In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1
This week, on one of the Instagram accounts I follow, the site owner posed the question: What good thing happened to you this year? She added, “Let’s spread some gratitude vibes.” My answer? That my faith has gotten so much more in-depth and stronger. Amazing, given what’s all happened in 2020. I no longer have a home church. In fact, I haven’t been to church since the last weekend of February. When I questioned my church closing indefinitely, I was met with some pretty nasty responses. And when I asked to be removed from the rolls I received an email from the assistant pastor with a polite version of “don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
So, it’s pretty amazing that without a body of faithful Christians to help in my growth that I am where I am today.
When I looked over this week’s post by Madison and myself, I realized that my growth was reflected in the lessons. The acceptance of God’s amazing interruptions – knowing He works all things for my good. The acknowledgement of His amazing authority over all situations – yes, even the ones that don’t seem to make any sense. The proof that He loves me by reading the Book of John. And how much my picture of Jesus has changed these last few months – from a historical figure to a spirit that lives inside me.
My devotional this week had a day titled, “What to do when trouble comes.” It’s based on 1 Timothy 6:17 which states, “Fight the good fight of the faith.” It went on to say that trouble is a part of life, so we simply have to be ready for it. (Joyce Meyer, New Day, New You). A friend told me the other day she wishes she could just fast forward to 2022. My response? “Why? There might be a nuclear fallout that year. So, you might as well find joy in today.”
How do we, as Christians, get prepared? How do we build up our amazing faith muscle for that day when trouble comes, because it most certainly will? And looking at this week’s blog posts the answer is clear – steeping ourselves in God’s Holy Word.
I find myself extremely blessed to have started a small Bible study group – they’re my BSGs (Bible study girls) – back in January. I was encouraged by one of the members to re-start a study group. On an urging by the Holy Spirit, I invited two other women from my gym. They eagerly said yes. So, the four of us embarked on a journey we had no idea would be an anchor for us this year. We started out with easy faith muscles and moved up to weightier topics. These three women became my church. My amazing sisters in Christ. It wasn’t just about having women that wanted to get together. We’ve put in the work. We’ve been diligent in our faith workouts. We’ve dug deep not only into His Word but into our own sins.
I’ve led other Bible studies before. There’s always a few that blow off doing the homework and not take it seriously. Then there’s others that aren’t willing to take the opportunity to open themselves up for conviction. If we truly want to know God’s character, not ours, and God’s will, not ours, we need to use His Divine Word as our touchstone. The world longs to cheat us out of the true, amazing, love God has for us. The world plays a shell game with morality. If we want to grab on to the more than 5,000 promises God makes in the Bible then we need to treat it seriously.
Did you need to re-read that last sentence? More than 5,000 promises. How many of them do you know? How many of them have you taken to heart? Those amazing promises are sitting right there in that book.
Jesus asked, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
Matthew 9:28
Let’s be a church together and dive deep into those promises. Let’s be a church together that accepts His interruptions with joy and peace. Let’s be a church together that places His authority over everything in our lives. Let’s be a church that needs no other proof of His love for us than our own existence. Let’s be a church together that sees Jesus for who He is – our Lord and Savior who loves us and wants for us to live apart from what the world throws at us. Today we can open up His Word and find joy right there on its pages.
Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Luke 2:41-50
Who have you believed Jesus to be?
The world has so many depictions of what Jesus “looks like.” White Jesus, Black Jesus, Buddha Jesus, Italian Jesus — it seems as though everyone has taken their idea of Jesus and made it reflect their own image. This practice is a dishonoring habit by churches everywhere who spend so much time painting Jesus to reflect their faces, instead of painting themselves to look more like Jesus.
No matter where you are at in your walk with Christ, I think it’s safe to say we’ve all had different perspectives of who Jesus is. For me, I’ve always thought of him as a Mediterranean- looking trim man with brown flowy locks. I can thank several movies and documentaries for that image. I’ve also thought of him as God’s Son who sits on a seat lower than God, answers to His requests and working as the hands and feet of God’s Kingdom — another misconception that again, devalues the full power and glory of Christ. Why? Because Jesus isn’t less than God or inferior. Jesus is God as a part of the Trinity. Three-in-One, Father, Spirit, Son. Jesus sits at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19) and was present at creation (Genesis 1:26).
See, here in Luke 2, Jesus’ parents knew he was a seed planted in Mary by God, but they still couldn’t wrap their heads around what that really meant. When they lost Jesus in the crowds in Jerusalem, they searched tirelessly for Him everywhere but one place – the temple. If they truly understood who Jesus was, that would’ve been the first place they looked. But to them, all they could see was their young son who was just a little boy. Where could he possibly have gone? Once found, they were amazed at what they were seeing. That same little boy was teaching/preaching in the temple courts, communing with His Father.
Duh, where else would He be?
I challenge you to ask yourself this: What lies/misconceptions/myths are you believing about Jesus? And how are those misconceptions hindering you from being truly amazed by his power and presence in your life? Where are you looking for Jesus and missing Him, when in reality, you simply need to go to the Father to find Him?
The best way to find out who Jesus REALLY is, is to read through His words and interactions with others in the gospels. Study His character and you will discover God’s character. Study His love and you will understand God’s love. Study His kindness, grace and compassion and you will see what an amazingly kind and compassionate God we serve.
Knowing Jesus means knowing the Father – I encourage you to get to know Him today.
Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority.
In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, “Go away! What do you want with us,Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
“Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!”Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.
All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.
Luke 4:31-37
I always like to imagine what it would have been like to be in Jesus’ presence on earth. To hear his voice and feel the power that flowed from His fingertips.
Throughout Jesus’ time on earth, we see many instances where he is able to command an entire crowd, heal someone with simply a few words and cast out demons just with his presence. There is no doubt that being in the presence of Jesus meant feeling an indescribable authority. As described in Luke 4:32, it says that His word “possessed authority.” Those listening didn’t quite know why or how – but they knew that He had a level of authority that was bigger than themselves, bigger than even the Chief Priests they bowed down to.
Recognizing Jesus’ amazing authority is pivotal for us. It’s pivotal when we read scripture, its critical when we pray, and it’s important to remember when we find ourselves with a tight grip around the so-called “handles” of our life we think we have. Jesus’ authority trumps all. The Lord’s Word trumps all. The authority that Jesus spoke with here in Luke 4 was noticeable to the crowds because it was the mighty power of God that was flowing through Him, touching the deepest parts of each individual’s hearts and souls.
But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home.
Matthew 9:6-7
When we read God’s Word, we mustn’t forget that it still – and always will – possesses the same level of authority that Jesus spoke with that day in Capernaum. When He says “love your enemy,” He commands that with authority. When He says “blessed are those who are persecuted,” He speaks that with authority. And when He says “you must lose your life before you gain it,” He means it.
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
Mark 1:17-18
All Jesus needed to do was extend a hand and Peter dropped his nets and abandoned everything to follow Him. His presence commanded authority and His voice was one of love, grace and comfort. Authority doesn’t have to mean “dictatorship” – it can also mean trusting, strong, stable and yes, comforting.
God wants to have amazing authority in your life because He wants to relieve you of the control, the worry, the anxiety and stress in which you toil. He wants to be the guiding light, the north star and compass that shows you which way is right. And when we give God total authority in our lives He does indeed show up in mighty ways. He takes control and leads us down paths we never thought we could venture down. His authority is the greatest thing that is available to everyone and anyone – all we have to do it trust him with our lives.
I don’t know about you, but I am often relieved when I remember that it’s King Jesus on the throne and not myself, not someone else, not idols or things. King Jesus is in control, and I’ve never felt more content in that truth – no matter what may come my way.
The very word “authority” has within it the word “author. ” An author is someone who creates and possesses a particular work. Insofar as God is the foundation of all authority, He exercises that foundation because He is the author and the owner of His creation. He is the foundation upon which all other authority stands or falls.
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Luke 5:1-11
I think a lot of us feel like 2020 has been one giant interruption in our lives. We had beautiful weddings planned, vacations to experience, new jobs on the horizon, a blossoming business, a full retirement schedule. And then February descended upon us. To put it mildly it’s been one giant cluster. Recently, I saw an Instagram post by the Christian women’s group Proverbs 31 that addressed our need to rely on God during these tough times. One of the commentors posted a very distraught list of what she has been dealing with, including the loss of a loved one. She said she was having a hard time seeing God in the middle of everything. And yet He is right there if we truly know His character. He’s the one interrupting our plans.
In the verses today Simon, an experienced fisherman, had just pulled his boat in after a long, hard, unsuccessful day of fishing. He sat and listened to Jesus as he preached to the masses on the shore. Suddenly, Jesus asks for a ride out away from the shore to better speak to everyone. I’m sure Simon had a mix of emotions. Here he was, probably dead tired but still might have been honored to have the famous rabbi use his boat. And then Jesus really interrupted his plans to get home, have dinner and finally get some sleep. The experienced fisherman was quite sure that another few hours out on the lake would produce nothing – he should know he’d been a fisherman on that lake all his life. Jesus wasn’t even from a fishing family! But something about the rabbi made Simon comply. And as the story finishes, we see Simon and the other fisherman completely interrupting everything about their lives and deciding to become disciples.
God frequently tries to interrupt our “bright ideas” and “best laid plans.” The question for us is when we hear or feel His Holy Spirit urging us to take a new direction are we like Simon, willing to comply? Or are we like the rich king, unwilling to give up what we have and know? So many of us say we want God to speak to us but do we really?
A couple years ago I was amazingly interrupted by Jesus. I worked as an administrative substitute in our local school district. I was very busy. And I wore that busyness as a badge of honor. I had jobs assigned five days a week. And then Jesus interrupted me. He urged me, through a vision, to take specific action each week and feed the homeless for a year. This was not in my plans. But it was something I had asked for. I had been praying for growth in my trust in the Lord. I kept asking for direction. Feeding the homeless in our large downtown was never on my radar. What also wasn’t in my plan was giving up working a few days a week to accomplish Jesus’ vision for me. It was an amazing interruption.
He said, “Do this for me.” And I did. The lessons I learned during that year were ones that no sermon or Bible study could ever teach me. My patterns of worry, distrust, control, over-planning, pride, feeling alone, all were tested. It was never about feeding the homeless. It was about God finding a way to snap me out of destructive patterns – interrupting me and re-setting me.
The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters.
Job 42:12-13
I’ve told many people about this experience. And, at the same time I tell them they should pray for something equally amazing to interrupt their lives. So many of them either look scared or even voice their fear of such an occurrence. That’s why I ask, “Do you really want to hear from God?” Because I can almost guarantee that what He says to you will be unexpected and will challenge you to interrupt your life. But like Job whose life was severely interrupted, the amazing blessings you receive will be immeasurable. God has interrupted my life a few more times since my vision. And each time has brought me closer to Him. I urge you today to pray for interruption. To pray to do God’s work. To pray that He asks to guide your boat out into the open water.
I sat there as only one of two women coaches in the room. There were about 20 of us, coaching girls softball ages 7 to 15. We had recently finished the fall season where I had told my assistant coach to never step foot on a field where I was coaching. He constantly undermined my authority, which came to a head one night where he threatened me with physical harm. Yes, this was kids’ sports at its finest. So back to this meeting. We were all there to be confirmed as coaches for the Spring season. That assistant coach was also present. He asked to speak before we were voted in by the board. He went into a tirade about me and how if I were to be confirmed as a coach, he would go to the city parks and recreation board and have our field permit rescinded. He and the president of the association got into a few aggressive back and forths. I, however, spoke not a word.
He finally sat down. A vote was taken and I was still a coach. Afterwards, a number of the other male coaches came up to congratulate me – for being so brave and not getting into a yelling match. They were very impressed. I was escorted to my car where I sat for a minute and finally took what seemed like was my first breath after the hours long meeting. I hadn’t spoken because I could barely even breathe. I had been so scared I couldn’t speak. I didn’t know it then but God was protecting me. He knew had I spoken up among all those men, my “hero” status would’ve instead turned in to “shrill siren.” By keeping my mouth shut I accomplished so much more.
“The tongue is a small part of the body but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.”
James 3:5
How many times have we looked back at a conversation or disagreement and thought, “if I had just kept my darn mouth shut, I wouldn’t be in this situation?” I don’t know about you but I don’t have enough digits to keep track. While others may struggle with not knowing what to say, others of us say too much.
“Set a guard, Oh Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.”
PS 141:3
This needs to be tattooed on all our foreheads so that when we are talking (or yelling) to each other we can “get” the message. I read recently the concept that words are just the outward expression of our hearts and minds. When you see someone screaming in a police officer’s face these days, I think how shriveled their hearts must be. They are literally out of their minds spewing hatred to another person. When we have a false sense of righteousness, not true righteousness from the Truth of God’s Word, we get into areas of entitlement, judgement, self-worth, and envy.
Our words matter and we shouldn’t use them to just fill up space or hurt people or say things to make us feel better. I once worked with a man to whom silence was a way of life. It made me very uncomfortable; my youthful self always needed to fill that void. A topic or question would be thrown out and he would go silent. Meanwhile, I’m across the table babbling away. I definitely did not have spiritual maturity at the time. Through life experiences and a pursuit of God’s wisdom I am learning to enjoy a bit of silence. A bit. As a parent, I struggled with this powerful tool. As my kids got older, I realized silence could sometimes be scarier than a mom yelling on and on. And when I yelled, filling that void, I said hurtful things. Things that I can never take back.
“With our tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.”
James 3:9
That last part needs repeating – when we are cursing others, we are cursing people WHO HAVE BEEN MADE IN GOD’S LIKENESS. And when we yell, scream, say hurtful things we do so with lack of grace, mercy and forgiveness. But if we are faithful over small things – like our tongue – and use them to bless others then God has promised to make us rulers over bigger things. If we can’t stop corrupting our whole body — hardening our hearts and going out of our minds– because we can’t control that little flappy part in our mouth, then why should God give us more?
I heard a pastor give a challenge the other day called “What If?” It goes like this:
What if we decided to stop cursing, right now, forever?
What if we decided to never say another negative thing?
What if we decided here and now to never complain?
I bet a whole lot of people around us would be blessed. But that all sounds sooooo difficult! Not when you have God by your side. Not when we walk in the steps He wants for us. Not when we decide to live the life He calls us to. Yes, we will be tempted. Yes, there will be trials and tests. Because without those how do we know we are victorious?
“This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.”
1 Cor 2:13
In other words, when we live in God’s world, accept and practice His teaching, and turn to Him for guidance and prayer, it will be His Words spoken when we face trials and temptation. Or maybe, no words at all. We have the mind of Christ inside us. We need to stop pushing Him aside and let Him rule that little, flappy rudder in our mouth. And only then will be sent on the right journey He has called us to.
They didn’t want to add to our current, stressful situation. My husband, their son, owns and operates residential Alzheimer’s care facilities and each day the state government was changing rules related to COVID-19. The staff were worried, residents’ family members were worried. And true to my in-law’s gracious ways, they didn’t want to pile on more bad news.
You see, my precious mother-in-law had been diagnosed with uterine cancer. When we talk about angels on Earth you’re talking about her. When I picture her I see love. I see goodness. She is one of my touchstones. She’s a lot of people’s touchstones. During the last 32 years she has quietly guided my faith journey. And she has cancer.
James leaps from the starting gate in his letter to the church with a challenging statement:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
James 1:2-3
A few years ago, that statement might have received the response, “Are you ‘cray, cray’?” Meaning you’ve got to be kidding. Not only “joy” but “pure joy.” It reminds me of the scene in the movie Animal House — a pop culture film about a college fraternity. In it, actor Kevin Bacon is being initiated into the fraternity. He is required to be harshly paddled by its members. But not just paddled, he must also request the beating each time by yelling, “Thank you sir! May I have another!” The pain is evident on his face with each whack. Yet he knows he must ask for more to achieve his ultimate goal — membership.
While I don’t believe God wants us to be begging for trials, He knows in the course of our existence they will naturally come. In Mark 10, Jesus tells the disciples that not only will they receive a hundred times what they have given up to follow Him but also persecutions. Throughout the Bible we are encouraged to embrace our trials, whether from persecution, loss or affliction, so that our faith may mature.
A few years ago, I started hearing the term, “baby Christian.” The implication being that we are born with our commitment to Christ and then grow with our faith. We can choose to stay “baby Christians” just like we can also choose not to become mature adults. It seems more obvious to the world when we see people who have opted to not get a job, educate themselves, learn to live on their own, have a solid bank balance, and take care of themselves. You might have someone like that in your own family. Or you might be aiding in someone’s stunted path to maturity. What doesn’t always seem obvious is our stunted Christian spiritual growth. It takes much of the same concerted effort to grow in our faith. To be at the place James calls us to — finding Pure Joy in the difficult times.
Where are you at on the Spiritual Growth Chart?
With James’ simple opening salvo he blasts us into paying attention. We can either 1) scoff and choose to ignore him as a crazy person or 2) say, “tell me how.” In Luke 22:28 Jesus listens to a dispute among the disciples. They are arguing who is the better disciple (sounds like one of my PTA meetings). He interrupts and tells them, “You are (all) those who have stood by me in my trials.” His trials. You see, Jesus was sent to not only verbally teach us our Father’s ways but to experience our earthly ways to show us how to handle them. We mark our spiritual growth chart with each trial when we turn to Jesus and say, “you’ve been here, show me what to do.”
There’s lots of self-help books out there to guide us to being mature adults. But the best book to read for both spiritual growth and worldly maturity is the Bible. Every single book of the Bible talks about trials or persecution. And without fail the solution is prayer. Not just any prayer. A personal plea. A demanding of God’s blessing to rain down on us. A clearing of our eyes to see the joy. And then listening. He will speak to you.
God uses nature to speak to us!
God rarely just throws us first into the fiery pit. And even if he does, he is always with us. That alone is a blessing for which to be thankful. With each trial, each persecution, He expects us to grow more trusting of Him. Yes, expects. Dr. Charles Stanley’s Life Lesson #7 says, “The dark moments of our life will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose in us.” So, my advice to you, accept and learn early and as quickly as possible.
With each trial thrown in your path you gain perseverance, patience and clarity of God’s presence. But we must do the work of asking Jesus, “Show me.” I once told my Bible Study group we need to shorten the “ah ha moment gap” from years, to months, to days, to instantly. We all can look back at situations where maybe we didn’t get the job we’d hoped for or maybe even got fired from a job. Or a loss of a home due to fire, a friendship that soured, a marriage dissolved. How long has it taken you to accept the way God was working in that time? Have you seen it yet? He was there. He spoke to you.
Why is all this important? We know there will be trials so that means we can’t do anything about them, correct? When we dread what we think is to come, when we are poured into concrete boots of fear during trials, we’ve taken our eyes off Jesus. And if we are to grow in this project called Us we need a strong foundation of keeping our faith and trust in Him alone. This is not an easy task. For some of us it takes every minute of every hour re-focusing our mind on Him – especially when we are afraid. I’ve come to use the term, “Perspective Change Moment” with some of my friends. When we start in on our ills, fears, anger, dread it helps to have someone say to us,” Yes, that’s awful and…..”
We all need friends who can be our “James!”
With the same practice we put into doing our hair every morning or working out or learning how to use our smartphone or figuring out how late we can sleep and still get to work on time we need to attack the devil that keeps trying to pull our eyes away from Jesus. Show me, Jesus. Speak to me, God. It’s not enough to tell yourself, or others, “don’t worry” or “don’t be afraid.” We must fill our minds with something other than that fear and worry. In Luke 11, Jesus tells the story of an impure spirit coming out of a person and goes looking for a better place. When the spirit doesn’t find it he returns to find a nice, clean, empty house. And you know what that impure spirit does? He invites a few more friends to join him! Our lives end up looking more like a Weight Watchers check-in session – we have a week we are up and a week we are down and on and on. Had that person cast out the spirit with Jesus’ help and filled that home with God’s Word, Jesus’ love, and the constant presence of the Holy Spirit you can bet the evil spirit wouldn’t make it past the garden gate!
I have a good friend who was laid off from her church position about 3 years ago. It has been difficult for her to find the joy in that trial. For me, I can remember how unhappy she was in that job. But no matter how many times I told her how miserable she was, she still couldn’t accept it. Until she finished one of her journaling books. One day a week or so ago she started reading through her old journals from that time. In them she found her old self praying for God’s intervention constantly. Each workday entry was a distraught woman praying for God to fix the problems swirling at work. She finally had her “ah ha moment.” God was there, telling her to leave. But she kept holding on. That day she made a new mark on her spiritual growth chart. God had spoken to her and she had to joy of knowing He was with her. She could release all the negative emotions surrounding losing that job. It wasn’t where God wanted her to be.
So, here I was, working on being the best team member I could be for my husband as we waded through the throes of the COVID-19 lockdown and my in-laws finally decided we needed to hear the news. Cancer. Just a year ago this would’ve put me in a tailspin. But in just that year’s time, I’ve gone through a family death, putting on a distance wedding, accepting the fact that I’m not going to work anymore, and much more. With each trial I leaned into my Rock a little more. With each trial I started finding the joys. So, after the news I took my dog for a quiet walk in our nearby canyon and asked Jesus, “Show me.” I cried out to God the great Counselor, God my Comforter. I first pleaded and said, “You can’t take her.” I raised my hands high and begged for mercy for my sweet mother-in-law. I reminded Him she is a faithful servant. She is His loving daughter. And then I listened. He reminded me we all must pass one day, just as her own mother did a year ago. He told me He loves her more than even I do. He told me to just keep loving her and living out joy moments right now, today. He showed me that when her time comes, just as mine will too, she will join her mom in glory at God’s card game table. The battle of who is the best 31 card player will continue into eternity. And I laughed.
31!!
Are you going through a trial and need prayers? I’d love to pray with you. Have you gone through a trial and had your “ah ha moment?” Please share.
Have you ever watched a speech where a sign language professional was interpreting for the hard of hearing community? I always wonder if they are truly interpreting the speech correctly. In fact, in 2013 at a world televised memorial to Nelson Mandela, advocates for the deaf called out an interpreter as fake. “The man, who stood about a yard from (President) Obama and other leaders was moving his hands around, but there was no meaning in what he used his hands for,” said Bruno Druchen, national director of the Deaf Federation of South Africa. At times, as a Christian I have felt what those watching this man wave around his hands in meaningless gestures must have felt – confused.
I’ve heard a few “fake” interpreters of God’s Word. From hate-filled pastors such Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church and Bishop Talbert Swan of the Church of God in Christ to more subtle false “prosperity” teachers like Joel Olsteen and T.D. Jakes, the Word of God has been twisted, edited, and completely ignored. And yet there are hundreds if not thousands of people who follow these “pastors'” preaching. Why? Because we all are looking for answers — for someone to interpret God’s plan for us. Some of us want quick and easy answers. Some of us just want answers that fit our sinful needs and desires.
In the Old Testament, God communicated through people like Moses, Samuel, Jeremiah and others to relay His commands to the people of Israel. There were also false prophets who claimed to interpret for the gods. The people turned to both kinds of prophets for guidance. God swiftly punished those who disobeyed His Word. The great shift came when God sent himself, in the form of Jesus, to speak directly with His creations. Jesus became our great interpreter – explaining the Father’s purpose for His chosen ones. He didn’t speak to nations like so many of the prophets of old did– He spoke with us as individuals and groups. He gathered up people at wells, in gardens, in homes, at lakes and even at graves. He warned us about false prophets and teachers. But His Word cannot be denied. It is written in the oldest book. And although there are various translations of the Bible, His Words stay pretty much the same. It amazes me to hear people, especially angry hate-filled Christians, espouse rights or wrongs that don’t exist in the Bible. I just say, show me the scripture.
When I find myself wondering what God wants from me or a direction I should take, I go directly to Jesus’ words. He was not one to speak meaninglessly. He didn’t speak out of hatred. He rarely showed anger. And when He did speak it was as though He was allotted a certain number of words to use while here on Earth. And He used them wisely.
Praying for Help
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7
Who to Trust
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22: 37
On Kindness
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39
How to Attain Peace
“Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.”
Salvation
“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except for me.” John 14:6
Grace
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Cor 12:9
Sinful Behavior
“Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” John 8:34
Jesus not only was the son of God, he was us. He lived among us to experience the temptations, the persecution, the love, betrayal, and loyalties in everyday life. I praise Jesus today for coming to us to interpret the mind of God for us frail, limited humans. Our eyes and ears and minds have a glimpse into heaven through His actions and words. And God wasn’t done when His son when up to heaven. His Holy Spirit continues the work as our individual, tailored guide. She whispers to us and laughs with us and cries with us.
I don’t walk in the wilderness so much anymore. And with Jesus’ Words I am very discerning about my spiritual leaders. My guide, my interpreter, is always by my side. He will show me the way home. Praise God.
Did you figure out what the sign language word is in the picture? “Grace.” Enjoy this ASL interpreted song, “In Christ Alone” by clicking on the video below.
Is there someone in your life you are praying for – praying they will know God and surrender to Jesus? I have a few friends and family members on my prayer list that I lift up continuously to the Lord. He is our great Harvester but as He says in Luke 10:2,
“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”
Luke 10:2
We don’t know who is on God’s list of the “elect” so it’s our job as His field workers to get on our knees and pray for those around us. For when we pray, we are then opening ourselves up to direction from the Almighty. It’s one thing to pray for ourselves – our sins, our hurts, and our needs – but those of us who have offered up ourselves to God are already saved. Our eternal place in heaven’s field of flowers is set. So, when we plead with God for those we love, it brings about something new.
When you Google the words “Harvest Celebration” you get to the Wikipedia page, “Harvest Festival.” It says, “Ample food and freedom from the necessity to work in the fields are two central features of harvest festivals: eating, merriment, games, music and romance are common features around the world.” Just think how much grander the harvest festival is in the spiritual world! God celebrates each time a new seed is planted, nurtured and brought into His ample basket. And, as His field workers we are called to play small parts in each of those steps.
I chose this topic today to send up praise of thanksgiving to our God who loves us bountifully. He answers our prayers fully that reflect His will. Here’s how I know this. This answered prayer starts with a reflection on my family. My mother is the daughter of a Baptist minister. She has a tenuous relationship with God, at best. Unfortunately, there weren’t field workers willing to nurture her through questions and feelings of mistrust. She saw Christians show up to church each week and act devout then leave the church doors and sin. My father is an atheist. He had no upbringing in the church and no friends who shared their faith. What little exposure they’ve had to God was through my mother’s sister who had many mental and family issues. In spite of this, I always believed in God. I had a friend that I occasionally attended church with but the majority of the people around me never spoke of their faith – if they had any. I married into a devout Presbyterian family. Boy, were they worried about me! Funny enough, my own parents were concerned when I told them I was going to church. Fast forward to the last few years. My parents and I never talk about my beliefs. I don’t hide them. But we just have not had another conversation centered around faith since I announced I was attending church. I asked a pastor once when I should just give up on some people – like my parents. He said, “Oh, you never give up! Just like God never gives up on you!” And so, as I have surrendered my life over to Christ, I’ve started praying more for others.
After watching the amazing movie, War Room, I set up a prayer area. On my wall I have cards filled with prayers for other people. One of those is for my parents:
“Lord, you are the only one who can break the bonds holding my parents down. With all your heavenly might break the tall and strong walls they have built around their hearts and minds. Lord, grab a hold of them and pull them from the fire!”
I’ve been praying this prayer now for about a month. The other day I added to the prayer, “Show me what part, even the smallest part, I need to do to help you accomplish this.” That very afternoon I stopped by their house to check in on them. My dad started talking about a book series he’s reading called, “The Saxon Series.” It’s an historical drama set in England. He shared that he had never understood what the “Holy Ghost” was or how the trinity worked until he read these books. Apparently, there’s a character in the book who refers to Jesus as “the nailed God” and priest who refers to the trinity as, “Father, Son and the other guy.” What ensued was a conversation about the role of the divine in each part of the trinity. I shared how when Jesus was crucified, he let the disciples know that another would come in his place to be with us always – the Holy Spirit. We talked about how much of the New Testament is written to churches who were either going astray or who needed support due to persecution. We also talked about the roles in the Old Testament of pagan gods versus The Almighty God. It. Was. Amazing.
Here’s the thing, I had written off my father as someone who would never come to know Jesus because he is an atheist. I thought my mom would possibly come around because of her faith background. But it was my father with whom I was having this conversation!
When I left the house I was stunned. I praised God for answered prayers. And, I thanked God for this: I was prepared. If this conversation had come up five or ten years ago, I would not have been able to speak so confidently and easily about these topics. God was preparing me for that day, that moment. I know the salvation of my parents is not my responsibility. I was just the field hand, who had been on my knees praying and pleading for God to help them. And if I needed to play some small role, I was ready to do the work. I will keep praying for them until either the day of their passing or the day of their surrender.
We can never know the hour God will gift us with answered prayers. Just like I really have no idea when my green tomatoes will finally turn red and be ready for harvest. Until then I get my knees dirty working in His name.
During my years of attending church and going to bible studies I have heard many scripture verses surrounding love:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son.” John 3:16
“Love is patient, love is kind.” 1 Corinthians 13:4
“And now these three remain; faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
There are scriptures about how God loves us, how we are to love God and love our friends, neighbors and enemies. We don’t, however, always equate this “love” with romantic love. And yet, by all descriptions, the love the Holy Spirit has for us and wants in return is just that. Intimacy, thoughtfulness, honesty – an embrace, a tight hug, and sweet kiss – isn’t that what we long for in our “romantic” relationships? And the Holy Spirit is all about that kind of love.
A pastor at one of my previous churches wrote, what some considered a controversial book about the Holy Spirit, called, I’m In ❤. Controversial because he is part of a corporate-style faith where we worship, but not too exuberantly. We pray but not too boldly. We love but out of reverence. In the first chapter of his book he writes:
“Spirit wants to woo you into her arms in order to embrace you and whisper intimate truths. Spirit offers to tutor you in vulnerability and joy. Spirit welcomes you to trust her. Spirit kisses you. But this kind of love takes time to grow. Will you let Her court you?”
Rev. Dr. Bruce Humphrey
So many of my conversations with my Christian friends focus on creating a personal relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Let’s face it, when you are intimate with someone you know exactly what they expect of you and if it’s a mutually respectful relationship you want to meet those expectations. The Holy Spirit is who whispers to us. Who winks so that we both are “in on the joke.” She holds my hand when I am afraid to take the steps Jesus laid out for me. This “controversial” pastor goes on to write:
“Here is the truth: romance requires slowing down, listening, and spending time. As mysterious as it is, there are some basic ingredients for love to flourish. Romance requires intentionality. Love is a choice. You can decide to accept the Spirit’s love, or you can reject her embrace. She will not force or compel you. In other words, love takes commitment.
Rev. Dr. Bruce Humphrey
God is fully committed to loving you. Through the words of His son Jesus and the great counselor, the Holy Spirit, love abounds from the heavens. Are you ready to embrace Him just as intimately? Share how God shows His love for you in the comments below!
Each morning I take my sweet dog Tucker out for a nice long walk. We typically walk in the canyon near our house. Some days I listen to worship music, some days I listen to podcasts. While other days I make it a point to just listen. Yesterday I decided to walk the first mile in praise and the second in prayers for others. Thanks to this 30 Days of Praise project that mile of praise has gotten easier. I reflected on the last 12 days of posts and began reciting different phrases – “God you are my King! God you are omnipotent! God you are ever present in my life! God, you love me even when I am being unlovable. God, you have taught me so much. You are the only one worthy of this praise. You are a flawless shield.” My love pouring out to Him filled me with such joy and peace like a mirror reflects back the sunlight. It felt bold and it felt oh so right.
I found this short essay on praising God which spurs me on toward my next 12 days. Encouraging me to praise; pressing me to dig deeper; showing me that praising God is simply what all nature does every minute of the day.
“Come you children of God, and bless his dear name; for doesn’t all nature around you sing? If you were silent, you would be an exception to the universe. Doesn’t the thunder praise him as it rolls like drums in the march of the God of armies? Doesn’t the ocean praise him as it claps its thousand hands? Doesn’t the sea roar, and the fullness thereof? Do not the mountains praise him when the shaggy woods upon their summits wave in adoration? Do not the lightnings write his name in letters of fire upon the midnight darkness? Doesn’t this world, in its unceasing revolutions, perpetually roll forth his praise? The whole earth has a voice, and shall we be silent? Shall man, for whom the world was made, and suns and stars were created – shall he be silent? No, let him lead the strain.”
Charles Spurgeon
Tucker taking in God’s glory — or maybe he’s looking for rabbits to chase…
How will you lead the strain in praising God today? Shout it as loud as the sea roars and as bold as the lightning claps! Join the conversation below!
emboldened.net 