Tag: holy spirit

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The Unchanging God in a Changing World

krisshetter

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob are not consumed.” Malachi 3:6

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

A few years ago, my Bible Study Girls were asked to create a faith growth chart.  We were to mark where we thought our faith was at say 5-10 years ago and then where it was at the time of the study.  As we shared our charts it was great to see that all of us felt we had grown in our faith lives.  We also all showed times where we plateaued.  As Christians, we call this being sanctified by God.  We were justified with God when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior.  We are currently being sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  And one day we will be glorified when we see Christ again.  That’s Christian growth.

Our lives, believers or not, are filled with changes.  Changes in our bodies, beliefs, relationships, financial situations and more.  We are reflections of all of God’s creations – we are born, we live and one day we die.  Returned to the dust.  In this way we are wholly divergent from our Creator.  A Creator who is immutable, never changing.

“Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.”  Psalm 102:25-27

Progressive Teaching vs Biblical Teaching

Liberal thinking, in politics, religion and society, is that everything changes.  Everything grows above and beyond yesteryear.  That thinking gives us “progressivism.”  Liberal pastors and bible teachers believe the Bible is a dusty book with old fashioned rules and ways of living.  They pick and choose what us “modern believers” should follow as we become more advanced.  But in holding to that interpretation they also have to believe that God is ever changing.  Which the Bible makes clear He is not.

God doesn’t change His mind.  Why?  Because He is omnipotent and therefore already had all the information needed to form His thoughts.  God doesn’t seek to improve because that implies He wasn’t perfect to begin with.  God doesn’t have a growth chart – He is beyond time.

“The grass withers, the flower fades: but the word of our God shall stand forever.” Isaiah 40:10

So while King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3 accurately shows there’s a season for everything — life and death, joy and sadness, and a time to be born and a time to die — God does not exist by those constraints.  And for that we should be eternally grateful.

A Steady Hand

For much of my life I was waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop.  In other words, when things were good, I just knew they’d take a turn for the worse.  Unfortunately, when things were bad I just figured they’d also get worse.  As my faith chart has soared, I can rest in the truths of God’s Word.  He has a plan for us for all eternity, and it is good.  He won’t pull a rug out from under me.  He is the Rock I can count on.  His truth is something to which we can hold fast.  Let’s remember the words written about 3,000 years ago: “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Ps 100:5)

We look around us and can believe things seem so much worse than “before.”  We look in the mirror and see new lines and wrinkles.  The seasons outside our windows come and go.  Instead of despair we can look to the immutable God and see a steady hand guiding us to something better.  A hope that we should pray all those whom we love would have.  We build our life on His steady hill so as storms come and go, we are not rocked or defeated.

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5

Friends, His Word is true, good and never changing.  While culture may have been different in biblical times, man’s propensity to sin carries on for thousands upon thousands of years.  There’s scripture that says something like, nothing has happened to you that hasn’t happened already to someone else.  It’s good to remember that because then we can look to God and see just how He has always wanted the situation resolved.  The answers were carved in stone, then papyrus, then on a printing press, and now in our hearts.  The same words of the Old Testament were read by Jesus.  And His words by believers almost 2,000 years ago.

We don’t need a “new word” or a shiny new god.  We need to rest in and believe the everlasting, unchanging God who rules the world with wisdom, grace and justice.

Everlasting (Psalm 90) by Sovereign Grace Music

O God, before the mountains were brought forth
Or days of spring and summer filled the earth
From everlasting, You are God

We dwell beneath the stars in ancient skies
A thousand years are nothing in Your sight
From everlasting, You are God

And all our days are held within Your hands
Your perfect love and favor have no end
We rest within the wisdom of Your plan
Everlasting God

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A wooden cross before a mountain sunrise with the text God's Holiness.
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Be Holy Because I Am Holy

krisshetter

“There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.” 1 Samuel 2:2

“For it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”  1 Peter 1:16

According to a recent New York Times article, people are joining the Roman Catholic Church in surprising numbers. This Easter, the Archdiocese of Detroit received 1,428 new Catholics into the church, its highest number in 21 years. Similar numbers can be seen in other archdiocese across America.  But it’s not just Catholics seeing this surge among young people, especially young men.  Conservative branches of all Christianity across many countries find their numbers swelling after years of loss.

While I can’t see myself ever becoming a Catholic, I understand the draw.  I love visiting grand churches.  On our recent visit to Santa Fe, New Mexico we popped into the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis Assisi.  A beautiful and stately church founded in 1714, it was dedicated in 1887.  It contains all the elements of grandeur – stained glass, colorful mosaics, glittering gold sacrament pieces, hand painted wood beams and more.  Every cathedral I have visited left me with the intended emotion – a sense of God’s splendor and holiness.  The rituals, liturgy and historicity of the Catholic church all envelope you in something other-worldly.  A stark contrast to my reformed Presbyterian church which, while nicely constructed, lacks that same grandeur.

I believe that’s why so many young men are turning to this more structured religion.  That sense of holiness of God and His awesome power and might are more easily grasped in such a setting.  While at my church I can forget reverence and holiness until the service begins to unfold.  My church is “just a building.”  But it’s a building where we come to honor, learn about and serve our Holy God.

A Holy God Sanctifies

“Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.”  Leviticus 19:2

When God spoke these words to Moses, He had already spent several chapters of Leviticus instructing the Israelites on how to remain set apart from the ungodly world.  From defining pure and impure sexual relations to bathing during a woman’s period and how to make sacrifices for sin, God was setting them on a path to holiness or sanctification.  He defined Himself as Jehovah-mekoddishkem, the God who sanctifies.  Following this statement in Leviticus 19:2 began the famous list of commandments Christians know so well today.  But why?

Have you ever been in the presence of someone you really admire or someone famous?  Many of us in those situations begin to compare our worthiness to them.  We stand there in awe and wonder, having a desire to be just like them.  Now transfer that to standing before God – the creator of all things seen and unseen.  He commanded Moses to remove his sandals when approached on the mountain.  Moses wasn’t allowed to see God lest he die from the magnitude of God’s glory.  

Yet God, as I’ve written previously, constantly seeks us.  Constantly draws near to us in relationship.  But we are not worthy to have our sandals stand on His same ground.  So, He sent His only Son to complete the first cleansing step.  A sacrifice for our sins and a covering of righteousness only accomplished by the blood of Jesus.  We can stand in God’s presence with our hands wrapped in Jesus’ who intercedes for us, lest we are overcome by God’s holiness.

Then, through our obedience and love for God, His Holy Spirit lives in us; transforming us, sanctifying us through His “rules” which set us apart from the world.  Sets us closer to Him.

Aligned With Our Perfect God

“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God;and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.  The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

Friend, God is perfect.  Jesus is our holy, high priest who stands for us before our blindingly awesome and glorious God.  Our faith is not a set of rules or rituals to follow.  It’s a desire to be close to our holy God.  It’s our chance at bringing us in alignment, and therefore giving us eternal peace and rest, with the only God who loves us and blesses us richly.

Each day we should seek holiness.  Through our words, actions and thoughts the Holy Spirit prunes our dead pieces of the old self and encourages new blooms.  I, for one, want to be one of those saints singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD God,” when Jesus returns.  To see His holiness in all its majesty and glory.  I don’t need stained glass to seek that — only Jesus.

“There should be as much difference between the worldling and the Christian, as between hell and heaven, between destruction and eternal life.” Charles Spurgeon

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The Generosity of God

krisshetter

“You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” – Psalm 145:16

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” – 2 Corinthians 9:8

In the “Finding Nemo” movie, the seagulls were given an easy line to recall: “Mine! Mine! Mine!”  If you’ve ever sat with your lunch at the beach, you’ll see this scene come to life.  A seagull will beat out even small children for that half-eaten sandwich you left uncovered.  

I’m reminded of that scene when I hear someone fixate on what others have instead of trusting God’s provision.  A desire for what someone else has earned is scarcity thinking, folks.  A thinking that sets us far apart from God’s world.

From the very beginning God gave humans everything we could ever need.  He created us and therefore knew what would bring us nourishment, joy and rest.  Even as the Israelites wandered in the desert He was generous with food to sustain them.  When they needed water, He made rocks overflow with fresh clean water.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19

Our generous God sees it before we need it.  Now when I say that, your mind might jump to that new dress, fancy car, dashing young man (or woman).  While He may provide those to you, His generosity has more depth than fleshly desires.  

The Bible reminds us to ask with His will in mind, not ours. I didn’t always understand this kind of generosity until God confronted me with my own misplaced hopes.  I once believed that moving to a lake house would solve my anxiety and health struggles. When financial hardship struck instead, God revealed that my dream had become an idol. In letting go, I began to see His generosity more clearly: a stronger marriage, deeper prayer life, richer friendships, and unexpected peace.

That financial situation drew my husband and I closer together.  My husband began leading us in prayer nightly.  My Bible study time deepened.  Friendships grew fonder.  And peace came from a whole different place than I’d imagined.  God generously provided what I truly needed.

God’s Gifts vs The World’s

When we define God’s blessing based on worldly wants, He comes across as stingy.  The God of the Bible is much bigger and more generous than we can imagine.  We are chastised for not having because we don’t even think to ask.  Peace in our relationships, joyfulness, forgiveness towards others, a sense of purpose – those are some of the higher gifts He pours over our hearts and minds.  Gifts He then wants us to turn over to others in generosity.

Yes, He has also blessed me with a wonderful home, food to eat, finances that allow me to travel and more.  But those things are blessing far beyond what we all really need.  The ultimate gift He has so generously gifted is His Son, Jesus Christ.  His blood was shed in forgiveness of our sins so we may have an eternal relationship with the God of the universe.  A gift we could never earn through our performance.  A gift He hands to us with great sacrifice and without us lifting a finger.

He gives each day our daily bread which nourishes our souls.  When I’m feeling disconnected from the Holy Spirit, I remind myself to list the generous ways He has showered me and my family.

Friend, God is not stingy.  He is generous.  Generous with His love and forgiveness.  Generous with His blessings and provision.  Come to Him and ask.  And when you ask, ask with the right motives as James guides us.  Ask for the small and the impossible.  

Dear God,

Thank you for your amazing power and work in our lives, thank you for your goodness and for your blessings over us. Thank you that you are able to bring hope through even the toughest of times, strengthening us for your purposes. Thank you for your great love and care. Thank you for your mercy and grace. Thank you that you are always with us and will never leave us. Thank you for your incredible sacrifice so that we might have freedom and life. Forgive us for when we don’t thank you enough, for who you are, for all that you do, for all that you’ve given. Help us to set our eyes and our hearts on you afresh. Renew our spirits, fill us with your peace and joy. We love you and we need you, this day and every day. We give you praise and thanks, for You alone are worthy! In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen

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Delivered Under His Banner

krisshetter

“And Moses built an altar and named it ‘The LORD is my Banner.’” Exodus 17:15

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.” 2 Corinthians 2:14

THIS IS THE COMPLETE POST FROM TODAY — SORRY THERE’S A GLITCH WITH THE HOSTING SITE

Back during the early Covid years, I would dread going out to the grocery store.  It wasn’t that I was afraid of getting sick.  It was that I was afraid of punching someone in the throat.  That may shock some of you that don’t know me well but for others of you, you know I have struggled with my anger and pride.  I would become infuriated with silly rules like one way arrows in grocery aisles and the made up 6’ (or 3’ or 10’) rules.  People wearing masks alone inside their cars.  And on and on.  I was letting others’ fears and absurd ideas turn my mind and emotions into chaos.

One of my favorite teaching moments from Joyce Meyer is when she once admitted, “I’m a really good Christian.  Until I walk out the front door.”  Yep, that was me on my way to the grocery store.

Then I remembered my promised deliverer — my Jehovah-nissi.  

Christian author Barnabas Piper clarifies this name in this way: 

When Israel faced the Amalekites in battle at Rephidim it wasn’t with overwhelming force, an experienced army, or the best commanders. It was as a transient tribe of herdsmen escaping slavery in Egypt and traveling uncertainly to a promised land they hadn’t seen in over four hundred years. They were trespassers traveling through the lands of fierce fighting peoples. They traveled with women, children, herds, and all their possessions. The battle was for survival, for hope, for a future.

But they traveled with something else too, something else that no other nation on earth had – a pillar of fire, a cloud of smoke, the very presence of God. Israel did not fight its battles alone. No matter how inexperienced or over-matched they were they were never the underdogs. No matter how desperate they felt they were never at a loss. The great general, the perfect protector, the LORD was with them. The very name used in Scripture is Jehovah Nissi – “the Lord is my banner.”

And that, my friends, is exactly the God I needed before I left my house.  It’s the God I so frequently turn to now when faced with “trigger” situations.  In fact, it was Jehovah-nissi who went before me when dealing with my dad’s hospital staff, rehab unit LVNs, unhelpful receptionists, and doctors who forget their patients are people too.

My deliverer God found me parking places when needed, brought me peace during untenable situations, gave me calm, kind and yet insistent words rather than anger and frustration.  He gave my dad and I victory so many times.  And that gave me opportunities to share the Word of God with my atheist dad.  You see my dad once said to me years ago, “You’re just like your mom.”  (Not a compliment) That hit me hard, especially since he was never around me.  He assumed I would be unreasonable and angry at the drop of a hat.  So not only did he get to see me in a new light, he also heard me testify to the work Jesus and Holy Spirit has done in my life over the years.  

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:10

God has been delivering His people from all manner of battles, here on earth and in the heavens and in our physical lives and our internal struggles, for thousands of years.  Most importantly He has delivered us from the eternal punishment of our sins through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.

So today, before your feet hit the floor or you head out the door, call upon the Great Deliverer.  He will go before you in battle, planting His flag upon your life in victory.

He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” Deuteronomy 20:3-4

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Delivered Under His Banner

krisshetter

“And Moses built and altar and named it ‘The LORD is my Banner.’” Exodus 17:15

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.” 2 Corinthians 2:14

Back during the early Covid years, I would dread going out to the grocery store.  It wasn’t that I was afraid of getting sick.  It was that I was afraid of punching someone in the throat.  That may shock some of you that don’t know me well but for others of you, you know I have struggled with my anger and pride.  I would become infuriated with silly rules like one way arrows in grocery aisles and the made up 6’ (or 3’ or 10’) rules.  People wearing masks alone inside their cars.  And on and on.  I was letting others’ fears and absurd ideas turn my mind and emotions into chaos.

One of my favorite teaching moments from Joyce Meyer is when she once admitted, “I’m a really good Christian.  Until I walk out the front door.”  Yep, that was me on my way to the grocery store.

Then I remembered my promised deliverer — my Jehovah-nissi.  

Christian author Barnabas Piper clarifies this name in this way: 

When Israel faced the Amalekites in battle at Rephidim it wasn’t with overwhelming force, an experienced army, or the best commanders. It was as a transient tribe of herdsmen escaping slavery in Egypt and traveling uncertainly to a promised land they hadn’t seen in over four hundred years. They were trespassers traveling through the lands of fierce fighting peoples. They traveled with women, children, herds, and all their possessions. The battle was for survival, for hope, for a future.

But they traveled with something else too, something else that no other nation on earth had – a pillar of fire, a cloud of smoke, the very presence of God. Israel did not fight its battles alone. No matter how inexperienced or over-matched they were they were never the underdogs. No matter how desperate they felt they were never at a loss. The great general, the perfect protector, the LORD was with them. The very name used in Scripture is Jehovah Nissi – “the Lord is my banner.”

And that, my friends, is exactly the God I needed before I left my house.  It’s the God I so frequently turn to now when faced with “trigger” situations.  In fact, it was Jehovah-nissi who went before me when dealing with my dad’s hospital staff, rehab unit LVNs, unhelpful receptionists, and doctors who forget their patients are people too.

My deliverer God found me parking places when needed, brought me peace during untenable situations, gave me calm, kind and yet insistent words rather than anger and frustration.  He gave my dad and I victory so many times.  And that gave me opportunities to share the Word of God with my atheist dad.  You see my dad once said to me years ago, “You’re just like your mom.”  (Not a compliment) That hit me hard, especially since he was never around me.  He assumed I would be unreasonable and angry at the drop of a hat.  So not only did he get to see me in a new light, he also heard me testify to the work Jesus and Holy Spirit has done in my life over the years.  

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:10

God has been delivering His people from all manner of battles, here on earth and in the heavens and in our physical lives and our internal struggles, for thousands of years.  Most importantly He has delivered us from the eternal punishment of our sins through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.

So today, before your feet hit the floor or you head out the door, call upon the Great Deliverer.  He will go before you in battle, planting His flag upon your life in victory.

He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” Deuteronomy 20:3-4

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Behold the Creator

krisshetter

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” – Psalm 19:1

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” – Romans 1:20

The other day my dogs and I were out for our regular walk around the neighborhood.  We stopped to chase rabbits and sniff for lizards and coyotes at an open space.  I looked up to see a breathtaking sky—swirling clouds like brushstrokes in a divine painting.  Wistful, white horse tails, dramatic wings of angels, paint brush strokes made with flair by the artist.  My gaze drifted from section to section of this mural in the sky which seemed painted just for me in that moment.  I fantasied being able to go home and re-create such beauty with watercolors; wanting to capture this fleeting moment for all time.  

But alas, not only am I not on God’s level of Creator, I find myself still in the “stick figures only” stage.  As I pulled my gaze reluctantly away I was struck with the truth that others would see the same masterpiece and yet never see the Master.

No greater truth has been spoken than Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  A truth which was the subject of a number of conversations between my dad and I over the year we were together.  My dad, the atheist, could not give himself over to this truth.  I came at the subject from every angle the Spirit gave me.  But when it came to the “why” of it all he would only admit to “I don’t know.”  

It’s a strange and mysterious fact of the Bible that God chooses not to open the eyes of some.  From pharaohs to kings and pharisees to regular folks, people from all centuries have refused to see God’s most obvious handiwork.  The world itself.

You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.  Nehemiah 9:6

Unfortunately when we don’t have a God-centered worldview we so easily fall into a self-centered worldview.  Other’s lives are not as valuable (as seen with the abortion debate), other’s needs are not seen and met, and our own internal lives so often become meaningless.  The self-worldview is a constant search for something to make us happy and give us purpose.

When I volunteered for Billy Graham’s Search for Jesus ministry I frequently got the question, “What is my purpose?”  As a Christian the answer sounds so simple – to love the Lord God with all your heart, mind and soul.  The difficulty is putting it into practice.  But why should we do this?  Because God is our Creator.  He knitted us in our mother’s womb.  He knows every single hair on our head.  He knows the how, the why, the when, even when we don’t.

Friend, I encourage you today if you are feeling a bit disconnected from God to go and experience His first and most majestic revelation to us.  As some might say, “Go feel some grass.”  Take five minutes at least to sit and just see His creation and wonder at the mystery of it all.

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.  Colossians 1:16

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Loving Enough

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Hello Friends!  I haven’t written for the blog in over a year and have missed hearing from you with your comments and insights!  Many of you know that this year has been one of many highs and lows.  In April, I commenced being a full time caregiver to my father, diagnosed the July previous with advanced bladder cancer.  It was a blessing filled with trials, sadness and laughter.  In September, my eldest daughter and I sat by his bedside watching him take his last breath.

As many of you have experienced yourself, being a caregiver not only takes up your physical time but also your mental and emotional time.  The thought of researching and writing was a dim, distant light this year.  Recently, that light has burned brighter with each passing day.  My prayers have included this burning desire.  I just today began gathering materials for a possible study in Romans.  I don’t know where it will lead but I know being in His Word is always fruitful.

Holy Spirit Nudges

As always happens when I start pondering writing with more fervor, the Holy Spirit nudges me and reveals truths to me.  Today, in fact just a few moments ago, was no different.

In my Truth for Life devotional (Alistair Begg), I was challenged like King David, to repent and humble myself.  To stop covering lies and let God cover them for me.  I wrote that I don’t love God as I should, nearly enough.  It was a hard truth to write but one that has weighed on my mind for some time.

And because God loves a great illustration to bring His point home, as I was sitting indisposed in my bathroom, both my dogs came up to check on my progress.  I say “both” because my dad’s dog now lives with us.  A dog whose fur is the exact color of my now deceased mother’s hair.  A dog who has lived most of his life in an unhappy home, full of strife and anger.  

As both came to nuzzle against my knees, I begrudgingly petted Ben – my dad’s dog.  Yet when my dog Tucker put his cold, wet nose on my skin I leaned in to snuggle with the big lump.  Tucker wandered off and little Ben laid close to my feet.  And I felt that Holy Spirit nudge on my heart.

You see, my allergies have gotten terrible with a second dog.  And after just one day of my new carpet Ben peed on it in two places.  He’s kind of neurotic and yelps at the slightest movement.  He follows me around breathing heavily and anxiously wherever I go.  He wanders off when we are at the beach as though he’s forgotten what I look and sound like.  His bark is sharp and annoying.  He’s underfoot and over needy.  

And I don’t love him like I should.  Like he needs.

Loving At Arms-Length

Ben is cute as a button.  But I don’t want to love him.  I don’t want to give myself fully over to him.  He represents a terrible past that I just want left behind.

In that moment in the bathroom, I realized what it means that I don’t love God the way I should.  I stand at arms-length from Him.  Because if I were to truly love Him, I would have to give all of myself to Him.  I would have to accept the good things and the bad things that come my way through His hands.  I would have to give up my fears, my prejudices, my preferences.  I would have to go “all in.”

While God may not sneak over to a corner and pee on my new carpet, He might bring people (or dogs) into my life that will.  People who need mercy, forgiveness and love.  I know this because He put me, a broken, sinful person, into other believers’ lives.  And I pray for their mercy, love and forgiveness towards me.

More Jesus

Ben, sweet goofy Ben, needs a lot of love and patience.  I need a lot more Zyrtec.  More than that, I need a lot more Jesus.  I need to love Jesus a lot more than I do.  So, I prayed for forgiveness today that I don’t love enough the God who sacrificed His Son for me.  Who has forgiven my yelping and my anxiety.  For making a mess on beautiful things.  

While I know the coming year will be full of unbelievers doing terrible things, I also know that God will be at work.  He will be in the tears and the laughter.  His glory will be available for anyone to see.  And I want to be sure to see and love Him at all times, in all places and in all circumstances.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Ben and Tucker

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Our Wise and Sanctified Souls

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"But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." Jude 1:20-21

You began your journey on the road of the sanctified life by professing your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior.  You may not even have realized what that meant but, you took the step.  You began reading your Bible, going to church, seeking others of faith.  Your Knowledge Basket filled little by little.  Your soul became refreshed and watered at rest stops along the road by the Word.

The inevitable pothole leaps out at you suddenly.  You may even veer off the road a bit.  Your soul takes a beating with heartache and loss.  Your sins become a glaring, flashing red light.  But you look in your Trials Basket and remember God will never leave you or forsake you.  (Deut 31:68) You recall Him telling us to ask in His will and you shall receive.  (Matt 7:7-9)

The verses you so carefully plucked and memorized tell you the Holy Spirit is your strength and He has a plan for good.  We learn such jewels from Proverbs as, “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.” (Prov 26:11)

You pick up and dust off your bruised soul and get back on the path, gathering experience after experience. Confirming over and over the truth of God’s Word.  The truth that He sees you and knows every hair on your head. (Luke 12:7) You remember each time a new pothole jumps at you to pray for His hand on your life.  You affirm to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding, and He will make straight your paths.” (Prov. 3:5) 

You come to a fork in the road.  To the left you see what appears to be an open, empty road.  It’s just you and the path.  It looks so easy to take.  To the right you see broken down souls trudging outside the path.  Ones who are weary and thirsty; ones who are lost.  Ones who are being deceived.  Souls who are in need.  But you also see the Holy Spirit ahead, like a busy traffic cop beckoning you forward.  

You must ask yourself, “Do I turn left, lock my doors and enjoy the blessing of salvation by myself?” Or, do I choose to submit myself to the entirety of God’s teaching?  Will you choose to fill your Stewardship Basket? To love your neighbor, to share the Gospel with your family and friends, to give your time, talents and treasure to those in need for the glory of God? (Matt 22:39)

God’s path calls for us to submit ourselves wholly to Him – not just part.  The “easy path” so often doesn’t turn out all that easy.  It’s a mirage, set up by the devil to deceive.  James tells us a partial faith is “double mindedness.” (James 1:8) And that person shouldn’t expect anything from God.  1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  It means we take all God has gifted us and we turn it back into glorifying Him to others in need.

As our soul matures along this road, we choose.  Yes, we choose which fork to take.  We choose to submit every sin, every action, every word, every need and every gift for His Kingdom.  When we do, God continues filling our Submission Basket with new experiences and new revelations.  We trust in Him and He gifts us the best road trip snacks – peace and the security of our eternal future.

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 26:3-4

My friends, humans are the only created beings to which God has blessed this amazing opportunity of sanctification.  The animal kingdom obeys God’s plan instantly upon birth.  They do what they are made to do.  Yet, those actions are limited in scope.  We have so much more opportunity to glorify God with what He has given us!

God has placed us on this road to travel and gather.  Each mile marker brings us new insight into Him, the world, and the adversary.  Wisdom is not a far off mirage.  No, the jewels of wisdom sit firmly in our baskets which have been gathered along the way.

“Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies.

I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.  

I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.  

I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.  

I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”  Psalm 119:98-106

One day I will be an “old soul.”  Right now, however, I’m working my way down the road of life.  Making mistakes and re-submitting my life to Christ each day.  Forgetting to pray and rely on God’s sovereignty then having a friend ask me, “Have you prayed about that?”

I can feel my soul growing wiser, growing more at peace.  I want my roots to run deep in His Word so I bear good fruit for others to enjoy along the path. (Matt 7:17-18) But most of all I want to be ever thankful that Jesus took it upon Himself to build this path toward the heavenlies.  

A Path Freely Given

He didn’t have to.  We need to remember that fact when others abuse what Jesus did for us.  When they complain when we re-affirm Jesus is the only Way.  God didn’t have to make a way at all.  Not only did He build it, He gave us the full recipe, He gave us a guide.  All so we can make it safely home.

As I write this my 86 year old, cancer riddled, atheist dad has come to live with us before he travels his final path.  I’ve had many friends concerned for how hard this will be.  It is hard at times. Especially at 2:00 am when bed clothes and sheets need changing. Or when I must choose to forgo activities dear to me. But I am at peace.  

I realized this the other day.  It’s a peace I’ve prayed for a lot in my life.  I never expected during a trial such as this that peace would be what God gifted me on this road.  

The other day, I took my dad for his first ever mani/pedi experience to fix his old crusty toenails.  He loved it.  When I sent my Bible study sisters a photo of him in the salon, one commented: “I love that you are loving on your dad this way!  A foot washing like Jesus would do today!” 

It struck me that I have been sanctified for a time such as this. (Esther 4:14) Blessed with the opportunity to take the fork to the right and share the love, mercy and salvation message of Jesus Christ with my father.

My friends, I pray that you too will have many opportunities to do the same.

"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Our final question: What’s the best lesson you have learned so far on your sanctification journey?

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The Well-Travelled Soul

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“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.”  Ephesians 1: 17-19

Have you ever heard someone young described as having an “old soul?”  It usually describes a young person who seems to think and act much older than their actual years.  Or someone who enjoys music, art, crafting, etc. from years past.  I’ll be honest, I cringe when I hear this phrase.  Because usually the person they describe just seems naturally more introverted.  Not shy, just one who enjoys quiet.  Quiet time and quiet activities.

In reality, all Christians must travel the highway of sanctification to attain true and deep wisdom.  We gather it along the road in our baskets little by little with each trial and tribulation and heartbreak.  Each time we act in God’s will, not the way of the world, we find another fruit in that basket.  When we get to the end of our sanctification road, our dents, scratches, repairs and maybe even a little duct tape, will be our trophies of gathered wisdom. 

I bring the “old soul” view up because it flies in the face of what the sanctification road means for a Christian.  Worldly wisdom can only get us so far on this journey.  We, however, seek the wisdom gifted by Christ Jesus.  The wisdom that comes from the different steps we have discussed thus far: knowledge of our LORD, submission to the LORD, the experiences of trials, and the stewardship of all He has given us.

King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:3-4, “Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.  The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.“

In other words, we learn a lot more about life, ourselves, others, and God when we face sadness and hardship.  So that supposed 10 year old “old soul,” if raised in a modern society, has yet to gather much in their basket of life.  

Worldly Wisdom vs. Godly Wisdom

What’s the difference between worldly wisdom and God’s wisdom?  If you study Proverbs, you’ll see the best worldly wisdom has to offer actually comes directly from that book!  The worst is highlighted throughout the Bible with names such as greed, lust, selfishness, pride, and vengeance.  Worldly wisdom so often focuses on the “me” and not the “thee.”

The world tells us it is wise to go along with our loved ones’ sins.  “Go along to get along.”  “Don’t judge.”  God’s Word flies in the face of this when He tells us: “My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God.” (James 5:19-20 the Message)

We are likewise reminded when we share the freedom message of Christ Jesus it may separate us from those same friends and family—a worldly unwise move.  In light of this, we hold on to the truth that this is yet another act of submitting; which brings us closer to God’s wise plan for our lives.

The world tells you it’s wise to have sex outside marriage.  Why?  Apparently so you know more about sex and can pick a good sex partner in marriage.  And besides they say, it’s your “right” to have a little fun.  The Bible tells us “There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, “The two become one.” Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us lonelier than ever—the kind of sex that can never “become one.” (1 Cor 16:19-20 the Message)  The promoters of sexually immoral behavior call abstinence before marriage unwise.  Yet God’s wisdom tells us to value this gift as precious.

My friends, besides standing with Jesus at the end of my life, my end-goal on this journey is wisdom.  When to keep my mouth shut and when to speak.  When to help others and when to be wary of fools.  Recognizing good character and keeping far afield of pigs who want to steal my pearls.  Remaining calm when the world says to panic.  A knowing that forgiving those the world says I should hate actually heals my own soul.

This week’s question: What’s something you have become wiser about in your journey of life?

Next week we’ll take one last look at our sanctification journey as we wisely travel the road home.

For more study on wisdom check out these series: “31 Days of God’s Wisdom” and “Enjoy Life: From Meaningless to Meaningful (a study of Ecclesiastes)

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Laborers In His Garden

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“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”  Colossians 3:23-24

In my own sanctification journey, I thought that I’d come to a good place to not have to work so hard at doing God’s work.  When my mom died last year, I was suddenly given the role as faithful steward in caring for my dad.  A new “garden” had been planted for me to tend.

There’s quite a lot of weeding and tending going on right now in this new garden.  The Holy Spirit allows me plenty of opportunities to go backwards in my journey.  Seemingly endless doctor visits, hours long emergency room trips, and being the mental keeper of all the various issues he has at this time.  On top of it, I did the one thing I never wanted to do but realized we had to do  – place my dad in a short term health facility while he receives ongoing medical treatment.  

God rarely seems to give us these more difficult tasks to perform alone.  He has blessed me with wonderful family and friends who have pulled on their gardening gloves as well.  An opportunity to make this a community garden filled with love, compassion, humility and service.

Each day, after tending this garden I give thanks to the Lord for all He has given and shown me.  I give thanks for the friendly staff at all the places, even when things don’t go as planned.  I give thanks for the knowledge He gave me about His character – that He would never leave me or forsake me.  Thanks for the Holy Spirit teaching me patience, kindness and compassion.  And I give thanks for each opportunity to share the Gospel and God’s Word with my atheist father.

You may recall I wrote a few weeks ago that during Covid I sought the advice of a Christian counselor in answering the question: How do I honor my mother and father who have rejected me?

 I never dreamed He would answer my question with the great responsibility He has now gifted me. He gave me baby steps to steward my new self, given through faith in His Son.  He planted forgiveness and love in me to tend. 

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” – Matthew 25:21

My friends, on this journey we are never done in our gardens until our last breath.  Until then we are to plant the seeds with our children, grandchildren or the children at our churches.  We tend to our gardens by helping others see the weeds growing in their lives – and we ask them to help us in turn.  

We may even need to spray for those pesky bugs in our midst.  Pastors, teachers, and elders who try and introduce words counter to the truth of God.  And we join together to celebrate the harvest.  Friends, families, and acquaintances who ask to be baptized in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In my favorite “go to” book of the Bible, James, we are reminded to be faithful stewards of God’s garden.  Faithful doers of the Word so that the Word is not forgotten, in ourselves and in others to come.  

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do."  James 1: 22-25

Jesus lamented the lack of garden laborers in Matthew 9:35-38 when He said, “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.”  The Lord is signing up people like you and me for the most important job in the history of mankind.  People who know the Word, who have experienced His presence in times of trial, people who are obedient to His Word.  

It’s time to gather your tools and get to work.