Ties That Bind

The Poor

2012-01-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

We recently got to have a fantastic opportunity to visit South Africa and Zimbabwe. We visited with some friends in Cape Town and saw some amazing things and some appalling things. The poverty there is incredible. I cannot say that I've never seen anything like it, because I have in the Philippines. I can say that I have not seen anything like it in a first world country.

Having lived in Texas, with a "developing" country at the border, I've thought a bit about what makes a nation rich or poor. There isn't much difference on either side of the border as far as rainfall, quality of land, etc, yet there is a huge difference in the economic opportunities. Why? South Africa and Zimbabwe are rich, fertile countries. From what I saw there is much in the way of natural resources. So why are they poor?

It comes down to the ideologies which drive each society. That is the only difference between the United States and Mexico, or the first world and the third. The factors of how we view one another, how we view work, the values we place on life and freedom and education, affect the economy and security in any country. As the United States moves away from the Judeo-Christian values and beliefs which made it such a successful nation, the economy and security we now enjoy will be adversely affected. Indeed, the process has already begun.

As a Christian, what is my response to the poor? First, I don't expect that the government will take care of me or others. I know a lot of people-even Christians- don't give to charity because they believe the taxes they pay help the needy already. Aside from the ineffectiveness and out right harm the government has done with the welfare system, paying my taxes doesn't glorify God. Surely the Lord is honored when we give to others in the name of Jesus Christ.

Second, I need to give more than money. I can give my time. I can pray. I can listen and encourage. The Good Samaritan got off of his donkey and got dirty helping the poor, beaten man, along with giving money for his care.

Thirdly, my primary giving is to Christian mission work. Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples. The money I have is the Lord's and it should be used for His Kingdom. There are some excellent charities where most of the donation you give actually goes to help the poor in effective ways. The Gospel is shared, not as a prerequisite, but along with that help. What good does it do to feed someone or teach them a life skill and leave that person eternally condemned? The Good News can sound hollow when it is not accompanied by good works, but good works apart from the Gospel are unable to affect real and necessary change.

It is so easy to get caught up in the daily routines of life, in our own troubles and cares and forget the poor and needy-especially in the United States. But as a Christian, we have to have a Biblical mindset when it comes to serving the poor. Jesus said, "If you do it to the least of these, you do it to Me..." God shows His identification with the poor in the Incarnation. Jesus was born in a stable, put in a feeding trough. His parents gave the offering for His circumcision that was required for the poor. He said that foxes have holes and birds have nests, but He had no where to lay His head. He rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey, ate His last meal in a borrowed room, and after His crucifixion His body was put in a borrowed grave.

When did we see Him hungry or naked or thirsty? On the Cross, as He hung between two thieves. He became poor for us, that we might have the richness of God's grace and mercy. When you see someone who is poor, think about Jesus becoming poor for you and bless them as you would Him, because that is exactly what you are doing!

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:31-40

Living for Home

2011-11-30T08:53:00.000-08:00

Home. I have lived in so many places in my life. Some have been more pleasant than others. I've lived in a charming, but drafty home on a Connecticut beach, in a spooky house in Detroit, Michigan, in a military cinder block fourplex in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in a glorious English country home called "Farthing's Cottage" which was, fittingly, on Half-Penny Lane. I've also lived in a tatty trailer (the less said about that the better) and any other number of homes in Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Maryland, Texas and Canada.

One thing that moving so often has cemented in my soul is the truth that as a Christian, I don't have a real home in this world. My real home isn't here. It's in Heaven. The Bible says that one day God will make a new heaven and a new earth, and that those who have come to Him in faith through Jesus Christ will be there with Him forever. Do you believe that? We say it all of the time, but do we live like we believe it?

A benefit of moving so often is that of being rootless. I grew up "rootless," and when it became clear that Dennis and I, along with our five kids, were once again moving, I prayed to the Lord. Earnestly, I cried out to Him that I wanted my children to have what I had not experienced, roots. In that still small voice that the Lord whispers in our hearts He said, "But I want them rooted in Me." What could I say? Surely God knows best. Because the 'normal' supports aren't there, we have grown in ways we would not have if we had stayed in one place.

One thing it has done for me, is to free me in a way, from what people will think if I talk to them about Jesus. Of course, that shouldn't matter, but we all are afraid of looking foolish, aren't we? And the Gospel is definitely a foolish thing in our world. We don't want to be seen as weird or fanatical. But that unsaved friend or family member is eternal, too. Heaven is our home, but the Bible is clear what the future abode is for those who have not put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Whether we are gypsies, or live in the same town all our lives, we as followers of Jesus have an imperative, to share the hope we have within us with those who are perishing.

It is easy to be comfortable in America. We have a lot of tranquilizers for our souls, don't we? They can be good things, routine things, not necessarily sinful. But in our prosperity, how many Christians are asleep in the Light? God's people, with the Gospel, have great power to change the lives of others. It's why we are still here after we believe. To be ambassadors, witnesses. Because Heaven is real and so is Hell. But we are so busy living out our comfortable lives, living for the now instead of the eternal, that we often don't think of what is ahead. We are too rooted in here and now and we forget that eternity is waiting for all of us and for those we love.

Barna has all sorts of surveys about faith in America, and how we share it. To be honest, most of those surveys show that we are failing. We American believers care more about our children's educations than their souls. In one survey, 3% of the parents questioned emphasized the salvation of their kids, while 40% put their emphasis on education. Why? We are asleep. We are bound by the here and now, living for the dot of this world's existence, rather than the line of eternity.

What should we do? Wake up! Jesus, the Light of the world has come. Why are we laying around in the dark? Amos warned the sleeping church of his day, "Woe to them who are at ease in Zion." How do we wake up? Don't ignore God's word. Spend time in it and in prayer every day. You eat food every day, don't you? We all make time to do that; make time to fill your spirit with the bread and meat and milk of the word of God. Do you think believers in Sudan and Afghanistan sleep? We are too much like Jonah asleep in the ship and at peace, not doing what God said. Do we need to suffer as he did before we will obey?

So, rise with purpose, knowing who you are in Christ and what your destiny is-Heaven, your real home. Be so full of Him, that His light and love overflow in you. Share with the ones around you the hope you have in Jesus. Pray that the Holy Spirit will convict them and bring understanding to them. Our time is short as ambassadors. Let's make the most of it so that the neighbors we have there, are the people we love here.

"Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of your time because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:14-15

"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you." John 14:2

The Rock

2011-10-28T05:48:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading through all of the Old Testament references to "stone" and "rock" in preparing for a Bible study today on Daniel 2. In Daniel chapter 2, the Babylonian king, Nebudchadnezzer has a dream that disturbs him. So in tyrannical manner, he threatens to kill every one of his wise men if they can't tell him what he dreamed, as well as its interpretation.

Daniel prays and God reveals the dream and the interpretation to Daniel. He tells the king about the dream of a huge statue: head of gold, breasts and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet with toes mixed of iron and clay. A stone, cut without hands, strikes the toes of the statue and crushes the whole statue at the same time. It literally becomes dust in the wind, blown away without a trace. Then the stone becomes a huge mountain that fills the earth. It's a cool passage and there's a lot there, but I was so caught up this morning with all of the Bible passages about the stone, or rock.

What amazed me is how clear throughout the Old Testament, and the New, that the Stone is Jesus! In Genesis He is the "Shepherd, the Stone of Israel." In Deuteronomy, He is called the Rock, whose work is perfect, whose ways are just-a God of faithfulness. Psalms had the most references to the Rock, calling Him "my rock and fortress, my God in Whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, the Lord who lives, my Rock and my salvation." Isaiah describes Him as "a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over," for those who reject Him, but "a sanctuary" to those who believe. Isaiah also describes this "choice stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation that is firmly placed" and promises that he who believes will not be disturbed.

It is this stone cut without hands that destroys the kingdoms of this world, represented by the statue in King Nebuchadnezzer's dream. That stone becomes a great mountain, which in Scripture signifies a kingdom, that fills the whole earth.

It is this Stone which the builders rejected. But it has become the chief cornerstone, named by Paul in Ephesians as Christ Jesus Himself. Peter calls Him the living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in God's sight.

From the beginning of creation, until now, He is the one who provides protection and salvation. In the Old Testament time, he was a stumbling block to those who reject Him. He is today, too. Why? He came to benefit all of mankind. Why is it that He is a stumbling block for so many?

Because to come to Him, we have to recognize, that unlike the rock, we are weak... Our pride and our egos don't like that. People don't want to admit they need a Savior because they are not good.

Because of the fear of social rejection....while there are others whom the world applauds when we follow them, the world does not love those who follow Jesus Christ. They don't love us, because they don't love Him. The esteem and praise of others blinds them to their need for a Savior, because they love the approval of men more than the approval of God.

Because He calls His followers to deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Him. False teaching aside, He does not promise an easy life here and now for those who will put their trust in Him. The things of this world are of higher value to them than eternal things.

Because it is impossible to come to Him and remain whole," "Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone the builders rejected, has become the capstone..? .. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." They don't want to come to Him in faith, because to do so is to be broken. They want to remain as they are. They want His blessings, but not the transformation He promises to those who come to Him recognizing that they are poor in spirit, who hunger and thirst to be made righteous. They believe a lie, that they will be more apart from submitting to Jesus as Lord, than under His rule. They neglect the warning, "he on whom it falls will be crushed."

Whatever the reasons people have for rejecting God's costly "Cornerstone," their rejection has eternal consequences. I once was without Christ. I had reasons I didn't want Him. But then I saw my wretchedness. I could not even keep my own standards of good conduct-let alone Gods! I stumbled over Him, "the only way, the only truth and the only life-the only way to get to God." But thankfully I fell broken at His feet and He made me whole-just as He promises any who will come to Him. I was reborn by trusting in the Rock of salvation. He has been my Rock and my Refuge for over thirty years. Trials and temptations, hardship and sorrow, joy and abundance, through all of these years He has never failed me.

Jesus encourages us to build our house on the rock. Then when the winds come and the rains fall, we will be able to stand firm. Unshaken, because we have taken refuge in our Savior, who becomes to us a "rock of habitation to which I can continually come...You are my Rock and my Salvation." If you haven't come broken to Him, won't you do so now? If you have come to Him, but have wandered away, won't you turn back?

In the shifting sands of this world, I am thankful for the Jesus Christ, the "Rock" I can safely cling to!

"Though strong winds may blow
They can’t change what I know
And I’ll hold to the Rock
That the wind can’t erode"

Flower Power

2011-08-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

Some who read this are already familiar with the events that happened last week. Some gave me advice, which I appreciated. Some sympathized with me, which made me feel better. Some prayed for me, which I'm sure God used to change my heart.

We just moved for the second time in eight months after a very stressful housing situation that ended in an early termination of our rental agreement. We were very happy to move into a smaller, pleasant home, so although it was a lot of work, we didn't mind.

The first week moving into a home is a lot of work. To top it off, two of our children were sick. There were doctor visits and errands in addition to the unpacking. I was up early and going non-stop to get everything settled before school started and to facilitate all of that, I'd let the dogs out quite a bit to get them out of the way.

Well, the doorbell rang at 7:15 am, the fourth morning we were in the house. Cautiously, I opened the door. I could see a man through the door's window, "Yes?"

He was shaking with emotion and as he detailed incident after incident where our dogs had disturbed his family, it was obvious the emotion was anger. I kept trying to apologize from behind the door (in my pajamas), but he was intent on finishing his litany. Finally, I was able to say how sorry I was and would he please forgive me. He said yes abruptly and left.

I closed the door. Now I was the one shaking with emotions. I went and got the dogs from the back yard, brought them in, and relayed the conversation to Dennis. I didn't mind that Mr. Neighbor had told me he had been bothered by the dogs, I felt bad that he had been.

However, I was very annoyed about the way he'd handled it and the fact that although he lived right next door, he'd not yet bothered to come over to say "welcome." Seriously, did the guy not think? The first interaction he has with his new neighbor is to blast her? Why did he wait until he was so mad? Why not come over with a "hey welcome to the neighborhood, I'm ---. By the way, your dogs have been barking a lot. I'm not sure you realize how disturbing it has been for us..."

I vented on Facebook. That's where I got some good advice, compassion and prayer. One of my friend's suggested baking him a pie. I thought as mad as he was, he'd probably throw it in my face! But I did start to pray. I had a pit in my stomach thinking we'd offended someone we hadn't even met. What a way to start life in a new place! I also had to go through my own list of his offenses. And put them aside.

My children thought I was nuts when I told them about what had happened, and how we were going to the store to get a "Texas" sized bouquet for the angry man next door as an apology. One of the boys had a few suggestions for the man who'd treated his mother so poorly, some of which made me laugh. But I told them that we were going to overcome evil with good. I admitted that I was mad, too, but that we are commanded to turn the other cheek and to do good to those who mistreat us-fairly or not. I explained to them that there was nothing wrong with him expressing frustration over the dogs barking. We did owe an apology. No matter how he'd handled the situation, we were going to do that. The closest Christians should ever come to seeking revenge, is to do good to our enemy and trust God to make things right.

We got home just as Mrs. Neighbor was going to the mailbox. I apologized again to her. From her response, I think she was a little concerned about what it was her husband had said to me that ended with me giving her a bouquet of flowers. I told her that I'd been upset all day thinking we'd offended them so greatly. She then explained that they'd had trouble with the people who'd just moved out. Apparently, their dogs barked incessantly, to the point that they didn't even use their backyard. That explained his unreasonable anger! I thought. Mr. Neighbor came walking over and was happy with the flowers, as well.

Their son has been at our house every day since, playing with our son, Colin. I intend to invite Mrs. Neighbor over for coffee in the next week or so. Who knows what good God will bring from barking dogs and a bunch of flowers? But I know He will do something good!

Honestly, I wish my first response to Mr. Neighbor had been complete concern for our offense to him, rather than mixed with defensive thoughts of my own "rights." I found, once again, that overcoming evil with good affects me. The whole stressful situation was used by God to chip away some more at my stony heart and to demonstrate the greatness of Jesus Christ to do what no one else could, change it to a heart of flesh.

Raising Happy Parents

2011-07-22T14:52:00.000-07:00

It seems to be an imperative in our culture to entertain and please our kids. Make them happy at all costs. But I'm going to selfishly ask, "What about moms and dads?" Where's the concern about their happiness? I'm talking to you, kid.

It's hard work raising happy parents, but you'll find little information about it in the secular world. Try "Googling" it. Nada. Nothing. But there are pages and pages of web sites dedicated to making children happy.

Is our child-centered culture correct in its viewpoint? Looking through my life-manual, I don't think so. I can find no verse about parents making sure their precious progeny are entertained and happy.

But, I do see that children have an effect on their parents. Check this list out:

~ A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother. (Proverbs 10:1)
~ It is painful to be the parent of a fool, there is no joy for the father of a rebel. (Proverbs 17:21)
~ My child, if your heart is wise, my own heart will rejoice! (Proverbs 23:15)
~ The father of a righteous man has great joy, he who has a wise son, delights in him. (Proverbs 23:24)

Since most of you have been, or are being, raised in Christian homes, I'm sure you know all those responsibilities your parents have to train you in God's ways. I'm sure your parents are all well aware of them. But not much is said about your responsibilities, even in Christian circles. I'm going to share some of those with you. Because I care about you. And your parents.

You have the responsibility to honor your parents. Guess what? They don't have to earn it or deserve it. It's a commandment. Look it up. It made the top ten list. I won't name any names, but I have heard or read some of you say some pretty awful things about your mom or dad, even some of you mocking them. Maybe you're like one young lady I know and you have the social savvy to look and say the right things in front of people, but inside you're seething against the ones whom you should value. Whether its "out there" for all of the world to see, or inside your mind, its sin.

I am sure some of you are rolling your eyes. Who am I to tell you off? Your friend. I care. I really do. People who don't care about you will tell you what you want to hear. A real friend tells you when you're wrong. They warn you about dangers.

This one commandment of God's has an "if/then" clause attached to it. Kind of a carrot and stick approach. You are to honor your father and mother. If you do, it will go well with you and you will enjoy long life on the earth. I think the implication is there that if you don't, you have no assurance that things will go well with you, or that you'll live to a ripe old age. Check out Ephesians 6:1-3 and read it for yourself in black and white. It seems to literally be a matter of life and death.

I know someone is thinking, Jesus didn't say anything so harsh about not honoring your parents. (Some people mistakenly believe that only the red words in the Bible are from God, so this one's for them) Check out Matthew 15:4, Jesus' proclamation is to affirm the Old Testament's penalty of death for those who curse their parents. Apparently, children having the right attitude towards their parents is very important to God.

OK, now I have to speak to those of you who have lousy parents. Sometimes even good parents can be lousy. I know you're not surprised by the fact that parents are sinners, too. But what about the kid whose parent (s) are truly awful? Your parents have hurt you physically, emotionally, what's the deal there? Let me be clear, if anyone is hurting you, even a parent, tell someone who can help you. Honoring doesn't mean staying in a dangerous situation. Get help if you are being hurt.

Most of you have pretty decent parents. Be thankful. But either way, it is your responsibility to honor them in your heart, in your attitudes, and with your words. If they offend you-or when-forgive them as you have been forgiven. Make time for them, even when you're busy raising your own kids. Make it a priority; you will benefit yourself and you can have the satisfaction of raising happy parents like the ones described here: "Let your father and mother be glad! Let her who gave birth to you rejoice!"

Messing Up

2011-04-29T08:45:00.001-07:00

I hate and despise it when I blow it. It doesn't matter how I blow it. My pride is afflicted by every single sinful thing I do. I may make excuses for it, or shift the blame, or wallow in remorse and self-pity. When I read the apostle Paul say, "Wretched man that I am, who will rescue me from this body of death?" I not only can identify, I find relief in his cry for help. I'm not alone. Misery loves company, I guess.

There's an awful old hymn that goes like this:

If I have wounded any soul today,
If I have caused one foot to go astray,
If I have walked in my own willful way,
Dear Lord, forgive.

I've lived enough to say with complete confidence that song is ridiculous. "If!" Unless you are in bed unconscious, you are going to sin. You are going to mess up. Every day. And I'm just like you. I do things I shouldn't, say things I regret, fail to help or serve or...you get the idea.

What do I do? Many times I feel as if I have to wait to pray and do things better for awhile before I go to God. But feelings are tricky things and all too often I've found that they can't be trusted. Waiting to deal with sin only keeps me miserable longer. Nothing good is accomplished by wallowing in guilt. I couldn't "save myself" to begin with, and I can't make my sin "right" now. Instead of waiting for feeling like I've done well enough to go before the Lord, I go to Scripture and the Lord to confess and remind myself of the truths contained there about salvation and forgiveness.

Here's an example, from my own prayer journal of what I mean:

"Lord, I need You every second of every day-and night! Forgive me again for my sins. I do the very things I don't want to do. Please help me to put off the old man and put on the new man.

I am so grateful that the new self is being renewed to a "true knowledge" according to the image of the One who has created me! (Colossians 3:9)

I am thankful that You have made me alive together with Christ (Colossians 2:13) and have forgiven me all of my transgressions, having canceled out the decrees against me, taking it out of the way and nailing it to the Cross (Colossians 2:14).

Jesus, I thank You that You have reconciled me to God in Your fleshly body through Your death, in order that You will present me before You holy and blameless and beyond reproach (Colossians 1:22).

It is Your grace and love and mercy, Your sacrifice, that has saved me, that keeps me and that will truly redeem me one day. How can you love a wretch like me? How can I not love a Savior like You, Holy and True? Help me to work and live in a manner worthy of You."

Why is it important to go to the Lord and to His word? Because it's the truth. Our own hearts are deceitful and wicked. Our minds need to be renewed daily with the truth because we not only lie to ourselves, but we live in a world steeped in lies. The longer we know the Lord the more likely that, apart from reminding ourselves over and over again of the Gospel truths, we will become discouraged because of our sin. Paul did not write that verse in Romans about being a wretched man before his conversion, but much much later.

Hebrews says that the word of God is " living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." A sword is only as powerful as the one who takes it up to wield it. A young child may take the sword, but it has more power in the hands of a warrior. God's word has power because of the One who wields it, described by John as one out of whose mouth "went a sharp two edged sword" (Revelation 1:16).

I encourage you to take up the sword of the word of God and go before Him. Let the truth of God's word set you free!

(original artwork by Lindsey Morris)

2010-12-17T15:11:00.000-08:00

The phone rang. Dennis whispered from the other end of the connection, “You need to go to the road outside of the neighborhood and turn right. There’s an orange cat on the side of the road that might be Noka. Juliana didn’t see it and I don’t want her to know about it until we’re sure.”

Noka had been missing all day. Juliana had been out looking for him and calling him. I’d even become worried; he didn’t usually stray far from home. He was afraid of cars and the noises of construction going on in the homes being built next door.

I went out to the main road. It was the end of the workday, so cars were flying past me as I neared the animal in the road. It was Noka. Thankfully, he wasn’t marred, but what made him “him” was not there. I went back to the house to get a shovel and a box.

Everyone in our family loved that cat. There have been many tears and prayers said, even in this short time. Noka was a special cat, more like a dog-only better because he was still a cat!

As I lay in bed this morning thinking about him, this thought kept coming to my mind. Death is wrong. Whether it is an animal or a human being, death is wrong. Some will say it is the “natural” order of things. It is, in that it is what happens, but it is not when you see death.

The body of an animal, or worse, a human being, apart from the spirit and aside from our sorrow at the loss, is wrong. We are corporeal beings, united with a spirit and a mind. When I see death, I know that this is not what should be. I know from God’s word that this is not what He designed it to be, but what mankind has brought into the world with the gift of choice. The whole of creation groans, longing to be set free from corruption and death.

I’ve always been struck by the story of Lazarus in John 11. I’m sure your familiar with it. Messengers from the dying man’s sisters came to tell Jesus that his friend was sick. Jesus, who Scripture describes as loving Lazarus and his sisters, did not leave to go to him, or heal him from afar. He plainly said that Lazarus would not die, but that God would be glorified through his illness.

After two more days past, Jesus goes to Bethany. By the time He gets there Lazarus has been in the tomb, dead, for four days. Martha and Mary are there, along with a crowd, weeping. This is what really strikes me. Jesus knows He is going to raise Lazarus from the dead. He is going to make their sorrow into joy in just a few minutes. Yet look at His response as He sees their grief, “…He was deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled” (John 11: 33b).

Why? Then comes the shortest verse in the Bible, and one of the most poignant, “Jesus wept” (v. 35). How is it that Jesus is so troubled and sorrowed when He knows that He is about to raise Lazarus? When God created the world, there was no death. Sin brought death and pain and sorrow into the perfect world God had made. Jesus wept because of the painful reality of death. He wept because they hurt, even though He was about to remove the cause of their hurt and not just in raising Lazarus from the dead. He was about to enter into a gruesome battle for mankind, to free us from the cause of death and sorrow. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He rode to Jerusalem where He payed the penalty of our sin, by laying down His perfect life and rising from the dead three days later.

He came to redeem mankind, and His creation, from sin and death. Sin is the disease and the result of that disease is death. Jesus defeated both in His crucifixion and resurrection. The certain hope we have as believers in Jesus Christ is that not only will we be in Heaven with the Lord when we die, but that we will one day be reunited with our resurrected body. One day all of creation will be redeemed. Creation longs for that day, a hope that will be realized (Romans 8:20).

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4).

Praying the Prayer That Saves

2010-11-11T04:27:00.000-08:00

After moving to a new state one summer, I put my younger children in the Vacation Bible School being run by the church we were visiting. My older kids helped out and they all had a great time. It was quite a production, like nothing I had seen before in church. Seriously, it was show-quality from the music and skits, to the teaching. I love seeing excellence done for the Lord and these folks were working hard to reach the kids.

in the middle of the week, my youngest child came up to me after I brought everyone home. She explained that something happened that she didn't understand. She thought the leaders had asked if anyone was interested in baptism. She raised her hand because she had wanted to be baptized for awhile. She was led to another room where the adult instructed her to pray for Jesus to live in her heart. Juliana tried to tell the adult she already believed in Jesus, she just wanted to be baptized. The adult's response was, "Just pray what I say to make sure."

My child was now confused. We talked and prayed, but honestly that interaction caused my child to stumble in feeling secure in her salvation. So, I was probably not in the best frame of mind when I got a call the next night. Before I could say more than hello, the person on the other end began, "Congratulations! Your child prayed to receive Christ yesterday and can be baptized tonight in our special baptism service! Just meet Pastor Blank in room..."

I waited for the person to take a breath so I could respond. I explained what Juliana had experienced at VBS, and that she actually already believed. I expressed concern that the adult had not listened to her and had instead insisted she "make sure" by repeating a prayer. I said I was concerned for other children who might think praying a prayer made them Christians, rather than faith in Jesus Christ.

There was quiet on the other end of the phone. Then, in a whisper the person responded, "That worries me, too. But this is my job at VBS, and we have to stick to the program. We have a lot of kids responding. Sometimes I think it's all about the numbers. Thanks for sharing your concerns." The line went dead.

I grew up not knowing the clear Gospel message. It was all about keeping rules and regulations, self effort. But the Biblical truth, the blessed truth, of justification by faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, has become in some circles little more than incantation, "Pray this prayer and you'll be saved." How many falsely believe they are "safe" because they prayed a prayer? How many people walk away from Christianity believing it is useless because they never really were saved to begin with?

Tozer said it well, "Justification by faith has fallen into evil company and been interpreted by many in such a manner a actually to bar men from the knowledge of God. The whole transaction of religious conversion has been made mechanical and spiritless. Faith may now be exercised without a jar to the moral life and without embarrassment to the ego. Christ may be "received" without creating any special love for Him in the soul of the receiver. The man is "saved," but he is not hungry, nor thirsty after God."

Salvation is simple from our perspective. We have to first recognize our spiritual poverty. We are sinners unable to please God in any way. There is no way to make ourselves right before holy God. Prayer that saves us is prayer that is based on faith in Jesus Christ, on His sacrifice on the Cross and His resurrection. It is faith that trusts God's promise that our redemption comes through the blood of His precious Son.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9-13

Train 'Em Up

2010-09-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

As a veteran (that means old, not perfect) homeschooler, I have seen and used a lot of curriculum through the years, especially reading curricula. I admit, I’m old-school when it comes to the basic skills and how to teach them, but what happened last year astounded me in its simplicity and its successfulness. It shouldn't have, because the idea was God’s.

My youngest son, Colin (CJ to me), is a great student. He’s bright, but it is his curiosity and humor that make him such fun to teach. I noticed at the end of fifth grade that his oral reading skills weren’t as sharp as they could be. Since we moved as soon as we finished school, I didn’t have a lot of time to ponder what to do about it besides kick some ideas around with a friend.

When the school year began, I had nothing. During my Bible reading and prayer time one morning, I felt the Lord leading me to expand the morning devotions I had with the children. Instead of reading a devotional book written for kids, I was to have them read a chapter out loud from the Bible. So, we started in Genesis.

It was a struggle for the kids sometimes with those odd names. CJ would joke that a lot of them sounded like someone was stifling a sneeze! (Think about Mephibosheth!) But we made our way through the year reading a least a chapter of the Bible a day. Sometimes the kids were so interested, we went on. So we ended the school year in our new home, in First Kings.

I’d met some nice women who homeschooled at the gym where our kids met for P.E. every week. One of them mentioned she was setting up end of the year testing, so I told her I’d like to join their group and have my children tested. When I got the results a few months later, I was shocked!

Colin has always tested well on the standardized tests-many homeschooled children do. But his improvement in reading skills was dramatic. I actually had to go to the test results interpretation sheet because I had never seen the letters posted under the reading skills sections on CJ’s test. He went from being a bit ahead to “PHS” in every area of reading, “post high school!”

I am not bragging on myself as a teacher. I am not bragging on my bright kid. I am bragging on the effectiveness of God’s word and His promises. The only thing different about our schooling that year was to add reading the Bible out loud, a chapter a day. That was it. As I looked at the test results, I recalled Paul’s words to his student in the Lord, “All Scripture is God-breathed, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Indeed!

Lists

2010-09-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

I love lists! I'm sure it's my type "A" personality. I just finished days of planning out the entire school year (yes, I am a bit late!). I love seeing all of the books Juliana and I get to explore, the movies and documentaries we'll see, the field trips we'll take all neatly typed in rows. It's going to be so helpful to see that written reminder when I get bogged down with the daily routine of getting up early, making breakfast, doing the school runs, etc...

I also love making lists from Scripture for the same reason. I need those reminders of God's truth and somehow seeing them in list form, helps me to see truth more clearly. Here's a list I made when going through I Peter 1 a few weeks ago:

* The Father has caused me to be born again to a living hope (3)
* This new birth came through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead (3)
* I have an inheritance reserved in Heaven, which is imperishable and undefiled (4)
* I am protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation to be revealed in the last time (5)
* The trials I endure here are a proof of my faith-which is more precious than perishable gold. My faith will be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (7)
* I have not seen Him, but I love Him (8a)
* I do not see Him now, but believe in Him, and this belief causes me to rejoice greatly with inexpressible joy, full of glory (8)
* I have obtained, as the outcome of my faith, the salvation of my soul (9-which I remind myself is not from myself, it is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8-9), so I can't boast )
*The Gospel was preached to me by people through the power of the Holy Spirit sent from Heaven (12)
*Angels long to get a clear glimpse of this (12)

Because of all of this, I am to:

1) Gird my mind for action (13)

2) Keep sober in spirit (13)

3) Fix my hope completely on the grace to be brought to me at the revelation of my Lord,Jesus Christ (13)

4) Be obedient like a child, not conformed to the lusts which were mine in my ignorance (14)

5) Be holy, like the Holy One who has called me, in all of my behavior, just as He commands (15)

6) Conduct myself in healthy, respectful fear during my time on earth because the One I call Father is the One who impartially judges every man's work (17)

7) This "fear" ought to be motivated by the knowledge that I have been redeemed, not with perishable things from the futile way of life I inherited from my forefathers, but with the precious, imperishable blood of Christ (19)

On days when I lose sight of those truths, when I am weighed down with my failures, disappointments, battles and heart break, I pull out my lists. My sight is restored; my burden is lifted; my battle scars and sorrows are tended; my heart is filled with joy because God is faithful and able to do all that He has promised.

Prodigal

2010-07-12T04:21:00.000-07:00

It is with hope and sorrow that I write this today. Hope, because I know there is nothing beyond my Savior’s ability or resources to restore. Sorrow, that a child we poured so much into would choose to be, in his own words, “A rebel without a reason.”

There is no need to go into details of the rebellion, but it has gone on for many years, never truly being repented over. So now its fruits are ripening and will be reaped by our child, while all we can do is watch and pray.

The temptation would be to blame ourselves. Indeed, I do sense those fiery darts in conversations I have had with other parents, or in the middle of the night, which is why I want to write about this experience. It is too easy for us to assume that our children turn out “well or ill” because of us. Unfortunately, we parents can often judge ourselves harshly. Please understand that there have been times when Dennis and I have failed to do as we ought, or have done what we shouldn’t do. I am not trying to make excuses or justify ourselves. I just want to share what we are learning with those who may be walking through the same trial-or who will.

The truth is that we must be faithful as parents to teach our children God’s ways, His Word, and pray for them. We must also realize that each generation must choose for themselves whom they will serve. We are not responsible for their choices (Ezekiel 18:20). In Ephesians 6:4, Paul states that parents are to bring their children up in “the discipline and fear of the Lord,” without making any promise as to the outcome of their efforts. We are only responsible to do as the Lord commands us as parents. We must be faithful to train our children, to share the Gospel with them. If they do well, it is not all due to our good parenting. The same holds true if they do not do well. From the very beginning in the Garden each generation has had to choose whom they will serve.

Solomon is a good example of this. He is the author of Proverbs, and wrote the verse that brings many parents hope, Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” When Solomon fell away from the way he had been trained, God did not blame his parents (I Kings15:5), despite their obvious moral failures. No, God held Solomon responsible. The ironic thing is that he turned away from God when he was old! What happened?

The truth is that not every child who is brought up, trained in Christian truth and belief, will continue on in that faith. Experientially we see that that Proverbs 22:6 does not always prove true. Does that mean God’s word has failed? Certainly not. I found the following explanation very helpful. I hope you do, too.

“Appreciation for the nature of a proverb is of tremendous help in understanding the promise of Proverbs 22:6. Proverbs are general truths stated in general terms. A proverb is not a precept. A precept is a truth stated in absolute terms. An illustration may help here. Suppose we are making statements of truth about engineering students at a particular university. One statement might be, "A student must take and pass calculus in order to graduate as an engineer." That statement of truth is in precept form. There are no exceptions. But suppose we said, "Students who do well in calculus make better engineers." Exceptions do not make a proverb false. Proverbs are proverbs! Proverbs are not precepts. They are general truths stated in general terms. Proverbs 22:6 is a proverb. The occasional case which proves to be an exception to the general truth does not make this proverb false.”

There are Proverbs that are “backed up” by other Scriptures, so they become precepts. Proverbs 3:5-6, for example, is more than a general truth, because it is stated as a precept in James 1:5. As Christians, we can have confidence that the Lord will lead us and give us wisdom. That is a promise. We don’t have any verses that explicitly promise us as parents that our children will walk with the Lord. But we shouldn’t be discouraged, because it is generally true that we will be rewarded in our efforts to train up our children in the way they should go.

What then do we do when our children turn away from the Lord? We cling to the truths, the precepts of God’s word. We pray Scripture for our prodigals; we intercede for them in prayer; and we trust that the truth of God’s promise in Romans 8:28 will bear fruit in our lives, “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God.”

The Meaning of the Cross

2010-04-28T04:58:00.000-07:00

During the last presidential campaign, the Republican Convention took place in St. Paul. In nearby Minneapolis, there was a great presentation at the Convention Center called CivicFest. I took the two youngest children to see the displays: a 20 foot by 60 foot model of the White House, historical flags, dresses worn by the former first ladies from the inaugural balls, the fuselage of the first Air Force One, and many interesting items from 12 of the presidential libraries. Colin and Juliana were also able to reenact the presidential oath of office, with Colin taking the part of the President, and Juliana the Supreme Court justice. We were even given DVD’s of the event! It was a great display.

Also on hand were over 60,000 square feet of goods for sale. There were all sorts of Republican buttons, shirts, favors, etc. There were people from all over Minnesota selling their wares. As we walked through them, we came to a vendor selling a wide variety of crosses. Uneasiness crept over me as I looked at the display: crosses to honor firefighters, 9/11 responders, paramedics, and teachers. There were crosses with the words “dad” and “mom” inscribed on the center, pink crosses for cancer heroes, doctors, those who serve in the military. The vender came over to help me. As he spoke about the importance of celebrating our heroes, my head started buzzing. I shook my head and thanked him and walked away with my kids.

Colin asked what was wrong. Indeed. The desire to honor those who sacrifice their time, energy, even their lives for others, is a noble desire. Those who serve are surely worthy of honor and thanks, but to put symbols of their service on a cross? What does that mean? Saviors with a small ‘s’ are equivalent to the Savior? Or is His sacrifice on par with those of mankind?

The symbol of the Cross has been used for centuries as a rallying point for something other than Christian use, so I suppose I should not be surprised at the display I saw. Indeed, in our culture it has become just another piece of jewelry or decoration. Even so, I don’t think its true significance is lost, nor do I believe that it can be.

Consider the fact that until Jesus died on it, the cross only meant shameful death. In fact, the cross was a stumbling block to the Jews. It was considered such a detestable manner of death (Deuteronomy 21:23), how could Messiah die that way? But die that way He did, and to this day the message of the cross is foolishness to the unbeliever, yet salvation to those who believe.

Because He died and rose again, the cross became something else, the symbol of the salvation God gave to mankind. Instead of symbolizing death, it became the symbol of eternal life. Although the symbol of the cross may be co-opted for other use, the message of the Gospel will not be thwarted. God will have His way, and the message of salvation will go through the world, accomplishing that which He has ordained.

Anger

2010-04-06T04:46:00.000-07:00

She hated me. To this day I am not sure what it is I did that provoked such a strong reaction; there was more than the “surface” reason. What was the source of the conflict? You know, I am still not certain. But I am sure that it wasn’t the issue she brought before me, because the amount of anger and vitriol was all out of proportion for something that should only have been a polite disagreement between two points of view.

Over the years I have come to realize that when someone’s response to a situation makes no sense, there is a reason; something else is going on.

Reading through the gospel of Luke recently, I came to this verse: “But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed what they might do to Jesus” (6:11). If you didn’t know the context, you might wonder what awful thing Jesus did to incur such wrath. He healed a man’s withered hand! Their response makes no sense. What was really going on?

They wanted to find reason to accuse Him. Why? Well, Jesus said it Himself: “…you seek to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. You are doing the deeds of your father…you are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning…” (John 8:40, 44). They were not what they appeared to be, holy followers of God. Instead, they were following the nature they’d inherited from their real father, the devil. That was what was really going on.

Still today Jesus Christ causes such intense hatred from unbelieving men and women throughout the world. His followers in many countries are persecuted and killed because they believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior. Again, why such intense anger? It is out of proportion, unreasonable. The reason for it is because the hearts of men and women are darkened and they fear the Light just as the Pharisees did long ago. That is what is really going on.

Thankfully, the anger and rage of man is nothing before the light of Jesus’ glory and grace!

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)…in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-5, 7

Complaining

2010-04-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

My family all knows that I like irony. As someone who enjoys literature, I like it in a storyline. I find it in Scripture a lot. In the Old Testament, the complaining Israelites, tired of manna, whine about how tough life is on the road to the Promised Land with God.

Think about all that they had been through and seen God do in their lives! They weren’t complaining about big stuff. They missed the free fish they had in Egypt, the cucumbers, onions, garlic…they wanted meat. The people had just seen God judge some of those who straggled on the outskirts of camp, consuming them with His fire because of grumbling against Him, but they don’t even pause in their weeping and complaining. They are missing all of the comforts of Egypt, so God promises to give them meat, “until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you; because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before Him, saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?"'" (Numbers 11: 20) The Israelites end up getting their meat, and receive God’s discipline as well.

Reading through Numbers, I note there are many instances of complaining. It’s a bit easy from the comfort of my couch, a hot cup of coffee in hand, for me to condemn the foolishness of the people who wandered in that desert so long ago. They complained because they did not trust God. Although they had seen miraculous things, had been freed from slavery, and were moving towards a land of “milk and honey,” they did not trust the One who was leading them. But am I all so different when I grumble and complain about cleaning the house, making dinner, or any of the mundane chores I have? How about griping in my heart because I don’t have something I desire? Or because people in my life are not what they ought to be, or the way I want them to be?

Complaining and grumbling about anything in my life is human nature, but it is wrong. It’s wrong because God says it’s wrong. It’s the sinful response to the stresses and situations in my life. As a Christian, I have been freed from sin. I no longer have to respond in those old ways. I can choose to respond in a new way. Consider Philippians 2:14, “Do everything without grumbling or disputing.” How do I practically do that when all of life seems to be falling apart around me? Well, what is complaint, except a lack of gratitude?

I have found that the cure for complaining is to express gratitude to God for whatever the situation is instead. This works for the mundane complaints I have, and for the more serious situations in life. I can always be grateful to the Lord for my salvation, can’t I? There are things I have as a believer in Jesus Christ that nothing can change, not daily frustrations, illness, fearful circumstances, even death. Because of Jesus, I am accepted by God; I am secure; I am significant; and I am free!

Here are some verses to get you started listing your blessings in Christ!
John 15:15
John 1:12
1 Cor. 6:19-20
Romans 8:1-2
Philippians 1:6
Colossians 1:13-14
Ephesians 2:4-6
Ephesians 2:10
John 15:16
Galatians 5:1
John 8:31-33

A Real, New Identity

2010-01-04T09:05:00.000-08:00

We have the privilege of having two children by adoption. I cannot tell you how often I have had to address someone who has made a comment about my “real” children, or about my children’s “real” parents. Lindsey and Zachary are our very real children. We changed very real diapers, feed them very real food, took them to very real doctors for shots, etc...did all the things “real” parents do for their “real” children. Now, they did have birth parents, birth families they came from. They inherited traits from their birth parents that Dennis and I don’t share. But they have been adopted into our family. They have parents and brothers and sisters who they are related to by adoption. They are equal heirs with their brothers and sisters. They have an advantage as Christians that I do not have because they have experienced adoption already. They know from experience what it is to have a new identity.

Have you ever looked at a list, or made one, that details what the Scripture says about who the believer really is in Christ? Here is one I found: “Called, Chosen, Beloved, Light, Ambassador, Son, the Body, the Bride, God’s own possession, His workmanship, a holy Temple, Beloved Children, Aliens in this world, Believers, Brethren, Holy, Children of light, Disciples, Elect, Friends, Heirs of God, Light of the world, Little Children, Members, Priests, Salt of the earth, Servants of God, Sheep, Witnesses, Vessels of honor, Soldiers, Sons of God.”

This is just a short list of what we are, for our redemption is not yet complete. Our mortality has not yet been swallowed up by immortality. But in Christ, we are all of these things, things that should bring tears of joy to our eyes, wonder to our hearts and clarity to our thinking. Knowing who we are in Jesus Christ should propel us to live in the new family identity we have been adopted into, to live like who we really are, “Beloved Children, Sons of God.”

“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.” Titus 3:3-8

Becoming An Excellent Wife

2009-09-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

I am going to start this with the qualification that my marriage is not perfect. Dennis is not a perfect husband, and I am certainly not a perfect wife. Early in our marriage, I was appalled by a friend who woke up at 4:30 to make breakfast and a bag lunch for her husband. I didn’t say anything to her, but my thought was that Dennis could get his own breakfast and lunch-he had two good hands, didn’t he? Apparently, all of the fairy tales I had read as a child didn’t do me much good as a wife! God has, and is, changing my princess mentality and replacing it with a servant’s heart. The process is on-going!

As a young Christian woman, I needed instruction in filling my new role as a wife. There were many good books, and many examples, both good and bad, in the women I met along the way. The friend I mentioned above challenged my selfish heart without realizing it. God has used many other women as a mirror to my own inner self, but none so effectively as the women in Scripture.

Let’s look at the first wife mentioned there, Eve. Through the many years of human history, she has been castigated for bringing the “curse” on us women: pain in childbirth, and the desire to rule over our husbands (Genesis 3). She was a disobedient wife, but it wasn’t just Adam she disobeyed. She disobeyed the rule of God in her life. I learned from Eve that to walk away from the clear teaching of God’s truth is to reap painful consequences, consequences that will affect my own children and maybe future generations.

Counter to Eve’s example is Abraham’s lovely Sarah. She was an obedient wife. She obeyed Abraham even when it put her future in jeopardy because she trusted that God was going to keep His promise. Her “willing cooperation” with her husband resulted in God miraculously intervening in her life, rescuing her from the clutches of a lecherous king, restoring her to the husband she loved, and blessing her with the child she had long desired. You can read about it in Genesis 20-21. From Sarah, I learned to do what is right without fearing for my own “rights” in relating to Dennis.

I learned what to avoid as a wife, and what to embrace, from other wives in Scripture. Lot’s wife taught me the danger of worldliness. From Hannah, I learned the importance of persistent prayer. Abigail taught me that my prudence could bless my husband. From Michal I learned that a critical spirit could crush any good fruit in my relationship with Dennis. Job’s wife powerfully spoke to my heart about the devastating effect my words can have. Elizabeth taught me that living faithfully with God, despite earthly sorrow, brings joy and reward in the end, in my marriage and in my life.

I haven’t “arrived” yet, as a wife or as a follower of Jesus Christ. There is always more to learn, always a new lesson. How good God is, not to leave me the way He found me, but to continue to make me into the woman He wants me to be!

“How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! From Your precepts I get understanding." Psalm 119:103-104a

Smelly Christians

2009-07-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

There is something very powerful about scent. Did you know that humans can differentiate between 10,000 different odor molecules? We use our sense of smell in many different ways, from smelling freshly brewed coffee to detecting that the milk we are about to put in it is off. Scent can evoke emotions and memories. Poet Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “Memories, imagination, old sentiments, and associations are more readily reached through the sense of smell than through any other channel."

Studies show that our odor preferences are learned from a very young age; the emotional response we have when we encounter various smells causes us to like or dislike certain odors. While most people would disagree with me, I love the smell of diesel fuel. That sounds weird, but when Dennis was serving on the USS San Francisco he would come home reeking of the diesel fuel used on the submarine. When he was gone for months at a time, I would get one of his uniform shirts from the closet and inhale-that diesel smell was wonderful! It brought back loving memories of my husband during long deployments.

Many young children have a special blanket or stuffed animal they can’t sleep without. Each of my children had a “mommy” shirt. I think it began in an effort to comfort a scared child and get the child back to sleep in its own bed. Anyway, when they were little each of my children had one of my nightshirts that they slept with. It smelled like mommy and so it was comforting. Of course after the “mommy shirt” was washed it lost its scent, so it was quite common for my children to come to me asking for my perfume to be sprayed on the garment so that it would smell like “mommy” again.

Apparently there is also a spiritual scent we as Christians possess. The apostle Paul talks about this “odor” we carry about in 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”

As believers in Jesus Christ we cannot help but have that fragrance of Him about us. The more time we spend with Him, the more obvious that fragrance becomes. In my life I have known Christians that “smell” so much like the Lord that being with them, or reading their words, even words written centuries ago, renews my spirit. Paul talks about that reaction further on in the passage; that the fragrance of Christ is an “aroma from life to life” for those who are being saved. Have you had that experience? It’s like aroma therapy for the soul.

Thanks to all my “smelly” friends!

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.” 2 Corinthians 2: 14-16a

Awful to Awe-filled

2009-07-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

I stopped dusting the dining room table. Tears rolling down on my cheeks hit the wooden surface. I had been on bed rest long enough after miscarrying and I wanted to do something instead of “resting.” My eyes rested on the chairs around the table. The eighth one would remain empty. I wouldn’t meet the little person who would have sat there until my days here on earth were over.

The tears ran faster as I prayed. I wasn’t angry at God. I acknowledged His sovereign right over my life. But as I stood there I realized that I was at the crossroads of grief. As a believer in Jesus Christ I had the choice. I could choose to walk down the path of feeding my sorrow until it turned into bitterness and resentment, or I could choose to take my sorrow to my heavenly Father.

If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, you cannot possibly understand what I am about to say. If you are, and you have not suffered, you may understand, but not comprehend. But more than likely in this life, you will have the opportunity. The most profound joy I have experienced as a Christian is the presence of God in the midst of suffering. It is the joy that compelled Paul and Silas to sing after being beaten for their preaching of the Gospel. It is the joy that caused Horratio Spafford to pen the lyrics to the hymn, “It is Well With My Soul.” It is the same joy that has caused countless believers to stand firm, even greeting death as martyrs, with rejoicing.

Listen to the words of the psalmist:“If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence. If I should say, “My foot has slipped.” Thy lovingkindness, O Lord, will hold me up. When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Thy consolations delight my soul.” (Psalm 94)

This same joy is available to every believer. It is our choosing whether to stand firm on the truths of God's word and experience His comfort, or to fall into despair. I love the line in the book, Anne of Green Gables, where Anne Shirley asks Marilla Cuthbert if she couldn’t even imagine herself in the depths of despair. In her blunt New England way Murella responds, “No I cannot, to despair is to turn one’s back on God.”

Pain is inevitable in this world. God's mercy and compassion take the sting out of the hurt. It is available to every believer. All we have to do is to take our awful trial to our heavenly Father. In His loving arms there is comfort and joy in spite of our circumstances. He can take the awful and make us awe-filled, the choice is up to us.

“God is our refuge and strength,a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam,though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” (Psalm 46: 1-3)

Marriage

2009-07-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

“Marriage should be honored by all.” Hebrews 13:4a
The wedding invitations are beginning to pour in as the next generation is coming into adulthood. Many young people I have known since they were babies are tying the knot. It is an exciting time.

Unlike a lot of my friends growing up, I didn’t long to be a mother. That particular desire came later in life. But I did want to get married. Fairy tales were my literary fare as a child, followed by innocuous romance novels as a teen. Neither was good in preparing me to be a wife. I was too much of a princess and not enough of a servant. And a good marriage, a great marriage, requires a servant’s heart from both partners. Who better to learn from than the One who came to serve and give His life as a ransom for many?

The beginning of a marriage is filled with fairy tale events: the wedding, the honeymoon, setting up house. Then the learning curve begins. Not only do we have to deal with our own selfish, sinful self, but our partner’s as well. Living together as one reveals things in ourselves and spouses that appeal, and repel. Reality sets in. Marriage is not a fairy tale.

Becoming a Christian as a young adult is something I am incredibly thankful for, but while salvation is instant at conversion, sanctification is not. Thankfully, God is faithful and promises that the good work He began in us, He will see to completion (Philippians 1:6). Sometimes the lessons He brings into our lives to mature us are easy and sometimes they are painful.

Thankfully for me, the first years of our marriage Dennis served in the Navy. He was gone for six months at a time. That sounds like a terrible thing to be thankful for, but hear me out. This princess learned that her need for love could never be filled by her husband in a literal way. He was gone. On a submarine. There was no phone, no texting, no emails…nothing but a phone call the few times they pulled into port. It was brutally lonely for both of us.

God used that painful separation to show me the truth of His word. My “cup” can only be filled by Him. As wonderful as Dennis’ love is, as the love of my children and friends are, only God’s love can fill my need. No human can fill the need of another for love. It is idolatry to expect your spouse to make you happy and desperately unfair to him or her. In the famous “Love” passage read at many weddings, I Corinthians 13, it ends with the words “Love never fails.” That love in Greek is agape love. That is the love that only God is able to impart to us. The same love David spoke about in Psalm 23, “my cup overflows.” Our need for love can only be filled by the Lord.

Jesus promised that if we abide in Him we will bear much fruit (John 15:5). Through the twenty-four years we have been married, Dennis and I have had many challenges: Navy life, infertility, the loss of children, raising five children and all that entails, many moves, along with our own sinfulness. But we have consistently sought the Lord on a regular basis, and that has brought unity and oneness in our relationship, along with great joy. The love we have for one another isn’t due to our goodness as individuals, but the goodness of Jesus Christ working in our lives as we strive to follow Him.

The Gospel has got to be at the center of our marriage if we are to have a marriage that honors God. I like this quote from the book, Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace, by Gary and Betsy Ricucci:
"Because of the gospel, Christians have become new creations (2 Cor. 5:17). Therefore, in our marriage, our past does not define us, confine us, or determine our future."

"Because of the gospel, we are accepted by God (Romans 15:7). Therefore we are not dependent on a spouse for who we are or what we need."

"Because of the gospel, we have hope (Romans 5:1-4). Therefore we can endure any marital difficulty, hardship or suffering with the assurance that God is working all to our greatest good (Romans 8:28)"

There is something much better than the “happily ever after” in the fairy tales, a greater passion than the romance novels, but having it will require humility from you and a willingness to die to yourself and joyfully learn to serve your spouse as you would the Lord.

How do you practically do that? First, you are only going to be as successful in your relationship with your spouse as you are serious about your relationship with Jesus Christ. You have to start there daily. Second, look at all Scripture has to say about your role as a husband or wife. God says the things He does to husbands and wives because He knows us; He knows our sinful tendencies and you will find that it is exactly that weak area in the male or female heart that He addresses in His word. Make a list from Scripture of what you are to do and do it. Look for the warnings there to husbands and wives, and heed them. Ask the Lord to show you where you are not doing as you should. Then, in humility, ask your spouse. Prayerfully ask the Lord to help you fulfill your role in your marriage to bring Him honor.

Little is Much

2009-06-22T03:53:00.000-07:00

While driving from Minnesota to Texas, through the “fruited plains,” I saw many raptors: eagles, hawks, kites, even a kestrel. What amazed me was how many times I saw one or two smaller birds harassing one of these predators! They seemed fearless and relentless in their attacks on the larger birds of prey. It occurred to me that the Red Baron may have learned his tactics from watching such feathered dog-fighting.

Surely they were mobbing the predators to protect their territory or their young. It occurred to me that there is a spiritual lesson there for me as a Christian. Scripture makes it clear that our battles are not against flesh and blood people (although outwardly we may think so!), but “ 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).

So often we are surprised by battles in our lives. I don’t know why, since it is clear throughout the whole New Testament that those who follow Jesus Christ can expect trouble, especially if they want to live in obedience to the Word of God. How we respond to these battles, to the presence of the enemy in our territory depends on what we understand about who we are in Christ.

Imagine a huge, muscular man, dressed in the full armor of a gladiator. Muscles ripple as he lifts his sword and shield. Not only is he decked out in the finest warrior apparel, he has the strength to use it well. As he stands tall and strong, a small bee begins to buzz around his head. He swats at it. It continues to harass him.

He crouches down and begins to whine, then to cry and moan. He remains on the ground, arms covering his head while the bee flies around his head. Ridiculous.

Why would a warrior respond in such a manner? Why do we? Lack of knowledge? Lack of faith?
Think of one of the greatest routs in the Bible. A small boy, armed only with his faith in the Lord and five small stones, took down a giant that put such dread in the hearts of grown men that the whole army of Israel feared to face him. David triumphed over Goliath because he knew God, and he knew who he was as a believer in the Living Lord.

When my children were little, one of their favorite songs-and mine-had this chorus, “Little is much when you know who you are, little is much when He lives in your heart, little is much when you know who you are, little is much!”

Think of how true those words are and take heart in your battles! Greater is He who lives in us, than he that is in the world. (I John 4:4). We have the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, we will be able to stand our ground. He has given us the Holy Spirit as our helper; He will never leave us or forsake us and He has promised that the gates of Hell will not prevail against the Gospel. So, let’s take a lesson from the birds of the air and not allow the enemy to enter into our territory without taking up the sword of the Spirit and the shield of faith and standing our ground!

The Birds

2009-05-11T07:01:00.000-07:00

As I poured my morning coffee, I heard a thump on the window. I hadn’t heard that sound all winter and I sighed as I walked over to look outside. A small bird lay on the patio-stunned or dead, I couldn’t tell.

I love our house in Minnesota. It is lovely in every way. Although we are in a neighborhood, it backs to a picturesque wooded area. Our “great room” has huge windows almost from the floor to the second story ceiling that overlook the woods. The picture it frames changes seasonally, and it is always beautiful.

Unfortunately, there is a fatal flaw in the windows. When you are outside, they reflect the woods. This is not fatal to humans; we see that it is only a reflection and go about our business, but it is fatal to birds. They don’t know it is a reflection; it looks as though you could fly right through the window into the woods reflected there. To be honest, I have lost count as to how many birds have died from flying into the false woods. A few lucky ones are stunned and after lying on the ground for a while are able to rouse themselves and fly away. The others are scooped up with a shovel and put in the trash.

This unfortunate situation reminds me of the fatal reflection we humans experience. We live by what we feel, instead of the truth God’s word reveals. We believe that we can live and act in ways that are in opposition to God and never hit that “glass wall.”

I have lived as a follower of Jesus Christ for almost thirty years and I have seen believers walk away from the truths of God’s word and reap devastation in their marriages, with their children, emotionally, spiritually, physically. I have seen children raised in Christian homes, by faithful parents, turn aside from the truth and walk in folly, trading the inheritance the Lord offers for a lifestyle that leads to ruin.

The first steps are always, without exception, away from the truth of God’s word. We decide to go our own way. We rely on our feelings, our thoughts, our own selfish desires, rather than on the veracity of God’s word. The ultimate deception we buy into is that there will be no day of reckoning before a holy and righteous God.

I distinctly remember my thoughts at eighteen as I thought about the Gospel message and contemplated turning my life over to Jesus Christ. I honestly feared that I would become a caricature of a real person, that I would be two-dimensional, in some way less than I was. That was a lie. The truth was that I was already less than I should be; I was a caricature already. I was a dead person walking. When I gave my life to Christ, God began the process of making me more. I have never, ever regretted following Him.

God wants us to fly free. He wants to turn us away from the illusions that sin promises, to real life. That is why Jesus came, to set us free. The truth is that the most joyful, abundant, secure lives are lived by those who love Him and follow His truth. They have no fear of running into the “glass wall.”

“There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 16:25

Incontinence

2009-04-18T04:22:00.000-07:00

It’s only a minor inconvenience, but I have a problem with my coffee pot. It is incontinent. Seriously! No matter how careful I am, it always spills or drips on the counter as I pour my coffee. I have tried everything: wiping the top of the pot before I pour, changing the angle of the pot as I pour, holding the cup close to the pot’s lid. No matter what, coffee ends up on the counter. Now I just pour my coffee with my right hand, and wipe the mess up with my left.

It occurred to me one morning, in my un-caffeinated stupor, that my trying to deal with sin on my own is like pouring coffee out of that incontinent pot. No matter how I try to “turn over a new leaf,” or strengthen my resolve not to fall the next time I am tempted, sin “spills out.”

Paul talks about this struggle with sin in Romans 7. I have to admit, I am comforted by the fact that this great apostle struggled with sin like I do! Hear what he says, “And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” (Romans 7:16-18)

Wow. Think of Paul’s condition. He had a masterful knowledge of Scripture; Jesus had personally appeared to him and called him into a saving relationship with Him, and made him an apostle. He was one of the pillars of the Church. Yet he still struggled with sin. He goes on to say that he does the very evil he does not wish to do despite his intentions. Eloquently, he depicts the war with sin in the soul of the believer and in anguish cries out, “What a wretched man I am! Who can save me from this body of death?”

The answer is in the next verse, “Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Through Christ we are free. He has won the war with sin at Calvary and it is through Him that we can experience freedom from the power of sin. We don’t need more self control, better intentions…we need more of Jesus Christ. It is through Him that we can experience victory over our sinful nature.On our own strength, working in our own power, we will “spill” every time. Our victory only comes as we are pressing in close to the Lord, as we are abiding in His strength and the power of the Holy Spirit.

What Jesus said in John 15:5b is true, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing.” From saving us from the penalty of sin, to saving us from the power of sin in our everyday life, we need Jesus Christ. One day, just as He has promised, He will save us from the presence of sin as well. What a wonderful, wonderful day that will be!

"So, if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36

Missing Daddy

2009-03-19T04:33:00.000-07:00

Since Dennis started his job in Texas before the school year was over, our family is apart during the week, unfortunately sometimes two weeks at a time. We all really miss him! A lot. Now that is good, because our missing him is a testimony of the good relationship we have. It speaks a lot about what a great husband and dad he is. We miss him because we love him.

Last week was the second of a two week trip Dennis had to make; the second half of the trip was in South Africa. Cell phone connections weren’t always the best and we did not connect as often as we would like. Not being able to communicate daily made things harder here, for all of us.

Late one night Juliana came to see me. She was sobbing. She missed Dennis so much and wanted him home. I held her and tried to comfort her. We tried calling South Africa because they are eight hours ahead and I thought we might catch Dennis as his day was beginning there, but the call would not go through. I prayed with Juliana and sent her to bed, but I could hear her still crying upstairs. I went up a little later and found her asleep in my bed with a picture of her daddy in her arms. It was so sweet I had to take a picture of it!

We all have fathers. Some of us have had the blessing of a godly dad. Some of us have had dads that weren’t good fathers, for whatever reason. I have read that the sort of father we grew up with can color our view of God as our Heavenly Father. If we had a good relationship with a faithful dad, we can more easily relate to God as “Abba” (literally “Daddy” in Greek). A relationship that was negative can hamper that understanding.

Like everything else in our walk with Christ, I believe the answer to this problem is to be found between Genesis and Revelation. To know someone well, we have to spend time with them. We have to listen to them carefully. God has revealed much about Himself in His word. He wants to have a relationship with us. He loves us tremendously!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.” (John 3:16) is a verse we hear often. But let the significance of that statement penetrate your thinking and sink deep into your heart. God loves you so much, that He gave His only Son to die on the cross, to take your punishment so that you could enter into a relationship with Him. He offers you and me more than salvation from our sins; He also adopts us into His family and invites us to call Him “Daddy!”

Even the best of earthly fathers is imperfect. No human can perfectly meet the needs of another. But our heavenly Father is able to do just that. There is no hurt, sorrow or problem we cannot take before Him. There is no situation He cannot work in and cause to “work together for our good”, although how it does that is not always in the way we expect. He will never fail us.

Our picture of our heavenly Father is not bound by a wooden frame; it is framed on a wooden cross. The strength of His love for us is not demonstrated by the frail blessings of this world, but in the empty tomb. The faithfulness of His love is experienced in the presence of the Holy Spirit, our Helper. He has not left us as orphans; we have the certain hope, because He cannot lie, that He will come for us (John 14:18), just as He promised.

Created "Creative"

2009-02-23T13:11:00.000-08:00

Imaginative. Creative. Talented. I look at art others compose, listen to musicians, look at interesting crafts that others produce, go to another homeschooler’s home and see the amazing things they do-and I think, I am just not creative! I appreciate abilities others have, that I don’t, like my daughter, Lindsey (it’s her painting on display here). I might be able to copy a watercolor, but I do not have that spark that comes up with an original idea for a painting or drawing. I can cook, but I lack that gift of making something simple taste amazing. I can teach my children the basic stuff, but I cannot think of brilliant, creative studies on my own.

But is it true that I am not creative? Is that a Biblical idea? After all, God made us in His image. He is the ultimate Talented Creator. He created out of nothing, He just spoke and everything came to be. We can only take the things He has made and “rework” them. However, since we are made in His image, there must be some of that “creativity” in us.

I have noticed over the years that there are varieties of creativeness. I have friends who have the ability to look into an almost empty cupboard and come up with a fantastic meal. One of my friends actually made a delicious chocolate cake with no eggs because she ran out. (I just would have bagged making the cake!) She had me eat a whole piece and try to guess what she used instead. I couldn’t guess, so she finally had to tell me she used mayonnaise!

I have other friends who can grow anything in their gardens. Some look through the lens of a camera, and that creative genius comes to life. Writing stories, poems, songs, books, or fairy tales is another way that creativity is generated. Some folks have the gift of planning fun events, making meaningful, life-changing experiences for others. Making music is a creative outlet for some of us. Others are good with their hands and can repair and make all sorts of things. Plumbers, electricians, builders are all using the gifts of creativity the Lord has given to men and women. Like anything else in our lives, the more we express our creativity, the more creative we become.

My point is, God has given you and me the ability to be creative. It is up to us to find out what our abilities are, and use that ability for His glory. Listen to this from Exodus 35:30-35:

"Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts--to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers--all of them master craftsmen and designers." (italics mine)

Isn’t God amazing? Not only has He created all things for His glory, but He has given His children His Spirit, and abilities and knowledge and gifts of every kind! Let’s use what we have been given, and direct all the praise for it to Him!

Christian Friends

2009-01-24T12:09:00.000-08:00

“You are going to love Tania!” my friend Jennifer assured me, “You have got to meet!” I was tired and having company again, in a new country, having had to move house three times in one year, with small children to care for, naps to work around, homeschooling…it just seemed too much. But Jennifer was persuasive, and Tania had some children the same ages as mine. So I agreed.

A beautiful English day set the stage for a “play date” in the “garden.” I had lemonade and cookies ready. The children played outside waiting for our guests. Along with Jennifer, I had invited two other families to come over to get acquainted. The children quickly paired off while the “mums” sat around the wooden table, shaded by a large, green market umbrella.

Tania took a seat next to me. She was a lovely blond lady from South Africa. She placed her baby, content in her carrier, next to her. As we spoke, she spoke about her faith in the Lord and some of the trials He had led her through. Her response to the severe trials she had experienced-and to God’s sovereignty in her life-was humbling. I was so thankful Jennifer had insisted we meet! Here was a real kindred spirit!

Despite being from different cultures, Tania and I quickly became friends. I treasure her friendship, because it is one that consistently directs my attention to Jesus. Our love for the Lord is the foundation of our friendship, a friendship that sprung up between our two families and has continued, despite being continents apart and the passing of years. They are back in South Africa now, but I think of her often and pray for her and her family as I know she does for me! What a blessing to know her this side of heaven!

There are many beautiful verses in Scripture…sometimes it is easy to read through a passage and not stop and look at the individual words and phrases to consider their meaning. One of my favorite passages is Ephesians 1:18-19: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” There is so much rich and encouraging truth just in those two verses!

The one I want to talk about is the second thing Paul is praying for the Ephesians…”what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” I like Matthew Henry’s commentary on this verse, “Besides the heavenly inheritance prepared for the saints, there is a present inheritance in the saints; for grace is glory begun.” There is a present inheritance in the saints…have you ever considered that every brother and sister in Christ is part of your inheritance? We are part of one Body; we belong to one another.

I wish I could say that I have loved every believer I have ever met! That I don’t is evidence of my still sinful nature. However, I have had the blessing of many “kindred spirits” in my Christian walk…fellow believers who have been to me a rich “inheritance.” Believers who have led me to our Lord, discipled me, encouraged me, corrected me, friends whose own rich faith has enriched my faith in Jesus Christ.

The thing is, in order to experience that glorious inheritance, we have got to open our hearts up to other Christians. We have to be hospitable to strangers and newcomers, those who are “like” us, and those who are not. We have to be willing to be transparent, not wear the mask of a “godly” person, but share the real us that Christ is redeeming. That is not comfortable, and it involves some risk, the possibility of hurt, but it also is the means by which we receive part of our inheritance. Our rich inheritance “in the saints,” an inheritance you and I have as part of the priceless gift of God’s salvation given to us in Jesus Christ, one another!

Lost-and Found!

2008-12-24T04:29:00.000-08:00

There is a trait I inherited from my dad, although I think it is diminishing over the years! I have really good hearing. It has been extremely useful as a mom. It also once helped save a man who was lost in the woods.

We had just moved to a lovely area of Maryland near the town of New Market. Our development had a huge 210 acre lake in it, the largest privately owned lake in the state. Thick woodlands surrounded the lake. Trails wound through along side of it. There was also a dirt road that led a mile or so through the woods to a dam. It was a great place to go for a walk in the woods, and be able to push a stroller.

One warm fall morning, I decided to take my eighteen month old daughter for a walk in the woods. I pushed the stroller along the dirt path towards the dam, enjoying the sound of birds and the rustle of the wind through the woods. Leaves were changing color, but the warmth of the “Indian Summer” made it seem more like spring than fall.

As I walked, I pointed out squirrels and birds to my little girl. I stopped the stroller to give Lindsey a cookie from the basket under her stroller. I could hear someone yelling faintly in the distance. I stood up and looked around. I couldn’t see anyone.

By this time, I was about half a mile down the dirt road. The closest neighborhood was about a half a mile away, as well. Maybe I was hearing kids playing around. Then I heard, “Help me!” over and over.

I yelled, “Where are you?” To be honest, I thought some kids were fooling around in the woods. I started to walk on after a minute of silence. Then I heard it again faintly, “Help me! Please, help me!” It sounded like a man.

“I’m getting help!” I yelled into the woods. I pushed the stroller ahead as I ran back up the dirt track. The nearest house seemed really far as I realized someone was in trouble. I got to the first house, but no one answered. Rather than try every house, I ran further down the street to the house of a play group friend.

She answered the door in her robe, coffee cup in hand. I quickly explained what had happened and called 911. I left Lindsey with my friend, and went to meet the police at the head of the dirt track. An ambulance and a police car came racing towards me, lights flashing.

I explained what I had heard to the EMS tech. He told me to get into the front of the ambulance. We drove along, slowly, with the windows down. Nothing. About half a mile down the track, we got out of the vehicle to listen. I could hear the man faintly, “Can’t you hear that?” I asked. They shook their heads, “No.” I was afraid they did not believe me from the looks they had on their faces.

We drove farther down the track and got out again; one of the EMS guys yelled, “Where are you?” I could hear a faint, “Here!” But the others couldn’t. I insisted that I heard a man calling out. We started walking down a path that led deep into the woods. After a minute or so, one of the men heard the cry, too. He stayed put while two of the other men ran back for a stretcher.
I waited by the ambulance while they went searching through the woods. They found a man about a mile from the dirt track. He had been bow hunting and had fallen from his perch in a deer blind. His leg was broken pretty bad, and he had been laying there for hours before I had heard him.

One of the EMS men told me that he didn’t think anyone would have found the man, if I hadn’t heard him, called 911, and persisted with the authorities that I heard him calling, when they hadn’t. As they brought the man out on the stretcher, I was so thankful that I had been able to hear him. He was in a great deal of pain and he had been in the woods laying there for quite some time. They got him into the ambulance and drove away.

I walked up the path, thanking God for His providence. What a great feeling it was to help rescue someone whose life was in danger! My good hearing was a gift from God. My walking in the woods with my little girl, at just the right time-His doing as well. I was just the instrument God used to rescue the man.

That whole experience brought to life the truth Paul expresses in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Isn’t that amazing? God not only has saved us, made us His children-His “workmanship,” but He also gives us the privilege of doing good works. Works He has prepared beforehand…He has given us all the gifting we need to accomplish what He calls us to do. Our responsibility is to “walk in them.” We have to employ His gifts and respond to the opportunities He brings to us.

I love Charles Spurgeon’s sermon on Ephesians 2; here is his exhortation to his congregation at the end of it:

"This should be our daily exercise— Brothers, we must, in the power of the text, and especially in the power of our union to Christ, seek to make daily advances in good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them; for walking means not only persevering but advancing. We should go from strength to strength in holiness: we should do more, and do better. What are you doing for Jesus? Do twice as much. If you are spreading abroad the knowledge of his name, work with both hands. If you are living uprightly, seek to put away any relics of sin that abide in your character, that you may glorify the name of God to the utmost. Good works are not to be an amusement, but a vocation."

Lookin' Good!

2008-11-25T06:23:00.000-08:00

Being a daughter of Eve, I have to admit, I like to look good. However, whatever gene women are born with that lets them know how to put the right clothes and accessories together, or how to fix their hair just so, passed me by! I won’t bore you with tales of how I have struggled-or embarrassed myself! The things I have done to my hair, my sad choices in clothing over the years…well I guess the photographic proof is good for a chuckle!

Now I am blessed with a very artistic and fashionable daughter who is kindly lending me her advice and help. What a blessing she is to me, in so many ways! How great it is to have my own personal shopper, who can manage to find things that are attractive and still modest.

So, you can imagine how pleased I was to find an outfit that “fit the bill” all by myself! I was so proud! After getting feedback from my girl, I looked forward to putting my ensemble on for my next date with Dennis. I got ready excitedly, because he has been travelling a lot this fall and we have not had a lot of alone time. Everything fell into place! My hair was not a struggle, my sleep wrinkles had faded away…I felt good and I thought I looked good too!

We had a wonderful afternoon talking and eating…just perfect! It wasn’t until I was hanging up my clothes that night that I realized that I had been sporting a four inch sticker down the back of my left leg, one that boldly proclaimed the size of my jeans. I had walked through downtown Minneapolis with that sticker. I had sashayed into the restaurant with that sticker, and to the restroom and…how funny! Here I thought I was “looking good,” while I was “Minnie Pearling” it through town.

Do you know where I am going with this one? As I hung up my clothes, I thought of how easy it is to think I am “okay,” how easy it is to be blind to something in my character that is not “advertising” something good or godly in my heart, but rather is revealing the sin there. Jeremiah understood that when he wrote, under the Holy Spirit’s influence, “The heart is deceitful above all else and is desperately wicked. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

The truth is that I don’t always know the truth about myself. That is why I need family and friends around me who can and will share with me things they see in my responses, attitudes and actions. I know it is hard to be transparent with others; it is hard to ask the question, “Do you see a wrong attitude or any area of my life that I need to take before the Lord?” It is hard to listen to rebuke, invited or not.

After knowing Christ for almost thirty years, I know that I don’t really want to be “right,” I want to be right. I don’t want to walk around thinking I look okay; I want Him to make me more like Him. I want those “stickers” pulled off. I can’t do it by myself. I need Jesus! Paul felt the same way:

“So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! “ (Romans 7:21-25a)

Aren’t we blessed? We have been saved from the penalty of sin; we are being saved from the power of sin; and one day we will be freed from the presence of sin! Think of the promises in the Bible, that He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion…that He will present us before the throne of God, pure and blameless in His sight…no sin, no stain, no blemish or wrinkle!

Here’s a prayer written by one of the Puritans in the 16th or 17th century that expresses the same thought:

Continual Repentance

O God of Grace,
Thou hast imputed my sin to my substitute,
And hast imputed His righteousness to my soul,
Clothing me with a bridegroom’s robe,
Decking me with jewels of holiness.
But in my Christian walk I am still in rags;
My best prayers are stained with sin;
My penitential tears are so much impurity;
My confessions of wrong are so many aggravations of sin;
My receiving the Spirit is tinctured with selfishness.
I need to repent of my repentance;
I need my tears to be washed;
I have no robe to cover my sins,
No loom to weave my own righteousness;
I am always standing in filthy garments,
And by grace am always receiving change of raiment,
For Thou dost always justify the ungodly;
I am always going into the far country,
And always returning home as a prodigal,
Always saying, Father, forgive me,
And Thou art always bringing forth the best robe.
Every morning let me wear it,
Every evening return in it,
Go out to the day’s work in it,
Be married in it,
Be wound in death in it,
Stand before the great white throne in it,
Enter Heaven in it shining as the sun.
Grant me never to lose sight of
The exceeding sinfulness of sin,
The exceeding righteousness of salvation,
The exceeding glory of Christ,
The exceeding beauty of holiness,
The exceeding wonder of grace.
(From The Valley of Vision: a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions)

Walking

2008-11-17T06:41:00.000-08:00

“For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God and they shall be my people.” 2 Corinthians 6:16

For a while we had the privilege of living in England. I loved it! I had read so many fairy tales as a child, and histories of the kings and queens of England, that it was a dream come true to visit castles and old cathedrals. We lived just down the road from an old church, St. Martha’s Hill, that lies on the old “Pilgrim’s Way.” It was taken by pilgrims from one area of England to the grave of Thomas Becket. I suppose the journey was to dedicate oneself to God in some way. The area of England the “Way” runs through is extremely beautiful, and we enjoyed many walks and picnics on it.

Walking in beautiful, natural settings always gets me to thinking about the Lord. The glory of creation seems to “jump-start” praise in my heart. I wish I could keep that worshipful attitude all the time!

I am reading through Genesis with the younger children now. Something caught my eye in the fifth chapter and it had to do with one who “walked with God.” I think he must have done more than make a pilgrimage or taken a stroll in the beauty of nature. His name was Enoch.
In all the genealogy listed here, a new verb is used-and used twice of Enoch. “Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after Methuselah was born. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” (Italics mine)

Everyone else “lived” in the genealogical list in Genesis, but Enoch walked with God. Even Adam, who had physically walked with God in the Garden, is said to have “lived.” So, here is a singular man! Enoch means “dedicated,” and so he must have been, for this new phrase is used only to describe him-and it is used twice!

All of the other men listed here in Genesis died. But Enoch did not die. “He was not, for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24) Enoch and Elijah are the only people in Scripture who did not experience death.

Walking implies fellowship, doesn’t it? Communication. Camaraderie. How I long to be so singular in my love for the Lord! What grace we have available to us as New Testament believers! Not only may we walk with the Lord, but He lives in us, His children. And one day we have His promise that we will be taken by Him to Heaven bodily, just as Enoch was!

I love Paul’s words in Philippians 1. He is in prison for the Gospel. He has suffered much and is aware that his days on earth are coming to an end…but his response is so full of faith! It should be my response as well, if my priority is serving and glorifying my Father, walking with Him…

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:20-21

Son of Encouragement!

2008-10-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

“Then when he had come and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” Acts 23:23-24a

I was really wiped out one day. I just did not want to do anything...teach the kids, clean the house, make dinner...I felt so down and out! Then one of my "little guys" came up and started rubbing my shoulder, "Mom, you seem stressed out. Can I do something to help you? Did you eat breakfast? Can I get you something?"

The thoughtfulness of that child was such an encouragement to me! His love made me feel so motivated to respond in a positive way and to want to serve my family happily! What a blessing to have an encourager in the home!

I have to confess that I have a pattern of thinking that tends to be critical-especially of my family! It is conscious effort, work sometimes, to look at my children and husband and find ways to encourage or compliment them. I have found that when I am cultivating humility in my own heart, it is easier for me to see evidences of God’s grace in their lives. I stop looking at how I am not being served, or obeyed or…whatever…and instead seek to look for ways to bless or serve them. I suppose that like everything else in the Christian walk, it is part of dying to self.

Of course, it is much easier to encourage friends than family. I guess there is pride involved at some level in that…or maybe more willingness to be humble. But the fact is that encouragement is a command given to all believers to give to all believers, family or friends!

I love Barnabas! You may remember him from the New Testament. He was one of the early believers and accompanied Paul in his ministry. In fact, Barnabas was Paul’s advocate before the other apostles. They were all leery of Paul (then known as Saul) and feared him because he had been persecuting the early Church, but Barnabas spoke to reassure them and testified to them about Paul’s rebirth on the road to Damascus when the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him. Barnabas' intercession usually meant that others were encouraged and went on to fruitful ministry, regardless of their status in life or personal sin and failure.

Barnabas literally means the “son of encouragement.” He seemed to be drawn to “lost causes” like Paul or later on John Mark. He loved God’s people, whether Jew or Gentile, success or screw-up. His was the hand that lifted up, the voice that spoke the love of the Lord to His children.

You are blessed if you have a “Barnabas” in your life. His is a good example to follow. He never seems to have given up on anyone. He even argued bitterly with Paul about using John Mark for ministry. Their disagreement was so sharp, that they parted company and Paul partnered in ministry with Silas. But it seems evident that Barnabas was right; later Paul found John Mark to be valuable in his ministry. John Mark later went on to write the Gospel of Mark.

What was the “key” to Barnabas’ success in being an encourager? I think the answer lies in the verse at the top, from the book of Acts. First of all, he came. He did not make a judgment from far away. He evaluated the situation. Since the text tells us he was full of the Holy Spirit, we can be confident that he did his evaluation in humility. He was full of faith, as well of the Holy Spirit, and this led him to look for the grace of God in the lives of others. His faith in God to keep His promises to believers made Barnabas expect to see the Lord at work in their lives.

Finally, he rejoiced and encouraged them with resolute heart. I love that word “resolute.” It means to “set before oneself, or purpose oneself.” He did not lose the big picture and the certain hope that God is faithful and will bring every one of His children to maturity and perfection in Jesus Christ.

Now, the part that makes us doers of the Word, and not hearers only, is application. How do I apply the example of Barnabas to myself in becoming an encourager, especially with the people who need it most, my own husband and children?

First, I come close. I look for opportunities to connect in a meaningful way. I come humbly, considering the other person as more important than myself-or my own agenda. I expect that regardless of what I see or do not see, God is faithful and at work, no matter how things may be at the present time. So, I look for evidence of His work in their lives. If I don’t see it, I pray that He will work and I look forward to seeing God’s grace manifested in their life.

Finally, I need to rejoice in the Lord, and encourage others with a resolute heart. Think, how many times the Lord needs to say something before we take it on as truth? Once! If He says something more than once, we especially need to pay attention! I counted 145 times rejoicing is mentioned in Scripture! Don't we, totally-forgiven, Christ-made-righteous, adopted children of the Most High God, have much to rejoice about? And when our eyes are focused on Him that way, aren't we more likely to see His grace in others?

Being resolute means that I am purposeful in encouraging. I will actively look for opportunities to encourage others, to commend them, to help them see the Holy Spirit at work in their lives. It might mean a word "aptly spoken," when I see a positive attitude or response in one of my children. It might be a phone call to a friend who is struggling in some way. It might be a card, letter, or email to someone who is lonely. It might be an invitation to share a meal, or a cup of coffee, or a walk.

We live in a tough, temptation- filled society. It seems like every aspect of secular life runs counter to the sacred. That, and our own sinful nature are at war with the person we are becoming in Christ. God could use angels to encourage us when we need it, but instead He gave us one another and commanded us to love and serve one another. It is just like I tell my kids, "You are your brother's keeper!"

Hebrews 10:22-25
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

I Would Never Bite a Dog!

2008-09-29T12:24:00.000-07:00

My youngest child is quite a character. Since she was a baby Juliana has been precocious. So I was not surprised one day when she came running into my room. She dramatically threw her arms around my legs and sobbed, “Oh Mommy, please forgive me, I have been so foolish!”

I bent over and pulled her away from my legs. “What’s happened, honey?”

“I did something very foolish. I put beads in my ears for decoration and one of them fell in!” She was very upset and worried that it might mean a dreaded trip to the doctor’s office.

Well, I looked into her ear with a flashlight, and could just make out the purple bead.

“We will have to go the the emergency room since the doctor’s office is closed today,” I said, “Go get your shoes on.”

I tried to keep her from fretting as we neared the hospital. We got to the ER and I was thankful to find that there were not many people there. After the initial triage, we sat and waited in the pediatric area.

Another little girl, her mom, and teenage sister came in. The little girl had deep scratch marks near her eyes and they were dripping blood. Juliana was very concerned about her. Her big brown eyes turned to the girl’s sister, “What happened to her?”

“Well, she deserved what she got! We kept telling her to leave the dog alone. She keeps biting him. This time she bit the dog’s ear and he had enough. So he gave it to her. Maybe she’ll learn-but I doubt it!” The teenager glared daggers at her little sister.

I was a bit taken aback by the lack of concern on the big sister’s part, but kept quiet. They were ushered to a room fairly quickly.

After they left Juliana leaned over to me and whispered, “Mommy, I would never bite a dog!”

I whispered back, “And I bet she would never put beads in her ear!”

When we finished our ER trip and I was driving home, I thought about Juliana’s comment. There have been so many times when I have looked at others and thought, “I would never…”

We are not all tempted by the same things, but be sure of this, we are all tempted by something! I guess that is part of the reason I take comfort in the verse from I Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you but such is common to man." I suppose misery loves company because it somehow makes me feel better that I am not the only one who struggles with sin!

All of us sin and fall short of God’s perfection. That is why we needed a Savior in the first place. We can all fall so easily. I know I need to have more compassion on others when they fall. I might be next! I might not bite a dog, but I might do something just as foolish, like put a bead in my ear!

For the Joy Set Before Him-YOU!

2008-09-23T03:29:00.000-07:00

I wrote this a few years ago, but to be honest, it could have happened today just as easily! The same truths still apply though, and the same Lord is just as faithful!

I have been struggling lately with impatience, especially with my children. The flood of hormones each month brings additional ammo to my “sin arsenal.” So, I have been attempting to “abide in Jesus” as He instructs us in John 15:5: “I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

I was doing pretty well in my abiding one day, about five minutes at a time, until some new disturbance revealed the sin in my heart. I would confess it to the Lord and seek His help. A few minutes later the impatience and irritation would fill me again. I listened to Christian music and prayed through the morning. I maintained only with His help and grace. I felt I was in danger of falling into “hormone hell,” so I literally clung to Him.

I have the privilege of homeschooling our children. After a morning of classes the kids and I attend every week, I reluctantly got ready to go to the schoolroom and correct lessons and work with the children. Then, in that quiet voice of His, the Lord spoke to me. “Come away with me to the woods.”

I thought of all that I had to do and the reality of falling behind. “I can’t,” I thought, “that would be irresponsible of me.” I headed to the schoolroom with leaden feet, ready but unwilling to face my obligations.

A few minutes of grading and discussion with one of my children showed me the desperate need I had of God’s intervention. I called to the two youngest children to come with me, and the dog, for a walk in the woods.

The brilliant October sky was clear, but for a few fluffy white clouds. Their shapes changed rapidly in the breeze. The crisp air filled me with vigor. I let the dog off of the lead as the children and I started running along the path in the woods by the stream, laughing.

The children raced ahead of me. As I chased them, the words came to my mind, “Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross…”

Running after the children, I called back silently, “For what joy, Lord?” already anticipating His answer.

“You!” Tears of joy filled my eyes and I ran on, like a child, enjoying the glory of His creation. We ran about a mile into the woods with the dog chasing us. My heart was full with His fellowship and I knew that the path I ran on, filled with bright sunlight and leaves falling like confetti, was a shadow of one that I will one day run with Him.

The day that was spinning out of control because of my sinfulness, was pulled back into order by the Lord. My strength, my power are weak at best. It is His strength I need; it is Him I need! It is true that those who "wait upon the Lord will renew their strength!"

Proverbs 29:18 says that “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” When my focus is on what is around me, instead of what lies ahead of me, I struggle. When my heart is longing for Heaven, longing for Christ, my soul finds rest and renewed purpose.

Fear

2008-09-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

In a conversation with another mother one day, I was bothered by a comment she made regarding one of her children. She said that he only wanted salvation because he was afraid of hell, and she felt that was a “low” reason to want Jesus to be his Savior.

It was one of those moments when you are bothered, but you are not quite sure why. What my friend was saying sounded noble. She came to Christ because she loved God. She was afraid that her son’s motives were not acceptable before the Lord. I walked away uneasily.

Later, as I reflected on the conversation, I realized that the reason I was troubled was that her fears were unbiblical. In fact, she may have done better to examine her own faith a bit more closely! The “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” it says in Proverbs 1:7. Fear is no “low” motivation as far as God is concerned!

Hell itself is talked about more by the Lord than Heaven. It is a place of eternal punishment for the wicked and the disobedient. The Bible describes it as a place of darkness and eternal destruction, where sinful men will be punished according to their sins. We should be afraid of such a place, a place where every sin will be revealed and punished accordingly, forever.

In the age we live in, there are many voices declaring many things about God and eternity. There are many who sound right, and even noble. But they are not speaking in accordance with the clear truth of Scripture. All of us are going to enter eternity, but not all of us are going to the same place. And the thing is, where we end up has nothing to do with what we do in this life. It does have to do with Who we are putting our trust in.

We should look at ourselves intently; examine our hearts and see how far from the standards of God’s Word we are. We have all broken His commands. We have lied, taken His name in vain, hated our brother-which is the same as murder in God’s sight. We have failed to honor our parents the way we should, lusted after others or things that are not ours…if we are honest, shouldn’t we be afraid of the Hell we each deserve?

Jesus made it clear that He is the only way, the only truth and the only life. He became a man, retaining His godhead, and lived a perfect life. When He died on the cross, an unseen transaction took place-once and for all-He paid the price for sin. He took the penalty He did not owe, for those who could not pay it-us. The fact that He rose again, is a testimony to the success of His sacrifice and the solid hope any human being can have in coming to Him for the salvation we so desperately need.

If you have ever been to court, you might have experienced fear of the law. I had to go and testify once about a car accident I witnessed. I was only a witness, but I was fearful as I stood before the judge and gave my testimony. I cannot imagine how much fear I would have if I were the accused, or how much more fear I would feel in front of the Judge of all judges,the One who knows every secret sin in my life, as well as the obvious ones!

That is the place where we all must one day stand, unless we take the pardon offered by the Jesus Christ, Who took our sins to the cross. God is not going to force us to take His pardon. It is a free gift, offered to those who will take it. Those who repent of their sin and unbelief and accept the gift of salvation become children of God and will experience great joy, and the fellowship of the Creator. Those who do not will pay the price for their own sin forever.

The Bible says that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. I am glad that instead of falling into the hands of the Judge, I can take the hand of the Savior and receive the pardon He won for me at Calvary. Yes, fear can be a good motivator when it causes me to turn from the brink of hell, to the arms of Jesus, who will lead me to Heaven!

Matthew 10:28
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Hebrews 9:28

so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Obedience

2008-09-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

“And He said to them, My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch…Abba! Father! All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me, yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt.” (Mark 14:34, 36)

Perfect obedience was perfectly demonstrated in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Lord’s soul was grieved to the point of death, because of the death He was about to face for me, for you, for all who would believe in Him. His distress was so intense that blood vessels dilated, ruptured and mingled with his sweat. Three times He asked the Father to take the cup He was about to drink away.

As intense as His distress, was His submission. He completely lay down His will before the Father. In Hebrews10:7b, it says, “In the roll of the book it is written of Me, To do Thy will, O God.” Those six words sum up the entire foundation of the Son’s place in the Trinity, the whole focus of His work here on earth, and the complete victory that are His in His cross and resurrection.

Such total obedience demonstrates His perfect righteousness, faithfulness, holiness, power, humility, reverence, wisdom, and love. The hands that had served the bread and the wine were pierced to serve our sentence of condemnation and death. His redemption of us, who are completely corrupt, releases us from the dead and futile life we had and frees us and-by His Spirit-empowers and equips us to become as obedient as He is.

It is easy to fall into the trap of the Pharisees, and be a rule keeper. That is not the sort of obedience the Lord wants from us. It is the obedience that flows out of love for Him, the love we are commanded to give to Him in Deuteronomy 6:5, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” The more we know Him, the more we learn He has done for us, the more we see our utter lack of worth apart from Him, the more our love will grow for Him. All that comes from time spent with Him in His word, and in prayer. As in any relationship, the more we put into it, the stronger it will be and the deeper our love will grow.

It is our obedience to the Word of God that will bring blessing to our lives and to the mission we have here on the earth, that those we encounter may come to know that He is the one, true God. Our obedience demonstrates our love for Him. In the book, That the World May Know, the author says something really profound. "Living by faith is not a vague, other-worldly experience; rather, it is being faithful to God right now, in the place and time He has put us."

I wonder, in the roll of the book the Lord speaks of in Hebrews, what is written of me?

The Standard

2008-08-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

In Proverbs there is a verse that says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of it is death.” There is a danger we all face in looking at the wrong standards to judge ourselves, our thoughts and actions. We have such a capacity to deceive ourselves, that we always have to be on guard with the truth of God's Word.

One lovely summer afternoon, I went out to the mailbox and pulled out a huge stack of mail. There was a large manila envelope with the name of our county printed on the return address. Not good.

I opened it up to see two photos of our van running through a red light. There was also a $75 ticket. I stood there in the sunshine and thought, “Dennis ran that red light! He is always in a hurry and am I going to give him a hard time about getting a ticket. What a lead-foot!”

When my dear husband got home a few hours later, I showed him the photos and the ticket. He listened in amusement. “Honey, look at the date there,” he said, “I was out of town that day. It is you who ran the red light!”

I sat there for awhile, trying to figure out when I could have run the red light. Where was I going? What was I thinking? Then I remembered! I had been running late for a doctor’s appointment. I had my “bluetooth” on and was chatting with a friend as I drove to my appointment. Lost in our conversation, I did not pay attention to the traffic light, but instead had headed on through the intersection with the cars on either side of me. Those cars were visible in the photograph of my van.

“Den, do you realize what I did?” I asked, “I was not looking at the light. I was using the cars next to me as my cue to go.”

We have the same problem in life when we judge our behavior by those of others around us, rather than on the Word of God. We have to hold fast to the standard revealed in Scripture. We cannot compare ourselves to others, it only leads to pride, and then our own stumbling!

Think about 1 Corinthians 10:12, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall, " and remember that the one who fell was standing only moments before!

Willingly Cooperative, or Biblical Feminism

2008-07-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

For a while, I had the distinct privilege of discipling four women who were all new to the Christian faith. We would meet around my dining room table once a week and work our way through a book study for new Christians and then through books of the New Testament. It took a lot of preparation, and sometimes only one woman could make it, but it was such a fruitful time for all of us.

As we worked our way through the book of Ephesians, I did not expect the controversy that ensued when we got to chapter five. These wonderful ladies had taken so many precepts from Scripture and applied them to their lives with real humility. I was taken aback because I forgot about Eve’s curse.

Way back in Genesis, when mankind fell into sin, it was Eve who was deceived by the serpent. Part of her consequence, passed down through the ages to every one of her daughters, is the desire to rule her husband. You can read about it in Genesis 3. It is part of Eve’s curse, along with pain in childbirth! Basically, we women want to have our husbands follow our lead, but that is not God’s design. (Please realize, ladies, that Adam was the head of the house before the fall. Male leadership is not part of the curse, our wanting to reverse those roles is!)

Anyway, back to the women’s study of Ephesians. You would have thought I had asked them to sacrifice their first-born, these ladies were so worked up! I finally had to ask them to not get hung up on the word “submit,” but rather to focus on what the Word of God was saying about their role as a wife. After all, following God’s standards for families will bring blessing and joy into our lives. I asked them to focus just on what Ephesians 5 addressed to wives and pray about it.

The next week came, and one of the funniest ladies of our group, whose husband was not a believer, sat down in a chair at the table and threw her hands up, “You know, I know if God says something just once I need to do it, and here He says it twice…but I cannot stand the word, “submit!” So I looked up the definition and found a way of saying it I can live with, “willingly co-operate,” I cannot “submit” to my husband, but I can do “willing co-operation!” It makes me nervous, but God has been true to His word so far. I have to trust Him here, too.”

We all laughed. I could appreciate where she was coming from. It is difficult for women to submit themselves to their husbands, even kind, godly men. I am sure that is why the Lord says it here twice in the same passage. You will often see Scripture addressing people where they are weak. Look, the men are commanded to love their wives, and look how they are commanded to love us-as Christ loved the church.

Why aren’t we women commanded to love? Because that is easier for us. Our sin nature is provoked, though, when it comes to the matter of “willingly co-operating” with our husbands. Turning the final decision over to my husband when I do not agree with what he is deciding, is hard.

The Lord gives us the example of Sarah to look at as our example of what biblical submission looks like in real life. Sarah was quite a beauty, even in old age it seems! When she and husband Abraham headed to Egypt because of a famine, he wanted Sarah to say she was his sister. He was afraid he would be killed if it were known that this lovely woman was his wife, just so that Pharaoh could have her.

It appears his fears were justified, even if the way he handled them was not, because sure enough, Pharaoh’s officials thought Sarah would make a great addition to his harem, and she was taken from her husband. Now Sara could have feared that all of the promises God made to her were in jeapardy. But 1 Peter 3 tells us that she was not afraid:

“For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands;
just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear. “

How did Sarah “obey” Abraham? She agreed to say she was his sister. And she ended up in Pharaoh’s harem. She was still waiting on the promise that she and Abraham would have a son. The potential for all of her hopes to be ruined by Pharaoh’s passion and her husband’s fears was very real. But Peter tells us that we women of faith will become her children if we follow her example, without fear. How could she have been without fear? Because she trusted the Lord to keep His word to her. And you know, He did. Sarah was saved from Pharaoh and she went on to become the mother of Issac, the son that God had promised to her and Abraham.

What does this look like in our times? In modern life? Well, it means that when my husband and I have a difference of opinion about something that is not clearly addressed in Scripture, I defer to his decision. And I have learned in our twenty-something years of marriage, that even if I am right, and he is wrong, the Lord still blesses my life through my “willing-cooperation" with my husband.

By the way, my funny friend went on to become an “expert” in biblical submission. And her husband has gone from being antagonistic about her Christianity, to crediting her faith with blessing their marriage. Each time I speak with her, he seems to have softened more and more towards the Lord. She surely is seeing the promise in the first part of I Peter 3 blooming in her life,” Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.”

Biblical submission is not subjugation. It is actually our greatest strength as wives. We have so much influence over the hearts of our husbands! Look at the promise of God above and let the surety of His word propel you to either love your husband into the Kingdom, or into a closer walk with the Lord. You can be his help, or his stumbling block. Give "willing cooperation" a real try and you will be blessed with the results in your marriage!

Billy-Bob and the Septic Tank

2008-07-18T04:33:00.000-07:00

I guess you may have an idea what I am going to relate here just from the title. For the sake of the guilty, names have been changed. We have no child named Billy-Bob, and I mean no offense to any who bear that name!

There is a verse in Numbers, chapter 32, “…be sure your sin will find you out.” This is a very helpful truth for parents. I tell my children over and over, “Look, God is on my side; He will show me what the truth is regarding this situation.” And to be sure, He always does! Sometimes the way He reveals the truth can be humorous, at least in retrospect!

For a while I had suspicions that someone was taking candy from the candy jar, high in the cupboard. I would find small pieces of silver foil on the floor. However, despite discussions and questions, I could not ascertain the culprit, though I had a pretty good idea who it was.

While laying out the table for dinner one night, I was disturbed by shouting going on in the basement. I hurried down to find that sewage was coming up through the shower drain in the basement bathroom. I gasped in disgust as filthy water began seeping through the wallboards and onto the carpet in the room beyond. I called a plumber quickly and was relieved to find someone who would come right away.

Some hours later, after digging in the dark of the backyard to find the septic tank, the plumber knocked on the door, bucket in hand, “Here’s your problem, ma’am,” he said. He held the bucket out so that I could see the contents. Inside the bucket, covered with unmentionable muck, were candy bar wrappers. Lots of candy bar wrappers.

After some discussion about the proper way to clean up the mess inside the house, and handing over a check for five hundred dollars, the plumber and his crew left. Dennis and I cleaned up together and discussed how best to deal with the culprit.

We summoned “Billy-Bob” downstairs and began the process of interrogation. Now we all struggle with sin in our lives. At that time, Billy-Bob’s struggle was with lying. From our perspective as his parents, it seemed a battle that mostly ended in early surrender. The child would look at us with an angelic expression, straight in the eye, and lie convincingly. What followed was a result of much frustration on our part in dealing with lies, and being covered with the muck we had tried to clean off of the basement floor and walls.

Dennis held the bucket of incriminating evidence out and said, “I’d like you to look at this, son.” Billy-Bob peered into the bucket his father held, “I did not eat those or flush them down the toilet and you can’t prove that I did!”

A light gleamed in Dennis’ eye as he looked at Billy-Bob,“What you don’t realize is that I have a computer program that I can use to scan one of these wrappers . It can look for fingerprints and DNA and identify both. I have your fingerprints and DNA on file, along with your brothers' and sisters'. Are you sure that you don’t want to change your story?”

Billy-Bob shook his head, “I did not do that!” His tone was indignant.

Dennis took the bucket to the home office and closed the door. Billy-Bob and I sat down to wait. Within ten minutes the door opened, and Dennis came out. He handed me a paper that looked scientifically officious enough. At the bottom of the paper it stated, “Match with DNA and fingerprints 99.5% Billy-Bob.” I peered over the top of the paper and shook my head at Billy-Bob as I handed it back to Dennis.

“Well son, this test confirms to almost 100% that you were the one who ate these candy bars. Do you want to continue to deny it?”

Billy Bob looked stunned. His eyes shifted uneasily from side to side, “Well, I wanted them and you wouldn’t let me eat them, so I had to hide in the bathroom…”

Dennis’ eyebrows raised, “Are you blaming us for this?”

“No. I stole them out of the pantry when mom was upstairs. I hid them under the bathroom sink and ate them when I went in there. I didn’t want mom to see the wrappers in the trash, so I flushed them.” Billy-Bob looked fearfully at his father, “I didn’t think you would find out.”

As Dennis and I sat down to talk with Billy-Bob, I thought of the spiritual truths revealed through this situation. We can think our sin is hidden from others, from the authorities in our lives, but nothing is hidden from God. Our lies and schemes cannot hide the truth from His eyes. He needs no “computer program” or DNA to know the truth about us. He sees even our most secret thoughts. And the most amazing, incomprehensible thing is, He loves us anyway. He doesn’t wait for us to clean up our mess, to “flush it away” with good works or intentions. He has done it for us. He died for us on the cross while we were still sinners. He reconciled us to God the Father on the basis of His great love, not our goodness.

"For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him." (Romans 5:7-9)

I'm All Out of Rope!

2008-06-26T04:40:00.000-07:00

When we have devotions together, my children share what they have read that morning and we talk about it. We then go over the memory verses we are learning and review ones we have already learned. This involves a lot of discussion, because I want to make sure that the children understand what it is they are learning in God’s word.

One day we were talking about II Corinthians 10:5b, “…taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” To make it easier for the younger children to understand, I explained that it was like you capture the bad thoughts you are having, tie them up in your mind and take them to Jesus in prayer. You tell Him that you know your thought is bad and you want to think of something good instead, like one of the “whatevers” from Philippians 4:8 “…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is excellent or praiseworthy…” The kids gave me examples of bad thoughts they might have and how they could take that thought “captive” to Jesus in prayer.

A few days later, Juliana was exasperated with the amount of schoolwork she had to finish before she could play. As I sat down at the table to join the kids, she closed her eyes and sat very still. I asked what she was doing.

“Mommy, I am tyin’ up a bad thought and givin’ it to Jesus.” She kept her eyes closed a little longer, then opened them up with a smile and began working. I smiled at her, happy to see the fruit of God’s word being born out in the life of one of my children.

Well, a couple of weeks later we came home from a homeschool co-op that we belong to. Quite a few families gather together for shared classes in art, science, PE, and English. I don’t see my kids most of the time while we are there, because I am helping in other classes.

I sat down with Juliana and asked her about her day. She is the youngest and smallest child in her class and sometimes has difficulty when they have PE. There are a couple of “bigger” boys who tease her.

Juliana described learning a new game that sounded like volleyball to me, but she couldn’t remember the name. Anyway, she kept catching the ball instead of hitting it back and two of the boys on her team yelled at her when this happened. I could tell Juliana was highly offended by the boys. She seemed to have problems with them each week.

I put my hand on her little shoulder and told her that I was sorry that happened. I said that it sounded like her feelings were hurt, but that it was important to forgive and not hold hard thoughts about others.

“You know what you need to do, honey?” I asked gently.

She looked up at me with her big brown eyes flashing, “Mommy, I am all out of rope!”

I couldn’t help laughing out loud. How honest! How many times do I feel like I am “out of rope” with people who continually offend me? All of us have at least a few of those in our lives!

I love the apostle Peter. He is so eager. Often in his eagerness, he puts his foot right in his mouth. He thought he was being generous when he told the Lord that he would forgive his offensive brother seven times. Jesus’ reply is not really a mathematical exercise, but a principle to learn.

“ Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:22)

The “seventy times seven” isn’t an amount to shoot for in forgiving others. The principle is that we are to forgive. Period.

It is easy to say. It is not always easy to do. How are we to forgive those who hurt us deeply? How about those who have committed grave sins against us? Those who have betrayed us? Harmed us physically or emotionally? How about parents that did not fulfill their obligations to us? Spouses that have deserted us? Children who have turned against us, rejecting the faith we have tried to share with them?

How do we forgive when it is hard? The only thing I can do is share what has worked for me. I try to take the Bible’s response to interpersonal sin. I go to the one who has offended me. Sometimes they are sorry and ask for forgiveness. And sometimes they don’t. But as a believer in Jesus Christ I am required to forgive my enemies…how much more my family members and friends?

I take the offense, the hurt, and the anger before the throne of my heavenly Father. I recognize that vengeance is His. I admit that I personally have offended Him, much more than the person I am discussing with Him. It sounds easy, but it is much more than words that you have to bring before the throne. You have to bring humility.

Sometimes I will list the ways I have rebelled against the Lord, in order to kill my own pridefulness and become soft in my heart. I tell the Lord that I chose to forgive and then remind myself that it is a choice not based on my feelings, but my will. Think about this command from the fourth chapter of Ephesians and ask the Lord to help you forgive others in the same way He has forgiven you:

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

Paradise Lost

2008-06-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

“And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.” Genesis 2:19

Paradise lost. What this world must have been like before the Fall! I love how Genesis says that the Lord formed the creatures and brought them to the man to see what he would call them!

When I make something for Dennis to eat, or give him a special present, I love to look at his face to see his enjoyment. It gives me pleasure to see his surprise or delight. I imagine the Lord waiting expectantly to see Adam’s expression as he viewed God’s handiwork.

I wonder what exactly we lost in the fall regarding our relationship with animals? Adam was given the privilege of naming them, just as we have the privilege of naming our children. He and Eve tended the Garden, surely that included the animals he had named.

Perhaps some sort of communication was possible, because Eve did not seem frightened when the serpent spoke to her; she engaged it in conversation. That conversation opened the door of temptation, and our ancestors walked right through it, sinning against the Lord for the first time. I wonder if the relief that God covered their nakedness was met with horror, as the skin from an animal they had tended in the Garden was wrapped around them? Surely they must have regretted that all of creation shared in the curse of their sin.

It seems clear that from Adam until Noah, men were vegetarians. After the flood, animals began to fear man, because mankind was given permission to eat anything that moves (Genesis 9:1-4). So our relationship with animals changed again.

While we were on a walk one day last week, we heard a bleating sound. Kerry followed it through the muck in a boggy wood and discovered a fawn. It was so small; it couldn’t be more than a day old. The doe stood a ways off, watching us. The children carefully made their way through the wood to see the newborn.

It was so amazing for the children to see this fawn and pet it! It occurred to me as we walked home, that Adam and Eve might have been the “midwives” for many creatures. How awesome it must have been to dwell in the Garden with all of the animals, and walk with the Lord!

Surely we have a small taste of the fellowship we might have had with all living creatures in the pets we have now. And how wonderful that God promises believers a future where all that was lost to mankind will be restored, including the wonderful animals He created!

"The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. "(Isaiah 11:6-9)

Life is Messy, or Blowing Chunks and Soggy Carpets

2008-06-11T04:30:00.000-07:00

One of the things I have come to expect in life is that when my husband travels on business, something always goes wrong at home. Children get injured, or sick, cars break down, plumbing ruptures, computers crash…I anticipate difficulties while he is away. Take this excerpt from my journal a few years ago:

“Today Dennis left on an eight- day trip to the United Kingdom. Both of our air conditioners are leaking water. Water is leaking from the attic into the ceiling upstairs and from the basement through the adjoining wall onto the carpeted floor. The repairman cannot come until tomorrow morning so we have been using the shop-vac to keep things under control.

An hour before Dennis left, Colin came down with a high fever. An hour after he left, Juliana graphically illustrated the term, “blowing chunks” for the family, as she hurled spinach soufflé and bagel bits onto the kitchen wall and floor. The bright green showed up well against the tan wall. She has a fever now, too. They are falling like flies.”

These things happen when Dennis is at home, too, but they are easier to deal with when he is here to help. The Bible says that two are better than one, for when one falls there is someone to help them up:

“Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.
For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?
And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. “ Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Notice what the Bible is saying here. A companion increases the return we get from our efforts, helps us when we fall, brings warmth to our life, and provides essential help when we are under attack. I love that last bit about the three strands, because I believe it is pointing us back to the Lord-He is the third strand in that relationship!

It may be that you are single, but that does not mean you have to walk through this life alone. The truths expressed in Ecclesiastes here hold true for all healthy Christian friendships and relationships. The fellowship of friends is essential in living the Christian life successfully. There is no question about it; in this life you will face trials and adversity. You will face temptations. A good friend will stick closer than a brother and walk with you, helping you carry your burden when necessary. Look at the Lord’s commandment concerning how His followers are to relate to one another:

This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
"You are My friends if you do what I command you. (John 15:12-14)

If we see something in Scripture, we know it is the Lord’s will and we can ask Him with confidence to provide that thing for us. So, if you have such a friend, thank the Lord, and if you don’t, ask Him for one!

Running On Empty

2008-06-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

There’s an old song by Jackson Browne, “Running on Empty” that could be the theme song of motherhood. When the kids are young, we are physically tired and when they are older, mental fatigue sets in. Weariness can become an almost constant state of being.

In 2 Thessalonians Paul talks about growing weary. He warns us of not growing weary of doing good (2 Thes. 3:13). When I read this a while back, it occurred to me that it is not necessarily physical weariness that Paul is talking about. So, if it is not physical tiredness that causes us to want to stop doing good, what is the reason that we “grow weary?”

One of the reasons I think we grow weary is that doing good often involves delayed gratification. We may serve others and not see any tangible results for a long time, if at all. This is true in parenting. Day after day, we do the same things over and over. It can be mind numbing and we often do not see the outcome of all the “good” that we are pouring into the lives of our children.

We may feel that what we do does not matter, or find little joy in daily activities. We may be fed up with the child who does not change, is not growing any better. We can become discouraged, convinced that they will never “get it.”

Another cause of our weariness is that others are not always thankful for what we do. Truthfully, when is the last time your children thanked you for cleaning the toilet or their clothes? How about the dusting, or any of the other mundane duties of running a household? I don’t think that they will truly know all you have done for them, but there is One who does!

Spiritual opposition is often at work, causing us to feel that what we are doing at home day after day with our children is not as important as the opportunity to serve others would be. I remember watching a friend’s young children, so that she could run to the grocery store. She came back excited that she had had the chance to help an older woman by bagging her groceries for her, to really minister to someone. As she drove home, she thanked the Lord for allowing her the opportunity to serve Him in aiding the woman. In the quiet voice of her heart He told her that she served Him every day in caring for her young children.

So what is our response to be to the weariness that can seem like it is permeating our lives? I think the answer is found in 2 Corinthians 4:1, “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart…” Do you see the key? It is focusing on the Gospel message, “as we received mercy”. How much heart can we find in that truth? We have been pulled out of the jaws of hell. Our sin debt has been paid in full!

Focusing on the truth of the Gospel can help us to have the heart to serve the Lord well in the ministry He has called us to as wives and mothers. Knowing that it is the Lord we are truly serving as we go through our daily routines and as we seek to meet the needs of our families, can make those mundane things a source of satisfaction and even joy.

“Behold, the Lord God will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs, and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” Isaiah 40:10-11

Liking Lolipops

2008-06-03T04:18:00.000-07:00

When Dennis travels, I allow the children to sleep in our room. We snuggle into the covers with our books and read quietly before we fall asleep. Just before Christmas one year, Juliana, then five years old, brought her special blanket and books and climbed up into bed. She arranged all of her things and started looking through her books, occasionally asking questions about how long daddy would be gone, and what day he would return.

I was making my way through a stack of catalogs, when I noted something I thought Juliana would like, a “lollipop Christmas tree.” It was a wooden tree, about twelve inches high. Holes were bored into it to hold lollipops. Juliana LOVES lolipops and I thought she would think the tree was wonderful.

I showed it to Juliana, expecting an excited response. Instead, she gave the tree a funny look and shook her head slightly. I asked her what she was thinking. “I am laying off the sweets,” was her response.

The children had been discussing being overweight that day, which is funny since all of them are very thin, so I asked her if she was concerned about being fat.

“No,” she replied, “sweets mean too much to me, so I am laying off them for a while. Only Jesus should mean that much to me.”

I was speechless! Here was a five-year old sensitive to a spiritual truth that I, a more “mature” believer, often ignore! Once again the Lord was teaching me through one of my children. Now, lolipops are not sinful in and of themselves, but there are times in life when even good things can take a wrong precedence in our affections.

I have this quote by Susanna Wesley written in the back of my Bible about sin, "If anything weakens your reasoning, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God or takes away your relish for spiritual things; in short if anything increases the power or authority of the flesh over the Spirit, that for you becomes sin, however good it is in itself." Isn't that a great definition of sin?

I went through my own list of things that mean too much to me, in order to find out what it was that I needed to “lay off” for a while, so instead I could fix my eyes more firmly upon Jesus.

Consider Hebrews 12:1-2 as you review your own list!

“ Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.”

The "Know-so" Gospel

2008-05-30T04:46:00.000-07:00

“ These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:13 (emphasis mine)

Salvation is so amazing to me, on so many levels! The Gospel is simple enough for a young child to understand: we all have failed to meet God’s law, we deserve to be punished for that. Jesus came and died on the Cross to take the punishment we deserve; He rose from the dead; if we will turn to Him for the forgiveness of our sins, we will be saved and spend eternity with God. The message of salvation is simple, and yet so complex that the greatest theologians have not dipped more that a toe into the depths of the Gospel message.

The Lord was so gracious to bring a lovely older lady, “Timmi”, into our lives when the children were younger. At the time, she had no grandchildren and loved to dote on my children. They would visit her several times a week, go on lunch dates with her or just sit and chat over cookies.
One day when she was watching the children for me, my youngest son, Colin, then five years old, asked her if she was a Christian.

She looked at him and said sweetly, “Well, I hope so.”

Colin was alarmed, “Timmi, Jesus doesn’t want us to hope so; He wants us to know so! Do you know that you are a Christian? Have you trusted Jesus to take away your sins?”

When Timmi told me about the conversation with Colin, I was pleased at his love for his special friend, and his grasp of the Gospel. God has not given us a “hope so” salvation. The Bible states that God wants us to be assured that our salvation is secure.

There are many verses that speak to the security of those who have truly placed their hope in the Son of God for their salvation.

Is your salvation sure? Do you know for sure that you are a Christian? God urges us to “test ourselves and see if we are in the faith” (II Corinthians 13:5). Salvation is not just a matter of praying a prayer to “ask Jesus into your heart." It is a matter of truly acknowledging your sin before a holy and righteous God, knowing that you have no hope of making yourself right in His eyes. Trusting that the greatest expression of God’s love, His Son on the cross at Calvary, provided the means of your being made right with God.

Biblical Christianity is unlike any other “religion,” because in it the believer has assurance of their end. Every false religion is full of insecurity for its adherents. They can only hope so; the believer in Jesus Christ can “know so!”

Stronger Than The Wind

2008-05-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

“ Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
Mark 4:41b

A few days ago, tornadoes formed in our area, as a huge storm moved in. We had friends from church over for lunch. The children were outside playing in the woods as the parents visited. Joel was just telling Dennis and I that when they first moved to Minnesota they had a lot of tornadoes, when the warning sirens went off outside. Quickly, we called the children in and rushed them to the basement.

Dennis was upstairs, closing windows against the rains, when trees started falling. They were plucked out of the ground as easily as one might pluck out a blade of grass.

The children were frightened and I suggested we pray. I struggled. I don’t think I was fearful, but my mind was racing and my words seemed lame to my own ears.

A little later, as a second storm moved in, one of the children visiting, Emma, said she was afraid of the wind.

I replied, “I know you are, Emma. But the God who loves us is stronger than the wind.” Despite my lame prayer earlier, I had such peace in the midst of the storm around us.

When it was over, we gasped as we saw the devastation to the woods behind us. So many huge trees were down and broken near our home, but it looked as if they were all pushed away from the house by some unseen force.

As we watched the news and saw the devastation to homes and families near us, I wondered why them and not us? We are not any better, no more deserving of God’s protection. And I have no answer to it, except that the God who loves us is stronger than the wind, and if He does not direct it from us, He holds us through it.

“He Himself has said, I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5b

"No Looking Glass"

2008-05-22T04:36:00.000-07:00

"For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren." Romans 8:29

In the lovely cedar house we lived in when the children were all young, there was a wonderful sunroom off of the kitchen. We had our meals in there every night. Because the room looked onto the backyard and no neighbors, we had no curtains or shades to block the view.

This was not a problem until our oldest daughter Lindsey was three years old. Lindsey loved to sing at three. She also loved to watch herself in a mirror, either singing or making faces! At dinner, she sat facing the backyard. The early darkness outside, and the light inside, created a fairly good mirror in the window pane for our little performer. She could not get enough of gazing at herself. The food in front of her would go uneaten while she would pull an astonishing variety of faces in the reflection of the window.

The entire family would finish dinner, but Lindsey’s plate would still be full. I remember correcting her one evening and trying to explain that she needed to eat rather than gaze at her reflection in the window.

“Honey, Jesus is more interested in you having a pretty heart than a pretty face,” I explained, “and every night that you are not obeying Daddy and I by staring at yourself and not eating dinner is not helping how you look inside. Remember, Jesus died so that you could have no uglies in your heart. He took them all away. That should make you want to make Him happy and obey mommy and daddy.”

Well, we prayed together and went up for bath and bed. Dennis and I changed her seat at the table to reduce the temptation and encourage her eating her dinner. I wasn’t sure that Lindsey understood what we were trying to teach her.

A few days later we were driving to the store, when from the back of the van, I could hear my little girl singing, “I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus, no looking-glass, no looking glass.” I looked in the rear view mirror to see her little eyes earnestly looking at the cloud-filled sky.

I smiled and shook my head. I don’t know what the writer of the hymn would think, but surely no “looking glass” is as good as “no looking back!” For myself it is not the looking back that is the temptation, but the looking glass. Putting myself and my desires and comforts first comes all too easily to me. I felt challenged by my daughter’s words to put my looking glass down, and look instead on Jesus. That way, I could start looking less like myself, and more like Him.

"Microscopics verses the Creator"

2008-05-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

We had the extreme good fortune to live in England for a short season of time. The first home we lived in there, Owl’s Lodge, was in a typical neighborhood setting. We had some very nice British neighbors and another expat family, like us, only from Canada.

The Canadian family was quite nice, and although we had a lot of things in common, our world views were in opposition. However, the children played nicely together. They had lots of fun riding bikes and playing knights.

One late afternoon, as I was preparing dinner, our son Kerry, then seven years old, burst in the kitchen door crying. He was so out of breath that I couldn’t understand what he was saying. Just then the front door rang, and our young Canadian neighbor stood there quite serious. Apparently, there was a problem.

I took our young friend back to the kitchen where Kerry was and asked the boys what was going on. Brandon, our young friend, informed me that Kerry had the mistaken opinion that God had made the world.

Just then Kerry cried, “Mommy, he says that microscopics made the world! Tell him he is wrong! God made the world. Brandon doesn’t believe in God.” He looked at me pleadingly.
I prayed for wisdom. How was I going to respond lovingly to this boy, and defend the faith for the benefit of my young son?

The Lord gave me a response, which was in the form of a question, “Brandon, if I throw my wristwatch on the floor and it breaks into many tiny pieces, how long would I have to wait for it to reassemble itself?”

He looked at me oddly, “It would stay broken.”

“How about if it lay there for a thousand years?” I inquired.

“It can’t fix itself,” was his response.

“Well, Brandon,” I explained, “We believe that no matter how long bits and pieces of microscopics or whatever, lay about, they would never form themselves into the earth and all of the wonderful creatures and plants on it. We believe that God made the earth.”

Brandon looked ready to cry at this point. So I put my arm around his shoulder and suggested he should talk to his parents about the issue if he had more questions. He left and I turned to Kerry, who looked troubled, “Mommy, why would his parents teach him something that is not true?”

“Kerry,” I said, “they don’t know the truth themselves. Let’s pray for Brandon and his family.” So we did.

This exchange between the boys taught me a few things. First, that it is of the highest importance that we teach our children God’s Word diligently. If we had not read about the creation of the world, and discussed it with our children, Kerry may have accepted Brandon’s views as true. Secondly, that we prepare them for the arguments the world makes against the Gospel, and walk them through how to respond to those who are in opposition to the truth.

When we read the command in Deuteronomy 6:6-7, “And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up,” we nod our heads in agreement. But how often do we practice this? It is too easy to let the cares and pleasures of life crowd out time spent with the Word of God ourselves. And if we are not filled with the bread and meat of the Word of God, what will we feed our children?

We no longer live in a society which fosters Christian thought. Imagine the world our children will be living in as adults. If we are not faithful to lay the foundations of faith in their lives, how successful will they be in living as committed and mature believers in Christ?

While our children seem to grow physically, without our help, we are involved in that process. We feed them, bathe them, make sure they get exercise and enough sleep. If we are not involved, they won’t be as healthy as they could be. How similar to spiritual growth! While it is most certainly true that it is the Lord who brings us to salvation, we all need help to grow and mature, and children even more so. God has entrusted us in leading the next generation to Him. Let Him find us faithful in doing so!

Enjoy Getting There

2008-05-20T03:55:00.000-07:00

I have an amazing talent. It has provided many amusing moments for my family and friends. I get lost. Easily. In a big way. I don’t just miss a turn here and there. I end up miles out of the way. How I manage it, is beyond me. I even got lost with a GPS system in my car telling me which way to turn!

One memorable incident occurred when we were visiting friends in southern Maryland. For some reason, we had two cars. When the time came to drive back north to our home in Frederick, my dear husband took the two older children, and I took the two younger boys. Kerry was three and Colin was about five months old.

My husband suffers from “heavy foot syndrome” in his right foot, so I quickly lost sight of him on the road. I thought I could handle it. On the beltway the baby started crying. Then he started screaming. He was so distraught, I pulled over on the shoulder and made my way to the very back of the van. I glanced out of the window and noticed we were moving! I don’t know how I did it, but I managed to get back to the driver’s seat and put the vehicle in park and put the break on. Sweat broke out on my face as I realized how much danger I had put my children in. I tried to soothe the baby, but he was long due to nurse and wouldn’t be comforted with anything less than his dinner.

I got back in the driver’s seat, mad at myself for my failure to get home without getting lost. I had gone home from our friend’s house enough times to know where to go, but I had got turned around on the Washington DC beltway. I managed to find an exit and an empty parking lot. I got into the back seat and took my youngest son out of his car seat. He nursed happily as I closed my eyes.

Kerry, our three year old, was chattering away about something. I just murmured in response. He kept on talking, “Mommy, did you hear me? Mommy?” I realized I had not listened to a thing he had said.

“I am sorry honey, what did you say?” I apologized, stroking his dark hair.

“I said look at the sunset, Mommy, it is so beautiful!” He smiled at me, a dimple showing on his right cheek.

I looked out of the window and saw a stunning sunset. It was truly spectacular. Trying to make it a teachable moment, I asked, “Do you know who made that sunset?”

“Jesus!” was his happy response, “He makes everything so good!”

I nodded in agreement. And the Lord spoke to me then, making it a “teachable” moment for me, “You treat each day like this trip, Dawn, you are so determined to get to the finish line, that you do not live in the moment I have given you. You are missing the sunsets. Enjoy the getting there.”

I am still trying to learn to enjoy the moments. It is so easy to “get lost” in the business of life and its duties, that I don’t see the sunset moments in front of me. So often, the Lord will set up a roadblock in my day to stop me and direct my eyes back to what is important, serving Him and the family He has blessed me with.

Barrenness

2008-05-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

“There are three things that will not be satisfied, Four that will not say, “Enough”: Sheol and the barren womb…” Proverbs 30:15b-16a

When we married, at 23, it never occurred to Dennis or I that we would have any difficulty in having children. We assumed, a bit arrogantly, that we could have, or not have children as we saw fit. The Lord used the pain of infertility to mold us both and teach us that He is sovereign over all of our lives.

I remember my first inkling that we were going to have difficulties in this area. I was out for a run, and as I ran, I was thanking God for bringing my husband to a saving knowledge of Jesus before we married. Acknowledging that I would have married Dennis even if he had not been a Christian, I praised the Lord for His mercy to me and began praying for the children that we would have. With a clarity that stopped me on the street in disbelief, the Lord spoke to my heart and revealed to me that this thing I wanted would not be easy-not at all.

As an immature Christian, I had not had much experience in listening to God. I talked, in prayer, told Him what I wanted or needed, and He listened. It really had never occurred to me that He would speak to me outside of His word! So, I shook my head and continued running, certain that what I had experienced was my own fearful heart.

Fear was one of the things the Lord would deal with in me in the next five years as Dennis and I were placed in the fire of infertility. It says in Scripture that, “perfect love casts out all fear.” I do not know how those who are not Christians cope with infertility. There were times when I felt the weight of pain would crush me, yet time after time, the Lord would lift me up and fill me with the joy of His presence.

Compounding our difficulty in conceiving, Dennis was on active duty in the Navy as a submariner. Gone for months at a time, in the “old days” before email and cell phones, it was common for us to go months without talking. Although I had some wonderful Christian friends, the fact that only the Lord could truly meet my needs was evident in a way it could not be without the pain of infertility and an absent husband.

As my prayer journals will attest, I prayed fervently for a child many times a day. I read the parable in Luke 18 about the woman and the judge:

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God, and did not respect man. And there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ And for awhile he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, lest by continually coming she wear me out.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said: now shall not God bring about justice for His elect, who cry to Him day and night and will He long delay over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them speedily. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:1-8

I was amazed that here, and in other passages, the Lord was giving me permission to pester Him! Charles Spurgeon said, “Some mercies are not given to us except in answer to importunate prayer. There are blessings which, like ripe fruit, drop into your hand the moment you touch the bough. But there are others which require you to shake the tree again and again, until you make it rock with the vehemence of your exercise, for only then will the fruit fall down.”

One of the questions I continually brought before the Lord is “why?” I understand that God does not always tell us why we suffer, but He did answer me one morning as I knelt by my bed, tears flowing down my face, begging for an answer to my pain. I heard a quiet voice in my mind say, “Romans 5, three to five.”

Fingers trembling, I opened my Bible to a passage I was not familiar with and read: “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulation, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, and perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our own hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” I was stunned to have the Lord answer me so personally, and by the knowledge that my trial was not over.

Chances are, if you have not personally been affected by infertility, you know someone who is. If you are suffering through this painful ordeal, let me encourage you to turn completely to the Lord in it. Although it was awful, I am glad that I was afflicted (Psalm 119:71) because of all I learned about the Lord and grew in relation to Him. He purified my motives in wanting children and even brought me to the point of being able to rejoice in the monthly “no” that my period brought, because I had come to the honest realization that it was my Father’s best for me.

In Psalm 17, David describes unbelievers as, “men of the world, whose portion is in this life; and whose belly Thou dost fill with Thy treasure; They are satisfied with children, and leave their abundance to their babes, As for me, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Thy likeness when I awake.”

While having children is a joyful thing, it is nothing compared to knowing Jesus and having the joy of knowing your sin is forgiven and that one day you will see His face. Children cannot satisfy our hearts. The hunger that each of us feels inside can only be filled by the Living Bread. The thirst that we have can only be satiated with the Living Water that is Jesus Christ.

Get Dressed

2008-05-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

"For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ."Galatians 3:27

When Dennis was in the Navy and went to sea for long periods of time, or now when he goes on an extended business trip, I wear one of his shirts to bed. Even clean shirts still hold his scent, and that smell can evoke so many warm memories and feelings.
I am sure that theologically this verse means more-in fact, I know it does-yet in some manner I think the analogy holds for the believer in Christ.The more we love Him, the closer we want to be to Him. We can catch His "scent" through His Word, a sermon, in prayer, in a sunset, or even in other believers who are so full of His Holy Spirit that one may detect Him in the fragrance of their lives.
Every day we have the option to cling to Jesus, to wrap His word around our hearts and minds, to yield to the Holy Spirit and obey His promptings. If we do not, we are in danger, as Paul warns later in Galatians, of turning "back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again." We must cling to our Saviour or we stand in danger of enslaving ourselves to the worthless things He has saved us from and rendering ourselves ineffectual.
More resolutions, restrictions around our behavior, will not make us more fit for the Kingdom, or effective in His service here. Those things do have the appearance of wisdom to men, but are of no effect against the flesh or our enemy. What we need is more of Christ.
In Him we already have all we need for salvation and all we need to continue growing in godliness. Remember His warning in John 15:5, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing." The Christian life is impossible to live well apart from Christ.
So, put on all those "garments" and breathe in the scent of His holy love. Yield yourself to the Holy Spirit and find yourself becoming a sweet fragrance!