love – Page 13

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Pilgrim Not Citizen

February 24, 2021February 18, 2021 krisshetter

Lesson 5: Walk in Truth through obedience to God

It has given me great joy to 
find some of your children walking 
in the truth, just as the Father 
commanded us.
2 John 1:4

I was reading a new book recently that said, “Today, America is rich but morally rotten. Our heads and our hands have outrun our hearts. We have gained the world but have lost our souls.” The author went on to describe the lawlessness and chaos that fetishism, polytheism and any number of ‘isms’ have wrought on our society. I looked back to the beginning of this little book to see when it was published – 1969.

I could take just about any paragraph from this book, “In Times Like These,” and you would surely think the author was writing about yesterday or today. The frightening results of our demand for “progress” in all parts of lives are prophetically found in this fascinating group of sermons by Vance Havner, a contemporary of Billy Graham.

“The time is short, and the fashion of this world is passing away”
Vance Havner

For the Christian, we are admonished to live as people set apart from the world. (Romans 12:2). And yet we have homogenized so much of what it means to be a Follower of Jesus. I heard a pastor once say, “The world doesn’t hate ‘nice’ people.” Think about that for a moment. So many of us want, as our goal, to be seen as ‘nice, Christians’ — certainly not ones that cause waves like Jesus did day in and day out.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers 
and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, 
to offer your bodies as a living 
sacrifice, holy and pleasing to 
God—this is your true and proper 
worship.
Romans 12:1

My BSGs and I were finishing up a week of Bible study about what the church means to God and to us as Christians. We got into a discussion about how easy it is to be a Western-world Christian. And although we’ve seen that challenged over the last year, we still don’t face the threat of death when choosing to worship. Prison, maybe, but not death. (A little over a year ago I wouldn’t even have thought to write that last sentence).

At a church one of my Bible gals and I attended for many years, there was a pastor of Egyptian origin. He would tell us of the inherent dangers of even wearing a cross or holding a Bible while travelling in Cairo. He regaled us with stories of various mission trips back to his homeland fraught with intrigue. And after an hour listening to his sermon and beautiful music we would go back about our “other” lives – not having risked anything ourselves.

We are promised an everlasting life, through faith and obedience to God. The type of obedience John writes about in 2 John. “A walk in obedience to His commands.” Earlier, John tells us of Jesus’ prayer to His father on the eve of His death.

I have revealed you to those 
whom you gave me out of the world. 
They were yours; you gave them to 
me and they have obeyed your word. 
Now they know that everything you 
have given me comes from you.
John 17:6-7

The “knowing” then requires the “obeying” – a living out of what God expects from us now that His Word has been revealed. But how many of us offer our entire lives over as a “living sacrifice?” One of my friends and I have this now running joke that we have our “faith life” but then we have our “real life.” Knowing that in God’s expectation those are to be one and the same.

“Devotion to Him (Jesus) must be so high and so deep and so intense that all other loyalties must seem in comparison as though they did not exist.”
Vance Havner

That takes obedience to a whole new level. I fear that modern Christians read this and immediately assume we must be the rich prince of whom Jesus asks to give up all his possessions in order to follow Him. (Matt 19:21-24) And in fact, many a breezy, occasional, Sunday-only Christian has misinterpreted that to be the case. But Jesus only ever asks us to give up what is separating us from Him. What idols have we placed in front of Him so that it blocks our view of Him or our ability to obey Him?

The world is full of gadgets and facilities that are not wrong unless we make them ends in themselves or turn them to evil uses.
Vance Havner

For some that idol is time. Or more specifically who or what gets our time. In the 2 John letter, John calls out the “lady chosen by God” for her love of God. And he knows of this love because of her obedience to the commandments. She walks in love of God. Even Satan knows God. But the chasm between the lady in John’s letter and Satan is her obedience. She most likely spent much of her day praying, guiding others to God, teaching her children about God, and working as God’s daughter.

“Christian love is not just some special emotion that makes us accept others. It’s an act of will – treating people the same way God treats you.”
Warren Wiersbe on 2 John

An act of will. That’s not some squishy, marshmallowey feeling. It means 1) knowing the will of God and 2) committing our entire body to obeying His commandments. It means living a life set apart from this world – and maybe even your current church or group of friends. It means being in danger of getting called “weird” or “freak.” It might even mean being labeled a “bigot” or “hatemonger.”

Some of you may recall seeing the storm that descended upon New Orleans Saints football quarterback Drew Brees when he joined Focus on the Families’ call to “bring your Bible to school day.” He was called all manner of hateful things and a call went out to shame and silence him. For promoting bringing a book to school.

The time is nearer now than ever before to awaken in obedience as Christians. I read a comment that the Bible is a disturbing book. It “bids us to stir up the gift of God.” We are admonished to “gird our loins (Luke 12:35),” disrupt our sleepy scheduled lives (Rom 13:11) and grasp the seriousness of our times. We are closer to the coming of Christ than yesterday. And it doesn’t take much to see how anarchy and apathy are playing a role in God’s timetable.

When I started fresh out of college at my new job, I was just barely 22 years old. I was given a lot of responsibility to set up a brand new marketing and public relations department. The corporate culture was very resistant to the new ideas I brought to the table. I was called all manner of terrible things. But I learned a valuable lesson. When the “big boss” has your back you can forge a path through any swamp, forest or desert. As Christians we have the mightiest “boss” of them all – God. We should walk in obedience to Him knowing that He has our back. We should walk in the knowledge that we are just passing through this world and will do so as God’s children. We should look forward to making a few waves, in Jesus’ name.

I’m in it (the world) but not of it; I’m a pilgrim and stranger; I’m not a citizen of old Babylon, I’m looking for another city.
Vance Havner

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The Big Picture

February 17, 2021February 11, 2021 krisshetter

Lesson #2: Commit to the big picture of Christ through the details of His love

So when I come, I will call 
attention to what he (Diotrephes) 
is doing, spreading malicious 
nonsense about us.
3 John 10

My current Bible study, Everyday Theology, has been a great strengthening and clarification of my Christian beliefs. Starting with what scripture is intended for and delving into the trinity and our role as believers in this big world, the lessons have given my BSGs (Bible study girls) a number of “ah ha” moments. We currently are on the section about “church.” What it is, who is the head of it and what our responsibilities as part of the body entail. The first question asked was for us to define what we call “church.”

When I hear media-types chastise the “church” or “Christians” for not condemning some action or stance it makes me wonder what church spokesperson they think will step up to a microphone. Of course, for Catholics that would be the Pope or a regional bishop. But in the non-Catholic world we are so dispersed, with varying types of faith, traditions, even morals and values.

In John’s letter to the church elder, Gaius, he juxtaposes the elder’s immense love for his brothers and sisters in Christ with another church leader, Diotrephes. These brothers and sisters are strangers to Gaius but he welcomes them readily into his home. These travelers are doing the good work of Jesus – spreading the salvation message. And then there’s Diotrephes. John describes this leader as one “who loves to be first.” He doesn’t welcome strangers but even worse, he refused to welcome John.

Imagine that, a church elder who wouldn’t welcome Jesus’ apostle! You’d have to think about the reasoning behind this. This elder even kicks out other believers who welcome new people. And why? Because, as what Warren Wiersbe calls a “church dictator,” he lost his focus on Jesus’ Big Picture of love and instead became focused on the details of man-made doctrine.

“All true Christians can agree on the fundamental doctrines of the faith and, in love, give latitude for disagreement on other matters.”
Warren Wiersbe

I’ve read there are about 34,000 different Christian denominations in the world. The Wikipedia page on Christian denominations (Catholic and non) is an almost endless list. Sub groups within sub groups. People who have followed a pastor’s or priest’s particular issue with “the way things are done” and split off from their home church. And as active members of church we have all seen the after effects of a change in leadership – numbers dwindle and people divide. Some churches survive and even thrive while others fade away.

But avoid foolish controversies 
and genealogies and arguments and 
quarrels about the Law, because 
these are unprofitable and useless.
Titus 3:9

The Greek word zelos means something very fervent as with Spirit-fueled zeal to serve the Lord. Zelos is used both negatively (“jealousy”) and positively (“zeal”) in the Bible.

For where you have envy and 
selfish ambition (zelos), there 
you find disorder and every 
evil practice.
James 3:16

Because when we put our ideas about “the way thing should be done” above the big picture of Jesus and His commandment to love one another as He loved us, we will fail every time. And what is showing that love? To live in obedience to His will.

As I’ve worked through studying the Bible, I keep coming back to my knowledge of how churches work and how they don’t. I’m mystified by the lack actual Biblical based decision making. And how so many people forget the message of 1 Corinthians 13 — the people in our church or faith family are all gifted by God but the use of those gifts must be in love.

If I speak in the tongues of men 
or of angels, but do not have love, 
I am only a resounding gong or a 
clanging cymbal.
1 Cor 13:1

I once sat on a church marketing committee that included a wide variety of talented people — many of whom had been members of the church for eons. The pastor welcomed us and gave us our charge. I asked a few questions seeking clarification. Within seconds of him leaving, so we could move on with more planning, an older woman who sat across from me immediately pointed a finger at me and said, “Who do you think you are? And what makes you think you know anything about what needs to be done?” Fortunately I was comfortable enough about my background (I have worked in public relations and marketing) that I almost laughed. You see, because I wasn’t part of her “known” circle I was a nobody to “her church.”

We are so often led by the flesh – what sounds good, what feels good. That’s how someone like Diotrephes was allowed to be a dictator at his church. He said enough of the right things to convince enough people to support him. Had they backed up in their thinking and measured his actions against Jesus, the Truth would’ve been revealed.

Notice this Life Lesson isn’t just about the Big Picture. It says, “through the details of His love.” As Christians we must be students of the Word. If not, we are easily led by apostates and dictators and anyone else in our church who appears to be in charge. Jesus didn’t come to erase the Law. He reminds us of the simplicity of the Mosaic Law, without all the human-made rules and regulations placed on it. He constantly chastised the Pharisees for behavior that we find today throughout our Christian churches.

Woe to you experts in the law, 
because you have taken away the 
key to knowledge. You yourselves 
have not entered, and you have 
hindered those who were entering.
Luke 52:1

Remember that question in my study about theology? What is the church? It’s you and it’s me. It’s not just a pastor or priest or committee of leaders or even the clique of volunteers. We need to take ownership of our membership in the church body. When we see one of our body leading people astray we are to remind them of Jesus’ Big Picture. And we are to be knowledgeable enough about His Word to help set the church body back on track. A dictator or false teacher is only successful with willing followers!

Read the verse again in 3 John 10: “So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us.”

Notice John will confront Diotrephes face to face. He feels the responsibility of keeping the ship on the right course. He steps in out of love of the Truth. He doesn’t say, “I’m coming to fire him” or “I’m getting everyone together to run him out of town.” John also doesn’t tell Gaius to just go start his own church. It’s an intervention of sorts. That sounds a lot like Jesus.

Imagine a Christian world where the more than 3 billion of us were one body. Where our focus was on obeying Jesus’ teachings and His Big Picture of Love. Imagine the impact we would have on this broken world. Imagine if we could just get our own heart and our own local church soundly on that Big Picture path.

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A Tiny Message #1

February 16, 2021February 15, 2021 krisshetter

Did you know that Paul was a small, in stature, man? In fact, some of the Corinthian leaders thought less of him because of this.

You are judging by appearances.  
If anyone is confident that they 
belong to Christ, they should 
consider again that we belong to 
Christ just as much as they do.
2 Corinthians 10:7

We have the benefit of history and knowing the impact of the apostles, unlike the Corinthian leaders. But who have you looked at and thought, “She says some good stuff but physically she really puts me off.” That is exactly what they said to Paul. (2 Cor. 10:10). The name “Paul” even means “little one!” Yet we can all agree he was certainly mighty among men.

Is there something about you, physically, that is holding you back from fully doing God’s work? Are you uncomfortable being a greeter at church because of what people might think of you? Do you hide your smile because of your teeth? Do you not volunteer for something because of your weight? Here’s a confession I read that might help you:

“I proclaim that regardless of what I look like in the natural realm, I am a menace to the devil in the spiritual realm. In that sphere, I am anointed and powerful, with the ability to pull down strongholds from people’s lives and minds. I am so mighty in the Spirit that the devil and his forces flee when I resist them! I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!”
Sparkling Gems from the Greek I

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Welcome The Stranger

February 15, 2021February 10, 2021 krisshetter

Lesson #1: Show hospitality to strangers, they may be God’s heaven-sent angels

Dear friend, you are faithful in 
what you are doing for the brothers 
and sisters, even though they are 
strangers to you. 
3 John 5

The saying goes, “A man’s home is his castle.” And we might add to that, “surrounded by a deep moat, protected by a closed drawbridge.” At least that’s how it seems so many have come to treat their abodes. But the concept of hospitality has a long history for us Christians.

The two angels arrived at Sodom in 
the evening, and Lot was sitting in 
the gateway of the city. When he saw 
them, he got up to meet them and 
bowed down with his face to the ground. 
“My lords,” he said, “please turn 
aside to your servant’s house. You 
can wash your feet and spend the 
night and then go on your way early 
in the morning.”

"No," they answered, "we will 
spend the night in the square."

But he insisted so strongly that 
they did go with him and entered 
his house.  He prepared a meal for 
them, baking bread without yeast, 
and they ate.
Genesis 19: 1-3

In Leviticus we are admonished to treat the traveler as one of our own family. And throughout the New Testament we see the kindness of various townsfolk welcoming Jesus and the disciples along the way. Without these strangers’ help they would’ve found themselves hungry and without a bed on which to lie their head.

And in our smallest Bible book, 3 John, we see the work of a church elder named Gaius. The news of his hospitality and kindness toward fellow Christians reached John who noted how it brought him “great joy.”

But why is hospitality a life lesson? The Greek word for hospitality is philoxenos from the two words philos (friend) and xenos (stranger) and it means to show proper warmth or friendliness to strangers. It also means to have the readiness to share our home and other treasures. So often when we think of hospitality in our home it means inviting friends and family for dinners and parties. But strangers? Pull up the drawbridge and release the piranhas into the moat!

So what is Christian hospitality?

Answering calls from the church to hosts missionaries and guests
Inviting church elders over for meals
Hosting church activities such as Bible study in our homes
Reaching out to our unfamiliar neighbors and inviting them over for coffee
Being a welcoming face at church – not just a smile but showing a genuine interest in a new face

I wonder how many of us (I raise my hand) have read in the church bulletin about a visiting missionary needing a place to stay for a week or a car to borrow and we thought at best “Yea, I don’t feel comfortable with that” and at worst didn’t think about it at all?

I have a friend who has always held her Catholic priests in very high honor. It borders on being afraid of them. And when a friend of hers invited her to have a private gathering with a local priest she was aghast that it was all so, well, normal. It reminds me of when my kids were in elementary school and they thought the teacher didn’t have a life outside the classroom. But church leaders are people in addition to their divinely appointed roles. They enjoy fellowship just like you and me!

What hospitality is not.

Allowing situations in our home where guests openly sin
Inviting guests out of a sense of obligation, not love
Feeling the need to have our homes be perfect before inviting guests

Let’s look at number 1. Many years ago, my husband and I invited his brother and his brother’s girlfriend out for a visit. They couldn’t afford to travel so we let them stay at our home. Under one condition. They’d have to sleep in separate rooms. As a fairly new Christian, this was the first time I really stood my ground as the “new me.” Initially, my brother-in-law took issue with this. He commented that my husband and I had lived together before marriage so why should we now place this restriction on him – wasn’t that hypocritical? Friends, let’s be honest. Before we were made new in Christ, we did a lot of stupid, dangerous, sinful things. It’s ok to now say those things were wrong. And being that our house is our castle, you can make any rule you want. We didn’t place judgement on what he did outside our home, we just drew a line as to what was going to happen in our home, around our children. Our hospitality included the use of our home but not the erasure of our morals. The result? They both came and had a great time plus we were able to witness to my brother in law the changes Christ had made in our lives.

Number two seems obvious but when people take action out of a sense of obligation rather than love, the road can get bumpy. I read the story of a pastor who was invited to speak at a church. The host family welcomed him in, showed him his room and then preceded to tell him they didn’t feel it was their responsibility to feed him. They also worked very hard to completely ignore him over the course of five days. They did their “Christian duty” in their eyes. But can we really call that true Christian hospitality? I hope not.

The key to good hospitality isn’t found in the externals, like linen tablecloths and exquisitely furnished guest bedrooms, but in qualities like servanthood, a listening ear, and an encouraging word.
Max Lucado

When I was involved in PTA there was a chair position called “hospitality.” What that entitled was setting up a beautifully appointed table of yummy food at various events. Shouldn’t a church body’s goal be more of the philoxenos version? How many times does your church have to beg people to be greeters or to host a home Bible study? Our church volunteer coordinators should be overwhelmed by the requests to be able to say “hello!” and shake hands with new people. We should have too many homes (large and tiny) from which to choose for Bible study. We may not be the Hospitality Chair but we should all be committee members!

We ought therefore to show hospitality
to such people (the faithful) so that we
may work together for the truth.
3 John 8

A Christian who lives with an active approach to philoxenos brings God a lot of joy, just like Gaius did for John. We are reminded in the Old Testament that at one point in our lives we were all strangers. Strangers hoping for someone to reach out and say “hello.” Strangers hoping someone would show us God’s love. We need to assume that person is us.

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Mighty Growth

February 12, 2021February 13, 2021 krisshetter

A few weeks ago, I told my husband the following: “I can’t wait to get back to the way things were before the pandemic.” And then I stopped. I realized that wasn’t really true. My good friend and I were having lunch this week and I shared this moment with her. I went on to explain that yes, there’s a lot I’m hoping will “get back to normal” in the coming weeks but God uses every single moment in our lives for His purpose – good and bad. He uses non-believers and believers. I heard a pastor the other day explain that we shouldn’t be asking “why” to God when faced with difficulty but rather, “what can I learn about God or what does God want me to learn about myself?”

My BSGs (Bible Study Girls) were asked recently to draw a sanctification growth chart. Sanctification meaning our faith journey toward being more like Jesus. I drew some small spikes, a few flat lines, and then two large spikes. From the day I clearly recall my daughter (about 2 years old at the time) spurring me to answer her questions about God and angels to today I can thankfully say my growth chart has well, grown. The two large spikes include a large test Jesus put me through when He asked me, through a vision, to drop much of what I thought was important in life and instead feed the homeless for a year. The second spike? It started in February 2020 – the start of the COVID pandemic.

My church shuttered their doors. My old Bible study group went on-line. And then all other communication with my church ceased. Yes, they offered a weekly video but that is not fellowship. A cold, impersonal video just isn’t “church.” It’s not a communion of the saints.

My new BSGs, however, stayed in constant contact. Some of us came together in person with walks and distanced lunches. And together we made a commitment to not let each other go and to help each member delve deeper into His Word. We have been open about our sins and our dreams. Our hopes and our failures.

But more than just this group, I have fallen often on my knees in prayer. Sometimes crying out in fear and sometimes in sadness. Other times in thankful hallelujah. Had I been left to attending Sunday church for one hour a week I’m not sure I would’ve made the same progress. But I can tell you this, of all the things I’m most grateful for over the past year is what I now understand to be the most important – God’s never ending love for me.

His Word has been revealed to me in so many amazing ways. I’ve discovered the majesty of the Lord and His faithful promises. I’ve learned about the perils of disobedience and the joys of freedom that obedience brings. Through His Word I’ve learned how to hold the line of faith and to recognize when the devil is trying to loosen my grip.

While reading Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on the book of Jude I came across this powerful yet simple message to Christians everywhere:

Every Church = Bible Institute

Every Christian = Bible student

Every Pulpit = Teach the positive words of Biblical truth AND denounce error

Are you a student of the Bible? We are well-versed in so many other unnecessary aspects of life: the details of every episode of Downton Abbey (or pick your favorite show), the stats of our favorite baseball (golf, basketball, etc) player, the ins and outs of Joanna Gaines’ life. You get the picture. But can we say the same about every single book in the Bible?

My same friend I mentioned earlier asked me what I thought about the books that weren’t included in the Bible. I told her, “To be honest, if I could just become extremely knowledgeable about the ones in it, I think I’d be doing pretty good.”

And that’s I why I chose for my next series, Tiny But Mighty: 15 life lessons from the Bible’s smallest books. If you have never read these five books you could tackle them in about an hour (or less). But I’ll be honest, my first read through these left me thinking, “There’s a lot more than 15 lessons here.”

During the next 5 weeks we will discover more about how to confront a difficult situation, why love is obedience, how to really make social change, the effects of disloyalty, our role as God’s soldier and much more.

So, jump on board, join me in this sanctification journey! We may be just one Christian on this path to glory but God is sure to use us and the more we know about His will, the more He can do with us. We may be tiny but we sure can be mighty.

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Tiny Yet Mighty

February 3, 2021 krisshetter

Throughout the Bible we are taught how the least becomes the most, the youngest becomes the greatest, and the weak become strong. In my journey of studying the Bible I’ve flipped past seemingly insignificant books as I searched through the powerful messages of the Gospels and the insightful letters to the Corinthians and Ephesians. And we all know from popular culture about Noah, Moses and even Job. But what about those tiny books with odd names like Philemon, Obadiah and Jude? What can four short paragraphs in 3 John even tell us?

When you do a Google search for “the shortest books in the Bible” you find five books:

3 John: 219 words
2 John: 245 words

Philemon: 335 words
Obadiah: 440 words

Jude: 461 words

They are all tiny yet mighty books placed purposefully by the ancient church in our Bibles. They are fascinating to read, not just in their lessons but for their glimpses into the real lives of the prophets and disciples. They speak of trials, friendships, conflict, success and failure. They show the good work of the people of God – spreading His love and messages.

These five books remind us that as one tiny person in a world of millions we can play an integral part in God’s plan. We can switch from saying, “who am I?” to “I am here, Lord, send me!” Their lessons include picking role models, how to deal with conflict, true hospitality, forgiveness, social change, handling false teachers, and so much more.

Please join me in this five-week study as I glean life lessons from these powerful, yet tiny books of the Bible. Each week, starting February 15, three lessons will be discussed from one of the books and posted on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Be sure to follow emboldened.net to receive your posts via email. I look forward to having you join me on this Tiny Yet Mighty adventure!

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Wonderfully Made

January 29, 2021January 26, 2021 krisshetter

For we are God’s masterpiece. 
He has created us anew in 
Christ Jesus, so we can do 
the good things he planned 
for us long ago. 
Ephesians 2:10

A prayer to love myself

Heavenly Father, so many of my perceived short falls come from my poor sense of self-worth. I look in the mirror sometimes and to be honest I don’t always see what you see – a beautifully, wonderfully made daughter of God. And I confess that my lack of love for your creation can spill over to my inability to openly love others without judgment. But I don’t want to grieve the Holy Spirit any longer. My heart, body, mind and soul were created by and belong to you, LORD. With the reminders found in your Holy Word to love my neighbor as myself I will look into that mirror with newfound love and admiration for your creation. Thank you for my life, thank you for making me uniquely me. I lift this up in Jesus’ name, Amen

I sat and listened to her tell me how she feels unworthy, unlovable, lacking talent and more. It made me so sad because she was none of these. What made me even sadder was I realized I’ve frequently thought the same about myself. I look in the mirror and think, “You look old, unattractive, chubby, wrinkly – very non cover of Vogue-like.” And then I turn to my closet and evaluate which clothes will fit me that day. Tearing myself down for gaining those few extra pounds. And the piece d’ resistance? Wondering if what I’m going to accomplish that day will be of any value.

I was listening to a pastor the other day who was in the middle of a series on committing our whole bodies – heart, mind and soul – to God. She went on to talk about how when we struggle with self-worth it affects everything about our lives. If we get into a mild argument with our spouse, we might believe they obviously think we are stupid or worthless simply because they disagree with our opinion. We grasp for people outside ourselves to build us up but when they do, we don’t always trust their motives.

For you created my inmost being; 
you knit me together in my 
mother’s womb. I praise you 
because I am fearfully and 
wonderfully made;your works are 
wonderful,I know that full well. 
Psalm 139:13-14

How many of us can truly say, “I know that full well?” We easily quote scripture proclaiming that God loves us. But do we really believe it?

Some of us were fortunate to grow up in loving homes which shot us out into the world with a great sense of belonging and love. That sense gets attacked regularly by the world. And those of those who didn’t start out that way also experience those attacks of the world. It’s no wonder, starting from a lack of a filled bucket, that so many of us plunge into self-destruction and self-loathing.

When, during a particularly difficult time of false self-evaluation, I looked in the mirror and realized how dishonoring I was being to God. And that if I could just start with the acknowledgement that God made me and knows me then maybe, just maybe I could grow to love me just as He does.

We must rest in the glory and amazing work of God in order to fully be His warriors. That starts with us. No matter your thick or thin hair, your smooth skin or wrinkles, your short or tall stature, your past, the job you have (or don’t), your ability to arrange flowers or pick the perfect wall color, your knowledge about science or the humanities, God loves you. He loves me. I am wonderfully and beautifully made. I just need to keep telling that to the girl in the mirror.

If you want this too, add the prayer to your daily prayer list and watch and see how God works in your life!

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Praise The Lord

January 28, 2021January 25, 2021 krisshetter

Sing the praises of the Lord, 
you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
Psalm 30:4

A prayer to constantly praise and thank God

Mighty God, I admit that when things go wrong in my life I am quick to ask for help. But when my life is running along smoothly or even when a prayer is answered I’m equally quick to forget to thank you. Each and every morning when I rise, I commit to thanking you for what you will send my way that day – even the “not-so-good.” Because even in those times I know I have the opportunity to grow in my faith. And throughout my day I will remember to thank you even for the little gifts you send my way. LORD, at the end of my day I’m frequently so tired. But you are never tired of hearing my praise for you. I will, before my eyes close, remember the ways you revealed yourself to me that day. Whether you acted as my counselor, comforter, King, creator, or protector, I will praise you. In your son’s name I pray, Amen.

In the late Spring of 2020, I was led to learn more about how to pray. Using what The Navigators call, “The Prayer Hand,” I learned the five parts to highly effective prayer. That’s not to say we can’t or shouldn’t pray short, on-the-go prayers throughout the day, but the Prayer Hand revealed to me what was missing from my prayer life – praise.

Praise is different than “thanksgiving” I learned. When we praise someone, such as our children or a friend we compliment them for what they themselves have done, created or just are such as their patience or sense of humor. When we thank them it usually involves something to do with our relationship. We thank people for helping us or making things easier in a situation. The same is true for our praise and thankfulness toward God.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving 
and his courts with praise; 
give thanks to him and praise 
his name. 
Psalm 100:4

This concept was so foreign and awkward for me — it seemed that “praise” was so flowery and silly – that I dove headfirst into figuring out how to “do” it. And so, I created my 30 Days of Praise blog series. I took all the different characteristics of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and set about praising them for well, just being the amazing Triune God.

And although that 30 days was pretty awesome, I still struggle with daily praising Him. And that has revealed something else about me. I have a hard time praising others (and myself to be honest). I’m great at thanking people when they help me out. But just unabashedly praising people? I realized that effort and awareness requires me to look outside myself and my own “things I gotta do right now” world. I need to pay attention to the human beings around me. I mean really pay attention. To the salesclerk, the deli guy, the mailman, my neighbor, that person I see walking their dog every single day, my husband, my children, my friends – I need to look at them and see them and praise them. Why? Because they too are God’s creation. And I can praise God for putting them in this world.

Praising God means honoring Him for the rain, the sunrise, the puffy clouds, the air we breathe, the Son He sent, the joy He provides, the Word we read, the awesomeness of the universe. We praise Him from whom all blessings flow! I love the doxology I used to sing in a previous church and it takes on full meaning to me now:

Praise God from whom all 
blessings flow, Praise Him 
all creatures here below, 
Praise Him above ye heavenly 
host, Praise Father, Son and 
Holy Ghost, Amen

I will keep working on my path to praising God each and every day. I want to be His thankful daughter. I seek to find ever more reasons to praise Him. And in doing so my eyes are moved off me and onto Him.

If you want this too, add the prayer to your daily prayer list and watch and see how God works in your life!

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

Retire Our Gavels

January 26, 2021January 19, 2021 krisshetter

Therefore let us stop 
passing judgment on one 
another. Instead, make 
up your mind not to put 
any stumbling block or 
obstacle in the way of 
a brother or sister. 
Romans 14:10

A prayer to not be judgemental of others

Holy God, we live in a world that judges us on a photo that gets scrolled by in an instant, our decision at the ballot box, the type of car we drive, or even the color of our skin. I am guilty of making snap judgements about the people I encounter throughout my day. But in your world, LORD, we are all equally loved. I have discovered the uniqueness of your message through Jesus – that you are the father, king, counselor, protector of ALL people. You are at work in all of our lives, believer and non-believer. Through the life lessons of Jesus and the prompting of the Holy Spirit I will be the type of person who loves first, rather than judges first. I want to be loved and accepted for who I am uniquely made to be and I will see others in that same light. I pray this in your Son’s name, Amen

Recently, my BSGs were talking about why the world’s major religions continue to reject Jesus. We had a great discussion about the belief systems of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Jews. It was great to see how knowledgeable the group was from either taking classes or reading up on the topic. What stood out to me is how much more restrictive these other religions truly are and how much work they require of their followers to attain their end goal. And when we start requiring people to work for their salvation it seems to inevitably lead to hierarchies or even caste-type systems.

You, then, why do you judge 
your brother or sister? Or 
why do you treat them with 
contempt? For we will all 
stand before God’s judgment 
seat. 
Galatians 6:10

Jesus swept this type of contempt away. In one painful death, we are all promised salvation through belief in Him. That’s it. No crazy ritual. No particular way we dress. No matter our family background. No matter our wealth or lack thereof. No matter our origin of birth. No need to pray at certain times a day looking in a certain direction. No flowers and incense placed for offering. Just, “I believe Jesus is God and my savior.”

What that one act does is it sets us all on even ground. Because one day, the truth is, we will all die. Our wealth, status, family tree, how many followers we have on Instagram will not matter one bit. Therefore, to God, it doesn’t matter right now. He cares about one thing and one thing only – the salvation of our soul.

So why do we feel the need to judge differently?

^“Stop judging by mere appearances, 
but instead judge correctly.” 
John 7:24

Jesus made this statement in defense of healing people on the Sabbath. The crowd called him “demon-possessed.” He stated that if a boy can be circumcised under the Law on the Sabbath why did they judge Him so harshly for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? Jesus wasn’t doing the things the way the crowd demanded they be done so therefore He was a borderline lunatic or heretic.

When I embarked on what I called my “Sparkly New Life” a few years ago I realized my greatest issue at the time was my relentless judging of people based on “The Rules According to Kris.” It’s easy to get angry and frustrated when people don’t obey all your rules of life. The statement, “I hate people who….” Or “I hate it when…” easily rolled off my tongue.

I have noticed this, that when a man is full of the Holy Ghost, he is the very last man to be complaining of other people.
D.L. Moody

The topic of judgement has really got us Christians into hot water over the years. It seems our history of judging harshly while not loving others really turned people away. And now, we have flipped to not using judgement at all. All behavior seems to be accepted at a number of our large denominations. As a regular ole Christian, the topic of judgement has been difficult to define. I know I’m to love others but what does loving someone who is actively sinning against the Word look like?

James has two helpful hints on how to treat people:

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2:1
My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. 5:19-20

In other words, treat the rich man and the poor man with the same respect. And when we see a fellow Christian on the wrong tract we are to, with the help of God, try and guide them back to the Word.

Notice there is a distinction between judging the behavior of our fellow Christians and those who don’t know the Word. It’s unkind and unhelpful to expect behaviors from people who either don’t know what they’re doing is wrong or just don’t believe in God and His consequences. But no matter the situation we are to act like Jesus – with lovingkindness. And for us non-perfect people, with the recognition that the log in our eye is our first priority.

I am so thankful for the grace that God affords me and the love He piles on me. The days I leave the house looking like I should never have left my bed. The days I can’t find my smile. For the days when my beat-up VW bug was my only transportation. For the days when I couldn’t afford the coolest jeans. For the days when my child was screaming bloody murder in the store and I couldn’t quiet her. All of it – my good side and my not so great side that I present to the world – God loves me no matter what. I want to be like that for others. A person who sees what God sees in others.

If you want this too, add the prayer to your daily prayer list and watch and see how God works in your life!

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

Kindness Matters

January 22, 2021January 15, 2021 krisshetter

“May I continue to find favor 
in your eyes, my lord,” she said. 
“You have put me at ease by 
speaking kindly to your servant—
though I do not have the standing 
of one of your servants.” 
Ruth 2:13

A prayer to always speak kindly of others

Merciful God, so often when I think of sinful behavior, I rarely attribute my own tendency to gossip and tear down others. And yet throughout Jesus’ time here on earth he reminds us to love one another. Help me to remember to love not just with deeds but with my words. You speak so kindly of me, LORD, and I have many, many flaws. Not only do I need your help in not speaking unkindly, but also in being your servant to exalt your people. I know that a kind word is all that is needed to cure so many of our world’s ills. Guide me in controlling my lips so that they drip with kindness rather than bitterness. In Jesus’ name I lift this up to you. Amen

“The problem with youth sports is the parents,” my husband loves to say. And he’s not wrong. If you’ve never stood on the sidelines of a soccer, softball, baseball, football or any youth sport let me paint a picture. There’s the pacer – that parent that has so much anger or anxiety they can’t sit still. There’s the cheerleader parent and the coaching parent – yelling out to their kids instructions of how to play better. There’s the sideline referee – yelling at the refs for every call. The peek-a-boo parent stands off to the side trying to shield themselves from their anxiety, only peeking to check out the score or why everyone just cheered so loudly. And then you have little groups of parents huddled together gossiping.

I have been every single one of those at some point. And guess what, so has my husband. He may be hesitant to admit it but I have seen him be the actor in each of those roles.

During my youngest daughter’s last season of high school field hockey, I decided to take a different tack. I knew my mouth wanted to speak so I figured, why fight it. But instead of anything negative I would cheer positively for every girl at one point or another. Afterwards, I would seek out parents and pay their daughters’ compliments for a job well done. It’s amazing how much better I felt after games.

My command is this: 
Love each other as I 
have loved you.
John 15:12

I know for some, speaking kindly comes naturally (looking at you Betsy!). But I have found that not to be the norm in society. We seem to feel the need to seek out the flaw, the screw up, the mistake. “The movie was good, but I’m not too sure about that choice of an actor.” “She’s lost a lot of weight, but she really needed it didn’t she?” “He’s a good leader but I don’t like his hair.” “She always looks so nice, but of course she likes to impress people.” And on and on. The “buts” in our sentences erase any good we intended. We just need to get that extra little dig in.

“‘Do not go about spreading 
slander among your people. 
“‘Do not do anything that endangers 
your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.
Leviticus 19:16

I was listening to a podcast by a well know Christian speaker. She told a story of how she would listen to other talented speakers and upon leaving start dissecting all they had done wrong. And yet, she hoped people wouldn’t do the same to her.

Speaking unkindly, gossiping, or even slandering others is sinful behavior. It is like an amoeba that slowly eats our heart and mind. And the cure is to offer the kind word. It’s not enough to remove something from our behavior, that’s only half the work. God wants us to actively love our friends, family, neighbors and strangers with kindness.

I realized that not only was I having problems speaking about others unkindly but also about myself. I discovered this while at the gym. When I would get tired and worried I wouldn’t perform well I found my inner “but” speaking – “Come on you lazy so and so, you showed up today but now get it in gear!” How many of us really need one more person saying something negative to us? And yet, how many of us are that one more person? I decided to flip the script and start saying, “Come on! I know you can do this! You are stronger than yesterday!” I’m thankful for a few less bruises on my soul.

When I head out on my errands now, I say a little prayer asking God to help me say something that brightens someone’s day. I put a sign up in my prayer room that says, “Kindness and Grace Matter.” With His help I will remove the “buts” out of my vocabulary and rest in the compliment. I’m doing that not only for others but also for myself. I will speak kindness into my own heart so that it is full. And with fullness of heart, I will spread His fruit of love and kindness.

If you want this too, add the prayer to your daily prayer list and watch and see how God works in your life!