Promises Promises

Tonight's family devotion was on promises to God. We had to make a promise and write it down. Talk about tough! I promised to spend quiet time with God every day. That's going to be a big one and the kids are going to be watching for it, which makes it even harder.

Why is it harder to keep a promise to God when people are watching?

Isn't that backwards?

Shouldn't it be EASIER when just people are watching? Shouldn't it be more disconcerting when we know God is watching? But God remains silent so much that we tend to blow Him off. People say things we can hear. God is easier to ignore. But shouldn't God's disappointment in us mean more to us? Why do I feel guiltier when people are watching me mess up than when God is watching me mess up? Why do I feel worse when someone here on earth sees my mistakes than I would normally? God sees all my bloopers and blunders - even the ones that are in my head and nobody else can see!

When God makes a promise, He keeps it faithfully. We can trust that there will never be another worldwide flood because God promised and used a rainbow as a reminder of that promise. May I learn to look to God for approval, not man. May my own promises be as faithfully kept as God's promises are!

Love Your Neighbor

Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment includes "Love your neighbor as yourself." What does that mean? Someone even asked him "Who is my neighbor" which launched Jesus into the parable of the Good Samaritan. Most of us are familiar with that story. The story focuses on how a man, being beat up and left for dead, doesn't receive help from the religious leaders of the time, but from a Samaritan man, who, from the Jewish point of view, is the scum of the earth.

OK - I would guess that I am the man who was beaten up and left for dead. The lesson is that we should not expect to receive help from the higher-ups, but accept it from the scum. I can live with that.

But I don't think that's the point Jesus was trying to make.

The Jews thought of themselves as better than the Samaritans for a lot of reasons, but Jesus is telling us to be like the Samaritan, not the Jew. Jesus isn't telling us where our help will come from. Jesus is telling us to get down off our high horses - that those so-called 'scum' are better than we are!

Hurts a bit, doesn't it?

Who are the 'scum' today? For a lot of us it's the people who actually look dirty. They often don't have a lot of money to spend on name-brand cleaners or water softeners so their clothes don't come as clean. Their washers and dryers aren't as efficient, or maybe they have to go to the laundrymat and put it off because of the cost. Some are wearing hand-me-downs so old that 'bright' left years ago. Some are working such dirty jobs that getting clean is not a visual possibility, that the stains are permanent, or they are sun-scorched unevenly and therefore look a bit 'dusty' all the time.

I could probably learn to live with that and overlook that to the inner heart like God does.

Then there are those who truly are unclean and smelly. They may have a physical condition that causes the smell or prevents regular bathing. They may be homeless and unable to bathe. Whatever the reason, we need to see that Jesus was talking about them, too.

Love your neighbor as yourself.
Love your neighbor as yourself.

Can you love from afar? We sure want to sometimes, don't we? But can we really do it? Think of your children. Can you show your children your love without ever getting near? Of course not. So what do you do?

We have got to change the way we think.

In our society, we are bombarded regularly with how to move up in the world. A better house, a better car, better furniture, better beds, better cleansers for body and house, and they all lead to better ways to pull away from the people we are supposed to love the most. If we are constantly concerned about making more money to 'get a better something,' then we are working more. If we are working more, then we are home less. If we are home less, then we have less time to make the house as presentable as it should be - like on TV, right? Their houses are never messed up like mine! - and we spend all our time doing that.

We have got to start making time to help those around us - especially as a church. Sending money to far-away places is easy and clean and quick. We need to get down off our own spiritual high horses and get dirty! The man who was beaten in the parable was messy. He was bleeding. He would have made the helper 'unclean' for quite some time. Are you willing to get a little dirty for God?

There are all kinds of ways we can better help those in our community. Every town I've lived in has volunteer opportunities. Where is God calling you to help? Maybe it's not even the organizations you are called to help. Maybe it the crazy man across the street, or the cat lady down the road. Make extra dinner some night and give it away. Invite someone over to eat with you. Take down the walls we erect in our lives and invite people in.

You're afraid, aren't you? Someone might make fun of you when you ask them to come over. Someone might refuse to accept you dinner offering. They might do something wierd at dinner or stay too late. They might be mean or talk about you to their friends later.

Just what are they going to say? "I can't believe that neighbor! She cooked dinner for me! How dare she do that!" No - they might be a little suspicious of you actions, but doing nice things is not a bad thing! Try it 5 times. You'll be hooked before you know it.

Doing nice things for people is the best drug around. Believe it or not, it is God's own pain reliever. Our brains release natural chemicals into our bodies that make us happier and less painful when we do things selflessly.

Train your brain - do something nice for someone else once a week until Christmas. Go even further and do it anonymously! Try to outdo yourself each wee and just see what happens!

I dare you!

Brokenness

We sang "Holiness" on Sunday. One of the verses goes:
"Brokenness, Brokenness is what I long for
Brokenness is what I need.
Brokenness, Brokenness is what You want from me"

and the chorus goes:
"Take my heart - and form it
Take my mind - transform it
Take my will - conform it
To Yours, To Your, O Lord.

During this verse a vision came to my head. I want to record it here.

To give a bit of background, this incorporates teaching from the weekend at Come to the Fire about God's Glory.

Glory is a word that is heavy with its idea that it holds within it all the attributes of God:

Infinite
Sovereign
Holy
Triune God
Omniscient
Faithful
Love
Omnipotent
Self-Existant
Self-Sufficient
Just
Immutable
Merciful
Eternal
Good
Gracious
Omnipresent
Truth
Healer
Comforter
Redeemer
Righteous
I AM
God of the Beginning
God of Justice
God of Forgiveness
God of Heights
God Who is Near
God of My Strength
God of My Praise
God of My Salvation
God with us
Holy God
Living God
God of Gods

This Glory is what we want to be filled with - but it's too heavy to be a thin substance! I picture it as a Jell-O-type substance.

Now make it glow-in-the-dark.

So now we have God's Glory in us - shining in the dark!

Then we become BROKEN -

Now picture a figuring (mine is a Willow Tree) that has been dropped and shattered. Tiny Tiny pieces!

But wait! There's the Jell-O Glory!

All the pieces are held in place - sort of - by the glowing Jello-O Glory of God!

We now have an outside figuring, representing ourselves, that has been made broken. The Glory of God now shines through. It also can now mold and shape this figuring.

WOW! Just think of what God can do in your life if He's got permission to mold and shape you. Just think of what God can do in the world if all Christians became filled with the Glory of God and were broken!

I want God's Glory in me!
I want to be broken!

Work in me, God...

Come to the Fire

I just spent the weekend at the 'Come to the Fire' women's conference in Olathe, Kansas. It was a wonderful time of renewal and healing!

The display behind the speakers at the conference was beautiful! Long yards of brightly-colored satin draped on a tall backdrop. Red, yellow, orange, and cream - arranged to resemble a fire.

The center of the 'fire' was drawn back to reveal royal purple cloth behind the fire.

Fire represents making something pure in the Bible. It is called 'refining' - referring to how a metal smithy must separate the impurities from the metal by melting the ore. Silver is the most common metal used in Scripture because at that time silver was the most precious metal. Today we think of gold - back then it was silver!

Purple represents royalty - referring to Jesus as the King of Kings.

Old Testament references to refining -

"... in all the land, two parts shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left. And I will put this third into the fire, and Refine them as silver, and test them as gold. They will call on My Name, and I will answer and say, 'They are My people'; and they will say, 'Yahweh is my Elohim!!!'." (Zec 13:9)

"... when He Has Tried me, I shall come forth as gold!" (Job 23:10)

But who can endure the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap. (Malachi 3:2)

Behold, I have refined you, but not with silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, even for my own sake, will I do it: for how should My Name be polluted? and I will not give My Glory unto another. (Isaiah 10-11)

And many of those who understand shall stumble, to refine and purge them, and to make white, to the time of the end because it is still for the appointed time. (Daniel 11:35)

And in the New Testament:

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1Peter 1:6-7)


This is the fulfillment of the scripture in Zechariah 13:9 (see above) - the persecutions of the early church, the 'fiery trial' which tried the people of God then. Those whom God sets apart for himself must pass through a probation and purification in this world. They must be TRIED that THEIR FAITH may be FOUND TO PRAISE AND HONOUR as Abraham's faith was when it was tried by the command given him to offer up Isaac. They must be tried, that both those that are perfect and those that are not may be 'made manifest.' they must be refined from their dross, their corruption must be purged out, they must be brightened and bettered. (Excerpted from Matthew Henry's Commentaries)

I've often gotten the idea from people that once they come to Christ they think it's easier. But it's not - it's only the beginning. Now, it IS easier in the sense that there is someone else to lean upon to get you through, but it is not the end of the work or the end of the pain. Once you've come to Christ, asking Him to come into your heart, the refining begins.

One of my favorite speakers, Carolyn Johnson, speaks on the rooms of your heart. Each room represents an area of your life. Jesus will go through your rooms, ridding each of the dross. Unfortunately, there is often a refining fire to go through to get it cleaned out!

But Jesus does not just barge in uninvited - not into your heart and not into any room within your heart. Revelation 3:20 states, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." The rooms of our heart have no outside doorknobs- only you can open the door and let Jesus inside. But once you do, you will be amazed at the weight that will fall away - dross and impurities weigh a LOT!!!

And the refining doesn't stop - it continues unto death! As you spend time with God in prayer and quiet time, as you read and study your Bible (two separate acts, not one), and as you hear the preaching and teaching of the Word, Jesus will knock on doors. He will knock on doors to rooms you thought He was done with! He will knock on doors to rooms you built as you went through your life. He will knock on doors to rooms that you didn't even know you had!

As He purifies those rooms, you will begin to shine. The light of the Son will be reflected out into the world for all to see. You will become a light in the darkness. Those living in the darkness will be drawn to you - wanting to know you, be with you, to learn what it is that makes you shine. Get out there into the world! Shine before men! Let the Glory of God ooze out of every crevice of your being so that others can come to Him and be saved.


The following story I found on the internet. It is a copy of one of those email stories that go around. Very good picture...

Malachi 3:3 says:

“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.“

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.” She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?” He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy — when I see my image in it.”

May the Glory of God shine in you today!

Jillian

Like a Child

Jesus told His disciples that we need to be like the children sitting on His lap.
How can we be like children? What point was Jesus trying to make?
I've been working with very young children for the past few days. They have made me remember many of the children I've worked with over the years, as well as my own.

What would they do in the presence of God?
They would walk up to Him, take His hand, and share.


Boldly coming to Him.
Can you imagine just walking up to Jesus, who was the embodiment of God?

As adults we tend to visualize crawling up to the foot of the cross, laying prostrate before the Lord, groveling in humility, etc.

But think about a little child.

This tiny person just walks up to us 'tall' people and takes our hand. It doesn't matter if they've known you for 10 seconds or their whole lives. They want to be close. They want to touch. They often quickly climb into a lap if you sit for even a little bit.

How can we crawl into the lap of the Lord?

Taking His Hand
How do we take the Hand of Jesus today? We obviously cannot physically - so how do we make that touch?
When kids do this, they rarely talk. The 'tall one' holds out a hand sometimes and the wee ones just slide their hand right in.
God is holding out his hand. Just slide right up to Him and walk a while without talking. 10 minutes silent before the Lord. The best part of my time with God!
We don't even have to wait to feel asked. God will ALWAYS take your hand. Just reach up and slide your hand right in.


Now share.
Sharing. The highlight of any child's day or week. My daughter, Beth, talks all week about show and tell on Friday. She wants to take the best thing. She wants her center (her toy) to be the most popular in the class and she will spend all week planning for the time. Sometimes she gets it right. Other times she is very hurt that the others don't see her sharing item as the special thing it is.
Not so with Jesus. Every item we take to share with Him is the best. He knows how our hearts long for someone to understand. He understands. When we share with Jesus, we have brought the best. We can be the best.
I sometimes - ok - often - have the tendency to try to use church-speak when I pray. A lot of times I wonder if I'm even heard. Does God tune out the droning on and on that I tend to tune out on my son when he is telling the longest story ever? He often uses vocabulary only found in Star Wars, Bionicle, Lego, or Eragon. I don't understand him. Is God like that? Does He tune out those fancy words? The Bible hints that.
Kids don't speak like that. They have no pretense. They have no fear. They will just walk up to you and say, "You're fat." Not judging you. Not changing their love for you. Just stating a fact. They will just as easily blurt out, "You have nice hair." Just stating a fact.
Do we talk to God about Him? You're awesome. You're too much for my brain to handle. You scare me. I love You. I want You to love me.
Then we want to ask for things.
I have a problem asking for things.
"Lord God, if it be in Your Will, please grant me......"
Church talk.
Kids don't talk like that. They lay it on the line. I want that. Why? Why? Gimme that! That was mine! PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE?!?!?! Stomp Stomp STOMP STOMP I SAID I WANT THAT NOW!!!!!
I'm not sure the tantrum is what Jesus was talking about. But what about just stating what God already knows : God, I want.....
What if we don't get it?
God, why?
Why?
I want it - gimme it!
Why not?

Is it OK to be mad? to throw a bit of a tantrum? to cry before the Lord? I think so. I think we're throwing the tantrum inside anyway - why not admit it - HUMBLE OURSELVES - admit to ourselves what God already knows about us - that we are little kids inside, still throwing tantrums over the stuff we can't have and letting it build up as a wall between US.

God, I want Wyatt to be healed. I want him to be strong.
God, I want Jacob to do well in school. Please take this ADHD thing away from him. We don't like it. Make it go away.
God, I'm tired. Please help me go to sleep soon so that I can do my best tomorrow. You're gonna hafta be there with me for me to get through the day as it is!

Thanks God.
I'll be back tomorrow.
You'll be here, right?

Light and Dark

Are you familiar with Louie Giglio? He does some wonderful work. He has worked with Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin on projects - even went on tour with them and shared verbally...moving people's hearts with his words the way Redman and Tomlin move people's hearts in their music.

I found some online videos of his speaking last night and listened to one. It was about the difference in how we view the world verses how God views the world.

Think about the creations of God as a 'universe-large' canvas of art. All of the things God does come out on that canvas that is larger than our imaginations.

Then there is us. We go about our days and see the world - only we can only see a 4x6 picture postcard of God's canvas. Our view of God's canvas is limited to our little postcard - making us wonder, sometimes daily, about what in the world God is doing - unable to understand even a little.

Have you ever seen those large pictures that are made up of little pictures? You know - the ones I think of most are the ones that make a flag or another patriotic scene. They are composed completely of smaller pictures of people or places or things.

What if we were each a picture in one of those creations? To make the overall effect work, some of us would have to have pretty dark backgrounds. Some would have very light ones. Some would be somewhere in the middle. But altogether, the scene would be indescribably moving.

What if the dark time in your life is necessary to the overall picture?
I remember some dark times in my life.
At one point in my life I was raped.
At one point in my life my fiancee dumped me for the girl who lived downstairs at seminary.
At one point in my life I thought I had just lost my baby.
At one point in my life I thought my husband was having an affair.
At one point in my life I thought about leaving my husband.
At one point in my life there wasn't enough money for a significant period of time and we wondered how we would get through.
At several points in my life I have had to pack up everything and move far away from a place where I was comfortable, secure, and well-loved.
At several points in my life I have lost loved ones to death.

Are we able to see how those dark times might be times that God will use for His glory, for His canvas? I have been able to use many of these from my own life to connect, share, and counsel with ladies from the churches I have served. And that doesn't mean that God only uses them if you're a pastor's wife. There is connecting, sharing, and counseling going on between women all over the globe and most of them aren't pastor's wives!

Isn't it a wonderful feeling when you can honestly say "I understand - I've been there too" when someone needs to talk? Well, you wouldn't have been there if it hadn't been for the dark time you had been through!

There are lighter times, too!
At one point in my life I walked down the aisle to the man of my dreams.
At 3 points in my life I looked down into the face of my newborn child.
Daily I look at my kids and my husband and thank God for the blessings He showers on me through them.
At several points in my life I have been able to share deeply with friends I love about things about which they care deeply.
Every day we all can look around us and count the ways our lives are light - even when it's a dark time.

I have loved ones and friends going through some really dark times right now.
I have loved ones and friends going through some really light times right now.
Together we join the world to create the tapestry that God calls Earth.
We should rejoice with those in the light times and give a hand to those in the dark times.
Look around you - how can you help someone in a dark time or rejoice with someone in a light time?
The choice is yours.

Does Anybody Hear Them?

Casting Crowns - Does Anybody Hear Her

What a song! I'd have to say that this is the powerful song in my life right now. What are we doing for those lost ones? The ones who need Christ the most are often the ones we turn up our noses at.

This goes along with the last post. WE need to be out there. We need to look at those in our community as Christ sees them, as we would look at our own children if they showed up looking like that.

In the video it showed a lady turn away from the girl when she looked messed-up for church. You know, I understand the concept of dressing for church. It is a sign of respect for God's house. It shows reverence to God. The problem I have with that comes twofold: where in the Bible did anyone command or even suggest that you dress for church? and: what does that say to the lost and destitute? Are we telling the world that you have to look the part to get into the God-Club? Many would tell you that's exactly how they feel.

John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Are we holding ourselves and others to a 'law' like those in the old testament who had to follow every dot and tiddle, or are we offering grace and truth? Grace to be where we are spiritually, to learn and grow as the Holy Spirit sees fit... And are we sharing the truth in love - when and where it's needed?

Churches today have a reputation for meeting newcomers at the door with a list of do's and do not's . We may not have a written list, but do we have an unwritten one in our attitudes, rituals, and activities?

Romans 15:16
...to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Are we living our lives so that the lost people around us want to learn more? Are we inviting? Are we exciting? Jesus got his disciples excited about what He had to offer.

1Thessalonians 1:4-6 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

If we live our lives to draw them in, they will want to be like us. They will learn and grow, in spite of whatever is going on in their lives.

What will you do today to reach out?

Holy Huddle

"...someone who did her bests to live within the holy huddle, who saw the world in black and white; as Christianized (sanitized), and non-Christianized (everything else)." p. 127, A Pagan's Nightmare


'"Shusheth thy mouth," Marvin cautioned. "Thou needest to listen. I speaketh on behalf of the United States of America. Thou hast been giveneth invites over the television, hints in our movies, clues in our newspapers and our fast-food restaurants; thou hast been reacheth out to in our songs and books, we've even lefteth dozens of pamphlets on your doorstop in order that thou could seeth things our way. And still thou declineth to join us?
Rethinking a fist fight, Lanny propped one foot on the bumper and crossed his arms. "Not only do we, um, refuseth to join you, we don't even know you. All we see is, well, do ya mind if I use a construction term here?"
Marvin frowned and motioned for Lanny to get on with it. "Thou shalt continueth."
Lanny paused to gather his blue-collar thoughts. "All we see is your vinyl siding, either that or your paint. You all seem satisfied to slather religious latex over everything that's broadcast, everything that's printed, and everything that's visiual. But who are you? I mean, even now you're urging us to join you while you hide behind your odd speech and your commando costume." p. 118-119, The Pagan's Nightmare by Ray Blackston

The longer you are a Christian, the worse it can get. You learn a 'vernacular' that makes it easy to be understood at church. It helps you sound professional when you pray. It helps you understand what others are saying. Listen-in to any conversation in any type of profession and you will hear that they all have their own vernacular - and so do Christians. When you are in church or with others who speak your language it helps you communicate.
But how often are Christians alone with other Christians where that vernacular is best used? The true answer is 'a lot'. That saddens me. Christians are followers of Christ. Even Christ didn't hang with the religious types. Growing up, he was taught by his church leaders, but when his ministry began, it wasn't in the temple (church).
Christ purposely sought after sinners. Christ went out into the countryside - AWAY from the holy huddle in Jerusalem - to speak the common language with the common people. He entered into places no 'clean Jew' would look at. He even went as far as to go to SAMARIA, AKA Heathen Central! Jesus sought out the lost. He went out to heal hurting hearts. He healed physical problems, fed those who were hungry, and once all of this happened, he talked to them about spiritual issues.
WWJD? - What Would Jesus Do? Would Jesus be in church on Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night? Maybe. Probably. (Jesus followed the Law.) But it wouldn't end there. In-between times he would be at the bars, the restaurants, the movie theaters, the ball games, and the neighbor's garage. He wouldn't participate in all activities - not if they weren't giving glory to God, but He would be there - out among the lost. Using their language - laughing at their jokes - Building a relationship.
Jesus was all about relationship. That's how he built his ministry. He sat down with the people he wished to reach. He got down on their level, spoke their language, and became a friend. That's the only reason anyone wanted to join up with Him and follow Him - He became a friend! Friends help one another. A friend likes you even when you are unlikable. A friend doesn't drop by for 20 minutes, pray and bolt. A friend asks the hard questions and doesn't run when the answers are uncomfortable.

So what is church for? Church is the place you choose to go to stop, slow down, refill and recharge spiritually as you are going about reaching out to the world. The church helps you 'do' you ministry - it isn't your ministry in itself. We do minister to one another at church, but that is not the extent of it - only the beginning of it!

We need to get outside of our 'holy huddle' that requires the right T-shirt, the right vernacular, and the right password to get in. Turn around and see all the people around you. They need a friend. A true friend who will be there even when you aren't. Spend some time getting to know them, feeding their bodies, finding help for their physical pains, then introduce them the Jesus - the best friend there is - a BFF in all meanings of the word!

Changing Fishbowls

Moving to a new church reminds me of an old Atari game I used to play called Maze Craze. My favorite was the one where the maze was invisible and you had to bump into everything to find your way through. New churches are like that. You show up, but nobody knows where any of the boundaries are. When does the pastor like to take his day off? Who does the bulletin? Who calls and leads which meetings and how do we know? It can even include questions like 'Am I supposed to go with that group or sit over here?' You just never know where the next turn will be, so you go along very cautiously and slowly, almost with your hands out in front of you, fearful that your next step will put you face-first into a wall.

These times never last very long in the larger scheme of things, but just like when you're under water as a kid, it always seems longer when you're in the middle of it. I'll be glad when I've moved through a chunk of this maze and have learned more about a section I can move through with confidence!