Tag: moses

30daysofpraise, Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, christian parenting, Christian women, Faith, god, Jesus, Jesus Follower, prayer, religion, scripture, Transformation Prayer, Uncategorized

From Why? to What?

krisshetter

First published May 23, 2022 as part of the Lessons from Cherith series.

“He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?” Luke 24:38

During the time in my own land of Cherith, a place where I was separated from my regular way of life and exposed to great sadness, I desperately needed to rely on the vast promises of God.  Yet each day I wrestled with the “why” of it all.  Why didn’t the doctors recognize the rising cancer markers in my beloved mother-in-law’s blood tests?  Why did each visit to the emergency room end without answers?  But more importantly, why would this woman, a shining light for God, an inspiring gift to everyone around her, a woman whose pastor reflected at her funeral that she seemed surrounded by a beautiful aura, be stricken with cancer and taken so soon? Why God, oh why?

How often have we lamented that why question in our lives?  Why are we suffering financially?  Why is my child rebelling?  Why is my marriage on the rocks?  Why did I suffer that abuse?  As Christians, we often feel expected to answer those questions.  I believe many of us hesitate to share the Gospel because we fear being asked life’s difficult “why” questions.

As a young college student who was approached one day on my campus by two religious folks, I too asked the big why – why is there suffering?  I believed in God, but I didn’t really know Him. Unfortunately, neither did these two young proselytizers.

I recently heard the statement: “If we view the world as a Christian, it all makes sense.” On the surface that’s a real head scratcher since this world seems so upside down especially now.  Broken families, broken lives, so much pain and death abound.  But take a step back, way back to Genesis 3.

“To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.” Genesis 3:17-18

And that’s just a taste of what man’s rebellion wrought.  Creation is currently at odds with God.  And just as cells divide and life moves without our intervention, our world around us is no longer under our full dominion.  So yes, there’s floods and fire and famine and cancer. And it has absolutely nothing to do with whether we are a good person or not. In addition to this result of The Fall, we became separated from God, always seemingly looking for ways to buck His system.  And we face the consequences for our actions, both individually and collectively.

“Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’” Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.” Exodus 5:1-2

We know how well that went for Pharaoh.  But what was Moses’ first reaction after Pharaoh knuckled down and made the Israelites work harder?  “Why?”  He asked God why did He have to make things worse and why did Moses have to be the brunt of everything?  From a Christian point of view, we should say, “There’s consequences in this world when anyone chooses to not submit – whether you choose to believe in God or not.”  This is not “Karma,” it’s simply a cause and effect of acting outside God’s desires for us.

While we may cry out, “why?!” in the moment whether in situations of our own making or of those in which we have no power, we need to remember the “what.” What is God doing in me or even in the world? What is God expecting of me as a believer? What is the promise I can hold on to?  The early Israelites had a decent excuse.  They didn’t know God as well as we do now.  They didn’t have all the stories of how He has rescued and protected His people.  They didn’t have Jesus’ brother James telling them there will be trials and in them they need to seek the lessons of God.  They didn’t have Jesus come to earth and die for their sins.  They didn’t have the Book of Revelation.  But we do.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Day after day, as I sat beside Bev’s bed while her body succumbed, not to cancer but to infection, I fought the persistent question of “why.”  I wanted someone punished.  I wanted someone to suffer like I was now suffering.  Then I heard a whisper, “She gets to come home to me.  And you need to see what I am teaching you.”

You see even in her suffering, on her death bed, this Christian called Bev was a conduit for Jesus.  A teacher and a comforter.  I finally realized it didn’t matter the “why.”  For one, there really were no answers that fully satisfied.  At times like that we just need to submit to God’s sovereignty and say, “I don’t know but He does.”  The only real answers that I continued to come back to were the “what.”

What did I truly believe about God?  And what was He trying to teach me?

Christian Friend, if you earnestly believe the Bible, believe that God is the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth and all its inhabitants, if you believe He is sovereign and He sent His Son to die for our sins, if you believe that there is a place greater than Eden awaiting us then you could understand why Bev wasn’t worried.  Why she could make us all laugh at her darkest hour.  Why, in the middle of a conversation she looked over my shoulder, waved and with a child-like voice exclaimed in joy, “Hi Jesus!”

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” John 14:2

I didn’t need to know the answers to my worldly questions and I definitely didn’t need retribution. I needed to remember that Jesus hates death because it’s a sign of our broken world. Even now, He is preparing a place more beautiful than I can imagine.  When He comes back we will all be raised up to live forever in a beautiful place that has no suffering, no death, no pain, no war, no hate, no fear.  And that is just what I needed to learn.

Are you asking “why” in your difficult time when you should be asking “what?”

What is the Lord teaching or asking you right now?

Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, christian parenting, Christian women, Faith, god, Jesus, Jesus Follower, prayer, religion, scripture, Uncategorized

Not Me, Lord

krisshetter

First published January 24, 2022 as part of the New Beginnings series.

“Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.” Exodus 1:22

Whenever I picture Moses, Charlton Heston comes to mind.  For those of you too young to know that reference, Mr. Heston personified Moses in the blockbuster 1956 movie The 10 Commandments.  He was sweaty, swarthy, muscular, bold, and fearless.  Some of his final scenes show him standing fiercely on top of a mountain, wind blowing his impressive white beard and long gorgeous hair as he calls on the name of God.  A hero.  A rescuer.  A man not to be trifled with because God was with him.  As usual, the big screen skips over a few of the finer points of history for the sake of the storyline.  Like the fact that Moses, despite being rescued by God again and again, really didn’t want the job of rescuing Israel.  Of being the leader of the new beginning for an entire people.

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11

That interaction alone might lead the reader to think Moses, well, he’s just being humble.  But by my count Moses tries to point God toward someone much more suited, much more capable than he, eight times!  I can’t! What if!  I’m not!  Why should I?  Sound familiar to anyone out there?

Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”  Exodus 4:1

My BSGs (Bible Study Girls) and I have embarked on a new study by Shirley Giles Davis called, God. Gifts. You.  In our first week we were asked: “Where are you hearing God, but your excuse for delaying sounds a lot like “Lord, I’m afraid.”?”  Moses afraid?  Not that guy.  God saved him from death as a baby.  God placed him in the care of royalty.  God gave him incredible opportunities for gaining knowledge and physical strength.  He saved him from capture.  There’s no way Moses was afraid of yet another challenging new beginning, right?

Eight times.  Standing in front of bush that was talking to him even!  I don’t know about you but if I told my husband when he walked in the door from work that one of my bushes in the yard was on fire and speaking to me about going to the governor’s office demanding, “let my people go!” he’d be very, very concerned.  

In fact, this was a point of discussion with my BSGs.  Not burning bushes, mind you, but whether or not God still speaks audibly to us.  And if he does, do people think we are crazy?  It’s an unfortunate state we are in that some pastors and biblical teachers try to assure us that God doesn’t speak out loud to us anymore.  And while I agree we need to use God’s character, gleaned from His written Word to discern whether the voice we hear is His, I completely disagree that we no longer hear His audible voice.  I know.  I’ve heard Him.  

Some of my BSGs have heard Him.  To me the real question is now that you’ve heard Him, what are you going to do about it?  Are you going to accept the challenge of this new beginning or find another excuse?

But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” Exodus 4:13

Noah went. Abraham went. Isaiah practically raised his hand: “Me, Lord, send me!” Moses? “Not me, Lord. Please send someone else.” It’s hard for a lot of people, I believe, to relate to those other guys.  We regular folks sometimes are more like Moses.  We list our reasons why God’s plan won’t work.  We aren’t smart enough, strong enough, likeable enough, talented enough.  

But if God wants us in His service He won’t let go.  He wants us to be part of a new beginning.  And so, he nudges us to the right people and places.  He puts other saints in front of us to help open doors.  For Moses?  He said, “Fine, I’ll give you Aaron to use as your spokesperson.”

But here’s the thing.  Even though Moses is the one remembered and exalted, it was Aaron that got to wear the priestly, holy robes.  It was Aaron that was allowed into the most holy place.  Think if Moses had responded like Isaiah – “Me! Me! I can do it Lord because you have rescued me so many times!”  We can’t know what might have been different had Moses responded in this way.  But we do know that fear nearly caused him to resist an extraordinary calling.

His new beginning, as Moses led the Israelites toward the promised land, would require him to call on the Lord for strength and rescue many times.  I find it interesting that Moses had to listen to all the people constantly complaining to him about why he took them down this path.  Do you think he occasionally thought, “That sounds a lot like me with God.?” 

Friend, whether it’s a nudging or a clear directive from God I want to urge you to step up in faith and raise your hand.  Resist the instinct to say , “Not me, Lord.”  Use all your resources (prayer, scripture, pastors, teachers) plus God’s past intervention in your life to discern what He is asking of you.  In your new beginning when you step out in faith you can then say “I overcame my fears and allowed God to take my weakness and turn it into strength.”  This blog and podcast was my big step. Let Him work a New Beginning in you and He will let His glory shine brightly through you!

Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, christian parenting, Christian women, Faith, god, Jesus, Jesus Follower, prayer, proverbs, religion, scripture, Uncategorized, wisdom

Enjoying Life With Gladness

krisshetter

First published on April 22, 2024 as part of the Enjoy Life: From meaningless to meaningful series.

At this point in your life, you’ve probably been asked one or both of these questions:

  1. If you were told you were to die tomorrow, what would you do?
  2. If the world were to end tomorrow, what would you do tonight?

They are two different scenarios.  The first sees life moving forward for the rest of the world without you in it.  The second imagines the destruction of everything we know.   For me, however, my answer to both is the same.  I would gather my family and others that I love.  We would spend time in prayer asking God to sustain us through the trial so that we would see His face at our end.  I would want us to gather in laughter, remembering all the wonderful times God has provided us throughout our lives together.  We would eat a scrumptious meal, most likely prepared by my husband, enjoy good wine, and pray some more.

Here’s the thing, we should live knowing that either scenario is possible..  That is, if we truly believe the message of the Bible.  First, we will all die, just as we have seen in earlier chapters of Ecclesiastes.  It’s not if but when.  For every single one of us.  Secondly, if it’s not the rapture coming upon us then we should be honest that the world is now filled with weapons that could easily kill us all.  Does this mean we live every day in fear of these two truths?  No, but truth can and should set us free to live in reality.

“All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.” Ecclesiastes 9:2

That “common destiny” is the evil we call death.  So, what do we do with this truth?  We live each day serving the one true God and live in gladness.

“Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart for God has already approved what you do. Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.”Ecclesiastes 9:7-8

Gladness is not hedonism.  Gladness is not escapism.  Gladness isn’t folly.  You could easily imagine, in fact movies and books have taken the “if the end were tomorrow what would we do” topic and shown us the possibilities the unrighteous might take.  Some might go on drug, alcohol or sexual benders.  Getting blotto to ease their fears or pain.  The age-old “eat and drink because tomorrow we might die” path toward annihilation.  It’s a twisting of the message found throughout Ecclesiastes.  Other might go on a theft and destruction rampage.  That thinking shines the light on people who live without wisdom or God.

Why shouldn’t we think this way?  I mean your life is about to end, right?  Let’s remember when Moses negotiated with God to save their people.   

“But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.” Exodus 32:11-12

So here you are, you’ve committed every sin possible against man and God the night before you are to die and suddenly a righteous person pleads for mercy on the world’s behalf.  The ungodly will surely find themselves on the wrong side of that historical moment.  Or maybe that person is praying for your healing because you have been personally given that death sentence.  Will God abide or will He see justice done?  

That’s what the “fear of God” is about.  It means recognizing that God is above us and that He will ultimately bring justice.  Do we love God and therefore want to live our lives in service to Him?  Or do we grieve the Holy Spirit daily, hourly even, and turn our backs on Him?

“For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 9:5-6

Until the day we actually die we still have time.  Time to submit ourselves to the Lord Most High.  Time to reconcile with loved ones.  Time to extend mercy and forgiveness in abundance.  Time to enjoy our lives with gladness.  Because once your time is up, the dead have no such chances.

“Joy is the serious business of heaven.”   C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm

Living with gladness means making the most of ordinary moments because ordinary moments are precious. This moment will never come again. Our short lives pass quickly. Will we spend them in bitterness and anger?  In the fog of folly and hedonism?  Or in joyfulness and with endurance?  

I saw a great example of taking everyday moments and making them full of gladness.  Once a month a mom of four young children creates “Fancy Dinner Night.”  The children all dress in their finest clothing.  She makes picture menus of the meal she has planned.  There are candles and cloth napkins and the fancy china.  She plays the role of waitress and hands out the menus as though she is serving clients at a five-star Michelin restaurant.  Even the toddler has a picture menu from which to choose his meal.  She is training them not only to enjoy an everyday moment but how to act with character at mealtimes.  It was so sweet and beautiful!

“Console yourself, dear Battos. Things may be better tomorrow. While there’s life, there’s hope. Only the dead have none.” Greek Poet Theokritos

There is always hope for tomorrow; a tomorrow filled with gladness.  Why? Because we have the life and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He suffered the most gruesome of deaths to take on our sins.  He sacrificed not only His human body but His heavenly one when he came to earth to live among us.  He showed us what the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven will look like – ones who fully rely on God, they forgive and are forgiven, they put others ahead of themselves, they mourn over their sin.  And when He was resurrected, He proved that those Kingdom Citizens will also be raised from the dead and be given yet another new life.  What amazing hope we have for our eternal lives after this short time here on earth.

When we live in gladness and joy, we seek to serve others in His Holy Name.  We love others well in His name.  We take every moment, even in the trials and tribulations, and thank Him for providing for us, for healing us, and being our guiding light.  So why oh, why would we want to miss out on that hope?  Why would we not want to share that hope with those around us who choose daily leaning toward something less?

“It’s not by searching for special things that we find joy, but by making the everyday things special.” Warren Wiersbe

Friends, our time here is truly short so consider well your answers to the first two questions I presented.  Because eternity is forever.  A forever spent in the presence of the glory of God or of the pain of hell.

“So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them.” Ecclesiastes 9:1 

King Solomon eventually, in his study of the meaningless life, discovers that we do, in fact, know what awaits us.  If we take the narrow path set before us by Jesus we are greeted with unmeasurable love.  Our knowledge of that truth should give us the endurance to live each day in gladness.  And to spread that truth to so many others.

Are you saving your best china for a special occasion that never seems to come? Take it out. Light the candles. Invite the neighbors you’ve always wanted to know. Make an ordinary evening special.

Our time here is short, but in Christ our hope is eternal. So rejoice in the gifts God has given you. Love generously. Forgive freely. Serve faithfully. And while you have breath, enjoy life with gladness.

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” C.S. Lewis

Glowing humanoid figure surrounded by swirling cosmic data streams and galaxies
30daysofpraise, Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, christian parenting, Christian women, Faith, god, Jesus, Jesus Follower, religion, scripture, Uncategorized, wisdom

Jehovah, the Self-Existent One

krisshetter

“God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” ” Exodus 3:14 

“Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.””  John 8:58

In conversations with my dad about God I used this analogy: If you see a beautiful watch and open it up and marvel at the craftsmanship we then assume there was a craftsman.  I would point out to my dad each item around us.  The table where we sat, the meal we were eating, the clothes we wore, the plants around us – all were built, planted, mixed, sewn, by someone.  Everything has a creator, even us.  The problem was when my dad asked, “But who created God?”

Who created God?  Should be an easy question for you to answer today before your coffee when asked by an unbeliever, right?  For those who know me personally they can probably hear me make this statement tinged with humor.  I don’t want us to get lost in the weeds of philosophy and metaphysics today, but acknowledging God as self‑existent is essential to the Christian life.

Why? Because most other religions rely on gods which were created, limited or dependent on man.  

The most honest answer we average folks can give to the age-old question of who created God is “I don’t fully understand the mystery God’s self-existence.”  While we may not completely understand it, we should know and accept that He is self-derived or self-originated.  We don’t come to that acceptance out of whole cloth.  

I AM

When God assigned Moses the task of speaking for the Israelites, Moses rightfully inquired, “Who should I say you are?”  With God’s short and mysterious answer of, “I AM who I AM” He made the bold announcement of being Jehovah – the self-existent one. (On a side note reading that scripture always reminds me of Popeye the Sailor Man: “I yam what I yam and that’s all that I yam!)

“He is wholly and completely “other” and unlike anything else in the known or unknown universe. He is autonomous, operates with complete control, and is infinite in all of His power, ability, and knowledge.” For The Gospel

That “other,” as described by Pastor Costi Hinn, must be front and center of our Christian life and reverence for God.  He is not us.  He is not like us.  He is outside us and created us.  In fact, He created every single molecule.  The Bible affirms this concept and Christian thinkers have wrestled with what that means.

Outside Time

C.S. Lewis has some wonderful chapters in his timeless book, Mere Christianity, on this puzzle of God’s self-existence.  He surmises that God is outside time, having created that as well.  He has no history and no future.  He just is.  If you really want to get deep one day, just think about time as a created thing.  We think of it as “real” because we see the clock move, the sun rise and set, our bodies grow old.  But God is above all that.  

Lewis describes God in this way:

“If you picture Time as a straight line along which we have to travel, then you must picture God as the whole page on which the line is drawn…God has no history.  He is too completely and utterly real to have one.  For of course, to have a history is losing part of your reality (because it has already slipped away into the past) and not having another part (because it is still in the future): having nothing but the tiny present.”

God is always in the Now.  Our yesterday was His Now.  As is our tomorrow.  He is without a beginning or an end.  We should find comfort in that mystery because it speaks to His authority and power.  It reminds us that He is wherever, whenever we are.  He is not beholden to another.

Friends, God is not reliant on our concepts of physics, time or space.  Mysteriously, He just IS.  He is the I AM for time eternal.  The steady rock or north star to place our sights upon.  

“For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.” Isaiah 46:9 

Did you miss a day of 30 Days of Reverence? Click here for all past posts!

Fragmented wooden statue head and limbs in desert sand under cloudy sky with sun rays
30daysofpraise, Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, christian parenting, Christian women, Faith, god, Jesus, Jesus Follower, politics, prayer, proverbs, religion, scripture, Uncategorized

The Lord in the Midst of You

krisshetter

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!” 1 Kings 8:27

“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:20

A quick look up on Wikipedia will inform you that the Egyptians at one point had 17 gods of war.  When one Egyptian city went out to battle another, they brought their gods to fight alongside them.  When the Assyrians and Babylonians came up against Israel, they too carried their idols on the backs of slaves.  Assured that with their gods in their physical midst the battle would be theirs.  Yet when Moses and Joshua faced the fierce Amalekites all they had was Moses’ arms. But was that all they truly had?  

“And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” Exodus 17:7

This verse sits just prior to the story of the great battle against the Amalekites.  The Israelites once again, believed God had left them without food or water.  The LORD told Moses to strike the rock so that water would flow freely from it. Afterwards, we find Moses naming the place as he so often did, when God performed a miracle.  I would imagine their question, “Is the Lord among us or not?” caused God to further show His omnipresent state with the ensuing battle.  The Israelites didn’t need an idol carried into battle, they only needed hands lifted to Him.

All throughout the ancient world idol worshippers felt compelled to have an object on their person or in their household in order to be in the presence of the gods.  But I love this (long) piece of scripture from Isaiah mocking this concept:

“He (the carpenter) cut down cedars,
    or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
    or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.
It is used as fuel for burning;
    some of it he takes and warms himself,
    he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships it;
    he makes an idol and bows down to it.
Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
    over it he prepares his meal,
    he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
    “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”
From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
    he bows down to it and worships.
He prays to it and says,
    “Save me! You are my god!” Isaiah 44:14-17

And yet, modern “spiritual” people still do the same with beads, rocks, and stones.  If you wear a special bead bracelet then you are protected by some sort of god or spiritual being.  A bracelet probably made in China by child labor.  I prefer the God who is omnipresent like the one Paul describes here:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.   And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,  and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” Colossians 1:15-20

This God is everywhere with us at all times, throughout all time.  We don’t need to conjure up some spirit out of our craftsmen’s hands.  We, through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, have the Holy Spirit living in each believer.  We are His temple, His dwelling place.  Wherever we go, He goes.

There are so many other beautiful truths about God’s omnipresence in the Bible but this Psalm is a standout to bring the point home.

"Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast." Psalm 139:7-10

I want to be held fast while in my car, in my bed, on a plane, in the presence of believers and non-believers.  And knowing that He sees me everywhere should also hold my feet to the fire to remember to whom I belong.    

“Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.”  Jeremiah 23:24

For the believer in the western world, we can easily forget that we need this God to be with us throughout our days.  But think about the believers in hostile lands such as Egypt, Somalia, Nigeria, North Korea, and unfortunately too many other places.  Even without a Bible in their hands, they can know the truth, that God is with them.  God the Father was with the more than 20 Nigerian Christians slaughtered by Islamic terrorists over Easter.  Now they are with Him in His arms for all eternity.

Friends, may we never face the terror some of our brothers and sisters face in defense of our Savior.  What we more likely face each day is the clash of cultures.  We face decisions to stand up for our faith or be ridiculed.  I pray each time you do, you remember the LORD is in the midst of you.  He is with you always.

A wooden cross before a mountain sunrise with the text God's Holiness.
30daysofpraise, Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, Christian women, Faith, god, Jesus, Jesus Follower, religion, scripture, Uncategorized

Be Holy Because I Am Holy

krisshetter

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

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

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

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

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

A Holy God Sanctifies

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

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

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

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

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

Aligned With Our Perfect God

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

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

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

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

Be sure to sign up and follow the blog so you receive your 30 Days of Reverence in your email inbox!

30daysofpraise, Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, christian parenting, Christian women, Faith, god, Jesus, Jesus Follower, prayer, religion, Transformation Prayer, Uncategorized

Day 20 Nothing Left To Prove

krisshetter 
Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. John 21: 25
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
    and his mercy is over all that he has made. Psalm 145: 8-9

If the New Testament verse sounds familiar today it’s because John 20 (yesterday) says something similar about the purpose of the Book of John – so people will believe.  Today’s verse is slightly different.  I love how the apostle John makes a point to say the number of miracles was so numerous the world couldn’t contain all the books written.  Imagine how many books there are in the world!  

Jesus kept proving over and over to the people He encountered and those that heard of Him that there was something different about this man.  As modern day believers we need to grasp that the books in the Bible are just a glimpse of the God of the Universe.  They are a taste to show us a few of the million reasons why we should believe and trust in Him.

The Bible is book about one being – God in three persons.  Over centuries, He had prophets, kings, and disciples write the biography of Him.  There is no other religion that follows a god who wants the people to know them like the God of Abraham, Moses and Isaac.  No other god who refuses to let us go.  Who sent, in effect, himself to be humbled and suffer and die for His people.

His mercy to all people is revealed as bountiful.  He is giving us plenty of time to turn to Him and acknowledge all the miracles He has performed in the past and even today.  So that we can live in love with Him for all eternity.  How many more reasons do you still need to trust in Him?

Click here to listen to today’s song: Nothing Left To Prove

Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, christian parenting, Christian women, Faith, god, Jesus, Jesus Follower, prayer, proverbs, religion, Transformation Prayer, Uncategorized, wisdom

Enjoying Life With Gladness

krisshetter

At this point in your life, you’ve probably been asked one or both of these questions:

  1. If you were told you were to die tomorrow, what would you do?
  2. If the world were to end tomorrow, what would you do tonight?

They are two different scenarios.  The first sees life moving forward for the rest of the world without you in it.  The second is a complete destruction of all we know.  For me, however, the answers are both the same.  I would gather my family and others that I love.  We would spend time in prayer asking God to sustain us through the trial so that we would see His face at our end.  I would want us to gather in laughter, remembering all the wonderful times God has provided us throughout our time together.  We would eat a scrumptious meal, most likely prepared by my husband, enjoy good wine, and pray some more.

Here’s the thing, we should always assume these two questions are a distinct possibility.  That is, if we truly believe the message of the Bible.  First, we will all die, just as we have seen in earlier chapters of Ecclesiastes.  It’s not if but when.  For every single one of us.  Secondly, if it’s not the rapture coming upon us then we should be honest that the world is now filled with weapons that could easily kill us all.  Does this mean we live every day in fear of these two truths?  No, but truth can and should set us free to live in reality.

“All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.” Ecclesiastes 9:2

That “common destiny” is the evil we call death.  So, what do we do with this truth?  We live each day serving the one true God and live in gladness.

“Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.8Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.” Ecclesiastes 9:7-8

Gladness is not hedonism.  Gladness is not escapism.  Gladness isn’t folly.  You could easily imagine, in fact movies and books have taken the “if the end were tomorrow what would we do” topic and shown us the possibilities the unrighteous might take.  Some might go on drug, alcohol or sexual benders.  Getting blotto to ease their fears or pain.  The age-old “eat and drink because tomorrow we might die” path toward annihilation.  It’s a twisting of the message found throughout Ecclesiastes.  Other might go on a theft and destruction rampage.  That thinking shines the light on people who live without wisdom or God.

Why shouldn’t we think this way?  I mean your life is about to end, right?  Let’s remember the times when Moses and Abraham negotiated with God to save their people.   

“Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”  Genesis 18:23-26
“ But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.” Exodus 32:11-12

So here you are, you’ve committed every sin possible against man and God the night before you are to die and suddenly a righteous person pleads for mercy on the world’s behalf.  The ungodly will surely find themselves on the wrong side of that historical moment.  Or maybe that person is praying for your healing because you have been personally given that death sentence.  Will God abide or will He see justice done?  

That’s what the “fear of God” is about.  Knowing there is a presence higher than us who will one day serve justice to all.  Do we love God and therefore want to live our lives in service to Him?  Or do we grieve the Holy Spirit daily, hourly even, and turn our backs on Him?

“For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. 6Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 9:5-6

Until the day we actually die we still have time.  Time to submit ourselves over to the Lord Most High.  Time to reconcile with loved ones.  Time to give out mercy and forgiveness in abundance.  Time to enjoy our lives with gladness.  Because once your time is up, the dead have no such chances.

Joy is the serious business of heaven.”  

C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcom

Rejoicing our lives in gladness means we make the most of every moment.  We make as many everyday moments special.  Because they are special.  That moment right now, you will never have back.  The moments pass by so quickly in our short lives.  Do you want to live them in bitterness and anger?  In the fog of folly and hedonism?  Or in joyfulness and with endurance?  

I saw a great example of taking everyday moments and making them full of gladness.  Once a month a mom of four young children creates “Fancy Dinner Night.”  The children all dress in their finest clothing.  She makes picture menus of the meal she has planned.  There’s candles and cloth napkins and the fancy china.  She plays the role of waitress and hands out the menus as though she is serving clients at a 5 star Michelin restaurant.  Even the toddler has a picture menu from which to choose his meal.  She is training them not only to enjoy an everyday moment but how to act with character at mealtimes.  It was so sweet and beautiful!

Console yourself, dear Battos.  Things may be better tomorrow.  While there’s life, there’s hope.  Only the dead have none.”  

Greek Poet Theokritos

There is always hope for tomorrow; a tomorrow filled with gladness.  Why? Because we have the life and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He suffered the most gruesome of deaths to take on our sins.  He sacrificed not only His human body but His heavenly one when he came to earth to live among us.  He showed us what the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven will look like – ones who fully rely on God, they forgive and are forgiven, they put others ahead of themselves, they mourn over their sin.  And when He was resurrected, He proved that those Kingdom Citizens will also be raised from the dead and be given yet another new life.  What amazing hope we have for our eternal lives after this short time here on earth.

When we live in gladness and joy, we seek to serve others in His Holy Name.  We love others well in His name.  We take every moment, even in the trials and tribulations, and thank Him for providing for us, for healing us, and being our guiding light.  So why oh, why would we want to miss out on that hope?  Why would we not want to share that hope with those around us who choose daily leaning toward something less?

It’s not by searching for special things that we find joy, but by making the everyday things special.” 

Warren Wiersbe

Friends, our time here is truly short so consider well your answers to the first two questions I presented.  Because eternity is forever.  A forever spent in the presence of the glory of God or of the pain of hell.

"So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them.” Ecclesiastes 9:1 

King Solomon eventually, in his study of the meaningless life, discovers that we do, in fact, know what awaits us.  If we take the narrow path set before us by Jesus we are greeted with unmeasurable love.  Our knowledge of that truth should give us the endurance to live each day in gladness.  And to spread that truth to so many others.

Are you the type that tells your family and friends that your best china is sitting locked away in some dusty cupboard?  “It’s for special times.”  And those times never seem to come?  Break out that china, the linen napkins, the candles, even if it’s just you enjoying it or grab a few neighbors you’ve always wanted to meet.  Make your everyday special in some way and rejoice with gladness!

You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

C.S. Lewis
30daysofpraise, Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, christian parenting, Christian women, Faith, Jesus, Jesus Follower, prayer, religion, Transformation Prayer, Uncategorized, wisdom

Shock & Awe

krisshetter 
"Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking." Ezekiel 1:28

At the beginning of our church’s Christmas Eve service they played a video of kids answering questions about Christmas. One question posed to them was: “How do you think you would react if angels came down to speak to you?”  In their sweet innocence, all of the kids mimed being scared and in awe. They hadn’t sanitized and sweetened the idea of angels. They knew the Christmas story well of the shepherds in the field being visited by angels announcing the birth of Christ.

"And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people."'  Luke 2: 9-10

Those kids pictured the lowly shepherds looking toward the sky in fear of the mighty and glorious sight they were beholding. And although I can’t say what the angels looked like that day, if you look through the Bible and read the references to angels they are pretty scary and odd looking creatures. 

Last night, we took my grandson to a local area which features street upon street of lights and handmade, large Christmas cards in their front yards. The homeowners take different cartoon themes and make clever Christmas sayings such as “Hakuna MaChristmas!” At one house there were four foot tall, pudgy Precious Moments angels placed all across the yard. Those sweet little cherubs with big doe-like eyes made into tiny statues. I couldn’t help but think how far we have ventured from the Bible’s “shock and awe” angels.

"Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back," Revelation 12:7

I don’t know about you but those angels don’t sound like doe-eyed cherubs. In fact, I recently heard a theologian remind us that every time we read about angels visiting someone here on earth they first proclaim, “do not be afraid!”  Because of this, he also remarked that a true test of someone claiming to have been visited by an angel or even Jesus should state that fear was their first reaction. The glory of the Lord, whether in the form of angels, or the Lord Himself, is so great that even Moses had to be shielded from His great light! This makes it all the more amazing that God came as man so we could, in fact, see His face, touch Him, and just be with Him.

When I heard this “test of truth” statement it actually gave me comfort. You see, a few years ago I had a vision in which Jesus visited me and gave me clear instructions for some charity work. When I first tell someone about the vision this is how I describe it:

Suddenly, Jesus was standing next to me. I couldn’t look at Him because I was afraid if I did I might die. He was so gloriously bright. I could only peer at Him from the corner of my eye. While I was afraid, somehow He also comforted me. But at no time did I turn and fully look at Him. It was too much for me to take in.

Friends, so much of our Christian story is sanitized to be palpable and “user friendly.”  We want Jesus to be our friend, not our glorious King. We want angels to sit on our shoulder cooing in our ears, not appearing and scaring us into action for the Lord.  Our God is a god of such great glory that we should fall on our knees and bow our heads when we pray. Because we are not worthy of even being in His presence and yet, He sent His Son to wash us clean and allow us to participate in some of that glory. No man-made deity has ever wanted to share his glory, has ever expressed his love for his believers like the God of Abraham. For that alone we should give Him all glory and honor and thankfulness.

Soli Deo Gloria. Amen

Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, christian parenting, Christian women, Faith, Jesus, Jesus Follower, prayer, proverbs, religion, Uncategorized, wisdom

31 Days of God’s Wisdom

krisshetter

“Love the Lord with all your minds heart and soul.” Matthew 22:37

It seems when we Christians talk about our faith these days it’s so frequently focused on feelings, emotions – “from the heart.”  And while Jesus will ultimately be the judge of our heart’s true commitment, He also asks us to use the rest of our bodies to honor God.  It’s not enough to feel God we need to know and obey God.  Why? Because His Words are designed to guide us through this temporary life as best possible.  We want to become skillful not just at making a living but in making a life that is in line with our Holy Father.  Many of us have experienced life outside those guardrails – sometimes on a daily occurrence.  When we are rash with our decisions or emotions, quick to be angry, quick to take up the latest idea or get rich scheme, quick to enter into relationships without good judgment, we easily find ourselves outside God’s protective ways.

The words “wise” and “wisdom” are used 125 times in the 31 chapters of the book of Proverbs.  It sounds as though someone might be trying to get a point across to us!  Wisdom literature in the Bible includes Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes.  But for this series I’ll be focusing only on Proverbs.  You’ll notice there’s 31 chapters – perfect for a one month study of God’s messages to us about living life in His guardrails.  

But first and foremost, we need a right relationship with our Creator. Meaning we accept God in His three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) as one God who created the universe and everything in it.  And that Jesus came as fully man and fully human to be the final, complete sacrifice to cleanse us of our sins.  In this way we may come before God, our King, as righteous.  He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent in our lives.  There is one way on this path and that one way is open to everyone who believes in Him.

Second, we have an assertion of a moral law operating in the world and there will be divine justice.  None of which has to do with IQ, wealth or even education.  There is an expectation by God to follow His moral laws.  And everyone, believers and non-believers, will be judged upon their death.

If we do not have these two foundations, then the seeking of wisdom has no foundation itself.  Without a moral King to guide us then we are guiding ourselves.  And we know how well that usually turns out!  Our selfish souls seek ease, seek comfort, seek pleasure above all.  Without an understanding and acceptance of a final, universal judgment then what does it all matter?  If you read back into ancient history, peoples without God sacrificed children to meet their desires.  They performed all sorts of sexually immoral acts (especially on women) to please their desires.  Murdered without out conscience.  It was the formation of God’s people through Abraham and Moses that brought God’s moral law back down to earth.  Setting us back on the path toward God’s future Eden on Earth.

And so, through people like King Solomon He spoke.  The king had asked God for wisdom and it was granted (1 King 3:5-14).  It is believed King Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs during his reign.  The beauty of the proverbs selected for this book is that none of them are in conflict.  All cultures have their sayings – quick summaries of lessons.  But many times, they conflict with each other!  (“Look before you leap!” vs “He who hesitates is lost.”) God’s words are never opposed to each other.  

Toward the end of his reign, King Solomon turned to the folly he so frequently spoke to avoid and disregarded his own wisdom – proving we need to stay close to God at all times. In fact, God warned him when He gave Solomon this gift: “And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will enlighten your days.” A good reminder to never take a day off from following God.

Proverbs are not promises.  They are generalized statements of what is usually true.  So, if you find a proverb that you want to disagree with first remind yourself that we humans are sinful people.  And second, God seeks to bring us into His ideal world.  We are practicing to live in our final home – the New Eden.

If you haven’t signed up to receive your 31 Days of God’s Wisdom, make sure you subscribe today!  After entering your email information below, check your inbox for your confirmation link.  Thank you for joining me on this journey and be sure to share with your friends, neighbors, co-workers and family! Blessings to you for wisdom, Kris