Tag: Christian writers

bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, Faith, Jesus Follower, Uncategorized

Always With Us

krisshetter 
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you 
are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
Isaiah 43:1-3

Around the holidays we inevitably start seeing helpful news stories on how to deal with our families at social gatherings. How to handle the uncle who drinks too much.  What topics not to bring up around your opposite political leaning parents.  And yet we still attend these family events.  Why? Because they are our family and we still love them.  It’s amazing what we will put up with when it comes to family.  

That idea of “blood being thicker than water” keeps us closely tethered to our loved ones.  It reminds me of those pre-school ropes with little fabric rings the children hold on to so they don’t wander off and get lost.  The teacher admonishes the children to grab hold of their ring tightly so the little family stays together.  And if Jimmy gets distracted and starts to head in a different direction, the group pulls him back in.

Now imagine God as our head of household.  He provided the roof over your head, the food for the feast and the gifts about to be received.  He created that uncle, your parents, and even that really weird cousin.  And He calls you His child.  He calls us to grab hold of our place on His family rope so we don’t get lost.

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, 
neither slave nor free, nor is there 
male and female, for you are all 
one in Christ Jesus. If you belong 
to Christ, then you are Abraham’s 
seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 3:28-29

We drink too much.  We gossip.  We steal.  We withhold forgiveness and mercy.  We look to the world for guidance.  We work so hard to let go of God’s tether and yet He sticks with us.  He still shows up.  He never leaves us.  We are his. He is Immanuel — God is with us.

I was reading a prayer by Charles Spurgeon called “The Presence of the Word.”  He describes God’s Holy Word as always being with us.  The divine teachings through the Bible are at our fingertips, on our mind and at the ready whenever we need Him.  

“Oh, let it (Your Word) be in us a living seed that will produce in us a life acceptable before God…..Lord, we ask that your Word may chasten us whenever we go astray.  May it enlighten us whenever for a moment we get into darkness.”

Charles Spurgeon

If we make the mistake that the Bible was written long ago and has little or no connection to our life, we have attempted to untethered ourselves from God.  He is always with us through His living Word.  The Bible is meant for us right now — to be His constant voice and sense of being part of His family.  

My son, keep your father’s command
and do not forsake your mother’s 
teaching.
Bind them always on your heart;
fasten them around your neck.
When you walk, they will guide you;
when you sleep, they will watch 
over you;
when you awake, they will speak 
to you.
For this command is a lamp,
this teaching is a light,
and correction and instruction
are the way to life.
Proverbs 6:20-23

When we keep the Word of God tethered to our heart and mind, He is sure to be always with us.  You might say, “I’m not good about memorizing scripture.”  But here’s a little secret: So much of our lives are already seeped in God’s Words and commandments.  We can all probably list a few of the 10 commandments right here and now.  And if we were to stick with those the rest of our lives and truly follow them, we’d be closely tethered through eternity.

But His Word has so much more wisdom and comfort available to us.  The first verse I truly memorized was:

Be still and know that I am God.
Proverbs 46:10

And it’s funny.  As soon as I decided to try and remember that verse it started popping up everywhere!  God was with me, guiding me, encouraging me to remember.  Like a parent cheering on a baby taking her first steps.

He promises to never leave us.  We were called to Him by name.  We are His.  And when we feel the pull of that blood to bring us back home, we need to show up — be the other half of the covenant.  Our family is not complete without you.

Therefore go and make disciples 
of all nations,baptizing them 
in the name of the Father and 
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 
and teaching them to obey everything 
I have commanded you. And surely I 
am with you always, to the very end 
of the age.
Matthew 28:19-20
bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, Faith, Uncategorized

Anchored In Joy

toddshetter 
And foreigners who bind themselves to 
the Lord to minister to him,to love the 
name of the Lord, and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath without 
desecrating it and who hold fast to 
my covenant—these I will bring to my 
holy mountain and give them joy in my 
house of prayer.
Isaiah 56:6-7

These months of Coronavirus lockdowns and limitations have led to varying degrees of modified social gathering, decreased family contact and less human contact than any time in my 55 years on this earth.  Certainly, the psychiatrists and social scientists will write about this period of time for decades to come. The scientific themes and research will revolve around isolation, depression, anxiety and the overall physical decline of those who were compromised and the most vulnerable to the novel coronavirus.

There is no question that decreased physical contact and changes in routines and habits can throw all of us off our game. So many have lost their solid hold on the anchor lines of routine, comfort and familiarity. But did our dependence on other people for our happiness and joy make us vulnerable in ways we never expected? 

Happiness or Joy?

During the last nine months, I’m confident in saying we all have experienced the side effects of these pseudo government-imposed quarantines, confinements and solitude from limited human contact. Not many of us think it has been good for us and others, the social animals amongst us, think it has been the work of the devil himself.

Personally, I have learned some very valuable and lifelong lessons from this pandemic imposed by the changes to our day-to-day lives. Most importantly, my joy is not dependent on those around me and what they bring to the game. My joy comes from within and from above.

Praise the Lord! For he has heard 
my cry for mercy. The Lord is my 
strength and shield. I trust him 
with all my heart. He helps me, 
and my heart is filled with joy.
Psalm 28:6-7 

While happiness is temporary and fleeting, joy is deep, sustainable and long-lived if based in the promise of God’s plan for lives. Happiness is equivalent to a thread that can bind items together but has little strength under pressure and strain. Joy is a thick, tightly-woven and multistrand rope created to anchor and restrain heavy items like a ship or a barge.  When joy is fixed in our soul and anchored to Jesus’s love for us the anguish, the discomfort, and the turmoil we feel during a pandemic doesn’t knock us down to our knees. 

Joy is my equalizer that levels the panic and threat level and brings everything back into focus. I am not dependent on other people for my joy and my peace. My anchor rope is fixed to my Father who has promised strength, protection, salvation and joy.

Until now you have asked for 
nothing in My name; ask and 
you will receive, so that 
your joy may be made full.
John 16:24
bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, Faith, Jesus Follower, Uncategorized

His Lifeline of Love

madisondooley36 
In a surge of anger I hid my 
face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,”
says the Lord your Redeemer.
“To me this is like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah 
would never again cover the earth.
So now I have sworn not to be angry 
with you,never to rebuke you again.
Though the mountains be shaken 
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will
not be shaken nor my covenant of 
peace be removed,” says the Lord, 
who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:10

I recently stumbled upon these verses while doing a study of Genesis. As you read above, verse nine discusses “the days of Noah” and recounts the covenant God made with Noah after the flood waters receded. Noah then built an altar in remembrance of all from which God had delivered him. In witnessing Noah’s obedience, God established a covenant of peace with Noah, promising him that never again would he wipe out all of mankind in anger (Gen. 8:20-22). 

When God called Noah to build the ark and spared his family from the worldwide destruction, God extended Noah a lifeline of love. Because he had compassion on Noah and truly loved mankind, God created a way out of death by giving Noah clear guidance for surviving the flood.

God showed Noah that while yes, sin had entered the world and man was disobedient, that He still loved His creation. We often get caught up on God’s wrath by sending the flood in the first place. Mass destruction and death seems a bit harsh. But if God was so harsh, then why did he save Noah? He could’ve wiped out all of mankind on Earth and started over, but His steadfast love for Noah and his offspring prevailed. God showed Noah that no matter how bad things got on Earth, His lifeline of love would always be there for those who trust in Him with complete obedience. 

That lifeline shown to Noah, is Jesus. When the Lord states, in Isaiah 54:10, that his steadfast love shall not depart from you – He is talking about His son Jesus. You see, from Noah until now, we as believers all still hold on to the same lifeline that Noah, Abraham, Moses and David held onto.

The covenant God established with all those men was the covenant of His Son. The promise that one day, there would be complete restoration of all sinners who call on His name and that those holding on to the lifeline of His steadfast love, would all be brought into the glories of heaven. 

Though 2020 has seemed like a worldwide disaster – think again. There will be the day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord because of the power of God they see all around them. God’s steadfast love for us believers never expires. We have the eternal hope of God’s love forever – into eternity. 

This is love: not that we loved God, 
but that he loved us and sent his 
Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1 John 4:10

Until then, we hold fast to His lifeline of love. Hold fast to the God that established His covenant with ordinary people like Noah and Abraham and you and me. Through His son Jesus Christ, he once again established his eternal love with us – until the day we see him again. 

God’s love is abundant to those who trust in Him. He cares for us and loves us as His children – are you resting in that truth today?  Have you accepted your side of the covenant?

Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
    and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
    nations in exchange for your life.
Isaiah 43:4
bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, Faith, Jesus Follower, Uncategorized

Justice Will Be Done

krisshetter 
Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
    and those in her who repent, by 
righteousness.
But rebels and sinners shall be broken 
together,
    and those who forsake the Lord shall 
be consumed.
Isaiah 1:27-28

My husband and I love vacationing in Kauai.  Our favorite activity is exploring hidden beaches.  When people think of Hawaii, they might picture long sandy beaches lined with palm trees that butt up against beautiful resorts.  But in Kauai there’s very few beaches like that.  In fact, part of the adventure is just finding the hidden turnoff from the highway that will take you to the trailhead down to the beach.  Many of the beaches sit far below the volcanic cliffs of Kauai.  Once you park you then need to search for a tiny indication you have found the trailhead.  And then the adventure really starts.

On one such adventure I was laden down with my beach chair on my back and our small cooler.  The narrow, dirt trail hugged the cliff.  And someone had secured a weathered rope in the most precarious places.  I kept my eyes down, for the most part, keeping watch for pesky roots and vines that would trip me up.  I kept hold of the safety rope, until I didn’t.  In a flash I found myself hanging off the side of the cliff – held up from sure death by my beach chair which had snagged on a few branches.  I had taken my eyes of the sure path laid out in front of me – distracted by the spectacular scenery.

The view from atop the cliff

I was like a helpless turtle on my back with waves crashing on the deadly rocks below.  I yelled to my husband, who was a few feet ahead of me.  He scrambled to me and with a lot of pulling, untangling and the blessing of God I was rescued.

God’s promised justice, mentioned more than 40 times in the book of Isaiah, requires us to do what I had failed to do on that hike – to keep my eyes fixed on the savior with a firm grip on Him.  But thank God He also gives us mercy when we fail. 

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show 
you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
    Blessed are all who wait for him!
Isaiah 30:18

You notice that both these verses require that agreement, the covenant?  Those who repent will receive a positive justice outcome.  Those who wait for Him will be blessed with compassion.  When I finally made my way safely back onto the path that day, I thanked God for saving me.  And I promised God that I would be more careful.  I would hold on tightly to the safety rope as the path narrowed and I’d be watchful of tripping hazards.

The book of Isaiah starts almost like a trial.  It describes in detail the failings of the Israelites.  The supposed believers had taken their eyes off God and were living outside His covenant.  They sat accused of murder, robbery, idolatry, and corruption.  They attended temple and brought their sacrifices, all the while leading hypocritical lives.  And so, they were warned of punishment, of judgement. 

One only needs to turn on the news for a few minutes to see the moral corruption throughout the current world.  Thankfully, God has built a safety rope for us.  Not with which to hang ourselves, but rather to grasp hold of and pull us back onto the path.

I was certainly humbled on that cliff in Kauai.  I got a bit cocky with thinking I knew the path well enough to not pay full attention.  God decided He still had some work for me to do. 

But what about those “evil doers?”  When is God’s justice raining down on them?  He promises they will be consumed by His justice.  When we keep our focus squarely and firmly on God, we can have faith that on God’s time, justice will be done.  And, we can thank Him each and every time we fail Him yet are not judged.

I saw heaven standing open and 
there before me was a white horse, 
whose rider is called Faithful 
and True. With justice he 
judges and wages war.
Revelation 19:1

God is waging a war against evil we cannot see.  His justice is at work right now.  And the final judgement is coming.  I heard a well-known evangelist once make the statement: “Imagine the looks on the people’s faces when Jesus comes back – and He is coming back.  All the people that tried to eliminate Jesus from the world about to face justice.”

None of us deserve to be free from God’s promised justice and judgement.  His mercy and love provide that rope for us to grasp when we pray for forgiveness — when we fall down on our knees and say to Him, “Have mercy on me, exalted One!”

bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, Faith, Jesus Follower, Uncategorized

The Promise of Wisdom

krisshetter 
Then the eyes of those who see will 
no longer be closed, and the ears 
of those who hear will listen.
The fearful heart will know and 
understand,and the stammering 
tongue will be fluent and clear.
Isaiah 32:3-4

When I started going to church regularly about 20 years ago, I thought for sure I was the least knowledgeable christian in the sanctuary.  I knew, for certain, that all the hundreds of other church members in attendance certainly knew the Bible inside and out and they had zero questions about what the pastor was saying.  That also meant that there was no way I was going to share my faith with anyone.  I wasn’t even sure what my faith really was all about.  And people might ask me questions.  

This fearful possibility reminds me of that show “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire.”  When a contestant was unsure or downright stymied by a question, they could use a lifeline.  My favorite was to “Call A Friend.”  I always wondered what my reaction would be if I was the friend that got called.  I mean, you could be asked any random question and your friend’s chance at a million dollars could be on the line!

If only there were an encyclopedia-type book that was like that lifeline and it gave us answers about God.  You know, a book that would help us gain wisdom about God’s character and His promises.  A sort of history of how God has worked throughout the ages.  If there were such a book then I bet all christians would memorize it from end to end.  Their eyes would be opened to the majesty of God’s authority.  Their hearts would know how He wants the best for us and we would stop being fearful.  We would gain wisdom to be able to fluently and clearly share the Good News about salvation and eternity.  And, of course, we know such a helpful book exists – the Bible.

I have a christian friend who believes the Bible is just “some book written by men.”  And yet we could say the same about our very own selves.  We are in fact created by a man and a woman coming together and creating us.  But that doesn’t negate God’s Holy hand in our creation.  To dismiss the Bible as having been divinely commissioned is truly to dismiss God’s hand in all of creation.  And yes, we can nitpick over the specifics of a word – be it the Greek translation or the Hebrew – but even when we do that we are led to even greater understanding of the Almighty.  He promises that if we take the time to get to know Him, he will bless us tenfold. Ah, there’s that covenant, that agreement.

I spent the first 15 years of my christian life barely cracking open this amazing lifeline to the promises and wisdom of God.  It started when the church I was attending began encouraging us to pick up the pew Bible and start taking notes in it.  Oh, the heresy!  It’s funny now to think how uncomfortable so many people felt taking this action.  

This year, my BSGs have made it a point to select Bible studies which require us to do just that —  actually study the Bible.  We’ve done studies which focused on one chapter in one book (Proverb 31).  We’ve studied 1 & 2 Kings and discovered how much of the land around Jerusalem is still the same today.  And we’ve spent time in studies which take us on a broad spectrum of verses about what God wants from us as believers.  We’ve gnawed and chewed and scribbled in and soaked up our Bibles like never before.  We’ve grabbed a hold of our chance at a priceless prize – the knowledge of God and His unfailing love for us.

The Bible is an amazing, almost magical creation.  It seems to change each time I read it.  I believe when we grasp a Bible lesson, God, like the game show host, brings us up a notch and presents us with more chances to gain wisdom.  We get deeper as we learn not just about the basic words but how the people of that time lived, how the politics of the time were playing out, and the values they held dear.  We get insight when we see the more than 4,000 connections between the Old and New Testaments.

The people of the Bible were at a disadvantage.  We get to see the beginning, middle and end of the entire story.  But so often when the possibility of sharing His Word arises, we look like that contestant who’s been asked about nuclear physics.  

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now 
what I am doing, but later you 
will understand.”
John 13:7

Today is later.  That book on the shelf is God’s promise of wisdom for us.  One of the other lifelines on “Who Wants to be A Millionaire” is called “ask the expert.”  And while it’s good to have christian friends that can be a resource isn’t it nice to know we have an expert waiting to speak to us day and night through His Holy Word?  That sounds like a winning strategy to me.

bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, Faith, Jesus Follower, Uncategorized

The Smoothest Path

krisshetter 
A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up,
    every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
    the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 40:3-5

A few years ago, I came home on my birthday and opened my garage door to a beautiful, new, baby blue Vespa scooter.  On it sat a giant bow.  I was so excited I jumped out of my car and proceeded to run toward the scooter.  I suddenly realized, however, I had yet to put my car in park and turn it off.  So as my car inched toward disaster I jumped back in, turned it off and started laughing.  Once the excitement wore off, I realized I now was faced with a task I had long put off – getting my motorcycle license.

Since I was 15, I had wanted to ride motorcycles but my mom was fearful I’d kill myself.  So here I was, 53 years old, and finally doing it.  After successfully attaining that goal, my husband and I made a new one.  We decided to do a long ride with the local Vespa Club out to Palm Springs, California.  Taking the non-freeway route made it a 113-mile ride over a minimum of three hours.  And as the ride went along, I held my own.  Just before you drop from the mountains into the desert floor of Palm Springs, you’ll find a motorcyclist’s dream road.  On a map it looks like a mess of squiggles.  In reality it’s seven steep and sharp curves.  Having ridden with the group for more than two hours I recognized the most experienced and safest riders.  I picked one and decided to follow his line down the hill.

In motorcycle terms “following the line” means keeping an eye on the leader to see the smoothest, quickest and safest path along curvy roads.   A few years later on a Vespa trip through the Alps, following our guide’s line was crucial as he was the most experienced rider of our group.  And I certainly didn’t want to find myself riding off the edge of a cliff or smacking into a giant tour bus!  

That’s me waving! As we ride through Austria!

It’s amazing the people, some of whom we barely know, that we are willing to put our trust in. Yet with God, who has been with us from the beginning, we seem to struggle in following His line.  He promises to make our way straight.  He will make our ground level.  Yet, we are the ones that decide to take a path all on our own. 

We know better.  Or worse, we just don’t think He knows what we really need.  My youngest daughter was famous for going against my directives.  I once found her, at 2 years old, standing up on the kitchen counter attempting to get a glass down from an even higher shelf.  She had asked me for some juice and I had said, “no.”  I turned my back for a minute.  You see, she would explain to me, I just didn’t understand why she needed x,y or z.  If I had only just understood her need better I would’ve apparently said “yes.”  So, to her, that justified her standing up on the kitchen counter that day.

How many times a day do we do that to God?  How many times a day do we tell God what He needs to do for us?  Or how many times do we just think, “if only He really understood what I need.”? 

Whoever has my commands and keeps 
them is the one who loves me. The 
one who loves me will be loved by 
my Father, and I too will love them 
and show myself to them.”
John 14:21

How many times have we thought our kids or friends or spouse or employees don’t respect us because they refuse to take the path you’ve laid out for them?  You’ve tried sparing them from hardship and yet they still don’t listen.  Now think how God must feel.  

We are asked, entreated, implored by God via His prophets throughout the Bible to trust Him and follow His line.  He knows the best, quickest, and safest path for us.  The book of James has so many wise words about His path. It happens to be one of my favorite books of the Bible.  Why?  Because I like lessons to be clear.  And James also makes it clear that when we learn what that path is, we need to hold steady to it.

But when you ask, you must believe 
and not doubt, because the one who 
doubts is like a wave of the sea, 
blown and tossed by the wind.
James 1:6

I’m thankful for that Vespa rider, whose name I don’t remember and I may never meet again, for leading me down that treacherous road into the desert.  But I’m most thankful to Jesus, whose name I hold in my heart and on my lips, for leading me out of my desert and into a bright and beautiful path.

bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, Faith, Jesus Follower, Uncategorized

His Promised Freedom

krisshetter 
“I, the Lord, have called you in 
righteousness;
    I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people
    and a light for the Gentiles,
 to open eyes that are blind,
    to free captives from prison
    and to release from the dungeon 
those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 42:6-7

In the United States, during particularly heated political disagreements, you’ll hear a lot about an issue’s “constitutionality.”   The United States Constitution is our country’s guardrails.  It’s our safety net and our guiding path for laws.  To many, it was a divinely created document.  The wisdom and foresight our founding fathers had when creating it was nothing short of amazing.  

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Preamble, United States Constitution

The precursor to the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, was a bold statement by many of the same people.  For some, it was like signing their own death warrant.  But the goal of both was not to create a new kingdom where one man would rule the peasants.  No, it was to place God firmly as the head and the people to organize and live in His ways.  Lest anyone try to convince you different, a visit to the highest court in the United States – the Supreme Court – will show images of Moses and the Ten Commandments in both sculpture and engraving form.  Enshrined on the bronze doors of the Chief Justice of the court you will find these same images.  

And although the Ten Commandments and the US Constitution have the commonality of “do not” in their directives, so much of what they are purposed to do is about freedom.  The Constitution, unlike many world government founding documents, is about limiting what the government can do to its citizens – giving a wide berth to freedom.  And the basis is that our freedoms are given by God and God alone.  

Likewise, God’s plan and promise for us is about freedom.  When we accept Him as our safety net, our guiding path, He removes not just the past sin, but puts us on the path to removing the future desire to sin.  He takes the alcoholic and the drug addict and the sexually immoral out of their old ways and leads them to freedom.  He opens our eyes to His love and compels us to live in our new selves by loving others as Christ loves us.  He removes the fears and anxieties that imprison us by giving us eternal life.  

I lived a lot of my life as a “woulda,” “coulda,” shoulda,” person.  It was a prison of my own making.  And the world was happy to hold the key.  I never felt good enough or kind enough or smart enough.  I looked out of my prison bars at people that seemed happy and fulfilled.  I allowed competitiveness and outrage and hurt and worldly desires take control of my heart, mind and soul.  I sat in the darkness of the dungeon.

By all accounts I looked to have a perfect life.  A very busy and active life.  But I prayed constantly for joy and peace and lightness of spirit.  Yes, you got that right – I was a believer and still felt this way.  And one day I realized I believed but I didn’t follow.  You see, we can believe in all kinds of things but then not pay much attention to them.   There are many people in the United States that understand the laws and Constitution but choose not to follow what it says.  That leads to tumult and strife.  I believed in God but I didn’t believe God. I read the Bible but didn’t put my full faith and trust in its directives and lessons.

Therefore, if the Son makes you free, 
you shall be free indeed.
John 8:36

The day I decided to grab hold of God’s safety net was the day He smiled at me and said, “Finally.”  It set me firmly on His path to removing the old me and old lies and refocusing my sights on what God wants from me. It was freeing.  My eyes are truly open and my prison bars have melted away. I have chosen not to dance around the hard lessons of the Bible, His Word. And in doing so I have found my life so much simpler. 

For those who are led by the 
Spirit of God are the children 
of God. The Spirit you received 
does not make you slaves, so that 
you live in fear again; rather, 
the Spirit you received brought 
about your adoption to sonship.
Romans 8:14-15

We are so good at disobedience — since the beginning of time. And we don’t like people to tell us what to do. And for many, following God is seen as taking away freedoms. It’s true, we aren’t to engage in any number of sinful behaviors. But time and time again society proves that so much of that behavior creates bondage rather than freedom.

When we follow the laws of our communities, we find ourselves in safer and calmer environments.  When we follow and believe God, He opens our eyes and unlocks our prison doors.  He promises a life of joy, a love greater than we can ever know, and eternal salvation.

bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, Faith, Jesus Follower, Uncategorized

A Rescue From Fear

toddshetter

Do Not Fear

Easier said than done, right? If you have never been fear stricken with a perilous drive through a blizzard or holding a sick child with a fever of 104 or coming to the end of a bad week at work convinced that it will surely end with your firing, then you have not stepped foot in the world.

If you have never been afraid, terrified and red-face flushed with flop sweat because your mind has created a horrible, painful and untimely demise for you. Then you are a liar.

For those brave souls who attempt to climb Mt. Everest, they follow a well established route which has a safety line for most of the ascent. The climbers clip in and follow that line in order to keep clear of dangerous ravines and precipices. Without being connected to this line they can soon find themselves alone on a snow covered abyss. And the fear most certainly would set in.

Our human minds quickly and efficiently calculate all of the potential outcomes for every tense and treacherous situation and quickly arrive at the worst-case scenario. “That’s it, I’m doomed, it’s all over! I’m broke, everybody hates me! I’ll probably be dead soon”–yaddah, yaddah, yaddah. We’ve all done it. But we don’t have to. There is a safety line, a fail-safe connection if we can stay connected- -Jesus.

When Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem, there was an immediate pronouncement, a declaration and a promise made to all of us who believe. It was an angel, an Angel of the Lord proclaiming to the lowly shepherds. Things were about to change.

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good 
tidings of great joy, which shall be to 
all people. For unto you is born this 
day in the city of David a Saviour, 
which is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:10-11 

From that first day of Jesus’ birth, through the Old Testament, New Testament and continuing today and beyond, the promises of God were announced, proclaimed and delivered. The book of Isaiah is full of powerful safety lines of, “Do Not Fear.” Eight different times the author accounts the promises of God. My favorite is this passage:

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

When I’m in one of those battles of runaway mind scenarios, creating a vicious downward cycle of worst-cases, that verse snaps me out of it and locks me back into the lifeline of hope and promise. 

Do Not Fear

I Am With You

I Am Your God

I Will Strengthen You

I Will Help You

I Will Uphold You

Done. I’m Good! Back on solid footing, clipped in to God’s safety line.

Let’s call it what it is. Fear is lack of faith. An absence of belief that God will come through for us. So we let go and attempt to create our own route up our mountains. Fear consumes, but Jesus revives and replenishes. And we need to grasp firmly a hold of that promise.

Fear can be that fence that you are told not to cross. It’s there for a reason, it’s a barrier, a boundary. Separation between protection and the unknown. Which can be good, right? Nothing wrong with a little healthy fear to keep you on your toes.  But when it consumes and sucks all of the life and oxygen out of it you, then it turns to evil really quick.

The answer to that careful balance is love. God’s love for us can be found in every situation. Good times, bad times, dark times and light-filled days of joy and peace. A safety harness that’s always there. All we need to do is clip in and buckle in place.

On the day of the birth of Jesus, the angel’s announcement, that proclamation to the sheepherders, was the promise we needed. The promise of salvation delivered to earth to keep the fear in check and prepare us for a life of abundance. Isn’t that much better than a life filled with our worst fears and imaginations?

There is no fear in love. 
But perfect love drives out fear, 
because fear has to with punishment. 
The one who fears is not made 
perfect in love.
1 John 4:18

Fear not. Grab hold of His safety line, because Jesus was born to bring salvation, peace and love to every one of us.

bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, Faith, Jesus Follower, Uncategorized

The Addition of Peace

krisshetter 
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
    from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
    from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.
Isaiah 25:8

As I write this, we are only a few weeks away from Christmas.  Around this time, we frequently see the phrase, “Peace on Earth!”  But like so many popularized snippets in the Bible the meaning can be confused when interpreted from a worldly point of view.  “Peace” so often means a lack of something – strife, war, noise, chaos.  But in God’s universe, it is an addition of something.

The misconstrued meaning of God’s peace

Having grown up in San Diego I had the fortunate experience of learning to sail.  As a Girl Scout, I started out in small, one-man sabots.  Eventually, I became skilled at sailing catamarans and larger sloops.  I’ve even been a crew member on an old sailing ship which sailed the 31 miles from Long Beach Harbor across the ocean to Santa Catalina Island.  What an amazing trip!  On many of those sailboats you’ll find what’s called a set of lifelines.  They run from stem to stern along the edge of the boat.  Its purpose? To be used as a last chance handhold before plunging into the water.

That’s how I see God’s peace brought into our world and more specifically my life. Peace, as brought about by the coming of Jesus, is not the lack of something, it’s the addition of our new lifeline. God promises throughout the Old Testament that He will send His messenger to wipe way our tears and to bring us salvation. And when Jesus arrived, so many people misunderstood His purpose. It was not to become an earthly king and conquer all our physical adversaries. He came to teach us that His ways are higher and His love for us so great. You see God doesn’t always want to change our circumstances, but He always seeks to change us. When we study how Jesus handled strife and chaos and follow in His ways we live in peace.

Peace I leave with you; 
my peace I give you. 
I do not give to you as 
the world gives. Do not 
let your hearts be troubled 
and do not be afraid.
John 14:27

This bringing of His Peace – the incarnation of Jesus – was more clearly defined for me this year.  About 11 months ago, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with uterine cancer.  I love my mother-in-law as my own mom.  She has taught me so much about Jesus and His ways.  She has shown me grace when I didn’t deserve it.  She has provided a warm and loving place for me to land when life has been too much.  I had been praying fervently for a more positive diagnosis.  

So that day, I went for a long walk through our nearby, secluded canyons and yelled out loud at God.  Yes, I yelled at the Almighty.  I pleaded with Him to not take her from me yet.  My heart, mind and soul were the opposite of peace.  And like the boat lifeline, He suddenly placed Himself between me and going off the deep end.  His Holy Spirit stood square in front of me and reminded me that death is not the end.  He showed me that when the day comes for my beloved mother-in-law to leave this world it would be a joyous one for her.  You see, she would be reunited with her own mother.  He showed me a picture of the two of them playing their favorite card games, teasing each other, and laughing their heads off.  And it made me smile.  It filled me with joy.  

I had accepted God’s peace.  There’s the covenant agreement.  He sent His Peace On Earth in the form of His Son.  And I accepted it.  I frequently try giving it back, but less and less as I place my trust more firmly in Him.

This year of 2020 had been very difficult for many.  As a Christian I have grasped a hold of God’s lifeline so often to stay in His peace.  It’s important for us to remember that God wants us to live in today, not yesterday or tomorrow.  So, when we dream blissfully about how much better 2021 “just has to be,” we make the mistake of missing out on how good God can be for us right now.  We miss out on the opportunity to live in His peace.

There has never been a year in the history of the world, after Eden, where there was not disease, strife, war, death and pain.  And 2021 will be no different.  But God’s promised peace is our lifeline.  It will guard our hearts and minds.  No matter the dark seas on either side, we can rest in the knowledge of His love and our eternal salvation.

bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, Faith, Jesus Follower, Uncategorized

Grip The Promised Path

krisshetter 
And a highway will be there;
    it will be called the Way of Holiness;
    it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
    wicked fools will not go about on it.
No lion will be there,
    nor any ravenous beast;
    they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
and those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
    everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah 35:8-10

For many years my favorite vacation was to travel to San Francisco and hitch rides on the cable cars.  I can still remember the smell they make when the cable operator would grip the underground cable and off we’d go!  We would hop on and off at various famous stops and drink in the beautiful vistas of the bay.  But did you know that unlike its counterparts, the trolleys, cable cars don’t have motors? 

The San Francisco cable car system is made up of miles and miles of undergound cables which all intersect at the large cable car powerhouse.  There you will find giant wheels operating the cables.  Each cable car has a grip which clamps down on the moving cable.  It’s the cable itself which moves each car.  When a cable car needs to stop it releases the cable and applies its wheel brakes.  Without the constantly moving cable, the cars are motionless.  

I’m fascinated with how so many everyday activities in our lives reflect our relationship with God and His Holy promises.  Without Him operating without ceasing, keeping our lives safely along His chosen path for us, we can so easily find ourselves stuck, a cable car without power.  

A good friend of mine and I were out walking one day and we were discussing how easy it is to lose our grip of God’s promises.  We get so distracted by the fears, anxieties and paths the world puts on us.  The things we “should do” because the world expects it from us.  But lately I’ve decided I need to be like the cable car operator – pulling back on that long lever and gripping the life-giving cable of God.  And gripping it tightly.  

As so many people know San Francisco is also famous for it’s steep hills.  And the cable car operators find many challenges in navigating those hills.  They need to know exactly when to grip at the right amount in order to make it up the hill or else they must release the cable and slide backwards to try it again.  And on the downward slope they need to apply the right pressure on the cable while using their wheel brakes.  Each operator must become an expert, not only about the cable car operation, but the individual pitfalls of each hill.

And like those operators, as Christians, we need to be as well versed on the character and promises of God.  He promises to lay out a clear path for us.  We need to place our full effort and attention on Him and that path.  His path doesn’t remove us from the dangers of the hills and valleys, rather He helps us to weave our way up and around and down them. 

I have given them Your word; 
and the world has hated them 
because they are not of the world, 
just as I am not of the world. 
I do not pray that You should take 
them out of the world, but that 
You should keep them from the 
evil one. 
They are not of the world, 
just as I am not of the world.
John 17:14-16

When we wrestle with God, at best, or at our worst completely ignore Him, we will find ourselves stuck at the bottom of our great hills.  Or, plunging recklessly toward the bottom.  The “highway is there” for us.  It is the way of His righteousness.  

A cable car operator who cannot successfully operate his car, and therefore protect his or her passengers, no longer has the privilege of that esteemed and famous job.  And when we refuse to pay attention to the promised path which God provides for us and grip a hold of it, we miss out on the joy and gladness.  The covenant of a promised path requires us to study His Word and hold fast to it.  

Cable car cable grip

In reading up about cable cars also discovered that all the miles of cable have a “sacrificial lubricant” that allows the grip to not wear down the cable itself.  The lubricant wears away similar to a pencil eraser wearing down, rather than the paper it’s being used on.  It’s that burning lubricant that gives the San Francisco cable cars it’s unique and memorable smell.  

Jesus is our “sacrificial lubricant.”  He ripped the curtain away and opened up our direct communication with God.  He sent the Holy Spirit to walk with us at every moment.  His teachings, when gripped, help us to live on the promised path set out for us.