His people to be active in caring for the fatherless.

God makes me more and more aware that His work on this earth extends so very far beyond my American existence. He is turning my heart to be aware of needs all over the world. It's exciting to be growing. I can't help but wonder in what ways He will continue to convict Nick and I regarding our responsibility to reach beyond ourselves and into the lives of the lost, the poor, and the fatherless around us.

When Our Circumstances Just Don't Make Sense.....

In my last blog I addressed the truth that often God Himself will orchestrate dark, difficult, or painful times in our lives for the purpose bringing-about His glory. I think it was really good. I hope you read it. Then again I may be fooling myself to believe that anyone's actually reading my ramblings :). I'm inclined to keep writing, though, cause most of the time I'm writing for my self as much as for yall. I find it helpful in more fully processing the truths that God is teaching me. Anyway.......back to business......

In reading through the book of Job this week, I'm finding plenty of scripture that exposes our correct response during the hard and hurtful times of our lives. When our circumstances just don't make sense, when things aren't going as we wished or as we expected, when we feel we're being dealt an unfair, raw deal - WE CAN HAVE PEACE.

Peace in the midst of pain.
Peace in the midst of uncertainty.
Peace in the midst of trial.
Peace in the midst of sickness.
Peace in the midst of seeming hopelessness.
Peace because God is good, sovereign, and wise.


As I pointed out last time, God invited Satan to ruin Job's entire life and family. So, Satan ruined Job's entire life and family - as God stood by and watched! Job - confident in His God - responds amazingly with complete submission to God's wisdom and ways. In the midst of unfathomably horrible circumstances, listen to Job's words:

"Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" Job 2:10


"Indeed, I know that this is true.... His wisdom is profound, his power is vast.... He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." Job 9:2a, 4a, 10


"In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.... To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his." Job 12:10,13


"Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him..... Indeed, this will turn our for my deliverance." 
Job 13:15-16

I don't know about you, but I'm convicted! Lesson learned for today: God is awesome and completely in control - so I need to be confident in Him and quit worrying about my circumstances. They will happen exactly as God wills. And, when His will doesn't feel particularly good to me, I still have the responsibility to respond with peaceful confidence in who He is. Got it!

God Will Not Always Make Us Happy

I have been struck lately at seeing how often God Himself orchestrated undesirable, hopeless, and painful circumstances for people in the Bible.

In the book of Job, God invites Satan to ruin Job's entire life and family. Satan does exactly that - as God stands by and watches.

To the children of Israel He said: I am going to give you the Promised Land! To take it, however, the thousands of you must first cross a massive, flooding Jordan River. After you have done that, you will need to conquer the mighty city of Jericho. It is well established, with massive walls for protection, and I know that you don't really have any weapons or trained soldiers or anything like that. But, no need to worry - I've got a winning battle plan. Are you ready? Here it is: Form a line, march around the city for seven days, and blow your trumpets........... Geez.

In the book of Judges, we read about how the Israelites are attacked for years by the powerful and oppressive Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern peoples. God came to Gideon, the least member of the smallest clan of Israelites, and said, "I will make you a mighty warrior to defeat the Midianites!" Surprisingly, Gideon bought-into God's plan. Gideon gathered the troops for battle - over 30,000 men! But......are you ready.....check out what God says: "No, no, Gideon, that's far too many troops. You only need 300. Send about 29,700 of your men home, and with the remaining 300 you'll be able to defeat these mighty tribes of thousands of men that have been destroying your people for years." Once again.........geez.

Then, we see God orchestrating discomfort and temptation for Jesus himself. In Luke 4, we read of how the Spirit of God intentionally led Jesus into the hot desert for 40 days for the express purpose of being tempted by the devil!

In all of these accounts we see the hand of God orchestrating circumstances that seem painful, heartbreaking, hopeless, very uncomfortable, and very very challenging. On each occasion, His one motive is clear: To accomplish glory for Himself in lives of His people.

Who are we to assume that God will not similarly author hard and heavy circumstances in our lives for that same goal of bringing glory to Himself?

His one and main agenda for the lives that He has given us is not our happiness.
He is chiefly concerned with the accomplishment of His glory.

Note to Self: Bless Your Husband

This morning as Nick was leaving for work I had one of those warm-fuzzy moments where I thought, "Gosh, I love him so much. I want to bless him so much." And, this was quickly followed by thoughts of frustration that I don't stay in that frame of mind all the time.

To be clear, I think I'm doing a pretty decent job of loving and blessing my husband. I hope he feels that way, and I hope others see it as well. For several years now, I have identified this as one of the highest priorities of my life. God makes it clear in His Word (Genesis 2:18, Proverbs 31:10-12, 1 Corinthians 11:3, Ephesians 5:22-24, Colossians 3:18, Titus 2:3-5, 1 Timothy 5:14) that a wife possesses a chief responsibility of submitting to, respecting, serving, helping, and enhancing the quality of her husband's life. I have embraced those responsibilities and have been trying my best. There are times, like this morning, when I am filled with desire to excel as Nick's wife because of an overwhelming heart of gratitude for who he is and all that he does for me. However, I hate to admit, there are also regular times when my attitude becomes moody, snappy, critical, and naggy. Because of stress or fatigue or a multitude of other reasons, it is easy for me to not communicate to Nick the love and appreciation that are really in my heart.

Judging by how I see and hear other women interacting with their husbands, I am not alone in this struggle.

So, I wanted to tell you about a little exercise that I have done this morning:
I have written myself a short note that I will keep here at the house. I have reminded myself of how much of a blessing Nick is, how much he does for me and gives to me, how much he sacrifices for me, and how much I really want to bless him in return. I will read this note-to-self each day before he comes home from work. Hopefully then, having freshly reviewed my commitment to bless and honor him, our evening hours together will be full of love and respect and notably absent of moodiness and naggy-ness :).

Praying to be Hungry

I went out for a walk this morning to pray. It was a very welcome time, as it has been a week or so since I have really unloaded my heart to the Lord in focused prayer. I so enjoy praying while walking. For some reason I have far more focus while walking than while sitting in peace and quiet, and the brisk pace of my feet seems to fuel my passion as I talk with God. As I was marching around the neighborhood this particular beautiful day, I noticed something that I have been noticing quite a bit lately: that is, how often I pray that people will have a hunger for the Word of God.

A hunger for the Word of God will cause us to prioritize time in His Word - and thereby discover in scripture any and every needed help for the issues of our lives!

I see so many needs surrounding me:
People needing direction in careers and major life decisions, Christians with misplaced priorities, apathetic and selfish Christians, troubled family relationships, victims of others' sin, young people being pulled into darkness and worldliness, Christians desperately needing to retain and respond to the Truth that they are taught, folks struggling with commitment to a church body, consuming materialism that prevents us from embracing the sacrificial call of Christ, stale religiosity and ritual within the church, a lack of love and respect within marriages, confusion in knowing God's Will, and the list goes on and on and on and on......

And so often, as I recognize these needs in my life and in the lives of those I love, this is my urgent, gut-felt prayer:
GOD, GIVE THEM MORE OF A HUNGER FOR YOUR WORD!!!

You see, I know that one of the most powerful ways that God will deliver His powerful assistance to our circumstances is through the wisdom He has revealed in His Word. I have discovered that His Word is a wealth of help and strength and direction and correction and counsel. All that we need for life and godliness is within the pages of God's Word. There is no issue that we will face in life that is not addressed in the Bible. Time and time and time again I find myself realizing that my issues and those in the lives of others would be so easily fixed if we would just consult and put into practice the principles of scripture. I know that the power of God is available in His Word to address every hurt and every need. So rather than always worrying and fussing and praying over the specific details of all the different circumstances, I sometimes simply pray that people will be hungry for God's Word. I pray that the Holy Spirit will work in lives to replace worldly appetites with an appetite for the Word. Then, as people are regularly seeking God through the Bible, I know that He will speak to them exactly what they'll need for their circumstances.

Even the issues that are not addressed in the Bible really are addressed :).
God's silence on some issues is, in itself, His guidance. Since He did not feel the need to address a particular issue in His Word, He obviously has other things that are of higher priority for our lives. We need to first make sure we're prioritizing what He has clearly addressed in His Word. Once we have done this, we will have the wisdom and the filling and the freedom of the Holy Spirit to know what decisions to make in those gray areas of life that aren't clearly spelled-out in the Word.

If you are a person whom I know or love, I very likely have prayed for you on different occasions. And, I very likely have asked God to give you a hunger for His Word. In asking that, I know that I am praying for God to draw you to His #1 source of aide for the circumstances of your life!

Materialism: a Blindspot in Christianity Today

Regarding Christian wealth and affluence in the midst of our poverty-stricken world, consider the following quote by a pastor whom I greatly, greatly respect:

There is no difference "between someone who willfully indulges in sexual pleasures while ignoring the Bible's teachings on moral purity and someone who willfully indulges in the selfish pursuit of more and more material possessions while ignoring the Bible's teachings on caring for the poor."

The Amount and The Purpose of Our Abundance

Consider the following quote from economist Robert Heilbroner. He describes the luxuries that a typical American family would lose if they lived among the one billion destitute and hungry people in poverty-stricken India:

We begin by invading the house of our imaginary American family to strip it of its furniture. Everything  goes: beds, chairs, tables, television sets, lamps. We will leave the family with a few old blankets, a kitchen table, and a wooden chair. Along with the bureaus go the clothes. Each member of the family may keep in one wardrobe his one oldest suit or dress and a shirt or blouse. We will permit a pair of shoes for the head of the family, but none for the wife or children.

We move to the kitchen. The appliances have already been taken out, so we turn to the cupboards... The box of matches may stay, a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt. A few moldy potatoes, already in the garbage can, must be rescued because they will provide much of tonight's meal. We will leave a handful of onions and a dish of dried beans. All the rest we take away: the meat, the fresh vegetables, the canned goods, the crackers, the candy.

The bathroom must be dismantled, the running water shut off, the electric wires taken out. 

Next we take away the house. The family can move to the tool shed.... Communications must go next. No more newspaper or books - not that they are missed, since we must take away the family's literacy as well. In our shack we will allow one radio

 Now government servies must go next. No more postmen, no more firemen. There is a school, but it is three miles away and consists of two classrooms... There are, of course, no hospitals or doctors nearby. The nearest clinic is ten miles away and is tended by a midwife. It can be reached by bicycle, provided the family has a bicycle, which is unlikely...

Finally, money. We will allow our family a large cash hoard of five dollars.

We live in America. Whether upper class or lower class, we have all been born into privilege. We have so much while others have so little. And with this abundance and privilege, I am seeing, comes responsibility. What should be my response to the unearned favors that fill my life?

Through scripture, it seems that God gives only one correct response to abundance: sharing.

God gives some people more than they need so that they can be channels of blessing to others. The Bible commands that all believers show love for the needy all over the world. A very large portion of those needy brethren right now are in Asia and India. The wealthy brethren are in the United States, Canada, and a few other nations. The conclusion, it seems, (according to 2 Corinthians 8:13-14, 1 John 3:14, 17-18, and James 2:14-17) is this: The affluent believers must share with the poorer churches.

Nick and I have not been doing this. We have, in fact, been completely ignorant to the needs of the world around us. 

But now - we're aware. 

I'm praying we'll be obedient with the knowledge we now have. 

Certainly, it won't be comfortable. But it will be necessary.

My Epiphany On Beauty...

Several weeks ago I posted a blog about how my body was doing crazy stuff and how I was gaining weight despite a very careful and healthy diet and the most intense workout program I've ever participated in. Well, as I continue in that 6 day/week exercise program and as my body continues in a number of ways to be very abnormal, God continues to work with me and convict me about the foolishness of worrying over my physical body and weight.

This week I studied Isaiah 60 pretty extensively. Though this is a chapter that literally prophesies about the future Kingdom of Christ and God's promises to Israel, God showed me great personal application regarding the concept of the physical man vs. the spiritual man. I hope what He has shown me will convict, enlighten, and challenge you as well.

Throughout Isaiah 60, the people of Israel are told that the "light," the "glory," the "brightness, " and the "splendor" of the Lord was upon. Because of this all the nations of the earth would proclaim the praise of the Lord and honor the Holy One of Israel. Because of the presence of God within them and upon them, the entire world would be drawn to them and to the living God. What splendid beauty these people must possess to be that influential and that attractive!

Then it occurred to me - this is how I am to live. I am to allow the light, the glory, and the splendor of the Lord to so radiate through me that I possess the truest and most powerful form of beauty everywhere I go. Not the beauty of the most stylish clothes or the most chiseled figure or the most clear complexion - but the most beautiful beauty of all: that which flows from a heart overflowing with love and obedience to Jesus. When I pursue and emphasize the cultivation of this sort of spiritual beauty in my life, I will be most capable of attracting others to the Holy One of Israel. When I focus on allowing His splendor to fill me rather than focusing on the external shape or condition of my body, others will see Him in me and be captivated by His beauty. They will see and want the radiance that I have. They will be drawn to Christ.

I must come out from under the deception that my physical body is worthy of such worry and such attention that I neglect the constant growth of my spiritual beauty.

I have been created for the display of the Lord's splendor (Isaiah 60:21). To wish for the display of personal physical beauty more than the influential beauty of His indwelling Holy Spirit is wrong.

I am awake and alert.
Alert to the enemy who would have me to focus on me.
Alert to the system of the world which tells me the lie that physical beauty is, above all things, prized.

I am ready to lay down the emphasis and worry that I've given to my physical body. It will do what it will do. God is sovereign over my body, and I need not concern myself with such temporal matters.

I will instead embrace Isaiah's command:

"Arise, shine, for your light has come... the glory of the Lord rises upon you... the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you... He has endowed you with splendor."

Isaiah 60:1, 2b, 9b

DO The Good You Ought To Do

James 4:17 says,

"Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

I am stunned anew by the amount of sin in my life; by how far I am missing the mark of what God has commanded of me as His follower. Below is a list of "good" things that the Bible very very clearly lays-out I am to be doing. In carefully reviewing and chewing on each good act, I must honestly admit that I have not been doing these things very well. Because my life has been too full of self-centeredness and "more pressing issues." I have known the good I ought to be doing, but I have not been fully doing it. 

I have been in sin.

Review this list with me:

Share your food with the hungry (Isaiah 58:7, Proverbs 22:9, Acts 20:35)

Provide the homeless with shelter (Isaiah 58:7, Matthew 6:2, Proverbs 19:17)

Work to alleviate the needs of the poor and the oppressed (Isaiah 58:10, Matt 6:2, Ps 82:3, Prov 21:13)

Bless and pray for anyone who mistreats or does evil against you. (Matthew 6:39-42, 44)

Use your time and your money to gain eternal treasures. (Matthew 6:19-24, 2 Corinthians 8, Luke 12:33)

Speak "only" what is helpful for building others up. (Ephesians 5:29, Ephesians 4:11)

Consider others as better than yourself. (1 Corinthians 10:24, Philippians 2:3-4)

Prioritize inner, spiritual beauty rather than vanity and physical beauty. (1 Peter 3:3-4)

Love the Lord with ALL your heart, ALL your soul, and ALL your strength. (Deut 6:5,10:12, Matt 22:37)


In considering all of these good works that are supposed to characterize my life, I have 3 main conclusions:

1) I must do better.
It is not enough to just avoid all the bad things. I need to also walk in the good things that are clearly commanded of me in the Bible. This will require self-denial - making the needs of others and the agenda of God more important than the issues of my own life. Jesus did not die just so I could have eternal life. He died so that I could be reconciled to God and therefore be an instrument of His love - through good works - to people in the world.

2) I need the filling of the Holy Spirit.
In my own strength and determination, I will not be able to be who God has called me to be. My only hope of impacting this world the way Christ has asked me to will be through the indwelling Holy Spirit who compels and empowers me to accomplish what I have neither the motivation or ability to do on my own.

3) I am so thankful for Jesus.
As much as my heart longs to be obedient to the Father by embracing a life of sacrificial good works, I know I will fail. I am human, I am sinful, and no matter how much I try, I will continue to fail. I will never live this life at a perfect level of holiness. Therefore, the blood of Jesus that covers my sin and my shortcoming is very, very valuable. Thank you, Jesus!

God's Word As We Want It.....VS.....God's Word As It Is Written

As I have dug more and more into the Word, I have developed and carried an opinion for quite some time now:

We take verses out of context and then hold them in our hearts as "God's promises." 


We do this because it makes us feel better about ourselves. We do this and deceive ourselves into thinking that our lives are safely protected under the shadow of God's promises. This inaccurate assessment of scripture, however, keeps us from honestly assessing our lives, prevents us from recognizing the extent of our sin, and prevents us from understanding the amount of our own contribution to the troubles in our lives.

Here's a great example:

"My God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

How many of us have heard that verse many times?
I have! I have!

Well, if you read that verse in the entire context of Philippians chapter 4, one thing becomes incredibly clear:  The reason the Philippian church could have the assurance of God's rich provision of their needs was because they had first been very generous in giving to Paul during his times of need.
God blessed them as a result of their obedience to Him!

Look at the scriptures where Paul describe the Philippians' giving:
"It was good of you to share in my troubles..... not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessaloncia, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need..... I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent.... They are...pleasing to God." Phil 4:14, 15b,16, 18

It was immediately after these verses summarizing the generosity of the Philippians that Paul assures them by saying, "My God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (4:19)

So, we see that this promise proclaiming God's rich provision of our needs cannot be claimed by any Christian any time. It can only be claimed be those Christians who are obediently supplying the needs of those around them. Ouch.

There you have it. One of my favorite examples of how we take scripture out of context and thereby miss its full power in our lives. The bible is full of widely-quoted and beloved verses that say "God will do such-and-such for you" or "God will be such-and-such to you." I dare you to look up some of those promises and see how many of them are dependent upon some sort of action on our part. Conditional upon whether or not we first fulfill our end of the bargain.

India.....and hunky husbands!

WE ARE GOING TO INDIA!!!

Nick and I have decided that we will be joining our church's 8-man mission team to India this December. I am so excited. Excited at how God is stretching us beyond our comfort; excited at how the Holy Spirit is convicting us and changing the desires of our hearts; excited at how we are choosing to be obedient!

So........off we'll go the day after Christmas 2011.
Half way around the world.
To a culture and to a people who are billions in number and hopelessly lost.
We will join a husband and wife missionary team, believing that the investment of our time and energy will help to train and equip Indian believers to "go and make disciples" within their native culture.

We are going because we are choosing to believe that when Jesus said "Go into all the world," He meant it literally. And, we are going quite simply because my hunky husband said we would :).

I am so so so so so thankful for my husband. I am thankful for his conviction and his wisdom. I am thankful for his understanding of his responsibility as the leader of our marriage. I am thankful that he is aware of his need to cultivate his personal relationship with the Lord so that he will be the man that God has called him to be. I am thankful that he accepts the responsibility to walk in obedience to God's Word and that he realizes how that obedience, or the lack thereof, will effect me. He is far from perfect -as am I - but I see God's Spirit at work within him. That, friends, thrills me inside. When he clearly and calmly expressed to me his conviction that we should go on this mission trip to India - as we were standing over the sink washing dishes after dinner - I was........well, dern......I don't really know the appropriate emotion. It was just great. Really, really great. Nick is the best!

And so...... I thought I'd do a brag-on-your-husband blog today. After my group bible study this morning, I listened to my friend and pastor's wife warmly express her gratitude for her husband. It was beautiful! I love to hear women bragging on their men - especially in today's culture where belittling often leaves no room for bragging.

Whether or not his actions always seem deserving of your praise and respect, you can still choose to give these to your husband. If you are a wife with a hunky husband like me, I challenge you to leave a comment and tell me all about his greatness :).

His Sovereignty = My Security

I am so very, very thankful for the Sovereignty of God.

Webster's defines sovereign as:
-supreme power or authority
-fully independent and determining its own affairs
-possessing royal power or status

So, the God I serve - the God we serve - is absolutely ultimate and supreme in His authority. There is no rank or say-so above Him. He is completely unphased and unaffected by circumstance or situation. His purpose and His pleasure are the absolute only factors that play-into the affairs of this life. His status is supreme, and therefore none can influence Him. His power is, always has been, and always will be un-matched and un-touched. What He wills, is.

Hope and peace, deeper and more precious than I can express in words, are found in God's Sovereignty.
Possessing the knowledge of His full and unwaivering control is often my only source of security.

When we have done all that we can do,
When we have prayed all that we can pray,
When we have examined ourselves with confession and repentance,
When we have sought every reasonable solution...

...and still, nothing changes...

We can still have peace. We can still have hope. We can still have security.
Because He is Sovereign.

"I'm Not Called"

One more quote from Radical, based on the piercing truths of God's Word:

I wonder if we have erected lines of defense against the global purpose God has for our lives.

Where in the Bible is missions ever identified as an optional program in the church? 

Jesus himself has not merely called us to go to all nations; he has commanded us to go to all nations. We have taken this command, though, and reduced it to a calling - 

something that only a few people receive.

I find it interesting that we don't do this with other words from Jesus. We take Jesus' command in Matthew 28 to make disciples of all nations, and we say, "That means other people." But we look at Jesus' command in Matthew 11:28 - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" - and we say, "Now, that means me." We take Jesus' promise in Acts 1:8 that the Spirit will lead us to the ends of the earth, and we say, "That means some people." But we take Jesus' promise in John 10:10 that we will have abundant life, and we say, "That means me."

We have unbiblically drawn a line of distinction, assigning the obligations of Christianity to a few 
while keeping the privileges of Christianity for us all.

In Romans 1:14-15, Paul talks about being a debtor to the nations. 

He literally says, "I am in debt to Jews and Gentiles." 

Paul is saying that he owes a debt to every lost person on the face of the planet. 

Because he is owned by Christ, he owes Christ to the world.

We are in debt to the nations. In our contemporary approach to missions, though, we have subtly taken ourselves out from under the weight of a lost and dying world, wrung our hands in pious concern, and said, "I'm sorry, I'm just not called to that."

Jesus Didn't Die Just For You

Continued from yesterday....
A bit about every Christian's global mission - from Radical, by David Platt:

If you were to ask the average Christian sitting in a worship service on Sunday morning to summarize the message of Christianity, you would most likely hear something along the lines of "The message of Christianity is that God loves me....enough to send his Son Jesus to die for me." 

As wonderful as this sentiment sounds, is it biblical? 

If "God loves me" is the message of Christianity, then who is the object of Christianity?

God loves me.

Me.

Christianity's object is me.

This is not biblical Christianity. The message of biblical Christianity is:

"God loves me so that I might make him known among all nations."

To disconnect God's blessings from God's global purpose is to spiral downward into an 

unbiblical, self-saturated Christianity that misses the point of God's grace. 

This is a foundational truth: God creates, blesses, and saves each of us for a radically global purpose. 

If we are not careful we will be tempted to make exceptions. We will be tempted to adopt spiritual smoke screens and national comforts that excuse us from the global plan of Christ. In the process we will find ourselves settling for lesser plans that the culture around us - even the church culture - deems more admirable, more manageable, and more comfortable.

To Go or Not To Go? That Is The Question.

Tomorrow I will post another quoted passage from my latest favorite book: Radical. If you follow my blog at all, you know I've quoted from this book a number of times in the past month or so. May I just say - READ IT, READ IT, READ IT.

The reason I have Radical on my mind again this evening is that Nick and I have just been on the couch reading it. He, for the first time on his fancy I-phone; I, reviewing a chapter on global missions. I'll share some incredibly convicting parts from that chapter tomorrow. For now, though, I'll tell you that the reason I have missions on my mind is because our church is currently planning a 10-day mission trip to Jaipur, India. Nick and I attended a meeting last night to learn more about the upcoming trip.

Jaipur is a city of 3,500,000 people. Only 2% of that 3.5 million know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The rest are at present doomed for a Christless eternity because of their allegiance to the Hindu faith. We have the opportunity to undertake this mission and give our time and resources to the spreading of the gospel in India. We have the opportunity to go and spend many hours with two missionaries in Jaipur, assisting them in their discipling and training of local, native Christians. By our assisting and ministering with these missionaries, more natives will be trained in the sharing of the gospel and more Indians will therefore come to know Jesus as Lord.

It will not be a cheap trip. 14 hour plane ride one way. We would have to leave the day after Christmas and it will "mess up" our Christmas vacation time. The conditions in India will be dirty, so we've been told. We will eat for 10 days with our hands, no utensils. We may be asked to camp under the stars with the natives. We will have to dress in traditional Indian garb. It will be uncomfortable.

Will Nick and I go? I do not know. We have not yet decided.
Our eyes are open, though, to God's command that we GO into all the world and make disciples.
I don't know what excuse we can provide to continue ignoring that command.
If you, like me, are one of those people who has always quoted that "go into all the world" bit yet never honestly chewed on it to ponder the literal implications that Jesus intended it have upon your life........stay tuned.

Come back for tomorrow's post.

Elizabeth Taylor, Lady GaGa, Michael Jackson.......oh my!

Usually as I go about my morning routine, I grab for the remote to turn off the TV so that my bible study can be unhindered. This morning, however, I decided to leave it on after Good Morning America gave the tease that they were going to do a piece on the "Legendary Elizabeth Taylor." I assumed it would be one more occasion during which I was intrigued, saddened, and maddened by the topics, lies, and darkness that stream from to today's media.

I recall a recent morning when Lady GaGa appeared for a nearly 10 minute interview dressed head to toe in latex. Her costume, which the anchors applauded, was meant to be a talking piece for her safe-sex-for-same-sex couples campaign. I recall multitudes of times when abstinence education has been villanized as the reason why so many teens are having unplanned pregnancies. I recall multiple, careful considerations meant to determine when a parent should introduce contraceptive options to their children. I recall days when Steve Harvey, who has had multiple marriages, has been brought in to give advice on marriage. I recall the way the journalists crucified President George Bush one time when he was considering a former Methodist minister for the Position of Surgeon General of the United States. This particular gentleman (who was not ultimately chosen) had once written a paper on the dangers and wrongs of homosexuality, and the esteemed members of the press just could not conceive that such blasphemy might become a part of the White House team. There have been many mornings when popular music artists have been given prime time to perform concerts on air; concerts which involve gross, sexual, humping and dancing. It never fails - after these "wonderful" performances they are praised for their talent, influence, and for so generously sharing their time with the viewing audience. When Michael Jackson died a couple of years ago, he was hailed as a trail-blazer and pitied as a misunderstood genius. Though this man who rose to fame spent his lifetime filled with darkness and confusion, our culture tragically lauded him as a hero. Now, as I sit here this morning, there have been over 25 minutes of warm, lovingly reflective coverage on the "iconic" life of Elizabeth Taylor. She who in the public eye embraced infamously multiple marriages and scandalous, unapologetic affairs is being magnified as a woman to be appreciated, celebrated, and held dear. Barbara Walters called Taylor "great" and "wonderful."

How sad. How pitiful. How wrong.

My intent is not to demonize the mistakes of those mentioned above. Were it not for the mercy of God poured-out upon my life in my greatest times of need, I could very well be as deceived as those I've mentioned. Rather, my intent is to point out the darkness that consumes our culture. The sin that is exalted and called good. The good that is shamed and called wrong.

May we all be on-guard. May we be awake in realizing the dark and powerful influence that this world and its culture can have upon us. May we be guarded against the background noise that surrounds us and stains day-in and day-out. May we shield our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds as much as possible in order to avoid the subtle messages that would cause us to be conformed to the standards of this world.

Be careful little eyes what you see.
Be careful little ears what you hear.
And for goodness sake, turn off the TV to keep the cultural mess from streaming into your homes :).

I Can't Even Go to the Beach to Escape God's Discipline!

My wonderful husband took me to Ponte Vedra, FL last week. He had to attend a conference for work, and I had the pleasure of tagging-along. Gorgeous scenery.... glorious weather.... a treat of a week!

Nick and I had a wee-bit of an episode on the last day of this mini-vacation that caused me to do some serious soul-searching regarding the commands that God has given me as a wife. 1 Peter 3:1-6, Proverbs 31, Ephesians 5:22-24, and Titus 2:3-5 teach the demeanor and the attitude that I and every other married woman are supposed to have in relating to our husbands.

Toward my husband, I am to be:
Gentle
Respectful
Quiet
Reverent
Submissive
Pure
Fearing of the Lord

Like it or not, this is a list of character qualities that are commanded of wives toward their husbands; a list that I really need to work on. It may feel offensive to some, but it is nonetheless the timeless guidance of God's Word that requires a response. It has been my experience that the occasional absence of some of these godly attitudes in me can cause heartbreaking, exasperating, and frustrating ripples in marriage. I have much work to do. Though it is so often uncomfortable, I am thankful for the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I couldn't even go to the beach to escape it :).

A quick word about the Word...

In the past couple of years I have spent more time reading and studying my bible than ever before in my life. To give a frame of reference: i'd say an average of about 30 minutes a day, Monday through Friday. And... my world has come alive! I now realize that this is the least amount of time that I can possibly devote to God's Word if I expect to have the faith, the wisdom, the courage, the know how, the conviction, the endurance, and the intimate relationship with the Father necessary to live the life that He has planned for me.

I meet with God in His Word routinely each morning, and I feel real sadness if circumstances prevent me from that time in His presence. The scriptures have come alive to me in ways I don't have space to explain! They have guided my choices and assisted my relationships in very specific and personal ways. I experience real joy from the scriptures - joy as high as that which I feel in the arms of my husband. God is proving Himself to me through His Word, and that is a pleasure to experience! I read about who He says He is and what He says He plans to accomplish, and then I go about my days and see how He is exactly who He said He would be, working just as He said He would. Because of how I learn about Him through all of the scriptures, I have a keen awareness of His presence and His wishes as I go about my day. His closeness is wonderful!

I am so thankful for how God has answered my prayers to draw me closer to Himself. For so long I felt only obligation to read my Bible. Now, it is a retreat that I crave. I am more hungry for Him than ever before - more hungry to know Him through the pages of His Word than anything else in my life. No person, no pastime, no hobby, no earthly pleasure or possession can satisfy or thrill me like He does through His Word. Scripture after scripture after passage after passage after story after story has lept off the pages of my bible onto a permanent place in heart!

I realize that I am in a season of life where I have more flexible time than many of you, but I don't attribute this as the main reason for my commitment to the Word. I accredit it mostly to the fact that I asked and God answered. I asked Him to help me to be more disciplined and more desirous for His Word - he answered! He has given me a desire for Himself. If you realize a need in your life to have this sort of relationship with God through His Word, I challenge you to simply ask for His help in that area. If life continues to carry you along, work day after work day, appointment after appointment, commitment after commitment, chore to chore, hobby to hobby, tv show after tv show.......and you never stop to seriously prioritize yor time in the Word.........your life will be far far less than what He created it to be. You'll be cutting yourself off from the number one source of guidance for your life. Don't do that. Join me in a touching, challenging, exciting experience with God through the pages of His awesome Word! You will not be disappointed.

Gainin' Weight and Choosin' to Chill

I am now, by the power and mercy of God, free from years of bondage to eating disorders and lots of weight loss and weight gain. I very much enjoying not being obsessed with my weight. For over five years now, I've enjoyed a steady weight through healthy eating and moderate exercise. I have a great metabolism. Life is good.

Well........what-da-ya know but out of the blue in a period of three weeks I gain 10 pounds!?!?
Now, I don't know about yall, but my fearfully and wonderfully made female body gains weight first all in one area: glutes and thighs! Ah........tight pants :(. I refuse to go shopping for more.

I do have a tiny amount of consolation in knowing that I've done absolutely nothing to earn this weight. It, and a few other physical abnormalities, are all the result of some medication I've taken. For once, this is truly out of my control. Yet, to not be in control of this area of my life is proving to be very much uncomfortable. I've been bellyaching for about three weeks now to anyone who will listen.

So, this recent weight gain and additional physical issues have obviously thrown me for a bit of a loop. I've researched and talked to doctors and dieticians, and they seem to agree that my best solution is to "wait it out and let my body re-regulate itself." Wonderful (insert sarcasm here). To add insult to injury, I've just begun a workout program with my husband and some men at church called "Insanity." It is named such because that is truly the only word fit to describe the level of physical pain this program inflicts. Six days a week. 6:00 a.m. each morning. We've been at it for over a week now, and we're all also really cutting back on our calories. I push myself just as hard - and often times harder - than the men do. All of them are dropping weight like gangbusters. Am I? Well no! Of course not - not a pound! That would make way too much sense.

Okay, enough of my bellyaching..........
God began to convict me yesterday. I have a choice to make here. I can choose to get all torn up about my weight and make weight-loss a top priority OR I can simply choose to accept the fact that this is something that is out of my control right now and keep pressing on with the plans and purposes of God for my life; not allowing myself to become distracted by the things that satan would love for me to be distracted by. If I allow these undesirable physical issues to occupy a large part of my mind and heart, I will no longer be loving the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and mind as I have been commanded. If I spend all kinds of time worrying over how to get my weight back down, I will not be seeking first the Kingdom of God as I have been commanded. I will not be making His priorities my priorities  because instead I will be focused on earthly and eternally-insignificant things. I must choose not to do that. I will choose not to do that. I will not once more idolize my physical body and fail in my obedience to the Lord.

My dad sent me an email today to let me know that he was praying for me in these "struggles" that I am having. Honestly I am really thankful for his prayers because the stuff going on with my body is very definitely not normal, and I do need God's intervention. Mostly from his email, however, I was convicted. Convicted at how I get all selfishly caught up in my temporary "struggles" and make them a much bigger deal than they should be. I was reminded of a passage from my new favorite book, Radical. I'll leave you with it. Perhaps it will make you evaluate your attitude toward your own "struggles":

"Wake up. Wake up and realize that there are infinitely more important things in your life than football and a 401k [and weight loss]. Wake up and realize there are real battles to be fought - so different from the superficial meaningless "battles" you focus on. Wake up to the countless multitudes who are currently destined for a Christ-less eternity!"

Jesus' Mission Determines Our Mission

In Isaiah 49, we see a picture of the mission and purpose of Christ:

"Before I was born the Lord called me.... He made my mouth like a sharpened sword.... He made me into a polished arrow.... He said to me, "You are my servant...in whom I will display my splendor." 

(49:1a, 2a, 2b, 3)

Then, from 1 John 2:6 and a multitude of other New Testament passages, we are instructed that followers of Christ "must walk as Jesus did." The mission and motives of His life should very much inform, effect, and set the standard for the way we live our lives. So, judging by the serious tone of Jesus' mission written in Isaiah 49, we can rightly conclude that our mission on earth may not always be nice and pleasant and comfortable.

Just like Jesus, we each have a calling upon our lives that was planned long before the day of our conception (Ephesians 2:10, Psalm 139:16). According to scripture, that calling will involve earthly discomfort, losing our lives, and risking our reputation for His sake. He may ask us to speak up in circumstances when His truth will cut like a "sharpened sword" into the lives of those we care about. He may ask us to act as a weapon - a piercing, "polished arrow" - for Him in situations where we'll need take stands for certain things and against certain things. He clearly calls us to be His "servant."

Look at one more passage in Matthew 10:34-38 to get a feel for the seriousness of Jesus' mission:

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me."

If Jesus came to bring a sword, we too at times will need to employ the sword. If Jesus said that serving Him would at times require the forsaking of family relationships, we need to be prepared to sacrifice even our closest relationships for the sake of His glory. If Jesus said our discipleship would involve the carrying of a cross (a medieval instrument of torture), then we should expect discomfort at the least.

The severity and harshness of Jesus' earthly mission was meant to set an example for our earthly mission.
A followed example.
Ouch.

Savior AND Judge

I've been studying the book of Isaiah in-depth since October. In this Old Testament book, the awesome prophet Isaiah communicates many words of comfort and hope to the people of Israel. And, since Christ has died and made a way for we "Gentiles" to also be among God's chosen people, we can now all claim the promises that God made to Israel. We all, figuratively, are "Israel," and the wonderful promises given to Israel in the book of Isaiah are therefore ours to stand on! Promises like:

"The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces" Isaiah 25:8a

"I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:9b-10

"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." Isaiah 46:4

"I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..." Isaiah 49:15b-16a

However.......here's where I have a conflict.....
The bible study guide I've been using each day has posed this concept several times: All will one day face the Messiah, either bowing to Him as Savior or bowing to Him as Judge. Is Jesus your Savior or will He be your Judge. If He is your Savior, your eternity is secure and you have much to look forward to. If He is your Judge, however, you will be condemned to a torturous, Christ-less eternity.

I am bothered by this implication because of how it presents a Savior vs. Judge concept rather than a more accurate Savior AND Judge concept. Scripture is clear that we will all stand before Jesus to give an account for the way we lived; that we will all stand before Jesus to be judged. Yes, those of us who have trusted in Christ as Savior will be permitted into an eternity in heaven with Jesus, but not before we are judged for the content of our lives on Earth.

Shame on us when we cling-to and focus on the ooey-gooey, warm-fuzzy parts of scripture and ignore the hard, not-so-fun-to-think-about parts of scripture.

In closing, consider the following scriptures that indicate every Christian's appointment to one day stand before the Lord and receive just, eternal consequence for the ways that we spent our lives. If you'll pause to consider how you spend your time, your energy, and your money, the thought of such an appointment with our Savior and Judge may not be entirely comforting:

"For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each on may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10

"For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what He has done." Matthew 16:27

"All the churches will know that I am He who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds." Revelation 2:23

Will We Be: A Self-Sufficient Church or A Desperate-For-God Church?

Lately I've been thinking and writing on materialism in the church and among Christians today. Materialism, as we have seen, pulls the full allegiance of our heart away from the Lord and attaches it instead to the temporary things of this world. Thus, we become self-centered, self-focused, self-fulfilled rather than centered on God, focused on God, and fulfilled in God. Such a centeredness on self, as I have experienced, reduces or eliminates our feeling hunger for God. We are self-sufficient and we tragically underestimate our desperate need for Him. We get busy - He gets left out. This ailment then translates into our churches. The church is darkly effected when its people are not desperate for the help, the guidance, the power, and the Word of God. We will cling to man-made ideals and man-made strategies rather than discovering the power and purpose that only God can deliver.


I'd like to share one more quote from the book I've mentioned lately - Radical - that touches on this concept: 


"We Christians.....have convinced ourselves that if we can just position our resources and organize our strategies....we can accomplish anything we set our minds to. But what is strangely lacking in the picture of performances, personalities, programs, and professionals is desperation for the power of God. God's power is at best an add-on to our strategies and good deeds.  I am frightened by the reality that the church I lead can carry on most of our activities smoothly, efficiently, even successfully - never realizing that the Holy Spirit of God is virtually absent from the picture. We can so easily deceive ourselves, mistaking the presence of physical bodies in a crowd for the existence of spiritual life in a community.... I long to be part of a scene where we refuse to operate in a mind-set dominated by an American dream that depends on what we can achieve with our own abilities. A scene where we no longer settle for what we can do in our own power. A scene where the church radically trusts in God's great power to provide unlikely people with unlimited, unforeseen, uninhibited resources to make his name known as great. I want to be part of that dream!.... It doesn't matter how many resources the church has. The church I lead could have all the man-made resources that one could imagine,  but apart from the power of the Holy Spirit, such a church will do nothing of significance for the glory of God....His power is so superior to ours. Why do we not desperately seek it?"

Radical

Please consider these words from Radical, by David Platt:

A relationship with Jesus requires total, superior, and exclusive devotion. If you follow him, you abandon everything - your needs, yours desires, even your family. Biblical obedience (rather than the church-going, rules-keeping that we like to call "obedience") will require that we abandon all that would hinder. "Give up everything you have, carry your cross (an instrument of torture), and hate your family." This sounds a lot different than "Admit, believe, confess, and pray a prayer after me." Jesus called his disciples to abandon their careers. They were reorienting their entire life's work around discipleship to Jesus. Their plans were being swallowed up in his plans. Ultimately, Jesus was calling them to abandon themselves. They were leaving certainty for uncertainty, safety for danger, self-preservation for self-denunciation. Lets put ourselves in the shoes of these eager followers of Jesus. What if I were the potential disciple being told to drop my nets and abandon my career? What if I were the disciple being told to embrace torture and suffering? What if you were the man whom Jesus told to not even say good-beye to his family? What if I were the disciple being told to hate my family and give up everything I had in order to follow Jesus? This is where we come face to face with a dangerous reality. We do have to give up everything we have to follow Jesus. We do have to love him in a way that makes our closest relationships look like hate. And it is entirely possible that He will tell us to sell everything we have and give it to the poor. But we don't want to believe it. We are afraid of what it might mean for our lives. So we rationalize these passages away. "Jesus wouldn't really tell us not to bury our father or say good-bye to our family. Jesus didn't literally mean to sell all we have and give it to the poor. What Jesus really meant was..." And this is where we need to pause. Because we are starting to redefine Christianity. We are giving in to the dangerous temptation to take the Jesus of the Bile and twist him into a version of Jesus we are more comfortable with. A nice, middle-class, American Jesus. A Jesus who doesn't mind materialism and who would never call us to give away everything we have. A Jesus who is content with us gathering in our churches and spending thousands of dollars on nice buildings to drive up to, cushioned chairs to sit in, and endless programs to enjoy for ourselves. A Jesus who would never call us to give away everything we have. A Jesus who would not expect us to forsake our closest relationships so that he receives all our affection. A Jesus who is fine with nominal devotion that does not infringe on our comforts, because, after all, he loves us just the way we are. A Jesus who wants us to be balanced, who wants us to avoid dangerous extremes, and who, for that matter, wants us to avoid danger all together. A Jesus who brings us comfort and prosperity as we live out our Christian spin on the American dream. But do you and I realize what we are doing at this point? We are molding Jesus into our image. He is beginning to look a lot like us because, after all, that is whom we are most comfortable with. And the danger now is that when we gather in our church buildings to sing and lift up our hands in worship, we may not actually be worshiping the Jesus of the Bible. Instead, we may be worshiping ourselves. While Christians choose to spend their lives fulfilling the American dream instead of giving their lives to proclaiming the gospel, literally billions in need of the gospel remain in the dark. We desperately need to revisit the words of Jesus in scripture, listen to them, believe them, and obey them. We need to return with urgency to a biblical gospel, because the cost of not doing so is great for our lives, our families, our churches, and the world around us."

Jim Elliot and David Platt... On Materialism

In my last entry, I weighed the issue of enjoying one's possessions and finances as a blessing from the Lord vs. sacrificially giving one's possessions and finances to the work of the Lord. I'd like to explore that topic a bit more thoroughly...


Jim Elliot (1927-56) was a man who understood his God-given responsibility to use his life and resources for the work of the Lord: sharing Jesus with others. Elliot was convinced that God was leading him to an exotic indian tribe known for killing any outsider who tried to approach them. These Indians, the Huaorani, had never heard the gospel. Elliot and a few other men believed it was their responsibility to take the gospel to the Huaorani people. Elliot and his friends were speared-through and killed by the Huaorani before they ever had a chance to tell them of the love of Jesus.  In the days following the deaths, however, Elliot's wife would be a part of leading to Christ the very men who speared her husband. Since that day till now, the peace of Christ has come to reign in the Huaorani tribe. Jim Elliot's ultimate sacrifice made possible the salvation of natives who may have otherwise never heard the name of Jesus. 


Many criticized Elliot's decision to travel to the Huaorani people because of their violent reputation. They encouraged him to just stay in America and minister there. Before embarking on his missionary journey, Elliot wrote in his journal:


"Surely those who know the great passionate heart of Jehovah must deny their own loves to share in the expression of His....So what if the well-fed church in the homeland needs stirring? They have the Scriptures, Moses, and the Prophets, and a whole lot more. Their condemnation is written on their bank books and in the dust on their Bible covers. American believers have sold their lives to the service of Mammom (materialism), and God has His rightful way of dealing with those who succumb to the spirit of Laodecia."


The spirit of Laodecia that Elliot spoke of comes from Revelation 3:16-17. In this passage, God is disgusted with the church because they are lukewarm in their faith. They are lukewarm partly because their trust and hope is fixed in their riches and their possessions. As a result they do not experience a burning hunger and need for the Lord. They are wealthy and materialistic. Their materialism separated them from the Lord and the work that He had for them to do. 


Is your materialism separating you from the Lord? This is a question that I am asking myself very much lately. 


Radical, by David Platt, is a book that God is absolutely using to pierce me to the core right now. Platt says, "The war against materialism in our hearts is exactly that: a war. It is a constant battle to resist the temptation to have more luxuries, to acquire more stuff, and to live more comfortably. It requires strong and steady resolve to live out the gospel in the middle of an American dream that identifies success as moving up the ladder, getting the bigger house, purchasing the nicer car, buying the better clothes, eating the finer food, and acquiring more things." 


Yes, in the middle of immoral and materialistic America, you and I must choose to live out the gospel. That involves a forsaking of ourselves, our comfort, our possessions, and our finances in order to make disciples of Jesus Christ in all the world. That was Jesus' assignment to us. Many professing Christians will choose not to do this because of an attachment to their own comfort and luxury. And, as Elliot stated, "Their condemnation is written on their bank books." 


In closing, consider the following from Radical:

"The mark of Christ followers is that their hearts are in heaven and their treasures are spent there... We can switch the channels on our mega-TVs and continue our comfortable, untroubled, ordinary, church-going lives as if the global poor don't exist...Or we can open our eyes and our lives to the realities that surround us... Why not begin selling and giving away luxuries for the sake of the poor outside our gates? Why not begin operating under the idea that God has given us excess, not so we could have more, but so we could give more?"